SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM

The demand for group work in social work practice has steadily increased while the group work education provided in social work programs has exponentially declined. Social work education and social work practice are intimately linked – one cannot be examined without considering the other. The historical, theoretical, and clinical intersections of social work with groups and the triadic system of J.L. Moreno (sociometry, psychodrama, and group psychotherapy) will be explored. Moreno’s work will be framed through a social work lens with primary concepts defined. Two trauma-specific psychodrama models (Therapeutic Spiral Model and Relational Trauma Repair Model) will be outlined with their emphasis on strengths, containment, and safety. The clinical research and integrated neurobiology research will be presented as a growing evidence base for psychodrama and experiential trauma therapy. Next, an overview of the state of sociometry, psychodrama, and experiential group psychotherapy education will be outlined to provide a global and historical contextualization with an emphasis on experiential education and its complimentary nature with social work education. Finally, an MSW course curriculum will be provided to mediate the existing hole in social work education resulting from the decline of group psychotherapy training

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama

This open access book outlines the intersections between social work and the methods of sociometry and psychodrama. Different sections offer essential practice wisdom for both trauma-focused and trauma-informed experiential work for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. This text enriches the understanding of various action-based approaches and highlights how to enliven social work practice. The chapters include clinical vignettes and examples of structured sociometric prompts with diverse populations, topics, and social work settings to enhance the understanding of group practice, individual practice, and community practice. It provides social workers and other professionals with dynamic tools to improve assessment, intervention, activism, and leadership. Strength-based practical tools are offered to readers, along with guidance for theoretical conceptualizations. This integrative book is an essential read for students, practitioners, leaders, and scholars within the fields of social work, psychodrama, the creative art therapies, group therapy, community organizing, and social activism

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama

This open access book outlines the intersections between social work and the methods of sociometry and psychodrama. Different sections offer essential practice wisdom for both trauma-focused and trauma-informed experiential work for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. This text enriches the understanding of various action-based approaches and highlights how to enliven social work practice. The chapters include clinical vignettes and examples of structured sociometric prompts with diverse populations, topics, and social work settings to enhance the understanding of group practice, individual practice, and community practice. It provides social workers and other professionals with dynamic tools to improve assessment, intervention, activism, and leadership. Strength-based practical tools are offered to readers, along with guidance for theoretical conceptualizations. This integrative book is an essential read for students, practitioners, leaders, and scholars within the fields of social work, psychodrama, the creative art therapies, group therapy, community organizing, and social activism

MICROORGANISMS VS. SYNTHETIC POLYMERS. ECOLOGY AND BIODEGRADATION

Despite synthetic polymers have been considered little or no deteriorable for many years, now we know they can undergo to chemical, physical and biological damage. Effects of biological degradation on polymers include masking of surface properties due to the presence of microorganisms inhabiting surfaces, embrittlement and loss of stability due to changes in chemical structure of polymers, presence of cracks and swellings due to penetration of microorganisms into the polymer matrix and changes in polymer colour due to excretion of microbial pigments. Microbial deterioration depends on the constitution and the properties of polymer materials as well as environmental conditions. Millions of tons of synthetic polymers used as adhesives, binders, coatings, inks, etc., are produced worldwide every year. In 1997 the worldwide paint and coatings industry represented a mature 50+ billion dollar market and synthetic polymers used in paint and coating industries account for approximately 45-55% of the worldwide decorative market. Deterioration of varnishes and binding media results in chemical changes that lead to an increase in the insolubility and polarity of the material, a reduction of the strength, and a change in colour, among others. As biodeterioration of synthetic polymers seriously compromises the adhesion and durability of the paint as well as its decorative/protective function, identification of the cause of synthetic polymer biodeterioration is of great importance. Although biodeterioration of synthetic polymers in objects during their lifetime should be avoided to preserve the object function, synthetic polymer materials should be susceptible to degradation once they are disposed of and treated as waste. The major ingredients of paints are the pigment, a material which provides colour, and the binding medium, a film-forming material in which the pigment particles are dispersed and forms the matrix that hardens and binds the pigments on the painted surface. All the synthetic polymers used as paint and coatings binders are belonging to different chemical classes, the most important being acrylics, polyvinylacetate and nitrocellulose-alkyds. Microorganisms can assimilate and/or degrade these synthetic polymers because their chemical bonds are the same as those found in the natural polymeric matter, which is generally easily degraded. Bioremediation is widely used for the clean-up of environmental pollutants using microorganisms and could be successfully applied for the removal of synthetic polymers, including those present in paint and coating formulations. The aims of this PhD project were to study both aspects of synthetic polymer biodegradation, in particular: \u2022 Characterise the microbial community associated to biodeterioration of an acrylic polymer used as protective and consolidant, in order to identify microorganisms potentially active against synthetic polymers. \u2022 Study bacterial degradation of nitrocellulose in order to develop a bioremediation process to remove nitrocellulose-based paints. Chapter 3 reports a case-study about how a microbial community changes in the presence or in the absence of an acrylic polymer used as consolidants. Synthetic polymers have been widely applied as consolidants and protective in cultural heritage field for the treatment of objects and buildings to prevent further deterioration. The long-term efficiency of the consolidative/protective treatments was believed influenced mainly by chemical and physical agents (e.g. UV light and temperature) and therefore lots of synthetic polymers have been used in cultural heritage conservation without testing them against biological deterioration. As a result, treated objects are sometimes in worse conditions than untreated objects and, moreover, biodeterioration of the added materials is an additional cause of damage. The study of microbial community changes due to synthetic polymer treatments and the identification of biodeteriogen microorganisms is a crucial step in developing a treatment strategy in cultural heritage conservation. In this work, we present the first molecular characterisation of a microbial community present on artistic ceramic treated with acrylics. The study was conducted on ceramic tiles of the Grande Albergo Ausonia & Hungaria fa\ue7ade. In 2007 the fa\ue7ade underwent conservation treatment to consolidate severely damaged tiles and to remove dark spots present on its surface. Tiles on the first horizontal register were then treated with the commercial synthetic resin Paraloid B72\uae (copolymer methylacrylate 12ethylmethacrilate), as consolidant and protective product. Soon after the intervention both treated and untreated tiles showed coloured alterations caused by microorganisms between the pottery layer and the glaze. Samples from treated and untreated areas were initially observed under stereo, epifluorescence and the scanning electron microscope and analysed by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the polymer, identified as Paraloid B72\uae, was present only in two of the nine treated samples and confirmed the presence of biological alterations in all samples. Paraloid B72\uae was not found on the surface of the most of the treated samples, probably because of photooxidative depolymerization and the wash out of resin from the tile surfaces. Deteriogen biofilm was present at the interface glaze-pottery in samples without any presence of Paraloid B72\uae, while in the two samples where we found Paraloid B72\uae, the biofilm was mainly in the pottery layer. Microscope techniques together with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing from total DNA extracted from Hungaria samples were used to identify sessile taxa causing coloured alteration. Our results showed that the colour of the deposit present in the tile samples and the greenish alteration on the balcony were most likely mainly due to the presence of cryptoendolithic cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae respectively. Biodegrading microorganisms related to the presence of synthetic polymers and Paraloid B72\uae were also found. In particular, Phoma, an uncultured Bacteroidetes and Methylibium sp. were found in all the samples in which we detected Paraloid B72\uae. Melanised fungi, such as Phoma, are well known as the most damaging fungi able to attack and penetrate stone monument surfaces. Bacteroidetes show hydrolytic activity toward polymeric substances and Methylibium can grow on organic pollutants. In addition, when Paraloid B72\uae was present, the biofilm was located in a deeper position than in samples without any evidence of the resin. Using DGGE technique it was also proved that the microflora present on the tiles was generally greatly influenced by the environment of the Hungaria hotel. Several microorganisms related to the alkaline environment, the range of the tile pH, and related to the aquatic environment and the pollutants of the Venice lagoon were found. The rapid reappearing of microbial deterioration soon after the 2007 conservation treatment, which included the use of biocides, was likely favoured by the water content and organic substances, some of them added during the conservation treatment. Therefore, Paraloid B72\uae was not the best consolidant polymer to be used fort the long-time conservation of the ceramic tile of Hungaria hotel. Chapter 4 is focused on the capability of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541 to attack nitrocellulose as binder in paint. Synthetic polymers used for the manufacture of paint and coatings are polymers belonging to different chemical classes and little information regarding the chemical characteristics and their variation in a population of paints are present in literature. On the base of few works, acrylics, polyvinylacetates and nitrocellulose-alkyd polymers seem to be most used as binders in spray paint formulation. The high presence of nitrocellulose, a uniformly substituted cellulose compound with varying degree of nitration, as component of paint binders should lead to a more environmental attention because the presence of nitro compounds materials in the wastewater effluent causes severe environmental problems, high toxicity and provokes serious health problems. Microorganisms are able to degrade nitrocellulose by two pathways: i) cleavage of \u3b2\u20131,4\u2013glucoside bonds that produces nitrooligosaccharides of various length, normally carried out by fungi, and ii) nitrocellulose denitration that reduces the degree of nitro substitution, generally performed by bacteria. Since nitrooligosaccharides have mutagenic properties, the second pathway is preferred over the first for exploitation as a biodegradation pathway. Nitrocellulose undergoes degradation by sulphate\u2013reducing bacteria under anaerobic conditions. In particular, sulphate\u2013reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfovibrio decrease the amount of nitrocellulose powder in media containing this compound. Desulfovibrio spp. firstly reduces the nitration content of nitrocellulose in powder due to a nitroesterase activity of the bacteria and then reduces nitrate to ammonia through the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). DNRA is a two-step process involving nitrate reduction to nitrite and the subsequent nitrite reduction to ammonium by nitrate\u2013 and nitrite reductases. There are several sulphate\u2013reducing bacteria able to reduce nitrate to nitrite, but it appears that this is not a shared feature across the genus Desulfovibrio. In contrast, the dissimilatory reduction of nitrite to ammonium seems to be widespread in Desulfovibrio. For this study, D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 was selected because it was used in metal biosorption, and therefore the strain is resistant to the high concentrations of metals that can be encountered in paints. Nitrocellulose was selected in the form of the red spray paint by Motip\u2013Dupli\uae Autocolor (colour 5\u20130200) that was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy as composed by nitrocellulose and a modified polyester resin. At the end of degradation experiments, the capability of D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 to adhere onto the surface of the paint was assessed by epifluorescence microscopy observations and confirmed by FTIR\u2013ATR spectroscopy that showed the presence of proteinaceous material on the painted surface. Nitrocellulose degradation was followed indirectly by measuring nitrate, nitrite and ammonia concentration in the cultural medium and directly by stereoscope microscopy observation, FTIR spectroscopy and colourimetric measurements of the paint layer. The results proved that, even if slight abiotic degradation of the paint as a consequence of the long immersion time in the culture medium was noticeable, D. desulfuricans was active against Autocolor paint. In particular the bacteria acted with high specificity on the N\u2013O bond of the nitro\u2013substituted cellulose. Moreover, after incubation with D. desulfuricans, paint detachment and fading of Autocolor paint slides were clearly perceptible at first glance. The colour fading of Autocolor paint, proved by changes in CIELAB colour parameters, could be caused by the degradation of the paint and the removal of nitro groups from the nitrocellulose molecule. In this work, changes in nitrate\u2013 and nitrite reductase activity in D. desulfuricans incubated in the presence or in the absence of nitrocellulose as binder of Autocolor paint were also evaluated. It was assessed that the activity of nitrate reductase was equivalent while nitrite reductase activity was higher in D. desulfuricans grown in the presence or in the absence of Autocolor paint. In Chapter 5 the developement of a new primer pair specific for nrfA gene in Desulfovibrio genus is reported. DNRA or nitrate ammonification is an anaerobic process in which nitrate is reduced to ammonia with nitrite as intermediate. The ability to carry out DNRA is phylogenetically widespread. Many sulphate-reducing bacteria are able to perform respiratory ammonification in the presence of nitrate when sulphate is absent and/or in low concentration. The first step of DNRA, the nitrate reduction to nitrite, is usually performed by the periplasmic nitrate reductase NapAB, while the second step, the nitrite reduction to ammonium is catalysed by the pentaheme cytochrome c nitrite reductase NrfA. In Desulfovibrio spp., nitrite reductase NrfA plays an important role for those strains able to use nitrate and nitrite rather than sulphate as electron acceptor, and for those bacteria capable of reducing nitrite but unable to reduce nitrate. In fact, nitrite is a very toxic compound and the additional function of nitrite reductase allows Desulfovibrio spp. to survive in environments containing nitrite up to millimolar concentrations. As the presence of the nitrite reductase in the Desulfovibrio genus is widespread, the gene nrfA, that encods for the key enzyme of the second step of the DNRA pathway, could be used as a marker for this dissimilatory process. Multiple alignment of nrfA sequences of Desulfovibrio species, available from two different databases, showed several consensus sequences. nrfA primers were designed into these conserved sequences using Primer3 software and in silico tested by BlastN tool from NCBI and ThermoPhyl software. The results showed that the best primer pair was nrfA-F2 \u2013 nrfA-R5. The selected primer pair was then tested firstly on Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium strains from culture collection and secondly on two environmental samples. The results proved that a 850bp, identified by sequencing as a nrfA gene fragment, was successfully amplified using the new primer pair. nrfA gene sequences obtained from NCBI and KEGG databases, the two environmental samples and Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium culture collection strains were then clustered in OTUs. The results showed that there was a high diversity in nrfA sequences clustered in OTUs and there were OTU groups not represented by any sequence present in databases, confirming that more work should be done to study nrfA gene and DNRA pathway in Desulfovibrio genus. In conclusion, this project showed that: \u2022 Biotechnology provides valid tools to study changes in microbial community structure due to the presence of synthetic polymers and to identify synthetic polymer biodeteriogen microorganisms. \u2022 Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541 is able to degrade nitrocellulose as binder in paint and likely performs this degradation by the DNRA pathway. \u2022 The new nrfA primers could help for isolating and obtaining more sequences of the nrfA gene from both culture collections and environmental samples and for studying dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) pathway. Further studies on synthetic polymer biodeterioration should be made for the selection of the best one to be applied for each specific use in order to prevent the loss of polymer function once it has been applied to a surface. On the other hand, D. desulfuricans is a promising bacterium in nitrocellulose-based paint bioremediation and nrfA gene could be used to study DNRA metabolism or nitrite detoxifying in bacteria of Desulfovibrio genus, in order to improve nitrocellulose bioremediation process

The Secretome of <em>Vibrio cholerae</em>

Vibrio cholerae is a facultative human pathogen responsible for the cholera disease which infects millions of people worldwide each year. V. cholerae is a natural inhabitant of aquatic environments and the infection usually occurs after ingestion of contaminated water or food. The virulence factors of V. cholerae have been extensively studied in the last decades and include the cholera toxin and the coregulated pilus. Most of the virulence factors of V. cholerae belong to the secretome, which corresponds to all the molecules secreted in the extracellular environment such as proteins, exopolysaccharides, extracellular DNA or membrane vesicles. In this chapter, we review the current knowledge of the secretome of V. cholerae and its role in virulence, colonization and resistance. In the first section, we focus on the proteins secreted through conventional secretion systems. The second and third sections emphasize on the membrane vesicles and on the secretome associated with biofilms

New Promising Therapeutic Avenues of Curcumin in Brain Diseases

Curcumin, the dietary polyphenol isolated from Curcuma longa (turmeric), is commonly used as an herb and spice worldwide. Because of its bio-pharmacological effects curcumin is also called "spice of life", in fact it is recognized that curcumin possesses important proprieties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiproliferative, anti-tumoral, and anti-aging. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Diseases, Parkinson's Diseases, and Multiple Sclerosis are a group of diseases characterized by a progressive loss of brain structure and function due to neuronal death; at present there is no effective treatment to cure these diseases. The protective effect of curcumin against some neurodegenerative diseases has been proven by in vivo and in vitro studies. The current review highlights the latest findings on the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, its bioavailability, its mechanism of action and its possible application for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders

Hydroxyl radical overproduction in the envelope : an achilles' heel in peptidoglycan synthesis

While many mechanisms governing bacterial envelope homeostasis have been identified, others remain poorly understood. To decipher these processes, we previously developed an assay in the Gram-negative model Escherichia coli to identify genes involved in maintenance of envelope integrity. One such gene was ElyC, which was shown to be required for envelope integrity and peptidoglycan synthesis at room temperature. ElyC is predicted to be an integral inner membrane protein with a highly conserved domain of unknown function (DUF218). In this study, and stemming from a further characterization of the role of ElyC in maintaining cell envelope integrity, we serendipitously discovered an unappreciated form of oxidative stress in the bacterial envelope. We found that cells lacking ElyC overproduce hydroxyl radicals (HO ) in their envelope compartment and that HO overproduction is directly or indirectly responsible for the peptidoglycan synthesis arrest, cell envelope integrity defects, and cell lysis of the Δ mutant. Consistent with these observations, we show that the Δ mutant defect is suppressed during anaerobiosis. HO is known to cause DNA damage but to our knowledge has not been shown to interfere with peptidoglycan synthesis. Thus, our work implicates oxidative stress as an important stressor in the bacterial cell envelope and opens the door to future studies deciphering the mechanisms that render peptidoglycan synthesis sensitive to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is caused by the production and excessive accumulation of oxygen reactive species. In bacterial cells, oxidative stress mediated by hydroxyl radicals is typically associated with DNA damage in the cytoplasm. Here, we reveal the existence of a pathway for oxidative stress in the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. Stemming from the characterization of a poorly characterized gene, we found that HO overproduction specifically in the envelope compartment causes inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis and eventually bacterial cell lysis

Effect of awake prone position on diaphragmatic thickening fraction in patients assisted by noninvasive ventilation for hypoxemic acute respiratory failure related to novel coronavirus disease

Background: Awake prone position is an emerging rescue therapy applied in patients undergoing noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (ARF) related to novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Although applied to stabilize respiratory status, in awake patients, the application of prone position may reduce comfort with a consequent increase in the workload imposed on respiratory muscles. Thus, we primarily ascertained the effect of awake prone position on diaphragmatic thickening fraction, assessed through ultrasound, in COVID-19 patients undergoing NIV. Methods: We enrolled all COVID-19 adult critically ill patients, admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for hypoxemic ARF and undergoing NIV, deserving of awake prone positioning as a rescue therapy. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy and any contraindication to awake prone position and NIV. On ICU admission, after NIV onset, in supine position, and at 1\ua0h following awake prone position application, diaphragmatic thickening fraction was obtained on the right side. Across all the study phases, NIV was maintained with the same setting present at study entry. Vital signs were monitored throughout the entire study period. Comfort was assessed through numerical rating scale (0 the worst comfort and 10 the highest comfort level). Data were presented in median and 25th\u201375th percentile range. Results: From February to May 2021, 20 patients were enrolled and finally analyzed. Despite peripheral oxygen saturation improvement [96 (94\u201397)% supine vs 98 (96\u201399)% prone, p = 0.008], turning to prone position induced a worsening in comfort score from 7.0 (6.0\u20138.0) to 6.0 (5.0\u20137.0) (p = 0.012) and an increase in diaphragmatic thickening fraction from 33.3 (25.7\u201340.5)% to 41.5 (29.8\u201350.0)% (p = 0.025). Conclusions: In our COVID-19 patients assisted by NIV in ICU, the application of awake prone position improved the oxygenation at the expense of a greater diaphragmatic thickening fraction compared to supine position. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04904731. Registered on 05/25/2021, retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04904731

Degradation of nitrocellulose-based paint by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541

Nitrocellulose is one of the most commonly used compounds in ammunition and paint industries and its recalcitrance to degradation has a negative impact on human health and the environment. In this study the capability of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 13541 to degrade nitrocellulose as binder in paint was assayed for the first time. Nitrocellulose-based paint degradation was followed by monitoring the variation in nitrate, nitrite and ammonium content in the culture medium using Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy. At the same time cell counts and ATP assay were performed to estimate bacterial density and activity in all samples. Infrared spectroscopy and colorimetric measurements of paint samples were performed to assess chemical and colour changes due to the microbial action. Microscope observations of nitrocellulose-based paint samples demonstrated the capability of the bacterium to adhere to the paint surface and change the paint adhesive characteristics. Finally, preliminary studies of nitrocellulose degradation pathway were conducted by assaying nitrate- and nitrite reductases activity in D. desulfuricans grown in presence or in absence of paint. We found that D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 is able to transform nitrocellulose as paint binder and we hypothesised ammonification as degradation pathway. The results suggest that D. desulfuricans ATCC 13541 is a good candidate as a nitrocellulose-degrading bacterium

Degradation of EEG microstates patterns in subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment: Early biomarkers along the Alzheimer's Disease continuum?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological changes may begin up to decades earlier than the appearance of the first symptoms of cognitive decline. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) could be the first pre-clinical sign of possible AD, which might be followed by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the initial stage of clinical cognitive decline. However, the neural correlates of these prodromic stages are not completely clear yet. Recent studies suggest that EEG analysis tools characterizing the cortical activity as a whole, such as microstates and cortical regions connectivity, might support a characterization of SCD and MCI conditions. Here we test this approach by performing a broad set of analyses to identify the prominent EEG markers differentiating SCD (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;57), MCI (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;46) and healthy control subjects (HC, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;19). We found that the salient differences were in the temporal structure of the microstates patterns, with MCI being associated with less complex sequences due to the altered transition probability, frequency and duration of canonic microstate C. Spectral content of EEG, network connectivity, and spatial arrangement of microstates were instead largely similar in the three groups. Interestingly, comparing properties of EEG microstates in different cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers profiles, we found that canonic microstate C displayed significant differences in topography in AD-like profile. These results show that the progression of dementia might be associated with a degradation of the cortical organization captured by microstates analysis, and that this leads to altered transitions between cortical states. Overall, our approach paves the way for the use of non-invasive EEG recordings in the identification of possible biomarkers of progression to AD from its prodromal states