No abstract

Findings from this meta-analysis suggest that cruciferous vegetables consumption may reduce the risk of breast cancer. Because of the limited number of studies, further prospective studies are needed to explore the protective effect of cruciferous vegetables on breast cancer.

Although bacterial communities play important roles in the suppression of pathogenic diseases and crop production, little is known about the bacterial communities associated with bacterial wilt. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, statistical analyses of microbial communities in disease-suppressive and disease-conducive soils from three districts during the vegetation period of tobacco showed that Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, followed by Acidobacteria. Only samples from September were significantly correlated to disease factors. Fifteen indicators from taxa found in September (1 class, 2 orders, 3 families and 9 genera) were identified in the screen as being associated with disease suppression, and 10 of those were verified for potential disease suppression in March. Kaistobacter appeared to be the genus with the most potential for disease suppression. Elucidating microbially mediated natural disease suppression is fundamental to understanding microecosystem responses to sustainable farming and provides a possible approach for modeling disease-suppressive indicators. Here, using cluster analysis, MRPP testing, LEfSe and specific filters for a Venn diagram, we provide insight into identifying possible indicators of disease suppression of tobacco bacterial wilt.

Cancer-associated inflammation is a key determinant of disease progression and survival in most cancers. The aim of our study was to assess the predictive value of preoperative inflammatory markers, such as the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet–lymphocyte ratio, red cell distribution width (RDW), and mean platelet volume, for survival in breast cancer patients. In total, 608 breast cancer patients operated on between January 2009 and December 2011 were included in this observational study. The association between preoperative inflammatory markers and survival outcomes was analyzed. Patients with high NLR (>2.57) or high RDW (>13.45%) showed a significantly lower overall survival rate than those with lower NLR (≤2.57) or lower RDW (≤13.45%). NLR and RDW, along with node stage and molecular subtypes, were independent prognostic factors. There was a significant survival difference according to NLR in the luminal A and triple-negative subtypes (93.3% versus 99.3%, P=0.001; 68.8% versus 95.1%, P=0.000, respectively). The triple-negative subtype was the only subtype in which higher RDW patients showed significantly poor prognosis (81.3% versus 95.5%, P=0.025). Pre-operation NLR and RDW is a convenient, easily measured prognostic indicator for patients with breast cancer, especially in patients with the triple-negative subtype.