In their own words: A qualitative study exploring influences on the food choices of university students

Issue addressed: University students generally make independent decisions regarding food choices. Current research about knowledge of Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG), sources of nutrition information and influences on food choices for this group is scarce. Methods: Qualitative data were collected from gender‐separated focus groups comprising four female (n = 31) and four male (n = 18) to identify: knowledge of ADG; sources of nutrition information; factors that influence food choices; perceived relevant nutrition messages and how best to deliver them. Results: Gaps in knowledge were identified particularly regarding number of serves and serving size for food groups. Social media was the most commonly reported source of knowledge. Social media was also a major influence on food choice due to its impact on body ideals. Conclusion: Current health promotion nutrition messages were perceived irrelevant given the focus on long‐term health risks. Health and adhering to the ADG were not identified as important. The desire to look a particular way was the major influence on food choices. So what? While there is an awareness of ADG, our participants made a deliberate decision not to follow them. This provides a challenge for developing relevant preventive health messages for this target audience

Mississippi River and Sea Surface Height Effects on Oil Slick Migration

Millions of barrels of oil escaped into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) after the 20 April, 2010 explosion of Deepwater Horizon (DH). Ocean circulation models were used to forecast oil slick migration in the GoM, however such models do not explicitly treat the effects of secondary eddy-slopes or Mississippi River (MR) hydrodynamics. Here we report oil front migration that appears to be driven by sea surface level (SSL) slopes, and identify a previously unreported effect of the MR plume: under conditions of relatively high river discharge and weak winds, a freshwater mound can form around the MR Delta. We performed temporal oil slick position and altimeter analysis, employing both interpolated altimetry data and along-track measurements for coastal applications. The observed freshwater mound appears to have pushed the DH oil slick seaward from the Delta coastline. We provide a physical mechanism for this novel effect of the MR, using a two-layer pressure-driven flow model. Results show how SSL variations can drive a cross-slope migration of surface oil slicks that may reach velocities of order km/day, and confirm a lag time of order 5–10 days between mound formation and slick migration, as observed form the satellite analysis. Incorporating these effects into more complex ocean models will improve forecasts of slick migration for future spills. More generally, large SSL variations at the MR mouth may also affect the dispersal of freshwater, nutrients and sediment associated with the MR plume

Some peace of mind: assessing a pilot intervention to promote mental health among widows of injecting drug users in north-east India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIV prevalence in north-east India is high and injecting drug use (IDU) is common. Due to HIV-related deaths there are increasing numbers of IDU widows, many of whom are HIV infected, and experiencing poor health, social isolation, discrimination and poverty, all factors likely to be compromising their mental health. There is increasing recognition of the links between HIV and mental health.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The aim of this study was to pilot a peer-facilitated, participatory action group (PAG) process and assess the impact of the intervention on the mental health of participants. The intervention consisted of 10 PAG meetings involving 74 IDU widows. Changes in quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), mental health (GHQ12) and somatic symptoms were assessed. The value of the intervention from the perspective of the participants was captured using a qualitative evaluation method (Most Significant Change).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Participants' quality of life, mental health and experience of somatic symptoms improved significantly over the course of the intervention, and the women told stories reflecting a range of 'significant changes'.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This pilot intervention study demonstrated that a participatory approach to mental health promotion can have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable women, and the potential to contribute to HIV prevention. Further investigation is warranted.</p

Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years and associations with social-cognitive development among Australian preschool children

Background: The new Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years recommend that, for preschoolers, a healthy 24-h includes: i) ≥180 min of physical activity, including ≥60 min of energetic play, ii) ≤1 h of sedentary screen time, and iii) 10–13 h of good quality sleep. Using an Australian sample, this study reports the proportion of preschool children meeting these guidelines and investigates associations with social-cognitive development. Methods: Data from 248 preschool children (mean age = 4.2 ± 0.6 years, 57% boys) participating in the PATH-ABC study were analyzed. Children completed direct assessments of physical activity (accelerometry) and social cognition (the Test of Emotional Comprehension (TEC) and Theory of Mind (ToM)). Parents reported on children’s screen time and sleep. Children were categorised as meeting/not meeting: i) individual guidelines, ii) combinations of two guidelines, or iii) all three guidelines. Associations were examined using linear regression adjusting for child age, sex, vocabulary, area level socio-economic status and childcare level clustering. Results: High proportions of children met the physical activity (93.1%) and sleep (88.7%) guidelines, whereas fewer met the screen time guideline (17.3%). Overall, 14.9% of children met all three guidelines. Children meeting the sleep guideline performed better on TEC than those who did not (mean difference [MD] = 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.36, 2.47). Children meeting the sleep and physical activity or sleep and screen time guidelines also performed better on TEC (MD = 1.36; 95% CI = 0.31, 2.41) and ToM (MD = 0.25; 95% CI = −0.002, 0.50; p = 0.05), respectively, than those who did not. Meeting all three guidelines was associated with better ToM performance (MD = 0.28; 95% CI = −0.002, 0.48, p = 0.05), while meeting a larger number of guidelines was associated with better TEC (3 or 2 vs. 1/none, p < 0.02) and ToM performance (3 vs. 2, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Strategies to promote adherence to the 24-Hour Movement Behaviour Guidelines for the Early Years among preschool children are warranted. Supporting preschool children to meet all guidelines or more guidelines, particularly the sleep and screen time guidelines, may be beneficial for their social-cognitive development

A participatory intervention to improve the mental health of widows of injecting drug users in north-east India as a strategy for HIV prevention

BACKGROUND: Manipur and Nagaland, in the north-east of India, are classified as high prevalence states for HIV, and intravenous drug use is an important route of transmission. Most injecting drug users (IDUs) are men, an estimated 40% are married, and death rates have been high in the last five years, consequently the number of widows of IDUs has increased. Many of these widows and their children are HIV-infected and experience poor health, discrimination, and impoverishment; all factors likely to be compromising their mental health. People with poor mental health are more likely to engage in HIV risk behaviours. Mental health can be promoted by public health actions with vulnerable population groups. METHODS: We designed an intervention study to assess the feasibility and impact of a participatory action process to promote the mental health and well-being of widows of IDUs in Manipur and Nagaland, as a strategy for reducing the risk of engagement in HIV risk behaviours. This paper describes the background and rationale for the study, the intervention, and the study methods in detail. RESULTS: Pending analysis. CONCLUSION: This intervention study will make a significant contribution to the emerging evidence that supports associations between mental health and HIV. The concept of promoting mental health among women who are vulnerable to HIV infection or already infected as a strategy for HIV prevention in a development setting is breaking new ground

Morphine activation of mu opioid receptors causes disinhibition of neurons in the ventral tegmental area mediated by β-arrestin2 and c-Src

Abstract The tyrosine kinase, c-Src, participates in mu opioid receptor (MOP) mediated inhibition in sensory neurons in which β-arrestin2 (β-arr2) is implicated in its recruitment. Mice lacking β-arr2 exhibit increased sensitivity to morphine reinforcement; however, whether β-arr2 and/or c-Src participate in the actions of opioids in neurons within the reward pathway is unknown. It is also unclear whether morphine acts exclusively through MOPs, or involves delta opioid receptors (DOPs). We examined the involvement of MOPs, DOPs, β-arr2 and c-Src in the inhibition by morphine of GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) recorded from neurons in the mouse ventral tegmental area. Morphine inhibited spontaneous IPSC frequency, mainly through MOPs, with only a negligible effect remaining in MOP−/− neurons. However, a reduction in the inhibition by morphine for DOP−/− c.f. WT neurons and a DPDPE-induced decrease of IPSC frequency revealed a role for DOPs. The application of the c-Src inhibitor, PP2, to WT neurons also reduced inhibition by morphine, while the inactive PP3, and the MEK inhibitor, SL327, had no effect. Inhibition of IPSC frequency by morphine was also reduced in β-arr2−/− neurons in which PP2 caused no further reduction. These data suggest that inhibition of IPSCs by morphine involves a β-arr2/c-Src mediated mechanism

Countries with Higher Levels of Gender Equality Show Larger National Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Relatively Lower Parental Mathematics Valuation for Girls.

Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls' STEM participation

The Role of Alpha-Synuclein Oligomerization and Aggregation in Cellular and Animal Models of Parkinson’s Disease

α-synuclein (α-syn) is a synaptic protein in which four mutations (A53T, A30P, E46K and gene triplication) have been found to cause an autosomal dominant form of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is also the major component of intraneuronal protein aggregates, designated as Lewy bodies (LBs), a prominent pathological hallmark of PD. How α-syn contributes to LB formation and PD is still not well-understood. It has been proposed that aggregation of α-syn contributes to the formation of LBs, which then leads to neurodegeneration in PD. However, studies have also suggested that aggregates formation is a protective mechanism against more toxic α-syn oligomers. In this study, we have generated α-syn mutants that have increased propensity to form aggregates by attaching a CL1 peptide to the C-terminal of α-syn. Data from our cellular study suggest an inverse correlation between cell viability and the amount of α-syn aggregates formed in the cells. In addition, our animal model of PD indicates that attachment of CL1 to α-syn enhanced its toxicity to dopaminergic neurons in an age-dependent manner and induced the formation of Lewy body-like α-syn aggregates in the substantia nigra. These results provide new insights into how α-syn-induced toxicity is related to its aggregation