Is the GAI a good short form of the WISC-IV?

A comparison was done between the standard scores of the GAI and the FSIQ of the WISC-IV using 31 subjects. The mean difference between the GAI/ FSIQ standard score is 3.74. T tests of significance show that there is not a significant difference between the scores of the GAI and the Full Scale IQ. The Pearson r correlation (.963 @ .01 level) suggests there is a strong positive correlation between the GAI and the Full Scale IQ. In summary, the GAI is a good predictor of the FSIQ of the WISC-IV. More data is required to determine if a statistical difference between GAI and FSIQ scores exist with a bigger sample size

Cutaneous metastasis from penile squamous cell carcinoma resembling carcinoma en cuirasse

Penile squamous cell carcinoma is a rare malignancy seen more frequently in developing nations. Metastasis occurs in a predictable manner, with superficial lymph node involvement occurring first, followed by deep lymph node involvement, and then distant spread. Brain, lung, liver, and bone are the typical sites of distant metastasis. We present the unusual case of an 81-year-old man with penile squamous cell carcinoma requiring total penectomy who developed a confluent red to violaceous, indurated suprapubic plaque with satellite papules and bulky inguinal lymphadenopathy. The shield-like clinical presentation and infiltrating strands and cords on histology resembled carcinoma en cuirasse, a rare form of cutaneous metastasis frequently associated with breast cancer but not reported with penile squamous cell carcinoma

More than a Bumper Sticker: The Factors Influencing Information Systems Career Choices

Considering the ongoing concerns regarding enrollments in MIS programs, it is necessary for MIS educators to understand the underlying motivations that influence student choices of major, as well as how students view the field of MIS related to these factors. To address this problem, a series of focus group sessions were conducted on three distinct samples of students which examined the following questions: (1) What factors influence a business student’s selection of a field of study and/or career? (2) What factors encourage or deter a business student’s choice to enter the field of MIS? and (3) What strategies can an MIS department employ to increase awareness about MIS-related careers among business students? Results from these focus groups suggest that most students rated job scope as an important issue in their deciding on a major; however, students with little or no knowledge of MIS perceived this career path as narrowly focused (e.g., sitting at a computer and coding all day). Results also suggest that non-MIS majors held more negative perceptions of the characteristics associated with MIS professionals, whereas freshman and sophomore students declaring MIS as their future major held more positive perceptions than non-MIS majors, and junior and senior MIS majors held even more positive perceptions

Variability of acute extracellular action potential measurements with multisite silicon probes

Device miniaturization technologies have led to significant advances in sensors for extracellular measurements of electrical activity in the brain. Multisite, silicon-based probes containing implantable electrode arrays afford greater coverage of neuronal activity than single electrodes and therefore potentially offer a more complete view of how neuronal ensembles encode information. However, scaling up the number of sites is not sufficient to ensure capture of multiple neurons, as action potential signals from extracellular electrodes may vary due to numerous factors. In order to understand the large-scale recording capabilities and potential limitations of multisite probes, it is important to quantify this variability, and to determine whether certain key device parameters influence the recordings. Here we investigate the effect of four parameters, namely, electrode surface, width of the structural support shafts, shaft number, and position of the recording site relative to the shaft tip. This study employs acutely implanted silicon probes containing up to 64 recording sites, whose performance is evaluated by the metrics of noise, spike amplitude, and spike detection probability. On average, we find no significant effect of device geometry on spike amplitude and detection probability but we find significant differences among individual experiments, with the likelihood of detecting spikes varying by a factor of approximately three across trials

Development of vegetation over nine years in a planted field station prairie

We studied the development of vegetation in a small area at the UWM Field Station planted with prairie species in 1986. The species and quantities of seed and seedlings planted in 1986 were recorded. We sampled the vegetation using permanent quadrats in 1988and 1994. Native prairie species were already well established in the area in 1988. There was, however, a dramatic change in the composition of the vegetation between 1988 and 1994. The number of native prairie species increased slightly and the number of non-prairie species decreased substantially, so that in 1988, 51% of species were native prairie plants and this figure increased to 62% in 1994. The sum of the mean cover of all plant species almost tripled between 1988 and 1994, primarily due to a large increase in cover of grass species. The relative dominance of several species changed markedly over the six years between samples

The role of surface roughness, albedo, and Bowen ratio on ecosystem energy balance in the Eastern United States

Land cover and land use influence surface climate through differences in biophysical surface properties, including partitioning of sensible and latent heat (e.g., Bowen ratio), surface roughness, and albedo. Clusters of closely spaced eddy covariance towers (e.g., \u3c10 \u3ekm) over a variety of land cover and land use types provide a unique opportunity to study the local effects of land cover and land use on surface temperature. We assess contributions albedo, energy redistribution due to differences in surface roughness and energy redistribution due to differences in the Bowen ratio using two eddy covariance tower clusters and the coupled (land-atmosphere) Variable-Resolution Community Earth System Model. Results suggest that surface roughness is the dominant biophysical factor contributing to differences in surface temperature between forested and deforested lands. Surface temperature of open land is cooler (−4.8 °C to −0.05 °C) than forest at night and warmer (+0.16 °C to +8.2 °C) during the day at northern and southern tower clusters throughout the year, consistent with modeled calculations. At annual timescales, the biophysical contributions of albedo and Bowen ratio have a negligible impact on surface temperature, however the higher albedo of snow-covered open land compared to forest leads to cooler winter surface temperatures over open lands (−0.4 °C to −0.8 °C). In both the models and observation, the difference in mid-day surface temperature calculated from the sum of the individual biophysical factors is greater than the difference in surface temperature calculated from radiative temperature and potential temperature. Differences in measured and modeled air temperature at the blending height, assumptions about independence of biophysical factors, and model biases in surface energy fluxes may contribute to daytime biases

Social Factors, Alcohol Expectancy, and Drinking Behavior: A Comparison of Two College Campuses

Background: Though college students have high rates of heavy drinking, few studies have examined the various pathways through which risks affect drinking and whether this varies by institution. We examined whether alcohol expectancy mediates the relationship between social factors (i.e., hooking up, friends drinking, Greek affiliation, entitlement) and drinking behavior comparing college students from one Midwestern and one Southeastern university. Methods: In the 2013–14 academic year, 1,482 college students (51% female) enrolled in undergraduate courses at two public universities completed a paper and pencil survey of attitudes and experiences about dating, sexuality, and substance use. Multiple group path analysis was used to compare two institutions. Results: Drinking behavior was positively associated with hooking up more often, Greek affiliation, being male, having close friends who consume more alcohol, and greater alcohol expectancies. We found unique differences in the mediating pathways for the two campuses. Conclusion: This study provides a more nuanced understanding of risk factors for heavy drinking. Moreover, it adds to the scarce body of literature concerning entitlement and drinking and the unique pathways between two college campuses. Finally, the results could lead to the development of more specific intervention strategies to reduce risky drinking among U.S. college students

Serological Prevalence of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infection in Small Ruminants and Cattle in The Gambia

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a widely distributed tickborne zoonotic agent that infects a variety of host species. There is a lack of information on the true geographic distribution of the prevalence and risk of CCHFV in West Africa. A countrywide cross-sectional study involving 1413 extensively managed indigenous small ruminants and cattle at livestock sales markets and in village herds, respectively, was carried out in The Gambia. In sheep, an overall anti-CCHFV antibody prevalence of 18.9% (95% CI: 15.5–22.8%), goats 9.0% (95% CI: 6.7–11.7%), and cattle 59.9% (95% CI: 54.9–64.7%) was detected. Significant variation (p \u3c 0.05) in the prevalence of anti-CCHFV antibodies at sites in the five administrative regions (sheep: 4.8–25.9%; goats: 1.8–17.1%) and three agroecological zones (sheep: 8.9–32.9%; goats: 4.1–18.0%) was also observed. Comparatively, higher anti-CCHFV antibody prevalence was detected in cattle (33.3–84.0%) compared to small ruminants (1.8–8.1%). This study represents the first countrywide investigation of the seroprevalence of CCHFV in The Gambia, and the results suggest potential circulation and endemicity of the virus in the country. These data provide critical information vital to the development of informed policies for the surveillance, diagnosis, and control of CCFHV infection in The Gambia and the region

Multimedia learning environments: Issues of learner control and navigation.

Abstract. Using schema theory as a framework, we view learning as an active, constructive process. It is affected not only by learners' internal knowledge structures, but by the external constraints of the learning environment as wel

The Role of Protective Behavioral Strategies, Social Environment, and Housing Type on Heavy Drinking among College Students

Background: Though research has examined heavy drinking by housing type, the link between type of college student housing and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) has rarely been examined comparing different college campuses. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of housing type, perceptions of peer drinking, and PBS with respondent heavy drinking among undergraduate college students from one Southeastern and one Midwestern university in the United States. Methods: 1,448 college students enrolled in undergraduate courses at two public universities completed a paper and pencil survey of attitudes and experiences about dating, sexuality, and substance use. Data were analyzed using multiple group path analysis. Results: Students living in Greek housing perceived their close friends as engaging in more risky drinking and had higher rates of heavy drinking compared to those living in other housing types. The effect of perceptions of peer drinking on PBS was significantly different between campuses, as were several other indirect pathways to heavy drinking. Conclusion/Importance: Understanding more about the differing roles of college residential environments can help inform effective drinking interventions and reduce heavy drinking among college students