Our objective was to test a theoretical model that explains quality of life as a function of the intrusiveness of illness encroaching on the different domains of one's life. The intrusiveness of illness is explained not only by disease and treatment related factors, but also by one's psychological and social resources (Devins, 1994). To investigate this issue, a sample of 336 women aged 50 and under, recently diagnosed with breast cancer were interviewed in their homes. Consistent with Devins' model, intrusiveness of illness mediated the effect of disease and treatment factors on quality of life. Contrary to his model, some treatment factors also had direct effects while social and psychological factors had only direct effects on quality of life. Neither time post-diagnosis nor type of treatment affected the psychological component of quality of life.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The thrombogenicity of prothrombin complex concentrates: I. The relationship between in vitro characteristics and in vivo thrombogenicity in rabbits.

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Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Predictors of outcome in a short-term psychiatric day hospital program.

This study assessed selected chronicity, social support, and personality variables as predictors of outcome in a 3-week psychiatric day hospital program. Measured outcome included pre- and post-treatment scores on the BDI, STAI, and SCL-90-R from 224 patients. A single outcome variable based on the average standardized residual changes scores for these measures was derived to assess whether symptom severity at discharge was greater or less than predicted. Predictor variables were analysed using multiple regression. Chronicity variables predicted outcome, with patients hospitalized more than once and those with personality disorders more symptomatic than expected after treatment. Social support and personality variables failed to predict outcome; however, patients who scored higher on the MMPI Si scale were more symptomatic than expected at discharge. Although these results possess marginal clinical utility in terms of accounting for symptom change variation, this study overcame some methodological difficulties seen in prior day hospital literature. Future research should consider a prospective approach, including random treatment assignment, comprehensive and diverse outcome measures, and exploration of specific diagnostic groups.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An unexpected surprise in a common boil.

Cutaneous myiasis (myia: Greek word for fly) is an infestation of fly maggots in the skin. A case of human botfly (Dermatobia hominis) myiasis presenting to a Canadian emergency department is described. Typically, it presents as an apparent persistently infected skin abscess or insect bite. As the botfly is indigenous only to Central and South America, the condition is unfamiliar to most North American physicians. However, the rapidity of international air travel permits this exotic tropical infestation to present in any region. Obtaining a history of recent travel to an endemic area is the key to making the diagnosis and instituting appropriate treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic evidence that zinc is an essential co-factor in the DNA binding domain of GAL4 protein.

The 'cysteine-zinc DNA binding finger' is a recently identified sequence motif that is present in a wide variety of transcriptional regulatory proteins and is thought to be directly involved in DNA binding. It has been proposed that an essential component of this structure is a zinc ion bound between two pairs of cysteine residues. The GAL4-encoded protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which binds to DNA and activates the transcription of several genes, contains this sequence motif. Here I describe a gal4 mutant with an alteration in the cysteine-zinc DNA binding finger whose defect is corrected in vivo by high concentrations of ZnCl2. The DNA binding activity of the altered protein from this mutant is restored by ZnCl2 in vitro. This is evidence that the GAL4 protein indeed contains zinc ions essential for its DNA binding activity.

Chlorides↗