PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Weinrich

Publications and source records attributed to S Weinrich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Extent of linkage disequilibrium between the androgen receptor gene CAG and GGC repeats in human populations: implications for prostate cancer risk.

While studies have implicated alleles at the CAG and GGC trinucleotide repeats of the androgen receptor gene with high-grade, aggressive prostate cancer disease, little is known about the normal range of variation for these two loci, which are separated by about 1.1 kb. More importantly, few data exist on the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between the two loci in different human populations. Here we present data on CAG and GGC allelic variation and LD in six diverse populations. Alleles at the CAG and GGC repeat loci of the androgen receptor were typed in over 1000 chromosomes from Africa, Asia, and North America. Levels of linkage disequilibrium between the two loci were compared between populations. Haplotype variation and diversity were estimated for each population. Our results reveal that populations of African descent possess significantly shorter alleles for the two loci than non-African populations (P<0.0001). Allelic diversity for both markers was higher among African Americans than any other population, including indigenous Africans from Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that approx. 20% of CAG and GGC repeat variance could be attributed to differences between the populations. All non-African populations possessed the same common haplotype while the three populations of African descent possessed three divergent common haplotypes. Significant LD was observed in our sample of healthy African Americans. The LD observed in the African American population may be due to several reasons; recent migration of African Americans from diverse rural communities following urbanization, recurrent gene flow from diverse West African populations, and admixture with European Americans. This study represents the largest genotyping effort to be performed on the two androgen receptor trinucleotide repeat loci in diverse human populations.

Africa↗
PubMed2001

Problem behaviour, caregiver reactions, and impact among caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease.

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.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The debate about prostate cancer screening: what nurses need to know.

OBJECTIVES: Special challenges and unique opportunities for nurses in the 21st century related to prostate cancer screening are reviewed. DATA SOURCES: Current health care literature pertaining to prostate cancer screening issues. CONCLUSIONS: Decisions that weigh the immediate risks of incontinence and erectile dysfunction against the long-term potential risk of death from advanced cancer must be made with conflicting values and incomplete data. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: With their expertise in patient education nurses are in a unique position to communicate the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening in a manner in which patients can understand. A sample nursing care plan is presented for shared decision making.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

African-American heredity prostate cancer study: a model for genetic research.

A genome-wide scan of high-risk prostate cancer families in North America has demonstrated linkage of a particular marker to Chromosome Iq (HPC11. An even greater proportion of African-American families have shown linkage to HPC 1. Therefore, investigators at the National Human Genome Research Institute [NHGRI] in collaboration with Howard University and a predominantly African-American group of urologists established the African-American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) Study Network to confirm the suggested linkage of HPC in African Americans with a gene on Chromosome 1. Blood samples from recruited families were sent to Howard University for extraction of DNA. The DNA was sent to NHGRI at NIH where the genotyping and genetic sequence analysis was conducted. Genotype data are merged with pedigree information so that statistical analysis can be performed to establish potential linkage. From March 1, 1998, to June 1, 1999, a total of 40 African-American families have been recruited who met the study criteria. Preliminary results suggest that racial/ethnicity grouping may affect the incidence and extent of linkage of prostate cancer to specific loci. The importance of these findings lays in the future treatment of genetic-based diseases.

Black People↗
PubMed2000

Recruitment experience in the first phase of the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) study.

The African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) Study is an ongoing multicenter genetic linkage study organized by Howard University and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), with support from the Office for Research on Minority Health and the National Cancer Institute. The goals of the study are to: (i) look for evidence of involvement of chromosome 1q24-25 (HPC1) in African American men with hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) and (ii) conduct a genome-wide search for other loci associated with HPC in African American men. To accomplish these goals, a network has been established including Howard University, the NHGRI, and six Collaborative Recruitment Centers (CRCs). The CRCs are responsible for the identification and enrollment of 100 African American families. To date, 43 families have been enrolled. Recruitment strategies have included mass media campaigns, physician referrals, community health-fairs/prostate cancer screenings, support groups, tumor registries, as well as visits to churches, barber shops, and universities. By far, the most productive recruitment mechanisms have been physician referrals and tumor registries, yielding a total of 35 (81%) families. Approximately 41% (n = 3400) of probands initially contacted by phone or mail expressed interest in participating; the families of 2% of these met the eligibility criteria, and 75% of those families have been enrolled in the study, indicating a 0.5% recruitment yield (ratio of participants to contacts). As the first large-scale genetic linkage study of African Americans, on a common disease, the challenges and successes of the recruitment process for the AAHPC Study should serve to inform future efforts to involve this population in similar studies.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2000

Immunohistochemical localization of telomerase hTERT protein and analysis of clonality in multifocal vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia.

Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasias (VINs) are potentially premalignant lesions of the squamous mucosa. The immunohistochemical distribution of the catalytic protein subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and the patterns of X chromosome inactivation were investigated as markers of neoplasia in samples from a patient with multifocal and diffuse VIN. hTERT nuclear staining in VIN correlated with squamous maturation and the degree of nuclear atypia. Normal mucosa revealed faint nuclear staining of parabasal cells and lower intermediate layer squamous cells. Monoclonal composition was demonstrated in 0 of 3 samples of VIN1, 2 of 3 samples of VIN2, and 13 of 13 samples of VIN3. The patterns of X chromosome inactivation indicated intramucosal extension and multifocal origin of individual lesions. Five samples of histologically normal vulvar squamous epithelium revealed a random pattern of X chromosome inactivation, consistent with polyclonal composition. All 19 samples from 9 lesions contained human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 sequences. Neither mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene or K-ras oncogenes nor loss of heterozygosity at 7 chromosomal loci were detected in any of the 19 samples of VIN. These results demonstrate that HPV-associated VIN may result from multifocal and diffuse 2-dimensional intraepithelial expansion of an immortalized monoclonal cell population.

Carcinoma in Situ↗
PubMed2000

Localization of telomerase hTERT protein and hTR in benign mucosa, dysplasia, and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Telomerase has been detected by telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay in cervical dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma but not in most normal cervical tissues. In the present study, the cellular localization of the protein catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and the RNA component (hTR) were investigated by a sensitive immunohistochemical technique and by in situ hybridization, respectively. hTERT protein was detected in all diagnostic categories of cervical specimens. hTERT was localized predominantly to the lower suprabasal levels of normal squamous mucosa but was detected throughout virtually all levels of the lesional epithelium in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Telomerase expression correlated with hTERT detection in SCC and HSIL but was not detected by TRAP assay in most samples of normal mucosa or LSIL. The distribution of hTR correlated with the localization of hTERT in HSIL and SCC but was restricted to the basal and suprabasal cell layers in normal mucosa and LSIL.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

An intervention to decrease cancer fatalism among rural elders.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a video intervention in decreasing cancer fatalism, increasing knowledge of colorectal cancer, and increasing participation in fecal-occult blood testing (FOBT). DESIGN: Repeated measures, pretest/post-test. SETTING: Senior citizen centers in a rural southern state. SAMPLE: Individuals were selected and assigned to the study group based on the center they attended. Centers were selected and assigned randomly to an intervention (n = 42) or control (n = 28) group. The age of the participants ranged from 52-92 years (X = 75). METHODS: Pretest measures included the Powe Fatalism inventory, the Colorectal Cancer Knowledge Questionnaire, and the Demographic Data Questionnaire. The intervention group viewed the Medical University of South Carolina's video Telling the Story ... To Live is God's Will, and the control group viewed the American Cancer Society (ACS) video Colorectal Cancer: The Cancer No One Talks About. Hemoccult II kits were distributed to both groups at no cost. Post-test data were collected using the Powe Fatalism Inventory and the Colorectal Cancer Knowledge Questionnaire. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Cancer fatalism, knowledge of colorectal cancer, and participation in FOBT. FINDINGS: People who viewed the intervention video had a greater decrease in cancer fatalism scores and a greater increase in knowledge of colorectal cancer scores than the control group. Both groups had greater than 60% participation in FOBT. CONCLUSIONS: Telling the Story ... To Live is God's Will is an effective, self-contained, cost-effective intervention to decrease cancer fatalism and increase knowledge of colorectal cancer. The video was as effective as the ACS video on colorectal cancer in increasing participation in FOBT among rural elders. But, because Telling the Story ... To Live is God's Will also decreases cancer fatalism and increases knowledge, the potential exists for the increased screening behaviors to be maintained over time. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Showing the video in waiting areas of community health centers to facilitate the discussion of colorectal cancer and cancer screening with the healthcare professional is a possibility. Nursing students may benefit from using the video as a model for the integration of beliefs and attitudes in developing culturally appropriate, community-based interventions. More research is needed to determine if the positive outcomes of the intervention (i.e., decreased cancer fatalism, increased knowledge, increased participation in colorectal cancer screening) can be maintained over time.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1998

Prostate cancer education in African American churches.

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.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1995

Agitation: measurement, management, and intervention research.

Strategies for controlling and managing agitation of patients in long-term care populations has been identified as a research priority. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature on empirically tested therapeutic interventions for agitation. This manuscript summarizes the literature related to the measurement, management, and interventions for agitation and identifies a nursing research agenda for conducting research in this area. Nonpharmacological and nonrestraint interventions are highlighted and categorized by (1) alterations in care given, (2) environmental adaptations, and (3) behavioral approaches. Future research areas identified by the authors focus on additional types of environmental, interpersonal, and behavioral interventions as well as theoretical predictors of agitation; the influence and role of nursing personnel and caregiver; and the legal and ethical issues involved in caring for patients who manifest agitation.

Dementia↗
PubMed1995

Predictors of Pap smear screening in socioeconomically disadvantaged elderly women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective for this study was to identify predictors for participation in Pap smear screening in a socioeconomically disadvantaged older population. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine data from 238 southern women 50 years of age and older who were recruited from 24 randomly selected congregate meal sites of the Council on Aging. MEASUREMENTS: The 45-item questionnaire covered demographics, Pap smear screening history, and colorectal cancer screening history. RESULTS: Among this older, very low income population, women who had never had Pap smears (17.2%) were significantly more likely to have no phone or to be unable to use a phone (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-10.6), to have annual incomes of less than $5,800 (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI 1.1-9.0), to be widowed (aOR = 2.8; 95% CI 1.1-7.3), to have no family history of cancer (aOR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-10.0), to report having never had a rectal examination (aOR = 5.4, 95% CI 1.8-16.0), and not to have participated in a free fecal occult blood testing program (aOR = 5.0, 95% CI 2.0-10.0). CONCLUSIONS: These data, unique in including very low income (< $10,000) and older women (65 and over), found that income and access to a phone were strongly correlated with cervical cancer screening participation. Women who lacked external incentives for screening (being widowed and not having a family history of cancer) were less likely to obtain screening. This study's finding that "not having a phone" was a strong predictor for nonparticipation in cervical cancer screening has implications for national telephone-derived estimates of cervical cancer screening.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Delirium in the older person with cancer.

Delirium occurs in 25-40% of patients with cancer and in as many as 85% of patients with advanced cancer. Delirium, or acute confusion, can be short term and reversible and differs from dementia, which is chronic and irreversible. Accurate assessment is critical for effective treatment and to reduce the increased mortality associated with delirium. Assessment for differentiating depression as well as dementia is needed, because mistaken diagnoses often prolong and exacerbate the symptoms of delirium. Different treatment strategies are appropriate depending on the cause(s) of confusion. In this article, risk factors and assessment tools are reviewed, and interventions for delirium in older persons with cancer are presented. Future areas for research are identified, because there is a paucity of research on delirium in older patients with cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Psychological distress of adolescents exposed to Hurricane Hugo.

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.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents after a hurricane.

A school-based study conducted in 1990, 1 year after Hurricane Hugo, investigated the frequency and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1,264 adolescents aged 11-17 years residing in selected South Carolina communities. Data were collected via a 174-item self-administered questionnaire that included a PTSD symptom scale. A computer algorithm that applied decision rules of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised to the symptoms reported was used to assign a diagnosis of PTSD and to designate the number of individuals who met the reexperiencing (20%), avoidance (9%), and arousal (18%) criteria. Rates of PTSD were lowest in black males (1.5%) and higher, but similar, in the remaining groups (3.8-6.2%). Results from a multivariable logistic model indicated that exposure to the hurricane (odds ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.41), experiencing other violent traumatic events (OR = 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.75-3.44), being white (OR = 2.03, 95% confidence interval 1.12-3.69) and being female (OR = 2.17, 95% confidence interval 1.15-4.10) were significant correlates of PTSD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Nurses respond to Hurricane Hugo victims' disaster stress.

Hugo, a class IV hurricane, hit South Carolina September 22, 1989, and left behind a wake of terror and destruction. Sixty-one nursing students and five faculty were involved in disaster relief with families devastated by the hurricane. A review of the literature led these authors to propose a formulation of the concept of disaster stress, a synthesis of theories that explains response to disaster as a crisis response, a stress response, or as posttraumatic stress. With the concept of disaster stress serving as a theoretical foundation, the nurses observed, assessed, and intervened with one population of hurricane Hugo victims, noting their immediate psychosocial reactions and coping mechanisms. Victims' reactions to disaster stress included confusion, irritability, lethargy, withdrawal, and crying. The most frequently observed coping strategy of these hurricane Hugo victims was talking about their experiences; other coping tactics involved humor, religion, and altruism.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

The problem of front-back localization in binaural hearing.

Some investigations concerning the problem of front-back discrimination in normal hearing are described. Three groups of experiments are included: Some objective measurements of transfer functions of the ears of four subjects, horizontal plane simulations and modifications of artificial-head signals in order to bring about directional inversions in the horizontal plane. It is concluded that subjects are able to utilize small individual characteristics in the transfer functions of their own outer ears to distinguish between front and back.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Group protocol to mitigate disaster stress and enhance social support in adolescents exposed to Hurricane Hugo.

Literature reports that cognitive understanding and social support can mitigate stress in both adults and adolescents. As a subcomponent of the Carolina Adolescent Health Project (CAHP), this research evaluated the efficacy of a Cognitive Social Support (CSS) group protocol designed to mitigate the disaster stress of adolescents who had been exposed seriously to Hurricane Hugo. A purposive sample of 259 students participated in and evaluated the CSS. This article reports the specific structure, content, process, rationale, and cost of the CSS. Evaluations indicated that 82% of the students evaluated the small-group component of the CSS as "very good" or "excellent," while 70% rated the large-group component as "very good" or "excellent."

Adolescent↗