Lack Of Relaxation Research Articles

The Well-Being of Executive-Level Working Women in Sri Lanka

Society, in general, recognizes men as breadwinners and women as housewives. The traditional role of women has changed because of education and work, providing women with more responsibilities. Within these dual roles, women undergo more pressure that negatively affects their well-being which hinders positive and meaningful outcomes of their physical, mental, and social development. Currently, the ‘well-being of women’ has become a debatable theme in the world community. Literature draws more attention to poor, rural, and less educated women. As women's roles have extended throughout every sector of society, it is important to identify the well-being of women who represent educated employees. This study used mixed research methods with a convenience sampling method adopted among 100 working women at the executive level. Data was collected via a survey, in-depth interviews, and discussions, and was analyzed critically. The study found that most informants who earn a considerable salary have been deprived of their well-being. Because of their very busy lives, they face role conflicts in fulfilling their responsibilities. Higher workload, lack of relaxation and recreation opportunities, negligence of personal health and other basic needs, as well as sexual harassment and social attitudes, etc., negatively affect their social, physical, and mental well-being. All in all, most women have been unable to utilize their education to achieve successful, healthy, and happy lives by improving their well-being. Taking more productive actions for the improvement of women's well-being in all aspects would be highly beneficial to women, families, and the entire society.

A Novel Variant in TPM3 Causing Muscle Weakness and Concomitant Hypercontractile Phenotype.

A novel variant of unknown significance c.8A > G (p.Glu3Gly) in TPM3 was detected in two unrelated families. TPM3 encodes the transcript variant Tpm3.12 (NM_152263.4), the tropomyosin isoform specifically expressed in slow skeletal muscle fibers. The patients presented with slowly progressive muscle weakness associated with Achilles tendon contractures of early childhood onset. Histopathology revealed features consistent with a nemaline rod myopathy. Biochemical in vitro assays performed with reconstituted thin filaments revealed defects in the assembly of the thin filament and regulation of actin-myosin interactions. The substitution p.Glu3Gly increased polymerization of Tpm3.12, but did not significantly change its affinity to actin alone. Affinity of Tpm3.12 to actin in the presence of troponin ± Ca2+ was decreased by the mutation, which was due to reduced interactions with troponin. Altered molecular interactions affected Ca2+-dependent regulation of the thin filament interactions with myosin, resulting in increased Ca2+ sensitivity and decreased relaxation of the actin-activated myosin ATPase activity. The hypercontractile molecular phenotype probably explains the distal joint contractions observed in the patients, but additional research is needed to explain the relatively mild severity of the contractures. The slowly progressive muscle weakness is most likely caused by the lack of relaxation and prolonged contractions which cause muscle wasting. This work provides evidence for the pathogenicity of the TPM3 c.8A > G variant, which allows for its classification as (likely) pathogenic.

From a restless pillow to a ruffled mind: testing a moderated mediation model of off-the-job antecedents of abusive supervision

PurposeAlthough work-related antecedents of abusive supervision are well-known, knowledge on the cross-domain antecedents of this destructive leadership behavior is scarce. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate off-the-job supervisors’ after-work experiences that may influence their work behavior. The authors explore how and when a supervisor’s poor recovery experiences lead to abusive supervisory behaviors through a negative start-of-workday mood for high vs low supervisor sleep quality.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a single-source, three-phase field study (N= 422) to test the proposed moderated mediation model for participants from a large telecommunications company located in Anhui province, People’s Republic of China.FindingsPoor recovery experiences in the supervisor’s personal life can spill over to their work domain and provoke abusive supervisory behavior through the mediating effect of a negative start-of-workday mood. Moreover, a supervisor’s good night’s sleep (i.e. first-stage moderator) serves as a key mitigating factor to diminish the negative start-of-workday mood resulting from a lack of relaxation, mastery experiences and control experiences (except for the lack of psychological detachment from work) and lessens abusive supervision.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature examining off-the-job events to understand the antecedents of abusive supervision that are beyond organizations’ control but significantly influence workplace behaviors, showing that not all antecedents of abusive supervision exist in the workplace; some are transferred from the home domain through nonvisible moods. Finally, the inclusion of sleep quality as a first-stage moderator provides insights on preventing abusive supervision caused by nonwork-related events. This adds a unique dimension to the abusive supervision literature by highlighting factors in the home domain that can prevent negative spillovers to the work domain. The authors conclude with some theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners.

“It’s Easier to Play Alone”: A Survey Study of Gaming With Disabilities

Within gamers, disabled people remain an understudied minority. While research indicates that they actively play single-player games, we lack an understanding of their experience with multiplayer games. This study aims to answer the following research questions: (a) What kind of games do disabled people play? and (b) Why do disabled people not play multiplayer games? The questions are answered using survey data focusing on playing digital games as a person with disabilities. In total, 92 answers were analyzed. The findings suggest that disabled people play both single-player and multiplayer games and they play games for the same commonly reported reasons as players without disabilities do, although demographics seem to be a key differentiating factor among them in their playing habits, rather than disability differences. However, disabled people reported that they play single-player games more often. We identified four themes from our data that explain why multiplayer games are played less, which are: playing company and insecurity about one’s own skills, lack of relaxation while playing, lack of game accessibility, and lack of interest. Our results indicate that much more work is needed to ensure, especially the social, as well as the technical accessibility of multiplayer games.

Bullying, supervisor support, relaxation, and personal and work outcomes: Testing a moderated mediation model.

To test a mediated moderation model in which bullying and supervisor support interact to predict nurses' personal and work outcomes with relaxation during off-job time mediating these effects. Bullying is a pervasive problem in the nursing profession. We integrate and extend past research addressing the question of how bullying and perceived supervisor support affect nurses' functioning. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 290 nurses who completed measures of bullying, perceived supervisor support, relaxation, need for recovery, sleeping problems, job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion and work performance. Results revealed that bullying was significantly linked to job satisfaction, sleeping problems, need for recovery and emotional exhaustion through relaxation, but only among nurses who perceived high levels of supervisor support. These results revealed that high supervisor support may be detrimental for nurses adding up to a negative cycle of stressors to maladaptive outcomes through lack of relaxation. Health care organisations and managers should consider addressing work environment factors, such as bullying, in addition to supervisor support in their efforts to facilitate the positive effects of nurses' relaxation during non-work time.

Multicenter Evaluation with Eckardt Score of Laparoscopic Management with Heller Myotomy and Dor Fundoplication for Esophageal Achalasia in a Pediatric Population in Colombia.

Background: Esophageal achalasia is a rare, chronic, and progressive neurodegenerative motility disorder that is characterized by a lack of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) is the ideal in our population. Multiple surgical and medical treatments have been raised. However, there has been a need to expand studies and generate a clear algorithm for an ideal therapeutic algorithm. Methods: Clinical record was retrospectively analyzed of patients who underwent LHM and Dor fundoplication evaluated with Eckardt score, at four Colombian medical centers between February 2008 and December 2018. Results: There were a total of 21 patients (12 males and 9 females, ages 8 months to 16 years). The time from onset of symptoms to surgery was between 5 months and 14 years. One patient had esophageal mucosa perforation, 2 patients were converted to open surgery, and 1 patient had a postoperative fistula. All patients were discharged 3 to 9 days postoperatively, at which time they tolerated normal oral feeding. During follow-up, all the patients had an improvement in nutritional status and a greater functional recovery; 4 had reflux and 1 had reflux-like symptoms. Conclusion: LHM with Dor-type fundoplication maintains the effectiveness of open surgery with low postoperative morbidity and mortality and good functional results according to Eckardt score evaluation.

Perceived sources of stress amongst Indian dental students in Bareilly city

Introduction: In addition to the stresses pertaining to dentistry as a profession, dental students have to face the additional stress of their studies. Through stress can also contribute to decreased student performance. The aim of this study was to assess perceived sources of stress among undergraduate dentists at a Dental College in Bareilly, India.
 Materials and methods: A modified dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire which consisted of 38 questions was used to assess the levels of stress.
 Results: The first major stressor for all the students was examination and grades followed by full working day, fear of unemployment after graduation, receiving criticism from supervisors about academic or clinical work, amount of cheating in dental faculty, rules and regulations of the faculty. Fear of unemployment after graduation and lack of relaxation were among the six highest stressors in each year, at least four. The perception of stress between genders with a male predilection was significantly different. Eighteen of the 38 questionnaire items had significant differences across the year groups including clinical DES items.
 Conclusion: The primary sources of stress perceived by dental students were exams and grades followed by full working day and receiving criticism about academic or clinical work from superiors. Since high levels of perceived stress can reduce student performance, dental schools should consider courses in stress management.

Dilation of the Esophagogastric Junction with a New Balloon Device

Achalasia is characterized by lack of relaxation of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) and lack of peristalsis in the body of the esophagus. EGJ

The Engagement of the Pelvic Floor Muscles to the Urethra, Does Variation in Point of Action Exist?

Purpose: Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) occurs frequently in girls and may display a spinning top urethra (STU) on voiding cysto-urethrogram (VCUG) in case of dysfunctional voiding. A STU presents as a narrowing of the urethra caused by a lack of relaxation of the pelvic floor musculature during micturition and may vary in length between the proximal and the distal urethra. Although a STU has been recognized since 1960 as a pathological entity on VCUG, no reports exist on the different levels of engagement of the pelvic floor muscles to the urethra as expressed by the varying length of the phenomenon. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the wide anatomical variation in the level of engagement of the pelvic floor musculature to the urethra.Materials and Methods: Dynamic ultrasound videos of pelvic floor musculature of 40 girls with LUTD were reassessed by three observers, looking for the level of engagement of the puborectalis muscle (PRM) to the urethra during coughing, Valsalva and hold-up maneuver. Three levels were defined, for the level of engagement of the pelvic floor to the urethra, proximal, mid, and distal. Intra- and inter-rater variability was analyzed using Cohen's kappa statistics.Results: A wide range of points of action was found on the assessed ultrasound videos. Intra- and inter-rater agreement showed different levels of conformity, varying over a wide spectrum (intra-rater kappa 0.145–0.546; inter-rater kappa −0.1030.724). Throughout the assessed videos, all not-corresponding intra-rater observations differed maximal one category. Of the not-corresponding inter-rater observations, 90% differed maximal one category.Conclusion: An anatomical variation in levels of engagement of the PRM to the urethra does exist. The clinical value of this finding, whether the point of engagement influences symptomatology or treatment success of LUTD, is currently being studied.

Mental health of management staff in the closed environment of construction

Introductionit is difficult to overestimate the role of social, cultural and environmental conditions in evaluation of psychological health in hard intellectual work.ObjectivesResearch of construction staff in far taiga conditions using PHQ и GAD-7.Aimsto investigate the correlation between major depressive disorder, anxiety and somatoform disorders and gender and marital status.Methodswe studied 119 people who live in concentrated social environment and in conditions of hard work and lack of relaxation. In order to study depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders we used PHQ и GAD-7 rating scale.Resultswe noted that distribution of depression according to gender has statistically significant differences. In the men group the number of depressive individuals is 5 (11.1%; P < 0.01). In the women group the number is 28 (37.8%; P < 0.01). Also it was stated, that marital status does not influence the distribution of depressive symptomatology level (P > 0.05). Distribution of anxiety symptoms significantly differs by gender. In the group of men anxiety observed in 1 patients (2.2%; P < 0.05), whilst in the group of women – in 13 patients (17.6%; P < 0.05). Gender proved to be irrelevant in the occurrence of somatoform disorders (P > 0.05); it is also not dependent on marital status (P > 0.05).ConclusionStaff employed into hard working social environment experience a range of negative psychological effects such as depressed mood, fatigue, and insomnia. Lack of leisure and lack of time for walking cause dissatisfaction with life, which contributes to the development of depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Russian

The article presents the frustration and motivational characteristics of athletes with different degrees of success in the most favourable age 17-20 years for achieving the high results with regard to the qualification and gender differentiation. It was found that the motives may overlap with each other, forming itself a dynamic complexes. The more the range of motives operating in a given period of sports activity the more meaningful the motivation becomes. There are possible periods (hypochondriacal symptoms, overvoltage, emotional burnout, fatigue, objective reduction results because of injuries, lack of relaxation, etc.) in sports activity, when the frustration is greater than the effectiveness of motivational factors. But the most optimal state of psychological preparedness is observed among athletes when their motivational components negate the adverse effects of the action.

The Effects of Human Wild-Type and Fals Mutant L144P SOD1 on Non-Vascular Smooth Muscle Contractions / EFEKTI HUMANE NORMALNE I FALS MUTIRANE L144P SOD1 NA NEVASKULARNE KONTRAKCIJE GLATKIH MIŠIĆA

Summary Background: Mutated copper, zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD1) may self-aggregate, an event that could also be an initial cause of motor neuron malfunction leading to disease onset. The effects of human mutated SOD1 pro- tein from the blood of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) patients bearing Leu144Phe (L144F) mutation were compared to wild-type (WT) human SOD1 derived from healthy examinees, for enzymatic activity and the effects on isometric contractions of non-vascular smooth muscle. Methods: We isolated WT and L144F SOD1 enzymes from eight patients with FALS, L144F mutation in exon 5 and eight healthy controls. We then investigated SOD1 activities in the obtained samples by the adrenaline method and pro- filed them electrophoretically. Finally, we applied WT and L144F SOD1 on the isolated rat uterus. Results: L144F SOD1 showed lower superoxide-dismutating activity compared to WT human SOD1. We found that, in contrast to WT human SOD1, mutated L144F does not induce smooth muscle relaxation. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the lack of relaxation of muscle tonus in the presence of mutated SOD1 may have pathogenic feedback effects in FALS.

“Just Relax”: Physicians' Experiences with Women Who Are Difficult or Impossible to Examine Gynecologically

The internal pelvic exam is a critical component of women's reproductive health care; however, it can be perceived as uncomfortable, embarrassing, and painful, which may lead some women to avoid this procedure. The purpose of this study was to survey physicians with respect to their experiences with female patients who are difficult or impossible to examine gynecologically. Six hundred and fifty-eight obstetrician-gynecologist and family physicians were sent a 15-item questionnaire by mail and 424 participants responded (64% response rate). The survey consisted of questions pertaining to demographic variables, professional training and practice information, the frequency with which they encounter female patients who are difficult or impossible to examine, and the strategies employed with and beliefs surrounding such patients. The main outcome measures were the frequency of patients who are difficult or impossible to examine, strategies used to manage such patients, and beliefs as to why these patients are difficult or impossible to examine. The results, based on a final sample size of 401, indicated that most respondents have had some experience with patients who are difficult or impossible to examine. In such cases, most physicians (87%) reported attempting to address their patients' lack of relaxation. The majority of physicians in this study believed that a previous negative experience with (87%), and heightened anxiety about (79%), the exam were to blame. Twelve percent of respondents specifically reported that a previous history of sexual abuse was an important factor. This study reinforces the importance of being aware of patient discomfort during pelvic exams and of developing strategies that fit the individual patient and her needs. Future research should examine women's perceptions of their reproductive care, particularly correlates of pain and anxiety during pelvic exams, prevalence of negative experiences, and doctor-patient interactions in this context.

Deformation and Fracture of Rubber under Tensile Impact Loading

Abstract An impact experiment is designed to obtain the deformation and fracture characteristics of SBR specimens under tensile impact loading. The experimental apparatus is capable of achieving very large strains (about 300%) and high strain rates (between 10 and 1000 s−1) in the specimen. Dynamic stress-strain curves reveal that SBR goes through several phases of deformation and fracture as the strain rate increases in the specimen. In the first phase, the initial modulus, yield stress, tensile strength, and fracture strain increase, while the final modulus remains fairly constant with increasing strain rate. Increases in the initial modulus, tensile strength, and strain at fracture with increasing strain rate are due to a lack of stress relaxation in constituents that have longer relaxation times than the load duration. Local scale relaxation times are shorter than the load duration in this phase so that the final modulus is almost insensitive to strain rate. In the second phase, the initial modulus and the yield stress remain roughly constant while the final modulus increases with increasing strain rate. The tensile strength also increases, but the fracture strain decreases as the strain rate increases. Increases in the final modulus and tensile strength are due to a lack of relaxation on a local scale. The tensile fracture strain decreases because convolutions do not have sufficient time to slip completely. In the third phase, all stress-strain curves follow a master curve, but both the tensile strength and fracture strain decrease with increasing strain rate. The decrease in tensile strength as the strain rate increases could be due to stress concentration at the tip of microcracks within the SBR.

Effects of Radiation Therapy on Vascular Responsiveness

The use of radiation therapy to inhibit vascular proliferative diseases has produced encouraging results in several clinical trials. However, little is known about the possible side effects of radiation on vascular responsiveness. Our goal was to study the in vitro vascular responses of the rabbit aorta to various agonists immediately after several regimens of radiation therapy administered at doses prescribed in clinical protocols and at two different dose rates. High-dose-rate radiation was administered either by brachytherapy, using a gamma source, iridium 192, or an external electron beam producing beta radiation. Low-dose-rate radiation was administered by brachytherapy using a liquid-filled balloon with the beta emitter 32P. Vascular reactivity after the various regimens of irradiation was determined using the organ bath pharmacology assay. Various agonists were applied to the rabbit aorta to produce full cumulative concentration-response curves. Radiation, administered using an external electron beam, did not alter endothelium-dependent relaxation of the aorta induced by acetylcholine. However, the use of a catheter-based system to deliver radiation disrupted the endothelial cell lining of the vessel, causing a lack of relaxation by acetylcholine. Therefore, to compare all modalities of radiation therapy on vascular responsiveness, the agonists used in this study are known to act directly on the smooth muscle. Radiation therapy had no effect on the contractile responses induced by the following agonists: phenylephrine and potassium chloride. Vascular dilatation induced by nitroglycerin, a nitric oxide donor, was unaffected by radiation therapy. The contractile response induced by des-Arg9-bradykinin, a kinin B1 receptor agonist, was significantly increased twofold to threefold by all types of irradiation under study. This enhanced response is attributable to an increase of mRNA levels coding for this receptor. In all cases, radiation therapy did not alter the effective concentration producing 50% of maximal responsiveness (EC50) and did not reduce the vascular responsiveness induced by agonists. Taken together, we conclude that radiation therapy does not hinder endothelium-independent vascular responsiveness and increases the kinin B1 receptor-mediated vasoconstriction.

Stress responses in low-status jobs and their relationship to health risks: musculoskeletal disorders.

Conditions typical of many low-status jobs are known to induce elevated stress. In keeping with this, blue-collar workers show elevated psychophysiological stress levels both during and after work compared with workers in more stimulating and flexible jobs. Health-related behaviors, such as cigarette smoking and drug abuse, that are known to contribute to the social gradient in health, can be seen as ways of coping with a stressful work situation in order to get short-term relief. Negative emotional states associated with low-status jobs, combined with a lack of economic resources, are also likely to reduce the individual's motivation to seek proper medical treatment and, thus, increase the risk that transient symptoms develop into chronic illness. With regard to musculoskeletal disorders, it is well documented that physically monotonous or repetitive work is associated with an increase in neck, shoulder, and low back pain problems. However, recent studies also report an association between psychosocial factors and muscle pain syndromes. Possible mechanisms explaining these findings involve the assumption that psychological stress may induce sustained activation of small, low-threshold motor units that may lead to degenerative processes, damage, and pain. Analysis of short periods of very low muscular electrical activity (EMG gaps) shows that female workers with a high frequency of EMG gaps seem to have less risk of developing myalgia problems than do workers with fewer gaps. Stress induced by psychosocial conditions at work, which is usually more lasting than that resulting from physical demands, may prevent the individual from shutting off their physiological activation and reduces the time for rest and recovery. In the modern work environment, with strong emphasis on a high work pace, competitiveness, and efficiency, it is possible that lack of relaxation is an even more important health problem than is the absolute level of contraction or the frequency of muscular activation.

The suppression of misfit dislocation introduction in heavily carbon doped GaAs

The relaxation of heavily carbon doped GaAs, grown on (001) GaAs substrates was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Misfit dislocation introduction occurred only significantly above Matthews and Blakeslee’s critical thickness, with the onset of relaxation being delayed as the C concentration was increased. The resultant strain relaxation was highly anisotropic with the introduction of As-cored misfit dislocations being totally suppressed at the highest C levels, resulting in cracking of the epilayer. Locking of As-cored partial dislocations and a reduction in misfit dislocation velocity is proposed as the cause of the anisotropy and lack of relaxation.

Effects of Papaverine and Prostaglandin E(1), on Corpus cavernosum Smooth Muscle of Arteriogenically and Diabetically Impotent Men

Relaxant effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and papaverine (PAP) were measured in strips of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle taken from a healthy control group of men (A; n = 5), from arteriogenically impotent men (B; n = 6) and from additionally diabetic impotent men (C; n = 5) with venous leakage. Maximal relaxant effect was achieved with PAP at a mean of 10(-4) mol/l and PGE1 at a mean of 5.8 x 10(-6) mol/l. PAP induced complete relaxation in all strips. There was no difference in relaxant effects between groups. Relaxant effect was less pronounced and depended significantly on etiology: phenylephrine-induced tension was reduced by 76 +/- 8% (A), 54 +/- 14% (B) and 23 +/- 18% (C), respectively. In conclusion, our data suggest degradation of PGE1 receptors depending on the cause of erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, relaxant capacity of cavernous smooth muscle per se seems not to be impaired in impotence. Therefore, pathophysiology of venous leakage cannot sufficiently be explained by a lack of relaxation.

Computer system for the acquisition and analysis of vascular contractility application to a bioassay of endothelial cell function

A system for the digital acquisition and subsequent analysis of the tension developed by isolated blood vessels in response to an endothelial cell superfusate is reported. Tension of the isolated rat aortic rings was measured by strain gauge. Strain-gauge output was then amplified, and the analog signal was digitized on a 16-channel A/D board. Lab tech Notebook software was used to display and store the data. The sampling rate was 0.1 Hz, and the data was written concurrently to hard disk and printer. Both disk and printer output were accompanied by a time stamp for subsequent ease of retrieval. The endothelial cell bioassay system allowed measurement of changes in vascular tension after the release of endothelium-dependent relaxing factor, nitric oxide (EDRF-NO) from cultured cells. Cells were cultured on microcarrier beads, formed into columns, and perfused with physiological salt solution. Significant ( p < 0.05) relaxant responses occured after agonist stimulation with bradykinin (10 −8 M; E max −31.0% ± 8.2%), acetylcholine (10 −8 M; E max −33.2% ± 5.0%), and calcium ionophore A 23187 (10 −6 M; E max −55.7% ± 15.4%). These responses were dependent on EDRF-NO, as shown by both the lack of relaxation in the absence of endothelial cells, and that relaxation to A 23187 was overcome by hemoglobin (3 × 10 −6 M). Results were manipulated graphically to allow the superimposition of data and thereby provide a mean and standard error of the mean for the entire time course of each response. Thus, a system was produced where fidelity of data expression was not dependent on measurements made at single points, but on the sampling frequency of the acquisition system.

Manometry and Electromyography of the Pharyngeal Muscles in Patients With Dysphagia

Simultaneous recording of the electromyographic activity of the pharyngeal muscles and the intraluminal pressure in the upper sphincter zone was performed routinely in patients with swallowing problems for the first time, to our knowledge. This technique was found to be very useful for the localization of the "site of lesion." The procedure is safe, easy to master, and causes minimal inconvenience. It can reveal, in the most direct way, whether the disturbance is in the hypopharyngeal musculature (represented by the inferior constrictor muscle), in the cricopharyngeal muscle (spasm or lack of relaxation), or in the synchronization between them. Simultaneous recording of intraluminal pressure adds valuable information about the mechanical events associated with electromyographic activity. It was found that in pathologic cases there is quite often no correlation between the electrical and mechanical events. Thus, simultaneous recording of both electrical and mechanical events is essential for the understanding of the pathophysiology of disturbances of deglutition.