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Background: The EphB2 gene was recently implicated as a prostate cancer (PC) tumour suppressor gene, with somatic inactivating mutations occurring in ~10% of sporadic tumours. We evaluated the contribution of EphB2 to inherited PC susceptibility in African Americans (AA) by screening the gene for germline polymorphisms. Methods: Direct sequencing of the coding region of EphB2 was performed on 72 probands from the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study (AAHPC). A case-control association analysis was then carried out using the AAHPC probands and an additional 183 cases of sporadic PC compared with 329 healthy AA male controls. In addition, we performed an ancestry adjusted association study where we adjusted for individual ancestry among all subjects, in order to rule out a spurious association due to population stratification. Results: Ten coding sequence variants were identified, including the K1019X (3055A→T) nonsense mutation which was present in 15.3% of the AAHPC probands but only 1.7% of 231 European American (EA) control samples. We observed that the 3055A→T mutation significantly increased risk for prostate cancer over twofold (Fisher's two sided test, p=0.003). The T allele was significantly more common among AAHPC probands (15.3%) than among healthy AA male controls (5.2%) (odds ratio 3.31; 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 7.4; p=0.008). The ancestry adjusted analyses confirmed the association. Conclusions: Our data show that the K1019X mutation in the EphB2 gene differs in frequency between AA and EA, is associated with increased risk for PC in AA men with a positive family history, and may be an important genetic risk factor for prostate cancer in AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital readmission is an important indicator of patient care outcomes and is widely used in evaluating the quality of health care provided. However, few definitions of the term 'readmission' are listed in the literature, and exact measurement parameters regarding readmission are seldom stated. The term readmission is indiscriminately used and defined, making accurate comparisons of results difficult across studies if not impossible. This article analyzes the concept readmission, creates a criteria-based definition for the term, and proposes a measurement instrument on the basis of these criteria to consistently quantify readmission in quality management programs and research studies. Multiple databases were searched using various key terms to locate literature covering adult and pediatric populations and all clinical conditions or diagnoses. Articles were selected on the basis of the specified inclusion/exclusion criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Problem behaviours that occur during Alzheimer's disease (AD) can have major impact on caregivers. How caregivers react to these behaviours may determine the total impact experienced from caregiving. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationships between problematic behaviours and caregiving impact in 30 primary caregivers of persons with AD. The first question explored the relationship between frequency of problem behaviour and impact; the second explored the relationship between caregiver reactions to problem behaviours and impact from caregiving. METHODS: The frequency of problem behaviour and the caregiver reaction was measured using The Revised Memory and Behaviour Problem Checklist (Teri et al. 1992). The impact from caregiving was operationalized using the Cost of Care Index developed by Kosberg and Cairl (1986). RESULTS: Significant associations were found for 11 of the 20 subscales that measured the association between the frequency of problem behaviour in the client and the impact from caregiving experienced by the caregiver. In comparison, the association between caregiver's reaction to problem behaviours and impact from caregiving was even more significant in value with 15 subscales of 20 being significant. Female caregivers experienced a greater reaction to disruptive and depressive behaviour when compared with male caregivers even though both genders reported similar frequencies of problem behaviours. In regard to findings about the impact from caregiving, four of the six indicators were higher for women than for men. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver reaction to problem behaviours was more highly associated with impact from caregiving than the actual frequency of the behaviours. These findings have great implications for intervention programs. Caregivers, especially females, need to receive individualized, specific education/training on how to understand and manage disruptive and depressive behaviour in persons with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower-income men are less likely to participate in prostate cancer screening and more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of prostate cancer which leads to poorer prognosis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 1,887 men (21% with incomes less than $10,000 per year) from work sites, churches and housing projects to an educational programme and a subsequent free prostate cancer screening with their personal physician. In contrast to most studies which have significant decreased participation among low-income men, there were no significant differences in participation based on income for this cohort. Implications for recruitment of lower-income men into prostate cancer screening are cited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the costeffectiveness of prostate cancer educational programs by AfricanAmerican versus Caucasian men and educational methods. Method: Four different educational methods where tested with 868 men. Results: The participation rate in the free screening was less for African-American (59%) than for Caucasian men (75%), leading to a greater cost per African-American man screened. However, more African-American men had prostate cancer than did Caucasian men, 6 11.9%) versus 2 (0.8%), leading to lower costs per prostate cancer detected for AfricanAmerican men. Conclusion: Targeting African-American men for prostate cancer educational programs is cost-effective and has the potential to significantly reduce prostate cancer mortality rates among African-American men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of churches as recruitment sites of African Americans into health promotion activities is a popular theme in the 1990s literature. This research measured the impact of previous exposure to cancer on participation in an educational program and a free prostate cancer screening. Cues to action from the Health Belief Model provided the conceptual framework. Over 500 men attended a prostate cancer educational program at their church. Men who participated in the educational program and completed the questionnaire were given a voucher that they could take to their doctor of choice for a free prostate cancer examination. Having a member of the congregation who was previously diagnosed with cancer was a significant cue to attendance at the educational program (P = 0.03). Recommendations for future cancer screening in churches are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between adolescent smoking under stress, psychological distress, and social support. Sophomore and junior high school students, N=1,168, completed Derogatis' Brief Symptom Inventory, Spielberger's Anger Expression Scale, and revised version of Coppel's Index of Social Support. White students were more likely to engage in stress-related smoking than were black students (OR=5.74, 95% C.I. [4.00, 8.24]), as were adolescents with higher psychological distress and lower social-support scores. Adolescent smoking prevention and cessation programs should consider incorporating behavioral strategies aimed at coping with psychological distress and strengthening social support as students may smoke in response to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ascertain the effects of a natural disaster on adolescents, 1482 South Carolina high school students who were exposed to Hurricane Hugo were surveyed 1 year after the disaster. Subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire measuring Hugo exposure, nonviolent and violent life events, social support, self-efficacy, and psychological distress. Results showed that the students reported minimal exposure to the hurricane and psychological distress variables approximated national norms. As exposure increased, adolescents reported increased symptoms of psychological distress; i.e., anger, depression, anxiety, and global mental distress. Females and white students experienced higher levels of distress. In most cases, other stressful life events were at least as strong a predictor of psychological distress as was exposure to the hurricane. Self-efficacy and social support were protective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the synthesis of heteroleptic yttrium phosphanides. Metalation of HP(SiMe[sub3])[sub2] with trialkylyttrium in benzene; Impact of an equimolar reaction; Decomposition of crystals in an argon atmosphere.