UV continuum emission and diagnostics of hydrogen-containing non-equilibrium plasmas

For the first time the emission of the radiative dissociation continuum of the hydrogen molecule ($a^{3}\Sigma_{g}^{+} \to b^{3}\Sigma_{u}^{+}$ electronic transition) is proposed to be used as a source of information for the spectroscopic diagnostics of non-equilibrium plasmas. The detailed analysis of excitation-deactivation kinetics, rate constants of various collisional and radiative transitions and fitting procedures made it possible to develop two new methods of diagnostics of: (1) the ground $X^{1}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$ state vibrational temperature $T_{\text{vib}}$ from the relative intensity distribution, and (2) the rate of electron impact dissociation (d[\mbox{H_{2}}]/dt)_{\text{diss}} from the absolute intensity of the continuum. A known method of determination of $T_{\text{vib}}$ from relative intensities of Fulcher-$\alpha$ bands was seriously corrected and simplified due to the revision of $d \to a$ transition probabilities and cross sections of $d \gets X$ electron impact excitation. General considerations are illustrated with examples of experiments in pure hydrogen capillary-arc and H$_{2}$+Ar microwave discharges.Comment: REVTeX, 25 pages + 12 figures + 9 tables. Phys. Rev. E, eprint replaced because of resubmission to journal after referee's 2nd repor

LEA.135 expression: Identifies low-risk patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ

The expression of a cell surface-associated sialo-glycoprotein (LEA.135), which has been shown to be significantly associated with decreased incidence of recurrence and increased overall survival of patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma, was evaluated in a retrospective study to identify subsets of patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who are at high risk of subsequently developing invasive breast carcinoma. The study was carried out by an immuno-histochemical method on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 63 patients initially with DCIS. Pathological parameters such as DCIS histological type, nuclear grade, as well as time and type of recurrence (either a second DCIS or the diagnosis of locally invasive breast carcinoma) together with follow-up in years were available for the cohort of patients. A comparison of recurrence was made of patients whose tumor cells exhibited LEA.135 expression (24 ± 8% recurring by 7 years), compared with those patients whose specimens showed the absence of LEA. 135 expression (41 ± 10% recurring by 7 years). A statistically significant univariant association between LEA.135 expression and the absence of recurrence of DCIS or development of locally invasive breast carcinoma was observed, suggesting a favorable prognostic significance of LEA. 135 expression (log-rank p=0.032). It is worthy of mention that none of the LEA. 135-positive patients developed recurrence as DCIS or locally invasive breast carcinoma (0.24 ± 0.08) after 5 years of the initial diagnosis of DCIS, whereas those from LEA. 135-negative progressively increased their recurrence at 5 years (0.30 ± 0.09), 7 years (0.41 ± 0.10) and 10 years (0.63 ± 0.12). The results of this pilot study show that LEA.135 expression is significantly associated with a favorable prognosis of patients with DCIS, leading to a decreased incidence of recurrence

LEA.135 expression: its comparison with other prognostic biomarkers for patients with primary breast carcinoma.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the prognostic value of expression of luminal epithelial antigen (LEA.135) for recurrence and overall survival of patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma by both univariate and multivariate analyses. The possible prognostic value of LEA.135 was also compared with some widely utilized prognostic biomarkers such as c-erbB 2, topoisomerase II.alpha (TPII.alpha), MIB 1, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), as well as age of the patients and clinicopathologic parameters. The study was carried out by immunohistochemical methods on formalin-fixed/paraffin-embedded tissue sections in a series of 225 patients with median follow-up of 8.5 years. Prognostic significance of the biomarkers was determined by two-sided p value. In this series of patients, among the age and clinicopathologic parameters, only age, was significantly associated with a decreased overall survival (logrank p = 0.027). Among the prognostic biomarkers, TPII a expression at high (> 50% positive cells) or moderate (6-50% positive cells) level was associated with an increased rate of recurrence (logrank p < 0.001). However, the association of TPII.alpha expression with a decreased overall survival failed to reach a statistically significance. Expression of c-erbB 2 showed a trend of being associated with an increased probability of recurrence, but the association did not reach statistical significance. The remaining biomarkers were not associated with either the probability of recurrence or overall survival. LEA.135 expression was observed in 163 (72.4%) of the 225 patients. The patients with high (> 50% positive cells) or moderate (6-50% positive cells) level of LEA.135-positive cancer cells showed a significantly decreased probability of recurrence (logrank p < 0.001) and an increased overall survival (logrank p < 0.001) compared with those with LEA.135-negative cancer cells. The association remained significant by multivariate analysis for recurrence (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001) and overall survival (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001) when assessed with other prognostic parameters. Furthermore, the combination of LEA.135 with other prognostic biomarkers stratified four subgroups of patients with distinct clinical outcome. The subgroup of patients who were LEA.135+/TPII.alpha- showed the lowest probability of recurrence and the longest overall survival compared with those who were LEA.135-/TPII.alpha+ (logrank p < 0.001). Interestingly, the patients whose cancer cells were LEA.135+/TPII.alpha+, LEA.135+ MIB.1+ or LEA.135+/c-erbB 2+ experienced a decreased probability of recurrence and an increased overall survival compared with those with LEA.135-/TPII.alpha+, LEA.135- MIB.1+ or LEA.135-/c-erbB 2+ (logrank p < 0.001). The results demonstrated that LEA.135 is an independent and favorable prognostic biomarker for patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma, that the loss of LEA.135 expression is associated with aggressive phenotype of cancer cells during the breast cancer progression, and that its continued expression seems to override the adverse effects of expression of an oncogene or cell proliferation-associated molecules

LEA.135 expression: its comparison with other prognostic biomarkers for patients with primary breast carcinoma.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the prognostic value of expression of luminal epithelial antigen (LEA.135) for recurrence and overall survival of patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma by both univariate and multivariate analyses. The possible prognostic value of LEA.135 was also compared with some widely utilized prognostic biomarkers such as c-erbB 2, topoisomerase II.alpha (TPII.alpha), MIB 1, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), as well as age of the patients and clinicopathologic parameters. The study was carried out by immunohistochemical methods on formalin-fixed/paraffin-embedded tissue sections in a series of 225 patients with median follow-up of 8.5 years. Prognostic significance of the biomarkers was determined by two-sided p value. In this series of patients, among the age and clinicopathologic parameters, only age, was significantly associated with a decreased overall survival (logrank p = 0.027). Among the prognostic biomarkers, TPII a expression at high (> 50% positive cells) or moderate (6-50% positive cells) level was associated with an increased rate of recurrence (logrank p < 0.001). However, the association of TPII.alpha expression with a decreased overall survival failed to reach a statistically significance. Expression of c-erbB 2 showed a trend of being associated with an increased probability of recurrence, but the association did not reach statistical significance. The remaining biomarkers were not associated with either the probability of recurrence or overall survival. LEA.135 expression was observed in 163 (72.4%) of the 225 patients. The patients with high (> 50% positive cells) or moderate (6-50% positive cells) level of LEA.135-positive cancer cells showed a significantly decreased probability of recurrence (logrank p < 0.001) and an increased overall survival (logrank p < 0.001) compared with those with LEA.135-negative cancer cells. The association remained significant by multivariate analysis for recurrence (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001) and overall survival (likelihood ratio test p < 0.001) when assessed with other prognostic parameters. Furthermore, the combination of LEA.135 with other prognostic biomarkers stratified four subgroups of patients with distinct clinical outcome. The subgroup of patients who were LEA.135+/TPII.alpha- showed the lowest probability of recurrence and the longest overall survival compared with those who were LEA.135-/TPII.alpha+ (logrank p < 0.001). Interestingly, the patients whose cancer cells were LEA.135+/TPII.alpha+, LEA.135+ MIB.1+ or LEA.135+/c-erbB 2+ experienced a decreased probability of recurrence and an increased overall survival compared with those with LEA.135-/TPII.alpha+, LEA.135- MIB.1+ or LEA.135-/c-erbB 2+ (logrank p < 0.001). The results demonstrated that LEA.135 is an independent and favorable prognostic biomarker for patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma, that the loss of LEA.135 expression is associated with aggressive phenotype of cancer cells during the breast cancer progression, and that its continued expression seems to override the adverse effects of expression of an oncogene or cell proliferation-associated molecules

Diagnostics of the magnetized low-pressure hydrogen plasma jet : molecular regime

Optical emission and absorption spectroscopy and double Langmuir probe diagnostics have been applied to measure the plasma parameters of an expanding magnetized hydrogen plasma jet. The rotational temperature of the excited state H2(d2¿u) has been determined by analyzing the intensity distribution of the spectral lines of the Fulcher-a system of H2. The gas temperature in the plasma, which is twice the value of the rotational temperature is equal to ¿ 520 K. Several clear indications of presence of the ‘‘hot’’ electrons have been observed in the plasma: (1) Langmuir probe measurements (Te¿1.4 eV), (2) appearance of the Fulcher-a system of H2 (excitation potential ¿E=13.87 eV), (3) low rotational temperature (T*rot¿260 K) of the excited H2(d3¿u) molecules, (4) local excitation in the plasma of Ar¿I(¿E=15.45 eV), and Ar¿II(¿E=19.68 eV) spectral lines, (5) local excitation in the plasma of He¿I(¿E=23.07 eV and ¿E=24.04 eV) spectral lines. Optical actinometry has been applied to measure the absolute density of hydrogen atoms and hydrogen dissociation degree in the plasma. The measured absolute density of hydrogen atoms are in the (1–1.4)×1020 m-3 range, and the corresponding dissociation degree of the hydrogen plasma is in the range of 8%–13%