Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Counseling Treatments for Refugee Clients: The Experiences of Mental Health Service Providers

This study examined the perceptions of mental health professionals through their experiences of adapting counseling treatments to meet the cultural needs of their refugee clients. For this interpretative phenomenological study, eleven licensed clinicians participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized multicultural counseling and vicarious trauma theories. Results were presented in superordinate and subordinate themes. The results give context to the developmental process participants experienced and insight into the changes in clinical conceptualization and transformative professional identity which emerged from the challenges and areas of support they experienced during each stage of their professional progression. Suggestions for counseling psychologists, supervisors, mental health professionals, and academic trainers to use in their work included reflective examination of the influences and impact of clinicians’ cultural identities on clients, as well the cultural influences on the mental health paradigms in academic training

Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Bio-imaging

Carbon quantum dots (CQD) with fascinating properties has gradually become a rising star as a new nanocarbon member due to its nonthreatening, abundant and inexpensive nature. This study reports on a facile preparation of fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQD) from iota Carrageenan. CQD from iota Carrageenan was produced by hydrothermal method with a quantum yield (QY) of 16 to 20%. Doping the CQD with nitrogen by the addition of tetraethylene pentamine (TEPE) produced CQD with a QY of 77%. FTIR data confirmed the formation of hydroxyl, carboxylic and carbonyl functional groups as confirmed by the ToFSIMS data due to the presence of nitrogen bonds on the N-CQD produced with TEPE. The CQD and N-CQD produced are crystalline with graphitic structures because of the presence of sp2 graphitic d line spacing with the sizes ranging from 2 to 10nm. To examine the feasibility of using the CQD as nanoprobe in practical applications, labelling and detection of E.coli was performed. The E.coli fluoresced proving CQD as an effective probe in bio imaging application. This study has successfully demonstrated a facile approach of producing CQD with significant high quantum yields to fluorescent CQD for bio imaging applications

Fabrication of polythiourea-copper complex composite membrane and its anti-fouling property

© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd. A Composite Flat Sheet Membrane Containing Polythiourea-Copper (PTU-Cu) Complex was fabricated through a two-step phase separation involving complexation and/or crosslinking of the polymer by copper ions (Cu2+) on the first step and non-solvent induced phase separation on the second step. The surface topography of the membrane was analysed using Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in non-contact mode. The incorporation of copper at the surface was confirmed through Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) mapping wherein other elements such as Sulfur (S), Carbon (C) and Oxygen (O) of the polymer were conducted. The fabricated membrane was rigid as shown by high value (about 2.15 GigaPascal) of measured Young\u27s modulus using the Pinpoint Nanomechanical Analysis Mode of AFM. In addition, the surface charge and hydrophobicity were measured using the Electrostatic Force Microscope (EFM) and water contact angle respectively. The antifouling characteristics of the membrane was evaluated through antimicrobial membrane surface contact test wherein E. coli was used as test microorganism. Other membrane properties such as pore size distribution and pure water flux were measured using a porometer and a filtration apparatus

Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Bio-imaging

Carbon quantum dots (CQD) with fascinating properties has gradually become a rising star as a new nanocarbon member due to its nonthreatening, abundant and inexpensive nature. This study reports on a facile preparation of fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQD) from iota Carrageenan. CQD from iota Carrageenan was produced by hydrothermal method with a quantum yield (QY) of 16 to 20%. Doping the CQD with nitrogen by the addition of tetraethylene pentamine (TEPE) produced CQD with a QY of 77%. FTIR data confirmed the formation of hydroxyl, carboxylic and carbonyl functional groups as confirmed by the ToFSIMS data due to the presence of nitrogen bonds on the N-CQD produced with TEPE. The CQD and N-CQD produced are crystalline with graphitic structures because of the presence of sp2 graphitic d line spacing with the sizes ranging from 2 to 10nm. To examine the feasibility of using the CQD as nanoprobe in practical applications, labelling and detection of E.coli was performed. The E.coli fluoresced proving CQD as an effective probe in bio imaging application. This study has successfully demonstrated a facile approach of producing CQD with significant high quantum yields to fluorescent CQD for bio imaging applications