Consequences of impaired female sexual functioning: Individual differences and associations with sexual distress

A number of risk factors for sexual distress have been identified, including impairments in sexual function. However, for women, sexual function is only weakly associated with distress levels in many cases. One reason for this disconnect may be that impaired sexual function can have a variety of consequences for the individual's sexual experience and that some consequences may be more or less distressing to different people. Research suggests that some consequences of impaired sexual function may be more distressing to older women and/or for women in longer or less satisfying relationships. To examine the association between consequences of impaired female sexual function and distress, 75 women reporting one or more recurrent difficulties with sexual function in the past month were assessed. Frequency of sexual consequences including decreased physical pleasure, decreased sexual frequency, and negative partner emotional responses, were associated with sexual distress after controlling for the effects of sexual function. Additionally, a number of sexual consequences were rated as more distressing by older women and women in unsatisfying relationships. The idiosyncratic ways in which impairments in sexual function play out in the context of sexual activity may be an important target of future research and clinical interventions for sexual dysfunction.     

Characterization of 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci in Lamellibrachia sp. 2, a tubeworm found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps

Lamellibrachia sp. 2 is a deep-sea vestimentiferan tubeworm found at hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center and at hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Barbados. Nine selectively neutral and unlinked polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for this species. Eight of these loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.14 to 0.92. Microsatellites developed for Lamellibrachia sp. 2 are being deployed to study connectivity and gene flow among populations of this species.     

Does exercise training change physical activity in people with COPD? A systematic review and meta-analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of exercise training on daily physical activity (PA) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from their inception to week 27 of 2010, using the keywords 'COPD,' 'exercise,' 'therapy' and 'physical activity.' All studies except case reports were eligible for inclusion provided they investigated the effects of ≥4 weeks of supervised exercise training on PA in patients with COPD. Study quality for the randomised trials (RTs) and single-group interventional studies was rated using the PEDro scale and Downs and Black Tool, respectively. No randomised controlled trials met our study criteria. The two RTs had a mean PEDro score of 5. The 5 single-group studies had a mean Downs and Black score of 19 ± 3. When combined, a small effect on PA outcomes was demonstrated (overall mean effect = 0.12; p = 0.01). Taken together, the RTs and single-group studies demonstrate that exercise training may confer a significant but small increase in PA.     

Impact of staged InterStim® implantation on the postoperative activities of daily living and pain

Objectives

To evaluate the short-term effects of staged InterStim® implantation on activities of daily living (ADL) and pain.

Methods

This prospective study assessed women undergoing staged InterStim® implantation. The Older Americans Resources and Services Program Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire asked participants about their ability to complete activities without help or what help they needed following stage I lead placement and stage II neurostimulator implantation. Narcotic use and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were recorded daily.

Results

Thirty-eight women underwent stage I with 33 (86.8 %) progressing to stage II. On stage I postoperative day (POD) 2, more women required help shopping compared with baseline (40 vs 17 %, p?<?0.004). The median pain score increased on Stage I POD1 (P?<?0.001) and the use of narcotics increased on POD1 and 2 compared with baseline (50 % vs 14 %, p?=?0.001). The same trends were seen following stage II.

Conclusions

Staged InterStim® implantation has minimal impact on ADL, pain or narcotic requirements.     

Food insecurity and its associations with bulimic-spectrum eating disorders,mood disorders,and anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults

Purpose

To examine cross-sectional associations between food insecurity and 12-month eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders among U.S. adults.

Methods

This study used data collected between 2001 and 2003 from 2914 participants in the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (mean age = 44.9 years; 53.4% female). Twelve-month food insecurity was assessed with a modified version of the Short Form U.S. Household Food Security Scale. Twelve-month DSM-IV diagnoses of mental disorders were based on the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Modified Poisson regression models were conducted, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and income-to-poverty ratio.

Results

Food insecurity was experienced by 11.1% of participants. Food insecurity was associated with greater prevalence of bulimic-spectrum eating disorders (prevalence ratio [PR] = 3.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.26–6.42), mood disorders (PR = 2.53; 95% CI 1.96–3.29), and anxiety disorders (PR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.39–2.07).

Conclusion

Results indicate that food insecurity is associated with a range of internalizing mental disorders, though these findings should be confirmed with contemporary data to reflect DSM-5 diagnostic updates and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from this study emphasize the need to expand food insecurity interventions and improve access to mental health services for food-insecure populations.