Climate change knowledge influences attitude to mitigation via efficacy beliefs.

Theories proposing climate change apathy is explained by inadequate knowledge do not account for why many informed and concerned Americans fail to act. While correlations between knowledge, efficacy for climate change, and attitude to mitigation have been observed, few studies have examined efficacy for climate change as a mediator. This study aimed to investigate the influence of specific climate change knowledge on attitude to mitigation via efficacy beliefs. A cross-sectional survey of 205 US adults recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk assessed participants' climate change knowledge, efficacy for climate change, and attitude to mitigation. Indirect effects of self-efficacy for climate change were observed in three mediation models, suggesting efficacy for climate change explains some of the relationship between specific climate change knowledge and attitude to mitigation. The findings suggest risk communication can motivate pro-environmental attitudes with interventions that deliver information about climate change and develop efficacy for mitigation behavior.

The Impact of Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory on Aggressive Behavior.

Why some people, and not others, exhibit aggression remains unknown. Research points to certain personality traits being linked to either proactive or reactive aggression, or both. The current study attempts to address these gaps from the perspective of revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (rRST). Using 146 participants, results revealed Behavioral Approach System (BAS)-Impulsivity and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) predicted proactive and reactive aggression. Defensive Fight predicted reactive aggression. BAS-Impulsivity predicted proactive aggression partially mediated by Social Dominance Orientation. These findings suggest proactive and reactive aggression are motivated by a combination of anxiety and rapid, approach-motivational personality traits. This study provides further understanding of the specific relations between rRST and aggression, is integrated into the general aggression model, and has implications for treatment of aggressive individuals.

The role of equanimity in mediating the relationship between psychological distress and social isolation during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Social isolation and the impact on mental health is a major concern during COVID-19. Trait equanimity is expected to protect individuals from psychological distress associated with social isolation. The aim of this study is to examine the link between social isolation and psychological distress via the mediator equanimity. It was hypothesised that objective (few social contacts) and perceived social isolation (loneliness) would predict psychological distress and that equanimity would mediate these relationships. METHODS: Five hundred and seventy-eight adult United States participants were recruited and completed measures of objective social isolation and perceived social isolation (De Jong Gierveld Social Isolation scale), trait equanimity (Phenomenological Experience of Meditative Equanimity Scale), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Short Form, DASS-21). RESULTS: Objective social isolation negatively predicted psychological distress, but equanimity did not mediate this relationship. Perceived social isolation positively predicted psychological distress and equanimity mediated this relationship. LIMITATIONS: This study is limited by its cross-sectional and self-report design and by a United States sample, which may affect the generalisability of findings. CONCLUSIONS: Rather than a lack of social contact it is the "perceived" nature of isolation that is related to psychological distress and this relationship indirectly operates through trait equanimity. Individuals high in trait equanimity may be better protected from the impact of perceived social isolation. Clinical interventions can be adapted to include equanimity skills to mitigate perceived social isolation for individuals and reduce adverse outcomes.

Mediator-Enabled Electrocatalysis with Ligandless Copper for Anaerobic Chan-Lam Coupling Reactions.

Simple copper salts serve as catalysts to effect C-X bond-forming reactions in some of the most utilized transformations in synthesis, including the oxidative coupling of aryl boronic acids and amines. However, these Chan-Lam coupling reactions have historically relied on chemical oxidants that limit their applicability beyond small-scale synthesis. Despite the success of replacing strong chemical oxidants with electrochemistry for a variety of metal-catalyzed processes, electrooxidative reactions with ligandless copper catalysts are plagued by slow electron-transfer kinetics, irreversible copper plating, and competitive substrate oxidation. Herein, we report the implementation of substoichiometric quantities of redox mediators to address limitations to Cu-catalyzed electrosynthesis. Mechanistic studies reveal that mediators serve multiple roles by (i) rapidly oxidizing low-valent Cu intermediates, (ii) stripping Cu metal from the cathode to regenerate the catalyst and reveal the active Pt surface for proton reduction, and (iii) providing anodic overcharge protection to prevent substrate oxidation. This strategy is applied to Chan-Lam coupling of aryl-, heteroaryl-, and alkylamines with arylboronic acids in the absence of chemical oxidants. Couplings under these electrochemical conditions occur with higher yields and shorter reaction times than conventional reactions in air and provide complementary substrate reactivity.

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and Problem Gambling in a General Population Sample.

This study examined the impact of revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST) on two measures of problem gambling. Using 112 general population adult participants, two measures of r-RST, the reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality questionnaire (RST-PQ) and Jackson 5, were used to predict problem gambling operationalised using the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Hypotheses were that the behavioural approach system (BAS) would positively predict problem gambling and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) would negatively predict problem gambling. Results found that the BIS negatively predicted problem gambling. The RST-PQ BAS reward reactivity subscale positively predicted problem gambling using the IGT. These findings add to the operational understanding of the r-RST personality model, its relationships to avoidance and approach behaviour in response to reward and punishment, and to understanding the aetiology of problem gambling.

Integrating the context-appropriate balanced attention model and reinforcement sensitivity theory: Towards a domain-general personality process model.

Over the last 40 years or more the personality literature has been dominated by trait models based on the Big Five (B5). Trait-based models describe personality at the between-person level but cannot explain the within-person mental mechanisms responsible for personality. Nor can they adequately account for variations in emotion and behavior experienced by individuals across different situations and over time. An alternative, yet understated, approach to personality architecture can be found in neurobiological theories of personality, most notably reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST). In contrast to static trait-based personality models like the B5, RST provides a more plausible basis for a personality process model, namely, one that explains how emotions and behavior arise from the dynamic interaction between contextual factors and within-person mental mechanisms. In this article, the authors review the evolution of a neurobiologically based personality process model based on RST, the response modulation model and the context-appropriate balanced attention model. They argue that by integrating this complex literature, and by incorporating evidence from personality neuroscience, one can meaningfully explain personality at both the within- and between-person levels. This approach achieves a domain-general architecture based on RST and self-regulation that can be used to align within-person mental mechanisms, neurobiological systems and between-person measurement models. (PsycINFO Database Record

A neuronal microtubule-interacting agent, NAPVSIPQ, reduces tau pathology and enhances cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Neurofibrillary tangles composed of aggregated, hyperphosphorylated tau in an abnormal conformation represent one of the major pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. However, recent data suggest that the pathogenic processes leading to cognitive impairment occur before the formation of classic tangles. In the earliest stages of tauopathy, tau detaches from microtubules and accumulates in the cytosol of the somatodendritic compartment of cells. Either as a cause or an effect, tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and aggregates into paired helical filaments that comprise the tangles. To assess whether an agent that modulates microtubule function can inhibit the pathogenic process and prevent cognitive deficits in a transgenic mouse model with AD-relevant tau pathology, we administered the neuronal tubulin-preferring agent, NAPVSIPQ (NAP). Three months of treatment with NAP at an early-to-moderate stage of tauopathy reduced the levels of hyperphosphorylated soluble and insoluble tau. A 6-month course of treatment improved cognitive function. Although nonspecific tubulin-interacting agents commonly used for cancer therapy are associated with adverse effects due to their anti-mitotic activity, no adverse effects were found after 6 months of exposure to NAP. Our results suggest that neuronal microtubule interacting agents such as NAP may be useful therapeutic agents for the treatment or prevention of tauopathies.

Inhibition within the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) ameliorates environmental exploration deficits due to cerebellum lesions in an animal model for autism.

Clinical observations suggest that abnormalities within the cerebellum and/or the cerebellum--cholinergic forebrain connections may be key to explain the severe behavioral deficits and increases in seizures seen in autism. In order to explore functional relationships between brain areas implicated in many of the core behavioral features of autism, experiments utilizing animal models for specific autism-like behaviors have increased in recent years. In the current study, we used a rodent model for the autism-like behavior of environment exploration deficits to examine the role of the cerebellum and its connectivity to the forebrain. In addition, due to the possible common neural pathways between seizures and autism-like behaviors, we explored the possibility for limiting autism-like behaviors via antiseizure brainstem and cerebellar circuitry. In two experiments, adult male rats showed a significant decrease in exploration behavior following developmental cerebellar suction lesions (experiment 1) or i.c.v. saporin injections specifically targeting Purkinje cells, but not after the addition of saporin-induced cholinergic forebrain lesions (experiment 2). In both experiments, the anticonvulsant treatment of inhibition of the medullary nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) restored exploration behavior to control levels. These findings suggest that specific neuronal populations within the cerebellum are responsible for mediating exploration behavior, and these neuronal populations are similar to the circuitry involved in limbic motor seizures in that they are sensitive to brainstem inhibition. Furthermore, these results suggest this connection could be utilized in order to control behavioral deficits seen in autism with treatments, such as vagal nerve stimulation, which are effective against pharmaco-resistant seizures.