Extrinsic Cues Research Articles

Physical biomarkers for human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Adhesion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to the bone marrow niche plays critical roles in the maintenance of the most primitive HSPCs. The interactions of HSPC−niche interactions are clinically relevant in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), because (i) leukemia-initiating cells adhered to the marrow niche are protected from the cytotoxic effect by chemotherapy and (ii) mobilization of HSPCs from healthy donors' bone marrow is crucial for the effective stem cell transplantation. However, although many clinical agents have been developed for the HSPC mobilization, the effects caused by the extrinsic molecular cues were traditionally evaluated based on phenomenological observations. This review highlights the recent interdisciplinary challenges of hematologists, biophysicists and cell biologists towards the design of defined in vitro niche models and the development of physical biomarkers for quantitative indexing of differential effects of clinical agents on human HSPCs.

Role of extrinsic physical cues in cancer progression

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex system composed of many cell types and an extracellular matrix (ECM). During tumorigenesis, cancer cells constantly interact with cellular components, biochemical cues, and the ECM in the TME, all of which make the environment favorable for cancer growth. Emerging evidence has revealed the importance of substrate elasticity and biomechanical forces in tumor progression and metastasis. However, the mechanisms underlying the cell response to mechanical signals-such as extrinsic mechanical forces and forces generated within the TME-are still relatively unknown. Moreover, having a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which cancer cells sense mechanical forces and transmit signals to the cytoplasm would substantially help develop effective strategies for cancer treatment. This review provides an overview of biomechanical forces in the TME and the intracellular signaling pathways activated by mechanical cues as well as highlights the role of mechanotransductive pathways through mechanosensors that detect the altering biomechanical forces in the TME.

The vasculature of neurogenic niches: Properties and function

In the adult rodent brain, neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus. In these areas, NSCs and their progeny integrate intrinsic signals and extrinsic cues provided by their microenvironment that control their behavior. The vasculature in the SVZ and SGZ, and the choroid plexus (ChP) in the SVZ, have emerged as critical compartments of the neurogenic niches as they provide a rich repertoire of cues to regulate NSC quiescence, proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation. Physical contact between NSCs and blood vessels is also a feature within the niches and supports different processes such as quiescence, migration and vesicle transport. In this review, we provide a description of the brain and choroid plexus vasculature in both stem cell niches, highlighting the main properties and role of the vasculature in each niche. We also summarize the current understanding of how blood vessel- and ChP-derived signals influence the behavior of NSCs in physiological adulthood, as well as upon aging.

Palmitoylation regulates neuropilin-2 localization and function in cortical neurons and conveys specificity to semaphorin signaling via palmitoyl acyltransferases.

Secreted semaphorin 3F (Sema3F) and semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) exhibit remarkably distinct effects on deep layer excitatory cortical pyramidal neurons; Sema3F mediates dendritic spine pruning, whereas Sema3A promotes the elaboration of basal dendrites. Sema3F and Sema3A signal through distinct holoreceptors that include neuropilin-2 (Nrp2)/plexinA3 (PlexA3) and neuropilin-1 (Nrp1)/PlexA4, respectively. We find that Nrp2 and Nrp1 are S-palmitoylated in cortical neurons and that palmitoylation of select Nrp2 cysteines is required for its proper subcellular localization, cell surface clustering, and also for Sema3F/Nrp2-dependent dendritic spine pruning in cortical neurons, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we show that the palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC15 is required for Nrp2 palmitoylation and Sema3F/Nrp2-dependent dendritic spine pruning, but it is dispensable for Nrp1 palmitoylation and Sema3A/Nrp1-dependent basal dendritic elaboration. Therefore, palmitoyl acyltransferase-substrate specificity is essential for establishing compartmentalized neuronal structure and functional responses to extrinsic guidance cues.

Visual cues during shoppers’ journeys: An exploratory paper

The visual cues shoppers view at the point of purchase during the shopping process is vital to product selection and sales. We aimed to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic visual cues or touchpoints customers use to select a product (live plant) in retail stores. Eye-tracking technology (ETT) has enabled market researchers to conduct cost- and time-efficient studies. Few studies have been conducted in a retail setting to pinpoint how shoppers attend to visual cues in situ. Using ETT gave researchers insight into the cognitive processes leading to purchase. We recruited four retail greenhouses in Michigan to collaborate on the study, and researchers invited customers from the store’s email list to participate. Researchers used eye-tracking glasses to record eye movement during a <12-min shopping trip to purchase a $10 plant. We analyzed 150 useful videos to identify attention to marketing and non-marketing cues at the point of purchase (e.g., reading a sign, product interaction, cell phone use). Time spent in specific store areas (e.g., annuals, perennials, shrubs, etc.) was measured. For 67 shoppers who purchased an annual plant, we analyzed which cues and touchpoints influenced the shopping time spent. Results showed that the most frequently accessed cue/touchpoint was intrinsic: product interaction (looking at or touching a plant). Participants read, on average, 6.7 signs with price and 4.5 signs without price. Conversely, only 34% interacted with employees, and 19.4% used their cell phones. Building on this exploratory study, future research could investigate signage elements attracting attention and motivations for employee interaction and cell phone use.

Gradients in the time seeds take to germinate could alter global patterns in predation strength

AbstractAimSpecies interactions are predicted to become stronger toward low latitudes and elevations, and these predictions have been supported in large experiments measuring daily predation rates on early life‐stages. However, the overall strength and importance of predation depend on both the daily risk of being attacked and how long prey are exposed, and gradients in exposure time are rarely quantified. Here, we test whether time‐to‐germination, which determines seeds' exposure to post‐dispersal attack, is faster in high‐predation environments: low latitudes, low elevations, and warmer wetter climates.LocationGlobal data synthesis.TaxonAngiosperms.MethodsWe synthesized data on time‐to‐germination from 1410 plant species spanning 118° latitude. We divided data by study environment (lab, greenhouse, garden, nature), as we predicted different patterns depending on whether seeds experienced only intrinsic versus intrinsic + extrinsic germination cues. We tested how mean days‐to‐germination varied with geography (latitude, elevation) and climate (annual mean and seasonality of temperature and precipitation). We also explored whether patterns could be explained by seed size or phylogeny, which vary latitudinally.ResultsSeeds germinated faster toward higher latitudes across study environments but slower toward higher elevations when experiencing intrinsic + extrinsic germination cues (in nature). Germination was faster in drier, more seasonal and—when tested in nature—warmer environments. Seed size explained some latitudinal variation in time‐to‐germination, whereas accounting for phylogeny did not improve predictions. Germination was slower in natural versus lab environments.Main ConclusionsWe found little evidence that seeds have commonly evolved faster germination in high‐predation environments. While time‐to‐germination varied with geography and climate, patterns were inconsistent among predictors, and were weaker than those reported for daily seed predation rates. Detected gradients in time‐to‐germination would partially counter elevational gradients in daily seed predation rates but exacerbate latitudinal gradients in predation rates, such that tropical seeds likely experience much stronger lifetime predation risk than high‐latitude seeds.

The Role and Activity of SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodelers.

SWITCH deficient SUCROSE NONFERMENTING (SWI/SNF) class chromatin remodeling complexes (CRCs) use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to facilitate access of proteins to the genomic DNA for transcription, replication, and DNA repair. Uniquely, SWI/SNF CRCs can both slide the histone octamer along the DNA or eject it from the DNA. Given their ability to change the chromatin status quo, SWI/SNF remodelers are critical for cell fate reprogramming with pioneer and other transcription factors, for responses to environmental challenges, and for disease prevention. Recent cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry approaches have uncovered different subtypes of SWI/SNF complexes with unique properties and functions. At the same time, tethering or rapid depletion and inactivation of SWI/SNF have provided novel insight into SWI/SNF requirements for enhancer activity and into balancing chromatin compaction and accessibility in concert with Polycomb complexes. Given their importance, SWI/SNF recruitment to genomic locations by transcription factors and their biochemical activity is tightly controlled. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of SWI/SNF CRCs in animals and plants and discusses the multiple nuclear and biological roles of SWI/SNF CRCs and how SWI/SNF activity is altered by complex subunit composition, posttranslational modifications, and the chromatin context to support proper development and response to extrinsic cues.

Do university trademarks matter? Interaction between university-related apparel style and licensing status

PurposeBased on cue utilization theory, this study aims to examine effects of the style (fashion vs basic) and licensing status (licensed vs nonlicensed) of university-related apparel products (URAPs) as intrinsic and extrinsic cues, respectively, impacting university fans’ responses (i.e. attitudes, purchase intentions and purchase behaviors) and the moderating roles of personal factors (i.e. perceived university prestige, quality consciousness and uniqueness seeking).Design/methodology/approachData were collected via an online quasi-experiment employing a 2 (licensing status: licensed vs nonlicensed) × 2 (style: basic vs fashion) within-subjects design with a purposeful sample of 1,126 students and alumni of a Southeastern American university.FindingsResults show that consumers generally responded more favorably to licensed (vs nonlicensed) URAPs, especially for basic styles, whereas their responses to fashionable URAPs were more favorable for nonlicensed (vs licensed) URAPs. Furthermore, the positive effects of licensing status were stronger for consumers with high (vs low) perceived university prestige or quality consciousness. Consumers generally more favorably responded to basic (vs fashion) URAPs, but this style effect was weaker among those with a high (vs low) uniqueness seeking tendency.Originality/valueTheoretical explanations on URAP consumption have been scant in the product and brand management literature. This study fills this literature gap by conceptualizing extrinsic (i.e. licensing status) and intrinsic (i.e. style) cues crucial in URAP consumption from a cue utilization theory lens and demonstrating empirical evidence for the intricate interplays among the two cues and diverse personal characteristics.

Respiration-induced biofilm formation as a driver for bacterial niche colonization.

Depending on their physiology and metabolism, bacteria can carry out diverse redox processes for energy acquisition, which facilitates adaptation to environmental or host-associated niches. Of these processes, respiration, using oxygen or alternative terminal electron acceptors, is energetically the most favorable in heterotrophic bacteria. The biofilm lifestyle, a coordinated multicellular behavior, is ubiquitous in bacteria and is regulated by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic cues. Respiration of distinct electron acceptors has been shown to induce biofilm formation or dispersal. The notion of biofilm formation regulation by electron acceptor availability and respiration has often been considered species-specific. However, recent evidence suggests that this phenomenon can be strain-specific, even in strains sharing the same functional respiratory pathways, thereby implying subtle regulatory mechanisms. On this basis, I argue that induction of biofilm formation by sensing and respiration of electron acceptors might direct subgroups of redox-specialized strains to occupy certain niches. A palette of respiration and electron-transfer-mediated microbial social interactions within biofilms may broaden ecological opportunities. The strain specificity of this phenomenon represents an important opportunity to identify key molecular mechanisms and their ecophysiological significance, which in turn may lay the ground for applications in areas ranging from biotechnology to the prevention of antimicrobial resistance.

Health versus environmental benefits: Does additional information influence consumer acceptance of pulse-based spreads?

Despite the known health benefits and the potential for substituting less environmentally sustainable consumed foods such as meat, the current intake of pulses in developed countries remains less than recommended. Barriers are related to sensory characteristics and lack of knowledge about preparation, while drivers of environmental benefits are intangible. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of additional information about health or environmental benefits of pulses on the acceptance of novel pulse-based products from chickpeas, black beans, and faba beans. Perceptions of these pulse-based spreads in a blind and informed stage were assessed with 202 consumers in urban and suburban areas of Denmark. In general, the familiar chickpea spread followed by the relatively most unfamiliar black bean spread was liked the most. Only for these two products, additional information increased hedonic perception, regardless of the context (health or environmental benefits). If consumers did not like the spread, as found for the faba bean spread, providing additional information did not significantly alter this perception. Participants' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in a discrete choice experiment corresponded to hedonic scores, whereas providing additional information increased the WTP. These findings suggest that extrinsic cues such as health or environmental benefits may only be useful in products with an acceptable baseline taste profile. Moreover, black beans might be investigated as a promising source for further product development due to their acceptance by consumers besides being the comparably most unfamiliar pulse type.

The effect of modern claim related to packaging sustainability on the sensory perception of traditional Greek rusks (paximathi)

Extrinsic product cues have been reported to affect consumers’ perception of food. The aim of the study was to investigate how consumer acceptability and emotional responses to traditional Greek rusks (paximathi) was affected by the sustainability of biodegradable and edible packaging. The experimental design consisted of three sessions. First, rusks were assessed with the use of a 7-point hedonic scale and CATA questionnaire without packaging in blind (tasting only), then in conventional (polypropylene) and biodegradable packages and finally after providing information on the sustainability of conventional, biodegradable and ‘edible’ packages. Results showed that information on packaging sustainability affected sensorial perception of the rusks and this was heavily driven by positive emotions. However, its influence was balanced by the negative effect of its sound. The findings provide evidence that communication on packaging sustainability, as external product cue connected to consumers’ food choices, must be designed taking into consideration the impact of packaging on the sensorial perception of the physicochemical properties of its material.

Cueing roles of new energy vehicle manufacturers’ technical capability and reputation in influencing purchase intention in China

Promoting new energy vehicle (NEV) is one of the main ways to save energy and reduce transport emissions, China has provided substantial subsidies for this since 2009. With the impending end of the subsidy policy ending in 2022, NEV manufacturers need to strengthen their competitiveness to continuously attract customers. Under the framework of cue utilization theory, this study takes NEV manufacturers’ technical capability as an intrinsic cue and reputation as an extrinsic cue to explore the mechanism in which two cues stimulate customers’ perceptions of travel quality and brand value, and subsequently motivate purchase intention. Based on a sample of 207 respondents from China, proposed hypotheses have been tested using Likert scale questionnaires through SPSS and AMOS. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the measurement scales and variable relationships. The results show that manufacturers’ reputation is more influential on both perceived travel quality and perceived brand value than technical capability; Technological turbulence plays a moderating role in the influence between perceived brand value and purchase intention. This article provides references for deepening related theories, and pragmatic insights for manufacturer strategic response and government policy making.

Gap selection and steering during obstacle avoidance in pigeons.

The ability of birds to fly through cluttered environments has inspired biologists interested in understanding its underlying mechanisms, and engineers interested in applying its underpinning principles. To analyse this problem empirically, we break it down into two distinct, but related, questions: How do birds select which gaps to aim for? And how do they steer through them? We answered these questions using a combined experimental and modelling approach, in which we released pigeons (Columbia livia domestica) inside a large hall with an open exit separated from the release point by a curtain creating two vertical gaps - one of which was obstructed by an obstacle. We tracked the birds using a high-speed motion capture system, and found that their gap choice seemed to be biased by their intrinsic handedness, rather than determined by extrinsic cues such as the size of the gap or its alignment with the destination. We modelled the pigeons' steering behaviour algorithmically by simulating their flight trajectories under a set of six candidate guidance laws, including those used previously to model target-oriented flight behaviours in birds. We found that their flights were best modelled by delayed proportional navigation commanding turning in proportion to the angular rate of the line-of-sight from the pigeon to the midpoint of the gap. Our results are consistent with this being a two-phase behaviour, in which the pigeon heads forward from the release point before steering towards the midpoint of whichever gap it chooses to aim for under closed-loop guidance. Our findings have implications for the sensorimotor mechanisms that underlie clutter negotiation in birds, uniting this with other kinds of target-oriented behaviours including aerial pursuit.

Interaction between extrinsic and intrinsic online review cues: perspectives from cue utilization theory

AbstractWe examine the interaction effects of linguistic style and verification of online reviews in terms of their valence on purchase intention for search and experiential products. We adopt the cue utilization framework to examine the interplay between the extrinsic cues of online reviews—content style (general versus specific), verified purchase (VP) badge (present versus absent), and valence (positive versus negative)—in two product categories—search product (tablet) and experiential product (trip package)—using an experimental design. The findings of the frequentist and Bayesian analyses show that valence supersedes other attributes’ impacts on purchase intention in both product categories. Variations in the content style of the reviews have minor influences on purchase intention. The presence of a VP badge on a review has a negligible influence on purchase intention across both product categories. Valence-content style and valence-VP badge interactions significantly affect purchase intention. Based on these findings, implications are discussed.

Ratings or Sales? The Neural and Psychological Processes of Online Experience Product Purchase: Evidence from a Sample of Chinese University Students.

Extrinsic cues are ubiquitous in daily commodity consumption scenarios, not to mention online consumption scenarios. Among the many online cues, monthly sales and product ratings are two of the most representative. Some scholars have researched the impact of these cues on consumer decision making, but only search products have been investigated. Based on previous research, this article expanded the types of products to experience products and further explored consumer purchase behaviours and the underlying purchase processes influenced by these two extrinsic cues with the assistance of a neuroscience tool, event-related potentials (ERPs). The behavioural results indicated that the subjects decided mainly based on ratings, while the effect of sales was continuously inhibited. The ERP results further suggested that consumers recognised low ratings and low sales as more negative stimuli than high ratings and high sales, as larger P2 amplitudes were observed. Following the early processing of these cues, low ratings were considered unacceptable and evoked more significant emotional conflicts than high ratings, which was reflected by larger N400 amplitudes. Moreover, in the late stage, high ratings, which activated evaluation categorisation and produced more significant emotional arousal than low-rating conditions, guided the formation of purchase intention and reflected greater LPP amplitudes. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.

Young adults' taste perception, consumption habits, and how this influences their willingness to pay for wine: Evidence from an experimental auction

AbstractThe main purpose of the present study is to investigate whether consumers' taste perception and wine consumption habits lead to different buying behaviors regarding consumers' willingness to pay for a bottle of wine. For this purpose, this research employs an empirical evaluation using an experimental auction, along with the self‐administration of a questionnaire, involving a sample of young adult students (n = 80) from a Spanish public university. In the experiment, we test four wines of the same region with different characteristics. A standard confirmatory partial least square–structural equation modeling was used for measurement and validation. The findings show that although consumers' buying behavior could be driven by either intrinsic (i.e., sensory perceptions) or visual (i.e., certifications) cues, consumers' taste perception or wine consumption habits lead them to react differently to these cues. By considering possible on‐trade and off‐trade scenarios in the same study, this study takes a fresh and more comprehensive look at young adults' willingness to pay for a bottle of wine. Overall, the study attests to the importance of a previous sensory experience for these consumers, identified as having a low degree of involvement with wine, and concludes that some extrinsic cues can be overestimated concerning taste expectations. The evidence obtained by using quantitative methods found a reliable insight that practitioners and administrators can implement to develop and adopt effective policy interventions.Practical ApplicationsConsumers' willingness to pay for wine is based on sensorial aspects or having information to support the decision. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate whether consumers' taste perception and wine consumption habits lead to different buying behaviors regarding consumers' willingness to pay for a bottle of wine.

Mode of action of astrocytes in pain: From the spinal cord to the brain.

Chronic pain is a maladaptive condition affecting 7%-10% of the population worldwide and can be accompanied by depression, anxiety, and insomnia. In particular, chronic pain is becoming more common due to the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus, cancer, systemic (body-wide) autoimmune, trauma, and infections that attack nerve tissues with an aging global population. Upon stimuli, pain responses are evoked from nociceptive primary sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Still, pathological changes leading to central sensitization of the pain circuitry in the central nervous system (CNS) is a key mechanism underlying pain maintenance. In humans, chronic pain can last for years, even after the observable signs and symptoms of the primary inflammation or damage have resolved. It is clear that astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the CNS, are highly involved in regulating pain signaling under health and disease. Multiple astrocyte subsets and diversified activation states driven by intrinsic and extrinsic cues have recently been identified in the spinal cord and brain, playing complex roles in pain development and resolution. Targeting detrimental astrocyte subtypes and activity is considered a promising pain management strategy. Here, we integrate the latest findings to review differential astrocytes activities in distinct regions of the CNS during pain pathophysiology and discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms that control their mode of action in beneficial or/and harmful aspects of pain. Finally, we provide a translational overview of current progress for pain therapies via modulating astrocytic activity.

How do extrinsic cues influence consumers' online hotel booking decisions? An event-related potential experiment.

Booking decision is a typical decision-making behavior in hospitality, while the neural processing of it is still unclear. To address this issue, with the help of event-related potential (ERP), this work uncovered the neural mechanism of the influence of two extrinsic cues, namely, brand familiarity (familiar vs. unfamiliar) and online reviews (positive vs. negative) on online hotel booking decisions. Behavioral results indicated that the booking rate under the condition of positive reviews was higher than that of negative reviews. In addition, the response time in the case of familiar brands was longer than that of unfamiliar brands. ERP results showed that the P200 amplitude of familiar brands was smaller than that of unfamiliar brands, while for the late positive potential amplitude, the opposite was the case. It is suggested that in the early stage of cognitive processing, unfamiliar brands evoke more automatic and unconscious attention while in the later stage, familiar brands attract more conscious attention. This study also found that the N400 amplitude of negative online reviews was larger than that of positive online reviews, indicating that negative stimuli can result in a larger emotional conflicts than that of positive stimuli. This study provides new insights into the neural mechanism of online booking decisions in the hospitality.

Activation of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Promotes Differentiation of Cortical Layer 4 Neurons via Regulation of Their Cell Positioning.

Neuronal subtypes in the mammalian cerebral cortex are determined by both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms during development. However, the extrinsic cues that are involved in this process remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of sonic hedgehog (Shh) in glutamatergic cortical subtype specification. We found that E14.5-born, but not E15.5-born, neurons with elevated Shh expression frequently differentiated into layer 4 subtypes as judged by the cell positioning and molecular identity. We further found that this effect was achieved indirectly through the regulation of cell positioning rather than the direct activation of layer 4 differentiation programs. Together, we provided evidence that Shh, an extrinsic factor, plays an important role in the specification of cortical superficial layer subtypes.

Biomedical gastronomy in the interventions of smell and taste disorders in ‘altered eating’

Biomedical gastronomy in the interventions of smell and taste disorders in ‘altered eating’