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From fear of contracting the virus, isolation from physical distancing, to navigating lifework balance, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to leave long-lasting psychosocial impacts on many. Shared trauma refers to similar psychological reactions to an extraordinary community event when experienced by both the clinicians and clients. We examined the experiences mong mental health clinicians in Canada and the United States (n = 196) in this online survey study during the second phase of the pandemic (Spring 2021). In addition to using traditional survey items (e.g., demographics, scales, and short answers), we also used video-recorded Simulated Clients (SC; i.e., professional actors) as a novel method to elicit the participants' assessment of the SCs and the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using shared trauma as a theoretical framework, we analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative results suggested that although these mental health clinicians certainly reported experiencing psychosocial impacts of the pandemic themselves, these shared experiences with client and general populations did not greatly impact how they understood the SCs. Qualitative results helped further contextualize the clinicians' own personal and professional lives. Implications for clinical practice and further research related to shared trauma are discussed.

While clinical social work has a strong conceptual understanding of uncertainty, there is a lack of empirical data on how practitioners navigate uncertainty in practice. This paper reports findings of the data generated from a simulation-based pilot study designed to explore clinical social workers’ encounters with uncertainty and the strategies they use to navigate it. Experienced clinicians (n = 4), recent graduates (n = 4) and graduate students (n = 3) participated in a 30-min video recorded case-based simulated session with a live standardized client (SC). Using standardized clients, simulation-based research methodology allowed us to capture moment-to-moment practice behaviours and decisions among social workers. Following each simulation, participants reviewed the video-recorded sessions and engaged in an audio-recorded reflective dialogue with a researcher. Two themes emerged from the data sets: (1) there is a variation between less experienced participants who navigated uncertainty in pragmatic, task focused ways and more experienced practitioners who focused on the wider relationship with the client; and (2) less experienced practitioners tended towards struggling against uncertainty while more experienced practitioners demonstrated an ability to sit and wade within it. These findings offer several implications for clinical social work research and practice, including the important role that simulation methodologies have in exploring clinical practice and the need to understand specific aspects of uncertainty in clinical practice.

Researchers have documented diminishing staff supervision in health care settings, while noting the complexity and dynamic nature of health care systems. A secondary data analysis of a survey of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (N=666) explored the contemporary receipt of different types of supervision in frontline health care. Most social worker participants were involved in supervision, receiving administrative and supportive supervision. Only 52% engaged in clinical supervision, even though most spent over 50% of work time with clients with complex needs. Factors related to the receipt of clinical supervision included setting, experience, gender, and availability of clinical practice leaders.

Teaching students about culture and diversity in social work practice is a complex and important task for social work educators. In this study, we assessed students’ conceptualization of culture an...

In discussing a university-industry partnership on the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based simulation platform, this conceptual paper explores the use of Natural Language Processin...

Simulation-based learning is gaining attention in social work education. While research suggests clear pedagogical benefits for those who engage simulated clients as interviewers, little is known a...

This article reports a scoping review designed to synthesize current literature that used simulation as an investigative methodology (simulation-based research; SBR) in researching practice competencies in clinical social work. Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework, 24 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of articles reported SBR studies conducted in Canada and the U.S. and were published in the last 10 years, signifying that this is a burgeoning area of research in clinical social work. Areas of clinical competencies included professional decision-making (33%), the role of cognition and emotion (21%), attending to culture and diversity (21%), and others, such as supervision skills (8%). Using qualitative (46%), quantitative (42%), and mixed methods (13%) in research design, more than half of the SBR studies reported in the selected articles used live actors (54%) to simulate a realistic practice situation for research. Selected articles also offered both benefits and limitations of SBR in social work. We offer suggestions for when to use SBR for research on clinical social work practice and strengthening a collaboration between clinicians and researchers in advancing practice-informed research.

Microscopic imaging techniques have been developed to visualize events occurring in biological cells. Coherent X-ray diffraction imaging is one of the techniques applicable to structural analyses of cells and organelles, which have never been crystallized. In the experiment, a single noncrystalline particle is illuminated by an X-ray beam with almost complete spatial coherence. The structure of the particle projected along the direction of the beam is, in principle, retrieved from a finely recorded diffraction pattern alone by using iterative phase-retrieval algorithms. Here, we describe fundamental theory and experimental methods of coherent X-ray diffraction imaging and the recent application in structural studies of noncrystalline specimens by using X-rays available at Super Photon Ring of 8-Gev and SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free Electron Laser in Japan.

Spurred on by medical education, the last decade has seen a steady increase in simulation-based teaching, learning, and student assessment in social work. Using professional actors trained to portray realistic client scenarios, social work students are afforded risk-free opportunities to rehearse and develop various competencies in working with these simulated patients (SP). This pedagogy is particularly relevant for social work students and practitioners because of the highly vulnerable and marginalized nature of the clients they work with (e.g., suicide intervention, child protection decision-making). In this editorial, we briefly discuss the competency frameworks respectively designed for medicine and other healthcare professionals as well as social work. We highlight ways in which simulation educators might design teaching, learning, and student assessment in preparing healthcare professionals for holistic competence. In doing so, this editorial articulates contributions of social work to broader healthcare simulation education.

Given that promoting social justice is one of the central organizing principles of social work, it comes as no surprise that participatory action research has gained much attention among social work researchers. While much has been written about promising practices of participatory action research with various marginalized communities, there remains a dearth of participatory action research literature that focuses on trans* people, a population often under attack in current socio-political climates. In this paper, we report on a participatory action research project, in which a trans* artist worked closely with trans* youth participants (n = 5) to assist them through a creative project. Using a queer theoretical lens and drawing from the concept of “queer world-making,” the participants recast cultural representations about what it means to be trans* in their chosen artistic medium. This paper suggests that art can serve as a transformative research practice with trans* youth. Our findings suggest that the rhetorical binary of trans* vulnerability and resilience does not adequately represent lived experience. We make this argument by demonstrating the following processes through which youths engaged art in this participatory action research project: (1) countering normative discourses of what it means to be trans*, (2) promoting self- reflection and expression, and (3) facilitating “queer counterpublics.” In so doing, we make an argument for art as a qualitative research process that holds much promise in uncovering and challenging the normative discourse and developing a much more complex and nuanced understanding of what it means to be trans* youth.

The profession of social work emphasizes social justice in its service delivery, yet there is a paucity of literature on how to teach clinical practice from a social justice perspective. This quali...

Although social justice is a central professional value of social work articulated in ethics codes, clinical social workers have been long criticized for not clearly incorporating this professed commitment into practice. Supervision is an optimal space within which clinicians can develop knowledge and skills to attend to the issues related to social justice in their practice. A growing body of literature emphasizes social justice in the delivery of clinical services, yet there is a death of literature on how clinical supervision can promote social justice seeking clinical work. In this paper, we draw from existing literature to identify key elements involved in social justice seeking clinical supervision. Using Goodyear’s (Clin Superv 33:82–99, 2014) learning mechanisms of clinical supervision, which consists of modeling, feedback, direct instruction, and self-directed learning, we discuss a case composite to illustrate ways in which clinical supervision can serve as a pedagogical space to advance clinical social workers’ commitment to social justice.

Simulation, the use of trained actors as simulated clients, has gained empirical support as an effective teaching and assessment method in social work education. The associated costs involving the use of live simulation, however, often pose a barrier and prevent less resourced schools from implementing this pedagogical approach in the classroom. Social Work Serial is a pedagogical project that used video-recorded simulated client sessions as an alternative to live simulation. In this teaching note, we will describe step-by-step production and implementation processes involving the project and discuss the implications of video-based simulation for social work education.

Although field education is considered the signature pedagogy of social work, the work of field coordinators appear to remain peripheral to other aspects of social work education, such as coursework and research. In this article, we suggest that field coordination requires a far more complex set of knowledge and skills than merely matching students with placements based on availability and interest. Using critical and relational theories, this article conceptualizes field coordination as a negotiated pedagogy in which the coordinators navigate complex and often competing needs among students, field agencies, and social work practice. In making visible its nuances and intricacies, we suggest that field coordination is a critical relational pedagogy essential to advancing social work education.

Although the use of human simulation has recently gained much attention in social work education, many schools continue to rely on peer role-plays as a predominant teaching method. This qualitative study examined BSW students' perceptions of simulation versus role-play when learning interviewing skills. Individual interviews were conducted with second-year BSW students (n=17). The following four themes emerged as to how students view simulation versus role-play as an approach for developing interviewing skills: (1) the relationship in role-play versus simulation, (2) normalizing skills acquisition, (3) authenticity of simulation, and (4) seriousness of simulation. This study suggests that observational approaches within these pedagogical methods normalize the stress of learning interviewing skills and that social work educators need to find ways to increase the level of authenticity of the role-play format.

This grounded theory study utilized interviews with 16 service providers and 19 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) youth to develop a substantive theory of resilience processes among LGBTQ youth. The core category, paving pathways through the pain, suggests that LGBTQ youth build on emotional pain inflicted by external adversities to carve out pathways to resilience. Youth employed the following resilience processes: (1) navigating safety across contexts, (2) asserting personal agency, (3) seeking and cultivating meaningful relationships, (4) un-silencing marginalized identities, and (5) engaging in collective healing and action. Youth focused on particularly painful adversities and engaged intentionally in one or more of the resilience processes related to the origins of their pain.

Sexual and gender diversity is an overlooked subject in resilience research. This study seeks to advance the conceptualization of resilience among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Informed by social ecological theory of resilience, grounded theory analysis of interviews with service providers ( n = 16) and LGBTQ youth ( n = 19) yielded the following categories: (a) facing adversities across contexts, and (b) “doing well” while still in pain. LGBTQ youth face both general and LGBTQ-specific adversities. LGBTQ youth, even in a so-called “post-gay” era, remain challenged to navigate marginalization to maintain their well-being. Participants endorsed a context-dependent understanding of “doing well,” rather than using normative criteria of health (e.g., absence of psychopathologies). Although resilience is known as “ordinary magic,” this article alternatively proposes that resilience is LGBTQ youths’ extraordinary acts to “show up” every day to battle through adversities.

Hostile social environments can have detrimental impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Considering the profession's commitment to social justice and person-in-environment perspectives, social workers are well positioned to promote not only the internal capacity of LGBTQ youth but also the capacity of their social ecologies to better support them. This article suggests the relevance of a social ecological framework of resilience to social work practice with LGBTQ youth. Findings of the author's grounded theory study, along with other relevant literature, are used to specify elements in applying this framework to working with LGBTQ youth. A youth case will be discussed to inform interventions that can be employed across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.

We study the photon echo spectrum of self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots using femtosecond light pulses. The spectrum shape changes from a single-peaked to a double-peaked structure as the time delay between the two excitation pulses is increased. The spectrum change is reproduced by numerical calculations, which include the depolarization field induced by the biexciton-exciton transition as well as the conventional local-field effect for the exciton--ground-state transition in a quantum dot. Our findings suggest that various optical transitions in tightly localized systems generate a depolarization field, which renormalizes the resonant frequency with a change in the polarization itself, leading to unique optical properties.

Previous research has highlighted the association between HIV sexual risk behaviors, muscularity concerns, and masculinity among gay and bisexual men (GBM). A few studies that explored these issues, however, have used relatively small sample sizes and predominantly White GBM samples. In addition, little is known about whether a drive for muscularity and perceptions of masculinity are associated with HIV sexual risk behaviors among GBM of color. This community-based study examined the association between drive for muscularity, masculinity, and HIV sexual risk among a sample of 389 GBM of color in Toronto. In multivariable analyses, drive for muscularity and masculinity were significantly associated with HIV sexual risk, after controlling for sociodemographic variables and internalized homophobia. Findings suggest that a desire to be more muscular or a disappointment with one's musculature, as well as an endorsement of body image and penis size as indicators of masculinity may play a role in HIV sexual risk behaviors. This study is among the first to examine the role of drive for muscularity and notions of masculinity in relation to HIV sexual risk exclusively among an ethnoracially diverse sample of GBM. Further research is needed to better understand the link between body image and masculinity to reduce HIV risk among GBM of color.

The present paper focuses on the effect of air jets through a perforated thin plate on the characteristics of an acoustic absorption coefficient. We measured the flow rate, internal pressure, acoustic pressure, and transfer function by using an improved acoustic impedance tube. The normal incidence absorption coefficient was calculated from the measured transfer function using transfer function methods. As a result, the frequency characteristics of the acoustic absorption coefficient against the frequency showed a maximum value at the local frequency. The peak frequency of the acoustic absorption coefficient depended on the thickness of the background air space and the thickness of the perforated plate. As the flow rate increased through the micropores, the peak level of the acoustic absorption coefficient also increased until a flow rate of 80 l /min. As the flow rate further increased, the peak level of the acoustic absorption coefficient decreased and that of the high frequency band increased.

Although neglect is a common form of child maltreatment, it can be difficult to detect within a clinical interview between a social work clinician and client for the purpose of assessment and intervention, leading to a failure to act and secure a child's safety. This Canadian study utilized the objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) to assess social work clinicians' ability to recognize and respond to a case of suspected child neglect. Twenty-three participants (social work students, recent graduates of a Masters in Social Work programme, and experienced social workers) conducted a 15-minute interview with a standardized client followed by a structured reflective dialogue focusing on case conceptualization and emotional awareness. Qualitative analysis of the reflective dialogues revealed participants' difficulty in detecting child neglect as opposed to focusing on a client's negative self-beliefs or mental health issues. Implications for social work education and practice are suggested.

As reports of bullying and suicide increase, research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth must expand its focus from vulnerabilities to resilience development. The purpose of this inductive qualitative study was to explore resilience development in the accounts of LGBTQ adults by analyzing videos posted for the It Gets Better social media campaign (n = 21). Four major themes emerged: (1) leaving hostile social environments; (2) experiencing “coming out” in meaningful ways; (3) remembering the social environment; and (4) turning challenges into opportunities and strengths. These findings suggest that, despite the campaign's premise, life did not automatically get better for the LGBTQ participants. Rather, the findings offer a nuanced look at the pathways to resilience development. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Five new furanocassane-type diterpenoids, sucupiranins M–Q (1–5) were isolated from the seeds of Bowdichia virgilioides. Their structures and stereo chemistries were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses including HRESIMS, 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), and ECD spectra.

Psychoanalysis is a theoretical and practice discipline that has produced an extensive body of literature over the past 100 years. Psychodynamic psychotherapy developed from psychoanalytic thought and has been studied using both qualitative and quantitative methods including experimental studies, content analyses and case studies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relevance of psychodynamic theories to social work and to review evidence that supports psychodynamic social work practice. We first provide a brief introduction to several relevant psychodynamic theories, including self psychology, intersubjectivity theory and relational theory. Next, we discuss the debates and controversies surrounding the study of psychodynamic psychotherapy. A review of existing evidence for psychodynamic practice with adults, children and adolescents is presented, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, literature reviews and other research. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of further resear...

As part of an internet-based study to investigate experiences of sexual minority youth in the U.S., 544 youth, ages 14–19, were surveyed about their need for services, where they preferred to receive these services, and their preferred method of service delivery. The survey was anonymous and youth were recruited from LGBTQ-specific listservs and venues as well as through social networking sites as a way of reaching youth often not represented in LGBTQ surveys. Youth highly endorsed many types of services, settings, and modes of delivery. Some subgroup differences emerged. Transgender youth and those uncertain about their gender identity expressed stronger interest than others in services to address stress, family issues, and self-defense, and in receiving support and guidance from LGBTQ adults. Few differences in service preferences along demographic lines such as race/ethnicity emerged; however, African American youth were more likely than others to prefer services offered in a place of worship. Contrary to predictions, geographic and community variables were not related to service type, delivery format, or location preferences.

We report the excitonic Rabi oscillations in self assembled quantum dots observed by photon echo spectroscopy. The amplitude of the observed Rabi oscillations increases with the pulse area, which is different from the results of previous reports. A numerical calculation of the Rabi oscillations including the local field effect in a quantum dot well reproduces the experimental oscillations, indicating that the local field effect is one of the important origins of the modification of the Rabi oscillations in quantum dots (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

In the present paper the attention is focused on effect of arrangement of tube banks on acoustic resonance which occurred in the two-dimensional model of boiler. We have examined the characteristics of vortex shedding and acoustic resonance generated from in-line and staggered tube banks. At the small tube pitch ratio in in-line tube banks, acoustic resonance of third and fourth mode in the transverse direction occurred. As the tube pitch ratio in the flow direction decreased, the vortex shedding frequency became broad-band. The alternative vortex shed from in-line tube banks. The multiple resonance modes were generated within the broad-band vortex shedding frequency. And the acoustic resonances of lower-order modes occurred at the higher gap velocity. On the other hand, at the small tube pitch ratio in staggered tube banks, acoustic resonance did not occurred, although the vortex shed at the resonance frequency in tube banks. The pressure drop at staggered tube banks was larger than that of in-line tube banks. The symmetric vortices were observed inside staggered tube banks at the small tube pitch ratio.

Physical, psychological, and social vulnerabilities of sexual minority youth are well documented. Yet factors that protect this population from these risks remain relatively unknown. Previous researchers suggest that (1) a sense of safety, meaningful relationships with others, and positive identity development are protective and (2) social support programs focusing on sexual minority youth (Queer Youth Space) have a positive impact. In this article, Queer Youth Space is explored as a program that may promote protective factors and mediate risks. Theories of attachment, self psychology, and social identity are applied to conceptualize Queer Youth Space and its protective roles. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.

We experimentally studied the excitonic Rabi oscillations in self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots using two-pulse photon echo spectroscopy. We observed the change in the shape of the Rabi oscillations by the second pulse intensity. Our experimental results were systematically reproduced by numerical calculations taking into account the local field effect arising from the Coulomb interaction between photoinduced charge densities in a quantum dot. Our experimental findings indicated that the local field effect contributes considerably to the coherent optical responses of the excitons in quantum dots.

Background Understanding ubiquitous research-to-practice gaps in uptake of adult vaccines, particularly those for sexually transmitted infections (e.g., suboptimal human papillomavirus [HPV] vaccine uptake among men in the US), may provide evidence to support the successful dissemination of future HIV vaccines. To this end, we assessed rates of HPV vaccine acceptability and factors correlated with HPV vaccine acceptability among men.