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Adoptive transfer of tumor-reactive T cells (ACT) has led to modest clinical benefit in the treatment of solid tumors. Failures with this therapy are primarily due to inadequate infiltration and poor function of adoptively transferred cells in the tumor microenvironment. To improve the efficacy of ACT, we combined ACT with dual blockade of CTLA-4 and PD-1. Treatment with anti–CTLA-4 plus anti–PD-1 compared with monotherapy resulted in durable antitumor responses, enhanced effector function of ACT, utilizing PMEL-1 transgenic (Tg+) CD8+ T cells, and improved survival. Using PMEL-1ICOS−/− mice, we showed that deletion of the inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS) receptor abolished the therapeutic benefits, with selective downregulation of Eomesodermin (Eomes), interferon gamma (IFNγ), and perforin. Higher expression of IFNγ and Eomes was noted in human ICOShi CD8+ T cells compared with ICOSlow counterparts. Together, our data provide direct evidence that ACT combined with immune-checkpoint therapy confers durable antitumor responses, which largely depended on CD8+ T-cell–intrinsic expression of ICOS. Our study provides a foundation of testing combinatorial therapy of ACT of CD8 T cells and dual blocking of CTLA-4 and PD-1 in patients with melanoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors are enriched in immune-suppressive myeloid cells and are refractory to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Targeting epigenetic pathways to reprogram the functional phenotype of immune-suppressive myeloid cells to overcome resistance to ICT remains unexplored. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses of human GBM tumors demonstrated high expression of an epigenetic enzyme - histone 3 lysine 27 demethylase (KDM6B) in intra- tumoral immune-suppressive myeloid cell subsets. Importantly, myeloid-cell specificKdm6bdeletion enhanced pro-inflammatory pathways and improved survival in GBM tumor-bearing mice. Mechanistic studies elucidated that the absence ofKdm6benhances antigen-presentation, interferon response and phagocytosis in myeloid cells by inhibiting mediators of immune suppression includingMafb, Socs3andSirpa. Further, pharmacological inhibition of KDM6B mirrored the functional phenotype ofKdm6bdeleted myeloid cells and enhanced anti-PD1 efficacy. Thus, this study identified KDM6B as an epigenetic regulator of the functional phenotype of myeloid cell subsets and a potential therapeutic target to improve response to ICT.

Background: An electronic venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis clinical decision support (CDS) tool was implemented in an electronic medication management system at an Australian tertiary teaching hospital. The VTE CDS had not been clinically validated nor widely adopted. Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the VTE CDS for improving risk-appropriate prescribing of VTE prophylaxis, a peer-to-peer strategy for improving adoption of the VTE CDS and the effects of the strategy on VTE risk assessment documentation, risk-appropriate prophylaxis prescribing rate and user acceptability of the VTE CDS. Methods: Nominated junior medical officers were trained to educate and promote the use of the VTE CDS to target colleagues over 6 weeks. Pre- and postintervention audits of VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis prescribing were conducted. A user acceptance survey was distributed. Results: Analysis of pre- and postintervention audit data (n = 198 for each) revealed no significant differences in rates of VTE CDS adoption or risk-appropriate VTE prophylaxis prescribed. More patients had risk-appropriate prophylaxis prescribed when the VTE CDS was used (90%; 63/70) than when it was not used (71.5% (233/326); p = 0.001). Documented evidence of VTE risk assessment increased significantly from 51.5% (102/198) to 68.2% (135/198) following the intervention (p

Increasing evidence shows that immune-related genes (IRGs) play an important role in bariatric surgery (BS). We identified differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) of adipose tissue after BS by analysing the two expression profiles of GEO (GSE59034 and GSE29409). Subsequently, enrichment analysis, GSEA and PPI networks were examined to identify the hub IRGs and related pathways. The performance of the signature was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate the relative abundance of infiltrated immune cells.42 DEIRGs were found between the GSE59034 and GSE29409 datasets. The AUC of the signature was 0.904 and 0.865 in the GSE58979 and GSE48452, respectively. Interestingly, the signature also showed good performance in diagnosing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (AUC was 0.834 and 0.800, respectively). The number of neutrophils, macrophages M2, macrophages M0 and dendritic cells activated decreased significantly. After BS, the infiltration of T cells regulatory, monocytes, mast cells resting and plasma cells in adipose tissue increased. The novel proposed IRGs signature reveals the underlying immune mechanism of BS and is a promising biomarker for distinguishing the severity of NAFLD. This will provide new insights into strategies for treating obesity and NAFLD.

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) can produce durable antitumor responses in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUCC); however, the responses are not universal. Despite multiple approvals of ICT in mUCC, we lack predictive biomarkers to guide patient selection. The identification of biomarkers may require interrogation of both the tumor mutational status and the immune microenvironment. Through multi-platform immuno-genomic analyses of baseline tumor tissues, we identified the mutation of AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) in tumor cells and expression of immune cytokine CXCL13 in the baseline tumor tissues as two predictors of clinical responses in a discovery cohort (n = 31). Further, reverse translational studies revealed that CXCL13-/- tumor-bearing mice were resistant to ICT, whereas ARID1A knockdown enhanced sensitivity to ICT in a murine model of bladder cancer. Next, we tested the clinical relevance of ARID1A mutation and baseline CXCL13 expression in two independent confirmatory cohorts (CheckMate275 and IMvigor210). We found that ARID1A mutation and expression of CXCL13 in the baseline tumor tissues correlated with improved overall survival (OS) in both confirmatory cohorts (CheckMate275, CXCL13 data, n = 217; ARID1A data, n = 139, and IMvigor210, CXCL13 data, n = 348; ARID1A data, n = 275). We then interrogated CXCL13 expression plus ARID1A mutation as a combination biomarker in predicting response to ICT in CheckMate275 and IMvigor210. Combination of the two biomarkers in baseline tumor tissues suggested improved OS compared to either single biomarker. Cumulatively, this study revealed that the combination of CXCL13 plus ARID1A may improve prediction capability for patients receiving ICT.

Background Aspiration pneumonia is a common problem in older people with high mortality and increasing prevalence. Objective The aims of this paper were to systematically review the literature on the antibacterial treatment of aspiration pneumonia in elderly patients and identify the microbiology of aspiration pneumonia. Materials and methods EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for studies that examined the clinical efficacy of antibiotic treatment in elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia. Information on study design, antibiotic treatment, study population, participants, microbiology, clinical outcomes, adverse events, and mortality was recorded. Results There were no definitive clinical trials, placebo-controlled trials, or meta-analyses. Of the eight studies selected for inclusion in the review, the majority utilized and/or compared broad-spectrum antibiotics. No specific antibacterial agent had evidence of superior efficacy. Broad-spectrum antibiotics resulted in the emergence of multiresistant organisms. Anaerobic bacteria were infrequently isolated, suggesting a less important role in the pathogenesis of aspiration pneumonia. Conclusion There is limited evidence with regard to the use of antibiotics in older patients with aspiration pneumonia. Research providing an evidence base for the treatment of aspiration pneumonia in older people is required.

Adoptive transfer of tumor-reactive T cells (ACT) has led to modest clinical benefit in the treatment of solid tumors. Failures with this therapy are primarily due to inadequate infiltration and poor function of adoptively transferred cells in the tumor microenvironment. To improve the efficacy of ACT, we combined ACT with dual blockade of CTLA-4 and PD-1. Treatment with anti–CTLA-4 plus anti–PD-1 compared with monotherapy resulted in durable antitumor responses, enhanced effector function of ACT, utilizing PMEL-1 transgenic (Tg+) CD8+ T cells, and improved survival. Using PMEL-1ICOS−/− mice, we showed that deletion of the inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS) receptor abolished the therapeutic benefits, with selective downregulation of Eomesodermin (Eomes), interferon gamma (IFNγ), and perforin. Higher expression of IFNγ and Eomes was noted in human ICOShi CD8+ T cells compared with ICOSlow counterparts. Together, our data provide direct evidence that ACT combined with immune-checkpoint therapy confers durable antitumor responses, which largely depended on CD8+ T-cell–intrinsic expression of ICOS. Our study provides a foundation of testing combinatorial therapy of ACT of CD8 T cells and dual blocking of CTLA-4 and PD-1 in patients with melanoma.

488 Background: Immune checkpoint therapy can produce durable anti-tumor responses in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUCC); however, the responses are not universal. Despite multiple approvals of immune checkpoint therapy in mUCC, we lack predictive biomarkers to guide patient selection. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop clinically useful biomarkers to refine patient selection. The single biomarker studies either focused on tumor mutations or immune response biomarkers, which may limit predictive power due to lack of integration between cancer cell biology and immune cell responses. The identification of biomarkers may require interrogation of both the tumor mutational status and the immune microenvironment. Methods: We performed retrospective multi-platform immuno-genomic analyses of pre-treatment tumor tissues in a discovery cohort (n = 31). Next, we tested the clinical relevance of ARID1A mutation and pre-treatment CXCL13 expression in two independent confirmatory cohorts (CheckMate275 and IMvigor210). Additionally, we performed reverse translational studies using murine model of bladder cancer to demonstrate direct association of the biomarkers in anti-PD-(L)-1 mediated anti-tumor immunity. Results: We identified genomic mutation of AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A ( ARID1A) in tumor cells and expression of immune cytokine CXCL13 in the pre-treatment tumor tissues as two predictors of clinical responses. We found that ARID1A mutation and expression of CXCL13 in the baseline tumor tissues correlated with improved overall survival (OS) in both confirmatory cohorts (CheckMate275, CXCL13 data, n = 217; ARID1A data, n = 139, and IMvigor210, CXCL13 data, n = 348; ARID1A data, n = 275). Further, reverse translational studies revealed that CXCL13−/− tumor-bearing mice were resistant to immune checkpoint therapy whereas ARID1A knockdown enhanced sensitivity to immune checkpoint therapy in a murine model of bladder cancer. We then interrogated CXCL13 expression plus ARID1A mutation as a combination biomarker in predicting response to immune checkpoint therapy in CheckMate275 and IMvigor210. Combination of the 2 biomarkers in baseline tumor tissues showed improved OS compared to either single biomarker. Conclusions: Cumulatively, this study revealed that the combination of CXCL13 plus ARID1A mutation may improve patient selection in mUCC for immune checkpoint therapy.

The separation characteristics of the gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) has been investigated by experiment and numerical analysis. The droplet size and phase distributions were measured using Malvern RTsizer and electrical resistivity tomography, respectively. The Discrete Phase Model was used to numerically analyze the swirling hydrodynamics. The results showed that the separator with strong swirl intensity would not necessarily get better separation performance, and the nozzle with Ne = 5.9 performed best. The small and medium droplets tended to initially coalesce and subsequently break up with increased gas superficial velocity, whereas they always tended to coalesce with increased liquid superficial velocity. ERT measurement results proved the existence of the flow reversal for the gas core. Finally, a droplet migration model was developed based on the force analysis of droplet and the swirling hydrodynamics, which accurately predicted the separation performance of GLCC. These results can be used in the design of the GLCC.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2-mediated (EZH2-mediated) epigenetic regulation of T cell differentiation and Treg function has been described previously; however, the role of EZH2 in T cell-mediated antitumor immunity, especially in the context of immune checkpoint therapy, is not understood. Here, we showed that genetic depletion of EZH2 in Tregs (FoxP3creEZH2fl/fl mice) leads to robust antitumor immunity. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 in human T cells using CPI-1205 elicited phenotypic and functional alterations of the Tregs and enhanced cytotoxic activity of Teffs. We observed that ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) increased EZH2 expression in peripheral T cells from treated patients. We hypothesized that inhibition of EZH2 expression in T cells would increase the effectiveness of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, which we tested in murine models. Collectively, our data demonstrated that modulating EZH2 expression in T cells can improve antitumor responses elicited by anti-CTLA-4 therapy, which provides a strong rationale for a combination trial of CPI-1205 plus ipilimumab.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the most common neonatal gastrointestinal emergency, results in significant mortality and morbidity, yet its pathogenesis remains unclear. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is the only enzyme in mammals that is capable of synthesizing arginine. Arginine has several homeostatic roles in the gut and its deficiency has been associated with NEC. Because enterocytes are the primary sites of arginine synthesis in neonatal mammals, we evaluated the consequences of disruption of arginine synthesis in the enterocytes on the pathogenesis of NEC. We devised a novel approach to study the role of enterocyte-derived ASL in NEC by generating and characterizing a mouse model with enterocyte-specific deletion of Asl ( Asl flox/flox; VillinCre tg/+, or CKO). We hypothesized that the presence of ASL in a cell-specific manner in the enterocytes is protective in the pathogenesis of NEC. Loss of ASL in enterocytes resulted in an increased incidence of NEC that was associated with a proinflammatory state and increased enterocyte apoptosis. Knockdown of ASL in intestinal epithelial cell lines resulted in decreased migration in response to lipopolysaccharide. Our results show that enterocyte-derived ASL has a protective role in NEC.

The vertical distribution of crop nitrogen is increased with plant height, timely and non-damaging measurement of crop nitrogen vertical distribution is critical for the crop production and quality, improving fertilizer utilization and reducing environmental impact. The objective of this study was to discuss the method of estimating winter wheat nitrogen vertical distribution by exploring bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data using partial least square (PLS) algorithm. The canopy reflectance at nadir, +/-50 degrees and +/- 60 degrees; at nadir, +/- 30 degrees and +/- 40 degrees; and at nadir, +/- 20 degrees and +/- 30 degrees were selected to estimate foliage nitrogen density (FND) at upper layer, middle layer and bottom layer, respectively. Three PLS analysis models with FND as the dependent variable and vegetation indices at corresponding angles as the explicative variables were. established. The impact of soil reflectance and the canopy non-photosynthetic materials, was minimized by seven kinds of modifying vegetation indices with the ratio R700/R670. The estimated accuracy is significant raised at upper layer, middle layer and bottom layer in modeling experiment. Independent model verification selected the best three vegetation indices for further research. The research result showed that the modified Green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) shows better performance than other vegetation indices at each layer, which means modified GNDVI could be used in estimating winter wheat nitrogen vertical distribution

A water-soluble CdTe QDs capped by 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were synthesized. The results confirmed that the grain size of the QDs was controlled by changing the reflux time of precursor solution and that the QDs possessed obviously quantum size effect. The results showed that a depletion layer CdTe1-xSx(0£x≤1) formed in between CdTe nanoparticle and ligand MPA. It is believed that two heterojunction-like structures possess quite distinct surface photovoltaic characteristic excited between the core-CdTe and the shell-CdS, and between CdTe/CdS and the ligand MPA, respectively, according to the EFISPS results of the MPA-capped CdTe QDs.

We analyzed the 21-yr dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in 55 lakes during ice-free periods in five regions across eastern Canada in relation to total solar radiation (TSR), precipitation, air temperature, sulfate deposition (SO4), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), North Atlantic Oscillation, and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). A synchronous pattern in DOC was found among lakes within each region; however, a synchronous pattern in DOC was not found among regions, except for Kejimkujik and Yarmouth. Long-term trends of increasing or decreasing DOC concentration were not evident except at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), where an increase in DOC correlated with a decrease in summer TSR and an increase in summer precipitation. Annual mean temperature increased at the Nova Scotia and Turkey Lakes Watershed regions (TLW) over the study period, but there was no corresponding change in DOC. TSR and precipitation were important explanatory variables across all regions, except for the TLW. Summer TSR, or annual TSR, had a negative relationship, while summer precipitation had a positive relationship with the temporal DOC pattern in all regions except TLW. TSR and precipitation explained 78% ,4 9%, and 84% of the variation in the long-term DOC patterns at Dorset, ELA, and Nova Scotia (NS) regions, respectively. In contrast, the long-term pattern in DOC at TLW was only weakly related to SOI and PDO.

When the strength of the electric field applied along the growth axis of a multi-quantum well is F approximate to 3 x 10(3) V cm(-1), we observe a series of peaks in the photocurrent (PC) spectrum. These peaks can be explained by the split of conduction states (minibands), which is due to interference of electrons above the barriers in the conduction band. More specifically, the peaks correspond to electron transitions from the ground state in a well to the conduction states above wells, including vertical transitions to the states above the well and the oblique transitions to the states above its neighbouring wells. The positions of the PC peaks in our experiments agree well with theoretical calculations.

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary sarcoma and blastoma. Methods: Seven cases of pulmonary sarcoma (including 1 case of pulmonary carcinosarcoma, 1 case of pulmonary malignant fibroneuroma, 1 case of pulmonary malignant fibrous tissue tumor and 1 case of pulmonary blastoma from August 1995 to June 2002 in our hospital) were retrospectively summarized the histological characteristics, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment. Results: Pulmonary sarcoma and blastoma both are rare malignant tumors and can be easily misdiagnosed or mistreated. The main symptoms of both diseases are cough and expectoration. X ray or CT shows node or focus in lung. They both are diagnosed by histological pathology. Because the symptoms of these diseases are not typical, it is difficult for patients to be diagnosed without pathology. Conclusion: These two kinds of diseases are often easy to be misdiagnosed. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to improve the efficiency of treatment. Surgical resection is the best method of treatment, and it is important to combine with chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Due to its breakthrough the electro-optical time response limitation for picosecond dynamics of processes, many research groups around the world operating in different fields from physics and chemistry to biology, medicine and material science, utilize laser setups capable of providing subpicosecond pulses and femtosecond-level time delay lines. However the signal amount of Femto-picosecond Dynamics is about at an altitude of 1%, but the fluctuation of femtosecond probe pulse at its best can only reach about 5%. Real-time correct the probe pulse is the only effective way to realize subpicosecond time-resolved detection precision of transient absorption spectroscopy. So in this paper, reference pulse was drawn into the measurement equipment through different methods to dispel the fluctuation of probe pulse. Firstly, in the case of Subpicosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy, probe and reference beams have the same spectral distribution and derived from the same source to measure the variation of transmittance in the excited volume. Secondly probe pulse is spatially and temporally overlapped to the excitation pulse, reference pulse spatially overlapped but temporally anticipated in respect to the excitation pulse. Finally reference pulse passes through the sample in a different position. The detector can be a CCD camera or a double photodiode. The results shown that when reference pulse passes through the sample in a different position and detected by CCD, the correction results can reach to 1%. Which meet the femto-picosecond dynamics precise requirement.

Corrosion exacerbated on atmospheric distillation unit when Shengli plant refined high-sulfur and high-acid crude oil imported from Middle-east. Measured the corrosion pate on the top of atmospheric distillation tower with electric resistance probe and monitored sulfur value, salt value, salt value after desalt, acid value in crude oil and iron ion in product container every month. Carried on grey correlation analysis, calculated absolute, relative and synthetic degree of incidence, carried on predominance analysis too. The conclusion is that the main factor to corrosion is salt value after desalt, and then is content of iron ion, salt, acid and sulphur. Getting rid of salt from crude oil as possible is benefit to protect equipment, monitoring salt value after desalt or content of iron ion to adjust the quantity of water, ammonia and corrosion inhibitor added into oil is feasible.

This correspondence addresses the problem of rotation, scale, and translation invariant recognition of images. Object shape comparability is a challenging problem in the field of pattern recognition and computer vision. The method based on the geometric moment invariants is the typical method in these applications. This paper introduces curve structure moment invariants based on the geometric moment invariants from transforming the density in geometric moments into a new density. The difference in the shapes is increased by using the curve structure moment invariants. Therefore, this method can be used in object shape analysis. To support our new theory, an algorithm for object shape analysis is designed and experiments based on square transform are conducted. Experiments give an encouraging high recognition rate by using the curve structure moment invariants.

15041 Background: MIT, also known as aureolic acid and plicamycin (Mithracin), is an aureolic acid-type polyketide produced by various soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. Previous studies have shown that MIT exhibits antitumor activity. In the present study, we examine the antiangiogenic effect of MIT and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cohorts of 10 athymic BALB/c nude mice were implanted with 1.5 million human H727 carcinoid cells. Mice were treated with subcutaneous or intraperitoneal 0.2 mg/kg of mithramycin twice weekly once implanted tumor reached 4 mm in size. Results: Both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal MIT significantly suppressed the growth of carcinoid cells in nude mouse models (median tumor weight in PBS, s.c., i.p. groups 790 mm3 vs 280 mm3, 480 mm3; P < 0.01). We also evaluated the Sp1 expression in growing tumors and various organs. We found that the liver expressed the highest level of Sp1 among normal organs (including liver, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine, spleen, kidney, brain and lymph node). However, Sp1 expression in the growing tumors was more than 10 times higher than that in a normal liver. Treatment with MIT reduced the Sp1 expression in the tumors, while no discernible effect on Sp1 expression in normal tissues was observed. This is the first demonstration that MIT selectively inhibited the Sp1 expression in the growing tumors. Consistent with the expression of Sp1, a substantial suppression of VEGF, PDGF, EGFR, and IGFR expression was evident. Finally, treatment with MIT reduced the microvessel formation in tumors by 80% (MVD count; P < 0.01). This antiangiogenic activity was confirmed by in vitro tubulogenesis assay and in vivo Matrigel plug assay. Conclusions: Collectively, our studies strongly indicate that MIT is a potent antiangiogenic agent and its mechanism of action involved suppression of Sp1 expression and its consequent downregulation of its downstream targets including VEGF, PDGF, EGFR, and IGFR that are key to tumor angiogenesis. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Maps showing ground water resources and aquifer characteristics of confined Quaternary aquifers (aquifer surrounded by water impermeable material, usually clayey glacial till) and bedrock aquifers, scale 1:100,000, Stearns County. Electronic file available at: ftp://mgssun6.mngs.umn.edu/map_catalog/pdf/umn22303.pdf.

Maps showing ground water resources and aquifer characteristics in the bedrock and unconsolidated sediments (glacial and stream sediments) overlying the bedrock and interactions between surface and bedrock aquifers, scale 1:100,000, Stearns County. Electronic file available at: ftp://mgssun6.mngs.umn.edu/map_catalog/pdf/umn22302.pdf.

4091 Background: Low-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (LGNET) can arise from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body and have a wide range of aggressiveness. Reliable predictive and prognostic markers of outcome are lacking. Angiogenesis is critical for metastasis and tumor growth beyond a small tumor size and VEGF is a powerful mediator of tumor angiogenesis. Methods: LGNET tissue from 50 patients (24 with local-regional disease, 26 with metastasis) who underwent tumor resection at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was evaluated for expression VEGF by immunohistochemistry. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used to test the association between study parameters. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the affect of study parameters on progression free survival (PFS). Results: Strong, weak, and negative VEGF expression was observed in 32%, 54%, and 14% of cases respectively. Larger tumor size was observed among patients with strong VEGF expression. Mean tumor sizes in patients with strong, weak and negative VEGF were 4.8, 2.8, and 2.9 cm. Compared to the group with negative VEGF expression, VEGF (weak/strong) expression was associated with metastasis (14% v 58%; P = .045). The median PFS durations of patients with strong and weak VEGF expression were 29 months and 81 months respectively. With a median follow-up duration of 50 months, the median PFS duration for the group with negative VEGF expression has not been reached. Compared by log rank test VEGF expression was associated with poor PFS (P = .022). Conclusions: This study suggests that tissue VEGF expression is associated with aggressive tumor growth and metastasis among patients with LGNET. VEGF expression may serve as a useful prognostic marker following tumor resection. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Maps showing where and how much ground water may be present and aquifer characteristics of the bedrock geologic units, scale 1:100,000, Fillmore County. Electronic file available at: ftp://mgssun6.mngs.umn.edu/map_catalog/pdf/umn22281.pdf.

Map showing the susceptibility of the ground water system (bedrock and unconsolidated sediment aquifers) to contamination, scale 1:100,000, Fillmore County. Electronic file available at: ftp://mgssun6.mngs.umn.edu/map_catalog/pdf/umn22282.pdf.