The prognostic value of Foxp3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with glioblastoma

Forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) is known as a specific marker for regulatory T cells which contribute to immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment. However, existing studies regarding clinical significance of Foxp3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in glioblastoma (GBM) remained discrepant. In this study, we aimed to explore whether this subtype of TILs correlated with prognosis in patients with GBM. Foxp3+ TILs as well as CD8+ ones were detected by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 62 patients. Staining for p53, MGMT and Ki-67 were also performed. The correlation of TIL subtypes with clinicopathologic features were analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan–Meier method and compared using log-rank test. Independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS were determined through univariate and multivariate analysis. Significant correlation was found between Foxp3 and CD8 expression (P = 0.003), but not between TIL subtypes and clinicopathologic characteristics. Patients with higher density of Foxp3+ TILs showed relatively shorter PFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0.003) whereas patients with higher density of CD8+ TILs obtained no significant differences in survival. Survival analysis based on molecular classifications further clarified these predictive values. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that frequency of Foxp3+ TILs was probably associated with both PFS (P = 0.002) and OS (P = 0.003). In conclusion, the results suggest that Foxp3 positive infiltrates could provide an independent predictive factor in GBM. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11060-013-1314-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Association of preoperative albumin–bilirubin with surgical textbook outcomes following laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and aimsRecently, the effectiveness of “textbook outcomes (TO)” in the evaluation of surgical quality has been recognized by more and more scholars. This study tended to examine the association between preoperative albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grades and the incidence of achieving or not achieving TO (non-TO) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy.MethodsThe patients were stratified into two groups: ALBI grade 1 (ALBI ≤ -2.60) and ALBI grade 2/3 (ALBI &gt; -2.60). The characteristics of patients and the incidence of non-TO were compared. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine whether ALBI grade was independently associated with TO.ResultsIn total, 378 patients were enrolled, including 194 patients (51.3%) in the ALBI grade 1 group and 184 patients (48.7%) in the ALBI grade 2/3 group. In the whole cohort, 198 patients (52.4%) did not achieve TO, and the incidence of non-TO in the ALBI grade 2/3 group was obviously higher than that in the ALBI grade 1 group (n = 112, 60.9% vs. n = 86, 44.3%, P = 0.001). The multivariate analyses showed that ALBI grade 2/3 was an independent risk factor for non-TO (OR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.30–2.94, P = 0.023).ConclusionsMore than half (52.4%) of the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma did not achieve TO after laparoscopic hepatectomy, and preoperative ALBI grade 2/3 was significantly associated with non-TO. Improving the liver function reserve of patients before operation, thereby reducing the ALBI grade, may increase the probability for patients to reach TO and enable patients to benefit more from surgery

DFT Calculation on 76 Polychlorophenazines: Their Thermodynamic Function and Implication of Cl Substituted Position

Thermodynamic functions, including enthalpy (Hθ) and entropy (Sθ) for 76 polychlorophenazines (PCPZs) in the gas state at 298.15 K and 101.325 kPa, have been calculated using the B3LYP/6-31G∗ level with Gaussian 03 program, and considered on solvation affects. Total free energy in water (Gw) was calculated with the same program. Based on these data, the isodesmic reactions were designed to calculate the standard formation heat (ΔfHθ) and standard free energy of formation in water (ΔfGwθ). The dependences of these thermodynamic parameters on the numbers and positions of chlorine substitution (NPCS) were discussed. It is suggested that Sθ,  ΔfHθ, and ΔfGwθ of PCPZs varied greatly with NPCS. Moreover, the values of molar heat capacity at constant pressure (Cp,m) from 200 to 1800 K for PCPZ congeners were calculated using a statistical thermodynamics calculation program based on Gaussian output files, and the temperature-dependence relation of Cp,m was obtained using the least-squares method. In addition, according to the relative magnitude of their ΔfGwθ, the relative stability order of PCPZ congeners was theoretically proposed

Experimental Study on the Catalytic Ignition Characteristics of a Dual-Mode Ionic Liquid Propellant in Model Thrusters

An experimental study was carried out on the ignition characteristics of the HAN/(Emim)(EtSO4) (hydroxylammonium nitrate and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ethyl sulfate) dual-mode ionic liquid monopropellant in chemical propulsion mode in model thrusters. Firstly, a model thruster with a detachable convergent nozzle was designed and fabricated. Secondly, catalytic ignition experiments at different flow rates were carried out in atmosphere and in high chamber pressure environment, respectively, using a model thruster, with and without the convergent nozzle. During the catalytic ignition process, measurement methods such as thermocouple, pressure sensor, and flue gas analyzer were employed to obtain the temperature at different depths of the catalytic bed, the pressure of the combustion chamber, and the concentration variations of gaseous products CO, CO2, CH4, SO2, NO, and NO2. Then the three characteristic stages of water evaporation, HAN decomposition, and (Emim)(EtSO4) combustion were analyzed at the initiation time, and the reaction characteristics in the process of the catalytic ignition were analyzed. In addition, the composition and concentration of the combustion products at equilibrium were theoretically calculated. The effects of temperature and pressure on the concentrations of five main gaseous products were studied. Finally, the exhaust gas of the three groups of catalytic ignition experiments under different pressure environments was separately collected and measured with gas chromatography (GC) when the experiments approached equilibrium, the result of which roughly agrees with the theoretical calculations. These results are of great significance for exploring the chemical propulsion of the dual-mode ionic liquid propellant and understanding its physical catalytic combustion mechanisms

A comprehensive evaluation method of electric power quality based on improved grey correlation analysis

Comprehensive evaluation of electric power quality is essential to the implementation of effective power quality control. In traditional evaluation methods, the weight of indicators is fixed and lacks flexibility. Aiming at this problem, this paper has proposed a power quality evaluation method based on improved grey correlation method. This method uses improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) to calculate subjective weights and introduces the improved entropy weight method (IEWM) that is modified using variable weight theory which calculates variable objective weights. The proposed method also uses intergrated weighting to combine the subjective and objective weights calculated above, obtaining multidimensional indicator weights. Finally, improved gray correlation analysis (IGCA), improved through employing ideal solution theory and logarithmic information aggregation method based on barrel theory, is implemented in this method to comprehensively evaluate electric power quality

Experimental Study on the Catalytic Ignition Characteristics of a Dual-Mode Ionic Liquid Propellant in Model Thrusters

An experimental study was carried out on the ignition characteristics of the HAN/(Emim)(EtSO4) (hydroxylammonium nitrate and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ethyl sulfate) dual-mode ionic liquid monopropellant in chemical propulsion mode in model thrusters. Firstly, a model thruster with a detachable convergent nozzle was designed and fabricated. Secondly, catalytic ignition experiments at different flow rates were carried out in atmosphere and in high chamber pressure environment, respectively, using a model thruster, with and without the convergent nozzle. During the catalytic ignition process, measurement methods such as thermocouple, pressure sensor, and flue gas analyzer were employed to obtain the temperature at different depths of the catalytic bed, the pressure of the combustion chamber, and the concentration variations of gaseous products CO, CO2, CH4, SO2, NO, and NO2. Then the three characteristic stages of water evaporation, HAN decomposition, and (Emim)(EtSO4) combustion were analyzed at the initiation time, and the reaction characteristics in the process of the catalytic ignition were analyzed. In addition, the composition and concentration of the combustion products at equilibrium were theoretically calculated. The effects of temperature and pressure on the concentrations of five main gaseous products were studied. Finally, the exhaust gas of the three groups of catalytic ignition experiments under different pressure environments was separately collected and measured with gas chromatography (GC) when the experiments approached equilibrium, the result of which roughly agrees with the theoretical calculations. These results are of great significance for exploring the chemical propulsion of the dual-mode ionic liquid propellant and understanding its physical catalytic combustion mechanisms