Competency-Based Social Work Education: 25 Years of Innovation & Leadership

The white paper chronicles the 25-year history of one graduate school of social work’s efforts in competency-based curriculum innovation. The authors argue that curriculum change is organizational change and share their experiences with a variety of curriculum assessment, design, and delivery efforts. Beginning with the development of the first social work competencies (labeled Abilities), pioneering efforts in assessment and holistic curricular design and delivery are reviewed. A new, one-semester, social work generalist curriculum is introduced. Emphasis is placed on the importance of developing a competency-based curriculum that is integrated both horizontally and vertically and that engages the social work student in active learning strategies. Special attention is focused on the iterative process of curricular innovation across platforms (on ground, online, and intensive weekend) and on developing a curriculum that continually seeks to integrate macro and micro social work practice. The opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned that arose from these efforts are identified and the reader is invited to consider how these experiences may be applied to their own school

Analysis of seizure EEG in kindled epileptic rats

Using wavelet analysis we have detected the presence of chirps in seizure EEG signals recorded from kindled epileptic rats. Seizures were induced by electrical stimulation of the amygdala and the EEG signals recorded from the amygdala were analyzed using a continuous wavelet transform. A time -frequency representation of the wavelet power spectrum revealed that during seizure the EEG signal is characterized by a chirp-like waveform whose frequency changes with time from the onset of seizure to its completion. Similar chirp-like timefrequency profiles have been observed in newborn and adult patients undergoing epileptic seizures. The global wavelet spectrum depicting the variation of power with frequency showed two dominant frequencies with the largest amounts of power during seizure. Our results indicate that a kindling paradigm in rats can be used as an animal model of human temporal lobe epilepsy to detect seizures by identifying chirp-like time -frequency variations in the EEG signal

Analysis of seizure EEG in kindled epileptic rats

Using wavelet analysis we have detected the presence of chirps in seizure EEG signals recorded from kindled epileptic rats. Seizures were induced by electrical stimulation of the amygdala and the EEG signals recorded from the amygdala were analyzed using a continuous wavelet transform. A time -frequency representation of the wavelet power spectrum revealed that during seizure the EEG signal is characterized by a chirp-like waveform whose frequency changes with time from the onset of seizure to its completion. Similar chirp-like timefrequency profiles have been observed in newborn and adult patients undergoing epileptic seizures. The global wavelet spectrum depicting the variation of power with frequency showed two dominant frequencies with the largest amounts of power during seizure. Our results indicate that a kindling paradigm in rats can be used as an animal model of human temporal lobe epilepsy to detect seizures by identifying chirp-like time -frequency variations in the EEG signal

Compromised osseous healing of dental extraction sites in zoledronic acid-treated dogs

Summary: The goal of this study was to document how treatment with high doses of zoledronic acid affects dental extraction healing. Our results, showing significantly compromised osseous healing within the socket as well as presence of exposed bone and development of a sequestrum in one animal, provide a building block toward understanding osteonecrosis of the jaw. Purpose: The goal of this study was to document how treatment with a bisphosphonate affects the bone tissue following dental extraction. Methods: Skeletally mature female beagle dogs were either untreated controls (CON) or treated with intravenous zoledronic acid (ZOL). Following the extraction of the fourth premolars, healing was allowed for 4 or 8 weeks. Properties of the extraction site were assessed using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and dynamic histomorphometry. Results: The initial infilling of the extraction socket with bone was not affected by ZOL, but subsequent removal of this bone was significantly suppressed compared to CON. After 8 weeks of healing, the alveolar cortical bone adjacent to the extraction socket had a remodeling rate of ∼50% per year in CON animals while ZOL-treated animals had a rate of \u3c1% per year. One ZOL-treated animal developed exposed bone post-extraction which eventually led to the formation of a sequestrum. Assessment of the sequestrum with micro-CT and histology showed that it had features consistent with those reported in humans with osteonecrosis of the jaw. Conclusions: These results, showing significantly compromised post-extraction osseous healing as well as presence of exposed bone and development of a sequestrum in one ZOL animal, provide a building block toward understanding the pathophysiology of osteonecrosis of the jaw. © 2010 International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation

Attenuation of kindled seizures by intranasal delivery of neuropeptide-loaded nanoparticles.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; Protirelin), an endogenous neuropeptide, is known to have anticonvulsant effects in animal seizure models and certain intractable epileptic patients. Its duration of action, however, is limited by rapid tissue metabolism and the blood—brain barrier. Direct nose-to-brain delivery of neuropeptides in sustained-release biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) is a promising mode of therapy for enhancing CNS neuropeptide bioavailability. To provide proof of principle for this delivery approach, we used the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy to show that 1) TRH-loaded copolymer microdisks implanted in a seizure focus can attenuate kindling development in terms of behavioral stage, after-discharge duration (ADD), and clonus duration; 2) intranasal administration of an unprotected TRH analog can acutely suppress fully kindled seizures in a concentration-dependent manner in terms of ADD and seizure stage; and 3) intranasal administration of polylactide nanoparticles (PLA-NPs) containing TRH (TRH-NPs) can impede kindling development in terms of behavioral stage, ADD, and clonus duration. Additionally, we used intranasal delivery of fluorescent dye-loaded PLA-NPs in rats and application of dye-loaded or dye-attached NPs to cortical neurons in culture to demonstrate NP uptake and distribution over time in vivo and in vitro respectively. Also, a nanoparticle immunostaining method was developed as a procedure for directly visualizing the tissue level and distribution of neuropeptide-loaded nanoparticles. Collectively, the data provide proof of concept for intranasal delivery of TRH-NPs as a viable means to 1) suppress seizures and perhaps epileptogenesis and 2) become the lead compound for intranasal anticonvulsant nanoparticle therapeutics