The Healthy Communities Research Institute (HCRI) was launched as part of Kent State University's strategic roadmap. HCRI promotes transdisciplinary research and endeavors to build connections between researchers at Kent State University and beyond to tackle some of today's most pressing health issues. The Healthy Communities Research Institute Collection highlights research that has been conducted by HCRI members.
Browse the Healthy Communities Research Institute (HCRI) scholarly publications Collections
Betaine restores epigenetic control and supports neuronal mitochondria in the cuprizone mouse model of multiple sclerosis08/02/2020Methionine metabolism is dysregulated in multiple sclerosis (MS). The methyl donor betaine is depleted in the MS brain where it is linked to changes in levels of histone H3 trimethylated on lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and mitochondrial impairment. We investigated the effects of replacing this depleted betaine in the cuprizone mouse model of MS. Supplementation with betaine restored epigenetic control and alleviated neurological disability in cuprizone mice. Betaine increased the methylation potential (SAM/SAH ratio), levels of H3K4me3, enhanced neuronal respiration, and prevented axonal damage. We show that the methyl donor betaine and the betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) enzyme can act in the nucleus to repair epigenetic control and activate neuroprotective transcriptional programmes. ChIP-seq data suggest that BHMT acts on chromatin to increase the SAM/SAH ratio and histone methyltransferase activity locally to increase H3K4me3 and activate gene expression that supports neuronal energetics. These data suggest that the methyl donor betaine may provide neuroprotection in MS where mitochondrial impairment damages axons and causes disability. |
Boosting positive mood in medical and emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic: preliminary evidence of efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of a novel online ambulatory intervention04/2021Objectives: The aim of this project was to test the efficacy of a brief and novel online ambulatory intervention aimed at supporting psychological health and well-being for medical personnel and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Broadening Your Horizons: Self-Expanding Activities Promote Desire and Satisfaction in Established Romantic Relationships02/2019In the early stages of romantic relationships, sexual desire is often intense, but over time, as partners get to know each other, desire tends to decline. Low sexual desire has negative implications for relationship satisfaction and maintenance. Self-expansion theory suggests that engaging in novel activities with a long-term romantic partner can reignite feelings of passion from the early stages of a relationship. Across 3 studies using dyadic, daily experience, longitudinal, and experimental methods, we find evidence for our central prediction that engaging in self-expanding activities with a partner is associated with higher sexual desire. In turn, we found that higher desire fueled by self-expansion is associated with greater relationship satisfaction. Self-expansion, through sexual desire, is also associated with an increased likelihood that couples will engage in sex, and when they do engage in sex, they feel more satisfied with their sexual experiences. We also demonstrate that the benefits of self-expansion for relationship satisfaction are sustained over time, and that the effects cannot be attributed solely to increases in positive affect, time spent interacting with the partner or closeness during the activity. Implications for self-expansion theory and sexual desire maintenance in relationships are discussed. |
Can feedback, correct, and incorrect worked examples improve numerical magnitude estimation precision?03/07/2021We investigated whether three interventions - studying incorrect worked examples, studying correct worked examples, or receiving feedback - improved children's 0-1,000 (Experiment 1) and adults' 1 thousand-1 billion (Experiment 2) number-line estimation precision relative to a no intervention control group. At pretest, participants estimated numbers on number lines (without feedback or examples) and judged their confidence in each estimate. They were then assigned to an intervention group, completed intervention trials, and then estimated numbers and judged their confidence at posttest. Children's and adults' confidence judgments did not increase from pretest to posttest. However, consistent with prior research, feedback improved children's and adults' estimation precision from pretest-to-posttest. Importantly, studying correct worked examples also improved precision, but studying incorrect worked examples did not. Although not all children benefited from training, those who did were able to transfer their knowledge to a number-categorization task. Adults in the feedback group were also able to transfer their learning. These outcomes highlight benefits of studying worked examples for improving children's and adults' estimation precision, but to obtain benefits, corrective feedback must be included. |
Can the positive buffer the negative? Testing the impact of protective childhood experiences on adjustment in adults following trauma exposure04/03/2023Background Methods Results Conclusion |
Cannabis use for exercise recovery in trained individuals: a survey study08/05/2023Background: Cannabis use, be it either cannabidiol (CBD) use and/or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use, shows promise to enhance exercise recovery. The present study aimed to determine if individuals are using CBD and/or THC as a means of recovery from aerobic and/or resistance exercise, as well as additional modalities that might be used to aid in recovery. Methods: Following consent, 111 participants (Mean ± SD: Age: 31 ± 13 years) completed an anonymous survey. All participants were regularly using cannabis (CBD and/or THC) as well as were currently exercising. Questions pertained to level of cannabis use, methods used for consumption of cannabis, exercise habits, exercise recovery strategies, and demographics. Results: Eighty-five percent of participants reported participating in aerobic training. In addition, 85% of participants also reported regular participation in resistance exercise. Seventy-two percent of participants participated in both aerobic and resistance exercise. Ninety-three percent of participants felt that CBD use assisted them with recovery from exercise, while 87% of participants felt the same regarding THC use. Conclusions: Individuals who habitually use cannabis, CBD or THC, and regularly engage in exercise do feel that cannabis assists them with exercise recovery. More data are necessary to understand the role of cannabis in exercise recovery as well as perceived ergogenic benefits of cannabis by individuals who both regularly participate in exercise and habitually use cannabis. |
Cardiac Autonomic Function Following Bilateral and Unilateral Upper Body Acute Resistance Exercise05/17/2022The purpose of this study was to compare cardiac autonomic responses following bilateral and unilateral upper-body (UB) acute resistance exercise (ARE). In total, 14 individuals were assessed for markers of cardiac autonomic responses via heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) at rest and at 10- and 30-min following ARE. Logarithmically transformed (ln) HRV measures included: total power (ln TP), high-frequency power (ln HF power), low-frequency power (ln LF power), sympathovagal balance (ln LF: HF), and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive R-R intervals (ln RMSSD). BRS was assessed using the sequence method. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze effects of UB ARE (bilateral, unilateral) across time (Rest, 10, and 30 min). There were no significant (p > 0.05) interactions. However, there were significant (p <= 0.05) main effects of time such that ln TP, ln HF power, ln RMSSD, and BRS decreased and did not recover within 30 min compared to Rest for both conditions. Collectively, this study suggests that bilateral and unilateral UB ARE yielded similar reductions, for at least 30 min, in respect to vagal measures of HRV and BRS. |
CDKN2A testing and genetic counseling promote reductions in objectively measured sun exposure one year later01/2020Purpose This study investigated whether genetic counseling and test reporting for the highly penetrant CDKN2A melanoma predisposition gene promoted decreases in sun exposure. Methods A prospective, nonequivalent control group design compared unaffected participants (N = 128, M-age = 35.24, 52% men) from (1) families known to carry a CDKN2A pathogenic variant, who received counseling about management recommendations and a positive or negative genetic test result and (2) no-test control families known not to carry a CDKN2A pathogenic variant, who received equivalent counseling based on their comparable family history. Changes in daily ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure (J/m(2)), skin pigmentation (melanin index), and sunburns between baseline and one year following counseling were compared among carriers (n = 32), noncarriers (n = 46), and no-test control participants (n = 50). Results Both carriers and no-test control participants exhibited a decrease one year later in daily UVR dose (B = -0.52, -0.33, p < 0.01). Only carriers exhibited a significant decrease in skin pigmentation at the wrist one year later (B = -0.11, p < 0.001), and both carriers and no-test control participants reported fewer sunburns than noncarriers (p < 0.05). Facial pigmentation did not change for any group. Noncarriers did not change on any measure of UVR exposure. Conclusions These findings support the clinical utility of disclosing CDKN2A test results and providing risk management education to high-risk individuals. |