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Biomedical subjects

R Kerns

Publications and source records attributed to R Kerns.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Vancomycin derivatives that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis without binding D-Ala-D-Ala.

Vancomycin is an important drug for the treatment of Gram-positive bacterial infections. Resistance to vancomycin has begun to appear, posing a serious public health threat. Vancomycin analogs containing modified carbohydrates are very active against resistant microorganisms. Results presented here show that these carbohydrate derivatives operate by a different mechanism than vancomycin; moreover, peptide binding is not required for activity. It is proposed that carbohydrate-modified vancomycin compounds are effective against resistant bacteria because they interact directly with bacterial proteins involved in the transglycosylation step of cell wall biosynthesis. These results suggest new strategies for designing glycopeptide antibiotics that overcome bacterial resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1998

Self-efficacy as a psychological moderator of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by debilitating fatigue and a variety of somatic symptoms. Few studies have examined psychological aspects of CFS. In the present study, self-efficacy is shown to be a significant predictor of CFS symptoms beyond the variance accounted for by demographic variables and distress. Further psychological CFS research is encouraged by (1) identifying dimensions that are salient in the experience and study of CFS, (2) providing preliminary psychometric data for measures of those dimensions, and (3) identifying psychological variables that serve as moderators of the experience of CFS.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

A two factor model of denial of illness: a confirmatory factor analysis.

Analyses of the data obtained by the use of a reliable semi-structured interview format, the Levine Denial of Illness Scale (LDIS) confirmed the existence of two distinct, but interrelated factors of denial of illness. The two factors were termed denial of cognitions and denial of affects. One hundred medical patients from four different patient groups (cardiac, epilepsy, stroke, hypertensive) were interviewed and assessed. Confirmatory factor analytic procedures were used, and they demonstrated that these two factors accounted for a major proportion of the variance in the observed data that reflected denial of illness. A moderate but significant correlation between these two factors, in addition to their discriminant validity, also supported the validity of the unifying and overarching construct, denial of illness. The concurrent and discriminant validity of the two factors was further supported by the different relationships of the two factors with external criterion measures. The reliability, validity and the potential predictive validity of these two factors may be useful in further investigations of the use of denial. Further studies of their different influences on the initial and continued resistance of seriously ill patients to comply with medical treatment and prescribed self care are indicated. When seriously ill patients persist in denial, appropriate interventions may help them to give up their evasive behavior and they may comply with medical recommendations.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of denial in recovery from coronary heart disease.

This longitudinal study investigated the relationship between denial of illness and the course of recovery in patients with coronary heart disease. Using a newly developed interview instrument, the Levine Denial of Illness Scale (LDIS), the level and modes of denial were assessed in 45 male patients who were hospitalized for myocardial infarction or for coronary bypass surgery, of whom 30 were followed for 1 year after discharge. The reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the LDIS were found to be satisfactory. Furthermore, the LDIS showed discriminant validity from trait measures of denial. LDIS scores were not associated with severity of illness or risk factors. High deniers spent fewer days in intensive care and had fewer signs of cardiac dysfunction during their hospitalization relative to low deniers. However, in the year following discharge, high deniers adapted more poorly than low deniers: high deniers were more noncompliant with medical recommendations and required more days of rehospitalization. The findings suggest that denial of illness is adaptive during acute hospital recovery, but is maladaptive in the long-run after hospital discharge.

Adaptation, Psychological↗