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Objectives. We explored differences in criminal convictions between holders and nonholders of a concealed handgun license (CHL) in Texas. Methods. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides annual data on criminal convictions of holders and nonholders of CHLs. We used 2001 to 2009 DPS data to investigate the differences in the distribution of convictions for these 2 groups across 9 types of criminal offenses. We calculated z scores for the differences in the types of crimes for which CHL holders and nonholders were convicted. Results. CHL holders were much less likely than nonlicensees to be convicted of crimes. Most nonholder convictions involved higher-prevalence crimes (burglary, robbery, or simple assault). CHL holders' convictions were more likely to involve lower-prevalence crimes, such as sexual offenses, gun offenses, or offenses involving a death. Conclusions. Our results imply that expanding the settings in which concealed carry is permitted may increase the risk of specific types of crimes, some quite serious in those settings. These increased risks may be relatively small. Nonetheless, policymakers should consider these risks when contemplating reducing the scope of gun-free zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent researches have pointed out the need to consider the functional and psychosocial dimensions of oral health, such as Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of oral health status, socioeconomic factors and home environment of children on the four health domains of Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Brazil with a sample of 286 schoolchildren aged 12 years and their parents. The schoolchildren were clinically examined, and participants were asked to complete the CPQ11-14, as well as a questionnaire about home environment. In addition, a questionnaire was sent to each child's parents asking them about family socioeconomic status. The chi-square test and Poisson's regression analysis were performed. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, variables sex, monthly family income, mothers' education showed a statistically significant association with all health domains of the CPQ11-14. The family structure and presence of bleeding impacted on emotional (p = 0.0135), and social (p = 0.0010) well-being health domain scores. Orthodontic treatment need showed a strong negative effect on functional limitations domain score (p = 0.0021). Conclusions: Clinical and socio-environmental factors had different impacts on domains of oral health-related quality of life, demonstrating the need to consider these conditions in planning strategies for the oral health of schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine cyanobacteria have been considered a rich source of secondary metabolites with potential biotechnological applications, namely in the pharmacological field. Chemically diverse compounds were found to induce cytoxicity, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. The potential of marine cyanobacteria as anticancer agents has however been the most explored and, besides cytotoxicity in tumor cell lines, several compounds have emerged as templates for the development of new anticancer drugs. The mechanisms implicated in the cytotoxicity of marine cyanobacteria compounds in tumor cell lines are still largely overlooked but several studies point to an implication in apoptosis. This association has been related to several apoptotic indicators such as cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative damage, alterations in caspase cascade, alterations in specific proteins levels and alterations in the membrane sodium dynamics. In the present paper a compilation of the described marine cyanobacterial compounds with potential anticancer properties is presented and a review on the implication of apoptosis as the mechanism of cell death is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of self-assessed health on retirement plans of older migrants living in France. As immigration is primarily associated with labor considerations, the role of economic incentives in the migration decision suggests that health could play a minor effect in immigrants' decision to retire. Design/methodology/approach – Using detailed data on immigrants living in France collected in 2003, the authors examine the role of health on early retirement intentions using simultaneous, recursive models that account for the fact that subjective health is potentially endogenous. Findings – It is found that being in poor health increases the intention of migrant workers to retire early, but the subjective health outcomes have little influence on retirement plans. Practical implications – Since subjective health outcomes have less influence on retirement plan than economic variables, migrants may have incentives to postpone their retirement decisions in order to avoid an excessive pension reduction. Originality/value – Knowing the relative contribution of health variables and economic factors in the context of migration is a challenging issue since in almost all industrialized countries, the proportion of migrants having retired or nearing retirement has increased substantially. The authors' analysis is the first contribution to study the role of health on retirement intentions of older migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related of the U.S. Obesity has risen steadily in the U.S. over the past 150 years. Discussion on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial practice used in natural gas drilling is presented. A massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 contaminated productive fisheries in the U.S. with large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Background: Although it has been two decades since the Thai Patent Act was amended to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), there has been little emphasis given to assessing the implications of this amendment. The purpose of this review is to summarize the health and economic impact of patent protection, with a focus on the experience of Thailand. Methods: A review of national and international empirical evidence on the health and economic implications of patents from 1980 to 2009 was undertaken. Results: The findings illustrate the role of patent protection in four areas: price, present access, future access, and international trade and investment. Forty-three empirical studies were found, three of which were from Thai databases. Patenting does increase price, although the size of effect differs according to the methodology and country. Although weakening patent rights could increase present access, evidence suggests that strengthening patenting may benefit future access; although this is based on complex assumptions and estimations. Moreover, while patent protection appears to have a positive impact on trade flow, the implication for foreign direct investment (FDI) is equivocal. Conclusions: Empirical studies in Thailand, and other similar countries, are rare, compromising the robustness and generalizability of conclusions. However, evidence does suggest that patenting presents a significant inter-temporal challenge in balancing aspects of current versus future access to technologies. This underlines the urgent need to prioritize health research resources to assess the wider implications of patent protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To test the hypothesis that aerobic-related leisure-time physical activity (PA) is associated with better cognitive function and that the effect varies among apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype groups. Design: Cross-sectional study of persons examined in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III; 1988-1994). Setting: US noninstitutionalized population. Participants and methods: From a sample of 7159, aged 6⩾0 years, we analyzed data for 1799 older American men and women who had information on PA, a short mental status examination (SMSE), and were genotyped at the apolipoprotein E gene locus. Results: In the initial bivariate analysis, non-ε4 carriers and ε4-heterozygotes performed better than ε4-homozygotes in the 60-69 age group. After controlling for multiple confounders including mobility limitation, PA correlated with a higher SMSE score in non-ε4 carriers (P = 0.014), but not in ε4 carriers (P = 0.887). At ⩾70 years, PA also correlated with higher adjusted SMSE scores in non-ε4 carriers (P = 0.02); but this association became nonsignificant after controlling for mobility limitation (P = 0.12). Conclusion: In a nationally representative sample, PA was associated with enhanced cognition, an effect that was differentially influenced by apolipoprotein E genotype. Experimental studies are needed to determine whether or not PA can attenuate cognitive decline [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ConScientiae Saúde is the property of Nove de Julho University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of ConScientiae Saúde is the property of Nove de Julho University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The association between meat consumption and prostate cancer remains unclear, perhaps reflecting heterogeneity in the types of tumors studied and the method of meat preparation—which can impact the production of carcinogens. Methods: We address both issues in this case-control study focused on aggressive prostate cancer (470 cases and 512 controls), where men reported not only their meat intake but also their meat preparation and doneness level on a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Associations between overall and grilled meat consumption, doneness level, ensuing carcinogens and aggressive prostate cancer were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Higher consumption of any ground beef or processed meats were positively associated with aggressive prostate cancer, with ground beef showing the strongest association (OR = 2.30, 95% CI:1.39-3.81; P-trend = 0.002). This association primarily reflected intake of grilled or barbequed meat, with more well-done meat conferring a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Comparing high and low consumptions of well/very well cooked ground beef to no consumption gave OR's of 2.04 (95% CI:1.41-2.96) and 1.51 (95% CI:1.06-2.14), respectively. In contrast, consumption of rare/medium cooked ground beef was not associated with aggressive prostate cancer. Looking at meat mutagens produced by cooking at high temperatures, we detected an increased risk with 2-amino-3,8-Dimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]Quinolaxine (MelQx) and 2-amino- 3,4,8-trimethylimidazo(4,5-f)qunioxaline (DiMelQx), when comparing the highest to lowest quartiles of intake: OR = 1.69 (95% CI:1.08-2.64;P-trend = 0.02) and OR = 1.53 (95% CI:1.00-2.35; P-trend = 0.005), respectively. Discussion: Higher intake of well-done grilled or barbequed red meat and ensuing carcinogens could increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Genetic variation in the folate metabolic pathway may influence the risk of congenital heart defects. This study was undertaken to assess the associations between the inherited and maternal genotypes for variants in folate-related genes and the risk of a composite heart phenotype that included two component phenotypes: conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) and left-sided cardiac lesions (LSLs). METHODS: Nine folate-related gene variants were evaluated using data from 692 case-parent triads (CTD, n = 419; LSL, n = 273). Log-linear analyses were used to test for heterogeneity of the genotype-phenotype association across the two component phenotypes (i.e., CTD and LSLs) and, when there was no evidence of heterogeneity, to assess the associations of the maternal and inherited genotypes with the composite phenotype. RESULTS: There was little evidence of heterogeneity of the genotype-phenotype association across the two component phenotypes or of an association between the genotypes and the composite phenotype. There was evidence of heterogeneity in the association of the maternal MTR A2756G genotype ( p = 0.01) with CTDs and LSLs. However, further analyses suggested that the observed associations with the maternal MTR A2756G genotype might be confounded by parental imprinting effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses of these data provide little evidence that the folate-related gene variants evaluated in this study influence the risk of this composite congenital heart defect phenotype. However, larger and more comprehensive studies that evaluate parent-of-origin effects, as well as additional folate-related genes, are required to more fully explore the relation between folate and congenital heart defects. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relations between cardiac reactivity, family violence exposure (i.e., child maltreatment [CM] and inter-partner violence [IPV]), and preschool children’s emotional adjustment. A sample of 92 mother–preschooler dyads was drawn from predominantly low-income, rural communities. Dyads participated in a laboratory session in which children’s Electrocardiograph (ECG) monitoring occurred during a resting baseline, joint-challenge, and individual emotional and cognitive tasks. Mothers consented to review of Children & Youth Services (CYS) records for CM and completed an IPV measure. Mothers rated children’s emotional adjustment, and observers rated children on their frustration and positive affect. Children’s vagal suppression was shown to moderate relations between family violence exposure and emotional adjustment. Findings indicated that children greater in vagal suppression showed better emotional adjustment when from families low in violence. However, regardless of children’s level of vagal suppression, all children showed poorer emotional adjustment when from families high in violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the assessment of potential health benefits by meeting the air quality limit values (2008/50/CE) for short-term PM10 exposure. For this purpose, the methodology of the WHO for Health Impact Assessment and APHEIS guidelines for data collection were applied to Porto Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Additionally, an improved methodology using population mobility data is proposed in this work to analyse number of persons exposed. In order to obtain representative background concentrations, an innovative approach to process air quality time series was implemented. The results provide the number of attributable cases prevented annually by reducing PM10 concentration. An intercomparison of two approaches to process input data for the health risk analysis provides information on sensitivity of the applied methodology. The findings highlight the importance of taking into account spatial variability of the air pollution levels and population mobility in the health impact assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the indigent defense in Minnesota. It presents the evolution of the constitutional right to a lawyer offered at government expense. It explores how state legislatures have responded to the lack of guidance by the courts, highlighting various funding mechanisms applied at the state and local levels to pay for legal services. It discusses caseloads and the significant increase in spending on indigent defense.

To evaluate the potential public health impact of exposure to airborne particulate matter, concentrations of PM and PM were measured at 16 monitoring stations in Pearl River Delta. Epidemiological studies were collected, and meta-analysis method was used to get the exposure-response functions for health effects on mortality of residents in China. Chinese studies reported somewhat lower exposure-response coefficients as compared with studies abroad. Both Poisson model and life-table approach were used to estimate the health effects including acute effects and chronic effects. For short-term exposure, 2,700 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2,200-3,400) premature deaths would be prevented annually if PM daily concentrations reduced to below World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value. Much more benefits would be gained for long-term exposure. The annual avoidable deaths would be 42,000 (95% CI, 28,000-55,000) and 40,000 (95% CI, 23,000-54,000) for PM and PM, respectively, if the particulate matter annual concentrations were reduced to below WHO guideline values. And the average lifespan of residents would prolong 2.57 years for PM and 2.38 years for PM if reducing the PM annual concentrations. The benefits varied greatly in different areas and different manage strategies should be carried out to protect human health effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on several topics of oral implants including the outcomes of the hard tissue characteristics affecting aesthetic, the influence of provisional restorations on final aesthetics and the diagnosis and management of nerve damage following implant surgery.

Background: Over the last 100 years, China has experienced the world's three most fatal earthquakes. The Sichuan Earthquake in May 2008 once again reminded us of the huge human toll geological disaster can lead to. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: This is the second in a series of three articles documenting the geographical distribution of 41 dominant vector species (DVS) of human malaria. The first paper addressed the DVS of the Americas and the third will consider those of the Asian Pacific Region. Here, the DVS of Africa, Europe and the Middle East are discussed. The continent of Africa experiences the bulk of the global malaria burden due in part to the presence of the An. gambiae complex. Anopheles gambiae is one of four DVS within the An. gambiae complex, the others being An. arabiensis and the coastal An. merus and An. melas. There are a further three, highly anthropophilic DVS in Africa, An. funestus, An. moucheti and An. nili. Conversely, across Europe and the Middle East, malaria transmission is low and frequently absent, despite the presence of six DVS. To help control malaria in Africa and the Middle East, or to identify the risk of its re-emergence in Europe, the contemporary distribution and bionomics of the relevant DVS are needed. Results: A contemporary database of occurrence data, compiled from the formal literature and other relevant resources, resulted in the collation of information for seven DVS from 44 countries in Africa containing 4234 georeferenced, independent sites. In Europe and the Middle East, six DVS were identified from 2784 geo-referenced sites across 49 countries. These occurrence data were combined with expert opinion ranges and a suite of environmental and climatic variables of relevance to anopheline ecology to produce predictive distribution maps using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) method. Conclusions: The predicted geographic extent for the following DVS (or species/suspected species complex*) is provided for Africa: Anopheles (Cellia) arabiensis, An. (Cel.) funestus*, An. (Cel.) gambiae, An. (Cel.) melas, An. (Cel.) merus, An. (Cel.) moucheti and An. (Cel.) nili*, and in the European and Middle Eastern Region: An. (Anopheles) atroparvus, An. (Ano.) labranchiae, An. (Ano.) messeae, An. (Ano.) sacharovi, An. (Cel.) sergentii and An. (Cel.) superpictus*. These maps are presented alongside a bionomics summary for each species relevant to its control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents questions and answers related to medical care including existing patent rights block medical care and innovation, obtaining patent rights block medical care and innovation, and different deployment of patents block the health care and innovation.

Background: Subjects living close to high traffic roads (HTR) are more likely to suffer from air-pollution related morbidity and mortality. The issue has large public health consequences but few studies have described the main socio-demographic characteristics of people exposed to traffic. Objectives: To characterise a large cohort of residents in Rome according to different measures of traffic exposure, socioeconomic position (SEP), and baseline health status. Methods: Residents of Rome in October 2001 were selected. Individual and area-based SEP indices were available. GIS was used to obtain traffic indicators at residential addresses: distance from HTR (> = 10,000 vehicles/day), length of HTR, average daily traffic count, and traffic density within 150 meters of home. Hospitalisations in the 5-year period before enrolment were used to characterise health status. Logistic and linear regression analyses estimated the association between traffic exposure and socio-demographic characteristics. Results: We selected 1,898,898 subjects with complete SEP information and GIS traffic indicators. A total of 320,913 individuals (17%) lived within 50 meters of an HTR, and 14% lived between 50 and 100 meters. These proportions were higher among 75+ year-old subjects. Overall, all traffic indicators were directly associated with SEP, with people living in high or medium SEP areas or with a university degree more likely to be exposed to traffic than people living in low SEP areas or with a low level of education. However, an effect modification by area of residence within the city was seen and the association between traffic and SEP was reversed in the city centre. Conclusions: A large section of the population is exposed to traffic in Rome. Elderly people and those living in areas of high and medium SEP tend to be more exposed. These findings are related to the historical stratification of the population within the city according to age and socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise is recognized as a mainstay treatment of arthritis, yet more than 40% of adults with arthritis report no leisure time physical activity participation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to identify and promote evidence-based physical activity programs to improve physical function among adults with arthritis. The authors conducted a multisite, pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of community-based strength training versus usual activity in women (n = 33) 55 years of age and older with arthritis. The moderate-intensity, progressive strength training intervention included balance and flexibility exercises. Classes met 2 times per week for 12 weeks. Outcome measures included muscle strength, performance-based physical function (mobility, flexibility, and balance), and arthritis symptoms. Lower body strength improved from baseline to 12 weeks in the strength training versus control group (32.2%-7.3%, respectively; P = .004). Physical function improved in the strength training group over 12 weeks (range, 7%-50%; P < .05), with no change in control group. Adherence to the intervention was 82% ± 16%. There were no adverse effects on arthritis symptoms. These results demonstrate the efficacy of this program and its potential to be disseminated as an evidence-based strength training intervention to improve physical function and strength among older women with arthritis and other major comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To investigate how delayed introduction of sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (Fansidar®) and arthemeter–lumefantrine (Coartem®) as first-line drugs for malaria in KwaZulu-Natal contributed to the reported epidemics of 1985–1988 and 1997–2001. Methods Ecological study assessing the association between malaria incidence and the emergence and degree of resistance to chloroquine from 1982 to 1988 and to sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine from 1991 to 2001, when each was the first-line malaria treatment. Results The relative risk for malaria infection after the level of drug resistance reached 10% was 4.5 (95% CI: 4.0–5.2) in the chloroquine period and 5.9 (95% CI: 5.7–6.1) in the sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine period. In the chloroquine period, the relative risk of death from malaria was tenfold (95% CI: 1.3–78.1) and the case fatality doubled after drug resistance had reached 10%. The risk of death during the sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine period was 10.8 (95% CI: 5.9–19.2) and case fatality 1.8 times higher after drug resistance had reached 10%, than before. Conclusion Malaria epidemics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa have been exacerbated by failing drug regimens. The establishment of sentinel sites for monitoring drug failure and the prompt adoption of guidelines based on World Health Organization standards in drug resistance should improve malaria control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of studies that correlate aspects of the built environment with physical activity. Several publications have summarized the state of the field and have made recommendations on how to move the field forward. This paper describes some of the recommendations and reports on recent progress that has been made on them. Specific issues that are addressed are causality, perceived versus objective environmental measures, definitions of a neighborhood, use of audit instruments, and cost-benefit studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista da Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde is the property of Edicoes Universidade Fernando Pessoa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To provide quantitative evidence of the impact on people of a neighboring metropolitan airport, La Guardia Airport (LGA) in New York City, (1) airborne particulate matter (PM) was measured to determine whether concentration differences could be detected between homes that are upwind and downwind of the airport; (2) 24-hr noise measurements were made in 12 homes near the airport; and (3) the impact of noise was assessed by a Community Wellness and Health Promotion Survey. Particulate matter concentrations were higher during active airport operating hours than during nonoperating hours, and the percent increase varied inversely with distance from the airport. Hourly differences between paired upwind and downwind sites were not remarkable. Residents living near the airport were exposed to noise levels as much as four times greater than those experienced by residents in a quiet, comparison home. Impulse noise events were detected from both aircraft and vehicular traffic. More than 55% of the people living within the flight path were bothered by aircraft noise, and 63% by highway noise; these were significantly higher percentages than for residents in the nonflight area. The change in PM concentrations with distance during operating compared with nonoperating hours; traffic-related impulse noise events; and the elevated annoyance with highway noise, as well as aircraft noise among residents in the flight path area, show airport-related motor vehicle traffic to be a major contributor to the negative impact of airports on people in the surrounding communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an urgent need to evaluate HIV prevention interventions, thereby improving our understanding of what works, under what circumstances and what is cost effective. Objectives: To describe an integrated mathematical evaluation framework designed to assess the population-level impact of large-scale HIV interventions and applied in the context of Avahan, the Indian AIDS Initiative, in southern India. The Avahan Initiative is a large-scale HIV prevention intervention, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which targets high-risk groups in selected districts of the six states most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur) and along the national highways. Methods: One important component of the monitoring and evaluation of Avahan relies on an integrated mathematical framework that combines empirical biological and behavioural data from different subpopulations in the intervention areas, with the use of tailor-made transmission dynamics models embedded within a Bayesian framework. Results: An overview of the Avahan Initiative and the objectives of the monitoring and evaluation of the intervention is given. The rationale for choosing this evaluation design compared with other possible designs is presented, and the different components of the evaluation framework are described and its advantages and challenges are discussed, with illustrated examples. Conclusions: This is the first time such an approach has been applied on such a large scale. Lessons learnt from the CHARME project could help in the design of future evaluations of large-scale interventions in other settings, whereas the results of the evaluation will be of programmatic and public health relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic daily cannabis use has been shown to have long term harmful health effects, which in turn is expected to reduce labour market productivity. The evidence is less clear on the health impact of less frequent consumption, which is the more typical mode of use, and previous empirical studies fail to find robust evidence of an adverse impact of these modes of use on labour market productivity. This paper attempts to shed some light on this issue by directly estimating the impact of cannabis consumption in the past week and past year on health status using information on prime age individuals living in Australia. We find that cannabis use does reduce self-assessed health status, with the effect of weekly use being of a similar magnitude as smoking cigarettes daily. Moreover, we find evidence of a dose-response relationship in the health impact of cannabis use, with annual use having roughly half the impact of weekly use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP)—established in 2003 in response to new state legislation aimed at enhancing the evaluation of potential changes in health benefit packages—represents a unique marriage of academic analysis and real-time legislative decision making. CHBRP is based within the University of California (UC) Office of the President and provides analyses to the legislature within a 60-day timeframe on the potential consequences of specific benefit changes under consideration as part of legislative mandates. The consequences examined include current known medical effectiveness of the services for which coverage is to be mandated as well as potential costs and impact on public health considerations associated with the mandate. Teams throughout the University system specialize in analyzing medical effectiveness, costs, and public health impacts and work with a statewide faculty task force and a private actuarial firm to generate literature reviews and analyses in response to legislative requests. These teams work on multiple requests simultaneously, all within the constraints of the legislative calendar. In its first 2 years, CHBRP generated 22 such analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The development of a measure, with complimentary normative and perceived needs, for the investigation of functional impairment of individual patients and the investigation of the physical causative bases of impairment. Subjects: A consecutive sample of 119 complete denture (CD) wearers attending a Greek department of prosthetic dentistry took part in the study. All subjects presented with some complaint(s) of their dentures. Method: Functional assessment of dentures (FAD) criteria and structured questionnaires were used covering denture satisfaction (DS) and food difficulties with CDs. The questions used a five-point Likert scale. Results: The results showed that there were statistically significant associations between satisfaction from dentures and eating specified foods. Statistically significant associations were also found between denture qualities and movement of upper dentures and difficulty eating specified foods, but not with an open question on the difficulty of eating unspecified foods. Conclusions: This study successfully validated a suitable model for the combined evaluation of denture quality with clear diagnostic criteria and closed questions on DS and perceived difficulties when eating specified foods. This could predict the need for treatment, monitor the impact of care and provide a feasible measure to meet the need of everyday clinical situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the role of alcohol use and depression in intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration among Blacks and Hispanics in an underserved urban emergency department population. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed male and female patients presenting to an urban emergency department. The outcome measures were physical or sexual IPV victimization and perpetration in the previous 12 months. The independent predictors included demographic variables, alcohol and drug use, and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analyses calculated the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for predictors of IPV victimization and perpetration in separate models. Results: The prevalence of IPV victimization among Blacks and Hispanics were similar (14% and 10%, respectively) but blacks were nearly twice as likely to report IPV perpetration (17% vs. 9%, respectively).Predictors of IPV perpetration were Black race, married or living with a partner, heavy drinking, illicit drug use, and current depression. Depression, but not substance use, also predicted IPV victimization, in addition to Black race, married or living with a partner, and younger age. Conclusions: Screening for substance abuse and depression in an inner city emergency department population may help to identify individuals at high risk of IPV, particularly IPV perpetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder known to be associated with elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk of premature coronary heart disease. Since increased cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis, FH has also been proposed as a risk factor for peripheral vascular and ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Currently, the association between clinical FH and risk of stroke is unclear: Two studies conducted in the 1980s indicated an increased risk of stroke in FH subjects; however, two others found no higher risk, and all had methodological limitations. A recent prospective study of familial hypercholesterolemia by the United Kingdom-based Simon Broome Register Group did not find an excess risk of stroke mortality for subjects with clinical FH. By contrast, the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease is increased from five- to 10-fold in FH subjects compared with non-FH controls. In addition, the intima-media thickness of the carotid and/or femoral artery is increased in FH subjects. Better understanding of the association between FH and the incidence of ischemic stroke events could have a public health impact by improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of individuals with FH and their relatives and by elucidating the relation between cholesterol levels and ischemic cerebrovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the aspects of Health Care Without Harm movement that influenced policies on the improvement of the environmental health status of the health care industry. Science behind environmental health policy and change in health care; Policies and actions based on science; Outline of the movement's strategy; Goals of the campaign.

Despite the plethora of studies of broken homes, multivariate studies comparing the effects of the broken home and other theoretically relevant measures of the quality of family life are rare. This study examines the family structure versus family function issue by testing the comparative effects on self-reported delinquency offamily structure and five measures of family function. Five types of delinquency are considered. The data were obtained from a 1980 survey of 152 high school students in a small midwestern town. Item analysis and data reduction techniques were employed to construct six family quality indices and five delinquency indices. Two types offamily structure were examined: presence of both bio- logical parents in the home v. other and single- v. two-parent homes. Multivariate analyses controlled for the effects of age and gender. Bivariate tests of the relationships between broken homes and delinquency were not sign (f/cant, except for a moderate relationship between broken homes and status offenses. In addition, a bivariate relation between single-parent homes and delinquency was observed for status offenses only. Other forms of family dysfunction all were significantly related to overall delinquency and to status offenses. Moreover, several measures offamily quality evidenced significant bivariate relationships to property offenses, violent offenses, and drug offenses. The importance of the broken home was further diminished when the direct effects of broken homes and home quality were examined in multivariate tests. Regression equations showed home quality and gender, rather than family structure, to be the more important determinants of delinquency. The family structure coefficient was significant in only 1 of 10 tests, a regression of broken home and home quality on status offenses. Efforts to expand the analysis to identify specific areas offamily dysfunction were unenlightening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]