Canavan disease (CD) is a recessively inherited pediatric leukodystrophy resulting from inactivating mutations to the oligodendroglial enzyme aspartoacylase (ASPA). ASPA is responsible for hydrolyzing the amino acid derivative N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA), and without it, brain NAA concentrations increase by 50% or more. Infants and children with CD present with progressive cognitive and motor delays, cytotoxic edema, astroglial vacuolation, and prominent spongiform brain degeneration. ASPA-deficient CD mice (Aspanur7/nur7) present similarly with elevated NAA, widespread astroglial dysfunction, ataxia, and Purkinje cell (PC) dendritic atrophy. Bergmann glia (BG), radial astrocytes essential for cerebellar development, are intimately intertwined with PCs, where they regulate synapse stability, functionality, and plasticity. BG damage is common to many neurodegenerative conditions and frequently associated with PC dysfunction and ataxia. Here, we report that, in CD mice, BG exhibit significant morphological alterations, decreased structural associations with PCs, loss of synaptic support proteins, and altered calcium dynamics. We also find that BG dysfunction predates cerebellar vacuolation and PC damage in CD mice. Previously, we developed an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy targeting Nat8l (N-acetyltransferase-8-like, “Nat8l ASO”) that inhibits the production of NAA and reverses ataxia and PC atrophy in CD mice. Here, we show that Nat8l ASO administration in adult CD mice also leads to BG repair. Furthermore, blocking astroglial uptake of NAA is neuroprotective in astroglia-neuron cocultures exposed to elevated NAA. Our findings suggest that restoration of BG structural and functional integrity could be a mechanism for PC regeneration and improved motor function.

Funding information:

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; National Institutes of Health [R21NS13381, R21NS117386, R01NS113859, R01NS105886, R21NS125464, R01NS123165, R01NS123080, TL1 TR001861, UL1 TR001860]; National Science Foundation [1754340]; Shriners Hospitals for Children

Sustainability has increasingly become one of the single biggest issues requiring immediate global attention by both the retail industry and the consumer. As the end users of garments, consumers play a key role in reversing the current devastating environmental trends. For consumers to do this, there is a need to understand those motivating factors that would encourage them to increase their involvement in sustainability-related practices. This study, therefore, addresses the motivations, values, beliefs, and norms of the consumer’s sustainable consumption behavior (SCB). The value-belief-norm (VBN) theory was used as a framework to explain beliefs and behaviors which serve as predictors for attitudes and behavioral intentions. Data were collected through interviews with 14 female participants in six countries selected because of their environmentally-conscious behaviors. Findings indicate poor fit is a motivating factor to extend the life of clothing by providing participants with a sense of control and empowerment. Participants believed fashion was an unlimited reusable resource. Future research might explore connections among creativity, mental wellness, and empowerment. Both fashion industry and academic practitioners would benefit, as a need exists to update consumer behavior models, and increase understanding, based on the wants and needs of the sustainability-conscious consumer.

To examine the effects of two different volume-matched resistance exercise (RE) recovery protocols (passive and active) on platelet indices and hemodynamic variables. Twelve Healthy participants (mean ± SD; 25 ± 3 yrs) completed a traditional resistance exercise (TRE) protocol that included three sets of six repetitions at 80% one repetition maximum (1RM) with two minutes passive recovery between sets, exercises and an interval resistance exercise (IRE) protocol that included three sets of six repetitions at 60%1RM followed by active recovery including six repetitions of the same exercise at 20%1RM. Blood samples for multiple platelet indices were taken before the protocols, immediately-post (IP), and after 1-hour recovery. Hemodynamic variables were measured before, IP, and every five minutes during recovery. Mean platelet volume and platelet large cell ratio P_LCR decreased from baseline to recovery. Heart rate (HR) and rate pressure product (RPP) were augmented at IP following IRE compared to TRE. HR was significantly elevated for 20 minutes after both RE protocols, and RPP recovered by five minutes. Systolic blood pressure was increased at IP compared to baseline and all recovery time points for both RE protocols. Our research demonstrated that both RE protocols, produced transient increases in platelet indices (MPV, and P_LCR) and hemodynamic variables (SBP, HR, and RPP), all of which returned to baseline within an hour. Notably, the IRE protocol elicited a greater increase in HR and RPP compared to the TRE protocol.

Given that risk beliefs predict engagement in behaviors to prevent disease, it is important to understand the factors associated with risk beliefs. In the present paper, we conducted path analyses to investigate the associations of belief systems (political orientation and cultural worldviews of individualism and hierarchy) with COVID-19 risk beliefs (i.e., perceived likelihood, perceived severity, and worry about disease; Studies 1 and 2), and the indirect effect through trust in information sources in these relationships (Study 1). Two online panels of U.S. adults were surveyed at three timepoints during the COVID-19 pandemic (Study 1: baseline n = 1,667, 1-year follow-up n = 551; Study 2: n = 404). Results of path analyses indicated that, across studies and timepoints, when controlling for political orientation, trust, and demographic factors, greater individualism had consistent significant direct effects on lower perceived severity and worry about COVID-19, whereas greater hierarchy had consistent significant direct effects on lower perceived severity. However, after accounting for cultural worldviews of individualism and hierarchy (and trust and demographic factors), none of the associations among political orientation and any of the three COVID-19 risk beliefs were significant. The test of indirect effects indicated that individualism and hierarchy were indirectly associated with lower perceived severity of and worry about COVID-19 through less trust. The findings suggest that cultural worldviews of individualism and hierarchy play a role in shaping people's risk beliefs.

Funded by: Institute of Education Sciences [R305U200004]; Applied Psychology Center, Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University

With an increasing number of videos integrating instructor’s visuals on screen, we know little about the impacts of this design on mind wandering. The study aims to investigate a) how instructor visibility impacts mind wandering; b) the relationship between mind wandering and retention performance; c) how visual behaviour during video-watching influences mind wandering. Each participant watched a video with or without instructor visibility, while their visual behaviour was recorded by an eye tracker. Retention performance was measured at the completion of the video. Mind wandering was inferred via global self-report measure and objective eye tracking measure. Both measures of mind wandering indicated the instructor visible video resulted in less mind wandering. Findings suggested mind wandering impaired retention performance. Additionally, visual attention to the instructor was associated with less mind wandering.

Health risks, when presented as ratios (e.g., two out of seven people), are challenging to understand, but visual displays can foster accurate understanding. We conducted three experiments to test how characteristics of numbers (Experiment 1), icon arrays (Experiments 1, 2, and 3), and number lines (Experiments 1 and 3) influenced people's ability to accurately estimate the risk of experiencing side effects. Participants in each experiment saw smaller- (e.g., 2 out of 7) and larger-component (e.g., 264 out of 924) equivalent ratios in one of three conditions: with number lines only, with icon arrays only, or in the form of Arabic numerals with no accompanying visual. We found that risk estimates were more accurate when presented in 10 x 10 icon arrays, long horizontal 1 x 99 arrays, or number lines. We theorize that hypothetical risks can be estimated more accurately when the display affords easy translation to a percentage.

Funding: Kent State University Research Council; U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences [R305U200004]