Several factors have been found to influence whether events in memory are experienced from a first- or third-person visual perspective. However, the factual/fictional dimension has been little ...addressed. In the present study, we investigated visual perspective and related memory characteristics of factual and fictional stories as imagined and remembered. Taking the visual perspective of a protagonist in a story was considered a first-person perspective, while other vantage points were considered a third-person perspective. Participants (N = 153) read four short stories in English labelled fact or fiction. Results show that fact and fiction are similar concerning first/third-person visual perspective and memory characteristics. Differences in third-person vantage points between fact and fiction indicate that readers of fact are more visually aligned with the protagonist in the story. Trends were found regarding how fictionality interacts with narrative perspective and emotional valence of the stories to produce differences in clarity and fantasy empathy.
It is unknown how well menu labelling schemes that enforce the display of kilojoule (kJ) labelling at point-of-sale have been implemented on online food delivery (OFD) services in Australia. This ...study aimed to examine the prevalence of kJ labelling on the online menus of large food outlets with more than twenty locations in the state or fifty locations nationally. A secondary aim was to evaluate the nutritional quality of menu items on OFD from mid-sized outlets that have fewer locations than what is specified in the current scheme.
Cross-sectional analysis. Prevalence of kJ labelling by large food outlets on OFD from August to September 2022 was examined. Proportion of discretionary ('junk food') items on menus from mid-sized outlets was assessed.
Forty-three unique large food outlets on company (e.g. MyMacca's) and third party OFD (Uber Eats, Menulog, Deliveroo) within Sydney, Australia. Ninety-two mid-sized food outlets were analysed.
N/A.
On company OFD apps, 35 % (7/23) had complete kJ labelling for each menu item. In comparison, only 4·8 % (2/42), 5·3 % (2/38) and 3·6 % (1/28) of large outlets on Uber Eats, Menulog and Deliveroo had complete kJ labelling at all locations, respectively. Over three-quarters, 76·3 % (345/452) of menu items from mid-sized outlets were classified as discretionary.
Kilojoule labelling was absent or incomplete on a high proportion of online menus. Mid-sized outlets have abundant discretionary choices and yet escape criteria for mandatory menu labelling laws. Our findings show the need to further monitor the implementation of nutrition policies on OFD.
Although the differentiation of CD4
T cells is widely studied, the mechanisms of antigen-presenting cell-dependent T-cell modulation are unclear. Here, we investigate the role of dendritic cell ...(DC)-dependent T-cell differentiation in autoimmune and antifungal inflammation and find that mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (MST1) signalling from DCs negatively regulates IL-17 producing-CD4
T helper cell (Th17) differentiation. MST1 deficiency in DCs increases IL-17 production by CD4
T cells, whereas ectopic MST1 expression in DCs inhibits it. Notably, MST1-mediated DC-dependent Th17 differentiation regulates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and antifungal immunity. Mechanistically, MST1-deficient DCs promote IL-6 secretion and regulate the activation of IL-6 receptor α/β and STAT3 in CD4
T cells in the course of inducing Th17 differentiation. Activation of the p38 MAPK signal is responsible for IL-6 production in MST1-deficient DCs. Thus, our results define the DC MST1-p38MAPK signalling pathway in directing Th17 differentiation.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a group of immunosuppressive cells that play crucial roles in promoting tumor growth and protecting tumors from immune recognition in tumor-bearing mice ...and cancer patients. Recently, it has been shown that the metabolic activity of MDSCs plays an important role in the regulation of their inhibitory function, especially in the processes of tumor occurrence and development. The MDSC metabolism, such as glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation and amino acid metabolism, is rewired in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which enhances the immunosuppressive activity, resulting in effector T cell apoptosis and suppressive cell proliferation. Herein, we summarized the recent progress in the metabolic reprogramming and immunosuppressive function of MDSCs during tumorigenesis.
Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in anti-tumor immunity by inducing T cell differentiation. Herein, we found that the DC mechanical sensor Piezo1 stimulated by mechanical stiffness or ...inflammatory signals directs the reciprocal differentiation of T
H
1 and regulatory T (T
reg
) cells in cancer. Genetic deletion of Piezo1 in DCs inhibited the generation of T
H
1 cells while driving the development of T
reg
cells in promoting cancer growth in mice. Mechanistically, Piezo1-deficient DCs regulated the secretion of the polarizing cytokines TGFβ1 and IL-12, leading to increased TGFβR2-p-Smad3 activity and decreased IL-12Rβ2-p-STAT4 activity while inducing the reciprocal differentiation of T
reg
and T
H
1 cells. In addition, Piezo1 integrated the SIRT1-hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF1α)-dependent metabolic pathway and calcium-calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway to orchestrate reciprocal T
H
1 and T
reg
lineage commitment through DC-derived IL-12 and TGFβ1. Our studies provide critical insight for understanding the role of the DC-based mechanical regulation of immunopathology in directing T cell lineage commitment in tumor microenvironments.
Macrophages differentiated into a classically activated (M1) or alternatively activated phenotype (M2) in infection and tumor, but the precise effects of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation ...(OXPHOS) metabolic pathway remain unclear. Herein, the effects of glycolysis or OXPHOS on macrophage polarizations were investigated using a pharmacological approach in mice. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) treatments, which blocks the key enzyme hexokinase of glycolysis, efficiently inhibits a specific switch to M1 lineage, decreasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and expressions of co-stimulatory molecules associated with relieving infectious inflammation
. Glycolytic activation through the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway was required for differentiation to the M1 phenotype, which conferred protection against infection. Dimethyl malonate (DMM) treatment, which blocks the key element succinate of OXPHOS, efficiently inhibits a specific switch to M2 lineage when macrophages receiving M2 stimulation, decreasing the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine and CD206 expressions. Mitochondrial dynamic alterations including mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial membrane potential (Dym) and ROS productions were critically for differentiation to the M2 phenotype, which conferred protection against anti-tumor immunity. Glycolysis is also required for macrophage M2 differentiation. Thus, these data provide a basis for a comprehensively understanding the role of glycolysis and OXPHOS in macrophage differentiation during anti-infection and anti-tumor inflammation.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which are activated under pathological conditions, are a group of heterogeneous immature myeloid cells. MDSCs have potent capacities to support tumor growth ...via inhibition of the antitumoral immune response and/or the induction of immunosuppressive cells. In addition, multiple studies have demonstrated that MDSCs provide potential therapeutic targets for the elimination of immunosuppressive functions and the inhibition of tumor growth. The combination of targeting MDSCs and other therapeutic approaches has also demonstrated powerful antitumor effects. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and current strategies of cancer treatment by targeting MDSCs.
Although the role and mechanism of neutrophils in tumors have been widely studied, the precise effects of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) on neutrophils remain unclear. In this ...study, we investigated the roles of ARNT in the function of CD11b
Gr1
neutrophils in colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
Wild-type (WT), ARNT myeloid-specific deficient mice and a colitis-associated colorectal cancer mouse model were used in this study. The level and functions of CD11b
Gr1
cells were evaluated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.
We found that ARNT deficiency drives neutrophils recruitment, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) development, inflammatory cytokine secretion and suppressive activities when cells enter the periphery from bone marrow upon colorectal tumorigenesis. ARNT deficiency displays similar effects to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) deficiency in neutrophils. CXCR2 is required for NET development, cytokine production and recruitment of neutrophils but not the suppressive activities induced by Arnt
in colorectal cancer. The gut microbiota is essential for functional alterations in Arnt
neutrophils to promote colorectal cancer growth. The colorectal cancer effects of Arnt
neutrophils were significantly restored by mouse cohousing or antibiotic treatment. Intragastric administration of the feces of Arnt
mice phenocopied their colorectal cancer effects.
Our results defined a new role for the transcription factor ARNT in regulating neutrophils recruitment and function and the gut microbiota with implications for the future combination of gut microbiota and immunotherapy approaches in colorectal cancer.
Objective To explore the effect of open reading frame 66 (C12ORF66) located at chromosome 12 on the viability of MYCN amplified NB cell lines. Methods DDatasets GSE16476 and GSE49710 in R2 database ...were analyzed for expression level of C12ORF66 in MYCN amplified and MYCN non-amplified NB cells and its potential correlation with the prognosis of pediatric patients. C12ORF66 mRNA expression level in normal tissue immortalized cell lines, MYCN amplified and MYCN non-amplified cell lines were detected by RT-qRCR. Transient or stable knockdown of C12ORF66 cell lines were constructed to compare the difference in real time cellular analysis (RTCA), colony formation, Ki67 positive cells between the control group and the C12ORF66 knockdown group. Results By analyzing R2 datasets, C12ORF66 level in MYCN amplified samples was significantly higher than that in MYCN non-amplified samples, and the expression of C12ORF66 was negatively correlated with the prognosis of pediatric patients(P<0.05). C12ORF66 highly expressed in
To investigate the function and underlying mechanism of cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2 (CSRP2) in neuroblastoma (NB).OBJECTIVETo investigate the function and underlying mechanism of cysteine and ...glycine-rich protein 2 (CSRP2) in neuroblastoma (NB).The correlation between the expression level of CSRP2 mRNA and the prognosis of NB children in NB clinical samples was analyzed in R2 Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting CSRP2 or CSRP2 plasmid were transfected to NB cell lines SK-N-BE(2) and SH-SY5Y. Cell proliferation was observed by crystal violet staining and real-time cellular analysis. The ability of colony formation of NB cells was observed by colony-forming unit assay. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67. Flow cytometry analysis for cell cycle proportion was used with cells stained by propidium iodide (PI). Annexin V/7AAD was used to stain cells and analyze the percentage of cell apoptosis. The