Introduction: Depressive symptoms are major public health issues with significantly increasing rates during adolescence. Specific factors and mechanisms associated with depressive symptoms still need to be identified. The present study aimed to examine direct relationships between paternal attachment and negative life events (NLE) to depressive symptoms. Indirect effect of automatic thoughts on the relationships was also examined. Methods: A sample of 1030 adolescents aged between 13 and 19 years (mean=15.36) was recruited using probability proportional to size cluster sampling from selected states in Peninsular Malaysia to complete self-report measures on the study variables. Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that paternal attachment in terms of secure, approachability and anxious fearful were directly associated to depressive symptoms. Broadly, increases in secure and approachability attachments followed by decreases in depressive symptoms. Adolescents who experienced anxious fearful attachment seemed to be more vulnerable to depressive symptoms. Moreover, results from mediation analyses revealed that automatic thoughts mediated the effect of two attachment variables (i.e., anxious fearful and responsiveness) and NLE to depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These findings shed light on the concurrent effects of attachment and life events on depressive symptoms, providing evidence on how to reduce depressive symptoms among adolescents. The current study also expands knowledge on the role of automatic thoughts as potentially relevant mediator. Intervention and prevention programs aimed at preventing adolescents from the deleterious effects of depressive symptoms should involve both parents and adolescents in order to promote optimal attachment relationships and minimize depressive cognitions in adolescents
depressive symptoms

Introduction: Negative automatic thoughts refer to subconscious thinking patterns in response to irrational and self-defeating stimuli. Individuals who are depressed tend to have biased negative automatic thoughts. Therefore, there is a need to refine our understanding of what contributes to the development of adolescent depressive symptoms. The current study examined the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts in the link between maternal attachment and depressive symptoms among late adolescents in Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study focused on 936 (males=423, females=513) students aged 17 to 19 years old, who were selected through multistage cluster sampling technique. Respondents answered self-report questionnaires which assessed maternal attachment, depressive symptoms, and negative automatic thoughts. Structural equation modelling was utilised to analyse the relationships among the research variables. Results: The findings indicated that 39.3% had negative automatic thoughts; whereas, 5.6% experienced severe depressive symptoms. Correlational analysis showed that maternal attachment had a negative association with depressive symptoms and negative automatic thoughts. In contrast, depressive symptoms were positively related to negative automatic thoughts. Structural analysis revealed that negative automatic thoughts partially mediated the association of maternal attachment with depressive symptoms among late adolescents. Findings specifically demonstrated that those with insecure maternal attachment tend to have negative automatic thoughts, which subsequently lead to depressive symptoms. Conclusion: In conclusion, findings highlight the importance of secure attachment to the mother and positive automatic thoughts in combating depressive symptoms; thus ensuring a healthy psychological development for adolescents.
Depressive symptoms

Introduction: Cement industry contributes to the major constituent of airborne dust in the atmosphere. This study aims to determine the level of respirable cement dust exposure associated with workers’ respiratory health. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 84 administration workers as the comparative group and 84 manufacturing workers as the exposed group. Method: A set of validated questionnaires was used to obtain some pertained background information as well as respiratory symptoms among the respondents. Personal Air Sampling Pump was used for assessing personal exposure towards cement dust in 8 hours. For lung function performance, a Spirometry test was carried out and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) test was conducted to assess airway inflammation. Results: The median for personal exposure level to respirable dust of manufacturing workers was 2.68 (5.90) mg/ m3 with range 0.351 to 10.60 mg/m3. The lung function abnormality among the manufacturing workers was FVC% (PR=3.82, 95% CI=1.52-9.58) and FEV1% (PR=5.16, 95% CI=1.65-16.10). Cough was reported to occur the most likely among the manufacturing workers (PR=2.40, 95% CI=1.12-5.15). After adjusting the smoking status, the prevalence of phlegm and cough were 35.7% and 29.8% respectively. 16.7% of manufacturing workers recorded a high level of FENO. The increasing exposure to respirable dust significantly reduces the FVC% of manufacturing workers (r=-0.36, p=0.05). Conclusion: The personal exposure to respirable cement dust increases the risk of lung impairment by highly developing respiratory health symptoms, reducing lung function level and increasing the higher level of airway inflammation among highly exposed workers.
Respiratory symptoms ; Lung function ;

A clinical study with 49 participants was started and completed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic with the use of decentralized clinical trial (DCT) methodologies. All participants and the study team remained safe and were able to conduct the study efficiently. Patients were able to provide consent electronically, received experimental supplements and were given the option to provide feedback through the system’s telemedicine feature.

Background: Several studies reported a high prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in some Asian countries and in Asian immigrants living in Western countries. However, there is no data regarding the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in Viet Nam.\r\n', u'Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the Mekong Delta and to investigate the risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency. \r\n', u'Methods: Blood samples were collected from patients visiting Can Tho General Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Serum vitamin B12 concentration was measured at the University Medical center St Radboud Nijmegen, Netherlands. \r\n', u'Results: Between September and December 2003, 216 patients (80 male, 136 female, mean age 43.2 years) were studied. Ten patients had gastric cancer, 28 peptic ulcer disease/ and 178 gastritis only or no visible pathology. Only 2 patients (0.9%) had clinical vitamin B12 deficiency (<160 pmol/l, whereas 15 patients (7.0%) had sub-clinical vitamin 812 deficiency (160-250 pmol/l). H. pylori positive patients (n=111) were more likely to have para-clinical vitamin B12 deficiency than H. pylori negative patients (odds ratio 3.7~ 95%CI 1.10-12.76). \r\n', u'Conclusions: Vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon in the Mekong Delta. Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency. \r\n', u'
Vitamin B12 deficiency ; gastroenterologic symptoms

OBJECTIVE: Addiction is often considered a dissociative behavior that is related to alexithymia and developmental trauma. The study aims were to explore the relationships between early trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation. METHODS: A total of 117 (males=60; females=57) alcohol-addicted individuals and 117 healthy individuals (males=60; females=57) were administered a series of self-report questionnaires that assess traumatic experiences, alexithymia, and pathological dissociation. RESULTS: Correlation analyses indicated significant correlations between alexithymia, dissociation, and trauma and a significant difference between the target and control groups, with higher alexithymia and dissociation scores in the target group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation are predictors of alcohol addiction.
Affective Symptoms* ; Alcoholism* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenic patients have been shown to be impaired in both emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions. Alexithymia refers to the deficits in emotional self-awareness. The relationship between alexithymia and recognition of others' facial emotions needs to be explored to better understand the characteristics of emotional deficits in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Thirty control subjects and 31 schizophrenic patients completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20-Korean version (TAS-20K) and facial emotion recognition task. The stimuli in facial emotion recognition task consist of 6 emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and neutral). Recognition accuracy was calculated within each emotion category. Correlations between TAS-20K and recognition accuracy were analyzed. RESULTS: The schizophrenic patients showed higher TAS-20K scores and lower recognition accuracy compared with the control subjects. The schizophrenic patients did not demonstrate any significant correlations between TAS-20K and recognition accuracy, unlike the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that, although schizophrenia may impair both emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions, the degrees of deficit can be different between emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions. This indicates that the emotional deficits in schizophrenia may assume more complex features.
Affective Symptoms ; Anger ; Humans ; Schizophrenia

The study was performed on 80 chronic renal failure(CRF) subjects. Initial results: Clinical respiratory manifestation: The main respiratory symptom in CRF: chest pain 60,49%, cough 46,25%. There is not significant difference in respiratory symptoms between CRF with intermittent dialysis (P>0.05). Physical symptoms: Crepitating 48,75%, rough vesicular breathing 37,5%. Vesicular breathing and crackle in CRF with intermittent dialysis were significantly higher (P<0,01). Lung radiographic features: There are 8 lesions on lung X-ray, main lesions: lung calcification 80%, large-lung hilar syndrome 71%, lung manifestation in hyperuremia 32,5%, pleural effusion 26,25%. Lung calcification and large lung hilar-syndrom in CRF with ID were higher (P<0,01). There is a relationship between the lesions on chest X-ray and hyperuremia level.
Kidney Failure ; Lung ; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

The study was carried out in normal adults, normal old people and patients aimed to assess the role of thrombocytes in coagulation abnormalities in some diseases using the test of thrombocyte aggregation is reduced significantly in patients with mild burn and severe burn compared with the patients with mild burn. Thrombocyte aggregation is raised significantly in old people with hypertension compared with normal old people. Also, 12.5% patients with hypertension without complications have a raised thrombocyte aggregation.
Platelet Aggregation ; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

A total of 107 patients were divided 2 groups: 50 patients 40-49 years of age (group I) 57 patients 60 years of age or older (group II). The results indicated that advanced age should not be a contraindication to curative pulmonary resections. The overall 2 years survival rate was 46.7% in group I and 53.3% in group II. In groups II: stage IIIa was 72.7%. Squamous cell carcinoma (40.4%) and adeno-carcinoma (36.8%) in group II were higher than in group I but larger-cell carcinoma (18%) in group I was higher than in group II. These pathological types were related to prognosis.
Lung Neoplasms ; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms