Hypogravity reduces trunk admittance and lumbar muscle activation in response to external perturbations

Reduced paraspinal muscle size and flattening of spinal curvatures have been documented after spaceflight. Assessment of trunk adaptations to hypogravity can contribute to develop specific countermeasures. In this study, parabolic flights were used to investigate spinal curvature and muscle responses to hypogravity. Data from five trials at 0.25g, 0.50g and 0.75g were recorded from six participants, positioned in a kneeling-seated position. During the first two trials, participants maintained a normal, upright posture. In the last three trials, small-amplitude perturbations were delivered in the anterior direction at the T10 level. Spinal curvature was estimated using motion capture cameras. Trunk displacement and contact force between the actuator and participant were recorded. Muscle activity responses were collected using intramuscular electromyography (iEMG) of the deep and superficial lumbar multifidus, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, quadratus lumborum, transversus abdominis, obliquus internus and obliquus externus muscles. The root mean square iEMG and the average spinal angles were calculated. Trunk admittance and muscle responses to perturbations were calculated as closed-loop frequency response functions. Compared with 0.75g, 0.25g resulted in: lower activation of the longissimus thoracis (P=0.002); lower responses of the superficial multifidus at low frequencies (P=0.043); lower responses of the superficial multifidus (P=0.029) and iliocostalis lumborum (P=0.043); lower trunk admittance (P=0.037) at intermediate frequencies; and stronger responses of the transversus abdominis at higher frequencies (p=0.032). These findings indicate that exposure to hypogravity reduces trunk admittance, partially compensated by weaker stabilizing contributions of the paraspinal muscles and coinciding with an apparent increase of the deep abdominal muscle activity

LGBTQ Topics and Christianity in Social Work: Tackling the Tough Questions

In 2014 the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) convention offered a workshop whose abstract stated coverage of controversies, ethics, governmental policies, and faith related to reparative therapy. In this workshop, presenters expressed support for using reparative therapy at clients’ requests. In response to this, a member of the Caucus of LGBT Faculty and Doctoral Students in Social Work (LGBT Caucus) organized a letter with over 120 social work faculty and practitioner signatures and submitted it to NACSW expressing concern that reparative/conversion therapy was offered as a viable mental health treatment at a professional social work conference, and requesting that future proposals regarding LGBT issues be reviewed for ethical and culturally sensitive practice. Simultaneously, Shelley Craig of the CSWE Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (CSOGIE) convened a caucus group for dialogue around larger religious issues in social work education and accreditation. Several NACSW members were also concerned about the reparative therapy workshop and supportive of an opportunity to work with CSWE in support of LGBT populations. Monthly collaborative conference calls between the LGBT Caucus and NACSW board members have resulted in a revision of NACSW convention and journal review practices, the development of a FAQ document addressing these issues, and continuing discussion of the ongoing work needed in this area of practice

LGBTQ Topics and Christianity in Social Work: Tackling the Tough Questions

In 2014 the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) convention offered a workshop whose abstract stated coverage of controversies, ethics, governmental policies, and faith related to reparative therapy. In this workshop, presenters expressed support for using reparative therapy at clients’ requests. In response to this, a member of the Caucus of LGBT Faculty and Doctoral Students in Social Work (LGBT Caucus) organized a letter with over 120 social work faculty and practitioner signatures and submitted it to NACSW expressing concern that reparative/conversion therapy was offered as a viable mental health treatment at a professional social work conference, and requesting that future proposals regarding LGBT issues be reviewed for ethical and culturally sensitive practice. Simultaneously, Shelley Craig of the CSWE Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (CSOGIE) convened a caucus group for dialogue around larger religious issues in social work education and accreditation. Several NACSW members were also concerned about the reparative therapy workshop and supportive of an opportunity to work with CSWE in support of LGBT populations. Monthly collaborative conference calls between the LGBT Caucus and NACSW board members have resulted in a revision of NACSW convention and journal review practices, the development of a FAQ document addressing these issues, and continuing discussion of the ongoing work needed in this area of practice

LGBT-Competence in Social Work Education: The Relationship of School Factors to Professional Competence

Background: In recent years, social work has become increasingly concerned with efforts to produce professionals capable of effectively supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients. Research examining LGBT-competence in social work remains limited, however, because it often neglects to address the role social work education plays in LGBT-competence development, and fails to go beyond individual-level analysis to provide insight into LGBT-competence within organizational contexts. These limitations are particularly troubling considering schools of social work are the predominant structures through which future social workers develop professional competence, and yet evidence suggests these organizational contexts not only are hostile learning environments for many LGBT faculty members and students, but also inadequately prepare students to work with LGBT people. To address these limitations this study examined LGBT-competence in the context of master of social work (MSW) education, with particular attention to organizational and individual-levels of analysis. Using data gathered from MSW program directors, faculty members, and students, hierarchical linear modeling was applied to explore differences in participant perceptions of a MSW program’s organizational LGBT-competence, and the relationship between a MSW program’s organizational and individual-level LGBT-competence. The purpose of this research was to provide new and valuable insight into how schools of social work are engaging in support of sexual and gender minorities, and to investigate if improving LGBT-competence in social work education at an organizational level can ultimately improve social work’s capacity to produce professionals capable of responding to the needs of LGBT clients. Methods: Data was collected using a cross-sectional electronic survey design. Data was hierarchically structured, consisting of 34 MSW program director, 242 faculty, and 1109 student participants within a sample of 34 MSW programs. All participants provided a measure of their MSW program’s organizational LGBT-competence, and student participants also provided a self-assessment of their individual LGBT-competence. A series of hierarchical linear models was applied to examine differences between director, faculty, and student responses, as well as the relationship between a program’s organizational and individual LGBT-competence. Results: Results indicate program directors, faculty members, and students had significantly different perceptions of their shared MSW program. Specifically, within a given program, directors rated the LGBT-competence of their program higher than faculty, and faculty rated their program higher than students. Results also indicate organizational-level factors contributed to student development of sexual and gender minority competence, such that programs with higher organizational LGBT-competence also had students with higher individual LGBT-competence. Implications: In the context of social work education, these results indicate the value of gathering data from multiple stakeholders in an organizational environment, and the important role educational contexts play in producing culturally competent social work professionals. Such findings provide insight into the current level of support for LGBT issues in schools of social work, and suggests improving social work education at an organizational level can ultimately increase the capacity of social workers to combat social inequality and oppression often experienced by sexual and gender minorities

The Longitudinal Patterns of Stimulant and Amyl Nitrite Use and Sexual Behavior Pre- and Post-HIV Seroconversion among MSM

Background and Aims. This study compared the temporal patterns of stimulant/nitrite use and risky sexual behavior for 3 groups of MSM: those who seroconverted during the study; those who remained HIV-seronegative; and HIV seroprevalent individuals whose infections preceded study enrollment. Setting. Data were collected in Baltimore-Washington, DC; Pittsburgh; Chicago; and Los Angeles sites of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a longitudinal study of the natural history of HIV infection among MSM. Participants. We used propensity scores to obtain 1,044 MSM composed of matched groups of 348 seroconverting, 348 seronegative, and 348 seroprevalent participants, matched on demographics, recruitment cohort, and study visits. Design. We centered up to four-years of semi-annual data around the seroconversion visit of the seroconverting case within each matched group of participants. Mixed effects regressions estimated the effects of serostatus, recruitment cohort, and time on stimulant/nitrite use, numbers of male intercourse partners, and numbers of unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI) partners. Covariates included demographics, binge drinking, and marijuana use. Findings. Seroconverters had the higher odds of stimulant/inhaled nitrite use (AOR=10.3, CI=4.8-22.0) and higher incident rates of intercourse (IRR=1.6, CI=1.3-2.1) and URAI partners (IRR = 5.1, CI=3.5-7.3). All participants decreased drug use and sexual risk behavior over time. However, the decreases were largest for seroconverters who nevertheless maintained the highest rates of stimulant use and sexual risk. Cohort-related effects were associated with sharp reductions in stimulant/nitrite use and URAI in the early 1990s that rebounded considerably within the first decade of the 2000s. Conclusions. Risky sexual behavior and stimulant/nitrite use decrease following HIV infection although seroconverting participants persist using stimulants and engaging in risky sex at relatively high levels/rates albeit less than the level/rates preceding infection. Against this general pattern there is significant variation at the individual level. Moreover, stimulant/nitrite use and risky sexual behavior appear to have been strongly influenced by contextual historical and socio-cultural effects