Single-Center Experience of Control of Ventilator-Circuit-Transmitted Outbreak in an Intensive Care Unit.

is an emerging nosocomial pathogen frequently associated with outbreaks, but the exact transmission route of this pathogen can at times be elusive in spite of extensive environmental investigative cultures. Active surveillance for sputum cultures was performed for all patients from September 2008 to September 2009 in an intensive care unit (ICU) with outbreak. With evidence of persistent positive conversion of sputum cultures (colonization) and infections among patients, discontinuing re-usable ventilator circuits was introduced.

Time-dependent association between cancer and risk of tuberculosis: A population-based cohort study.

Background: We aimed to investigate the time-dependent association between cancer and the risk of tuberculosis (TB) before and after cancer diagnosis.

Methods: This population-based cohort study incorporated the National Health Insurance Research Database and the National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan to estimate TB risk in cancer and noncancer populations. We estimated the period-specific incidence rate ratio (IRR) between cancer and risk of TB and used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the average hazard ratio between cancer and TB during the peridiagnostic period.

Global burden of tuberculosis attributable to cancer in 2019: Global, regional, and national estimates.

Background: Cancer is an independent risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). The global burden of incident TB attributable to cancer has never been explored. We aimed to evaluate the cancer-attributable burden of TB.

Significant symptoms alleviation and tumor volume reduction after combined simultaneously integrated inner-escalated boost and volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy in a patient with unresectable bulky hepatocellular carcinoma: A care-compliant case report.

Background: Clinically, elderly patients with unresectable bulky hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are difficult to manage, especially in those with co-infections of hepatitis B and C virus. Herein, we reported such a case treated with radiotherapy (RT) by using combined simultaneously integrated inner-escalated boost and volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (SIEB-VMAT). After RT, significant symptoms alleviation and durable tumor control were observed.

Leukemia Risk After Cardiac Fluoroscopic Interventions Stratified by Procedure Number, Exposure Latent Time, and Sex: A Nationwide Population-Based Case-Control Study.

A number of cardiac fluoroscopic interventions have increased rapidly worldwide over the past decade. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and stent implantation have become increasingly popular, and these advancements have allowed patients to receive repetitive treatments for restenosis. However, these advancements also significantly increase radiation exposure that may lead to higher cumulative doses of radiation.

[Effects of Different Plantation Type on the Abundance and Diversity of Soil Microbes in Subtropical Red Soils].

Soil microbe plays an important role in carbon cycling, however, the effect of land use on soil microbe remain unclear. In present study, soil samples were collected from a long-term field experiment (Pantang Agroecosystem) in subtropical China (established in 1989), including paddy-rice (PR), upland-crop (UC), and paddy rice-upland crop rotation (PU) on soil bacterial (bacteria and Archaea) community structures. The effects of long-term different land uses were determined using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) of the 16S rRNA gene.

Effect of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Inoculated During Anti-Cancer Treatment Period in Elderly Lung Cancer Patients on Community-Acquired Pneumonia Hospitalization: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

To evaluate effectiveness of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) inoculated during defined "vaccination period," first 6 months post cancer diagnosis (ie, an anti-cancer treatment period), in elderly lung cancer patients on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) hospitalization incidence.This was a nationwide population-based cohort study of 157 newly diagnosed elderly lung cancer patients receiving PPSV23 during "vaccination period", and 628 age and sex one-to-one matched controls enrolled in the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan between 2007 and 2010. All patients were ≥75 years old and still survival post "vaccination period.

Pseudomembranous colitis within radiotherapy field following concurrent chemoradiation therapy: a case report.

Development of nonantibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis has been reported in patients receiving chemotherapy. Herein, we report a case of a 70-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and hypertension who received concurrent chemoradiation therapy after surgery for stage III pT3N1M0 rectal cancer. After completion of the therapy, the patient presented with a 2-week history of intermittent watery diarrhea (seven to nine times per day).

Concurrent image-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy and chemotherapy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: To evaluate the experience of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiationwith helical tomotherapy (HT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Between August 2006 and December 2009, 28 patients with pathological proven nonmetastatic NPC were enrolled. All patients were staged as IIB-IVB.

Efficient simulation of the spatial transmission dynamics of influenza.

Early data from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (H1N1pdm) suggest that previous studies over-estimated the within-country rate of spatial spread of pandemic influenza. As large spatially resolved data sets are constructed, the need for efficient simulation code with which to investigate the spatial patterns of the pandemic becomes clear. Here, we present a significant improvement to the efficiency of an individual-based stochastic disease simulation framework commonly used in multiple previous studies.

Efficient simulation of the spatial transmission dynamics of influenza.

Early data from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (H1N1pdm) suggest that previous studies over-estimated the within-country rate of spatial spread of pandemic influenza. As large spatially-resolved data sets are constructed, the need for efficient simulation code with which to investigate the spatial patterns of the pandemic becomes clear. Here, we describe a significant improvement in the efficiency of an individual-based stochastic disease simulation framework that has been used for multiple previous studies.