Impact of male partner responses on sexual function in women with vulvodynia and their partners: a dyadic daily experience study.

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Why us? Perceived injustice is associated with more sexual and psychological distress in couples coping with genito-pelvic pain.

Introduction Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is the most frequent cause of genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) and is associated with negative psychological and sexual consequences for affected women and their partners. PVD is often misdiagnosed or ignored and many couples may experience a sense of injustice, due to the loss of their ability to have a normal sexual life. Perceiving injustice has been documented to have important consequences in individuals with chronic pain. However, no quantitative research has investigated the experience of injustice in this population. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between perceived injustice and pain, sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and depression among women with PVD and their partners. Methods Women diagnosed with PVD (N = 50) and their partners completed questionnaires of perceived injustice, pain, sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and depression. Main Outcome Measures (1) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale; (2) Female Sexual Distress Scale; (3) Beck Depression Inventory-II; and (4) McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire. Results After controlling for partners' age, women's higher level of perceived injustice was associated with their own greater sexual distress, and the same pattern was found for partners. Women's higher level of perceived injustice was associated with their own greater depression, and the same pattern was found for partners. Women's higher perceived injustice was not associated with their own lower sexual satisfaction but partners' higher perceived injustice was associated with their own lower sexual satisfaction. Perceived injustice was not associated with women's pain intensity. Conclusion Results suggest that perceiving injustice may have negative consequences for the couple's sexual and psychological outcomes. However, the effects of perceived injustice appear to be intra-individual. Targeting perceived injustice could enhance the efficacy of psychological interventions for women with PVD and their partners.

Are primary and secondary provoked vestibulodynia two different entities? A comparison of pain, psychosocial and sexual characteristics.

Introduction Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is suspected to be the most frequent cause of vulvodynia in premenopausal women. Based on the onset of PVD relative to the start of sexual experience, PVD can be divided into primary (PVD1) and secondary PVD (PVD2). Studies comparing these PVD subgroups are inconclusive as to whether differences exist in sexual and psychosocial functioning. Aim The aim of this study was to compare the pain, sexual and psychosocial functioning of a large clinical and community-based sample of premenopausal women with PVD1 and PVD2. Methods A total of 269 women (n = 94 PVD1; n = 175 PVD2) completed measures on sociodemographics, pain, sexual, and psychosocial functioning. Main Outcome Measures Dependent variables were the 0–10 pain numerical rating scale, McGill–Melzack Pain Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index, Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Painful Intercourse Self-Efficacy Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait Subscale, Ambivalence over Emotional Expression Questionnaire, Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale—Revised, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale-Revised. Results At first sexual relationship, women with PVD2 were significantly younger than women with PVD1 (P < 0.01). The average relationship duration was significantly longer in women with PVD2 compared with women with PVD1 (P < 0.01). Although women with PVD1 described a significantly longer duration of pain compared with women with PVD2 (P < 0.01), no significant subtype differences were found in pain intensity during intercourse. When controlling for the sociodemographics mentioned earlier, no significant differences were found in sexual, psychological, and relational functioning between the PVD subgroups. Nevertheless, on average, both groups were in the clinical range of sexual dysfunction and reported impaired psychological functioning. Conclusions The findings show that there are no significant differences in the sexual and psychosocial profiles of women with PVD1 and PVD2. Results suggest that similar psychosocial and sex therapy interventions should be offered to both subgroups of PVD.

Provoked vestibulodynia : mediators of the associations between partner responses, pain, and sexual satisfaction.

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic, recurrent vulvo-vaginal pain condition affecting 12% of the general population, and is associated with sexual dysfunction, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. There is growing interest in the role of interpersonal variables in PVD, which have been widely neglected. In a sample of 175 couples, the present study examined the mediating roles of partner and participant catastrophizing and self-efficacy in the association between solicitous partner responses and pain intensity, and that of dyadic adjustment in the association between solicitous and negative partner responses and sexual satisfaction. Couples completed measures of partner responses, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, dyadic adjustment, and depression. Women also completed measures of pain, sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Controlling for depression and solicitousness perceived by the other member of the couple, catastrophizing and self-efficacy partially mediated the association between higher solicitous responses and higher pain during intercourse, accounting for 26 and 25% of the variance in this association for participant and partner-perceived responses, respectively. For both participant and partners, only pain catastrophizing was a unique mediator. Controlling for depression, sexual function and partner-perceived responses, dyadic adjustment partially mediated the association between higher participant-perceived solicitous responses and higher sexual satisfaction, and between higher participant-perceived negative responses and lower sexual satisfaction, accounting for 26% of the variance in each association. The current findings suggest that catastrophizing and dyadic adjustment may constitute a route by which partner responses exacerbate pain and increase or decrease sexual satisfaction in PVD couples.

Harmful or helpful : perceived solicitous and facilitative partner responses are differentially associated with pain and sexual satisfaction in women with provoked vestibulodynia.

Introduction.  Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that negatively affects women's emotional, sexual, and relationship well-being. Recent studies have investigated the role of interpersonal variables, including partner responses. Aim.  We examined whether solicitous and facilitative partner responses were differentially associated with vulvovaginal pain and sexual satisfaction in women with PVD by examining each predictor while controlling for the other. Methods.  One hundred twenty-one women (M age = 30.60, SD = 10.53) with PVD or self-reported symptoms of PVD completed the solicitous subscale of the spouse response scale of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and the facilitative subscale of the Spouse Response Inventory. Participants also completed measures of pain, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, trait anxiety, and avoidance of pain and sexual behaviors (referred to as “avoidance”). Main Outcome Measures.  Dependent measures were the (i) Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire with reference to pain during vaginal intercourse and (ii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. Results.  Controlling for trait anxiety and avoidance, higher solicitous partner responses were associated with higher vulvovaginal pain intensity (β = 0.20, P = 0.03), and higher facilitative partner responses were associated with lower pain intensity (β = −0.20, P = 0.04). Controlling for sexual function, trait anxiety, and avoidance, higher facilitative partner responses were associated with higher sexual satisfaction (β = 0.15, P = 0.05). Conclusions.  Findings suggest that facilitative partner responses may aid in alleviating vulvovaginal pain and improving sexual satisfaction, whereas solicitous partner responses may contribute to greater pain.

Woman and partner-perceived partner responses predict pain and sexual satisfaction in vestibulodynia couples

Introduction.  Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that results in significant sexual dysfunction, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. Although some intra-individual psychological factors have been associated with PVD, studies to date have neglected the interpersonal context of this condition. Aim.  We examined whether partner responses to women's pain experience—from the perspective of both the woman and her partner—are associated with pain intensity, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction. Methods.  One hundred ninety-one couples (M age for women = 33.28, standard deviation [SD] = 12.07, M age for men = 35.79, SD = 12.44) in which the woman suffered from PVD completed the spouse response scale of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, assessing perceptions of partners' responses to the pain. Women with PVD also completed measures of pain, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, depression, and dyadic adjustment. Main Outcome Measures.  Dependent measures were women's responses to: (i) a horizontal analog scale assessing the intensity of their pain during intercourse; (ii) the Female Sexual Function Index; and (iii) the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. Results.  Controlling for depression, higher solicitous partner responses were associated with higher levels of women's vulvovaginal pain intensity. This association was significant for partner-perceived responses (β = 0.29, P < 0.001) and for woman-perceived partner responses (β = 0.16, P = 0.04). After controlling for sexual function and dyadic adjustment, woman-perceived greater solicitous partner responses (β = 0.16, P = 0.02) predicted greater sexual satisfaction. Partner-perceived responses did not predict women's sexual satisfaction. Partner responses were not associated with women's sexual function. Conclusions.  Findings support the integration of dyadic processes in the conceptualization and treatment of PVD by suggesting that partner responses to pain affect pain intensity and sexual satisfaction in affected women.

Effect of Different Forms of Poly o-Toluidine /Poly Vinyl Chloride Composites on Dielectric Propertiesin the Microwave Field

In this paper we report the preparation and dielectric properties of poly o-toluidine:poly vinyl chloride composites in pellet and film forms. The composites were prepared using ammonium persulfate initiator and HCl dopant. The characterization is done by TGA and DSC. The dielectric properties including dielectric loss, conductivity, dielectric constant, dielectric heating coefficient, absorption coefficient, and penetration depth were studied in the microwave field. An HP8510 vector network analyzer with rectangular cavity resonator was used for the study. Sbands (2-4 GHz), C band (5-8 GHz), and X band (8-12 GHz) frequencies were used in the microwave field. Comparisons between the pellet and film forms of composites were also included. The result shows that the dielectric properties in the microwave field are dependent on the frequency and on the method of preparation.

Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Cafotaxime Sodium In Dosage Forms

Two simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods(A and B) in the visible region have been developed for the determination of cefotaxime sodium (DFTS) in bulk and in dosage forms. Method A is based on the reaction of CFTS with nitrous acid under alkaline conditions to form a stable violet colored chromogen with absorption maximum of 560 nm and method B is based on the reaction of CFTS with1,10-phenanthroline and ferric chloride to form a red colored chromogen with the absorption maximum of 520 mm.The color obeyed Beer’s law in the concentration range of 100-500 µg/ml for method A and 1.6-16 µg/ml for method B, respectively.When pharmaceutical preparations containing CFTS were analysed, the results obtained by the proposed methods are in good agreement with the labeled amounts and are comparable with the results obtained using a UV spectrophotometric method.

Marine yeasts — a review

Yeasts are ubiquitous in their distribution and populations mainly depend on the type and concentration of organic materials. The distribution of species, as well as their numbers and metabolic characteristics were found to be governed by existing environmental conditions. Marine yeasts were first discovered from the Atlantic Ocean and following this discovery, yeasts were isolated from different sources, viz. seawater, marine deposits, seaweeds, fish, marine mammals and sea birds. Nearshore environments are usually inhabited by tens to thousands of cells per litre of water, whereas low organic surface to deep-sea oceanic regions contain 10 or fewer cells/litre. Aerobic forms are found more in clean waters and fermentative forms in polluted waters. Yeasts are more abundant in silty muds than in sandy sediments. The isolation frequency of yeasts fell as the depth of the sampling site is increased. Major genera isolated in this study were Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces and Rhodotorula. For biomass estimation ergosterol method was used. Classification and identification of yeasts were performed using different criteria, i.e. morphology, sexual reproduction and physiological/biochemical characteristics. Fatty acid profiling or molecular sequencing of the IGS and ITS regions and 28S gene rDNA ensured accurate identification.

Investigations on the structural, optical and Magnetic properties of nanostructured cerium oxide in pure and doped forms and its polymer nanocomposiets

This thesis Entitled INVESTIGATIONS ON THE STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF NANOSTRUCTURED CERIUM OXIDE IN PURE AND DOPED FORMS AND ITS POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES.Synthesis and processing of nanomatelials and nanostmctures are the essential aspects of nanotechnology. Studies on new physical properties and applications of nanomaterials and nanostructures are possible only when nanostructured materials are made available with desired size, morphology,crystal structure and chemical composition.Recently, several methods have been developed to prepare pure and doped CeO2 powder, including wet chemical synthesis, thermal hydrolysis, flux method, hydrothermal synthesis, gas condensation method, microwave technique etc. In all these, some special reaction conditions, such as high temperature, high pressure, capping agents, expensive or toxic solvents etc. have been involved.Another hi gh-li ght of the present work is room temperature ferromagnetism in cerium oxdie thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique.The observation of self trapped exciton mediated PL in ceria nanocrystals is another important outcome of the present study. STE mediated mechanism has been proposed for CeO2 nanocrystals based on the dependence of PL intensity on the annealing temperature. It would be interesting to extent these investigations to the doped forms of cerium oxide and cerium oxide thin films to get deeper Insight into STE mechanism.Due to time constraints detailed investigations could not be canied out on the preparation and properties of free standing films of polymer/ceria nanocomposites. It has been observed that good quality free standing films of PVDF/ceria, PS/C61‘l8, PMMA/ceria can be obtained using solution casting technique. These polymer nanocomposite films show high dielectric constant around 20 and offer prospects of applications as gate electrodes in metal-oxide semiconductor devices.

Development of energy saving forms of natural rubber

Although the physical and technological properties of modified rubbers were compared with those of conventional rubbers in the earlier studies reviewed above, the extent of energy saving possible by their use has not been quantified. In the present work it is proposed to determine the energy saving possible by using the following forms of natural rubber: 1. Oil extended natural rubber, 2. peptised natural rubber, 3. latex stage compounds. The process of production and quality control of the above types of processed rubbers are proposed to be standardised. It is also planned to work out a methodology for utilising field coagula for production of constant viscosity rubbers. The variation in processing properties of rubber from popular Indian clones will be examined and those with energy advantages in the processing stage will be identified. In conclusion a recommendation for adoption of a commercially advantageous processing procedure among Indian rubber plantation industry is also given.

Molecular breakdown of different forms of natural rubber and its influence on properties of their mixes and vulcanizates

The forms of natural rubber studied were sheet [RSS 4 and RSS 5], ISNR 20 and EBC. In the case of the latter two forms samples from estate and nonestate sectors were included. The samples were collected from different locations at specified intervals, for a particular period. The effect of the extent of mastication on raw rubber properties as well as the properties of the compounds and vulcanizates also studied. The consistency in raw rubber properties and breakdown behavior of skim rubber were studied by collecting samples periodically from selected processing units. The effect of incorporation of skim with ISNR 20 has also been investigated

Forms of Nitrogen (NO 3 - -N; NO 2 - -N and NH 2 CONH 2 -N) and their relations to A.O.U. in the Indian coastal waters of Arabian Sea

The distribution of three important dissolved forms of nitrogen, viz. nitrate, nitrite and urea in the surface and bottom water samples collected from 27 selected hydrographic profiles, in the Arabian Sea, along the west coast of India is described. Of the three forms, nitrate concentrations were the highest and comparatively higher concentrations were observed in the bottom water. Decomposition of organic matter resulting in the release of the thermodynamically stable nitrogen species, i.e. nitrate, may be the major factor resulting in higher nitrate concentrations at these depths, where the water is also characterized by low values of dissolved oxygen and temperature. The significant positive correlation between A.O.U. and nitrate of the bottom water samples emphasizes the role of oxidative decomposition of organic matter which plays an active role in reducing the oxygen concentrations below the theoretical values since at this depth ( 200 m) the net production is taken to be zero. This is also evidenced by the negative correlation of nitrate with dissolved oxygen and temperature, for the bottom samples

Towards Realization of Magnetocaloric and Magnetoelectric Applications based on Bulk and Thin film forms of Sodium substituted Lanthanum Manganites

The present thesis work focuses on hole doped lanthanum manganites and their thin film forms. Hole doped lanthanum manganites with higher substitutions of sodium are seldom reported in literature. Such high sodium substituted lanthanum manganites are synthesized and a detailed investigation on their structural and magnetic properties is carried out. Magnetic nature of these materials near room temperature is investigated explicitly. Magneto caloric application potential of these materials are also investigated. After a thorough investigation of the bulk samples, thin films of the bulk counterparts are also investigated. A magnetoelectric composite with ferroelectric and ferromagnetic components is developed using pulsed laser deposition and the variation in the magnetic and electric properties are investigated. It is established that such a composite could be realized as a potential field effect device. The central theme of this thesis is also on manganites and is with the twin objectives of a material study leading to the demonstration of a device. This is taken up for investigation. Sincere efforts are made to synthesize phase pure compounds. Their structural evaluation, compositional verification and evaluation of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties are also taken up. Thus the focus of this investigation is related to the investigation of a magnetoelectric and magnetocaloric application potentials of doped lanthanum manganites with sodium substitution. Bulk samples of sodium substituted lanthanum manganites. Bulk samples of sodium substituted lanthanum manganites with Na substitution ranging from 50 percent to 90 percent were synthesized using a modified citrate gel method and were found to be orthorhombic in structure belonging to a pbnm spacegroup. The variation in lattice parameters and unit cell volume with sodium concentration were also dealt with. Magnetic measurements revealed that magnetization decreased with increase in sodium concentrations.