Selenoprotein P Controls Oxidative Stress in Cornea

The ocular surface is always attacked by oxidative stress, and cornea epithelial cells are supposed to have their own recovery system against oxidative stress. Therefore we hypothesized that tears supply key molecules for preventing oxidative stress in cornea. The potential target key molecule we focused is selenoprotein P (SeP). SeP is a carrier of selenium, which is an essential trace element for many animals, for oxidative stress metabolism in the organism, and was extremely expressed in lacrimal gland. An experiment was performed with SeP eye drops in a rat dry eye model, prepared by removing the lacrimal glands. The anticipated improvement in corneal dry eye index and the suppression of oxidative stress markers were observed in SeP eye drop group. Furthermore, the concentration of SeP was significantly higher in dry eye patients compared with normal volunteers. Collectively, we concluded that tear SeP is a key molecule to protect the ocular surface cells against environmental oxidative stress

Plasma Galectin-9 Concentrations in Normal and Diseased Condition

Background/Aims: Galectin-9 is a soluble immune modulator with versatile functions, including a role as an immune checkpoint molecule. Therefore, the amount of galectin-9 in the blood may reflect an individual’s immunological balance. Many studies have conducted galectin-9 measurements; however, the reported galectin-9 concentration in the blood varies greatly, even within healthy controls. This study investigates the variation between the reported and actual concentrations of galectin-9. Methods: A GalPharma ELISA and an R&D Systems ELISA kit were directly compared using the same set of plasma and a series of recombinant galectins, including degraded galectin-9. Furthermore, galectin-9 in plasma was concentrated using anti-galectin-9 antibody-conjugated beads, and subjected to western blotting to estimate the quantity and integrity of galectin-9 and assess the consistency of ELISA measurements. Results: The R&D Systems’ ELISA indicated a 50-fold higher median concentration of plasma galectin-9 than that indicated by the GalPharma ELISA. This variation is due to aberrantly enhanced reactivity of the R&D Systems’ ELISA to degraded galectin-9 present in small quantities in the plasma. The GalPharma ELISA could detect only intact galectin-9 and its results correlated well with the plasma galectin-9 level obtained by western blotting. Conclusion: ELISA kits from R&D Systems reacts aberrantly higher against degraded galectin-9 than the intact galectin-9. Therefore, the existence of a small amount of degraded galectin-9 in a test sample hinders the quantification. As galectin-9 is a fragile protein, this is a serious concern when using this kit. Based on quantifications from the GalPharma ELISA, the median (25th-75th percentiles) galectin-9 concentration in healthy subjects in the current study cohort was calculated as 110 pg/mL (67 -154 pg/mL)

Large-strain-induced magnetic properties of Co electrodeposited on nanoporous Au

Nanostructured Co with large lattice extension and contraction was produced by electrodepositing Co on nanoporous Au. The Co deposited showed a low magnetic saturation of 76 emu/g and a high coercivity of 462 Oe. First-principles calculations showed that the magnetic moment of a Co atom is significantly decreased by lattice contraction. Therefore, the noteworthy magnetic properties of the Co deposited are attributed to the large lattice strain. Also, molecular dynamics simulation showed that the lattice extension and contraction of about 10% are generated in the overall Co crystal. This is in agreement with the experimental results of HRTEM observation. The constraint of the movement of Co atoms by the concave structure of nanoporous Au leads to a wide spread of large strain region

Bees of the Genus Palaeorhiza Perkins (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) of the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands Collected by the Noona Dan Expedition, 1961-62

Bees of the genus Palaeorhiza Perkins from the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands, taken by the Noona Dan Expedition, 1961-62 are reported. Six new species are Palaeorhiza cyanosoma, P. danae, P. morpho, P. peterseni P. simplex and P. venusta, and a new subspecies is P. sculpturalis poseidon. One species, P. tetraxantha (Cockerell), is recorded from the Bismarck Archipelago for the first time