48 research outputs found

    Psychological Recovery from Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: The Use of Complementary Therapies

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    This study explored the use of complementary therapies that patients pursued after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and its relation to psychological recovery, particularly postoperative distress. Information about post-CABG surgery depression and general distress, health-care practice thereafter, perceived social support, and chronic conditions other than cardiac disease was gathered from a sample of 151 patients through two questionnaires. Additional cardiac, surgical, and demographic data were obtained from medical records. Structural equation modeling (LISREL 8) was used to test the hypothesis that patients' health-care practices improved psychological adjustment after CABG. Of the sample, 85% practiced complementary approaches, especially prayer, exercise, and lifestyle-diet modification. The number of other chronic illnesses strongly predicted post-CABG depression and general distress. CABG patients who pursued complementary approaches, particularly exercise and prayer, had better psychological recovery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63178/1/acm.1997.3.343.pd

    Gender differences in distress and depression following cardiac surgery

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    This study examined the effects of physical health and other psychosocial variables on psychological distress and depression following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), with a focus on gender differences. Information regarding psychological distress one year following surgery was obtained from a sample of 151 patients (112 males, 39 females), who also provided retrospective information about noncardiac chronic conditions, preoperative socioeconomic variables, postoperative social support, and immediately post-CABG depression. Medical and surgical data and postoperative cardiac conditions were retrieved from computerized medical records. Structural equation modeling with LISREL showed that distress one year following surgery was predicted by the number of noncardiac chronic illnesses, controlling for immediately post-CABG depression. Gender had only an indirect effect on distress; women reported more chronic medical conditions than did men. Analysis also revealed an interaction between gender and income: higher income men and lower income women were most likely to report depression immediately following surgery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91264/1/Ai et al -1997-Gender differences in distress and depression following cardiac surgery JGCH.pd

    Disruption of tuftelin 1, a desmosome associated protein, causes skin fragility, woolly hair and palmoplantar keratoderma

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    Desmosomes are dynamic complex protein structures involved in cellular adhesion. Disruption of these structures by loss of function variants in desmosomal genes lead to a variety of skin and heart related phenotypes. Here, we report tuftelin 1 as a desmosome-associated protein, implicated in epidermal integrity. In two siblings with mild skin fragility, woolly hair and mild palmoplantar keratoderma, but without a cardiac phenotype, we identified a homozygous splice site variant in the TUFT1 gene, leading to aberrant mRNA splicing and loss of tuftelin 1 protein. Patients' skin and keratinocytes showed acantholysis, perinuclear retraction of intermediate filaments, and reduced mechanical stress resistance. Immunolabeling and transfection studies showed that tuftelin 1 is positioned within the desmosome and its location dependent on the presence of the desmoplakin carboxy-terminal tail. A Tuft1 knock-out mouse model mimicked the patients' phenotypes. Altogether, this study reveals tuftelin 1 as a desmosome-associated protein, whose absence causes skin fragility, woolly hair and palmoplantar keratoderma

    Disruption of tuftelin 1, a desmosome associated protein, causes skin fragility, woolly hair and palmoplantar keratoderma

    Get PDF
    Desmosomes are dynamic complex protein structures involved in cellular adhesion. Disruption of these structures by loss of function variants in desmosomal genes lead to a variety of skin and heart related phenotypes. Here, we report tuftelin 1 as a desmosome-associated protein, implicated in epidermal integrity. In two siblings with mild skin fragility, woolly hair and mild palmoplantar keratoderma, but without a cardiac phenotype, we identified a homozygous splice site variant in the TUFT1 gene, leading to aberrant mRNA splicing and loss of tuftelin 1 protein. Patients' skin and keratinocytes showed acantholysis, perinuclear retraction of intermediate filaments, and reduced mechanical stress resistance. Immunolabeling and transfection studies showed that tuftelin 1 is positioned within the desmosome and its location dependent on the presence of the desmoplakin carboxy-terminal tail. A Tuft1 knock-out mouse model mimicked the patients' phenotypes. Altogether, this study reveals tuftelin 1 as a desmosome-associated protein, whose absence causes skin fragility, woolly hair and palmoplantar keratoderma.</p

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    Mobile telephone simulator study

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    The study consists of four separate experiments conducted in the VTI driving simulator. The common theme was to investigate how driver behaviour and traffic safety are influenced when the driver attends to another technical device while driving. The experiments were concerned with handsfree or handheld mobile phone conversation and dialling, receiving mobile phone SMS messages and watching a DVD film (the latter two being minor pilot experiments). In three of the experiments (mobile phone conversation, SMS, DVD) the participants drove a route which led through urban and rural environments, ranging from 90 km/h rural to 50 km/h urban environments. The urban environments differed in complexity (three levels). The driving distance was about 70 km. The dialling experiment used a rural environment with a speed limit of 110 km/h. The driving distance was about 15 km. In the main experiment dealing with mobile phone conversation, a number of driving performance measures were analysed: driving speed, variation in lateral position, deceleration, brake reaction time, headway, time to collision, etc. PDT (Peripheral Detection Task) was used as a measure of mental workload. Mobile phone conversation was found demanding in terms of mental workload. It also had effects on driving. Most effects were quite similar for the two phone modes (handsfree, handheld). Impaired reaction time performance was demonstrated in one of the situations for handheld mode. However, effects were found which could be interpreted as attempts to compensate for the increased workload caused by the mobile phone conversation: speed was reduced (more so for handheld than for handsfree mode), and time and distance headway increased. In spite of these compensatory behaviours, mental workload was still markedly increased by phone use. In the SMS experiment the participants braked later in one situation when reading the SMS message. No other effects were found in this minor experiment. In the DVD experiment, mental workload increased when watching the film, although this was compensated for to some extent by the increased distance headway to a lead vehicle. No compensation in terms of reduced driving speed, however, was apparent in this experiment. In the dialling experiment negative effects on traffic safety were evident from the larger variance of lateral car position during the dialling task for the handsfree phone mode. The mental workload also increased with the dialling task. Compensation in terms of reduced driving speed was apparent for both phone modes. Other aspects of mobile phone use while driving still remain to be analysed in more detail, such as starting or finishing a call, looking for a phone number to dial, mishaps like dropping the phone, etc
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