Construct validity of the Sivik Psychosomaticism Test and test of operational style: correlations with four Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subscales.

To evaluate the construct validity (convergent and divergent) of the Sivik Psycho Somaticism test (SPS) and test of Operationality (OPER), Pearson correlation coefficients between SPS scales and subscales, OPER and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subscales Hypochondria (Hs), Depression (D), Hysteria (Hy) and Alexithymia (Al) were calculated. Eighty-eight healthy individuals and 285 psychosomatic patients completed the SPS and OPER tests and MMPI; Hs, D, Hy and Al. The results show that most of the SPS subscales and OPER are significantly correlated to several MMPI subscales in both a normal and a psychosomatic population.

Construct validity of the Sivik Psychosomaticism Test and test of operational style: correlations with Karolinska Scheme of Personality.

To evaluate the construct validity (convergent and divergent) of Sivik Psycho Somaticism test (SPS) and test of Operationality (OPER), Pearson correlation coefficients between SPS scales and subscales and Karolinska Scheme of Personality (KSP) were calculated. Seventy-eight healthy individuals and 196 psychosomatic patients completed the SPS and OPER tests and KSP. The results show that the SPS and OPER subscales are significantly correlated to most KSP subscales.

The role of blood pressure, cortisol, and prolactin among soldiers injured in the 1991-1993 war in Croatia.

Ninety soldiers with at least three months of combat exposure--60 injured soldiers (30 with permanent disabling and 30 with nondisabling injuries), 30 noninjured soldiers and 30 healthy controls--were interviewed and investigated with physiological (Prolactine, Cortisol, BP, Hb) and psychological tests (MMPI), IES-15 (Impact of Event Scale), PTSS (Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale). Their war related injuries had a different effect on the physiological stress response of the soldiers as reflected in the levels of prolactine, cortisol, hemoglobin and blood pressure. In a report of personality characteristics of the same soldiers, we demonstrated that the experience of posttraumatic stress was not dependent upon physical injury, but rather on the psychological appraisal of the situation.

The effect of different traumatic experiences on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.

This investigation was conducted during the war in Croatia from 1991 to 1993. General characteristics, traumas, and frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were compared in three groups of soldiers: (1) soldiers who sustained non-disabling injuries; (2) soldiers who sustained permanently disabling injuries; (3) active soldiers (controls). Significant differences were found in general characteristics and in PTSD in the groups observed.

[Ventricular extrasystole in comparison with manifestations of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation in acute myocardial infarct]].

We studied 76 patients with first recent myocardial infarction being not older than 12 hours. The patients included 58 men and 18 women. Their mean age was 62 years.

Gender, psychological well-being and somatic cardiovascular risk factors.

The purpose of this study is to determine associations between cardiovascular risk factors and subjective experience of psychological general well-being with special reference to gender related differences. One-hundred fifty white-collar workers in a car manufacturing plant in Sweden participated in a health care screening program. Subjective experience of psychological well-being was significantly correlated with cardiovascular risk factors among both men and women.

The significance of immunocompromised condition in the prophylaxis of hepatitis B in chronic renal insufficiency.

The paper presents the immunogenicity of hepatitis vaccine (obtained by genetic engineering) in immunocompromised patients with preterminal renal insufficiency defined by depression of creatinine clearance of 10 to 25 ml/min. The study consisted of 28 randomized patients with impaired renal function. Sixteen patients received a single dose and, twelve a double dose of vaccine.

[Biological standardization of the allergenic extract of Ambrosia elatior].

Allergenic activity of allergen extract Ambrosia elatior (AE) was tested in fifteen volunteers extremely sensitive to the allergen. The research was performed by using the quantitative prick (P) and the intradermal (ID) test. The results were analyzed by the parallel line assay method.

[Detection of IgG and IgM antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in human serum using an immunoenzyme method (ELISA) and the complement fixation reaction].

On the basis of borderline optical density values (OD) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) resulting from comparative testing of this method with complement fixation reactions (CF), determination was made of a set criteria for negative, weakly positive and positive results of IgG and IgM antibody detection of Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV 1), respectively type 2 (HSV 2). Of the 192 examined specimens by ELISA, 69.2% and 49.

Epidemiological model of hepatitis B with age structure.

Multistate epidemiological model with age structure is constructed on the grounds of natural history of the hepatitis B. Essential epidemiological classes constitute the basis of the model. Epidemiological parameters and the coefficients of transfer among the classes were determined from available information.

Impact of hepatitis B immunization strategies on infection rates in Italy: a deterministic computer simulation.

The impact of different immunization strategies on hepatitis B infection rates in Italy over a 20 year period is simulated by the means of a simple deterministic mathematical model. The anticipated effect of vaccination of health workers only, of newborns from HBsAg+ mothers, of all newborns, of the entire population are simulated. Immunization of newborns from HBsAg+ mothers is by far the strategy with the greater effectiveness per unit cost.

Antiviral and anti-invasive titers of human interferons.

The titers of preparations of human leukocyte and human fibroblast interferon were examined to determine their antiviral and anti-invasive activity. The examinations showed a very high correlation of these activities in human fibroblast interferon (r = 0.99), whereas the correlation for human leukocyte interferon was lower.

Topical application of human leukocyte interferon in stasis ulcers and deep burns.

Human leukocyte interferon (HLI) incorporated in ointment (4,000 units/g) applied topically for 4 weeks induced the process of "scavenging" granulation and epithelialization of stasis ulcers. This therapy had a better effect than that of the other combined local and general therapy also given in the study. A comparison of the effects of both therapies was made on nine pairs of stasis ulcers.