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K Hempstead

Publications and source records attributed to K Hempstead.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Using NVDRS data for suicide prevention: promising practices in seven states.

OBJECTIVES: This article describes how seven states participating in a new public health surveillance system for violent death in the US, the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), have used data to support local suicide prevention activities. SETTING: The NVDRS is unique in that it augments death certificate data with event and circumstance information from death investigation reports filed by coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement. These data illuminate why the victim ended his or her life, fatal injury patterns, and toxicological findings at death. RESULTS: Current suicide prevention efforts using these data fall into three categories: describing the problem of suicide and identifying opportunities for intervention; collaborating on statewide suicide prevention plans; and forming new partnerships for targeted prevention initiatives. Taken together, these three areas show early promise for state suicide prevention efforts. CONCLUSIONS: In each of the states, NVDRS data analyses are being shared with injury prevention colleagues, suicide prevention planning groups and policymakers, and adapted to respond to unique state and local suicide problems. A powerful surveillance tool, the NVDRS is bringing new clarity and direction to these state-based efforts. The NVDRS can serve as a model for other countries looking to establish timely suicide surveillance systems and data driven prevention strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Manner of death and circumstances in fatal poisonings: evidence from New Jersey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to use a new data set to compare the circumstances of fatal poisoning in deaths ruled as suicides to those ruled as unintentional, particularly with regard to the prevalence of mental health, substance abuse, and other risk factors. DESIGN: The design is an analysis of all fatal poisonings using data from the New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System. Patients or SUBJECTS: Decedents in New Jersey in 2003 whose cause of death was fatal poisoning, and whose manner of death was unintentional, intentional, or undetermined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The relation between risk factors, circumstances of death, and coded manner of death, particularly for those with both mental health and substance abuse related risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of mental health risk factors was considerably higher among intentional poisonings (59.4% v 24.4%, p<0.0001), while that of substance abuse was higher among unintentional poisonings (90.0% v 24.5%, p<0.0001). Approximately 20% of unintentional poisonings and 25% of suicides had a physical health problem. Differences in circumstances by manner were smaller among those with a physical health problem. CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse, mental health, and physical health problems were the most frequently cited risk factors for unintentional and intentional poisoning fatalities. There were many differences in characteristics and risk factors by manner of death. Those with physical health problems were more similar in terms of demographic characteristics and presence of other risk factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

HMO penetration and quality of care: the case of breast cancer.

In theory, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) receiving a fixed payment rate per enrolled member have an incentive to coordinate services and emphasize prevention and early detection of disease in order to minimize costs of care. This article tests whether higher HMO penetration rates across counties in the United States and across time improve the use of mammography services, the chance of early rather than late detection of breast cancer, and ultimately improve breast cancer survival. We use two data sets to test the effect of HMO penetration on use of breast cancer services and on breast cancer health outcomes for women aged 55 to 64 years. These data sources are matched with county-level data on HMO penetration and other market variables from the Bureau of Health Profession's Area Resource File. Results of logit regression show evidence that HMO penetration positively affects the probability of recent mammography receipt. However, we do not find a statistically significant relationship between HMO penetration and either stage of diagnosis or breast cancer survival.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1996

The gene 59 protein of bacteriophage T4. Characterization of protein-protein interactions with gene 32 protein, the T4 single-stranded DNA binding protein.

The gene 59 protein (gp59) of bacteriophage T4 stimulates the activities of gene 41 protein (gp41), the T4 replicative DNA helicase, by promoting the assembly of gp41 onto single-stranded (ss)-DNA molecules that are covered with cooperatively bound gene 32 protein (gp32). This helicase-ssDNA assembly process, which is important for the reconstitution of the primosome component of the T4 DNA replication fork, appears to require both gp59-gp41 and gp59-gp32 protein-protein interactions. In this study we characterize the physical and functional interactions of gp59 with gp32, the T4 ssDNA-binding protein. Experimental results presented herein indicate: 1) that gp59 binds specifically to both free and ssDNA-bound gp32 molecules; and 2) that in both cases binding involves contacts between gp59 and the acidic C-terminal domain of gp32 (the so-called "A-domain"). We further show that single-stranded DNA molecules coated with (gp32-A), a truncated form of gp32 lacking the A-domain, are refractory to gp59-dependent helicase assembly. The data indicate that specific contacts between gp59 molecules and the A-domains of gp32 molecules are essential for gp59-dependent assembly of gp41 onto gp32-ssDNA complexes. Our results are consistent with a model in which gp59 binds to gp32 molecules within the gp32-ssDNA complex and therein forms a target site for helicase-ssDNA assembly.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1996

Contemporary American attitudes toward U.S. immigration.

"This article aims to contribute to an understanding of contemporary American attitudes toward immigration.... The paper uses data from a CBS News/New York Times poll conducted in June 1993. Respondents were asked whether they would like to see the level of immigration to the United States increased, decreased or kept the same. We test several hypotheses about factors influencing respondents' attitudes, including the importance of previously unexamined predictors. These new hypotheses relate to views about the health of the U.S. economy, feelings of social and political alienation, and isolationist sentiments concerning international economic issues and foreign relations. One important discovery is the close connection between possessing restrictionist immigration attitudes and having an isolationist perspective along a broader array of international issues."

Americas↗
PubMed1994

The gene 59 protein of bacteriophage T4 modulates the intrinsic and single-stranded DNA-stimulated ATPase activities of gene 41 protein, the T4 replicative DNA helicase.

The T4 gene 59 protein (gp59) serves as an accessory protein to the essential T4-encoded DNA helicase, the gene 41 protein (gp41). gp59 stimulates gp41-dependent DNA synthesis reactions by promoting the assembly of gp41 onto single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), where the enzyme is activated to perform its DNA helicase functions. To better understand the mechanism of helicase-ssDNA assembly, we have studied the effects of gp59 on the intrinsic and ssDNA-stimulated ATPase activities of gp41. Our results indicate that gp59 exerts a direct effect upon the conformation and ATPase activity of gp41, by increasing the affinity of gp41 for ATP. In addition, we find that gp59 is nearly essential for promoting the assembly of gp41 onto ssDNA molecules that are covered with saturating amounts of the T4-encoded helix-destabilizing protein, gene 32 protein (gp32). Results of protein affinity chromatography experiments suggest that gp59 contains distinct binding sites for gp41 and gp32 and may therefore act as a molecular adapter between the helicase and helix-destabilizing proteins. Together, the data indicate that specific gp59-gp41 and gp59-gp32 protein-protein interactions both play important roles in the assembly of the helicase onto single-stranded DNA.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1991

Using surname data in U.S. Puerto Rican mortality analysis.

Evidence suggests that among mainland-born decedents. Hispanic (particularly Puerto Rican) origin may have been underreported in states that have added an ancestry item to their death certificates. This study uses the 1980 Census Bureau Spanish-surname list to code surnames on New York City death certificates. By examining the correspondence between surname type and the response to the ancestry item, we identify potential underreporting of Hispanic ethnicity for Spanish-surnamed decedents. A surname-based method then is used to adjust mortality data for mainland-born Puerto Rican decedents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Mortality among three Puerto Rican populations: residents of Puerto Rico and migrants in New York City and in the balance of the United States, 1979-81.

"This study attempts to explain similarities and differences in the mortality experience of three population groups: Puerto Ricans on the island commonwealth, Puerto Rican born persons in New York City and Puerto Rican born persons in the rest of mainland United States. Mortality is much higher among Puerto Ricans in New York City than among those residing elsewhere. Much of the difference is due to excess mortality caused by cirrhosis of the liver and homicide. Puerto Rican born persons living on the mainland but outside New York City generally have low mortality, even when compared with U.S. whites."

Americas↗
PubMed1989

Differential mortality by ethnicity: foreign-born Irish, Italians and Jews in New York City, 1979-81.

This paper compares the mortality experience of foreign-born Irish, Italians and Jews in New York City in 1979-81. For the Irish and Italian groups, 1980 census data were used to calculate age-specific and age-standardized death rates. For the Jewish group, denominator data were not available, so proportional mortality analysis was used. An estimate was made to show the degree to which standardized proportional mortality ratios approximated relative standard mortality measures. Major causes of death and other selected causes were examined. The results of this analysis support previous studies showing mortality is significantly greater among Irish-born immigrants than among the Italian born. The proportional mortality data suggest that the Jewish and Italian groups have cause of death distributions relatively similar to each other and dissimilar to the Irish group. Alcohol-related causes of death appear to be a major source of the uniqueness of the Irish mortality experience.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differential mortality by ethnicity and nativity: foreign- and native-born Irish, Italians, and Jews in New York City, 1979-1981.

This paper compares the mortality experience of foreign- and native-born Irish, Italians, and Jews in New York City in 1979-81. In most cases, denominator data were not available, so proportional mortality analysis was used. An estimation procedure was undertaken to show the degree to which standardized proportional mortality ratios approximate relative standardized mortality measures. Major and lifestyle-related causes of death were examined, as were specific sites of cancer. While no consistent pattern merged which related nativity or ethnicity to the relative distribution of mortality, it does appear that the intra-ethnic patterns of the Irish group were unique relative to those of the Italian and Jewish groups. Overall, this study suggests a number of interesting relationships between ethnicity, nativity, and the distribution of mortality by cause.

Aged↗