‘Back to our Roots?’ Re-visiting psychoanalytically-informed baby and young child observation in the education of student social workers

While there is a well-established literature on psychoanalytically-informed baby and young child observation in social work education, little has been published recently. This paper reviews the rationale for its use, evaluating its impact on students’ learning in the light of contemporary policy and practice contexts facing social work education. Analysis of feedback gained from a recent cohort, identifies three ways in which learning through baby and young child observation contributes: firstly, students encounter and learn about the complexity of child development from the direct experience of observing and secondly, observing facilitates the development of important skills for practice; students’ ‘use of self’. Thirdly, through observing, students describe how they develop the capacity to take-up and sustain a professional role. Well-structured teaching and learning through observation is therefore shown to provide a rigorous, theoretically- grounded contribution to the training of university-based social work students entering this complex and challenging professional field

"Roll back the years": A study of grandparent special guardians' experiences and implications for social work policy and practice in England

Growing numbers of grandparent special guardians (GSGs) are assuming responsibility for increasing numbers of children in the care system in England. Special guardianship arrangements are increasingly used as a permanency option as they allow children to remain in their kinship networks, rather than in local authority care or be adopted; yet there is a scarcity of research on GSG carers’ experiences. This article reports a small qualitative research study where ten sets of grandparents were interviewed to explore their journey to becoming GSGs and to theorise their subsequent experiences. Two themes emerge. Firstly, experiences of the assessment process are elaborated, decisions often being made at a time of family crisis, impacting on GSGs: financial, employment, relational. Secondly, GSGs’ experiences of managing often-challenging relationships and contact arrangements between the grandchildren and the parents reveal three main relationship management approaches emerging: containing-flexible; containing-controlled and; uncontained/defeated approaches. Anthropological concepts of affinity help theorise the GSGs’ ambivalent responses to becoming carers in later life, enabling reconfigured kinship relationships in new family forms. Family policy and social work practice is critiqued as GSGs appear often left alone to ‘roll back the years’, to heal previous harms done to the grandchildren who end-up in their care

Supersonic transport lubrication system investigation Second semiannual report

Performance of aircraft gas turbine mainshaft ball bearings, seals, and lubricants under simulated supersonic transport engine condition

Variable rate irrigation: the next big thing in irrigated agriculture?

Non-Peer Reviewe

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae promote Ab 1-42 amyloid processing in murine astrocytes linking an infectious process to Alzheimer\u27s disease

Background: Several studies have suggested an infectious etiology for Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Previously, our laboratory identified Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) from autopsied sporadic AD brains, as well as developed a BALB/c mouse model that demonstrated infection-induced amyloid plaques similar to those found in AD. Hypothesis: We propose that an additional pathogen such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), also may be a contributing factor in toin the pathology seen in AD. HSV1, in addition to Cpn, may be triggering the abnormal cleavage of the beta amyloid precursor protein (bAPP) into Ab1-42 , thereby contributing to amyloid plaque formation. Our current study examines amyloid processing following infection of primary and C8-DIA murine astrocytes with Cpn and HSV1. Materials and Methods: Immunocytochemistry and western analysis was used to analyze the outcome of infection by these two pathogens. Results: Cpn infection resulted in an increase in cytoplasmic labeling of Ab 1-42 relative to uninfected cells, while increased nuclear labeling of Ab 1-42 was observed following HSV1 infection. Co-infections with Cpn and HSV1 resulted in amyloid labeling resembling that of HSV1 infection alone, though Ab 1-42 labeling appeared decreased specifically in Cpn-infected cells of the co-infected monolayers. Conclusions: These data suggest that infection of astrocytic cells by HSV1 and (Cpn) alter the processing of bAPP, thereby producing Ab1-42. Therefore, these studies, inaddition to the previous research reported by our laboratory, support an emerging linkage of the infectious processs to the neuropathology characteristic of Alzheimer\u27s disease.https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/posters/1008/thumbnail.jp

In vitro investigation of friction at the interface between bone and a surgical instrument

This study investigated the friction between surgical instruments and bone to aid improvements to instrument design. The bases of orthopaedic surgical instruments are usually made of metal, especially stainless steel. Silicone elastomer was chosen as an alternate biocompatible material, which would be compliant on the bone surface when used as the base of an instrument. The coefficient of static friction was calculated at the bone/material interface in the presence of a synthetic solution that had a comparable viscosity to that of blood, to assess the friction provided by each base material. Three types of silicone elastomers with different hardnesses (Shore A hardness 23, 50 and 77) and three distinct stainless steel surfaces (obtained by spark erosion, sand blasting and surface grinding) were used to assess the friction provided by the materials on slippery bone. The bone specimens were taken from the flattest region of the femoral shaft of a bovine femur; the outer surfaces of the specimens were kept intact. In general, the stainless steel surfaces exhibited higher values of coefficient of static friction, compared to the silicone elastomer samples. The stainless steel surface finished by spark erosion (surface roughness Ra = 8.9 ± 1.6 µm) had the highest coefficient value of 0.74 ± 0.04. The coefficient values for the silicone elastomer sample with the highest hardness (Dow Corning Silastic Q7-4780, Shore A hardness 77) was not significantly different to values provided by the stainless steel surface finished by sand blasting (surface roughness Ra = 2.2 ± 0.1 µm) or surface grinding (surface roughness Ra = 0.1 ± 0.0 µm). Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that silicone could be a potentially useful material for the design of bases of orthopaedic instruments that interface with bone. </jats:p

An exploration of the use of infant observation methods to research the identities of severely learning disabled adolescents and to enhance relationship-based practice for professional social work practice

This paper considers how infant observation methods may be adapted to explore and research the identities of severely learning disabled adolescents, a group of young people whose experiences are poorly represented in the literature. Through focusing on emotion and relationship, this ‘practice-near’ research method also offers a way for social workers to develop their reflective capacity in relation to the often hidden, uncomfortable emotions aroused by experiencing impairment and difference, but without the defences usually involved in assuming the professional role. The importance of taking time to get on a disabled child’s ‘wavelength’ is illustrated through extracts from the research which show how a young person’s agency and identity can be appreciated. The method also has the potential to develop social workers’ awareness of the powerful undercurrent of emotions apparent at times within families of severely disabled young people and tentative suggestions are made about the projective processes and hidden hostilities at work within one of the families observed as part of the research project. Professionals may be able to use this knowledge to become resilient and reflective practitioners and the observation method itself has something to offer by way of a containing experience for families

The Paradox of Power in CSR: A Case Study on Implementation

Purpose Although current literature assumes positive outcomes for stakeholders resulting from an increase in power associated with CSR, this research suggests that this increase can lead to conflict within organizations, resulting in almost complete inactivity on CSR. Methods A single in-depth case study, focusing on power as an embedded concept. Results Empirical evidence is used to demonstrate how some actors use CSR to improve their own positions within an organization. Resource dependence theory is used to highlight why this may be a more significant concern for CSR. Conclusions Increasing power for CSR has the potential to offer actors associated with it increased personal power, and thus can attract opportunistic actors with little interest in realizing the benefits of CSR for the company and its stakeholders. Thus power can be an impediment to furthering CSR strategy and activities at the individual and organizational level