Primary cilia function as critical sensory organelles that mediate multiple signaling pathways, including the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, which is essential for organ patterning and morphogenesis. Disruptions in Hh signaling have been implicated in supernumerary tooth formation and molar fusion in mutant mice. Cilk1, a highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase localized within primary cilia, plays a critical role in ciliary transport. Loss of Cilk1 results in severe ciliopathy phenotypes, including polydactyly, edema, and cleft palate. However, the role of Cilk1 in tooth development remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the role of Cilk1 in tooth development. Cilk1 was found to be expressed in both the epithelial and mesenchymal compartments of developing molars. Cilk1 deficiency resulted in altered ciliary dynamics, characterized by reduced frequency and increased length, accompanied by downregulation of Hh target genes, such as Ptch1 and Sostdc1, leading to the formation of diastemal supernumerary teeth. Furthermore, in Cilk1^-/-;PCS1-MRCS1^△/△ mice, which exhibit a compounded suppression of Hh signaling, we uncovered a novel phenomenon: diastemal supernumerary teeth can be larger than first molars. Based on these findings, we propose a progressive model linking Hh signaling levels to sequential changes in tooth patterning: initially inducing diastemal supernumerary teeth, then enlarging them, and ultimately leading to molar fusion. This study reveals a previously unrecognized role of Cilk1 in controlling tooth morphology via Hh signaling and highlights how Hh signaling levels shape tooth patterning in a gradient-dependent manner.
Animals ; Hedgehog Proteins/physiology* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Tooth, Supernumerary ; Molar ; Cilia/physiology* ; Odontogenesis/physiology* ; Patched-1 Receptor ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/physiology* ; Mice, Knockout ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

In Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, human understanding is emphasized as one of three necessary characteristics that a physician must have. Inflammation, which is caused by inflammatory inducers (inf-ids), is a fundamental feature of disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Inflammation protects the body, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can be damaging and can cause disease. Humans are repeatedly exposed to external and internal environmental factors that generate inf-ids throughout their lives. External environmental factors include microbial and non-microbial inf-ids, as well as stressors that inevitably arise during social interactions. Internal environmental factors include the adaptive physiological response that is present from birth. Inf-ids may also be produced by the four-step habit loop, which consists of a cue (e.g., stressor), emotions, routine act (adaptive response), and a reward. Immune cells in the circulatory system and in tissues may have positive and negative effects in inflammatory responses. However, low-grade inflammation may be difficult to detect. We propose a model of disease development that integrates external and internal environmental factors from the perspective of human understanding.

In Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, human understanding is emphasized as one of three necessary characteristics that a physician must have. Inflammation, which is caused by inflammatory inducers (inf-ids), is a fundamental feature of disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Inflammation protects the body, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can be damaging and can cause disease. Humans are repeatedly exposed to external and internal environmental factors that generate inf-ids throughout their lives. External environmental factors include microbial and non-microbial inf-ids, as well as stressors that inevitably arise during social interactions. Internal environmental factors include the adaptive physiological response that is present from birth. Inf-ids may also be produced by the four-step habit loop, which consists of a cue (e.g., stressor), emotions, routine act (adaptive response), and a reward. Immune cells in the circulatory system and in tissues may have positive and negative effects in inflammatory responses. However, low-grade inflammation may be difficult to detect. We propose a model of disease development that integrates external and internal environmental factors from the perspective of human understanding.

In Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, human understanding is emphasized as one of three necessary characteristics that a physician must have. Inflammation, which is caused by inflammatory inducers (inf-ids), is a fundamental feature of disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Inflammation protects the body, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can be damaging and can cause disease. Humans are repeatedly exposed to external and internal environmental factors that generate inf-ids throughout their lives. External environmental factors include microbial and non-microbial inf-ids, as well as stressors that inevitably arise during social interactions. Internal environmental factors include the adaptive physiological response that is present from birth. Inf-ids may also be produced by the four-step habit loop, which consists of a cue (e.g., stressor), emotions, routine act (adaptive response), and a reward. Immune cells in the circulatory system and in tissues may have positive and negative effects in inflammatory responses. However, low-grade inflammation may be difficult to detect. We propose a model of disease development that integrates external and internal environmental factors from the perspective of human understanding.

Background and Objectives: Several studies have proven that listening efforts cause neuroanatomical and physiological changes in the frontal lobe in adults with hearing loss as well as in the elderly with normal hearing. However, there is still a lack in research into how brain function changes when the cognitive load is increased based on noise level. We conducted a preliminary study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy to determine differences in listening effort according to varying listening conditions.Subjects and Method Five adults with normal hearing participated in the study. Listening effort was measured in three listening environments (resting, quiet, and noise) using NIRSIT Lite (OBELAB, Seoul, Korea). The measures variables were concentration changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHbO2) and the percent correct response rate. Results: As a result of ΔHbO2, channels 1 (p=0.045), 5 (p=0.042) and 7 (p=0.033) (right channels) showed significantly higher ΔHbO2 in the noise condition than in the resting condition. In addition, in channel 1, ΔHbO2 was significantly higher even in the quiet condition than in the resting condition (p=0.041). The percent correct response rate was significantly decreased in the noise condition (35.6%) as compared to the quiet condition (64.4%) (p=0.024). Conclusion We observed that a decrease in cerebral localization to compensate through the right hemisphere was presented with increased listening effort. The results of the study will be useful in situations where listening effort need to be accurarely measured.

Objective: Increased fast food consumption can have adverse effects on health and well-being among adolescents, posing a significant public health concern. The school closures due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to changes in eating patterns and disrupted a balance diet among adolescents. This study explored the factors associated with fast food consumption among adolescents during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 1,710 middle and high school students in Gwangju, South Korea participated in a cross-sectional survey. The self-administered questionnaire included items assessing dietary intake, physical activity, sleep, media use, and sociodemographic information. The Patient Health Questonnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and three item version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale were also administered. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with increased fast food consumption. Results: Approximately 34.6% of the surveyed adolescents reported increased fast food consumption during school closures, as well as increased sleep duration, increased sedentary behaviors including watching TV and using the internet, and reduced physical activity. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that fast food consumption during school closures was associated with irregular patterns of main meals and sleep, decreased physical activity, increased internet use, and a lack of daytime adult supervision. Conclusion Our results highlight the need for dietary and lifestyle monitoring and guidelines to promote health among adolescents, especially during school closures. In conclusion, nutrition intervention programs aiming to limit fast food consumption and enhance healthy dietary habits among adolescents during long-term school closures are warranted.