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Changes in the prevalence of perceived discrimination and associations with probable mental health problems in the UK from 2015 to 2020: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study
Get PDF© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Background: Significant social and political changes occurred in the UK between 2015 and 2020. Few studies have examined population level trends in experiencing discrimination and mental health problems during this period.
Aims: To determine prevalence trends in perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems amongst UK adults during 2015-2020.
Method: Repeated cross-sectional data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study was used to estimate nationally representative trends in perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems (GHQ-12; 4+ threshold) among adults between 2015/2016-2019/2020 (25,756 observations). Weighted logistic regression models with post-estimation margins commands determined changes between survey waves controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Mediation models explored whether changes in perceived discrimination prevalence trends explained trends in probable mental health problems.
Results: From 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems increased significantly by 6·1% (95% CI: 3·4-8·8, p <·001) and 4·5% (95% CI: 1·3-7·7, p = ·006), respectively. These changes did not tend to reliably differ by sociodemographic grouping. Increased prevalence of probable mental health problems from 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 was partially explained (15·2% of association mediated) by the increase in perceived discrimination observed during the same time period.
Conclusions: Amongst UK adults, the prevalence of perceived discrimination and probable mental health problems increased between 2015/2016 to 2019/2020. Increases in perceived discrimination partially explained increases in probable mental health problems. National measures designed to reduce both discrimination and mental health problems have potential to make substantial improvements to public health and should be prioritised in the UK.The first author completed this work as part of their PhD, which is supported by an Economic and Social Research Council NWSSDTP case studentship [grant number: ES/P000665/1]
“It’s just not something we do at school”. Adolescent boys’ understanding, perceptions, and experiences of muscular fitness activity
Get PDF© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.BACKGROUND: English youth typically do not sufficiently engage in the types and intensities of physical activity that develop muscular fitness. The aim of this study was to use a combination of qualitative techniques to explore adolescent boys' understanding, perceptions, and experiences of physical activity and the role muscular fitness plays within boys' physically active lifestyles.
METHODS: Focus group interviews with a write, draw, show, and tell activity were conducted with 32 adolescent boys aged 14-16 years from 3 secondary schools. Three separate sources of data (frequency counts, verbatim transcripts, and visual data) were generated and were pooled together and triangulated. Data were analysed deductively, first using the Youth Physical Activity Promotion model as a thematic framework, and then inductively.
RESULTS: Physical activity was frequently associated with organised sport, and most boys were unaware of current UK physical activity guidelines. Co-participation was frequently reported as a reinforcing factor to physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS: There was a perceived lack of opportunity to participate in muscular fitness activities, particularly in school, and knowledge of how to conduct muscular fitness activities was limited. The contribution of physical education was highlighted as being key to facilitating exposure to muscular fitness activities.Unfunde
Immunoinformatics-driven design of a multi-epitope vaccine against nipah virus: A promising approach for global health protection
Get PDF© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.This study focuses on developing a multi-epitope vaccine against the highly pathogenic Nipah virus using immunoinformatics. It aims to design a vaccine targeting the viral nucleoprotein to elicit robust immune responses. The approach integrates epitope prediction, vaccine construction, and validation through computational tools to address the lack of effective vaccines and mitigate global health threats posed by Nipah virus outbreaks. Immunoinformatics approaches have been utilized for epitope prediction, focusing on B-cell and T-cell epitopes of the Nipah virus nucleoprotein. The multi-epitope vaccine was constructed using linkers and adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity. Structural refinement, molecular docking with human ephrin B2 receptor, and immune simulations were performed to validate the vaccine's stability, binding efficiency, and immune response potential. The designed multi-epitope vaccine exhibited high antigenicity (0.56), non-allergenicity, and non-toxicity. Docking analysis showed a strong binding affinity with the ephrin B2 receptor (binding energy: -920 kcal/mol). Immune simulations indicated significant immune responses with high IgG and IgM levels and memory B-cell activation. Population coverage analysis revealed a global coverage of 88.3 %, supporting its potential for broad immunization. The designed vaccine against the Nipah virus demonstrates promising antigenicity, stability, and strong binding with the ephrin B2 receptor. With global population coverage and a robust immune response, it holds potential for clinical development. Further experimental validation and in vitro studies are recommended to confirm its efficacy as a viable vaccine candidate for the Nipah virus. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.]Unfunde
Today’s Offa’s Dyke: Heritage interpretation for Britain’s longest linear monument
Get PDFHow is Offa’s Dyke interpreted for visitors and locals in the contemporary landscape? The article considers the present-day heritage interpretation of Britain’s longest linear monument: the early medieval Mercian frontier work of Offa’s Dyke. I survey and evaluate panels, plaques and signs that follow the course of the surviving early medieval linear earthwork from Sedbury in Gloucestershire, north to Treuddyn in Flintshire, and along stretches
away from the surviving earthwork and north to Prestatyn, Denbighshire along the line of the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail. Critiquing for the overarching narratives and envisionings of Offa’s Dyke the first time, I identify how anachronistic ethnonationalist narratives pervade its interpretation: pertaining to the origins of both England
and the English, and Wales and the Welsh. As such, the article provides a baseline for further research into the contemporary archaeology and heritage of Offa’s Dyke and affords insights of application to other ancient linear monuments in today’s world. I conclude with reflections and recommendations for future heritage interpretation of the monument in relation to the national trail, the border and borderlands identities.Unfunde
Co-production with staff and students: Principles and practices for promoting equality and change
No full textThis document serves as a guide for implementing co-production in the development of policy and practice within HE settings. It explores how co-production can be embedded more broadly across institutions through the engagement of key stakeholders who should have opportunities to have a meaningful role as change agents or partners in driving meaningful development of policies and practices within HE. As part of the Equality Analysis Framework, it gives particular focus to how co-production can underpin an equality impact assessment process to support effective and inclusive decision-making. However, these principles encourage co-production approaches throughout institutional decision-making from the inception of policies/practices through to monitoring and evaluation. This means that co-production cultures are encouraged prior to commencing an equality impact assessment process, as detailed further in the Equality Analysis Framework through capacity building on developing and embedding cultures of co production in higher education institutions. This document seeks to assist in this capacity building. Drawing on data from student focus groups as part of the research project (Davies et al., 2025) that underpins these principles, the guide highlights the importance of inclusive collaboration that aligns with principles of social justice and contributes to broader institutional development.
The discussion of co-production draws upon wider context of public sector efforts to foster cultural change. The document recognises both the potential and the challenges of co production, acknowledging that while the process can be demanding, it is a critical step toward creating more equitable, inclusive and responsive HE environments.Developing a Framework for Meaningful Equality Impact Assessments Underpinned by Co-Production Principles for Holistic Use Across the HE Sector | Funder: Advance H
Identification of functional Npu DnaE and gp41-1 inteins split in three fragments
Get PDFInteins are special proteins that auto-catalytically carry out a protein splicing reaction. Due to their ability to post-translationally modify target proteins in vitro and in vivo, they are used in different applications, ranging from protein purification to the construction of Boolean logic gates. So far inteins have been found to be either encoded by a single gene (contiguous inteins) or by two separate ones (split inteins). Previously, it has been shown that the contiguous Ssp and Rma DnaB inteins and the split Npu DnaE intein could be artificially split in three fragments and retain functionality. Here we report the identification of novel split sites within the N-terminal fragments of the Npu DnaE and gp41-1 split inteins that lead to synthetic functional three-piece versions of these inteins. These variants contribute to the toolkit of three-piece inteins that could be used in biotechnological applications based on highly-fragmented inteins.Unfunde
C-terminal eYFP fusion impairs Escherichia coli MinE function
Get PDFThe Escherichia coli Min system plays an important role in the proper placement of the septum ring (Z-ring) at mid-cell during cell division. MinE forms a pole-to-pole spatial oscillator together with the membrane-bound ATPase MinD, which results in MinD having a concentration gradient with maxima at the poles and minimum at mid-cell. MinC, the direct inhibitor of the Z-ring initiator protein FtsZ, forms a complex with MinD at the membrane, thus mirroring MinD polar gradients. Therefore, MinC-mediated FtsZ inhibition occurs away from mid-cell. The existence of the oscillations was revealed by performing time-lapse microscopy with fluorescently-labeled Min proteins. These fusion proteins have been since then widely used to study properties of the Min system. Here we show that, despite permitting oscillations to occur in a range of protein concentrations, the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) C-terminally fused to MinE impairs its function. Combining in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches, we demonstrate that the eYFP compromises MinE ability to displace MinC from MinD, to stimulate MinD ATPase activity and to directly bind to the membrane. Moreover, we reveal that MinE-eYFP is prone to aggregation. Taken together, our results indicate that this fusion is functionally impaired and should be used with caution in cell biological studies.N/
Author Correction: Split intein-mediated selection of cells containing two plasmids using a single antibiotic
Get PDFCorrection to: Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12911-1, published online 31 October 2019.N/
Protein backbone flexibility pattern is evolutionarily conserved in the Flaviviridae family: A case of NS3 protease in Flavivirus and Hepacivirus
No full textViruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family have been an important health concern for humans, animals and birds alike. No specific treatment is available yet for many of the viral infections caused by the members of this family. Lack of specific drugs against these viruses is mainly due to lack of protein structure information. It has been known that protein backbone fluctuation pattern is highly conserved in protein pairs with similar folds, in spite of the lack of sequence similarity. We hypothesized that this concept should also hold true for proteins (especially enzymes) of viruses included in different genera of the Flaviviridae family, as we know that the sequence similarity between them is low. Using available NS3 protease crystal structures of the Flaviviridae family, our preliminary results have shown that the Cα (i.e. backbone) fluctuation patterns are highly similar between Flaviviruses and a Hepacivirus (i.e. hepatitis C virus, HCV). This has to be validated further experimentally.N/
Capital Punishment – An Investigation into the impact of Capital on the Closing the Gap Initiative
No full textPlease be advised that this thesis cannot be viewed if requested.This research examines the role of varying forms of Pierre Bourdieu’s capital (cultural, social, economic, and symbolic) on the current UK government’s Closing the Gap initiative, exploring the impact of these different forms on the progress of children in the UK’s school system. It examines the link between Bourdieu’s notions of capital, habitus and social reproduction and relates these concepts to Michel Foucault’s ideas about power and power knowledge. The research is underpinned by two forms of incompatible storytelling. The first explores the idea of educational equality, which is promoted by educational policy and practice in the UK, the second is my autoethnographic experience of education. Throughout this research, there is consideration of my current context as I explore my autoethnographic experiences as a teacher, mapping my thoughts against UK education narratives to trace students’ likely educational and experiential trajectories. The research reveals the power of the promise of education and, despite my attempt to depict the claim’s emptiness, there is a sense of irony that sees me unable to completely renounce this promise, as the very nature of it is what led to the completion of this thesis that you currently hold in your hands
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