Evaluation Development and Use in Social Work Practice

Background: Social workers entering the profession typically receive little, if any, content or training on evaluation practice. This is, in part, due to limited course offerings outside of the typical courses in most schools of social work. In addition, practicing social workers who often serve in the role as field instructors have not fully embraced the use of research in practice, and tend to employ less rigorous evaluative methods.   Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the development and use of evaluation knowledge among social work practitioners who supervise social work students.   Setting: Not applicable.   Intervention: Not applicable.   Research Design: A mixed method, sequential research design within the context of an exploratory study was used to determine factors that facilitate evaluation, identify and prioritize evaluation competencies, and determine the extent to which evaluation constructs contribute to self efficacy, evaluation competency, evaluation influence, and leadership behaviors.   Data Collection and Analysis: A web-based survey was used followed by a participatory method that included the use of a web-based software to identify and prioritize activities that contribute to the development of evaluation knowledge and skill.   Findings: Results suggest social work education has a critical role in promoting evaluation practice, establishing evaluation practice competencies, and using evaluation results to inform policy and practice.   Keywords: social work practice, field education, evaluation practice, Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Educational Policy, and Accreditation Standards (EPAS

In Vivo Processing of Ceria Nanoparticles inside Liver: Impact on Free-Radical Scavenging Activity and Oxidative Stress

The cytotoxicity of ceria ultimately lies in its electronic structure, which is defined by the crystal structure, composition, and size. Despite previous studies focused on ceria uptake, distribution, biopersistance, and cellular effects, little is known about its chemical and structural stability and solubility once sequestered inside the liver. Mechanisms will be presented that elucidate the in vivo transformation in the liver. In vivo processed ceria reveals a particle-size effect towards the formation of ultrafines, which represent a second generation of ceria. A measurable change in the valence reduction of the second-generation ceria can be linked to an increased free-radical scavenging potential. The in vivo processing of the ceria nanoparticles in the liver occurs in temporal relation to the brain cellular and protein clearance responses that stem from the ceria uptake. This information is critical to establish a possible link between cellular processes and the observed in vivo transformation of ceria. The temporal linkage between the reversal of the pro-oxidant effect (brain) and ceria transformation (liver) suggests a cause-effect relationship

Evaluation of antibiotic releasing porous polymethylmethacrylate space maintainers in an infected composite tissue defect model

Item does not contain fulltextThis study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo performance of antibiotic-releasing porous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-based space maintainers comprising a gelatin hydrogel porogen and a poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particulate carrier for antibiotic delivery. Colistin was released in vitro from either gelatin or PLGA microparticle loaded PMMA constructs, with gelatin-loaded constructs releasing colistin over approximately 7days and PLGA microparticle-loaded constructs releasing colistin for up to 8weeks. Three formulations with either burst release or extended release at different doses were tested in a rabbit mandibular defect inoculated with Acinetobacter baumannii (2x10(7) colony forming unitsml(-1)). In addition, one material control that released antibiotic but was not inoculated with A. baumannii was tested. A. baumannii was not detectable in any animal after 12weeks on culture of the defect, saliva, or blood. Defects with high dose extended release implants had greater soft tissue healing compared with defects with burst release implants, with 8 of 10 animals showing healed mucosae compared with 2 of 10 respectively. Extended release of locally delivered colistin via a PLGA microparticle carrier improved soft tissue healing compared with implants with burst release of colistin from a gelatin carrier