Mental health impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on mothers.

Background: The perinatal period is a time of increased vulnerability for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). Emotional trauma is a risk factor for PMAD development and is common among survivors of extreme weather events (EWEs), which are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate crisis progresses. EWE-related stress and anxiety have not been extensively studied in the perinatal population. However, the limited available data suggest a negative impact of EWE exposure on perinatal mental health, warranting further investigation and investment.Objective: To address this knowledge gap, we interviewed new Australian mothers to understand how EWEs affect the mental health of the perinatal population.Method: Australian mothers (18 years of age or older) with a baby under 12 months of age were recruited to participate in a single virtual focus group session (seven group sessions were run in total) and complete an anonymous survey. Participants were asked questions regarding their concerns about extreme weather and its impact, as well as their general maternal functioning. Maternal functioning, depression, and climate distress were measured via the survey.Results: The study sample comprised 31 Australian mothers (Mage = 31.74, SD = 4.86), predominantly located in Queensland. Findings from the focus groups suggested six key themes; however, of focus to this study are three themes related to maternal mental health: health and well-being, helplessness and avoidant coping, and resilience and adaptation. Predominant subthemes focused on trauma resulting from EWE exposure, economic and heat concerns, social isolation, hopelessness about the future, and feelings of resilience.Conclusions: The evidence linking adverse perinatal mental health outcomes with climate change and EWEs highlights the urgent need for interventions in this context to protect perinatal mental health and well-being. By acknowledging the traumatic impact of these experiences on mothers, this study supports advocacy for policies that specifically address this issue.

The extra consideration of navigating climatic events with children represented a complicating factor in addition to the demands of motherhood.Heat presented as a serious concern for participants, often as part of maintaining the balance between protecting their children's health and well-being and preserving their own mental health.Mothers simultaneously were disengaged from climate-related discussion or action and expressed feelings of helplessness in the face of the magnitude of climate change.

The African American church and university partnerships: establishing lasting collaborations.

This article highlights the experiences of the Health Wise Church Project, a community outreach initiative between a diverse group of African American churches and a university health education program. The objective of the program was to develop early detection and illness prevention networks among older church members. Not all partnerships results in long-term collaborations, and this article makes a clear distinction between different types of "working together" arrangements. The project discussed in this article presents a four-stage model to illustrate how organizations achieve collaborative partnerships. Involving community partners in the early phase of project planning contributed to the success of the church-university collaboration. This type of shared planning helped to sustain community interest during the project's implementation.

Nucleotide sequence and taxonomy of maize chlorotic dwarf virus within the family Sequiviridae.

The complete sequence of a Tennessee isolate of maize chlorotic dwarf virus (MCDV-TN) was determined from cDNA clones and by direct sequencing of the viral RNA. The genome is 11813 nucleotides (nt) in length and contains one large open reading frame between nt 435 and 10763 that encodes a polyprotein of 3443 amino acids. The N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined for the three capsid proteins. All three were adjacent, starting at nt 2526 and putatively ending at nt 3761. Comparison of the sequence of MCDV-TN with other viral sequences revealed similarities to several plant picorna-like viruses including members of the Sequiviridae, Comoviridae and Potyviridae. This work also provides evidence based on genome organization that MCDV-TN is a member of the genus Waikavirus within the family Sequiviridae.

Molecular evidence from 3'-terminus sequence analysis that tobacco vein-banding mosaic virus is a distinct member of the potyvirus group.

The 3'-terminal 1902 nucleotides of the tobacco vein-banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) were cloned and sequenced. The sequence contains a large open reading frame of 572 amino acid residues followed by a non-coding region of 183 nucleotides which terminates in a polyadenylate tract. The TVBMV coat protein is processed from a larger polyprotein by cleavage at a Gln/Gly dipeptide, which is followed closely by the aphid transmission DAG triplet. Translation of the nucleotide sequence yielded a protein of 271 amino acid residues with a calculated M(r) of 30,347. The amino acid and nucleotide sequences of the TVBMV coat protein and 3' non-coding region were compared to 33-35 other virus sequences. Percent sequence identity of the amino acid and nucleotide sequences were in the range expected from comparison of distinct viruses. Phylogenetic analyses were also performed to determine the relationship of TVBMV to other well-characterized viruses. These studies indicate that TVBMV should be regarded as a distinct member of the potyvirus group.