Tuberculosis Suspect in the Companies in Semarang District Indonesia; Case-Control Study

In Semarang district, the population at the companies were 83120 workers. The number of smear positive cases in 2011 were 258 and 3898 suspected tuberculosis. Case-control study was conducted to analyze the risk of TB suspect infection among workers in the factory. We recruited 194 suspects and 197 controls who visited the factory clinic. The most common symptom was coughing with sputum (63 %) and then followed by malaise, chest pain, sweating at night, weight loss, dyspnea, anorexia, cough more than 2 weeks, sub febris and hemoptoe. Around 47 % both of the suspects and controls don't know received Bacillus Calmette-guérin (BCG) or not. The multivariate analysis showed the dominant factors that influence the occurrence of TB suspect, “education”, “income”, “ashamed of having TB”, “TB treatment is very costly”, and “share dish”.distribution of health education booklet to teachers and parents

Association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and ego structure of the Nanai people

Abstract Background A man-made chemical disaster occurred in the Amur River, leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Nanai people indigenous to the river’s surrounding area. PTSD severity measured by the total scores of Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) (Total-I) and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) (Total-C) were not always identical in terms of demographic and ethnocultural characters. It is possible that the results derived using the Total-I and Total-C may differ for persons with different backgrounds and/or individual characteristics. In this study, the associations between PTSD severity and personal characteristics were evaluated. Methods The study was a field-type survey including 187 randomly selected participants (75 males and 112 females). In addition to Total-I/Total-C, scores for each IES-R/CAPS item, Intrusion, Avoidance, and Hyperarousal, and Ego Structure Test by Ammon (ISTA) score were examined to evaluate their personal characteristics. Results No specific trends in ISTA score were obvious among four groups defined according to Total-I/Total-C. The results of principal component analysis showed that all IES-R/CAPS items contributed positively to the 1st axis but to the 2nd axis in a different manner. ISTA items did not always show correlations to each other, but principal component analysis suggested that Construct contributed positively and Destruct and Deficient (with the exception of Destruct sexuality) contributed negatively. High IES-R scores were associated with Construct Aggression and Deficient Inner demarcation, but high CAPS score was less likely to exhibit Construct Narcissism. Conclusion To avoid the misdiagnosis of PTSD, usage of both IES-R/CAPS may be required. Simultaneous application of personality/ego tests may be helpful, but appropriate numbers of their questions would be important

Effects of oral stimulation with capsaicin on salivary secretion and neural activities in the autonomic system and the brain

Background/purpose: Although it has been reported that capsaicin ingestion has effects of protecting stomach mucosa and promoting energy consumption, physiological responses to oral stimulation with capsaicin has not been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the effect of oral capsaicin stimulation on oral health and mental conditions by measuring changes in salivation, autonomic nervous activity and electroencephalogram (EEG). Materials and methods: Eighteen healthy adults participated in this study. The stimulus concentrations of capsaicin and five basic taste solutions were determined based on the measured threshold of each stimulus in each subject. The weight of secreted saliva and the changes in concentrations of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) induced by capsaicin and taste stimuli were measured. Salivary α-amylase activity and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured as indicators of autonomic nervous activity. From EEG, psychological condition was analyzed by measuring the powers of theta, alpha, and beta bands. Results: The salivary secretion rate was significantly increased by stimulation with capsaicin, NaCl, and citric acid compared with deionized water, and capsaicin demonstrated the most potent effect among tested stimuli. The secreted amount of SIgA per minute was elevated by capsaicin stimulation. Salivary α-amylase activity and HRV analysis demonstrated an elevation of sympathetic nervous activity induced by capsaicin. EEG analysis showed a significant increase in beta band power. Conclusion: These results suggest that oral stimulation with capsaicin may be effective in improving oral conditions by increasing salivary flow and SIgA secretion, and in enhancing physical and mental conditions as indicated by sympathetic nerve and EEG changes