Intercultural Humility in Social Work Education

This conceptual study draws from social work, education, psychology, and moral philosophy (i.e., virtue and Confucian ethics) to inform our conceptual definition of intercultural humility (ICH) with five interrelated features. Starting with cultural humility in the context of the Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) for Baccalaureate and Master’s Social Work Programs of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2015), we examined conceptualizations of humility and cultural humility as virtues required for ethical social work practice. Implications for social work education are discussed by outlining rationales and strategies for developing each ICH feature

Limited Effect of Dietary Saturated Fat on Plasma Saturated Fat in the Context of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

We recently showed that a hypocaloric carbohydrate restricted diet (CRD) had two striking effects: (1) a reduction in plasma saturated fatty acids (SFA) despite higher intake than a low fat diet, and (2) a decrease in inflammation despite a significant increase in arachidonic acid (ARA). Here we extend these findings in 8 weight stable men who were fed two 6-week CRD (12%en carbohydrate) varying in quality of fat. One CRD emphasized SFA (CRD-SFA, 86 g/d SFA) and the other, unsaturated fat (CRD-UFA, 47 g SFA/d). All foods were provided to subjects. Both CRD decreased serum triacylglycerol (TAG) and insulin, and increased LDL-C particle size. The CRD-UFA significantly decreased plasma TAG SFA (27.48 ± 2.89 mol%) compared to baseline (31.06 ± 4.26 mol%). Plasma TAG SFA, however, remained unchanged in the CRD-SFA (33.14 ± 3.49 mol%) despite a doubling in SFA intake. Both CRD significantly reduced plasma palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) indicating decreased de novo lipogenesis. CRD-SFA significantly increased plasma phospholipid ARA content, while CRD-UFA significantly increased EPA and DHA. Urine 8-iso PGF2α, a free radical-catalyzed product of ARA, was significantly lower than baseline following CRD-UFA (−32%). There was a significant inverse correlation between changes in urine 8-iso PGF2α and PL ARA on both CRD (r = −0.82 CRD-SFA; r = −0.62 CRD-UFA). These findings are consistent with the concept that dietary saturated fat is efficiently metabolized in the presence of low carbohydrate, and that a CRD results in better preservation of plasma ARA

Regulating social work : a primer on licensing practice

Does social work need to be regulated? What are the benefits and drawbacks of social work regulation, and how might social work regulation be improved? Regulating Social Work: A Primer on Licensing Practice explores professional licensure by clearly delineating steps toward its achievement and discussing the tensions and controversies present in the process. The development of licensure and regulation is examined both locally and globally. But most importantly, Regulating Social Work gives readers the resources and information to understand how regulation might be influenced or improved in their area and how they can become involved in making such changes. Features: Uses the social work professional-in-environment perspective to make licensure controversies and complexities more understandable; contributions from England and Asia provide a global perspective and offer topics for practicums; includes study questions, a literature review, and resources and references.https://idun.augsburg.edu/monographs/1048/thumbnail.jp

Whole Blood Fatty Acid Profiles of Cold-Stunned Juvenile Green, Kemp’s Ridley, and Loggerhead Sea Turtles

When subjected to cold environmental temperatures, cheloniid sea turtles can experience debilitating lethargy, anorexia, and potential mortality in a phenomenon known as cold-stunning. Every year, hundreds to thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles are transported to rehabilitation centers for medical and nutritional care. The objective of this study was to investigate one aspect of nutritional status in cold-stunned sea turtles: fatty acid profiles. Blood was collected from eleven green (Chelonia mydas), twelve Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and three loggerhead (Caretta caretta) juvenile sea turtles found cold-stunned along the coast of North Carolina, USA. Whole blood (~160 µL) was dried onto specialized paper spot cards, frozen, and subsequently analyzed via gas chromatography to quantify fatty acid percentages. Significant differences among species were identified for 19 out of 36 individual fatty acids analyzed and six out of seven fatty acid groups evaluated (P < 0.5). The whole blood fatty acid profiles of cold-stunned green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were similar to prior published profiles of healthy conspecifics. Marginal numerical differences noted upon visual comparison included that cold-stunned sea turtles had lower proportions of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monoenes and higher proportions of total saturated fatty acids relative to healthy conspecifics. These differences may reflect acute impacts of cold-stunning on circulating plasma fatty acids or may be the result of natural seasonal variations. These data provide practical information to aid in the diet design of sea turtles in rehabilitation settings

Attitudes Toward Advanced Licensing for Macro Social Work Practice

Trends in clinical licensing and a renewed energy to strengthen macro practice are raising questions about the appropriateness of licensure for macro social work practice. This article presents findings from an online survey of macro social work educators and macro social work practitioners exploring their attitudes toward an advanced-level macro social work license. Faculty and practitioner responders agreed that there is a role for advanced-licensing of macro social work practice; however, the lack of a collectively strong response reflects a current state of ambivalence toward advanced-level licensing for macro practice. Implications from these findings on contemporary social work are discussed