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Exposure to negative LGBT-related media messages as a social determinant of mental health inequities for LGBT+ people in Malaysia
No full textIntroduction
Media dissemination of anti-LGBT+ sentiments is commonplace in Malaysia. This study examines the prevalence of negative media exposure among LGBT+ people in Malaysia, the association between negative media exposure and mental health outcomes, and the role of negative future expectations for societal unacceptance as a mediator of the association.
Method
Drawing data from a cross-sectional survey of Malaysia-based LGBT+ adults (n = 675; mean age = 27.78), we conducted a series of regression and mediation analyses to determine whether exposure to negative media messages was predictive of heightened levels of negative future expectations, depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidality.
Results
More than two-thirds (76%) saw negative LGBT-related messages regularly on newspapers, television, and social media in the past year. Frequent exposure of negative messages on media platforms was positively associated with depression, NSSI, and suicidal ideation. Negative future expectations partially mediated the relationship between exposure to negative messages and mental health outcomes.
Conclusions
The study highlights the role of negative media messages as a social determinant of mental health inequities for LGBT+ people. The findings call for a multi-level intervention to mobilize members in government sectors, healthcare settings, and academic institutions to discern and actively challenge disinformation targeting LGBT+ communities
Life beyond the lakes: An analysis and implications of a Pleistocene combustion feature on the Pike River in South Australia
No full textThe Pike River is an anabranch and palaeochannel of the Murray River located in South Australia's Riverland region, in the southwestern part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The floodplain contains abundant and varied archaeological evidence of Aboriginal life, including extensive deposits of shell midden exposed along the high cliff-line bounding the southeastern margin of the floodplain. The oldest of these deposits has been securely dated, so far, to ∼29 ka cal BP. This article presents the results of chronological, micromorphological and sedimentary analyses of a combustion feature also located on this cliff-line. Based on our analysis and interpretation of the feature's stratigraphic context, in combination with 14C and OSL dating, we argue that the feature is ∼43 ka old. Whilst the combustion feature contains no associated cultural material (e.g. stone artefacts or faunal remains) we argue that a cultural origin is, nonetheless, supported given the feature's geometry, sedimentary structures, geochemistry and magnetic response. As such, we argue that the feature provides a rare glimpse into the earliest peopling of the Murray River corridor. Further, the feature is amongst some of the earliest pieces of evidence for human pyrotechnology in the Australasian region and only one of a few examples from an open-air site that is microstratigraphically (micromorphologically) contextualised. The preservation of combustion features of this antiquity in open-context sites is extremely rare, both in this region and globally
Exploring fears of death and dying using network analysis
No full textObjective
Fear of death is often pathologised, yet little research has examined its unique links to different aspects of an individual’s life. This study investigated the unique associations among fear of death, psychological distress, mindfulness, compassion, life limiting illness, spirituality, meaning in life, and self-esteem using network analysis. It also explored the potential influence of meditation and psychedelics.
Method
A total of 486 community-based participants including university students completed a series of online surveys, which comprised a sociodemographic questionnaire and eight self-report rating scales. A Bayesian Gaussian Graphical Model was used to estimate nondirectional associations between variables, while a Directed Acyclic Graph depicted probabilities of directional links.
Results
The directed network revealed the central role of fear of another's death and its direct influence on other facets of death anxiety, life limiting illness, mindfulness, meaning in life, and subsequently spirituality and other variables in the network. The remaining facets of death anxiety had no significant influence on any wellbeing-related variables. This study empirically expanded upon the Terror Management Theory and found that self-esteem may not buffer death anxiety as previously proposed. Secondary analyses found that psychedelic use and meditation experience correlated with lower death anxiety, but these findings require replication due to small samples between groups.
Conclusions
These findings reframe assumptions about death anxiety by revealing its specific effects and avenues for promoting wellness surrounding mortality. In addition, they provide empirical support for Buddhist teachings, which emphasise the awakening effect of directly realising mortality. These results suggest that death anxiety could facilitate existential growth, contributing to the body of literature that highlights its potential positive effects
The accounting challenges for indigenous businesses: a Pacific Islands case study
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to examine the accounting challenges faced by indigenous businesses in the wholesale and retail market in Tonga. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, from a mix of individuals from the wholesale and retail market in Tonga. This paper uses institutional logics framework to inform the study. Findings: The research findings suggest an inability of indigenous businesses to adapt to significant changes in the market and overcome the economic and social challenges faced in the business environment involving accounting values. A lack of business skills and accounting knowledge, restrictive traditions and religious obligations and a poor business investment climate are key factors behind the inability of the indigenous Tongan businesses to succeed. Research limitations/implications: The paper is limited to a study on Tonga only. The paper suggests better accountability from government sector on their effort to encourage inclusion of indigenous businesses. Practical implications: The paper suggests better accountability from government sector on their effort to encourage inclusion of indigenous businesses. As a way forward, participants suggest that an inclusive approach for the government, businesses and stakeholders in policy formulation and consultation would create a better business environment that would foster the development and growth of the wholesale and retail business sector in Tonga. There is a dearth of cultural studies in accounting in countries within the developing world, particularly in the Oceania region. Social implications: There are many accounting challenges faced by the indigenous Tongan business people in the market, which indicate specific areas where the attention of the policymakers should be directed. A better accountability from the government is needed on their efforts to encourage inclusion of indigenous businesses. Originality/value: This paper extends the literature by considering inclusivity challenges for ethnically marginalised collectives of individuals in small business. The research findings suggest a gap in knowledge in the current business environment with respect to the Western accounting practices in the indigenous society
Access to primary music education in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textMusic is a compulsory subject in the New Zealand Curriculum, intended for every child. Despite this, the literature illustrates inconsistent provision and enactment of music education in Aotearoa New Zealand, suggesting that some children are unable to access the full curriculum. While this situation has been attributed to a range of factors, there are significant gaps in the literature, making it difficult to determine how children’s access to music education is enabled and constrained by these factors.
To understand the provision and enactment of music education, case studies were conducted in three different primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand. Informed by critical realism, a range of data collection methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, surveys, focus groups, observations, documents, and field notes. Participants were principals, members of senior leadership teams, generalist, specialist, and itinerant teachers, in addition to private contractors, children and their parents. Data were thematically analysed, revealing the intricacies of how the policy technologies of neoliberalism operate in schools. To understand generative mechanisms that impact children’s access to music education, a deeper layer of analysis was undertaken using Pierre Bourdieu’s (2018) theoretical concepts of capital and habitus. These analytical tools provided the opportunity to carefully examine the intersectionality of neoliberalism and social class.
The findings of this study demonstrate how neoliberalism has reinforced a hierarchy of subjects in the curriculum, which positions music as an extracurricular activity that is either omitted, sidelined, or enacted for social objectives. Participation and success in music education are also informed by social class, with the subject being used as a tool by some parents to advantage their children and develop cultural capital. Nevertheless, this study also revealed that music education is not universally valued by the middle class, thus challenging widely held assumptions about the relationship between music and social class. These findings highlight the importance of context, in particular the role of school structure, teacher agency, and the pressures of managerialism and marketisation. This contributes to a broader understanding of policy enactment, and how the enactment of music education is influenced by the neoliberal policy regime. The study concludes that children are not given equal access to music education and that substantive change needs to occur. Implications are discussed at national and local levels, examining the role of policy alongside the roles of principals, teachers, and parents, all of whom have the agency to make change. Implications for international contexts are also considered, reinforcing the complexity of policy enactment and how children’s access to the full curriculum cannot be solved through policy alone
Truth as a cultural value
No full textIn this commentary, I offer an extended evaluation of the strategy for thinking about truth’s nature that Sher proposes. This strategy—which I call the ‘value-first strategy’—has it that we should first observe that truth is an intrinsic human value and then develop an account of truth’s nature on the basis of this observation. I begin by arguing that truth is best described as a cultural, rather than a human, value. I then argue that because truth is a cultural value, the value-first strategy compels us to seriously consider some novel ideas about truth’s nature that are respectively grounded in discussions about truth pluralism and some remarks by Alfred Tarski
Decolonising content narratives in mathematics and science education: The case of reinventing length measurement
No full textIn South Africa and in many other parts of the world, decolonising the curriculum has become a valued goal, while frameworks that would systematically support the decolonising project through instructional design are not broadly available. In this conceptual paper we bring readers to consider one framework for instructional design, the theory of Realistic Mathematics Education, and discuss how it can aid in decolonising education in primary years. We exemplify our conceptual position through an instructional design for teaching length measurement—a key grounding practice in both early years mathematics and science throughout the world. We propose that the resulting decolonised narratives are not only useful in marginalised contexts of countries with a history of colonisation. Due to their positioning of mathematics as a human endeavour, these narratives are capable of generating meaningful, equitable engagement with mathematics for diverse student groups in a variety of educational settings
Supercapacitor-buffered DC-operable refrigerators for DC homes
No full textEfficiency improvements in whiteware will help reduce the overall power consumption of a household. Modern inverter-driven whiteware, such as refrigerators, operates internally on a DC bus, permitting direct powering from the DC bus of a renewable energy system. However, the fluctuating nature of renewable energy DC sources mandates an energy storage system to increase the reliability of DC operations. In this paper, we present the data related to the conversion of a 230 V, 50 Hz AC operable household refrigerator to operate from a solar DC bus, with a supercapacitor bank forming an integral part of a supercapacitor-assisted (SCA) low frequency DC-DC converter. In addition, experimental results of DC camping refrigerator powered from a solar DC bus and the essential details of the new low-frequency SCA converter are also presented
Characterization of the potential drug target serine acetyltransferase (CysE) from Acinetobacter baumannii: A Pacific lens on biochemical research
No full textAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a critical global health threat, with Acinetobacter baumannii being a key pathogen due to its multidrug resistance. With no new antibiotic classes discovered since the 1980s, novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. This thesis explores the potential of targeting the cysteine biosynthesis pathway, specifically the enzyme serine acetyltransferase (CysE), as a means to develop innovative antimicrobial strategies. Cysteine plays a pivotal role in bacterial survival and defense, particularly in oxidative stress resistance. Targeting its biosynthesis may impair bacterial virulence and enhance susceptibility to immune responses.
This research focuses on the characterization of CysE from A. baumannii, which uniquely expresses a short and full-length of this enzyme. While we were unable to optimize expression of the short form in this thesis, the long form was successfully expressed, purified, and biochemically and structurally characterized for the first time. Using X-ray crystallography, we present the three-dimensional structure of CysE from A. baumannii to a resolution of 2.14 Å. CysE adopts a homohexameric conformation, forming a dimer of trimers, and features an alpha-helical extension. SAXS analysis validated that the long form exists as a homohexamer in solution. Furthermore, using enzymatic assays we show CysE has serine acetyltransferase activity and is sensitive to feedback inhibition by pathway product L-cysteine, highlighting the regulatory mechanisms of this crucial enzyme. This work improves our understanding of cysteine biosynthesis in A. baumannii and provides a model for structure-based virtual inhibitor screening to identify potential new antimicrobials.
In addition to its scientific objectives, this research is framed within the Fa'afaletui framework, an Indigenous Samoan methodology that ensures cultural perspectives are integrated into the scientific process. This approach ensures that Pacific values inform the direction of AMR research, fostering solutions that are not only scientifically rigorous but are also culturally relevant and accessible. The research serves to address the health inequities faced by Pacific peoples, particularly in relation to infectious diseases and AMR, and provides a foundation for future antimicrobial drug development efforts
The biology of Asparagopsis armata for closed-life cycle cultivation in New Zealand
No full textThe red seaweed Asparagopsis armata is a target species for aquaculture due to its efficacy as an anti-methanogenic ruminant feed additive. However, limited knowledge regarding its reproductive biology and methods for closed-life cycle cultivation has delayed adoption of this method in aquaculture. This thesis therefore aimed to address these knowledge gaps by investigating (1) reproductive phenology, (2) techniques for inducing life-cycle transitions, (3) nursery requirements, and (4) internal mechanisms regulating reproductive processes in A. armata.
A comparative analysis of A. armata reproductive phenology in New Zealand from 2021 to 2022, compared to 1978 to 1981, identified potential climate-driven shifts in phenology. Specifically, the occurrence period of gametophytes was shorter, and cystocarp production and viable carpospore release were delayed in comparison to 1978–1981. Discoloration, low reproductive output, and low survival rates in 2022 were likely caused by heat stress. These findings will help guide aquaculture practises and advance our understanding of climate change effects on seaweed reproductive phenology through future comparative studies.
Mass production and release of tetraspores in domesticated A. armata tetrasporophytes was demonstrated through a 14-day exposure to a reduced critical photoperiod of 8 h L:16 h D. Increasing the temperature from 15 to 18 °C resulted in a marked increase in tetraspore release, whereas exposure to 11 and 13 °C, along with lower light intensities and nutrient concentrations, did not initiate tetrasporogenesis. These results highlight the importance of temperature, among other environmental factors, in controlling reproductive output. A distinct bimodal pattern in tetraspore release was observed, and tetrasporogenesis could be re-induced in the same biomass by adjusting key environmental parameters. These findings collectively offer precise control over tetrasporogenesis, facilitating commercial hatchery production.
Key parameters for enhancing the growth and development of juvenile gametophytes of A. armata were identified, notably moderate temperature and water flow, which resulted in substantial biomass productivity increases. Gametophytes developed more rapidly under a 12h L:12h D photoperiod, while growth was enhanced under lower irradiances. Additionally, lowering nutrient concentrations resulted in cleaner cultures without compromising growth. These results elucidate the influence of environmental factors during the early life stages of A. armata, providing essential insights to enable large-scale nursery operations.
Finally, an analysis of metabolomic and transcriptomic dynamics during induction of tetrasporogenesis identified marked changes in gene expression. While metabolomic changes were less prominent, accumulation of several metabolites occurred. Multiple pathways and genes, such as those related to polyamine and steroid hormone production, environmental signalling, and carbon metabolism, were upregulated during induction. These results demonstrate a dynamic biochemical and molecular response, particularly in the early stages of initiating tetrasporogenesis, laying the groundwork for identifying candidate genes and metabolites that regulate this process.
In summary, this thesis significantly advances the science and knowledge required for the successful cultivation of A. armata by creating foundations to (1) guide the selection of cultivation techniques, (2) develop climate-resilient management strategies, (3) enable the implementation of streamlined commercial hatcheries and nurseries, and (4) direct future research aimed at deciphering the fundamental internal mechanisms of reproductive transitions in seaweed