Involvement of cathepsin L in the degradation and degeneration of postovulatory follicle of the medaka ovary†.

Cathepsin L plays physiological and pathological roles in immune responses, cancer, metamorphosis, and oogenesis in several species. However, the function of Cathepsin L in medaka ovaries remains unclear. Therefore, here, we examined the physiological functions of Cathepsin L in the medaka ovaries. Cathepsin L mRNA transcripts and proteins were found to be constitutively expressed in the ovaries of Oryzias latipes over a 24-h spawning cycle. Expression was localized within the oocyte cytoplasm of growing follicles and the follicle layer of preovulatory and postovulatory follicles. Moreover, the active form of Cathepsin L was highly expressed in the follicle layer of periovulatory follicles and the ovaries 2-6 h after ovulation. Recombinant Cathepsin L was activated under acidic conditions and exhibited enzymatic activity in acidic and neutral pH conditions. However, extracellular matrix proteins were degraded by recombinant Cathepsin L under acidic, not neutral pH conditions. Cathepsin L was secreted from preovulatory follicles, while active recombinant Cathepsin L was detected in the conditioned medium of a medaka cell line, OLHNI-2. Mechanistically, recombinant Cathepsin L activates recombinant urokinase-type plasminogen activator-1, which is expressed within the follicle layers post-ovulation. Meanwhile, the treatment of medakas with an E-64 or anti-Cathepsin L antibody effectively blocked follicular layer degeneration and degradation after ovulation, whereas in vitro ovulation was not inhibited by either. Collectively, the findings of this study indicate that although Cathepsin L does not impact ovulation in medakas, it contributes to the degeneration and degradation of the follicle layers following ovulation via activation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator-1, and not via the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins.

Distinct profiles of size-fractionated iron-binding ligands between the eastern and western subarctic Pacific.

Iron (Fe) is well known as a limiting factor to control primary productivity especially in high-nutrient and low chlorophyll area such as the subarctic Pacific. The solubility of Fe is believed to be controlled by its complexation with natural organic ligands, while the distribution of organic ligands is poorly understood. Here, we report that dissolved (< 0.2 µm) organic ligands were unevenly distributed between the western and eastern stations in the subarctic Pacific. The concentration of dissolved organic ligands around the lower part of subarctic Pacific intermediate water was higher in the western station, suggesting that Fe complexation with these organic ligands supports a lateral transport within the water mass. However, a more detailed size-fractionated treatment indicated no significant difference in the soluble (< 1000 kDa) ligands' distribution between the western and eastern stations. These results suggest that organic and inorganic colloid formations are potentially essential for Fe transport mechanisms in the subarctic Pacific.

The conservative behavior of dissolved organic carbon in surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean, during early summer.

The spatial distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and the optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) determined by ultraviolet-visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy were measured in surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea, western Arctic Ocean, during the early summer of 2013. Neither the DOC concentration nor the optical parameters of the DOM correlated with salinity. Principal component analysis using the DOM optical parameters clearly separated the DOM sources. A significant linear relationship was evident between the DOC and the principal component score for specific water masses, indicating that a high DOC level was related to a terrigenous source, whereas a low DOC level was related to a marine source. Relationships between the DOC and the principal component scores of the surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea implied that the major factor controlling the distribution of DOC concentrations was the mixing of plural water masses rather than local production and degradation.

Laterally spreading iron, humic-like dissolved organic matter and nutrients in cold, dense subsurface water of the Arctic Ocean.

The location and magnitude of oceanic iron sources remain uncertain owing to a scarcity of data, particularly in the Arctic Ocean. The formation of cold, dense water in the subsurface layer of the western Arctic Ocean is a key process in the lateral transport of iron, macronutrients, and other chemical constituents. Here, we present iron, humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter, and nutrient concentration data in waters above the continental slope and shelf and along two transects across the shelf-basin interface in the western Arctic Ocean. We detected high concentrations in shelf bottom waters and in a plume that extended in the subsurface cold dense water of the halocline layer in slope and basin regions. At σθ = 26.5, dissolved Fe, humic-like fluorescence intensity, and nutrient maxima coincided with N* minima (large negative values of N* indicate significant denitrification within shelf sediments). These results suggest that these constituents are supplied from the shelf sediments and then transported laterally to basin regions. Humic dissolved organic matter probably plays the most important role in the subsurface maxima and lateral transport of dissolved Fe in the halocline layer as natural Fe-binding organic ligand.

Effect of PMMA filler particles addition on the physical properties of resin composite.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of additional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) fillers on the physical properties of experimental resin composites. PMMA particles (d=30 µm) were added to an experimental methacrylate-based resin composite in five concentrations of 0, 2.0, 4.8, 9.1, and 23.1 wt%. Properties such as contact angle, water sorption and compressive strength were measured and the fractured specimens were observed with a scanning electron microscope. The results showed that a small amount (2 wt%) of additional PMMA fillers inhibited the crack propagation and enhanced compressive strengths of the resin composites, without a significant change in water contact angle of surface or increased water sorption. However, in higher portions, the mechanical properties were not improved as a debonding at the interface between untreated fillers and the matrix, or failure within the organic filler could reduce the compressive yield strength of the composite.

Effect of constituting amino acid residue numbers on molecularly imprinted chiral recognition sites.

In the present study, the effect of constituting amino acid residue numbers of oligopeptide derivatives, which are candidate materials to construct molecular recognition sites, on chiral recognition ability was investigated. Chiral recognition sites were formed from oligopeptide derivatives, of which constituting amino acid residue numbers were three to six, by adopting an alternative molecular imprinting. It was made clear that the number four, in other words, the tetrapeptide derivative, is the best candidate material to form a chiral recognition site.

[The association between dispensing error factors and behavioral characteristics of pharmacists].

We evaluated error prevention education by clarifying the association between dispensing error factors and behavioral characteristics of pharmacists. The subjects were 98 pharmacists (27 men and 71 women) with a mean age of 29.7 years who gave informed consent for participation in our survey. Between November 2001 and January 2002, a questionnaire survey on dispensing errors was performed using the "Tokyo University Egogram, New Version" for the assessment of behavioral characteristics and the "Safety Behavior Questionnaire" for the assessment of error factors. An association was observed between the incidence of dispensing errors and behavioral characteristics. There was also an association between error contents and behavioral characteristics as well as error factors. With more experience, errors associated with becoming accustomed increased, suggesting that error prevention education is necessary not only for newly qualified pharmacists but also for managers.

[Creation and evaluation of the respective rank problem solution worksheet for improvement pharmaceutical management quality].

A respective rank problem solution worksheet was developed focusing on problem solution in training in pharmaceutical management. How the training influenced the instructions given to patients was then evaluated in two pharmacists in the NTT East Kanto Medical Center and three in an Ofuna central hospital. After the five pharmacists underwent the training, the records of 10 medication instructions to patients given by each before and after the training were compared. The records were analyzed based on a point calculation table, and the number of acquisition points was computed. The acquisition points increased significantly after training for all five pharmacists, from a mean of 3.56 before training to a mean of 8.34 after training. Although the acquisition points related to patient education were high, those for intervention during therapeutic monitoring, such as for adverse drug reaction or the selection of appropriate pharmaceuticals were acceptable, increasing to a mean 8.4 items after training compared with 4.4 items before. The respective rank problem solution worksheet is therefore considered useful in improving the quality of training pharmaceutical management.