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Experts frequently assess competency in criminal settings where the rate of feigning cognitive deficit is demonstrably elevated. We describe the construction and validation of the Denney Competency Related Test (D-CRT) to assess feigned incompetency of defendants in the criminal adjudicative setting. It was expected the D-CRT would prove effective at identifying feigned incompetence based on its two alternative, forced-choice and performance curve characteristics. Development and validation of the D-CRT occurred in described phases. Items were developed to measure competency based upon expert review. Item analysis and adjustments were completed with 304 young teenage volunteers to obtain a proper spread of item difficulty in preparation for eventual performance curve analysis (PCA). Test-retest reliability was assessed with 44 adult community volunteers. Validation included an analog simulation design with 101 jail detainees using MacArthur Competency Assessment Test-Criminal Adjudication and Word Memory Test as criterion measures. Effects of racial/ethnic demographic differences were examined in a separate study of 208 undergraduate volunteers. D-CRT specificity was identified with 46 elderly clinic referrals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Item development, adjustment, and repeat analysis resulted in item probabilities evenly spread from.28 to 1.0. Test-retest correlation was good (.83). Internal consistency of items was excellent (KR-20 >.91). D-CRT demonstrated convergent validity in regard to measuring competency related information and as well as malingering. The test successfully differentiated between jail inmates asked to perforfm their best and inmates asked to simulate incompetency (AUC =.945). There were no statistically significant differences found in performance across racial/ethnic backgrounds. D-CRT specificity remained excellent among elderly clinic referrals with significant cognitive compromise at the recommended total score cutoff. D-CRT is an effective measure of feigned criminal incompetency in the context of potential cognitive deficiency, and PCA is assistive in the determination. Additional validation using knowns groups designs with various mental health-related conditions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke significantly impairs health-related quality of life (HRQL). Stroke survivors with aphasia (SWA) experience lower HRQL than stroke survivors without aphasia (SSA) as a result of poorer communication and social functioning. The extent to which aphasia influences HRQL in African-Americans and the components of social functioning that are most important to HRQL warrants further exploration. There were two main objectives of this paper. The first was to survey HRQL domains of communication, physical, mental/emotional, role, and social functioning in African American SWA and SSA. The second was to examine if social support and social network predicted HRQL in SWA. A total of 39 African American adults (62.4 ± 11.10) participated in this descriptive cross-sectional case control study. Patient-reported outcome measures were used to assess HRQL, perceived social support, and social network in SWA, SSA, and normal-aging healthy controls (NAH). Data analysis included an ANOVA and moderator regression to determine if social support or social network predicted HRQL in SWA. SWA reported a significantly lower overall HRQL (p = <.000) than NAH adults. Communication HRQL was the hallmark difference found between SWA and SSA (p = <.000). Social support and social network were relatively similar among all three groups. However, social support and social network did not predict HRQL in SWA. Findings from this study suggest that social HRQL continues to be significantly lower in SWA; however, social support and social network factors do not drive differences among African-Americans. Moreover, communication HRQL remains the hallmark difference between SWA and SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of terminal phosphate-labeled nucleotides with three or more phosphates and with varied length linkers attached between the terminal phosphate and the dye have been synthesized. These nucleotides have been tested as substrates for different DNA and RNA polymerases. We have also explored their utility in DNA sequencing, SNP analysis, nucleic acid amplification, quantitative PCR, and other biochemical assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-color set of negatively charged, single dye as well as energy transfer dye labeled-ddNTPs were synthesized and evaluated in combination with a novel polymerase in a “direct-load” DNA sequencing, obviating the laborious and time consuming post-reaction work-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of different energy transfer dye labeled-cassettes were synthesized using aminoacid based trifunctional linkers and coupled to the propargylamino-substituted dideoxynucleoside-5′-triphosphates (ddNTPs). These terminators were evaluated for their energy transfer efficiency and DNA sequencing potential using thermostable DNA polymerase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]