Newly Generated CD4 T Cells Acquire Metabolic Quiescence after Thymic Egress.

Mature naive T cells circulate through the secondary lymphoid organs in an actively enforced quiescent state. Impaired cell survival and cell functions could be found when T cells have defects in quiescence. One of the key features of T cell quiescence is low basal metabolic activity.

Biomimetic Graphene-Based 3D Scaffold for Long-Term Cell Culture and Real-Time Electrochemical Monitoring.

Current achievements on electrochemical monitoring of cells are often gained on two-dimensional (2D) substrates, which fail in mimicking the cellular environments and accurately reproducing the cellular functions within a three-dimensional (3D) tissue. In this regard, 3D scaffold concurrently integrated with the function of cell culture and electrochemical sensing is conceivably a promising platform to monitor cells in real time under their in vivo-like 3D microenvironments. However, it is particularly challenging to construct such a multifunctional scaffold platform.

[Efficacy and Survival Analysis of Apatinib in Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer after Failure of First-line Treatment].

Background: The efficacy of second or third-line chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is low. The use of targeted drugs brings survival benefit for some patients. Apatinib, as a novel small molecule antiangiogenic drug, has demonstrated satisfactory anticancer activity across a broad range of malignancies.

Herceptin Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Natural Killer Cells on Breast Cancer Cells Expressing Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2.

Optimal adoptive cell therapy (ACT) should contribute to effective cancer treatment. The unique ability of natural killer (NK) cells to kill cancer cells independent of major histocompatibility requirement makes them suitable as ACT tools. Herceptin, an antihuman epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (anti-HER2) monoclonal antibody, is used to treat HER2 breast cancer.

Validation of an automated bilateral feet cold pressor test.

The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) is often used in psychobiological research. However, the classical CPT version (unilateral hand immersion into ice-water) involves some disadvantages: hands may be needed for further applications, attentional drift towards the affected sensory hemi-field and/or physiological activation of the contralateral hemisphere may produce a laterality bias. Furthermore, instruction-induced motor activity may bias physiologic reactivity.

Reelin promotes adhesion of multiple myeloma cells to bone marrow stromal cells via integrin β1 signaling.

The close interaction between tumor cells and bone marrow stromal cells plays a crucial role in the tumorigenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). Reelin, an extracellular matrix protein, is found expressed in myeloma cells and is negatively associated with prognosis. We examined the role of Reelin in myeloma cell adhesion to bone marrow stromal cells and the signaling pathways involved.

Real-Time Intracellular Measurements of ROS and RNS in Living Cells with Single Core-Shell Nanowire Electrodes.

Nanoelectrodes allow precise and quantitative measurements of important biological processes at the single living-cell level in real time. Cylindrical nanowire electrodes (NWEs) required for intracellular measurements create a great challenge for achieving excellent electrochemical and mechanical performances. Herein, we present a facile and robust solution to this problem based on a unique SiC-core-shell design to produce cylindrical NWEs with superior mechanical toughness provided by the SiC nano-core and an excellent electrochemical performance provided by the ultrathin carbon shell that can be used as such or platinized.

Extracellular matrix protein Reelin promotes myeloma progression by facilitating tumor cell proliferation and glycolysis.

Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein that is crucial for neuron migration, adhesion, and positioning. We examined the expression of Reelin in a large cohort of multiple myeloma patients recorded in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used over-expression and siRNA knockdown of Reelin to investigate the role of Reelin in myeloma cell growth. We find that Reelin expression is negatively associated with myeloma prognosis.

PD-1 and its ligands are important immune checkpoints in cancer.

Checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligands (PD-Ls) have been identified as negative immunoregulatory molecules that promote immune evasion of tumor cells. The interaction of PD-1 and PD-Ls inhibits the function of T cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) while increasing the function of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs). This condition causes the tumor cells to evade immune response.

[Learning curve of transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer].

Objective: To explore the learning curve of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) for rectal cancer.

Methods: Clinical data of 60 rectal cancer patients undergoing taTME from July 2014 to April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the sequence of operation date, 60 patients were divided into four groups (A, B, C, D) with 15 cases in each group.

Platelet-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

Aim: As the prognostic value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is unclear in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this study assessed the importance of these factors was in this patient subset.

Patients & Methods: In 173 patients with primary ALK-positive NSCLC at pathological stages I-IV, neutrophil, platelet, lymphocyte, D-dimer and eosinophil levels were recorded before starting treatment.

Results: The patients' median NLR and PLR values were 2.

Plasma miR-324-3p and miR-1285 as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for early stage lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Specific biomarkers for early detection and outcome prediction of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are still lacking. This study assessed the differentially expressed miRNAs as potential biomarkers for early stage LSCC.

Results: Base on the results of multi-phase study, we found that miR-324-3p was significantly up-regulated, whereas mir-1285 was significantly down-regulated in plasma of stage I LSCC patients compared to healthy controls.

Associations of Domain-Specific Physical Activity With Leisure-Time Sedentary Behaviors in Chinese Professionals.

Objective: To understand the association of domain-specific physical activity (PA) with leisure-time sedentary behavior (LTSB) among Chinese professionals.

Methods: Totally, 3326 workers aged 35 to 64 years old from Beijing city and Zhejiang province were asked information on domain-specific PA with a revised Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The association of domain-specific PA with LTSB-lifestyle (≥4 hours/day spent on LTSB) was examined with a binary logistic regression model.

[Accumulation and health risks of heavy metals in vegetables around a typical coal-fired power plant].

Objective: To investigate the impacts of heavy metals from coal-fired power plant on the safety of the surrounding vegetables.

Methods: Accumulation and distribution characteristics of six metals in the vegetables around a typical coal-fired power plant were investigated and the human risks were assessed using health risk assessment model.

Results: In the ten kinds of vegetables, the standard-exceeding rates of Cu were 17.

Profiling the dynamic expression of checkpoint molecules on cytokine-induced killer cells from non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Immune checkpoints associate with dysfunctional T cells, which have a reduced ability to clear pathogens or cancer cells. T-cell checkpoint blockade may improve patient survival. However, checkpoint molecules on cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell, a non-specific adoptive immunotherapy, remain unknown.

Correction: Associations of ACE Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism, ACE Activity, and ACE mRNA Expression with Hypertension in a Chinese Population.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

[Analysis of the Role of PET/CT SUVmax in Prognosis and Its Correlation with Clinicopathological Characteristics in Resectable Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma].

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the world, more than one-half of cases are diagnosed at a advanced stage, and the overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 18%. Lung cancer is divided into non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Approximately 80%-85% of cases are NSCLC which includes three main types: adenocarcinoma (40%), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (20%-30%), and large cell carcinoma (10%).

Autologous Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells Improves Overall Survival of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients: Results From a Phase II Clinical Trial.

Background: This randomized clinical study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-one patients in group 1 (cell therapy group) received autologous CIK cell immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy (5-Fluorouridine, leucovorin and oxaliplatin [FOLFOX4] plan). Another 61 patients in group 2 (the control group) received chemotherapy (FOLFOX4 plan) alone.

Identification of a three-miRNA signature as a blood-borne diagnostic marker for early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The subtypes of NSCLC have unique characteristics of pathogenic mechanism and responses to targeted therapies. Thus, non-invasive markers for diagnosis of different subtypes of NSCLC at early stage are needed.

Results: Based on the results from the screening and validation process, 3 miRNAs (miR-532, miR-628-3p and miR-425-3p) were found to display significantly different expression levels in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, as compared to those in healthy controls.

Photochemical Synthesis of Shape-Controlled Nanostructured Gold on Zinc Oxide Nanorods as Photocatalytically Renewable Sensors.

Biosensors always suffer from passivation that prevents their reutilization. To address this issue, photocatalytically renewable sensors composed of semiconductor photocatalysts and sensing materials have emerged recently. In this work, we developed a robust and versatile method to construct different kinds of renewable biosensors consisting of ZnO nanorods and nanostructured Au.

[The negative psychology for the public in Zhejiang province during the epidemic of human H7N9 avian influenza].

Objective: To evaluate the cognition and emotional response of the public in Zhejiang province during the epidemic of human H7N9 avian influenza and provide scientific support for group psychological intervention under public health emergency.

Methods: 57 communities in 19 counties from Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Lishui district of Zhejiang province were selected as survey sites using stratified clustered sampling method from March, 2013 to April, 2014. 2 319 ordinary civilians were chosen using convenience sampling method and 390 individuals who had close contact history with H7N9 avian influenza patients, 109 family members of patients and 281 medical workers, were selected using census method.

Photocatalytically Renewable Micro-electrochemical Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Cells.

Electrode fouling and passivation is a substantial and inevitable limitation in electrochemical biosensing, and it is a great challenge to efficiently remove the contaminant without changing the surface structure and electrochemical performance. Herein, we propose a versatile and efficient strategy based on photocatalytic cleaning to construct renewable electrochemical sensors for cell analysis. This kind of sensor was fabricated by controllable assembly of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO2 to form a sandwiching RGO@TiO2 structure, followed by deposition of Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto the RGO shell.

Rapid Response of Advanced Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Thrombocytopenia after First-Line Treatment with Pembrolizumab Plus Autologous Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells.

We present the first clinical evidence of advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer with severe thrombocytopenia showing dramatic improvement after first-line treatment with pembrolizumab plus autologous cytokine-induced killer cells.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells delivering sTRAIL home to lung cancer mediated by MCP-1/CCR2 axis and exhibit antitumor effects.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are believed to be a potential vehicle delivering antitumor agents for their tumor-homing capacity, while the underlying mechanism is yet to be explored. The apoptotic ligand TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been suggested as a promising candidate for cancer gene therapy owing to its advantage of selectively inducing apoptosis in cancer cells while sparing normal cells. An isoleucine zipper (ISZ) added to the N-terminal of secretable soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) can generate the trimeric form of TRAIL (ISZ-sTRAIL) and increase its antitumor potential.

Portable SERS-enabled micropipettes for microarea sampling and reliably quantitative detection of surface organic residues.

We report the first microsampling device for reliably quantitative, label-free and separation-free detection of multicomponents of surface organic residues (SORs) by means of a quality controllable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-enabled micropipette. The micropipette is comprised of a drawn glass capillary with a tiny orifice (∼50 μm) at the distal tip, where the specially designed nanorattles (NRs) are compactly coated on the inner wall surface. SERS signals of 4-mercapto benzoic acid (MBA) anchored inside the internal gap of NRs could be used to evaluate and control the quality of micropipettes and, therefore, allow us to overcome the limitations of a reliably quantitative SERS assay using traditional substrates without an internal standard.