The role of communities in advancing the goals of the Movement for Global Mental Health

This special section of Transcultural Psychiatry explores the local-global spaces of engagement being opened up by the Movement for Global Mental Health, with particular emphasis on the need for expanded engagement with local communities. Currently the Movement places its main emphasis on scaling up mental health services and advocating for the rights of the mentally ill, framed within universalised western understandings of health, healing and personhood. The papers in this section emphasise the need for greater attention to the impacts of context, culture and local survival strategies on peoples' responses to adversity and illness, greater acknowledgement of the agency and resilience of vulnerable communities and increased attention to the way in which power inequalities and social injustices frame peoples' opportunities for mental health. In this Introduction, we highlight ways in which greater community involvement opens up possibilities for tackling each of these challenges. Drawing on community health psychology, we outline our conceptualisation of "community mental health competence" defined as the ability of community members to work collectively to facilitate more effective prevention, care, treatment and advocacy. We highlight the roles of multi-level dialogue, critical thinking and partnerships in facilitating both the "voice" of vulnerable communities as well as "receptive social environments" where powerful groups are willing to recognise communities' needs and assist them in working for improved well-being. Respectful local-global alliances have a key role to play in this process. The integration of local community struggles for mental health into an energetic global activist Movement opens up exciting possibilities for translating the Movement's calls for improved global mental health from rhetoric to reality

An Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA in Rett Syndrome and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders

Mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from mutations on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is being recognized in a growing spectrum of diseases. These diseases, resulting from single base mutations, large deletions, or insertions, have been largely neuromuscular in origin. However, as an understanding of the effects of mtDNA mutations progresses, attention is now focusing on neurodegenerative diseases. Rett Syndrome (RS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease with predominantly female cases, demonstrates morphologic mitochondrial changes, mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies and maternal inheritance (characteristic of mtDNA diseases). No investigation of mtDNA involvement has been previously conducted and, to date, no biological marker exists for this disorder. Our preliminary studies in mitochondrial myopathies indicated that mtDNA could be detected from limited amounts of blood, amniotic fluid, and single human lymphoblasts. Multiplex PCR, restriction digestion and single cell sequencing were used to identify the LHON (Leber\u27s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy) mutation in control and LHON single lymphoblasts. We then examined the state of mtDNA heteroplasmy in the heteroplasmic disease MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, strokelike symptoms) in single human lymphoblasts and identified an intercellular distribution of mutant and normal mtDNA. This differs from analyses performed in LHON and MERRF (myoclonic epilepsy, ragged red fibers) pedigrees which demonstrate a predominantly intracellular distribution. This may implicate MELAS as a homoplasmic-lethal mutation. We then defined a procedure to identify single base mutations within the mitochondrial genome. Mitochondrial myopathy patient samples were used. The procedure employs DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) to define an area of interest within the genome. PCR amplification and SSCP (single-stranded conformational polymorphism) analysis were used to localize the mutation to a 200bp region which was then sequenced to identify the lesion. Rett Syndrome demonstrates a multicomplex effect of the respiratory chain enzymes indicating a possible translational dysfunction. The above approach was employed in an analysis of the 22 mitochondrial tRNAs for mutations relating to RS. SSCP analysis identified a number of conformational changes which, following DNA sequencing, proved to be non-specific for the disease. Sequencing of additional regions of the mtDNA confirmed the SSCP results indicating that a mutation in the mitochondrial tRNAs is not associated with Rett Syndrome

Shifting sands: the narrative construction of early career aboriginal teachers' professional identities at the cultural interface

This study explores issues facing early career Aboriginal teachers as they construct and enact their personal, professional and situated identities when learning to teach. Narrative constructions of identity simultaneously illuminate and challenge dominant discourses about Aboriginal teachers as they take up, resist and/or reject these discourses. The role of Aboriginality is mediated by factors such as lived experience, positioning of and by the teachers and school contexts. These issues are explored through the theoretical perspectives of Foucault, Bourdieu and Nakata. Like shifting sands, identity construction and teaching work can be unstable terrain, requiring complex contextualised understandings, skills and dispositions. Participants are pre-service Aboriginal teachers in an away-from-base secondary Aboriginal Studies teacher education program at the University of Sydney. They are mature-aged with varying levels of experience of formal education and living in Aboriginal communities. Using narrative methodology, eleven in-depth conversational interviews followed by two focus groups revealed emerging storylines and themes and four participants were identified for further interviews to collaboratively construct the final narratives. This approach privileged participant voices and created spaces to articulate the tacit knowledge and understandings that contribute to the development of a professional identity drawn from personal, professional, cultural and contextual sources. Three themes emerged: discourses of Aboriginality, narratives of belonging, and conceptualising a pedagogical cultural identity. The implications of these themes bring focus to pre-service and in-service teacher professional learning based on valuing Aboriginal community engagement. When nurtured early in a teacher’s career, relationships serve a socio-cultural and political role that contribute significantly to the development of agentic and resilient identities at the cultural interface

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis as a natural anti-listerial agent in the mushroom industry

peer-reviewedMushroom growth substrates from different commercial producers of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) were screened for the presence of bacteria with potential for use as biocontrol agents for controlling Listeria monocytogenes in the mushroom production environment. Eight anti-listerial strains were isolated from different sources and all were identified using 16s rRNA gene sequencing as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis. Whole-genome sequencing of the Lc. lactis isolates indicated that strains from different sites and substrate types were highly similar. Colony MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry found that these strains were Nisin Z producers but inhibitory activity was highly influenced by the incubation conditions and was strain dependant. The biofilm forming ability of these strains was tested using a crystal violet assay and all were found to be strong biofilm formers. Growth of Lc. lactis subsp. lactis using mixed-biofilm conditions with L. monocytogenes on stainless steel resulted in a 4-log reduction of L. monocytogenes cell numbers. Additional sampling of mushroom producers showed that these anti-listerial Lc. lactis strains are commonly present in the mushroom production environment. Lc. lactis has a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status and therefore has potential for use as an environmentally benign solution to control L. monocytogenes in order to prevent product contamination and to enhance consumer confidence in the mushroom industry

Ol Woman Blong Wota (The Women of the Water)

The women of Leweton have been performing Water Music for international audiences since the founding of the Leweton Cultural Village in 2008, and have been practising this tradition for as long as they remember. The women performers who feature in this film are Denilla Frazer, Melinda Frazer, Jerolyn Frazer, Beverley Frazer, Cecilia Tingris, Cicilia Wari, Marie Sur, Sonrin Sur, Trisha Sur, and Margaret Tingris

The effect of antimicrobials on verocytotoxin bacteriophage transduction under bovine rumen fluid and broth conditions

peer-reviewedThe verocytotoxin genes in verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) are carried by bacteriophages, incorporated into the bacterial genome (prophage). Antibiotics may promote phage replication and release to infect other cells (transduction), thus leading to the emergence of new VTEC strains. This study investigated transduction of a verocytotoxin2-encoding bacteriophage (3538(vtx2::cat)) under laboratory conditions, including the effect of antibiotic treatments. Luria-Bertani Miller broth and rumen fluid (raw and sterilised by irradiation) were inoculated with the donor (C600φ3538(Δvtx2::cat)) and recipient (E. coli C600::kanamycinR) strains (4 log10 cfu/mL) and incubated at 38°C. Antibiotic treatments (minimal inhibitory and sub-inhibitory concentrations of ampicillin, cefquinome, oxytetracycline and sodium sulfamethazine) were applied after 3 h. Samples were tested for donor, recipient, cell-free phage and transductants at times t = 0, 3, 4, 6, 27 (24 h post-antibiotic treatment) and 51 h. Free phage was detected in the untreated broth and rumen samples, as were the transductants confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The antibiotic treatments did not significantly (P > 0.01) increase the concentrations of free phage or transductants detected. It was therefore concluded that, under laboratory conditions, the antibiotics tested did not induce bacteriophage lysis, release and infection of new bacterial cells beyond that constitutively found in the phage population

The implications of community responses to intimate partner violence in Rwanda

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has significant impacts on mental health. Community-focused interventions have shown promising results for addressing IPV in low-income countries, however, little is known about the implications of these interventions for women’s mental wellbeing. This paper analyses data from a community-focused policy intervention in Rwanda collected in 2013–14, including focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with community members (n = 59). Our findings point to three ways in which these community members responded to IPV: (1) reconciling couples experiencing violence, (2) engaging community support through raising cases of IPV during community discussions, (3) navigating resources for women experiencing IPV, including police, social services and legal support. These community responses support women experiencing violence by helping them access available resources and by engaging in community discussions. However, assistance is largely only offered to married women and responses tend to focus exclusively on physical rather than psychological or emotional forms of violence. Drawing on Campbell and Burgess’s (2012) framework for ‘community mental health competence’, we interrogate the potential implications of these responses for the mental wellbeing of women affected by violence. We conclude by drawing attention to the gendered nature of community responses to IPV and the potential impacts this may have for the mental health of women experiencing IPV

Palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment of the middle Eocene southern Pacific : insights from New Zealand

The Hampden Section of South Island, New Zealand, is used to generate a multiproxy record of middle Eocene palaeoclimate. The Hampden Formation is a calcareous clay-rich siltstone deposited in a shelf edge environment, containing exceptionally well-preserved micro- and nannofossils. A range of sedimentary, geochemical and fossil assemblage records from this formation are combined to provide new insights into middle Eocene climate in the southern Pacific Ocean. A palaeoclimate record generated through the formation spans the period from -42.1 to -39.3 Ma and shows clear cooling in ocean mixed-layer temperatures from -18 C to -14 C, with long period cyclicity (likely -405 k.y.) superimposed. This cooling trend is punctuated by a transient warm excursion of - 2.5 C lasting -450 k.y. that may represent the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum. There is a brief influx of the tropical planktonic foraminifer Hantkenina australis during this time and the excursion is also marked by a substantial drop in the sand fraction of the sediment, indicating that the warm interval had a significant impact on the terrestrial realm. The water temperatures produced from this record are warmer than those previously estimated for similar latitudes, likely due to the excellent preservation of the microfossils reducing the effect of diagenesis on their geochemistry. These temperatures suggest that during the middle Eocene, the site lay in the path of a warm southward flowing current rather than a cold Antarctic gyre. They also support the hypothesis that the global latitudinal temperature gradient was reduced during the middle Eocene. A shorter high-resolution record of climate was also obtained. This shows -18 k.y. cyclicity in a range of palaeoclimatic and palaeonvironmental proxies that is considered to have been orbitally forced. The Mg/Ca derived bottom water temperatures range from -11 to 13 C and the TEXg6 derived surface water temperatures from -22.5 to 24 C through these cycles. The combination of 8 O and Mg/Ca in foraminiferal carbonates indicates that there was little or no ice present globally. Despite the lack of ice available to amplify the cycles they had a major and complex effect on both the marine and terrestrial environments.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment of the middle Eocene southern Pacific : insights from New Zealand

The Hampden Section of South Island, New Zealand, is used to generate a multiproxy record of middle Eocene palaeoclimate. The Hampden Formation is a calcareous clay-rich siltstone deposited in a shelf edge environment, containing exceptionally well-preserved micro- and nannofossils. A range of sedimentary, geochemical and fossil assemblage records from this formation are combined to provide new insights into middle Eocene climate in the southern Pacific Ocean. A palaeoclimate record generated through the formation spans the period from -42.1 to -39.3 Ma and shows clear cooling in ocean mixed-layer temperatures from -18 C to -14 C, with long period cyclicity (likely -405 k.y.) superimposed. This cooling trend is punctuated by a transient warm excursion of - 2.5 C lasting -450 k.y. that may represent the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum. There is a brief influx of the tropical planktonic foraminifer Hantkenina australis during this time and the excursion is also marked by a substantial drop in the sand fraction of the sediment, indicating that the warm interval had a significant impact on the terrestrial realm. The water temperatures produced from this record are warmer than those previously estimated for similar latitudes, likely due to the excellent preservation of the microfossils reducing the effect of diagenesis on their geochemistry. These temperatures suggest that during the middle Eocene, the site lay in the path of a warm southward flowing current rather than a cold Antarctic gyre. They also support the hypothesis that the global latitudinal temperature gradient was reduced during the middle Eocene. A shorter high-resolution record of climate was also obtained. This shows -18 k.y. cyclicity in a range of palaeoclimatic and palaeonvironmental proxies that is considered to have been orbitally forced. The Mg/Ca derived bottom water temperatures range from -11 to 13 C and the TEXg6 derived surface water temperatures from -22.5 to 24 C through these cycles. The combination of 8 O and Mg/Ca in foraminiferal carbonates indicates that there was little or no ice present globally. Despite the lack of ice available to amplify the cycles they had a major and complex effect on both the marine and terrestrial environments.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Eurovision 2023 Cultural Relations Snapshot: A snapshot from the forthcoming cultural relations, soft power and shared values research

About this research In May 2023, Liverpool and the BBC hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on Ukraine’s behalf. This was the first time since 1980 that Eurovision has not been hosted in the previous winning country, and the first time a winner has ever been unable to host because the country is under attack. Researchers at the University of Hull with consultants from the University of Brighton, University of Glasgow, and Royal Holloway, University of London are investigating the cultural relations and ‘soft power’ impact of Eurovision for a study commissioned by the British Council in partnership with Liverpool City Council and DCMS. The study has three pillars: • A literature review surveying the state of the art in research on Eurovision and other largescale cultural and competitive events. • A tracker survey exploring the impact of Eurovision on members of the public in 5 European countries. • Interviews exploring how stakeholders co-operated to create the narrative of Liverpool, the BBC and the UK hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine. We’ve prepared this snapshot ahead of the publication of the full research in January 2023 for the upcoming event ‘Liverpool Calling – And the results are in!’