Opening Our Eyes : How film contributes to the culture of the UK

Opening our eyes looks at how films are consumed and the factors which affect people’s viewing choices. It also covers the relationships audiences report between film and other activities. It goes on to explore the sorts of effects which film has upon people, their sense of identity and relationship with the world. Finally it looks at the various effects which individual films have had on those surveyed and reaches a number of conclusions.Final Published versio

Protocol: WASH and biosecurity interventions for reducing burdens of infection, antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: a One Health mixed methods systematic review

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global problem. Like many other public health issues, research points to the important role of structural factors in shaping the emergence, transmission and burden of AMR. However, mirroring other areas of public health, the evidence-base of interventions that address these structural issues is slim and infrequently synthesised. Structural interventions (SIs) seek to alter the context that produces or co-produces ill-health4. AMR has been configured as a One Health problem to be understood in terms of human-animal-environment interconnections. Infection control and prevention is recognised as essential to addressing AMR, but how best to achieve this through a One Health perspective remains a challenge. This review addresses this gap by identifying and synthesising evidence of interventions that operate on a structural level to Improve water, hygiene, sanitation and biosecurity in communities that live and/or work with animals In Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The premise of this review is that interventions to improve water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and biosecurity intend to reduce burdens of infection and have the potential to reduce reliance on antibiotics for humans and animals. Therefore, such interventions have the ability to reduce both transmission and emergence of AMR. Two further observations inform the focus of this review: growing evidence of the insufficiency of purely technical or behavioural WASH/biosecurity Interventions to reduce disease burdens across LMICs, accompanied by calls for structural Interventions; and that most reviews retain classificatory silos of either human WASH or animal biosecurity which belies the realities of many rural and urban populations whose lives are interconnected with animals across LMIC settings. This review, therefore, addresses the potential for structural interventions on WASH/biosecurity to have an impact on Infections, antibiotic use and AMR in LMICs. Methodologically, this review is influenced by impact assessments in development studies, where interventions are often complex in design and implementation and their effects multifaceted. The kinds of intervention that operate at a structural level are similarly challenging to identify and to characterise neatly, and are unlikely to be restricted to a randomised controlled trial design. Therefore, our search criteria and strategy are wide and our methods mixed, in order to capture potential interventions that could have an impact on our set of outcomes. In addition, in this review we recognise that interventions have impacts beyond a particular pre-defined outcome, and to be able to recommend a particular intervention strategy requires consideration of not only what that intervention comprised and required, but also what unintended consequences or co-benefits the intervention may have produced. Finally, a key consideration for this review is that many studies undertaken in Spanish, Portuguese and French speaking countries, where different interventions may have been developed and piloted, can be excluded due to language criteria, and in this case, we deliberately include studies in these languages in addition to English in the search and review. This systematic review will summarise evidence on how WASH and biosecurity interventions could have the potential to reduce the burden of infections, antimicrobial use and/or AMR in animal agriculture and in people in contact with animals in different country settings, with a focus on LMICs. WASH and biosecurity interventions for reducing burdens of infection, antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: a One Health mixed methods systematic review Included studies have to examine the impact of WASH and biosecurity interventions on reducing burden of infections and therefore promote healthier production systems where the use of antibiotics is reduced or limited. Our review will categorise these interventions according to the context where they were performed (e.g., LMICs country, region, urban or rural, type of productions systems, livelihoods systems, agroecological situation, beneficiaries, climate conditions). The aim of this study is to identify points for WASH and biosecurity interventions at structural and system levels that will enable reduction in reliance on antibiotics in the everyday lives of people living with animals in urbanised and rural landscapes

Automatic visual-spatial perspective taking in alcohol-dependence: A study with happy emotional faces

Background: Understanding the world from another’s perspective is an important and potentially automatic human process which is crucial for efficient social interactions. However, whilst deficits have been repeatedly described for various interpersonal abilities in alcohol-dependence (AD), only one previous study has investigated perspective taking in this pathology. Aim: The aim of the current study was to explore further how AD affects visual-spatial perspective taking (VSPT) by examining the effect of positive emotional stimuli on VSPT in both an AD and non-AD sample. Methods: Reaction times (RT) for simple spatial judgements were measured. Participants made these judgements from their own perspective, but judgements were either congruent or incongruent with the perspective of another agent. The emotion conveyed by that agent (happy or neutral) was manipulated across trials. Results: Compared to baseline, both AD and non-AD groups displayed delayed RTs for spatial judgements when these were incongruent with the perspective of a happy agent (the expected VSPT RT cost, indicating automatic VSPT). The AD, but not the non-AD group, further displayed a VSPT RT cost when the agent expressed a neutral emotion. Conclusion: There was no evidence that automatic VSPT was compromised by AD. However, as in previous research, AD was associated with differences in the processing of emotional stimuli. Future research should explore which ‘real-world’ settings are likely to trigger social confusion and misunderstanding

A systematic review exploring the effectiveness of mindfulness for sexual functioning in women with cancer

Sexual intimacy is a basic human need that is associated with quality of life whereby its absence can significantly impact both interpersonal and personal wellbeing. This systematic review aimed to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the available literature on mindfulness treatments for sexual functioning in women diagnosed with cancer. Electronic searches including PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and registered clinical trials yielded 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that treatment intervention designs varied and included mixed methods, randomised clinical trials, single arm non-randomised trials and those with the absence of any control. Furthermore, both brief and longer-term mindfulness interventions were trialled across different sexual domains. Whilst inconclusive, mindfulness-based interventions appear to support sexual function and quality of life in both early- and post-cancer survivors. However, in some instances, there were outcome inconsistencies in sexual desire, arousal and orgasm. This review has identified a current shortage in research on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based treatments for supporting sexual functioning in women with cancer; and so far, no research has been conducted in palliative care. This unmet need in supporting sexual functioning in women with cancer, including palliative care, carries important implications for both psychosexual and oncological healthcare services as sexual intimacy does not end with cancer diagnosis or prognosis

Antimicrobial Use/Consumption Surveillance in Zimbabwe: Desk Review Report

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) now poses a significant global threat to animal and human health, and over the years, inappropriate antimicrobial use (AMU), both in animals and humans, has been identified as the most significant driver of AMR. Recognizing the urgent need to tackle AMR, in 2015, the WHO, WOAH and FAO endorsed a Global Action Plan (GAP) on AMR, which includes five strategic objectives targeted at curbing AMR development. Amongst these objectives is the need to “strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research”. Zimbabwe, one of many African countries experiencing challenges arising from AMR in both the animal and human health sectors, needs to map a way forward to address this critical challenge. The objectives of this report were firstly to determine the current status of antimicrobial use or consumption (AMU/C) surveillance in Zimbabwe in the animal sector and identify gaps in knowledge. Secondly, to explore AMU/C surveillance strategies in food-producing animals in other countries, including data collection methods, data entry platforms, data analysis and reporting. Finally, to provide a situational analysis of existing systems, plans, software platforms and human and physical resources in relevant institutions in Zimbabwe to identify potential strategies for implementing AMU/C surveillance in the country. Methods The objectives were addressed through various methods, including key informant interviews of personnel in key government institutions such as the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), among others. Information was also derived from relevant publications searched from scientific databases, including PubMed and PLOS. Key findings The first part of the report describes the situation analysis of Zimbabwe, which details the country’s animal production sector and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), and AMR & AMU/C surveillance initiatives in the country, including the reporting of AMU/C data to the WOAH. The second part of the report reviews global standards and methods for AMU/C in animals, including the WOAH standards for AMC data collection. Also included in this section are the AMU/C surveillance strategies in food-producing animals in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). The report also includes a brief on the different types of antimicrobial use metrics and indicators used in AMU/C surveillance in food-producing animals, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The last section of the report includes proposals for implementing AMU/C surveillance in Zimbabwe and a feasibility assessment for each proposal. Conclusion and recommendations Zimbabwe generally has adequate human resource capacity to implement AMU/C surveillance in food-producing animals. The key personnel to perform these activities will need to be identified and adequately capacitated through training and provision of other key resources. To coordinate the AMU/C surveillance activities, the relevant institutions, the DVS and MCAZ, will need to collaborate closely to conduct the process activities efficiently. Of paramount importance is that the two government institutions will also need to establish funding mechanisms for AMU/C surveillance in food-producing animals in order to make it sustainable