Preoperative Helicobacter pylori Infection is Associated with Increased Survival After Resection of Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Limited data exist on the prognosis of preoperative Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC).

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection for GAC from 2000 to 2012 at seven academic institutions comprising the United States Gastric Cancer Collaborative were included in the study.

Site-specific distribution and competitive ability of indigenous bean-nodulating rhizobia isolated from organic fields in Minnesota.

Organic dry bean production systems have received increasing interest in many regions of the US, including Minnesota. Thus, improving biological N2 fixation would be highly beneficial for organic crop production. To date, only limited work has been done to select efficient N2-fixing rhizobia for organic dry bean production.

High-throughput functional screening reveals low frequency of antibiotic resistance genes in DNA recovered from the Upper Mississippi River.

In this study, we determined the frequency of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the Upper Mississippi River using a high-throughput, functional, metagenomic screening procedure. Fosmid libraries containing ∼10,000 clones were screened for resistance to ampicillin, cephalothin, kanamycin, and tetracycline. We hypothesized that nutrient concentrations, land cover type, and taxonomic community composition may select for ARGs.

Geographic isolation of Escherichia coli genotypes in sediments and water of the Seven Mile Creek - A constructed riverine watershed.

Escherichia coli is used to indicate fecal contamination in freshwater systems and is an indicator of the potential presence of human pathogens. However, naturalized E. coli strains that persist and grow in the environment confound the use of this bacterium as a fecal indicator.

The importance of the proximal resection margin distance for proximal gastric adenocarcinoma: A multi-institutional study of the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative.

Background: A 5 cm margin is advocated for distal gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). The optimal proximal resection margin (PM) length for proximal GAC is not established.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection for proximal GAC from 2000 to 2012 at 7 centers in the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative were included.

IGF1 Receptor Targeted Theranostic Nanoparticles for Targeted and Image-Guided Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer.

Overcoming resistance to chemotherapy is a major and unmet medical challenge in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Poor drug delivery due to stromal barriers in the tumor microenvironment and aggressive tumor biology are additional impediments toward a more successful treatment of pancreatic cancer. In attempts to address these challenges, we developed IGF1 receptor (IGF1R)-directed, multifunctional theranostic nanoparticles for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents into IGF1R-expressing drug-resistant tumor cells and tumor-associated stromal cells.

An assessment of feeding jejunostomy tube placement at the time of resection for gastric adenocarcinoma: A seven-institution analysis of 837 patients from the U.S. gastric cancer collaborative.

Background: Jejunostomy feeding tubes (J-tubes) are often placed during resection for gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Their effect on postoperative complications and receipt of adjuvant therapy is unclear.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection of GAC at seven institutions of the U.

Toolbox Approaches Using Molecular Markers and 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Data Sets for Identification of Fecal Pollution in Surface Water.

In this study, host-associated molecular markers and bacterial 16S rRNA gene community analysis using high-throughput sequencing were used to identify the sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters in Brisbane, Australia. A total of 92 fecal and composite wastewater samples were collected from different host groups (cat, cattle, dog, horse, human, and kangaroo), and 18 water samples were collected from six sites (BR1 to BR6) along the Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia. Bacterial communities in the fecal, wastewater, and river water samples were sequenced.

Effect of Perioperative Transfusion on Recurrence and Survival after Gastric Cancer Resection: A 7-Institution Analysis of 765 Patients from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative.

Background: The prognostic effect of perioperative blood transfusion on recurrence and survival in patients undergoing resection of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) remains controversial.

Study Design: All patients who underwent resection for GAC from 2000 to 2012 at the 7 institutions of the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative were identified. The effect of transfusion on recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in the context of adverse clinicopathologic variables was examined by univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

The Prognostic Value of Signet-Ring Cell Histology in Resected Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Conflicting data exist on the prognostic implication of signet-ring cell (SRC) histology in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC).

Methods: All patients who underwent curative-intent resection of GAC from the seven institutions of the U.S.

Modulation of late positive potentials by sexual images in problem users and controls inconsistent with "porn addiction".

"Excessive" viewing of visual sexual stimuli (VSS) is the most commonly reported hypersexual behavior problem and is especially amenable to laboratory study. A pattern of enhanced sexual cue responsiveness is expected in this sample if hypersexuality shares features of other addiction models. Participants (N=122) who either reported or denied problematic VSS use were presented with emotional, including explicit sexual, images while their evoked response potentials were recorded.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Following Cytoreductive Surgery Improves Outcome in Patients With Primary Appendiceal Mucinous Adenocarcinoma: A Pooled Analysis From Three Tertiary Care Centers.

Purpose: Appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (AMN) are a rare heterogeneous group of diseases. In the absence of randomized trials, AMN management is controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after cytoreductive surgery on survival in AMN patients.

Appendiceal Neuroendocrine, Goblet and Signet-Ring Cell Tumors: A Spectrum of Diseases with Different Patterns of Presentation and Outcome.

Purpose: Appendiceal tumors are a heterogeneous group of diseases that include typical neuroendocrine tumors (TNET), goblet cell carcinoids (GCC), and atypical GCC. Atypical GCC are classified into signet-ring cell cancers (SRCC) and poorly differentiated appendiceal adenocarcinoids. The prognosis and management of these diseases is unclear because there are no prospective studies.

Radiotherapy patterns of care in gastric adenocarcinoma: a single institution experience.

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. Two standard approaches for treatment of resectable GAC include adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy [per Intergroup 0116 (INT-0116) trial and perioperative epirubicin, cisplatin, fluorouracil (ECF) chemotherapy per Medical Research Council Adjuvant Gastric Infusional Chemotherapy (MAGIC) trial]. Controversy remains regarding the most appropriate treatment strategy to decrease recurrence rates and improve survival following surgery.

Management and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor and Non-Neuroendocrine Tumor Appendiceal Cancers in the United States.

Background: The incidence of appendiceal cancers continues to rise at a very rapid pace. Although surgery has a central role in the management of appendiceal tumors, literature is lacking regarding the pattern and predictors of surgical treatment for patients with appendiceal cancers. We aimed to describe the surgical treatment for patients with appendiceal cancers, with emphasis on utilization based on histology.

Value of Peritoneal Drain Placement After Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Multi-institutional Analysis from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative.

Background: The effect of routine drainage after abdominal surgery with enteric anastomoses is controversial. In particular, the role of peritoneal drain (PD) placement after total gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma is not well established.

Methods: Patients who underwent total gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) at seven institutions from the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative, from 2000 to 2012, were identified.

Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS): Standardizing a Reproducible Procedure.

Background: The recent introduction of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) offers a safe and cost-effective method for the local resection of rectal neoplasms. The ability to standardize a technique for TAMIS will lead to the most reproducible outcomes and enable teaching.

Methods: A retrospective, IRB-approved chart review was conducted of 32 patients who underwent the TAMIS procedure at one institution over a 3-year period.

A novel microbial source tracking microarray for pathogen detection and fecal source identification in environmental systems.

Pathogen detection and the identification of fecal contamination sources are challenging in environmental waters. Factors including pathogen diversity and ubiquity of fecal indicator bacteria hamper risk assessment and remediation of contamination sources. A custom microarray targeting pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa), microbial source tracking (MST) markers, and antibiotic resistance genes was tested against DNA obtained from whole genome amplification (WGA) of RNA and DNA from sewage and animal (avian, cattle, poultry, and swine) feces.

Evaluation of water sampling methodologies for amplicon-based characterization of bacterial community structure.

Reduction in costs of next-generation sequencing technologies has allowed unprecedented characterization of bacterial communities from environmental samples including aquatic ecosystems. However, the extent to which extrinsic factors including sampling volume, sample replication, DNA extraction kits, and sequencing target affect the community structure inferred are poorly explored. Here, triplicate 1, 2, and 6L volume water samples from the Upper Mississippi River were processed to determine variation among replicates and sample volumes.

Phase II Trial of Preoperative Radiation With Concurrent Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin, and Bevacizumab Followed by Surgery and Postoperative 5-Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, Oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), and Bevacizumab in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: 5-Year Clinical Outcomes ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group E3204.

Lessons Learned: The 5-year oncologic outcomes from the trial regimen were excellent. However, the neoadjuvant and surgical toxicity of this regimen was significant and was the primary reason for the low compliance with adjuvant systemic therapy.Due to the lack of an improvement in the pathologic complete response rate, the substantial associated toxicity, and the negative phase III trials of adjuvant bevacizumab in colon cancer, this regimen will not be pursued for further study.

Octreoscan Versus FDG-PET for Neuroendocrine Tumor Staging: A Biological Approach.

Background: Clinicians may order Octreoscan or positron emission tomography (PET) scan for staging patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). (111)In-Octreoscan (Octreoscan) identifies tumors by radiolabeled targeting of somatostatin receptors, while 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) measures differential tissue glucose transport. We assessed the sensitivity of both nuclear imaging modalities with pathologic correlation to define the best initial choice for NET staging after standard cross-sectional imaging.

Value of primary operative drain placement after major hepatectomy: a multi-institutional analysis of 1,041 patients.

Background: The value of routine primary (intraoperative) drain placement after major hepatectomy remains unclear. We sought to determine if primary drainage led to decreased rates of complications, specifically, intra-abdominal biloma or infection requiring a secondary (postoperative) drainage procedure.

Study Design: All patients who underwent major hepatectomy (≥3 hepatic segments) at 3 institutions, from 2000 to 2012, were identified.

Complementary amplicon-based genomic approaches for the study of fungal communities in humans.

Recent studies highlight the importance of intestinal fungal microbiota in the development of human disease. Infants, in particular, are an important population in which to study intestinal microbiomes because microbial community structure and dynamics during this formative window of life have the potential to influence host immunity and metabolism. When compared to bacteria, much less is known about the early development of human fungal communities, owing partly to their lower abundance and the relative lack of established molecular and taxonomic tools for their study.

Predominant populations of indigenous soybean-nodulating Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains obtained from organic farming systems in Minnesota.

Aims: Bradyrhizobium from organic fields in Minnesota were isolated and genotyped to assess diversity of soybean-bradyrhizobia in organic farming systems that can be used to improve soybean productivity.

Methods And Results: Soil samples were collected from 25 organic fields in Minnesota during May to July 2012. Soybean (cv.