A Study of Black Family Members’ Perceptions of Substance Use Supports

Empirical literature shows the number of substance users has increased in the United States in the last 5 years. Support services are often limited to substance users only, leaving out families affected by addiction. Black individuals and families of substance users are underrepresented in the literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of substance use support services for Black family members of substance users. Data were collected using a qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis, semi-structured, virtual interviews, and purposive sampling. The data from 10 participants in New York State was analyzed through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory. The themes that emerged were (a) health and wellness, (b) types of familymember supports, (c) challenges and obstacles, and (d) cultural influences across a person’s lifetime. The results reveal Black family members’ perceptions of intimate relationships, spiritual relationships, and community-based supports. The participants’ beliefs derived from negative stigma and perceptions of self-image. Overall, the participants cultural events related to family cycle, trauma, and the code of silence have been reinforced over generations. It is recommended for policy makers and professionals to revise trainings and education in the behavioral health field to emphasize the influence of family members of substance users. Supportive health stages were developed in this study to detail the experience of affected families and to suggest a way professionals can better assist families. These initiatives can bring meaningful changes within the behavioral health field and can give a voice to Black families affected by substance use disorders

Interventions to reduce discrimination and stigma: the state of the art

BACKGROUND: There is a rich literature on the nature of mental health-related stigma and the processes by which it severely affects the life chances of people with mental health problems. However, applying this knowledge to deliver and evaluate interventions to reduce discrimination and stigma in a lasting way is a complex and long-term challenge. METHODS: We conducted a narrative synthesis of systematic reviews published since 2012, and supplemented this with papers published subsequently as examples of more recent work. RESULTS: There is evidence for small to moderate positive impacts of both mass media campaigns and interventions for target groups in terms of stigma-related knowledge, attitudes, and intended behaviour in terms of desire for contact. However, the limited evidence from longer follow-up times suggests that it is not clear whether short-term contact interventions have a lasting impact. CONCLUSIONS: The risk that short-term interventions may only have a short-term impact suggests a need to study longer term interventions and to use interim process and outcome data to improve interventions along the way. There is scope for more thorough application of intergroup contact theory whenever contact is used and of evidence-based teaching and assessment methods when skills training is used for target groups

Predicting the whispering gallery mode spectra of microresonators

The whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of optical resonators have prompted intensive research efforts due to their usefulness in the field of biological sensing, and their employment in nonlinear optics. While much information is available in the literature on numerical modeling of WGMs in microspheres, it remains a challenging task to be able to predict the emitted spectra of spherical microresonators. Here, we establish a customizable Finite- Difference Time-Domain (FDTD)-based approach to investigate the WGM spectrum of microspheres. The simulations are carried out in the vicinity of a dipole source rather than a typical plane-wave beam excitation, thus providing an effective analogue of the fluorescent dye or nanoparticle coatings used in experiment. The analysis of a single dipole source at different positions on the surface or inside a microsphere, serves to assess the relative efficiency of nearby radiating TE and TM modes, characterizing the profile of the spectrum. By varying the number, positions and alignments of the dipole sources, different excitation scenarios can be compared to analytic models, and to experimental results. The energy flux is collected via a nearby disk-shaped region. The resultant spectral profile shows a dependence on the configuration of the dipole sources. The power outcoupling can then be optimized for specific modes and wavelength regions. The development of such a computational tool can aid the preparation of optical sensors prior to fabrication, by preselecting desired the optical properties of the resonator.Comment: Approved version for SPIE Photonics West, LASE, Laser Resonators, Microresonators and Beam Control XV

Method for predicting whispering gallery mode spectra of spherical microresonators

A full three-dimensional Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD)-based toolkit is developed to simulate the whispering gallery modes of a microsphere in the vicinity of a dipole source. This provides a guide for experiments that rely on efficient coupling to the modes of microspheres. The resultant spectra are compared to those of analytic models used in the field. In contrast to the analytic models, the FDTD method is able to collect flux from a variety of possible collection regions, such as a disk-shaped region. The customizability of the technique allows one to consider a variety of mode excitation scenarios, which are particularly useful for investigating novel properties of optical resonators, and are valuable in assessing the viability of a resonator for biosensing.Comment: Published 10 Apr 2015 in Opt. Express Vol. 23, Issue 8, pp. 9924-9937; The FDTD toolkit supercomputer scripts are hosted at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/npps/files/FDTD_WGM_Simulator

Dialogue in conservation decision making

This paper offers an analysis of the impact of stakeholder consultation during conservation decision making processes. Defining and finding opportunities for stakeholder communication within conservation work is an ethical necessity when working with cultural heritage, but the limits and practice of this necessity are less clear. The paper uses case studies to explore which aspects of the conservation process stakeholders are most likely to be consulted about and reviews the impact of their views. It asks whether conservators have a preference in which decisions they are prepared to share with stakeholders across three aspects of conservation: the initial appraisal, treatment and the display or storage. Where consultation relates to treatment, conservators are more likely to fall back on their own technical authority except when those consulted are considered fellow professionals. Other categories of stakeholder such as artists, originating communities and religious groups were found to be more constructively consulted on the understanding of the object and on care related to display and storage. Conservators should be offered more explicit guidance on the ethics of consultation, the aspects of consultation that they should engage with and on the ethical ways to deal with conflict arising from consultation

Making strides in women’s mental health care delivery in rural Ethiopia: demographics of a female outpatient psychiatric cohort at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (2006–2008)

This paper presents the delivery of mental health care to a sample of women living in Jimma, rural Ethiopia, and their access to mental health services. A total of 226 psychiatric charts were reviewed for women seen at Jimma University Specialized Hospital. The mental health charts included documentation ranging from one paragraph to a full note. No psychiatric chart recorded medication status, detailed substance abuse history, or a history of violence. Rendering appropriate mental health care for women requires concerted efforts by multiple stake holders. Using our results, we advance concrete and practical suggestions for improving women’s mental health in rural Ethiopia. We point out that the health care system needs to be responsive, allowing for change starting with gender rights, so that rural women have access to basic mental health services

Examining Integrated Youth Services Using the Bioecological Model: Alignments and Opportunities

Integrated youth service (IYS) is a collaborative approach that brings practitioners together from across disciplines to provide comprehensive services including mental health care for youth and their families. IYS models serve as an advancement in practice as they go beyond the capacity of individual programs and services to reduce the fragmentation of care. Yet, there continue to be opportunities to expand on this perspective and promote health beyond the scope of formalized services. The bioecological model is a theoretical model that examines individual development within multiple systems of influence as well as through interactional processes between the individual and their environment. This paper provides an overview of the bioecological model and the major components of the IYS model, describing alignment and complementarity. The bioecological model provides some explanations for why IYS models may be effective and helps to provide direction to expand applied practice toward a more holistic perspective

Editorial: Women and leadership in higher education learning and teaching

In this Special Issue Harvey and Jones state “It is time for women academics to accept the challenge – to rightfully claim their leadership”. We recognise the many women who have challenged the system, and those whose efforts have been thwarted. We encourage women and men to work together to break down the barriers of gender, race, culture, and religion, so that our current and next generation of female academics can rightfully claim their leadership. This Special Issue is an important step to bringing to light these challenges for women and the changes required to grow and support women in leadership in higher education teaching and learning

Characterization of Two Distinct Lymphoproliferative Diseases Caused by Ectopic Expression of the Notch Ligand DLL4 on T Cells

Notch signaling is essential for the development of T cell progenitors through the interaction of NOTCH1 receptor on their surface with the ligand, Delta-like 4 (DLL4), which is expressed by the thymic epithelial cells. Notch signaling is quickly shut down once the cells pass β-selection, and CD4/CD8 double positive (DP) cells are unresponsive to Notch. Over the past two decades a number of papers reported that over-activation of Notch signaling causes T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), a cancer that prominently features circulating monoclonal CD4/CD8 double positive T cells in different mouse models. However, the possible outcomes of Notch over-activation at different stages of T cell development are unknown, and the fine timing of Notch signaling that results in T-ALL is poorly understood. Here we report, by using a murine model that ectopically expresses DLL4 on developing T cells, that the T-ALL onset is highly dependent on a sustained Notch activity throughout the DP stage, which induces additional mutations to further boost the signaling. In contrast, a shorter period of Notch activation that terminates at the DP stage causes a polyclonal, non-transmissible lymphoproliferative disorder that is also lethal. These observations resolved the discrepancy of previous papers on DLL4 driven hematological diseases in mice, and show the critical importance of the timing and duration of Notch activity

Face-to-face and cyber-victimization: a longitudinal study of offline appearance anxiety and online appearance preoccupation

Most adolescents and young adults navigate seamlessly between offline and online social environments, and interactions in each environment brings with it opportunities for appearance concerns and preoccupation, as well as victimization and teasing about appearance. Yet, research has concentrated primarily on face-to-face victimization and its role in offline appearance anxiety symptoms in adolescents and young adults. To extend this to include cyber-victimization and online behaviors indicative of appearance anxiety, the present longitudinal study investigated the risk of face-to-face and cyber-victimization for offline appearance anxiety and online appearance preoccupation. Participants were 650 adolescents age 15 to 19 years (Mage = 17.3 years, 59% female) who completed two surveys over one-year. Correlations identified both forms of victimization as associated with offline appearance anxiety and online appearance preoccupation. Yet, in a structural equation model, face-to-face peer victimization, but not cyber-victimization, was uniquely associated with increased offline appearance anxiety and online appearance preoccupation from T1 to T2. Offline appearance anxiety and online appearance preoccupation strongly covaried and were bidirectionally associated over time. Female gender and age were associated with more anxiety and preoccupation. When gender moderation was tested, only the stability in appearance anxiety was moderated, with greater stability in females than males. Overall, offline and online appearance anxieties are highly interrelated and share a common risk factor in face-to-face appearance-related victimization by peers