Working with What You Have: A Literature Review of the Culture and Accessibility of Mental Health Therapy in Rural Communities

This thesis explores the existing literature on the culture, values, ideals, and challenges experienced in rural areas. The influence of social and physical barriers on rural life is examined with emphasis placed on evaluating the cultural effects of isolation, the dependency on a community, and local pride and reputation. The existence of mental health therapy resources within these areas is examined to understand why rural residents struggle to receive care and how cultural factors influence help-seeking behaviors. Further research explains the therapeutic interventions that are commonly found within these areas, their benefits, and their challenges. Potential mental health therapy interventions are outlined within the context of how they apply or can be adapted to rural communities and examples are provided to show ways of overcoming mental health stigma and help-seeking barriers. This literature review is done to educate readers about rural living and promote research surrounding mental health issues within rural communities

Single Crystal X-ray Structure Analyses of Thallides: Halide Incorporation and Mixed Alkali Sites in A8Tl11X (A = K, Rb, Cs; X = Cl, Br)

A8Tl11 (A = alkali metal) compounds have been known since the investigations of Corbett et al. in 1995 and still are matter of current discussions as the compound includes one extra electron referred to the charge of the Tl117− cluster. Attempts to substitute the charge by incorporation of a halide atom succeeded for the lightest homologue of the group, Cs8Ga11Cl, and powder diffraction experiments for the heavier homologues also suggested the formation of analogous compounds. However, X-ray single crystal studies on A8Tl11X to prove this substitution and to provide a deeper insight into the influence on the thallide substructure have not yet been performed, probably due to severe absorption combined with air and moisture sensitivity for this class of compounds. In our contribution we present single crystal X-ray analyses of the new compounds Cs8Tl11Cl0.8, Cs8Tl11Br0.9 and Cs5Rb3Tl11Cl0.5. It is shown that a (partial) incorporation of halide can also be indirectly determined by examination of the Tl-Tl distances for low resolved data sets, e.g., for Cs5.7K2.3Tl11Cl?. Mixed occupied sites by two different alkali metals indicate a dependence on the cesium content, the systems K/Rb–Tl–Br and K/Rb–Tl–Cl only gave rise to the formation of the higher reduced (K/Rb)8Tl11 and the less reduced by-product (K/Rb)15Tl27. We have not been able to prove the formation of halide including thallides in the absence of cesium

In-situ and label-free optical monitoring of the adhesion and spreading of primary monocytes isolated from human blood: dependence on serum concentration levels

Adhesion and spreading of primary monocytes isolated from human blood were monitored utilizing optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS); a highly sensitive label-free biosensor technique using evanescent optical waves generated at a biocompatible surface. Appropriate development on a custom built setup enabled the OWLS cuvette to be operated as a 1.5 ml mini-incubator, controlling both temperature and CO2 levels. The incubator-equipped OWLS is readily applicable for delicate and long-term studies on sensitive primary cells, demonstrated here through monitoring the serum dependence of the adhesion and spreading of human monocytes. Moreover, the custom-built setup enables the simultaneous monitoring of the position and overall width of the OWLS resonant peaks. This unique feature makes it possible to distinguish the refractive index variations induced by the adsorption of secreted material from refractive index changes provoked by cellular spreading. A definite attachment and spreading activity was observed on the substratum (glassy silica-titania), when the serum level of the culturing medium was 0.0-0.01%. Increasing serum concentration resulted in a steep fall in monocyte surface adhesion and spreading. 1.0% serum level practically abolished all spreading activity measured by OWLS, and the number of attached cells was significantly decreased, too. Serum addition to fully spread cells provoked a reduction in the cell-substratum contact area, clearly detectable by the biosensor. Cell spreading was inhibited by pre-coating the sensor surface with considerable amounts of serum proteins. These findings suggest that monocyte spreading is inhibited by the adsorption of serum biomolecules to the substratum, rather than by soluble factors present in the serum. All of these results were obtained completely non-invasively with real time monitoring; demonstrating the capabilities of OWLS to sensitively monitor the adhesion properties of immune cells isolated from human blood. The current study is, therefore, a significant step towards the application of label-free optical biosensors in medical diagnostics

The Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Economic Well-being: A Comparison across Household Types

Using survey data from Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) recipients in Madison County, New York, we evaluate the effectiveness of the EITC in improving the economic well-being of low-income households. In particular, we examine the impact of the EITC across household types. For tax years 2002 through 2004, we find that the EITC is responsible for significantly lowering the poverty rate of the sample, from 57 to 49 percent. The EITC has the largest impact on single parent households, lowering their poverty rate by 11.2 percentage points. However, the EITC has negligible effects on the poorest households in the sample – childless singles. A majority (64 percent) of EITC recipients intends to use at least some of the refund on basic needs and almost half plan on using part of their refund for debt repayment. This suggests that the EITC helps the majority of recipients get by but not necessarily move toward economic independence. Somewhat surprisingly, single parent households in the sample are not that different from married parent households in terms of EITC amounts, poverty rates, use of credit, and participation in government programs, despite earning less

Tax compliance across sociodemographic categories:Meta-analyses of survey studies in 111 countries

Tax compliance varies across sociodemographic categories. However, research on the relationships between compliance and age, sex, education as well as income level shows inconsistent results, both regarding the direction of the relationship and its size. The current meta-analyses target to merge findings in survey studies on age, sex, education, and income and estimate the strength of the impact on compliance by taking into account geographical regions. In four meta-analyses, comprising 459 samples (N = 614,286) from 111 countries published between 1958 and 2012, average estimated effect sizes were small, ranging from r = 0.12 for the relationship between compliance and age, r = 0.06 for sex, r = -0.02 for education to r = -0.04 for income. These effects are more pronounced in Western countries. It thus appears sociodemographic characteristics have little impact on compliance, but nevertheless should be controlled for in tax research

Family - Barometer

Das "Familien-Barometer" (FB), ein neues, maßgeblich von Angehörigen entwickeltes Frühwarn-Interventionsprogramm für schizophren Erkrankte, wurde in einer multizentrischen Studie erstmals hinsichtlich Praktikabilität und Auswirkungen im 3 - Monatsverlauf untersucht. Insgesamt konnten 32 Familien rekrutiert werden; aus einem Screeningprozess 17 (von 286) und durch gezieltes Fragen 15 Familien. Nach Aussage der Familien profitierten ca. 60%, nach Aussage der Studienbegleiter ca. 80% der Familien von der Teilnahme am FB. Insbesondere Kommunikationsfähigkeit, Umgang mit der Erkrankung und Familienklima wurden verbessert. Mögliche Prädiktoren für die Teilnahme am FB wurden ermittelt und eine modifizierte Version des FB zur Diskussion gestellt.The Family-Barometer (FB) a new early warning signs inventory for schizophrenic patients, mainly initiated and created by relatives, was the subject of our evaluation in a multicentric study examinating practicability and outcome during a three months period. 32 families agreed to participate. Feedback was positive according to 60% of the families and 80% of the professionels. Most effects were seen regarding an improvement of communication, of dealing with and understanding the illness and also an amelioration of the familiy climate. Potential predictors of FB-users were shown and a new modified version of the FB was suggested