Reduced Claudin-12 Expression Predicts Poor Prognosis in Cervical Cancer

Background: Within the claudin (CLDN) family, CLDN12 mRNA expression is altered in various types of cancer, but its clinicopathological relevance has yet to be established due to the absence of specific antibodies (Abs) with broad applications. Methods: We generated a monoclonal Ab (mAb) against human/mouse CLDN12 and verified its specificity. By performing immunohistochemical staining and semiquantification, we evaluated the relationship between CLDN12 expression and clinicopathological parameters in tissues from 138 cases of cervical cancer. Results: Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the established mAb selectively recognized the CLDN12 protein. Twenty six of the 138 cases (18.8%) showed low CLDN12 expression, and the disease-specific survival (DSS) and recurrence-free survival rates were significantly decreased compared with those in the high CLDN12 expression group. We also demonstrated, via univariable and multivariable analyses, that the low CLDN12 expression represents a significant prognostic factor for the DSS of cervical cancer patients (HR 3.412, p = 0.002 and HR 2.615, p = 0.029, respectively). Conclusions: It can be concluded that a reduced CLDN12 expression predicts a poor outcome for cervical cancer. The novel anti-CLDN12 mAb could be a valuable tool to evaluate the biological relevance of the CLDN12 expression in diverse cancer types and other diseases.     

Asian dust event observed in Seoul, Korea, during 29-31 May 2008: Analysis of transport and vertical distribution of dust particles from lidar and surface measurements

In this study, we investigate the transport of dust particles, its vertical distribution, and the associated meteorological conditions during an Asian dust event that was observed in Seoul, Korea on May 29-31, 2008. This study analyzes data from ground-based and space-borne 2-wavelength polarization lidars, particulate mass concentrations, and synoptic weather data. Surface meteorological station observations of dust phenomena, dust transport model, and weather maps consistently show that the dust particles were transported from the source regions (Inner Mongolia, Man-Ju, and Ordos areas) to Korea via the northeastern part of China. Network observations of the PM₁₀ concentrations in Korea revealed that a majority of the heavy dust particles traveled across South Korea from the northwest to the southeast direction with a horizontal scale of 250-300 km and a traveling speed of approximately 40 km h^− 1. This extraordinary dust event, in terms of its intensity and timing during the year, occurred due to the blockage of an unusually intensified low-pressure system in the northeastern part of China as well as high-pressure system centered over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Kuril Islands. The low values of the particle depolarization ratio (δ₅₃₂) (≤0.05) and color ratio (CR) during the pre-dust period indicate the presence of spherical, non-dust, and relatively small particles. The mean δ₅₃₂ value was approximately 0.123 ± 0.069 between altitudes of ground ~ 2.8 km, and 0.161 ± 0.049 for near-surface dust layer (ground ~ 1.2 km). This value is quite similar to that obtained during the 3-year SNU-Lidar measurements in Seoul (δ₅₃₂ ~0.136 ± 0.027). The value of δ₅₃₂ during the 2nd multilayered dust episode ranged between 0.081 and 0.120 for near-surface dust layers, and between 0.076 and 0.114 for elevated dust layers. The CALIPSO measurements of β₅₃₂, δ₅₃₂, and CR also revealed the presence of dense dust aerosols along the transport route.     

Light scattering of ideal random copolymers in bulk

Copolymerization is a useful way of modifying the physical properties of a material to meet specific needs, but it can result in a significant light scattering loss due to dielectric fluctuations in the material. Ideal random copolymers are known to be more transparent; however, the light-scattering properties of such copolymers in bulk have not been fully studied. In this paper, two representative ideal random copolymers were synthesized: methyl methacrylate (MMA)/benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and MMA/2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA). The effects of copolymer composition and polymerization temperature on the light-scattering properties were investigated. Polarized light scattering (V_V) in copolymers was more sensitive to the polymerization temperature. Higher temperatures were necessary to homogenize the dielectric fluctuations and minimize excess light scattering. However, once the heterogeneous structures vanished, the copolymer bulk exhibited low scattering losses, which are comparable with homopolymers, over the entire range of copolymer compositions.     

Long terminal linear alkyl group as internal crystallization accelerating moiety of poly(l-lactide)

Poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) polymers having terminal n-alkyl groups with a wide variety of lengths (C₀–C₂₂) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide in the presence of coinitiators of l-lactic acid (C₀), 1-hexanol (C₆), 1-dodecanol (C₁₂), and 1-docosanol (C₂₂) and their segmental mobility and non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization behavior were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD). Glass transition and cold crystallization temperatures of melt-quenched samples during heating decreased with an increase in the length of terminal n-alkyl groups. The enhanced PLLA segmental mobility and hydrophobic interaction-based accelerated PLLA nucleation by the presence of terminal long n-alkyl groups should have caused the accelerated non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization of PLLA segments traced by cold crystallization temperature during heating and by radial growth rate of spherulites, respectively. The crystallization accelerating effect became higher with the length of terminal n-alkyl groups. The effects of the length of terminal n-alkyl group on the crystalline growth mechanism of PLLA at the lowest crystallizable temperature was insignificant, whereas the effects of the length of terminal n-alkyl group on the nucleation mechanism of PLLA chains were significant and insignificant for PLLA having M_n of 6–7 × 10³ of 2 × 10⁴ g mol⁻¹, respectively. WAXD measurements revealed that the transition crystallization temperature at which crystalline modification changes from δ-form to α-form was affected by the length of terminal n-alkyl group for PLLA having M_n of 6–7 × 10³ g mol⁻¹, but was not altered by the length of terminal n-alkyl group for PLLA having M_n of 2 × 10⁴ g mol⁻¹.     

Dynamic mechanical properties of three‐component composites (acrylic polymer/epoxy/SiO2) in the glass‐transition region

In previous studies, we reported the linear and nonlinear rheological properties of three‐component composites consisting of acrylic polymer (AP), epoxy resin (EP), and various SiO₂ contents (AP/EP/SiO₂) in the molten state. In this study, the dynamic mechanical properties of AP/EP/SiO₂ composites with different particle sizes (0.5 and 8 μm) were investigated in the glass‐transition region. The EP consisted of three kinds of EP components. The α relaxation due to the glass transition shifted to a higher temperature with an increase in the volume fraction (?) for the AP/EP/SiO₂ composites having a particle size of 0.5 μm, but the α relaxation scarcely shifted for the composite having a particle size of 8 μm as a general result. This result suggested that the SiO₂ nanoparticles that were 0.5 μm in size adsorbed a lot of the low‐glass‐transition‐temperature (T_g) component because of their large surface area. The AP/SiO₂ composites did not exhibit a shift in T_g; this indicated that the composite did not adsorb any component. The modulus in the glassy state (E′_g) exhibited a very weak &phis; dependence for the AP/EP/SiO₂ composites having particle sizes of 0.5 and 8 μm, although E′_g of the AP/SiO₂ composites increased with &phis;. The AP/EP/SiO₂ composites exhibited a peculiar dynamic mechanical behavior, although the AP/SiO₂ composites showed the behavior of general two‐component composites. Scanning electron microscopic observations indicated that some components in the EP were adsorbed on the surface of the SiO₂ particles. We concluded that the peculiar behavior of the AP/EP/SiO₂ composites was due to the selective adsorption of the EP component. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40409.     

Controlled radical polymerization with polyolefin macroinitiator: a convenient and versatile approach to polyolefin-based block and graft copolymers

This paper introduces the new synthetic methodology of polyolefin-based block and graft copolymers with polar segments [e.g., polystyrene and poly(meth)acrylates]. Various brominated polyolefins were prepared by bromination of polyolefins with N-bromosuccinimide. The resulting brominated polyolefins were able to initiate the controlled radical polymerization of polar monomers, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, t-butyl acrylate, styrene and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate, using a CuBr/N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine catalyst system, leading to a variety of polyolefin-based copolymers with a different content of the corresponding polar segment. Because of the accessible synthesis of polyolefin macroinitiators, this synthetic methodology is expected to result in the preparation of a wide range of polyolefin-based block and graft copolymers.     

Critical assessment 29: TRIP-aided bainitic ferrite steels

Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided bainitic ferrite steels developed for automotive applications have attractive mechanical properties such as ductility, formability, toughness, fatigue strength and delayed fracture strength. These mechanical properties are principally associated with a ductile lath-structure matrix and the strain-induced transformation of the metastable-retained austenite films of 3–20 vol.%. In this paper, data on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the low-carbon TRIP-aided bainitic ferrite steels are critically assessed, as well as their deformation mechanism.     

A Quasi-ARMAX approach to modelling of non-linear systems

This paper proposes a class of quasi-ARMAX models for non-linear systems. Similar to ordinary non-linear ARMAX models, the quasi-ARMAX models are flexible black-box models, but they have various linearity properties similar to those of linear ARMAX models. A modelling scheme is introduced to construct models consisting of two parts: a macro-part and a kernel-part. By using Taylor expansion and other mathematical transformation techniques, it is first constructed as a class of quasi-ARMAX interfaces (macro-parts) that have various linearity properties but contain some complicated coefficients. MIMO neurofuzzy models (kernel-parts) are then introduced to represent the complicated coefficients. It is shown that the proposed quasi-ARMAX models have both good approximation ability and some easy-to-use properties. The proposed models have been successfully applied to prediction, fault detection and adaptive control of non-linear systems.