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In this issue, we challenge readers with the salient question of whether charity always begins at home, particularly as the world witnessed a surge in armed conflicts around the globe in 2023, with devastating consequences for millions of people. As children are among the most vulnerable members of societies, the first three articles of this issue focus on them as a target group. Thereafter, attention is turned to women, older persons, and people dealing with mental health issues, as vulnerable groups. Recognising that social work, especially in a forensic context, increases the likelihood of secondary traumatic stress among social workers, we have also addressed this topic in the issue. In conclusion, a disaster-specific approach to the social work curriculum in an undergraduate social work course is presented. We also offer a book review covering the challenges arising from the interplay of culture and human rights through the lenses of emancipatory social work and Afrocentricity in a globalised world.

This paper describes a collaboration between a university and a local child welfare agency in the development and delivery of a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) child welfare course featuring lived experience knowledge and learning situated in community-based child welfare sites. We present results of an exploratory mixed methods pre-post survey and focus group evaluation which examined changes in student general knowledge, perceptions of skills for decision- making and orienting beliefs about child welfare families. The results did not yield uniform significant results. The discussion delves into lessons learned about the importance of supporting students to develop skills for respectfully gathering and critically analyzing information and how to break through what we observed as student reluctance to learn about child welfare wrongdoings. We reflect on why, despite centering curriculum on lived experience knowledge, we were not successful in overturning students' negative orienting beliefs about families and children receiving child welfare services. We conclude with considerations for new directions in BSW child welfare curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionManagement of phenylketonuria (PKU) is mainly achieved through dietary control with limited intake of phenylalanine (Phe) from food, supplemented with low protein (LP) food and a mixture of free synthetic (FS) amino acids (AA) (FSAA). Casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP) is a natural peptide released in whey during cheese making by the action of the enzyme chymosin. Because CGMP in its pure form does not contain Phe, it is nutritionally suitable as a supplement in the diet for PKU when enriched with specific AAs. Lacprodan® CGMP-20 (= CGMP) used in this study contained only trace amounts of Phe due to minor presence of other proteins/peptides.ObjectiveThe aims were to address the following questions in a classical PKU mouse model: Study 1, off diet: Can pure CGMP or CGMP supplemented with Large Neutral Amino Acids (LNAA) as a supplement to normal diet significantly lower the content of Phe in the brain compared to a control group on normal diet, and does supplementation of selected LNAA results in significant lower brain Phe level?. Study 2, on diet: Does a combination of CGMP, essential (non-Phe) EAAs and LP diet, provide similar plasma and brain Phe levels, growth and behavioral skills as a formula which alone consist of FSAA, with a similar composition?.Material and methods45 female mice homozygous for the Pahenu2 mutation were treated for 12 weeks in five different groups; G1(N-CGMP), fed on Normal (N) casein diet (75%) in combination with CGMP (25%); G2 (N-CGMP-LNAA), fed on Normal (N) casein diet (75%) in combination with CGMP (19,7%) and selected LNAA (5,3% Leu, Tyr and Trp); G3 (N), fed on normal casein diet (100%); G4 (CGMP-EAA-LP), fed on CGMP (70,4%) in combination with essential AA (19,6%) and LP diet; G5 (FSAA-LP), fed on FSAA (100%) and LP diet. The following parameters were measured during the treatment period: Plasma AA profiles including Phe and Tyr, growth, food and water intake and number of teeth cut. At the end of the treatment period, a body scan (fat and lean body mass) and a behavioral test (Barnes Maze) were performed. Finally, the brains were examined for content of Phe, Tyr, Trp, dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid (5-HIAA), and the bone density and bone mineral content were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.ResultsStudy 1: Mice off diet supplemented with CGMP (G1 (N-CGMP)) or supplemented with CGMP in combination with LNAA (G2 (N-CGMP-LNAA)) had significantly lower Phe in plasma and in the brain compared to mice fed only casein (G3 (N)). Extra LNAA (Tyr, Trp and Leu) to CGMP did not have any significant impact on Phe levels in the plasma and brain, but an increase in serotonin was measured in the brain of G2 mice compared to G1. Study 2: PKU mice fed with mixture of CGMP and EAA as supplement to LP diet (G4 (CGMP-EAA-LP)) demonstrated lower plasma-Phe levels but similar brain- Phe levels and growth as mice fed on an almost identical combination of FSAA (G5 (FSAA-LP)).ConclusionCGMP can be a relevant supplement for the treatment of PKU.

Widespread socio-economic challenges such as high levels of poverty and unemployment continue to plague South Africa. Owing to the nature of social work service delivery, social workers often serve the most vulnerable populations. However, it seems that social workers remain metaphorically in the trenches in the war on poverty, meaning that tangible evidence on the progress of poverty alleviation due to the direct involvement of social workers is meagre in social development. This article argues for the integration of a financial social work practice perspective into South African social work service delivery as a potential means of facilitating more efficient social development. The article is conceptual in nature and draws on the principles of theoretical adaptation. It posits social developmental theory as the dominant theoretical paradigm, and financial social work as the practice perspective. Analysis will highlight the current gaps in social developmental practice, and the appropriateness of financial social work to address it. The discussion aims to activate scholarly discourse on financial social work in South Africa and beyond, and to firmly position this practice perspective within sustainable social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The business environment is constantly changing. For organisations to gain competitive advantage, they require innovative methods to achieve future business goals. The capital assets of an organisation, such as its high-technology, complex systems, typically have long life-cycles, and are susceptible to obsolescence, requiring multifaceted support. Implementing integrated logistic support principles in supporting such systems improves the organisation’s bottom line and reduces the total ownership and life-cycle costs. The research consists of a literature review, a case study analysis, and a questionnaire.