1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) Deaminase Gene in Is Associated with the Amelioration of Salinity Stress in Tomato.

Although bacteria with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity have been used to mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses in crops, it is not well known whether the ACC deaminase gene () in is related to the alleviation of salt stress by the bacterium. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of in strain CHB 1107 on the nutrient uptake and growth of tomato plants under salt stress. The mutant (CHB 1107 M) of CHB 1107 was obtained through bacterial conjugation.

Comparative Study of the Safety and Efficacy of First-Line Cisplatin and Carboplatin Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

Objectives: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). However, considering elderly patients often experience comorbidities and frailty, the utility of cisplatin-based chemotherapy for elderly patients is still debatable. We conducted this study to compare the safety and efficacy of carboplatin and cisplatin in elderly patients with mUC.

The clinical impact of supraclavicular lymph node metastasis in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background: To evaluate the clinical significance of supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) receiving curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all 369 locally advanced ESCC patients treated with CCRT between 2000 and 2015, including 70 patients with SCLN metastasis and 299 patients without SCLN metastasis.

Results: For these locally advanced ESCC patients treated with curative CCRT, N0-2 were significantly associated with superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in univariate and multivariable analyses.

Prognostic impact of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes on patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma receiving platinum based chemotherapy.

The impact of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on survival was confirmed in various cancer types. Our study aims to investigate the prognostic role of TILs on survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) receiving platinum based chemotherapy. Patients who were diagnosed to have pathologically proved mUC between 1997 and 2016 and received palliative chemotherapy with platinum based regimen were recruited into our study.

Reducing health care-associated infections by implementing separated environmental cleaning management measures by using disposable wipes of four colors.

Background: Environmental cleaning is a fundamental principle of infection control in health care settings. We determined whether implementing separated environmental cleaning management measures in MICU reduced the density of HAI.

Methods: We performed a 4-month prospective cohort intervention study between August and December 2013, at the MICU of Cathay General hospital.

The prognostic significance of celiac lymph node metastasis in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of celiac lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) receiving curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Materials And Methods: A total of 375 stage III ESCC patients were identified, including 51 patients with celiac LN metastasis and 324 patients without celiac LN metastasis. Among these 324 patients without celiac LN metastasis, 51 were matched with the 51 patients with celiac LN metastasis using the propensity score matching method.

Novel Inflammation-Based Prognostic Score for Predicting Survival in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

Purpose: We developed a novel inflammation-based model (NPS), which consisted of a neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet count (PC), for assessing the prognostic role in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with metastatic UC who underwent systemic chemotherapy between January 1997 and December 2014 in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The defined cutoff values for the NLR and PC were 3.

A Survival Scoring System for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with De Novo Bone Metastases.

In the pre-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) era, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with de novo bone metastases had a worse prognosis than those without. However, whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-TKIs affect the outcomes of EGFR mutant NSCLC patients with de novo bone metastases has not been well studied thus far. We retrospectively studied the effect of EGFR mutation status and first-line EGFR-TKIs on patient outcomes and created a survival scoring system for NSCLC patients with de novo bone metastases.

Management of Powdery Mildew in Squash by Plant and Alga Extract Biopesticides.

Although many fungicides are registered for use to control powdery mildew on cucurbits, management of resistance to fungicides in pathogen populations still remains a major challenge. Two biopesticides Regalia SC and HMO 736 were evaluated in the greenhouse and field for their efficacy against powdery mildew in squash. In greenhouses, Regalia SC alone significantly ( < 0.

Impact of clinical parameters and systemic inflammatory status on epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients readministration with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) readministration to lung cancer patients is common owing to the few options available. Impact of clinical factors on prognosis of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving EGFR-TKI readministration after first-line EGFR-TKI failure and a period of TKI holiday remains unclear. Through this retrospective study, we aimed to understand the impact of clinical factors in such patients.

Photoprotective Effects of Cycloheterophyllin against UVA-Induced Damage and Oxidative Stress in Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, particularly ultraviolet A (UVA), is known to play a major role in photoaging of the human skin. Many studies have demonstrated that UV exposure causes the skin cells to generate reactive oxygen species and activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Previous studies have also demonstrated that cycloheterophyllin has an antioxidant effect and can effectively scavenge free radicals.

Tailored Selection of First-Line Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of Bladder.

Purpose: Methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin plus cisplatin (MVAC) and gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) are both effective first-line chemotherapy. We explore the responsive variables of MVAC and GC for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma of bladder (mUCB).

Materials And Methods: Patients who were initially diagnosed to have mUCB and received MVAC or GC as metastatic first-line chemotherapy between 2000 and 2014 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were reviewed.

Prognostic model to predict survival in patients with metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Objectives: To create a novel prognostic model to predict survival in metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Methods: After institutional review board approval, patients who had metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma and were treated with cisplatin based chemotherapy from 2000 to 2012 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Significantly predictive factors were identified by multivariate Cox regress analyses.

The comparison of oncologic outcomes between metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma of the bladder after cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Objective: To compare the oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors between metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and UC of the bladder (UCB) after cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with metastatic UTUC and UCB after methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC) or gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy between 1997 and 2014 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

The Prognostic Impact of Histopathological Variants in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma.

Purpose: This study investigated the prognostic role of histopathological variants in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) who were treated with systemic chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable and/or metastatic UC who underwent systemic chemotherapy between January 1997 and December 2013 in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Histopathological types were categorized as pure UC (PUC) and variants of UC (VUC).

Protective effects of resveratrol against UVA-induced damage in ARPE19 cells.

Ultraviolet radiation, especially UVA, can penetrate the lens, reach the retina, and induce oxidative stress to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Even though it is weakly absorbed by protein and DNA, it may trigger the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and generate oxidative injury; oxidative injury to the retinal pigment epithelium has been implicated to play a contributory role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Studies showed that resveratrol, an abundant and active component of red grapes, can protect several cell types from oxidative stress.

Mycelial Compatibility and Pathogenic Diversity Among Sclerotium rolfsii Isolates in the Southern United States.

Sclerotium rolfsii is a soilborne fungus that causes southern blight on a wide range of plants in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Eighty-four isolates collected from Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia were paired and assigned to 23 mycelial compatibility groups (MCGs), of which 11 MCGs consisted of a single isolate. Isolates within an MCG typically originated from different hosts and different geographical areas, with the exception of MCG 11.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with dural and bone marrow metastases.

Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma generally present at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. The most common sites of visceral metastasis are the lung, liver and bone, but brain and bone marrow involvement is exceedingly rare. Herein, we report a 62-year-old man with a 4-wk history of progressive low back pain with radiation to bilateral lower legs, dysphagia and body weight loss.

Post-mastectomy radiotherapy benefits subgroups of breast cancer patients with T1-2 tumor and 1-3 axillary lymph node(s) metastasis.

Background: To determine the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients with T1-2 and N1 disease.

Patients And Methods: A total of 207 postmastectomy women were enrolled. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of locoregional recurrence rate (LRR), distant recurrence rate (DRR) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by different tumor characteristics.

Trend in vancomycin susceptibility and correlation with molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing invasive infections in Taiwan: results from the Tigecycline in vitro Surveillance in Taiwan (TIST) study, 2006-2010.

This study was intended to investigate the trend in vancomycin susceptibility and correlation with molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causing invasive infections. A total of 670 MRSA isolates were collected from patients with invasive infections as part of bacterial collection in the Tigecycline in vitro Surveillance in Taiwan (TIST) from 2006 to 2010. MICs of the isolates to vancomycin were determined using the agar dilution method.

Prognostic impact of renin-angiotensin system blockade in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the administration of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), is associated with treatment outcome in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: A total of 141 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients receiving esophagectomy were identified, and were divided into two groups: an ACEI/ARB group (n=20), and a non-ACEI/ARB group (n=121). The effect of ACEIs or ARBs on cell proliferation and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, CE81T/VGH and TE2, were investigated by 3-(4.

A Novel Xanthomonas sp. Causes Bacterial Spot of Rose (Rosa spp.).

A bacterial spot of rose (Rosa spp.) caused by a xanthomonad was observed in Florida and Texas. Ten representative strains collected from the two states between 2004 and 2010 were used to determine the taxonomic position of this rose pathogen.