Color of food as a vector for children’s well-being

Purpose A product colour plays an important role in consumers’ preferences. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the impact of the three-dimensional character of colour (brightness, saturation and vividness) on children’s behaviour towards a food product and as a source of well-being. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments were conducted. Study 1 was conducted with 62 children and used four visuals of syrup presenting two colours (red/green) and two variations of vividness (vivid/dim). Study 2 was conducted with 70 children and used four pictures of stewed apples and four pictures of pouches to test the influence of each dimension of colour on children’s preferences for the product and the product packaging. Findings Results show that the three-dimensional character of colour plays an important role in children’s gustatory inferences and well-being. Research limitations/implications The study is restricted to one food product (in each study) habitually consumed by children. Other products could be investigated to show how colour can contribute to children’s well-being. Practical implications The paper addresses the issue of well-being as a potential brand-positioning element. Social implications The paper suggests new avenues to use the brightness/saturation or vividness of a product or packaging colour as a potential element to arouse positive sensations that generate children’s well-being even when the product is not a preferred one. Originality/value This works initiates creative thinking concerning the impact of a product colour on children consumers

Different Molecular Signatures in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Staged Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Muscles

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common muscular dystrophies and is characterized by a non-conventional genetic mechanism activated by pathogenic D4Z4 repeat contractions. By muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) we observed that T2-short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR) sequences identify two different conditions in which each muscle can be found before the irreversible dystrophic alteration, marked as T1-weighted sequence hyperintensity, takes place. We studied these conditions in order to obtain further information on the molecular mechanisms involved in the selective wasting of single muscles or muscle groups in this disease

Bmcc1s, a Novel Brain-Isoform of Bmcc1, Affects Cell Morphology by Regulating MAP6/STOP Functions

The BCH (BNIP2 and Cdc42GAP Homology) domain-containing protein Bmcc1/Prune2 is highly enriched in the brain and is involved in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics and cell survival. However, the molecular mechanisms accounting for these functions are poorly defined. Here, we have identified Bmcc1s, a novel isoform of Bmcc1 predominantly expressed in the mouse brain. In primary cultures of astrocytes and neurons, Bmcc1s localized on intermediate filaments and microtubules and interacted directly with MAP6/STOP, a microtubule-binding protein responsible for microtubule cold stability. Bmcc1s overexpression inhibited MAP6-induced microtubule cold stability by displacing MAP6 away from microtubules. It also resulted in the formation of membrane protrusions for which MAP6 was a necessary cofactor of Bmcc1s. This study identifies Bmcc1s as a new MAP6 interacting protein able to modulate MAP6-induced microtubule cold stability. Moreover, it illustrates a novel mechanism by which Bmcc1 regulates cell morphology

Glucocorticoid receptor in astrocytes regulates midbrain dopamine neurodegeneration through connexin hemichannel activity

The precise contribution of astrocytes in neuroinflammatory process occurring in Parkinson's disease (PD) is not well characterized. In this study, using GR(Cx30CreERT2) mice that are conditionally inactivated for glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in astrocytes, we have examined the actions of astrocytic GR during dopamine neuron (DN) degeneration triggered by the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The results show significantly augmented DN loss in GR(Cx30CreERT2) mutant mice in substantia nigra (SN) compared to controls. Hypertrophy of microglia but not of astrocytes was greatly enhanced in SN of these astrocytic GR mutants intoxicated with MPTP, indicating heightened microglial reactivity compared to similarly-treated control mice. In the SN of GR astrocyte mutants, specific inflammation-associated transcripts ICAM-1, TNF-alpha and Il-1 beta as well as TNF-alpha protein levels were significantly elevated after MPTP neurotoxicity compared to controls. Interestingly, this paralleled increased connexin hemichannel activity and elevated intracellular calcium levels in astrocytes examined in acute midbrain slices from control and mutant mice treated with MPP+. The increased connexin-43 hemichannel activity was found in vivo in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Importantly, treatment of MPTP-injected GR(Cx30CreERT2) mutant mice with TAT-Gap19 peptide, a specific connexin-43 hemichannel blocker, reverted both DN loss and microglial activation; in wild-type mice there was partial but significant survival effect. In the SN of postmortem PD patients, a significant decrease in the number of astrocytes expressing nuclear GR was observed, suggesting the participation of astrocytic GR deregulation of inflammatory process in PD. Overall, these data provide mechanistic insights into GR-modulated processes in vivo, specifically in astrocytes, that contribute to a pro-inflammatory state and dopamine neurodegeneration in PD pathology

Elevation of the antifibrotic peptide N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline: a blood pressure-independent beneficial effect of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors

Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is well recognized as an essential therapy in hypertensive, heart, and kidney diseases. There are several classes of drugs that block the RAS; these drugs are known to exhibit antifibrotic action. An analysis of the molecular mechanisms of action for these drugs can reveal potential differences in their antifibrotic roles. In this review, we discuss the antifibrotic action of RAS blockade with an emphasis on the potential importance of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition associated with the antifibrotic peptide N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (AcSDKP)

Discordance entre discours et réalité : analyse nutritionnelle de 98 vidéos YouTube « une journée dans mon assiette »

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Enrichir la compréhension du processus de choix de l'enfant consommateur via l’étude du concept d'ensemble évoqué

International audienceCet article examine le concept d’ensemble évoqué appliqué pour la première fois aux enfants consommateurs. Les principaux résultats confirment son existence dans leur processus de décision et mettent en évidence ses spécificités en termes de taille et de contenu. En particulier, il souligne que la taille de l’ensemble évoqué dépend de trois facteurs : la sensibilité aux marques, le niveau d’implication des enfants dans la catégorie de produits et l’usage privé ou public du produit. Quant à son contenu, l’étude suggère que les marques ont d’autant plus de chances d’être présentes dans l’ensemble évoqué qu’elles sont perçues comme prototypiques de la catégorie de produits. Ces découvertes ouvrent des pistes de réflexion importantes sur la manière dont les enfants s’approprient les marques tant au niveau fonctionnel que symbolique dans leur vie quotidienne

Enrichir la comprehension du processus de choix de l'enfant consommateur via l'etude du concept d'ensemble evoque

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Le dessin comme langage de l'enfant : Contributions de la psychologie a l'enrichissement des méthodologies de recherche appliquées aux enfants consommateurs

International audienceSur la base des connaissances acquises en psychologie, ce travail a pour ambition de mener une réflexion sur les ressorts du langage graphique et la manière dont ce langage peut être mobilisé dans les recherches sur les enfants consommateurs. Il fournit un cadre méthodologique et permet de légitimer l’utilisation du langage graphique en proposant trois manières de structurer la collecte des données (le dessin cadré, le dessin orienté, le dessin libre) et deux techniques d’analyse du corpus en fonction des objectifs de la recherche