Psychosocial Outcomes in Long-Term Cochlear Implant Users

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate psychosocial outcomes in a sample of prelingually deaf, early-implanted children, adolescents, and young adults who are long-term cochlear implant (CI) users and to examine the extent to which language and executive functioning predict psychosocial outcomes. DESIGN: Psychosocial outcomes were measured using two well-validated, parent-completed checklists: the Behavior Assessment System for Children and the Conduct Hyperactive Attention Problem Oppositional Symptom. Neurocognitive skills were measured using gold standard, performance-based assessments of language and executive functioning. RESULTS: CI users were at greater risk for clinically significant deficits in areas related to attention, oppositional behavior, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and social-adaptive skills compared with their normal-hearing peers, although the majority of CI users scored within average ranges relative to Behavior Assessment System for Children norms. Regression analyses revealed that language, visual-spatial working memory, and inhibition-concentration skills predicted psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that underlying delays and deficits in language and executive functioning may place some CI users at a risk for difficulties in psychosocial adjustment

First-Principles Study of Electronic and Vibrational Properties of BaHfN2_2

The transition metal nitride BaHfN$_2$, which consists of weakly bonded neutral slabs of closed shell ions, has structural and chemical similarities to other layered nitrides which have impressive superconducting T$_c$ when electron doped: A$_x$HfNCl, A$_x$ZrNCl, A$_x$TiNCl, with $T_c= 25.5$, $15.2$ and $16.5$ K, respectively for appropriate donor (A) concentrations $x$. These similarities suggest the possibility of BaHfN$_2$ being another relatively high T$_c$ nitride upon doping, with effects of structure and the role of specific transition metal ions yet to be understood. We report first-principles electronic structure calculations for stoichiometric BaHfN$_2$ using density functional theory with plane-wave basis sets and separable dual-space Gaussian pseudopotentials. An indirect band gap of 0.8 eV was obtained and the lowest conduction band is primarily of Hf 5$d_{xy}$ character, similar to $\beta$-ZrNCl and $\alpha$-TiNCl. The two N sites, one in the Hf layer and another one in the Ba layer, were found to have very anisotropic Born effective charges (BEC):deviations from the formal charge (-3) are opposite for the two sites, and opposite for the two orientations (in-plane, out of plane). LO-TO splittings and comparison of BECs and dielectric constant tensors to those of related compounds are discussed, and the effect of electron doping on the zone-center phonons is reported.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Internal and External Validity of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Young Adolescents with ADHD

Adolescents with Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) show symptoms of slowness, mental confusion, excessive daydreaming, low motivation, and drowsiness/sleepiness. Although many symptoms of SCT reflect internalizing states, no study has evaluated the utility of self-report of SCT in an ADHD sample. Further, it remains unclear whether SCT is best conceptualized as a unidimensional or multidimensional construct. In a sample of 262 adolescents comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD, the present study evaluated the dimensionality of a SCT scale and compared CFA and bifactor model fits for parent- and self-report versions. Analyses revealed the three-factor bifactor model to be the best fitting model. In addition, SCT factors predicted social and academic impairment and internalizing symptoms. Therefore, SCT as a multidimensional construct appears to have clinical utility in predicting impairment. Also, multiple reporters should be used, as they predicted different areas of functioning and were not invariant, suggesting that each rater adds unique information

Measuring mental health and wellbeing outcomes for children and adolescents to inform practice and policy:a review of child self-report measures

There is a growing appetite for mental health and wellbeing outcome measures that can inform clinical practice at individual and service levels, including use for local and national benchmarking. Despite a varied literature on child mental health and wellbeing outcome measures that focus on psychometric properties alone, no reviews exist that appraise the availability of psychometric evidence and suitability for use in routine practice in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) including key implementation issues. This paper aimed to present the findings of the first review that evaluates existing broadband measures of mental health and wellbeing outcomes in terms of these criteria. The following steps were implemented in order to select measures suitable for use in routine practice: literature database searches, consultation with stakeholders, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, secondary searches and filtering. Subsequently, detailed reviews of the retained measures’ psychometric properties and implementation features were carried out. 11 measures were identified as having potential for use in routine practice and meeting most of the key criteria: 1) Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, 2) Beck Youth Inventories, 3) Behavior Assessment System for Children, 4) Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale, 5) Child Health Questionnaire, 6) Child Symptom Inventories, 7) Health of the National Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents, 8) Kidscreen, 9) Pediatric Symptom Checklist, 10) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, 11) Youth Outcome Questionnaire. However, all existing measures identified had limitations as well as strengths. Furthermore, none had sufficient psychometric evidence available to demonstrate that they could reliably measure both severity and change over time in key groups. The review suggests a way of rigorously evaluating the growing number of broadband self-report mental health outcome measures against standards of feasibility and psychometric credibility in relation to use for practice and policy

Effectiveness of Groups for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Their Parents

Peer- and family-based group therapies have been used as separate interventions to improve adjustment and self-management among youth with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. This study replicates a treatment protocol that combined these two types of diabetes management groups, while also using a wait-list control design methodology within an outpatient mental health clinic setting. General psychosocial and diabetes-related variables were assessed at baseline, immediately posttreatment, and 4 months posttreatment. Youths’ medical information, including metabolic control values, was extracted from medical charts for the 6 months prior to baseline and 6 months after treatment ended. At 4 months posttreatment, parents and youth reported increased parent responsibility, and parents reported improved youth diabetes-specific quality of life. Although there were no statistically significant changes in hemoglobin A1c values and health care utilization frequency from 6 months prior to and 6 months posttreatment, other psychosocial changes (i.e., increases in parent responsibility and diabetes-specific quality of life) were documented. Therefore, this treatment was found to be a promising intervention for use in an outpatient clinical setting to aid in improving the psychosocial functioning of youth with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

El riesgo y la falta de políticas de seguridad informática una amenaza en las empresas certificadas BASC

El presente ensayo está enfocado en el numeral 7 de los estándares de seguridad de la norma BASC, el cual menciona la seguridad en las tecnologías de la información (protección con contraseñas, responsabilidad y protección a los sistemas y datos). El tema a desarrollar se enfoca en la problemática que conlleva no tener políticas, procedimientos y/o normas de seguridad informática en las empresas certificadas BASC. La protección de datos, documentos y control de acceso a la información es un tema que cada día toma más fuerza en las grandes compañías, debido a las diferentes especialidades de hackers y crackers que roban información vital.This essay focuses on paragraph 7 of the safety standards of the BASC norm, which mentions security in information technology (password protection, accountability and protection for systems and data). The theme focuses on developing the problems that entails not have policies, procedures and / or rules of computer security companies certified BASC. The protection of data, documents and control access to information is an issue that every day takes more strength in large companies due to the different specialties of hackers and crackers to steal vital information.Pregrad

Born too early and too small: higher order cognitive function and brain at risk at ages 8–16

Prematurity presents a risk for higher order cognitive functions. Some of these deficits manifest later in development, when these functions are expected to mature. However, the causes and consequences of prematurity are still unclear. We conducted a longitudinal study to first identify clinical predictors of ultrasound brain abnormalities in 196 children born very preterm (VP; gestational age 32 weeks) and with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight 1500 g). At ages 8–16, the subset of VP-VLBW children without neurological findings (124) were invited for a neuropsychological assessment and an MRI scan (41 accepted). Of these, 29 met a rigorous criterion for MRI quality and an age, and gender-matched control group (n = 14) was included in this study. The key findings in the VP-VLBW neonates were: (a) 37% of the VP-VLBW neonates had ultrasound brain abnormalities; (b) gestational age and birth weight collectively with hospital course (i.e., days in hospital, neonatal intensive care, mechanical ventilation and with oxygen therapy, surgeries, and retinopathy of prematurity) predicted ultrasound brain abnormalities. At ages 8–16, VP-VLBW children showed: a) lower intelligent quotient (IQ) and executive function; b) decreased gray and white matter (WM) integrity; (c) IQ correlated negatively with cortical thickness in higher order processing cortical areas. In conclusion, our data indicate that facets of executive function and IQ are the most affected in VP-VLBW children likely due to altered higher order cortical areas and underlying WMThis study was supported by the Spanish Government Institute Carlos III (FIS Pl11/02860), Spanish Ministry of Health to MM-L, and the University of Castilla-La Mancha mobility Grant VA1381500149