Memory CD4+ T cells are generated in the human fetal intestine.

The fetus is thought to be protected from exposure to foreign antigens, yet CD45RO+ T cells reside in the fetal intestine. Here we combined functional assays with mass cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing and high-throughput T cell antigen receptor (TCR) sequencing to characterize the CD4+ T cell compartment in the human fetal intestine. We identified 22 CD4+ T cell clusters, including naive-like, regulatory-like and memory-like subpopulations, which were confirmed and further characterized at the transcriptional level. Memory-like CD4+ T cells had high expression of Ki-67, indicative of cell division, and CD5, a surrogate marker of TCR avidity, and produced the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2. Pathway analysis revealed a differentiation trajectory associated with cellular activation and proinflammatory effector functions, and TCR repertoire analysis indicated clonal expansions, distinct repertoire characteristics and interconnections between subpopulations of memory-like CD4+ T cells. Imaging mass cytometry indicated that memory-like CD4+ T cells colocalized with antigen-presenting cells. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the generation of memory-like CD4+ T cells in the human fetal intestine that is consistent with exposure to foreign antigens.

High-Dimensional Mass Cytometry Reveals Emphysema-associated Changes in the Pulmonary Immune System.

RATIONALE: Chronic inflammation plays an important role in alveolar tissue damage in emphysema, but the underlying immune alterations and cellular interactions are incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE: To explore disease-specific pulmonary immune cell alterations and cellular interactions in emphysema. METHODS: We used single-cell mass cytometry to compare the immune compartment in alveolar tissue from 15 patients with severe emphysema and 5 controls. Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) was applied to identify altered cell-cell interactions in alveolar tissue from emphysema patients (n=12) compared to controls (n=8). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We observed higher percentages of central memory CD4 T cells in combination with lower proportions of effector memory CD4 T cells in emphysema. In addition, proportions of cytotoxic central memory CD8 T cells and CD127+CD27+CD69- T cells were higher in emphysema, the latter potentially reflecting an influx of circulating lymphocytes into the lungs. Central memory CD8 T cells, isolated from alveolar tissue from emphysema patients exhibited an IFN-γ-response upon anti-CD3/anti-CD28 activation. Proportions of CD1c+ dendritic cells (DC), expressing migratory and costimulatory markers, were higher in emphysema. Importantly, IMC enabled us to visualize increased spatial colocalization of CD1c+ DC and CD8 T cells in emphysema in situ. CONCLUSION: Using single-cell CyTOF, we characterized the alterations of the immune cell signature in alveolar tissue from patients with COPD stage III/IV emphysema versus control lung tissue. These data contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of emphysema and highlight the feasibility of interrogating the immune cell signature using single-cell and IMC in human lung tissue.

Constructing the Interconnected and Hierarchical Nanoarchitectonics in Coal-Derived Carbon for High-Performance Supercapacitor.

Because of the deep and zigzag microporous structure, porous carbon materials exhibit inferior capacitive performance and sluggish electrochemical kinetics for supercapacitor electrode materials. Herein, a single-step carbonation and activation approach was utilized to synthesize coal-based porous carbon with an adjustable pore structure, using CaO as a hard template, KOH as an activator, and oxidized coal as precursors to carbon. The obtained sample possesses an interconnected and hierarchical porous structure, higher SSA (1060 m2 g-1), suitable mesopore volume (0.25 cm3 g-1), and abundant surface heteroatomic functional groups. Consequently, the synthesized carbon exhibits an exceptionally high specific capacitance of 323 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, along with 80.3% capacitance retention at 50 A g-1. The assembled two-electrode configuration demonstrates a remarkable capacitance retention of up to 95% and achieves Coulombic efficiency of nearly 100% with 10,000 cycles in a 6 M KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, the Zn-ion hybrid capacitor also exhibits a specific capacity of up to 139.1 mA h g-1 under conditions of 0.2 A g-1. This work offers a simple method in preparation of coal-based porous carbon with controllable pore structure.

The RNA helicase DDX5 promotes viral infection via regulating N6-methyladenosine levels on the DHX58 and NFκB transcripts to dampen antiviral innate immunity.

Multi-functional DEAD-box helicase 5 (DDX5), which is important in transcriptional regulation, is hijacked by diverse viruses to facilitate viral replication. However, its regulatory effect in antiviral innate immunity remains unclear. We found that DDX5 interacts with the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer METTL3 to regulate methylation of mRNA through affecting the m6A writer METTL3-METTL14 heterodimer complex. Meanwhile, DDX5 promoted the m6A modification and nuclear export of transcripts DHX58, p65, and IKKγ by binding conserved UGCUGCAG element in innate response after viral infection. Stable IKKγ and p65 transcripts underwent YTHDF2-dependent mRNA decay, whereas DHX58 translation was promoted, resulting in inhibited antiviral innate response by DDX5 via blocking the p65 pathway and activating the DHX58-TBK1 pathway after infection with RNA virus. Furthermore, we found that DDX5 suppresses antiviral innate immunity in vivo. Our findings reveal that DDX5 serves as a negative regulator of innate immunity by promoting RNA methylation of antiviral transcripts and consequently facilitating viral propagation.

Short-axis PET image quality improvement based on a uEXPLORER total-body PET system through deep learning.

PURPOSE: The axial field of view (AFOV) of a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner greatly affects the quality of PET images. Although a total-body PET scanner (uEXPLORER) with a large AFOV is more sensitive, it is more expensive and difficult to widely use. Therefore, we attempt to utilize high-quality images generated by uEXPLORER to optimize the quality of images from short-axis PET scanners through deep learning technology while controlling costs. METHODS: The experiments were conducted using PET images of three anatomical locations (brain, lung, and abdomen) from 335 patients. To simulate PET images from different axes, two protocols were used to obtain PET image pairs (each patient was scanned once). For low-quality PET (LQ-PET) images with a 320-mm AFOV, we applied a 300-mm FOV for brain reconstruction and a 500-mm FOV for lung and abdomen reconstruction. For high-quality PET (HQ-PET) images, we applied a 1940-mm AFOV during the reconstruction process. A 3D Unet was utilized to learn the mapping relationship between LQ-PET and HQ-PET images. In addition, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) were employed to evaluate the model performance. Furthermore, two nuclear medicine doctors evaluated the image quality based on clinical readings. RESULTS: The generated PET images of the brain, lung, and abdomen were quantitatively and qualitatively compatible with the HQ-PET images. In particular, our method achieved PSNR values of 35.41 ± 5.45 dB (p < 0.05), 33.77 ± 6.18 dB (p < 0.05), and 38.58 ± 7.28 dB (p < 0.05) for the three beds. The overall mean SSIM was greater than 0.94 for all patients who underwent testing. Moreover, the total subjective quality levels of the generated PET images for three beds were 3.74 ± 0.74, 3.69 ± 0.81, and 3.42 ± 0.99 (the highest possible score was 5, and the minimum score was 1) from two experienced nuclear medicine experts. Additionally, we evaluated the distribution of quantitative standard uptake values (SUV) in the region of interest (ROI). Both the SUV distribution and the peaks of the profile show that our results are consistent with the HQ-PET images, proving the superiority of our approach. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed technique for improving the image quality of a PET scanner with a 320 mm or even shorter AFOV. Furthermore, this study explored the potential of utilizing uEXPLORER to achieve improved short-axis PET image quality at a limited economic cost, and computer-aided diagnosis systems that are related can help patients and radiologists.

Dual-Salt-Induced Hierarchical Porous Structure in a Carbon Sheet for High Performance Supercapacitors.

Porous carbon, one of the characteristic materials for electrochemical energy storage devices, has been paid wide-ranging attention. However, balancing the reconcilable mesopore volume with a large specific surface area (SSA) was still a challenge. Herein, a dual-salt-induced activation strategy was developed to obtain a porous carbon sheet with ultrahigh SSA (3082 m2 g-1), desirable mesopore volume (0.66 cm3 g-1), nanosheet morphology, and high surface O (7.87%) and S (4.0%) content. Hence, as a supercapacitor electrode, the optimal sample possessed a high specific capacitance (351 F g-1 at 1 A g-1) and excellent rate performance (holding capacitance up to 72.2% at 50 A g-1). Furthermore, the assembled zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor also exhibited superior reversible capacity (142.7 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1) and highly stable cycling (71.2 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 10,000 cycles with retention of 98.9%). This work was delivered a new possibility for the development of coal resources for the preparation of high performance porous carbon materials.

Br-Doped BiOCl Nanosheet Exposed (001) Facet: Surface Oxygen Vacancy and Directed Electron Flow Boosting the Photocatalytic Performance.

The defective BiOCl nanosheet exposed (001) facet with favorable photocatalytic performance was designed. The surface microstructure analysis and theoretical calculation certified the dominant exposed (001) facet and rich surface oxygen defects of Br--doped BiOCl (B-6) nanosheets. The energy level structure analysis indicates that the band gap can be narrowed and the light absorption range can be widened by introducing Br- to BiOCl, and the presence of defective energy levels increases the photogenerated carrier transfer efficiency. Moreover, the doping of Br- in BiOCl promotes the directional flow of electrons to the surface of B-6, which improves the photocatalytic performance of the sample. Thus, the Br--doped BiOCl can degrade 96.5% RhB within 6 min under visible-light irradiation with high apparent reaction rate constants of 0.51 min-1, exhibiting the strongest photocatalytic degradation performance. This work provides guidance for the preparation of Bi-based photocatalysts with excellent performance.

Exploring the mechanism of Chaihujia Longgu Muli decoction in the treatment of epilepsy in rats based on the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: The Chinese herbal formula Chaihujia Longgu Muli Decoction (CD) has a good antiepileptic effect, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this study we explored the molecular mechanisms of CD against epilepsy. METHODS: Twelve-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, model group, valproic acid group, and CD high, medium, and low groups. Except for the normal group, the other groups were given an intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to establish epilepsy models, and the Racine score was applied for model judgment. After 14 consecutive days of dosing, the Morris water maze test was performed. Then, hippocampal Nissl staining and immunofluorescence staining were performed, and synaptic ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway proteins were detected. RESULTS: In PTZ model rats, the passing times were reduced, and the escape latency was prolonged in the Morris water maze test. Nissl staining showed that some hippocampal neurons swelled and ruptured, Nissl bodies in the cytoplasm were significantly reduced, and neurons were lost. Immunofluorescence detection revealed that the expression of PSD95 and SYP was significantly reduced. Electron microscopy results revealed that the number of synapses in hippocampal neurons was significantly reduced and the postsynaptic membrane length was significantly reduced. Western blot analysis showed that the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway was activated, while SYP, SPD95, and PTEN expression was significantly decreased. After treatment with CD, neurobehavioral abnormalities and neuronal damage caused by epileptic seizures were improved. CONCLUSION: CD exerted an antiepileptic effect by inhibiting the activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Improvement of Luminescence Properties of Eulytite Single-Phase White Emitting Ca3Bi (PO4)3: Ce3+/Dy3+ Phosphor.

To reduce the issue of tri-primary color reabsorption, a new approach for single-phase phosphors as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been recommended. The structures, morphology, photoluminescence, thermal stability, and luminescence mechanism of a variety of Ca3Bi (PO4)3 (CBPO): Ce3+/Dy3+ phosphors were investigated. XRD characterization showed that all CBPO samples were eulytite structures. Furthermore, the energy transfer process from Ce3+ to Dy3+ in CBPO is systematically investigated in this work, and the color of light can be adjusted by changing the ratio of doped ions. Under UV light, energy is transferred from Ce3+-Dy3+ mainly through quadrupole-quadrupole interactions in the CBPO host, and doping with different Dy3+ concentrations tunes the emission color from blue to white. The thermal stability of the CBPO: 0.04Ce3+, 0.08Dy3+ samples is outstanding, and the CIE coordinates of the samples after emission have little effect with temperature, while their emission intensity at 423 K is as strong as that at room temperature, reaching 90%. The above results indicate that this CBPO material has great potential as a white light phosphor under near-UV excitation at the optimized concentration of Ce3+ and Dy3+.

Synergistic Effects between Lignin, Cellulose and Coal in the Co-Pyrolysis Process of Coal and Cotton Stalk.

In this work, Qiqunahu (QQH) coal, cotton stalk, cellulose and lignin extracted from cotton stalk were selected as raw materials to study the effects of the co-pyrolysis of coal and cotton stalk. Online thermogravimetric mass spectrometry (TG-MS) was used to analyse mass loss and gas release characteristics during co-pyrolysis. The results reveal that the mixture of cotton stalk and coal can significantly enhance the reactivity of the blends and promote the formation of effective gas. The cellulose in the cotton stalk promotes the generation of H2 and CO2 during the co-pyrolysis of coal and cotton stalks. Lignin promotes the production of CH4 and CO2. Cellulose and lignin show an inhibitory effect on the precipitation of small molecular weight hydrocarbon gases during co-pyrolysis. This study provides a better understanding for the co-pyrolysis of biomass and coal.

Modulating the Graphitic Domains and Pore Structure of Corncob-Derived Hard Carbons by Pyrolysis to Improve Sodium Storage.

Biomass-derived hard carbon materials are considered as the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their abundant sources, environmental friendliness, and excellent electrochemical performance. Although much research exists on the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the microstructure of hard carbon materials, there are few reports that focus on the development of pore structure during the pyrolysis process. In this study, corncob is used as the raw material to synthesize hard carbon at a pyrolysis temperature of 1000~1600 °C, and their interrelationationship between pyrolysis temperature, microstructure and sodium storage properties are systematically studied. With the pyrolysis temperature increasing from 1000 °C to 1400 °C, the number of graphite microcrystal layers increases, the long-range order degree rises, and the pore structure shows a larger size and wide distribution. The specific capacity, the initial coulomb efficiency, and the rate performance of hard carbon materials improve simultaneously. However, as the pyrolysis temperature rises further to 1600 °C, the graphite-like layer begins to curl, and the number of graphite microcrystal layers reduces. In return, the electrochemical performance of the hard carbon material decreases. This model of pyrolysis temperatures-microstructure-sodium storage properties will provide a theoretical basis for the research and application of biomass hard carbon materials in SIBs.

Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon Derived from Coal for High-Performance Supercapacitor.

The surface properties and the hierarchical pore structure of carbon materials are important for their actual application in supercapacitors. It is important to pursue an integrated approach that is both easy and cost-effective but also challenging. Herein, coal-based hierarchical porous carbon with nitrogen doping was prepared by a simple dual template strategy using coal as the carbon precursor. The hierarchical pores were controlled by incorporating different target templates. Thanks to high conductivity, large electrochemically active surface area (483 m2 g-1), hierarchical porousness with appropriate micro-/mesoporous channels, and high surface nitrogen content (5.34%), the resulting porous carbon exhibits a high specific capacitance in a three-electrode system using KOH electrolytes, reaching 302 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 230 F g-1 at 50 A g-1 with a retention rate of 76%. At 250 W kg-1, the symmetrical supercapacitor assembled at 6 M KOH shows a high energy density of 8.3 Wh kg-1, and the stability of the cycling is smooth. The energy density of the symmetric supercapacitor assembled under ionic liquids was further increased to 48.3 Wh kg-1 with a power output of 750 W kg-1 when the operating voltage was increased to 3 V. This work expands the application of coal-based carbon materials in capacitive energy storage.

Inhibiting nonhomologous end-joining repair would promote the antitumor activity of gemcitabine in nonsmall cell lung cancer cell lines.

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major type of lung cancer. In current study, we aim to evaluate whether the combination of Ku70/80 heterodimer protein inhibitor STL127705 and gemcitabine would be more favorable approach for the treatment of NSCLC compared with monotreatment with gemcitabine. Clongenic survival assay was used to determine the survival and sensitivity to irradiation. H1299 was stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-Annexin V, and cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. H1299 cells were transfected with nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair reporter, and stable cell line was selected by puromycin. NHEJ activity was determined based on the intensity of green fluorescent protein. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were determined by the fluorescence intensity of γH2AX using flow cytometry. The mRNA expressions of Ku70 and Ku80 were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. Combination of STL127705 enhanced sensitivity of NSCLC cell lines to irradiation when compared with treatment with gemcitabine alone. However, small cell lung cancer cell line was not affected. H1299 cells treated with STL127705 in combination with gemcitabine showed a significantly increased apoptosis compared with H1299 cells treated with gemcitabine alone. Moreover, STL127705 treatment dramatically reduced NHEJ activity in H1299 cells when compared with gemcitabine single treatment. Increased DSBs were consistently observed in H1299 when treated with the combination of STL127705 and gemcitabine. However, the mRNA levels of Ku70 and Ku80 were upregulated by the combination treatment. It demonstrated that STL127705 enhanced antitumor activity of gemcitabine. Mechanistically, treatment with STL127705 enhanced DNA damage via inhibiting NHEJ pathway, blocking DNA-PK, and forming Ku70/80 heterodimer, eventually leading to tumor cells apoptosis.

Arabidopsis ADF1 is Regulated by MYB73 and is Involved in Response to Salt Stress Affecting Actin Filament Organization.

Actin cytoskeleton and transcription factors play key roles in plant response to salt stress; however, little is known about the link between the two regulators in response to salt stress. Actin-depolymerizing factors (ADFs) are conserved actin-binding proteins in eukaryotes. Here, we revealed that the expression level of ADF1 was induced by salt stress. The adf1 mutants showed significantly reduced survival rate, increased percentage of actin cable and reduced density of actin filaments, while ADF1 overexpression seedlings displayed the opposite results when compared with WT under the same condition. Furthermore, biochemical assays revealed that MYB73, a R2R3 MYB transcription factor, binds to the promoter of ADF1 and represses its expression via the MYB-binding site core motif ACCTAC. Taken together, our results indicate that ADF1 participates in salt stress by regulating actin organization and may also serve as a potential downstream target of MYB73, which is a negative regulator of salt stress.

PIRD: Pan Immune Repertoire Database.

MOTIVATION: T and B cell receptors (TCRs and BCRs) play a pivotal role in the adaptive immune system by recognizing an enormous variety of external and internal antigens. Understanding these receptors is critical for exploring the process of immunoreaction and exploiting potential applications in immunotherapy and antibody drug design. Although a large number of samples have had their TCR and BCR repertoires sequenced using high-throughput sequencing in recent years, very few databases have been constructed to store these kinds of data. To resolve this issue, we developed a database. RESULTS: We developed a database, the Pan Immune Repertoire Database (PIRD), located in China National GeneBank (CNGBdb), to collect and store annotated TCR and BCR sequencing data, including from Homo sapiens and other species. In addition to data storage, PIRD also provides functions of data visualization and interactive online analysis. Additionally, a manually curated database of TCRs and BCRs targeting known antigens (TBAdb) was also deposited in PIRD. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: PIRD can be freely accessed at https://db.cngb.org/pird.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of myostatin in Chinese indigenous Erhualian pigs.

CRISPR/Cas9 has emerged as one of the most popular genome editing tools due to its simple design and high efficiency in multiple species. Myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates skeletal muscle growth and mutations in myostatin cause double-muscled phenotype in various animals. Here, we generated myostatin mutation in Erhualian pigs using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic cell nuclear transfer. The protein level of myostatin precursor decreased dramatically in mutant cloned piglets. Unlike myostatin knockout Landrace, which often encountered health issues and died shortly after birth, Erhualian pigs harboring homozygous mutations were viable. Moreover, myostatin knockout Erhualian pigs exhibited partial double-muscled phenotype such as prominent muscular protrusion, wider back and hip compared with wild-type piglets. Genome editing in Chinese indigenous pig breeds thus holds great promise not only for improving growth performance, but also for protecting endangered genetic resources.

Expression of Molecular Markers in Primary Sites and Metastatic Lymph Nodes of Lung Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND Recently, there is an increasing interest in developing specific treatments while managing lung cancer cases. We tested the expressions of six molecular markers in the primary tumor and the metastatic lymph nodes of lung cancer patients at a single institution in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 48 patients with lung cancer who were admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, from September 2010 to February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS One of the six biomarkers' expressions, excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC-1), was found to be significantly different in primary tumors and metastatic sites in different cancer subtypes. CONCLUSIONS The onset and pathogenesis of small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are not completely understood, and the predictions of prognosis are not very reliable. The use of molecular markers to guide treatment of these cancers is currently in its initial stages.

A simple and rapid identification method for newly emerged porcine Deltacoronavirus with loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

BACKGROUND: Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly emerged enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes diarrhea and mortality in neonatal piglets. PDCoV has spread to many countries around the world, leading to significant economic losses in the pork industry. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive method for detection of PDCoV in clinical samples is urgently needed. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a single-tube one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay specific for nucleocapsid gene to diagnose and monitor PDCoV infections. The detection limit of RT-LAMP assay was 1 × 101 copies of PDCoV, which was approximately 100-fold more sensitive than gel-based one-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This assay could specifically amplify PDCoV and had no cross amplification with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine kobuvirus (PKoV), porcine astrovirus (PAstV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), classic swine fever virus (CSFV), and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). By screening a panel of clinical specimens (N = 192), this method presented a similar sensitivity with nested RT-PCR and was 1-2 log more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR in detection of PDCoV. CONCLUSIONS: The RT-LAMP assay established in this study is a potentially valuable tool, especially in low-resource laboratories and filed settings, for a rapid diagnosis, surveillance, and molecular epidemiology investigation of PDCoV infections. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work for detection of newly emerged PDCoV with LAMP technology.

Effects of exercise training on patients with lung cancer who underwent lung resection: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection has not been well established yet. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the efficiency of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection. METHODS: Several databases were searched for eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was quality of life, and the secondary outcomes included 6-min walk distance (6MWD), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and postoperative complications (POCs). Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random-effects model. RESULTS: Six RCTs involving 438 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The pooled WMDs of the scores were 2.41 (95% CI = -5.20 to 10.02; P = 0.54) and -0.46 (95% CI = -20.52 to 19.61; P = 0.96) for the physical and mental components of the 36-item short-form scale, respectively. The pooled WMDs were 23.50 m (95% CI = -22.04 to 69.03; P = 0.31) for 6MWD and 0.03 L (95% CI = -0.19 to 0.26; P = 0.76) for FEV1. Finally, the pooled RRs were 0.79 (95% CI = 0.41 to 1.53; P = 0.49) for POCs. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient evidence is available to support the efficacy of exercise training in patients with lung cancer after lung resection. Further studies must confirm our findings and investigate the long-term effects of exercise training on patients with lung cancer following lung resection.

Analysis of 50 cases of operated giant thoracic tumors.

PURPOSE: To study the experience of the surgical treatment of giant thoracic tumors and the ways to overcome intraoperative and postoperative difficulties. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the data from 50 patients operated with giant thoracic tumors (26 men and 24 women; age range 0.5-77 years) was carried out. All patients were treated with different surgical resections. The resected tumors weighed between 628 and 2586 g (mean 1973) and the intraoperative blood loss was 400-1500 ml. RESULTS: The tumor was successfully resected in all patients. Forty-eight (96%) patients were treated and discharged after the operation. Two (4%) patients developed postoperative pulmonary edema; one of them died due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and the other one was discharged after full recovery. During follow up, one patient died of an abdominal metastasis of malignant mesothelioma 1 year after operation, and another one with mature teratoma died 4 months after the operation but the cause of death was unknown. The success of surgical resection was not related to the pathological tumor type. The surgical treatment was determined by the invasion and distant metastasis of giant thoracic tumors and surrounding tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with giant thoracic tumors often have severe symptoms that cannot be managed with conservative treatment. However, surgery can completely resolve the symptoms. In order to fully reveal the operative field, the incision has to be as close as possible to the tumor. Various surgical techniques, such as complete, segmented, or major portion incisions, can be used, and attention should be paid to avoid major intraoperative bleeding. Preventive measures against re-expansion pulmonary edema should be applied as soon as possible after the surgery.