This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Grateloupia elliptica, a seaweed native to Jeju Island, Korea, on the prevention of hair loss. When immortalized rat vibrissa dermal papilla cells were treated with extract of G. elliptica, the proliferation of dermal papilla cells significantly increased. In addition, the G. elliptica extract significantly inhibited the activity of 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a main cause of androgenetic alopecia. On the other hand, the G. elliptica extract promoted PGE2 production in HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner. The G. elliptica extract exhibited particularly high inhibitory effect on LPS-stimulated IL-12, IL-6, and TNF-α production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. The G. elliptica extract also showed inhibitory activity against Pityrosporum ovale, a main cause of dandruff. These results suggest that G. elliptica extract has the potential to treat alopecia via the proliferation of dermal papilla, 5α-reductase inhibition, increase of PGE2 production, decrease of LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibitory activity against Pityrosporum ovale.

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), a critical mediator of tumor angiogenesis, is a well-characterized target of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). Murine arrest-defective protein 1A (mARD1A(225)) acetylates HIF-1alpha, triggering its degradation, and thus may play a role in decreased expression of VEGFA.

Strigolactones are endogenous plant hormones regulating plant development and are exuded into the rhizosphere when plants experience nutrient deficiency. There, they promote the mutualistic association of plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that help the plant with the uptake of nutrients from the soil. This shows that plants actively establish-through the exudation of strigolactones-mutualistic interactions with microbes to overcome inadequate nutrition. The signaling function of strigolactones could possibly extend to other microbial partners, but the effect of strigolactones on the global root and rhizosphere microbiome remains poorly understood. Therefore, we analyzed the bacterial and fungal microbial communities of 16 rice genotypes differing in their root strigolactone exudation. Using multivariate analyses, distinctive differences in the microbiome composition were uncovered depending on strigolactone exudation. Moreover, the results of regression modeling showed that structural differences in the exuded strigolactones affected different sets of microbes. In particular, orobanchol was linked to the relative abundance of Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia and Acidobacteria that potentially solubilize phosphate, while 4-deoxyorobanchol was associated with the genera Dyella and Umbelopsis. With this research, we provide new insight into the role of strigolactones in the interplay between plants and microbes in the rhizosphere.

Although rats with melanin-pigmentated retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are physiologically more appropriate models for human eye research than their albino counterparts, reliable models from the former strain are not available to study retinal degeneration. Here, we describe the development of a novel Pde6b-knockout Long-Evans (LE Pde6b KO) rat model that recapitulates key features of human retinitis pigmentosa (RP). After the generation of the Pde6b-knockout Sprague-Dawley rats with the CRISPR-Cpf1 system, the LE rat was back-crossed over 5 generations to develop the pigmented LE Pde6b KO strain. Interestingly, LE Pde6b KO displayed well-developed bone-spicule pigmentation; a hallmark of fundus in patients with RP which cannot be observed in non-pigmented albino rats. Moreover, the rat model showed progressive thinning of the retina, which was evident by intravital imaging with optical coherence tomography. Histologically, significant atrophy was observed in the outer nuclear layer. Functionally, LE Pde6b KO presented a marked decrease of amplitude level during electroretinogram testing, demonstrating significant loss of visual function. Therefore, these findings suggest that the LE Pde6b KO model robustly recapitulates the hallmark phenotype of RP. We believe that the LE Pde6b KO model may be used effectively for preclinical translational research to further study retinal degeneration.

Calbindin-D28k (CB), a calcium-binding protein, mediates diverse neuronal functions. In this study, adult gerbils were fed a normal diet (ND) or exposed to intermittent fasting (IF) for three months, and were randomly assigned to sham or ischemia operated groups. Ischemic injury was induced by transient forebrain ischemia for 5 min. Short-term memory was examined via passive avoidance test. CB expression was investigated in the Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) region of the hippocampus via western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Finally, histological analysis was used to assess neuroprotection and gliosis (microgliosis and astrogliosis) in the CA1 region. Short-term memory did not vary significantly between ischemic gerbils with IF and those exposed to ND. CB expression was increased significantly in the CA1 pyramidal neurons of ischemic gerbils with IF compared with that of gerbils fed ND. However, the CB expression was significantly decreased in ischemic gerbils with IF, similarly to that of ischemic gerbils exposed to ND. The CA1 pyramidal neurons were not protected from ischemic injury in both groups, and gliosis (astrogliosis and microgliosis) was gradually increased with time after ischemia. In addition, immunoglobulin G was leaked into the CA1 parenchyma from blood vessels and gradually increased with time after ischemic insult in both groups. Taken together, our study suggests that IF for three months increases CB expression in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons; however, the CA1 pyramidal neurons are not protected from transient forebrain ischemia. This failure in neuroprotection may be attributed to disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which triggers gliosis after ischemic insults.

The concept of person-centered care has been utilized/adapted to various interventions to enhance health-related outcomes and ensure the quality of care delivered to persons living with dementia. A few systematic reviews have been conducted on the use of person-centered interventions in the context of dementia care, but to date, none have analyzed intervention effect by intervention type and target outcome. This study aimed to review person-centered interventions used in the context of dementia care and examine their effectiveness.

Hypothermic treatment is known to protect organs against cardiac arrest (CA) and improves survival rate. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of hypothermia on CA-induced liver damages. This study was designed to analyzed the possible protective effects of hypothermia on the liver after asphyxial CA (ACA). Rats were randomly subjected to 5 min of ACA followed by return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Body temperature was controlled at 37 ± 0.5 °C (normothermia group) or 33 ± 0.5 °C (hypothermia group) for 4 h after ROSC. Liver tissues were extracted and examined at 6 h, 12 h, 1 day, and 2 days after ROSC.

Bone is the most common site of prostate cancer (PC) metastasis. Studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with stemness characteristics, providing some support for the concept that CSCs act as osteosclerotic precursors in bone microenvironmental niches. Here, we asked whether ectopic overexpression of CD133 maintains stability of CSCs in human PC cell lines and induces the changes of molecular features in the bone microenvironment. Ectopic overexpression of CD133 in PC3 or DU145 cells led to increased expression of ALDHA1, OCT4, and NANOG, enhanced colony-forming ability, and increased ALDH activity. In addition, micro-CT imaging, confocal microscopy, and H&E staining of mouse tissue confirmed that CD133 overexpression in PC3 and DU145 led to marked osteolytic bone tumor. However, expression of osteoblastic markers such as collagen type I, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin (OC) at the tumor margin of CD133-overexpressing PC3 tumors in mouse tibiae was higher than that of CD133-overexpressing DU145 tumors with osteosclerotic molecular features. In addition, expression of osteopontin (OPN) mRNA/protein by CD133-overexpressing PC3 cells was higher than that by DU145 cells. Especially, conditioned medium (CM) from PC3CD133+ cells increased osterix (OSX) activity in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), resulting in increased expression of OC mRNA/protein resulted in increased staining of mineralized matrix by Alizarin red. However, CM from OPN silenced PC3CD133+ cells led to a reduction of OC mRNA and protein expression through OSX activity resulted in reduced amount of mineralized matrix. In conclusion, these findings suggest that CD133 plays a functional role in regulating CSC characteristics in PCs and modulates their abilities in which induce the osteosclerosis of BMSCs. In addition, OPN from CSCs acts as a niche component that promotes osteosclerosis by supporting osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs.

It has been reported that CD200 (Cluster of Differentiation 200), expressed in neurons, regulates microglial activation in the central nervous system, and a decrease in CD200 expression causes an increase in microglial activation and neuronal loss. The aim of this study was to investigate time-dependent changes in CD200 expression in the hippocampus proper (CA1, 2, and 3 fields) after transient forebrain ischemia for 5 min in gerbils. In this study, 5-min ischemia evoked neuronal death (loss) of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 field, but not in the CA2/3 fields, at 5 days postischemia. In the sham group, CD200 expression was found in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 field, and the immunoreactivity in the group with ischemia was decreased at 6 h postischemia, dramatically increased at 12 h postischemia, decreased (to level found at 6 h postischemia) at 1 and 2 days postischemia, and significantly increased again at 5 days postischemia. At 5 days postischemia, CD200 immunoreactivity was strongly expressed in microglia and GABAergic neurons. However, in the CA3 field, the change in CD200 immunoreactivity in pyramidal neurons was markedly weaker than that in the CA1 field, showing there was no expression of CD 200 in microglia and GABAergic neurons. In addition, treatment of 10 mg/kg risperidone (an atypical antipsychotic drug) after the ischemia hardly changed CD200 immunoreactivity in the CA1 field, showing that CA1 pyramidal neurons were protected from the ischemic injury. These results indicate that the transient ischemia-induced change in CD200 expression may be associated with specific and selective neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 field following transient forebrain ischemia.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the double-lined fusileer, Pterocaesio digramma, which belongs to the family Caesionidae was determined. The complete mitochondrial genome has a length of 16,504 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. P. digramma has a mitochondrial gene arrangement that is typical of vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial genomes of 15 related species revealed that P. digramma formed a well-supported monophyletic group with the other Caesionidae and Lutjanidae species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the orange-spotted trevally, Carangoides bajad, which belongs to the family Carangidae was determined. The complete mitochondrial genome has a length of 16,556 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a control region. Carangoides bajad has a mitochondrial gene arrangement that is typical of vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial genomes of 13 related species revealed that C. bajad formed a well-supported monophyletic group with the other Carangidae species.

Cancer screening and diagnosis can be achieved by analyzing specific molecules within serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). This study sought to profile EV-derived proteins to identify potential lung cancer biomarkers. EVs were isolated from 80 serum samples from healthy individuals and cancer patients via polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based precipitation and immunoaffinity separation using antibodies against CD9, CD63, CD81, and EpCAM. Proteomic analysis was performed using 2-D gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The expression of proteins that were differentially upregulated in the EVs or tissue of lung cancer samples was validated by Western blotting. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the predictability of each differentially expressed protein (DEP) for lung cancer. A total of 55 upregulated protein spots were selected, seven of which (CD5L, CLEC3B, ITIH4, SERFINF1, SAA4, SERFINC1, and C20ORF3) were found to be expressed at high levels in patient-derived EVs by Western blotting. Meanwhile, only the expression of EV CD5L correlated with that in cancer tissues. CD5L also demonstrated the highest AUC value (0.943) and was found to be the core regulator in a pathway related to cell dysfunction. Cumulatively, these results show that EV-derived CD5L may represent a potential biomarker-detected via a liquid biopsy-for the noninvasive diagnosis of lung cancer.

The aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to explore whether a community nursing intervention for outpatients receiving systemic therapy reduced unplanned hospital presentations and improved physical and psychosocial health outcomes over the first three cycles of treatment compared to a control group receiving standard care.

Halophilic bacterial strains, designated SG2L-4T, SB1M4, and SB2L-5, were isolated from jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented food. Cells are Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase-positive, and oxidase-negative. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain SG2L-4T is closely related to Halomonas garicola KACC 18117T with a similarity of 96.2%. The complete genome sequence of strain SG2L-4T was 3,227,066 bp in size, with a genomic G + C content of 63.3 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain SG2L-4T and H. garicola KACC 18117T were 90.5 and 40.7%, respectively. The optimal growth conditions for strain SG2L-4T were temperatures between 30 and 37°C, a pH value of 7, and the presence of 10% (w/v) NaCl. The polar lipids identified included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unknown phospholipid, an unknown glycolipid, and an unknown polar lipid. The major cellular fatty acids were C16:0, summed features 8 (C18:1ω6c and/or C18:1ω7c), C19:0 cyclo ω8c, and summed features 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone with nine isoprene units (Q-9). Based on the phenotypic, genotypic, and chemotaxonomic results, strain SG2L-4T represents a novel species within the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas piscis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG2L-4T (=KCTC 92842T = JCM 35929T). Functional annotation of the genome of strain SG2L-4T confirmed the presence of exopolysaccharide synthesis protein (ExoD) and capsular polysaccharide-related genes. Strain SG2L-4T also exhibited positive results in Molisch's test, indicating the presence of extracellular carbohydrates and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. These findings provide valuable insights into the EPS-producing capabilities of H. piscis sp. nov. isolated from jeotgal, contributing to understanding its potential roles in food and biotechnological applications.

We investigated the inhibitory effects of hesperidin on melanogenesis. To find melanosome transport inhibitor from natural products, we collected the structural information of natural products from Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) and performed pharmacophore-based in silico screening for Rab27A and melanophilin (MLPH). Hesperidin did not inhibit melanin production in B16F10 murine melanoma cells stimulated with α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and also did not affect the catalytic activity of tyrosinase. But, hesperidin inhibited melanosome transport in melanocyte and showed skin lightening effect in pigmented reconstructed epidermis model. Therefore, we suggest that hesperidin is a useful inhibitor of melanosome transport and it might be applied to whitening agent.

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in endothelial cells determines the plasma concentrations of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which may act as vasoactive agents to control vascular tone. We hypothesized that the regulation of sEH activity may have a therapeutic value in preventing acute kidney injury by controlling the concentration of EETs. In this study, we therefore induced ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in C57BL/6 mice and controlled sEH activity by intraperitoneal administration of the sEH inhibitor 12-(3-adamantan-1-ylureido)-dodecanoic acid (AUDA). The deterioration of kidney function induced by IRI was partially moderated and prevented by AUDA treatment. In addition, AUDA treatment significantly attenuated tubular necrosis induced by IRI. Ischemic injury induced the down-regulation of sEH, and AUDA administration had no effect on the expression pattern of sEH induced by IRI. In vivo sEH activity was assessed by measuring the substrate epoxyoctadecenoic acid (EpOME) and its metabolite dihydroxyoctadec-12-enoic acid (DHOME). Ischemic injury had no effects on the plasma concentrations of EpOME and DHOME, but inhibition of sEH by AUDA significantly increased plasma EpOME and the EpOME/DHOME ratio. The protective effect of the sEH inhibitor was achieved by suppression of proinflammatory cytokines and up-regulation of regulatory cytokines. AUDA treatment prevented the intrarenal infiltration of inflammatory cells, but promoted endothelial cell migration and neovascularization. The results of this study suggest that treatment with sEH inhibitors can reduce acute kidney injury.

There has been significant effort in attempting to use health care data. However, laws that protect patients' privacy have restricted data use because health care data contain sensitive information. Thus, discussions on privacy laws now focus on the active use of health care data beyond protection. However, current literature does not clarify the obstacles that make data usage and deidentification processes difficult or elaborate on users' needs for data linking from practical perspectives.

Prostate cancer (PC) metastasizes to the bone, and a small number of cancer cells, described as cancer stem cells (CSCs), have the ability to differentiate into tumor cells. CSCs are responsible for tumor recurrence and metastases. In the present study, we examined whether ectopic overexpression of CD133, a key molecule maintaining the stability of CSCs in the human PC cell line, LnCaP, caused bone metastasis in a mouse model. Ectopic overexpression of CD133 was induced in LnCaP cells, and CSC-related protein expression was measured. Furthermore, a colony-forming assay was performed to compare results against the blank green fluorescent protein-expressing cells. Furthermore, epithelial to mesenchymal transition-related protein expression, cell migration and wound healing were investigated. To assess the role of CD133 in bone metastasis, CD133-overexpressing LnCaP cells were inoculated into mice via intracardiac injection, and bone metastasis was assessed via histological and immunohistochemical study. In addition, cytokine arrays were used to determine the cytokines involved in bone metastasis. Ectopic overexpression of CD133 in LnCaP cells increased CSC properties such as Oct-4 and Nanog expression and colony-forming ability. Furthermore, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties, including decreased E-cadherin and increased vimentin expression, wound gap distance, and cell migration increased. CD133 overexpression led to formation of bone metastatic tumors in mice, consistent with results of hematoxylin and eosin staining. In addition, an increase in expression of the macrophage-migration inhibitory factor was observed at the tumor margin in mice inoculated with CD133+ LNCaP cells. These findings suggest a regulatory role of CD133 in stem cell and EMT properties, and the sustained acquisition of osteolytic features in PC. Therefore, our results may facilitate development of a novel classification system and therapeutic strategies for bone metastasis of PC.

The over and repeated use of chemical bactericides to control plant bacterial diseases has resulted in unwanted effects, such as environmental pollution, residual toxicity, and resistance buildup in bacterial pathogens. Many previous studies have aimed to develop biological control agents to replace chemical bactericides. In this study, the antibacterial efficacy of the fermentation broth of Paenibacillus elgii JCK-5075 and its antibacterial compounds were evaluated against plant pathogenic bacteria, using both in vitro and in vivo bioassays. Pelgipeptins (PGPs) A, B, C, and D that were isolated from P. elgii JCK-5075 displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against various plant pathogenic bacteria. The fermentation broth of P. elgii JCK-5075, at 5-fold dilution, effectively suppressed the development of tomato bacterial wilt, Kimchi cabbage soft rot, and red pepper bacterial leaf spot in pot experiments with control values of 81, 84, and 67%, respectively. PGP-A and C, at 200 μg/ml, were also found to markedly reduce the development of Kimchi cabbage bacterial soft rot by 75% and tomato bacterial wilt by 83%, respectively, and their disease control efficacy was comparable to that of oxolinic acid with control values of 81 and 85%, respectively. Additionally, the antibacterial activity of PGP-C was found to be directly correlated with membrane damage mechanisms. These results indicates that P. elgii JCK-5075 producing PGPs could be used as a biocontrol agent for the control of plant bacterial diseases. This is the first report on the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of PGPs against bacterial plant pathogens.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), an ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid, is among the phenolic acid compounds which can be naturally found in green coffee extract and tea. CGA has been studied since it displays significant pharmacological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CGA on cognitive function and neuroprotection including its mechanisms in the hippocampus following transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils. Memory and learning following the ischemia was investigated by eight-arm radial maze and passive avoidance tests. Neuroprotection was examined by immunohistochemistry for neuronal nuclei-specific protein and Fluoro-Jade B histofluorescence staining. For mechanisms of the neuroprotection, alterations in copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), SOD2 as antioxidant enzymes, dihydroethidium and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal as indicators for oxidative stress, and anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-2) were examined by Western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry. As a result, pretreatment with 30 mg/kg CGA attenuated cognitive impairment and displayed a neuroprotective effect against transient forebrain ischemia (TFI). In Western blotting, the expression levels of SOD2 and IL-4 were increased due to pretreatment with CGA and, furthermore, 4-HNE production and IL-4 expressions were inhibited by CGA pretreatment. Additionally, pretreated CGA enhanced antioxidant enzymes and anti-inflammatory cytokines and, in contrast, attenuated oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Based on these results, we suggest that CGA can be a useful neuroprotective material against ischemia-reperfusion injury due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacies.