Engagement of Latino Mental Health: Voices from Professionals in the Minnesota Community

There is a concerning number of Latino individuals that underutilize mental health services. Research explains that reasons for not accessing mental health resources are due to: lack of information on mental health, socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, lack of representation, fear, and stigmatization. The purpose of this study was to define some of the challenges that Latinos face in accessing mental health services and to determine what type of treatment models are most effective when working with Latino clients. Additionally, the study is especially interested in how someone might work with a client who may have an alternative view of diagnosis, such as a supernatural event or brujería, and how therapists are able to work with clients on this belief. By conducting a qualitative study by doing interviews (N=5), this study was able to gather answers to those questions. Interviews were analyzed and coded to generate themes; twenty-one themes were identified, but eight of them were determined the strongest. These themes include 1) Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) or Trauma-Focused-CBT (TF-CBT) as the most effective model when working with Latino clients, 2) asking client’s perception of the situation, 3) not denying/negating client’s perceptions/views 4) understanding client’s way of thinking, 5) helping family support client, 6) challenges in accessing mental health and services, 7) resiliency of clients, and 8) admiration of client’s resiliency. Social work implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed

Engagement of Latino Mental Health: Voices from Professionals in the Minnesota Community

There is a concerning number of Latino individuals that underutilize mental health services. Research explains that reasons for not accessing mental health resources are due to: lack of information on mental health, socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, lack of representation, fear, and stigmatization. The purpose of this study was to define some of the challenges that Latinos face in accessing mental health services and to determine what type of treatment models are most effective when working with Latino clients. Additionally, the study is especially interested in how someone might work with a client who may have an alternative view of diagnosis, such as a supernatural event or brujería, and how therapists are able to work with clients on this belief. By conducting a qualitative study by doing interviews (N=5), this study was able to gather answers to those questions. Interviews were analyzed and coded to generate themes; twenty-one themes were identified, but eight of them were determined the strongest. These themes include 1) Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) or Trauma-Focused-CBT (TF-CBT) as the most effective model when working with Latino clients, 2) asking client’s perception of the situation, 3) not denying/negating client’s perceptions/views 4) understanding client’s way of thinking, 5) helping family support client, 6) challenges in accessing mental health and services, 7) resiliency of clients, and 8) admiration of client’s resiliency. Social work implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed

Fundamental rights in Latin America a comparative study addressing human rights violations in Venezuela, Colombia, and Argentina

Over the last few decades the importance of human rights has increased considerably in international relations. With globalization and democratization, more states and individuals develop concerns about the fundamental rights every human is entitled to; regardless of sex, religion and ethnicity. Latin American countries began obtaining their independence over 200 years ago while progressing into becoming working democracies. Yet, they have been plagued by oscillating authoritarian regimes and social conflicts that constrain and inhibit their hopeful development. The majority of the Latin American states have reached a point where further positive growth was expected; yet human violations have taken a backseat within the government of such countries. The case studies shed light on the three main causes of human right violations in Latin America. These are: the abuse of power by the government and the subsequent changes to the constitution to gain further control and authority; the government\u27s inadequacy in dealing with subversive groups; and the deficiency of subsequent democratic governments to bring past offenders to trial for crimes against humanity while giving pardons to those who did face trial. By understanding why the violation of human rights occurred, future infringements can be avoided and fundamental rights will be awarded to all humans

Social entrepreneurship and social change: a practice-based study in non-governmental organizations

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how social entrepreneurship (SE) practices give rise to social change in the context of urban Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on a broader inductive, ethnographic and iterative practice-based study conducted in three Brazilian non-governmental organizations. Findings – Social change is established through intertwined practices that involve active interplay of ambivalent positive and negative feelings associated with the social mission pursued by the social enterprise; flat organizational structures that encourage participation and taking of ownership among all stakeholders; and focused organizational objectives (social purposes). Research limitations/implications – The paper presents an analytical framework composed of five propositions that may be used in future research aimed at maturing and refining the understanding of SE. The study also provides a methodological contribution for future studies of new phenomenon and young fields of research that often must rely on inductive methodologies, by demonstrating how an iterative thematic analysis can be used in practice-based studies. Practical implications – This paper has practical implications directly connected to its social implications, because understanding how social change is achieved may enhance the effectiveness of SE practitioners in bringing desired changes about. Furthermore, the discussion also provided insights for practitioners to reflect upon the paradoxical nature of practices aimed at social change. Originality/value – The study suggests a set of propositions and an original definition of SE that mitigates conceptual inconsistencies found in literature drawing on empirical data and by incorporating the political lens found in practice theory

Agricultural education in Honduras : return on investment, quality, and efficiency

The Agri-food sector, like any other economic sector, requires competent workers and entrepreneurs able to maximize productivity and cope with the various challenges the sector is facing. Agricultural education prepares these actors to acquire knowledge, identify options that optimize their productivity, and adapt to changing environments. However, the importance of agricultural education is declining in education policies, and nowadays, it is no longer an attractive field of study for the youth. There is a need to re-invent agricultural careers to the new demands of the agri-food and labor market sectors. As there is a limited number of studies available that analyze agricultural education in Latin-American and other developing countries, this research provides new insights by examining the determinants for return to investment, quality, and efficiency of agricultural education, taking Honduras as a case study. The present dissertation encompasses three interrelated studies. The first study addresses the research question on how the educational attainment on agricultural education, years of experience, age, sex, geographical region of residence, and work sector, affect the graduates earnings. This study computes the return to agricultural education by educational level, using several econometric techniques, such as the instrumental variables, Heckmans two-step procedure, and the multinomial logit to tackle endogeneity of education, sample selection bias, and selection bias for choosing this field of study, respectively. The results show that regardless of the economic activity in which the individuals work, graduates from agricultural educational programs receive positive returns on their investment in education. High school graduates from these programs, have higher earnings within the economic activity of agriculture than non-graduates. At the university level, the graduates competencies are better paid in economic activities outside agriculture than inside, for example, in fields of manufacturing, public administration, and education. The second study addresses the question of what competencies employers require from graduates of agricultural education programs. Interviews and workshops were conducted, addressing employers from agricultural value chains, purposely selected, and using maximum variation sampling. The results show that graduates perform at an intermediate level in technical competencies. Of the 20 competencies identified, graduates perform poorly in at least six areas of competence, which requires immediate action. Although the analysis of academic curricula shows that the competencies included are relevant for employers to cope with the challenges faced by the agri-food sector, there is room for improvement. Finally, the third study addressed the question about the level of efficiency of the public institutions delivering agricultural educational programs, and the factors influencing it. This study computes the efficiency using the non-parametric approach data envelopment analysis (DEA). The model used is output-oriented, variable return to scale, and two-stage where controllable and non-controllable inputs are included in the first and second stages, respectively. This study follows a double bootstrapping procedure to avoid the caveats of the conventional DEA analysis. The evidence showed that none of the agriculture education centers in the sample is considered a full efficient entity. However, there is a potential to improve the usage of the current resources. It is possible by expanding the outcomes in a range of 1% to 50% without changing the existing resources. In summary, the findings of this dissertation provide compelling evidence that each additional level of agricultural education in Honduras is a worthwhile investment, and that graduates from both education levels, secondary and tertiary levels, are necessary to support Honduras economy. Nevertheless, improvements should be made in terms of the quality and the resources used in the provision of agricultural education. Based on the research findings, it is recommended to revise the academic curricula, with the aim of better matching education and labor market requirements. Secondly, a closer analysis of the implementation of the educational processes is necessary in order to enhance the competencies requested and identify better management of the resources available. Finally, setting formal collaboration mechanisms between the education centers, authorities, and the private sector could strongly improve agricultural education systems contribution to the performance of the sector. To further refine this research, it would be beneficial to increase the sample sizes to expand further the techniques used.

Sky Garden Graduate Student Housing

This thesis presents an on-campus graduate student housing project that aims to revitalize its Downtown Atlanta neighborhood, contribute to Georgia State University’s academic goals and campus development plans, and address aspects of the housing problem that GSU’s graduate students currently face in Atlanta, Georgia. The literature review and data collected from the graduate student survey informed the design process by understanding the urban context history and identifying graduate students’ needs and preferences. The project aims to reposition a vacant office building located on-campus and convert it into student housing serving an age-diverse population offering common areas that contribute to students’ academic and social life and restaurants/coffee shops to help generate a sense of neighborhood community. The “city in the woods” concept inspired expanded interventions with natural vegetation and greenery, a natural and neutral interior color palette, and literal open-air punctuations through the building

Estudo exploratório do perfil ocupacional no setor agropecuário brasileiro.

Para fins de classificação e registro de empregos e relações de trabalho, a estrutura ocupacional do setor agropecuário no Brasil distingue produtores de trabalhadores, em função da natureza das atividades executadas por cada um dos grupos de ocupações agrícolas. Entretanto, é possível que se observe um conjunto de atividades que são desenvolvidas, independente do tipo de cultura ou criação e da posição na qual o indivíduo se encontre na estrutura ocupacional. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar quais são as áreas de atividades que são comuns e as específicas de cada grupo ocupacional do setor agropecuário brasileiro. O estudo baseou-se no inventário de atividades de 28 grupos ocupacionais do setor agropecuário realizado no âmbito da CBO/MTE e que utilizou uma metodologia na qual os próprios trabalhadores descrevem as atividades que desenvolvem no seu dia a dia (método DACUM), construindo uma matriz detalhando grandes áreas de atividades. A análise indica que é possível elaborar uma síntese das atividades dos dois subgrupos - pecuária e agricultura. O estudo poderá iniciar uma agenda de pesquisa, com base nas informações sobre ocupações agropecuárias geradas com a atualização da CBO. Estudos mais aprofundados poderão subsidiar a formulação de políticas de qualificação profissional para o setor.estrutura ocupacional; setor agropecuário

Graduate Recital: Maria Victoria Goydy Rios

Kemp Recital HallApril 24, 2016Sunday Evening6:30 p.m

Avaliação de efeitos ecotoxicológicos de salinidade e metformina em Gambusia holbrooki

Aquatic ecosystems are threatened by factors related to climate change, leading to changes in the physical and chemical water properties. Between these changes, and as a consequence of global warming and extreme weather events, coastal systems are facing sudden fluctuations in salinity. Aquatic ecosystems are also threatened by organic and inorganic compounds that increase water pollution. Metformin is an antidiabetic drug commonly used by patients of diabetes type 2. It is also used as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome and as an anti-cancer drug. Metformin is not metabolized by the human body and has high watery mobility. Because wastewater treatment plants have low efficacy in removing these compounds, they may reach in the aquatic environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different salinity levels (17, 24 means control, 31) on the effects of metformin (0-Control, 1.5, 15, 150 μ/L) in Gambusia holbrooki after acute exposure (96h). A chronic exposure was also performed to assess the effects of metformin (0-Control, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 μ/L) in G. holbrooki at salinity 17 for 28 days. For both assays, several biomarkers were quantified in the exposure organisms to assess: antioxidant capacity (superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase-CAT, glutathione peroxidase-GPx, glutathione reductase-GRed) and biotransformation capacity (glutathione S-transferases-GSTs), cellular damage (levels of lipid peroxidation-TBARS), content of energy reserves (head and body protein levels- PROT, glycogen content- GLY) and neurotoxic effects (acetylcholinesterase-AChE). The results obtain from acute exposure showed interactions between salinity and metformin in SOD activity, body PROT levels and GLY content in G. holbrooki. The data obtain showed that an increase in salinity can modulate the response of the G. holbrooki to metformin. The results obtain from the chronic assay, showed that exposure of G. holbrooki to metformin led to a significant decrease in SOD activity at almost all concentrations tested. In addition, GPx and GSTs activity increased significantly at the concentration of metformin 10 and 5 μ/L, respectively. Therefore, metformin can lead to oxidative stress in G. holbrooki. Overall, the GLY content in G. holbrooki increased after exposure to metformin concentrations. No significant effects were observed in the remaining biomarkers measured. Although this work does not show a full oxidative stress scenario in G. holbrooki after exposure to metformin under different salinities, other studies have already shown that metformin alone can lead to oxidative damage in aquatic species. Therefore, additional ecotoxicological studies should be performed to find out if different metformin concentrations combined with salinity increase might impact non-target species.Os ecossistemas aquáticos são ameaçados por vários fatores relacionados com as alterações climáticas, levando a modificações nas propriedades físicas e químicas da água. Entre essas alterações, e como consequência do aquecimento global e de eventos climáticos extemos, os ecossistemas costeiros estão a enfrentar flutuações repentinas na salinidade. Os ecossistemas aquáticos são também ameaçados por compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos que aumentam a poluição da água. A metformina é um medicamento antidiabético usualmente utilizado por pacientes com diabetes tipo 2. É também utilizada no tratamento da síndrome do ovário poliquístico e como um medicamento anticancerígeno. A metformina não é metabolizada pelo corpo humano e tem uma alta mobilidade aquosa. Devido à baixa eficiência na remoção destes compostos pelas estações de tratamentos de águas residuais, a metformina pode chegar aos ambientes aquáticos. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a influência dos diferentes níveis de salinidade (17, 24- controlo, 31) nos efeitos da metformina (0- Controlo, 1.5, 15, 150 μ/L) em Gambusia holbrooki após uma exposição aguda (96h). Uma exposição crónica também foi realizada para aferir os efeitos da metformina (0- Controlo, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 μ/L) em G. holbrooki na salinidade 17 durante 28 dias. Para ambos os ensaios, vários biomarcadores foram quantificados nos organismos expostos para aferir: a capacidade antioxidante (superóxido dismutase- SOD, catalase- CAT, glutationa peroxidase- GPx, glutationa redutase- GRed) e capacidade de biotransformação (glutationa S-transferases- GSTs), dano celular (níveis de peroxidação lipídica- TBARs), conteúdo de reservas energéticas (níveis de proteína do corpo e da cabeça- PROT; conteúdo de glicogénio- GLY) e efeitos neurotóxicos (acetilcolinesterase- AChE). Os resultados obtidos da exposição aguda mostram interações entre a salinidade e a metformina na atividade da SOD, níveis de PROT do corpo e conteúdo de GLY em G.holbrooki. Os dados extraídos mostram que um aumento da salinidade pode alterar a resposta de G.holbrooki à metformina. Os resultados obtidos da exposição crónica, mostraram que a exposição de G.holbrooki à metformina levou a uma diminuição significativa da atividade da SOD em quase todas as concentrações testadas. Além disso, a atividade da GPX e das GSTs aumentou, significativamente, nas concentrações de metformina de 10 e de 5 μ/L, respetivamente. Assim sendo, a metformina pode levar ao stress oxidativo em G.holbrooki. No geral, o conteúdo de GLY em G.holbrooki aumentou após a exposição ás concentrações de metformina. Não foram observados efeitos significativos nos restantes biomarcadores medidos. Apesar deste trabalho não mostrar um cenário completo de stress oxidativo em G.holbrooki, após a exposição à metformina em diferentes salinidades, outros estudos já revelaram que a metformina pode levar a danos oxidativos em espécies aquáticas. Assim, estudos ecotoxicológicos adicionais devem ser realizados para descobrir se diferentes concentrações de metformina combinadas com um aumento da salinidade podem ter impactos em espécies não alvo.Mestrado em Biologia Marinha Aplicad