The Cost of Comforting: Phenomenological Study on Burnout Among Marriage and Family Therapists in Community Settings

Burnout is best defined as a condition consisting of symptoms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1982). It has been characterized as a process that develops through a variety of work and individual factors. Furthermore, it has been shown to impact one’s career, physical health, and mental well-being. Much of the literature on burnout has been studied on psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, with a paucity of studies focused on marriage and family therapist (MFTs). The lack of burnout literature on MFTs is in spite of their employment in many diverse clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Associate MFTs (AMFTs) working in community based agencies and identify factors that contribute to feeling burned out. Moreover, the study sought to identify ways AMFTs recognize, prepare for, and manage burnout. Research has identified risk and protective factors of burnout and self-care is a topic routinely discussed in the mental health field. However, this study attempts to elucidate the burnout phenomenon by unearthing lived experiences of clinicians experiencing work stress and understanding what it is about the nature of self-care that is effective for clinicians in managing its impact. This Dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/et

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ DEMOGRAPHICS AND DRINKING & DRIVING BEHAVIORS

In the U.S. there continues to be public health concerns behind alcohol related motor-vehicle accidents, as the yearly death continues to remain high. University students are a population of interest, as the age group found in these institutions closely matches the age range of most alcohol related accidents. University students already experience health related problems with their drinking & driving behaviors. Literature supports that university students are more susceptible to drinking and driving when compared to those that don’t attend. This study focused on determining whether a relationship existed between university demographics (age, gender, and student classification) and their drinking and driving behaviors. The data was gathered by sending out a mass distribution email out to all enrolled students attending a public university during the spring 2022 semester and inviting them to a 10 question survey. The survey data was analyzed to determine if there were any statistically significant differences behind the respondents\u27 answer choices. A secondary analysis was also conducted to determine the strength of an association between the variables of interest. The results obtained demonstrated that university students within some, but not all, demographics are more likely to participate in these risky behaviors. Ultimately, this research builds on the need for policy reform and future research in order to create safer roads for the general public

Biofuels Potential in Latin America and the Caribbean: Quantitative Considerations and Policy Implications for the Agricultural Sector

Rising oil prices has led to increased interest to replace domestic demand for liquid fuels for transport (petrol and diesel) with biofuel production (ethanol and biodiesel). One of the pioneers in biofuel production is Brazil, which since the 1970s has established a government program that promotes the production and consumption of ethanol. Currently, Brazil is the leading producer of ethanol in the world and has started also programs for biodiesel production based on soybeans, oil palm and other crops. Other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have also expressed interest in biofuel production, and have started programs, and in some cases the legislation that promotes biofuel production. However, most of the analysis of biofuel crops has been focused in the major countries such as Brazil and Argentina. As most countries in the region embark in biofuel projects and establish national policies on biofuels, there is a need for a roadmap that looks into the technical considerations that biofuel production will require. Most government policies are driven by politics, and in some cases such as the discussion of food production versus biofuel production, there should be technical analysis of increased production of biofuels. For those reasons, this study offers the first complete assessment of the potential of biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean for 28 countries in the region, based on 12 agricultural and forestry crops. We first identify the biofuel production potential based on current surplus production, as a catalyst of biofuel production in the region. We then estimate the land requirements based on a 5% replacement of domestic liquid fuel demand, and the suitable available area in each country for such replacement. We also project biofuel production and available land area needed to meet food and nutrition targets for countries in the region to 2025. The results of this study show that the crops with the largest potential in Latin America and the Caribbean are sugar canes and cassava. Based on current production levels the conversion of sugar cane into bioethanol could surpass the 5% mix in more than half of the domestic markets of the countries surveyed. For biodiesel, countries with current surplus production that could be transformed to biodiesel and exceed the 5% mix include Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Honduras. For land, Latin America, particularly South America may have enough suitable land for production of biofuels, specially sugar cane, soybeans and oil palm, the main crops identified in this study. As for food supply and security and the future production of biofuels to 2025, we find that for major food exporters, there is enough land for both food and energy crop production. However, there are some smaller countries, especially in Central America and the Caribbean that may have to decide whether to import food and produce energy from crops. In term of the effect on prices, we find that increased biofuel production may have important price effects the effect may depend we analyze energy crops, traditional crops or byproducts of biofuel production. Finally, in terms of the impact on agricultural structure and land ownership, the most significant structural changes consist in a higher concentration in production and tenure as well as the establishment of new kind of actors and norms. Policies and institutions should be established that enables small producers to take advantage of increased biofuel production, so they can benefit in terms of employment, income, as means for poverty reduction in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.Biofuels, land availability, price effect, agricultural structure, Latin America, Caribbean, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q42, Q48, Q11, Q15,

From the Past to the Present: Collaborating on the Production of a Community Museum in Chiquilá, Quintana Roo, Mexico

This thesis explores the process of facilitating the creation of a community museum in Chiquilá, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The growing presence of tourists travelling to Holbox Island, achieved by going through Chiquilá’s port, makes this project timely. Working with the Proyecto Costa Escondida(PCE), the Chiquilá Community Museum Project (CCMP) aspires to identify the dynamic relationship between the coastal inhabitants and the changing landscape, both past and present, through scientific investigations and local knowledge and make this knowledge accessible to the public. It is the accumulation of information through aforementioned means that allow us to collaborate with the Chiquilá community and other regional stakeholders to create a museum exhibit that aspires to do three things: empower the local population through collaboration, serve the community as a reliable source of information, and provide an adaptable and manageable platform for sustainable development. While this project focuses on the initial stages of this process, it is foundational for the development of the Chiquilá community museum

An Econometric Analysis of the European Commission's Merger Decisions

Using a sample of 96 mergers notified to the EU Commission and logit regression techniques, we analyse the Commission's decision process. We find that the probability of a phase 2 investigation and of a prohibition of the merger increases with the parties' market shares. The probability increases also when the Commission finds high entry barriers or that post-merger collusion is easy. We do not find significant effects of political variables, such as the nationality of the merging firms or the identity of the commissioner.competition law; antitrust; merger; merger reulation

EFFECTS OF NEONATAL ETHANOL EXPOSURE IN NORMAL AND DOPAMINE DEFICIENT RATS

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common developmental disorder characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. In rodents, neonatal 6-OHDA lesions is an established model of ADHD because it produces symptoms of hyperactivity and cognitive deficits that improve following psychostimulant treatment. Recently, early alcohol exposure in rodents has also been suggested as a model of ADHD due to the high prevalence of ADHD in children exposed prenatally to alcohol. However, children exposed to prenatal alcohol differ in symptoms from children with idiopathic ADHD, suggesting that ADHD caused by prenatal alcohol exposure may be a special subtype of ADHD or a completely different disorder. The aim of the present study was to compare the 6-OHDA lesion model with the effects of early alcohol exposure on hyperactivity, psychostimulant response, and passive avoidance learning in preweanling rats. It was hypothesized that alcohol exposure and the combined effects of a 6-OHDA lesion and exposure to alcohol would result in increased locomotor hyperactivity and poorer performance on the passive avoidance task. A total of 1,053 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were lesioned with 6-OHDA or placed in a lesion control group on postnatal day (PD 3). Beginning on PD 4, rats were exposed to alcohol (0, 0.3, or 3 g/kg) for six consecutive days or were unhandled. On PD 19, rats were habituated to a locomotor chamber for 60 min. On the following day (PD 20), the rats were injected with amphetamine (1 mg/kg), methylphenidate (2.5 mg/kg) or saline and locomotor activity was measured for 60 min. On PD 23, a separate group of rats were trained on a passive avoidance task and retention was tested for three consecutive days. Our results demonstrated that exposure to a low dose of alcohol can cause an increase in the locomotor activity of female rats, while exposure to a high dose of alcohol can disrupt memory. In addition, our results indicated that 6-OHDA lesions and alcohol exposure do not have an additive effect. In summary, these data suggest neonatal alcohol can cause a dose dependent increase in ADHD-like symptoms