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The dramatic global impact of tuberculosis on mortality has been well documented, but its impact on morbidity has not been well described. The emphasis on treatment of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection highlights the tradeoff between short-term decrements in health status from 'preventive' therapy, and long-term gains related to fewer cases of active TB. However, these changes in health status have not been characterized. As a first step, we examined the feasibility and reliability of administering two health status questionnaires, in a multicultural TB clinic setting. The Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 and the EuroQOL EQ-5D were self-administered during 3 weekly interviews. One hundred and eighty-six potentially eligible patients were identified, of whom 112 could be evaluated; 106 (57%) were confirmed eligible. Sixty-seven (63%) agreed to participate; 24 (36%) were women. Fifty-three participants (79%) were foreign-born, with median residence in Canada of 3.5 years. Fifty (75%) of the participants completed all study measurements: 25 were treated for latent TB, 17 for active TB, and eight had previous active TB. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.73 to 0.94 for the SF-36 domain scores. Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.66 for the SF-36 physical component summary, 0.79 for the mental component summary, and 0.73 for the EQ-5D. These instruments appeared reliable in a highly selected group of TB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of self-assessment ability of students enrolled in a Problem-based Learning program.Methods: Seventy students enrolled in their third year of a four-year program were invited to voluntarily participate in the study. Self-assessment questionnaire was used to measure the students' self-assessment ability on two different occasions: 1) prior to standardised oral examination in predicting their performance, and 2) following the examination estimating their performance. The accuracy of the self-assessment was investigated by the relation between self-assessment and performance of the students.Results: Our study showed that self-assessment pre-examination was not accurate compared to performance at the oral examination (r ranging from 0.042 to 0.243). However, accuracy is slightly better when the student self-assesses his performance a posteriori, but the relation stays very low (r ranging from 0.257 to 0.334).Conclusion: According to our results, the students in the third year of a self-directed Problem-based Learning medical four year program demonstrated poor accuracy of the self-assessment when compared to their own performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the link between tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and suicide completion. Association between the gene that codes TPH and suicidal behavior; Genotyping of a sample of suicide completers; Public-health problem of suicidal behavior; Evidence that subjects with suicidal behavior have reduced serotonergic neuro-transmission.

Summary. To engineer cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-Ix) into a gene vector, genome component RNA 3 of the virus was modified and split into two sub-components, RNA 3A and RNA 3B. In RNA 3A, the open reading frame of the movement protein (MP) was replaced by a reporter gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP), to monitor virus replication and movement. In RNA 3B, the coat protein (CP) gene was eliminated and a multiple cloning site (MCS) was created for foreign gene insertion. Each sub-component alone is defective and relies on its companion sub-component to restore full RNA 3 function. The vector system was evaluated for its ability to deliver and express the bacterial ß-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and a modified bean yellow mosaic virus coat protein (BYMV-CP) gene in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Results showed that the engineered virus was able to move from cell to cell in the inoculated leaf and enter the minor veins of the inoculated leaf. Foreign gene expression was detected in the inoculated leaves. However, intermolecular recombination between RNA 3A and 3B occurred frequently, preventing efficient systemic expression of the foreign gene(s). Modifications and further evaluations are being undertaken to improve the gene delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In highland Ecuador, pena refers to a state of mind characterized by a mixture of sadness and anxiety as well as to an illness state resembling depression. This paper attempts to illustrate, through an analysis of the discourse on pena, how the ideology in which it is embedded serves to interpret a bodily problem at the same time as it reflects a more global attitude toward life. In essence, the folk theory states that the physical complaints caused by suffering are the result of a disturbance of the heart, the central organ of man, and of the emotional life which it controls. Because this suffering is often attributed to the immediate family group of the victim, the community at large often formulates accusations against one of its members. Though the therapy is limited to a cure of the symptoms through herbal remedies, a formal request can be made to a perceived wrongdoer to amend his behavior. The pena is also a state which can lead to colerin, a dangerous and sometimes lethal illness which is characterized by a sudden explosion of anger or madness and which will follow an unattended state of pena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Espanto or susto has been analysed from various points of view in the last fifteen years. From a survey covering 109 case analyses collected in Nicolas Ruiz (Chiapas, Mexico), we reached the conclusion that this folk illness cannot be conceived of as a syndrome in the medical sense. A semiological analysis showed that espanto can be better described as an indigenous theory whose function is to relate illness events to other levels of reality. According to indigenous belief, the Holy Earth and the chtonian spirits of the underworld play an important role in the origin of the illness. This origin is associated with an opening of the earth as is illustrated in the earthquakes or the volcanic eruptions forming the prototype of a fright experience leading to espanto; or, it is attributed to agents who inhabit locations where the earth presents a fissure (river, ravine, cave). It is through these holes that the Holy Earth exerts her power. Concomitantly, the body of the victim is believed to open itself to the influences of the bad winds of espanto. Trembling is another aspect of the phenomenon which is observed at numerous levels: first, during the fright experience; second, when the victim falls ill (chills jumping in bed); and third, when the curandera takes the pulse of the patient to see if the blood is afraid. These multiple analogies lead to the assumption that there is a meaning shared by these separate manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethal necrosis development in tomato plants infected with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strain D containing the necrogenic satellite D-CARNA 5 and held at 32 °C is shown to be impaired. CARNA 5 accumulation in tomato at 32 °C is reduced about 100-fold compared to accumulation in plants held at 24 °C, while viral RNA accumulation is reduced about 5-fold. CMV-infected tomato held for 3 days at 24 °C prior to shift to 32 °C do not develop lethal necrosis. Longer incubations at 24 °C prior to shift to 32 °C allow necrosis to develop. CMV-infected plants held for up to 4 weeks at 32 °C required an additional 8-10 days at 24 °C to develop necrosis. Necrogenic CMV-infected plants held at 24 °C and analyzed 3 days p.i. contained detectable amounts of ss- and ds-CARNA 5; upon shift to 32 °C, such CARNA 5 declined to undetectable levels and lethal necrosis did not occur. There appear to be temperature-sensitive factors that are required for efficient satellite replication which are not required for efficient viral RNA replication. Whether these factor(s) are of host or satellite origin is uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of temperature on the response of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rutgers) to infections with the necrogenic cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) satellite D-CARNA 5 was investigated with each of four CMV strains D, 1, Y and S functioning as helper virus. At 24 °C lethal necrosis was observed in all infections. However, at 32 °C the response varied from total absence or reduction of necrosis with some strains to accelerated lethal necrosis with others. The total lack of necrotic response with CMV-S and the aggravated necrosis with CMV-Y at the higher temperature both turned out to be independent of the coinfecting satellite, and rather to correlate with the changing rate of viral RNA accumulation in tomato, which probably was responsible for the changes in pathogenic response. However, when CMV-D was helper virus, satellite accumulation decreased, while with CMV-1 it increased, respectively, while viral RNA accumulations were not seriously affected. Although these profound effects of temperature seem to link the necrotic response of tomato to the competitive replication dynamics of the infecting virus/satellite combination in the case of CMV-D/D-CARNA 5, temperature effects at other levels of disease induction probably play an important role as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Parental care was analyzed separately with the PBI for both father and mother or their surrogate to assess its association with suicidal behavior (attempt or serious ideation). The study was conducted on two French-speaking samples from Montreal: the first included 2,327 high school students and the second 701 young adults (18 to 24) reached by phone. Results showed poor care of father to be highly associated with suicidal behavior in the highschool group. Poor care of the mother and parental divorce obtained a lower association. In the second sample, only poor care of the father was significantly associated with suicidal behavior. The conclusion is that more attention should be focused on the father and that parental divorce may have a short-term effect but not a lasting influence when poor care is absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verifies evidence that a genetic component may increase the predisposition to suicide and that deficiencies of the serotonin system play a significant role. Effort to replicate findings reported by Bondy and associates; Investigation of a large sample of suicide completers.

Unlabelled: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: Many epidemiologic studies agree that low-income populations are the groups most vulnerable to mental health problems. However, not all people in economic difficulty show symptoms, and it appears that having a social support network plays a role in protecting against the chronic stress resulting from conditions such as poverty., Objectives: The aim of the study is to clarify the relative contribution of social support to the mental health of low-income populations in two neighbourhoods in the southwest of Montreal: Pointe-Saint Charles and Saint-Henri., Methods: A random sample of 416 social assistance recipients in southwest Montreal and another sample of 112 people, drawn at random from the general population, were interviewed. The psychological distress scale used was the Indice de détresse psychologique--Enquête Santê Quêbec (IDPESQ). The availability of social support components was assessed by using the Social Provisions Scale. Data were collected during interviews in the respondents' homes. Social support measures were entered into a multidimensional model including many variables identified as being associated with mental health. Multiple regression analysis identified the best predictors of psychological distress for the low-income population., Findings and Conclusions: Among the 30 variables included in a multiple regression analysis, emotional support and the presence of persons perceived as stressful together accounted for most of the variance in distress predicted by the model. Although younger people, people experiencing food insecurity and people with poorer numeracy show a higher level of distress, these variables make a fairly marginal contribution compared with that of social relations.