Although neighborhood stressors have a negative impact on youth, and social support can play a protective role, it is unclear what types and sources of social support may contribute to positive outcomes among at-risk youth. We examined the influences of neighborhood disadvantage and social support on global self-worth among low-income, urban African American youth, both concurrently and longitudinally. We examined social support from both a structural and functional perspective, and tested the main-effects and the stress-buffering models of social support. Participants included 82–130 youth, in 6th–8th grade, who completed self-report measures. Network support results suggest participants received emotional, tangible, and informational support most often from mothers and other female relatives, with friends, fathers, and teachers also playing important roles. Model testing accounted for neighborhood stressors and support from various sources, revealing support from close friends was associated with concurrent self-worth; whereas, parent support predicted self-worth longitudinally, above and beyond initial levels of self-worth. The findings provide evidence for the main-effects model of social support and not the stress-buffering model. Our findings illustrate the importance of extended family networks and the types of support that youth rely upon in African American impoverished communities, as well as how support contributes to global self-worth. Implications and suggestions for future research and intervention are discussed.

There is little doubt that hypocarbia causes a reduction in cerebral blood flow,l-'but whether this is followed by a disturbance of cerebral function is open to question. Various attempts have been made to elucidate this problem using such means as ele~troencephalography,~~~ the critical flicker-fusion test'.' and the measurement of reaction time." Mild degrees of cerebral hypoxia affect the higher intellectual functions, such as memory and learning ability, and perhaps these are the factors which ought to be tested to assess cerebral dysfunction. In the present study, thcrefore, psychometric tests involving memory and learning processes were employed preoperatively and post-operatively to assess any changes in cerebral function and these changes have been correlated with arterial carbon dioxide (Paco,) levels. Method SubjectsThe subjects in this study were twenty-three informed and consenting patients bctween the ages of 18 and 65 years, who apart from their immediate surgical condition had no concomitant medical illness. The patients were randomly selected, irrespective of age, sex or nature of surgery, and from this group those who required automatic ventilation were studied. Anaesthetic managementThe technique of anaesthesia was at the sole discretion of the patient's anaesthetist. Premcdication was with papavaretum and hyoscine or morphine and atropine. Anaesthesia was induced in all patients with thiopentone and they were intubated with a cuffed endotracheal tube after the administration of suxamethonium. Anaesthesia was maintained with SO: 50 nitrous oxide and oxygen, O.S-l% halothane and a long acting muscle relaxant. For ethical reasons, no attempt was made t o hyperventilate the patients deliberately. The anaesthestist was free to choose and set the

No abstract

There is little doubt that hypocarbia causes a reduction in cerebral blood flow,l-'but whether this is followed by a disturbance of cerebral function is open to question. Various attempts have been made to elucidate this problem using such means as ele~troencephalography,~~~ the critical flicker-fusion test'.' and the measurement of reaction time." Mild degrees of cerebral hypoxia affect the higher intellectual functions, such as memory and learning ability, and perhaps these are the factors which ought to be tested to assess cerebral dysfunction. In the present study, thcrefore, psychometric tests involving memory and learning processes were employed pre-operatively and post-operatively to assess any changes in cerebral function and these changes have been correlated with arterial carbon dioxide (Paco,) levels. Method Subjects The subjects in this study were twenty-three informed and consenting patients bctween the ages of 18 and 65 years, who apart from their immediate surgical condition had no concomitant medical illness. The patients were randomly selected, irrespective of age, sex or nature of surgery, and from this group those who required automatic ventilation were studied. Anaesthetic management The technique of anaesthesia was at the sole discretion of the patient's anaesthetist. Premcdication was with papavaretum and hyoscine or morphine and atropine. Anaesthesia was induced in all patients with thiopentone and they were intubated with a cuffed endotracheal tube after the administration of suxamethonium. Anaesthesia was maintained with SO: 50 nitrous oxide and oxygen, O.S-l% halothane and a long acting muscle relaxant. For ethical reasons, no attempt was made t o hyper-ventilate the patients deliberately. The anaesthestist was free to choose and set the

No abstract