Mental Health and School Functioning for Girls in the Child Welfare System : the Mediating Role of Future Orientation and School Engagement

This study investigated the association between mental health problems and academic and behavioral school functioning for adolescent girls in the child welfare system and determined whether school engagement and future orientation meditated the relationship. Participants were 231 girls aged between 12 and 19 who had been involved with the child welfare system. Results indicated that 39% of girls reported depressive symptoms in the clinical range and 54% reported posttraumatic symptoms in the clinical range. The most common school functioning problems reported were failing a class (41%) and physical fights with other students (35%). Participants reported a mean number of 1.7 school functioning problems. Higher levels of depression and PTSD were significantly associated with more school functioning problems. School engagement fully mediated the relationship between depression and school functioning and between PTSD and school functioning, both models controlling for age, race, and placement stability. Future orientation was not significantly associated with school functioning problems at the bivariate level. Findings suggest that school engagement is a potentially modifiable target for interventions aiming to ameliorate the negative influence of mental health problems on school functioning for adolescent girls with histories of abuse or neglect

Determination of Specific Electrocatalytic Sites in the Oxidation of Small Molecules on Crystalline Metal Surfaces

The identification of active sites in electrocatalytic reactions is part of the elucidation of mechanisms of catalyzed reactions on solid surfaces. However, this is not an easy task, even for apparently simple reactions, as we sometimes think the oxidation of adsorbed CO is. For surfaces consisting of non-equivalent sites, the recognition of specific active sites must consider the influence that facets, as is the steps/defect on the surface of the catalyst, cause in its neighbors; one has to consider the electrochemical environment under which the “active sites” lie on the surface, meaning that defects/steps on the surface do not partake in chemistry by themselves. In this paper, we outline the recent efforts in understanding the close relationships between site-specific and the overall rate and/or selectivity of electrocatalytic reactions. We analyze hydrogen adsorption/desorption, and electro-oxidation of CO, methanol, and ammonia. The classical topic of asymmetric electrocatalysis on kinked surfaces is also addressed for glucose electro-oxidation. The article takes into account selected existing data combined with our original works.M.J.S.F. is grateful to PNPD/CAPES (Brazil). J.M.F. thanks the MCINN (FEDER, Spain) project-CTQ-2016-76221-P

Comparative study between endoscopic technique by a proximal port and mini palmary incision in the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome Estudo comparativo entre a técnica endoscópica pelo portal proximal e a técnica de mini-incisão palmar no tratamento cirúrgico da síndrome do túnel do carpo

The authors present a prospective study comparing two surgical techniques for carpal tunnel release. A minimal - incision open decompression(3) is compared with an endoscopic release(2), that utilizes only a single proximal portal. There were operated on, 28 wrists in 28 patients, with clinical signs and EMG changes consistent on idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, that failed under previous conservative treatment. They were randomized into two groups , undertaken surgical treatment, either by endoscopic release or by open decompression. Grip strength (measured by dynamometric), sensitivity (measured by Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments), presence of pain and paresthesia, date of return to activities of daily living and complications were evaluated pre-operative and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 weeks after surgery. After 12 months average follow up, the results indicated that this proximal portal endoscopic technique can be safely performed, showing advantages over open conventional method, in terms of sooner return of grip strength, date of return to activities of daily living, and less incidence of pillar pain. No differences in paresthesia resolution, sensibility improvement or complications incidence were found.<br>Os autores apresentam estudo prospectivo onde comparam duas técnicas cirúrgicas empregadas no tratamento de pacientes acometidos pela síndrome do túnel do carpo. A técnica de descompressão por via aberta, através de mini-incisão palmar(3), é analisada em relação à técnica por via endoscópica, descrita por Agee et al.(2), que utiliza apenas um único portal proximal. Foram operados, de forma randomizada, 28 punhos em 28 pacientes com o diagnóstico clínico e eletromiográfico de síndrome do túnel do carpo idiopático, e que não obtiveram melhora com o tratamento conservador prévio. Os seguintes parâmetros, foram analisados no pré-operatório e na primeira, segunda, quarta, sexta e décima segunda semanas de pós-operatório: força de preensão com dinamômetro, sensibilidade com monofilamentos de Semmes-Weinstein, presença de dor e parestesia, tempo necessário para retorno às atividades da vida diária e complicações. Após acompanhamento médio de 12 meses, constatamos que a técnica endoscópica demonstrou-se segura, apresentando vantagens significativas em relação ao método aberto quanto à precocidade da recuperação da força de preensão, ao retorno às atividades da vida diária e a menor incidência de dor na palma da mão. Não houve diferença em relação a resolução da parestesia, melhora da sensibilidade ou incidência de complicações