Purpose: Evidence implies that plasma fibrinogen and serum albumin level (FA score) based on plasma fibrinogen and serum albumin is related to cancer prognosis. However, the association between the FA score and therapeutic efficacy of concurrent radiochemotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the role of pretreatment FA score in predicting the therapeutic efficacy of concurrent radiochemotherapy for patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 154 patients with ESCC who underwent concurrent radiochemotherapy. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine the appropriate cut-off values, and multivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to evaluate prognosis.Results: FA score was significantly associated with the N stage and M stage (P = 0.015 and 0.042, respectively). Chi-square analysis/Fisher’s exact tests revealed a correlation between the FA score and curative effect (P < 0.001), and higher FA score was associated with poorer treatment effect. Multivariate analysis indicated that FA score (P < 0.001) was predictor of overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that pretreatment FA score was significantly associated with the OS of ESCC: Patient with higher FA score has lower median OS.Conclusions: The FA score is a reliable prognostic predictor that could assess the curative effect and OS benefit of concurrent radiochemotherapy in patients with ESCC.

To improve interfacial adhesion between glass fiber (GF) and poly(ethylene-grafted-styrene)-based cation exchange membranes (CEM), GF was modified by four coupling agents: [3-(Methacryloxy)propyl] trimethoxy silane (3-MPS), 1,6-bis (trimethoxysilyl) hexane (1,6 bis), Poly(propylene-graft-maleic anhydride) (PP-g-MA) and Triethoxyvinylsilane (TES). The results indicated the addition of modified GF increased tensile strength, tensile modulus, storage modulus and interfacial adhesion of GF/CEM composite but degraded the strains. The composite with 3-MPS modified GF obtained superior mechanical properties and interfacial adhesion, whereas the modified effect of TES was inconspicuous. The addition of unmodified GF even had negative effects on GF/CEM mechanical properties. The field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM) showed that the GF treated by 3-MPS and PP-g-MA have better compatibility with the CEM matrix than 1,6 bis and TES-treated GF. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) verified that the strengthening effects from modified GF were attributed to the formation of Si-O-Si and Si-O-C bonds. The additions of modified GF in CEM positively influence water uptake ability but negatively influence ion exchange capacity (IEC). This research provided a way of strengthening GF/CEM composite and pointed out which functional groups included in coupling agents could be useful to GF-reinforced composite.