Real-time application of ITS and D1-D3 nanopore amplicon metagenomic sequencing in fungal infections: Enhancing fungal infection diagnostics.

While fungal infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality, the performance of the current diagnostic tests for fungal infection is low. Even though fungal metagenomics or targeted next-generation sequencing have been investigated for various clinical samples, the real-time clinical utility of these methods still needs to be elucidated. In this study, we used internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D1-D3 ribosomal DNA nanopore amplicon metagenomic sequencing to assess its utility in patients with fungal infections. Eighty-four samples from seventy-three patients were included and categorized into 'Fungal infection,' 'Fungal colonization,' and 'Fungal contamination' groups based on the judgement of infectious disease specialists. In the 'Fungal infection' group, forty-seven initial samples were obtained from forty-seven patients. Three fungal cases detected not by the sequencing but by conventional fungal assays were excluded from the analysis. In the remaining cases, the conventional fungal assay-negative/sequencing-positive group (n=11) and conventional fungal assay-positive/sequencing-positive group (n=33) were compared. Non-Candida and non-Aspergillus fungi infections were more frequent in the conventional-negative/sequencing-positive group (p-value = 0.031). We demonstrated the presence of rare human pathogens, such as Trichosporon asahii and Phycomyces blakesleeanus. In the 'Fungal infection' group and 'Fungal colonization' group, sequencing was faster than culturing (mean difference = 4.92 days, p-value < 0.001/ mean difference = 4.67, p-value <0.001). Compared to the conventional diagnostic methods including culture, nanopore amplicon sequencing showed a shorter turnaround time and a higher detection rate for uncommon fungal pathogens.

Coping with Non-COVID-19 Health Problems Through Communicative Action in Cyberspace.

This study investigated how the online health information behaviors of U.S. adults with illnesses unrelated to COVID-19 virus infection affected their coping with health problems and concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the cybercoping model (Kim & Lee, 2014), the study examined associations between these patients' online information behaviors (information seeking and information forwarding) and coping outcomes (health problems and affective states). The study further explored the mediating roles of health coping processes (problem-and emotion-focused) in the associations between these information behaviors and coping outcomes. Survey data from 687 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results highlighted the significance of information forwarding in enhancing both coping processes and outcomes, while information seeking enhanced problem-focused coping and health-problem coping outcomes alone. These associations were more pronounced among U.S. adults without chronic conditions than among those with chronic illnesses. These findings' implications, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research were also addressed.

Post-Hair Transplantation Complication: Kinky or Severely Curly Hair.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the etiology and preventive measures of posttransplant kinky or curly hair growth after female hairline correction surgery. BACKGROUND: Hair transplant surgery can be accompanied by various adverse effects, one of which is severely kinky or curly hair after surgery. Posttransplant kinky or curly hair is not well-understood for its cause or prevention. METHODS: The study was targeted at a total of 980 patients who were confirmed whether they developed kinky or curly hair after female hairline correction surgery. Incidence, surgical method, degree of curliness, predisposed location, characteristics, hair caliber (thin, medium, and thick), and left-right differences were examined. RESULTS: Among the total 980 patients, posttransplant curly hair (PTCH) was manifested in 38(3.9%) patients. None of the patients who underwent surgery at the present clinic developed posttransplant kinky hair; all 38 patients showed PTCH growth. In 36 cases, transplanted hair started to grow in curly patterns around 4 months after surgery. However, the remaining 2 cases showed no curly growth pattern when the transplanted hair was short at postoperative 4 months, but started to grow curly starting at 6 to 8 months after surgery as the hair growth direction was obstructed or compressed by the existing hair. CONCLUSION: Familiarity with the cause, prevention, and management of posttransplant kinky hair and PTCH will be of great help to hair surgeons.

Effects of Human Neural Stem Cells Overexpressing Neuroligin and Neurexin in a Spinal Cord Injury Model.

Recent studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of stem cells for various diseases. However, unlike other tissues, brain tissue has a specific structure, consisting of synapses. These synapses not only transmit but also process and refine information. Therefore, synaptic regeneration plays a key role in therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. Neurexins (NRXNs) and neuroligins (NLGNs) are synaptic cell adhesion molecules that connect pre- and postsynaptic neurons at synapses, mediate trans-synaptic signaling, and shape neural network properties by specifying synaptic functions. In this study, we investigated the synaptic regeneration effect of human neural stem cells (NSCs) overexpressing NRXNs (F3.NRXN) and NLGNs (F3.NLGN) in a spinal cord injury model. Overexpression of NRXNs and NLGNs in the neural stem cells upregulated the expression of synaptophysin, PSD95, VAMP2, and synapsin, which are synaptic markers. The BMS scores indicated that the transplantation of F3.NRXN and F3.NLGN enhanced the recovery of locomotor function in adult rodents following spinal cord injury. Transplanted F3.NRXN and F3.NLGN differentiated into neurons and formed a synapse with the host cells in the spinal cord injury mouse model. In addition, F3.NRXN and F3.NLGN cells restored growth factors (GFs) and neurotrophic factors (NFs) and induced the proliferation of host cells. This study suggested that NSCs overexpressing NRXNs and NLGNs could be candidates for cell therapy in spinal cord injuries by facilitating synaptic regeneration.

Cholesterol sulfate inhibits osteoclast differentiation and survival by regulating the AMPK-Sirt1-NF-κB pathway.

Cholesterol sulfate (CS) is an activator of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα). CS treatment or RORα overexpression attenuates osteoclastogenesis in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model. However, the mechanism by which CS and RORα regulate osteoclast differentiation remains largely unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the role of CS and RORα in osteoclastogenesis and their underlying mechanism. CS inhibited osteoclast differentiation, but RORα deficiency did not affect osteoclast differentiation and CS-mediated inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. CS enhanced adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and sirtuin1 (Sirt1) activity, leading to nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibition by decreasing acetylation at Lys310 of p65. The NF-κB inhibition was restored by AMPK inhibitor, but the effects of CS on AMPK and NF-κB were not altered by RORα deficiency. CS also induced osteoclast apoptosis, which may be due to sustained AMPK activation and consequent NF-κB inhibition, and the effects of CS were significantly reversed by interleukin-1ß treatment. Collectively, these results indicate that CS inhibits osteoclast differentiation and survival by suppressing NF-κB via the AMPK-Sirt1 axis in a RORα-independent manner. Furthermore, CS protects against bone destruction in lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-mediated bone loss mouse models, suggesting that CS is a useful therapeutic candidate for treating inflammation-induced bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Independent replication of advanced brain age in mild cognitive impairment and dementia: detection of future cognitive dysfunction.

We previously developed a novel machine-learning-based brain age model that was sensitive to amyloid. We aimed to independently validate it and to demonstrate its utility using independent clinical data. We recruited 650 participants from South Korean memory clinics to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and clinical assessments. We employed a pretrained brain age model that used data from an independent set of largely Caucasian individuals (n = 757) who had no or relatively low levels of amyloid as confirmed by positron emission tomography (PET). We investigated the association between brain age residual and cognitive decline. We found that our pretrained brain age model was able to reliably estimate brain age (mean absolute error = 5.68 years, r(650) = 0.47, age range = 49-89 year) in the sample with 71 participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 375 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 204 with dementia. Greater brain age was associated with greater amyloid and worse cognitive function [Odds Ratio, (95% Confidence Interval {CI}): 1.28 (1.06-1.55), p = 0.030 for amyloid PET positivity; 2.52 (1.76-3.61), p < 0.001 for dementia]. Baseline brain age residual was predictive of future cognitive worsening even after adjusting for apolipoprotein E e4 and amyloid status [Hazard Ratio, (95% CI): 1.94 (1.33-2.81), p = 0.001 for total 336 follow-up sample; 2.31 (1.44-3.71), p = 0.001 for 284 subsample with baseline Clinical Dementia Rating ≤ 0.5; 2.40 (1.43-4.03), p = 0.001 for 240 subsample with baseline SCD or MCI]. In independent data set, these results replicate our previous findings using this model, which was able to delineate significant differences in brain age according to the diagnostic stages of dementia as well as amyloid deposition status. Brain age models may offer benefits in discriminating and tracking cognitive impairment in older adults.

Gastric mucosal swab as an alternative to biopsy for Helicobacter pylori detection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Gastric mucosal swab may be a more sensitive sampling method than a biopsy since Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) resides within the mucus layer. We compared the diagnostic performance of the rapid urease test (RUT) and bacterial load of H. pylori between swabs and tissue biopsy. METHODS: Overall, 276 RUTs (138 swab-RUTs (S-RUT) and 138 tissue-RUTs (T-RUT)) were performed. To diagnose H. pylori infection, RUT, H. pylori PCR, and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of tissue and swab were used, and its infection was defined as at least two positives of the six test results. The diagnostic performances of RUTs and the H. pylori bacterial load using qPCR were compared between swab and biopsy. RESULTS: The positivity rates of S-RUT and T-RUT were 35.5% (49/138) and 25.4% (35/138), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of S-RUT were 98.0%, 100.0%, and 99.2%, while those of T-RUT were 70.0%, 100%, and 89.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and accuracy were significantly higher for S-RUT than for T-RUT (p < 0.05). In the patients with atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, S-RUT showed significantly higher sensitivity than T-RUT. qPCR showed that the swab contained a significantly higher H. pylori bacterial load than tissue biopsy (22.92-fold and 31.61-fold in the antrum and body (p < 0.05), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Gastric mucosal swabs showed higher RUT accuracy and H. pylori bacterial load than a tissue biopsy. This may be an alternative to a biopsy when diagnosing H. pylori infection during endoscopy is necessary. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05349578).

Do age-based discontinuation recommendations influence cervical cancer screening rates? Evidence from the United States' Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016 and 2018.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women with adequate prior screening and average cervical cancer risk discontinue routine cervical cancer screening after age 65. This study's objective was to estimate how the USPSTF recommendation affects Papanicolaou (Pap) test rates among women at age 66 in the United States. We used nationally representative 2016 and 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for women ages 56-76 (n = 226,031) and a regression discontinuity design to estimate changes in annual Pap test rates at age 66. Among women age 66-76, 22.5% reported receiving a Pap test within the past one year. At age 66, annual Pap rates declined by 5.9 percentage points (p.p.) (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -7.7, -4.1) off a pre-66 rate of 39%. The change varied by race/ethnicity, education, and marital status. Pap rates did not change discretely for non-Hispanic Black women (0.8 p.p.; 95% CI: -5.4, 7.1) but did for women from other racial/ethnic groups. The decline was larger for women who graduated college (-9.0 p.p.; 95% CI: -12.0, -5.9) than for women without a college degree and for women who were never married (-9.4 p.p., 95% CI: -17.3, -1.5) than for women who were married/partnered or divorced/separated. The USPSTF recommendation to discontinue cervical cancer screening after age 65 leads to a sharp decline in Pap test rates at age 66 but disparately affects women based on race, education and marital status. Further study is needed to assess the consequences of these changes.

Talaromyces rugulosus ventriculitis diagnosed by nanopore amplicon sequencing, 2022.

Ventriculitis has serious complications and a high mortality rate, so it is important to early identification of the pathogen for appropriate treatment. We report case of ventriculitis caused by Talaromyces rugulosus, a rare pathogen, in South Korea. Affected patient was immunocompromised. Repeated cerebrospinal fluid culture tests were negative, but the pathogen was identified by fungal internal transcribed spacer amplicon nanopore sequencing. The pathogen was detected outside the endemic area of talaromycosis.

An Oscillatory Path to Vaccination: The Roles of Normative and Epistemic Factors in Explaining Vaccination Hesitancy in COVID-19.

This study examined the roles of normative and epistemic factors in influencing individuals' reluctance to be vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals' ethical orientations (IEO; teleology vs. deontology) were introduced as normative characteristics, while COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccine knowledge were addressed as issue-specific epistemic factors. We conducted two online surveys to investigate each of these three factors' influences on the level of Americans' reluctance to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Combinations of these factors that predict COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy levels were also explored to provide integrated perspectives in the specific vaccination context. Our findings demonstrated the positive association between IEO and reluctance to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Significant interactions between 1) COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy beliefs and IEO and 2) conspiracy beliefs and vaccine knowledge were also identified. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future study were addressed.

Dynein light chain LC8 alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and reducing oxidative stress.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease characterized by fat accumulation and chronic inflammation in the liver. Dynein light chain of 8 kDa (LC8) was identified previously as an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key regulator of inflammation, however, its role in NASH remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether LC8 can alleviate NASH using a mouse model of methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH and examined the underlying mechanism. LC8 transgenic (Tg) mice showed lower hepatic steatosis and less progression of NASH, including hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, compared to wild-type (WT) mice after consuming an MCD diet. The hepatic expression of lipogenic genes was lower, while that of lipolytic genes was greater in LC8 Tg mice than WT mice, which might be associated with resistance of LC8 Tg mice to hepatic steatosis. Consumption of an MCD diet caused oxidative stress, IκBα phosphorylation, and subsequent p65 liberation from IκBα and nuclear translocation, resulting in induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, these effects of MCD diet were reduced by LC8 overexpression. Collectively, these results suggest that LC8 alleviates MCD diet-induced NASH by inhibiting NF-κB through binding to IκBα to interfere with IκBα phosphorylation and by reducing oxidative stress via scavenging reactive oxygen species. Thus, boosting intracellular LC8 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with NASH.

Nanopore 16S amplicon sequencing enables rapid detection of pathogen in knee periprosthetic joint infection.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether nanopore 16S amplicon sequencing is capable of bacterial identification in patients with knee prosthetic joint infection (PJI), and we compared its efficacy with conventional culture studies. METHODS: In total, 36 patients who had clinical manifestation suspected of PJI were enrolled in this study. To begin, synovial fluids were aspirated from the affected knee using aseptic technique and tissues specimens were obtained during the surgery. Next, DNA was extracted from the synovial fluid or tissues, and 16S rDNA PCR was performed. In PCR positive cases, nanopore amplicon sequencing was then performed for up to 3 h. The results of amplicon sequencing were compared to those of conventional culture studies. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients enrolled, 22 were classified as true infections according to the MSIS criteria whereas 14 were considered uninfected. Among the 22 PJI cases, 19 cases were culture positive (CP-PJI) while three cases were culture negative (CN-PJI). In 14 of 19 (73.7 %) CP- PJI cases, 16S sequencing identified concordant bacteria with conventional culture studies with a significantly shorter turnaround time. In some cases, nanopore 16S sequencing was superior to culture studies in the species-level identification of pathogen and detection of polymicrobial infections. Altogether, in the majority of PJI candidate patients (32 of 36, 88.9 %), 16S sequencing achieved identical results to cultures studies with a significantly reduced turnaround time (100.9 ± 32.5 h vs. 10.8 ± 7.7 h, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Nanopore 16S sequencing was found to be particularly useful for pathogen identification in knee PJI. Although the sensitivity was not superior to culture studies, the nanopore 16S sequencing was much faster, and species-level identification and detection of polymicrobial infections were superior to culture studies.

Comparison of catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditure among older adults in the United States and South Korea: what affects the apparent difference?

BACKGROUND: Medical spending rises sharply with age. Even with universal health insurance, older adults may be at risk of catastrophic out-of-pocket medical spending. We aimed to compare catastrophic out-of-pocket medical spending among adults ages 65 and older in the United States, where seniors have near-universal coverage through Medicare, versus South Korea, where all residents have national health insurance. METHODS: We used the 2016 Health and Retirement Study and the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. The study population were adults ages 65 and over in the US (n = 9,909) and South Korea (n = 4,450; N = 14,359). The primary outcome of interest was older adults' exposure to catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditure, defined as out-of-pocket medical spending over the past two years that exceeded 50% of annual household income. To examine the factors affecting catastrophic out-of-pocket medical spending of older adults in both countries, we performed logistic regression analyses. To compare the contribution of demographic factors versus health system-level factors to catastrophic out-of-pocket medical spending, we performed a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. RESULTS: The proportion of respondents with catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditure was 5.8% and 3.0% in the US and South Korea, respectively. A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition showed that the difference in the rate of catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditure spending between the two countries was attributable largely to unobservable system-level factors, rather than observed differences in the sociodemographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to catastrophic out-of-pocket medical spending is considerably higher in the US than South Korea. Most of the difference can be attributed to unobserved health system-level factors.

Native Americans' Responses to Obesity Attributions and Message Sources in an Obesity Prevention Campaign.

This study investigated the effectiveness of Native American (NA) targeted obesity prevention messages. The researchers manipulated obesity attributions (internal vs. external) and message sources (NAs vs. non-NAs) in a 2 × 2 mixed experimental design to examine the way these message attributes influence NAs' emotional, attitudinal, cognitive, and behavioral responses. One-hundred and eighteen Cheyenne and Arapaho (C&A) tribal citizens read two paper-based obesity prevention PSAs and then answered questions that assessed their message responses. The key findings demonstrated that the match between participants' ethnicity and the message source's ethnicity had a significant effect, as it reduced anger and promoted positive message attitudes and favorable source evaluations. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research and NA targeted health campaigns are discussed.

Flunarizine inhibits osteoclastogenesis by regulating calcium signaling and promotes osteogenesis.

Many bone diseases such as osteoporosis and periodontitis are caused by hyperactivation of osteoclasts. Calcium (Ca2+ ) signals are crucial for osteoclast differentiation and function. Thus, the blockade of Ca2+ signaling may be a strategy for regulating osteoclast activity and has clinical implications. Flunarizine (FN) is a Ca2+ channel antagonist that has been used for reducing migraines. However, the role of FN in osteoclast differentiation and function remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether FN regulates osteoclastogenesis and elucidated the molecular mechanism. FN inhibited osteoclast differentiation along with decreased expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), and attenuated osteoclast maturation and bone resorption. FN inhibition of osteoclast differentiation was restored by ectopic expression of constitutively active NFATc1. FN reduced calcium oscillations and its inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and resorption function was reversed by ionomycin, an ionophore that binds Ca2+ . FN also inhibited Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) and calcineurin leading to a decrease in the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-dependent cFos and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1ß expression, and NFATc1 nuclear translocation. These results indicate that FN inhibits osteoclastogenesis via regulating CaMKIV and calcineurin as a Ca2+ channel blocker. In addition, FN-induced apoptosis in osteoclasts and promoted osteogenesis. Furthermore, FN protected lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-induced bone destruction in mouse models, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential for treating inflammatory bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Cinchonine inhibits osteoclast differentiation by regulating TAK1 and AKT, and promotes osteogenesis.

Cinchonine (CN) has been known to exert antimalarial, antiplatelet, and antiobesity effects. It was also recently reported to inhibit transforming growth factor ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and protein kinase B (AKT) through binding to tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). However, its role in bone metabolism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that CN inhibits osteoclast differentiation with decreased expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), a key determinant of osteoclastogenesis. Immunoblot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis as well as the reporter assay revealed that CN inhibits nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1 by regulating TAK1. CN also attenuated the activation of AKT, cyclic AMP response element-binding protein, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1ß (PGC1ß), an essential regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Collectively, these results suggested that CN may inhibit TRAF6-mediated TAK1 and AKT activation, which leads to downregulation of NFATc1 and PGC1ß resulting in the suppression of osteoclast differentiation. Interestingly, CN not only inhibited the maturation and resorption function of differentiated osteoclasts but also promoted osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, CN protected lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-induced bone destruction in mouse models, suggesting its therapeutic potential for treating inflammation-induced bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Microbial diagnosis of endophthalmitis using nanopore amplicon sequencing.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether nanopore amplicon sequencing of aqueous humor was capable of rapid pathogen identification in infectious endophthalmitis. METHODS: 5 cases of culture-positive bacterial endophthalmitis and 3 cases of fungal endophthalmitis (1 culture-positive and 2 presumed) were included. DNA was extracted from the aqueous humor and vitreous specimen, and PCR of bacterial rDNA (16S) and fungal rDNA (ITS1 and D1/2/3) was performed. Then, nanopore amplicon sequencing was performed for 2 h. The results of amplicon sequencing were compared to those of conventional culture studies. RESULTS: In all cases, pathogens were identified by amplicon sequencing of aqueous humor specimens. In 3 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis, the identified microbes were confirmed by culture studies of both aqueous humor and vitreous specimens. In 2 cases of bacterial and 1 case of fungal endophthalmitis, the identified pathogens were confirmed only by culture studies of vitreous specimens. In all cases, amplicon sequencing identified pathogen in a shorter turnaround time than culture studies. In 2 cases with negative culture results, amplicon sequencing of aqueous humor identified fungal pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrates the potential of amplicon nanopore sequencing using aqueous humor to enable rapid, sensitive and less invasive microbial diagnosis of endophthalmitis.

Comparative Graft Survival Study of Follicular Unit Excision Grafts With or Without Minor Injury.

BACKGROUND: Various types of follicular trauma occur during follicular unit excision (FUE). However, the effects of different types of follicular injury on graft survival have not been reported. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the differences in hair follicle survival by the type of follicular injury, including paring, fracture, and bulb injury. METHODS: Seven healthy patients who underwent hair transplant surgery by FUE were enrolled in the study. For each patient, 10 single-hair follicular unit grafts per injury group (paring, fracture, bulb injury, or intact) were differentiated. Using sharp implanters, 10 grafts of each of the 4 injury types were transplanted into mice, and the mice were sacrificed 5 months after transplantation. The skin was excised at each of the 4 locations, and newly formed follicular units were counted and photographed under a microscope. RESULTS: Of 70 hair follicles in each group, the number of successfully engrafted follicles was 50 (71.43%) in the intact group, 36 (51.43%) in the paring injury group, 9 (12.86%) in the fracture injury group, and 31 (44.29%) in the bulb injury group. CONCLUSION: Grafts with minor injury had a lower survival rate than intact grafts. Fractured follicles showed the lowest survival rate.

pH variation impacts molecular pathways associated with somatic cell reprogramming and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells.

RATIONALE: The study of somatic cell reprogramming and cell differentiation is essential for the application of recent techniques in regenerative medicine. It is, specifically, necessary to determine the appropriate conditions required for the induction of reprogramming and cell differentiation. METHODS: Based on a comprehensive literature review, the effects of pH fluctuation on alternative splicing, mitochondria, plasma membrane, and phase separation, in several cell types are discussed. Additionally, the associated molecular pathways important for the induction of differentiation and reprogramming are reviewed. RESULTS: While cells change their state, several factors such as cytokines and physical parameters affect cellular reprogramming and differentiation. As the extracellular and intracellular pH affects biophysical phenomena in a cell, the effects of pH fluctuation can ultimately decide the cell fate through molecular pathways. Though few studies have reported on the direct effects of culture pH on cell state, there is substantial information on the pathways related to stem cell differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming that can be stimulated by environmental pH. CONCLUSION: Environmental pH fluctuations may decide cell fate through the molecular pathways associated with somatic cell reprogramming and cell differentiation.

Dehydrocostus lactone suppresses osteoclast differentiation by regulating NFATc1 and inhibits osteoclast activation through modulating migration and lysosome function.

Excessive osteoclast activity can lead to an imbalance between the synthesis and breakdown of bone, with pathologic consequences that include osteoporosis and periodontitis. Thus, controlling osteoclast differentiation and function has significant therapeutic implications. In this study, we investigated the effects of dehydrocostus lactone (DL) on osteoclast differentiation and activation and elucidated the possible mechanisms underlying these processes. DL suppressed osteoclast differentiation by reducing the expression of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1. When used to challenge differentiated osteoclasts, DL also effectively inhibited their enlargement and resorption activity, and biochemical approaches revealed that DL attenuates osteoclast activation by inhibiting the migration and lysosome biogenesis and secretion via the down-regulation of integrin ß3, PKC-ß, and autophagy related 5 expression. Furthermore, DL prevented bone destruction in inflammation- and ovariectomy-induced osteolytic mouse models. These results indicate that DL has therapeutic potential to treat bone diseases caused by excessive or hyperactive osteoclasts.-Lee, H. I., Lee, J., Hwang, D., Lee, G.-R., Kim, N., Kwon, M., Lee, H., Piao, D., Kim, H. J., Kim, N. Y., Kim, H. S., Seo, E. K., Kang, D., Jeong, W. Dehydrocostus lactone suppresses osteoclast differentiation by regulating NFATc1 and inhibits osteoclast activation through modulating migration and lysosome function.