Risk and protective factors for sexual desire among women with children and their romantic partners

Romantic couples with children struggle to balance the needs of their romantic relationships with the responsibilities of parenting and mothers report difficulty viewing themselves as sexual beings after having children. Understanding the risk and protective factors for sexual and relational outcomes for couples with children or those that may have children in the future may provide insight into the dynamics of these couples and the ways in which parents can preserve relational health over time. The current study utilized Basson’s Model of Sexual Response (2000) as a conceptual theoretical framework and the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kenny et al., 2006) as an analytic framework for conducting couple-level research on sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual rewards and costs, and infidelity. The current study had the following four aims: 1) to develop and validate a reliable tool to measure individuals’ Attitudes Towards Mothers as Sexual Beings (ATMSB) in a sample of couples with and without children. 2) to assess differences in ATMSB and sexual/relational outcomes of ATMSB among couples with children and couples without children, 3) to examine the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in influencing sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children, and 4) to investigate the impact of positive communication, partner appraisals, and sexual rewards and costs on sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children. The current study collected data from 294 individuals in mixed sex (one man and one woman) couples through an online questionnaire. In the first study, the ATMSBscale items were developed and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted yielding the following three scale factors: 1) Quality of Motherhood and Sexuality, 2) Mothers’ Sexual Functioning, 3) Mothers’ Sexual Pleasure and Enjoyment with high construct validity. A series of multiple linear regressions and structural equation models (SEM) were conducted predicting sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and desire discrepancies. Results indicated that ATMSB total scores and individual subscale scores predicted sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, dyadic sexual desire and desire discrepancies with varying actor and partner effects among men and women with children and without children. These results indicated that when men and women endorse beliefs that mothers and sexuality are compatible, they have higher levels of sexual and relational health within the couple. Additionally, couples with children had more positive ATMSB overall and there were similarities and differences in the impact of ATMSB (and subscales) on sexual and relational outcomes between couples with children compared to those without children. In the second study, the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score on sexual desire, desire discrepancies, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual rewards and costs, and infidelity was measured among couples with children. A logistic regression and a series of multiple linear models were conducted with results indicating that for women, ACE score predicted the equality of sexual costs (EQcst). For men, higher ACE scores predicted a greater likelihood of engaging infidelity. Results from the SEM indicated that men’s ACE score predicted women’s sense of equality of sexual costs among partners (EQcst). These results indicate that ACE scores are associated with negative sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children. In the third study, the impact of positive communication, partner appraisal, and rewards and costs of the sexual relationship on sexual desire, desire discrepancies, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction was measured among couples with children. A series of multiple linear regressions and a SEM were conducted with results indicating that when individuals engage in more positive communication strategies, they have significantly higher levels of sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction as do their partners. More positive partner appraisals were associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction for men and women and their partners. As a whole, a number of risk and protective factors were identified for sexual and romantic relationships among couples with children. Implications for future research, clinical work and health promotion programing targeting parents are discussed

Ambient connections realising conformal Tractor holonomy

For a conformal manifold we introduce the notion of an ambient connection, an affine connection on an ambient manifold of the conformal manifold, possibly with torsion, and with conditions relating it to the conformal structure. The purpose of this construction is to realise the normal conformal tractor holonomy as affine holonomy of such a connection. We give an example of an ambient connection for which this is the case, and which is torsion free if we start the construction with a C-space, and in addition Ricci-flat if we start with an Einstein manifold. Thus for a $C$-space this example leads to an ambient metric in the weaker sense of \v{C}ap and Gover, and for an Einstein space to a Ricci-flat ambient metric in the sense of Fefferman and Graham.Comment: 17 page

PEEPS: A Relational Framework for Incorporating Resilience Into Community-Based Programming for Youth

Youth in communities across the world are exposed to adversity and trauma at high levels. In this article, we describe a research-informed, resilience-promoting framework that can be incorporated into a variety of touch points for youth (e.g., school, family, community, extra-curricular activities). The PEEPS Framework is relational in nature and includes the following five interconnected components: (a) positive adult relationships, (b) esteem, (c) empathy, (d) peer relationships, and (e) strengths-based approach. We outline the research that supports each component, describe how we are currently implementing the PEEPS framework in the form of a volunteer training, and offer research-based suggestions for implementation and tools that other professionals can utilize

Prevalence of thrombophilia and thrombotic events in patients with fabry disease in a Reference Center for Lysosomal Disorders in Southern Brazil

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one in a thousand adults per year. Because there is no laboratory test or clinical marker useful for predicting which patients with Fabry disease may develop thrombotic events, this study aimed to determine whether there is a hereditary predisposition to hypercoagulation in these patients. Methods: The prevalence of p.R506Q mutation in the factor V gene and of c.G20210A mutation in Factor II (prothrombin) gene was evaluated in 39 patients with Fabry disease from Southern Brazil and correlated with clinical findings. The DNA analysis was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA using TaqMan probes. Results: In this group of patients, the frequency of mutation in the prothrombin gene was 1.28%, whereas no patient showed mutation in the factor V gene; additionally, there was no correlation between these mutations and the incidence of thrombotic events. Conclusion: Hereditary thrombophilia due to mutations in factor V and prothrombin genes does not seem to be related to thrombotic events in Fabry patients in our cohort, although studies in larger cohorts and the inclusion of additional factors may be required to determine if a correlation exists

Covariant derivative of the curvature tensor of pseudo-K\"ahlerian manifolds

It is well known that the curvature tensor of a pseudo-Riemannian manifold can be decomposed with respect to the pseudo-orthogonal group into the sum of the Weyl conformal curvature tensor, the traceless part of the Ricci tensor and of the scalar curvature. A similar decomposition with respect to the pseudo-unitary group exists on a pseudo-K\"ahlerian manifold; instead of the Weyl tensor one obtains the Bochner tensor. In the present paper, the known decomposition with respect to the pseudo-orthogonal group of the covariant derivative of the curvature tensor of a pseudo-Riemannian manifold is refined. A decomposition with respect to the pseudo-unitary group of the covariant derivative of the curvature tensor for pseudo-K\"ahlerian manifolds is obtained. This defines natural classes of spaces generalizing locally symmetric spaces and Einstein spaces. It is shown that the values of the covariant derivative of the curvature tensor for a non-locally symmetric pseudo-Riemannian manifold with an irreducible connected holonomy group different from the pseudo-orthogonal and pseudo-unitary groups belong to an irreducible module of the holonomy group.Comment: the final version accepted to Annals of Global Analysis and Geometr

Growth response to 4-hydroxy-l-threonine of Escherichia coli mutants blocked in vitamin B6 biosynthesis

AbstractMutants of Escherichia coli (pdx B and pdx C) which are blocked in the biosynthesis of pyridoxol (vitamin B6) showed a growth response to 4-hydroxy-l-threonine. This observation constitutes the first direct evidence in support of the view that 4-hydroxy-l-threonine is implicated in the biosynthesis of vitamin B6. 1-Aminopropan-2,3-diol, the decarboxylation product of 4-hydroxy-l-threonine, does not support the growth of these mutants. Deuterium from deuterium-labelled 1-aminopropan-2,3-diol was not incorporated into pyridoxol

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Concomitant Mitral Regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation frequently coexists in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation at the time of transcatheter aortic valve replacement are at increased risk of future adverse events. Whether concomitant mitral regurgitation is independently associated with worse outcomes after TAVR remains a matter of debate. The optimal therapeutic strategy in these patients—TAVR with evidence-based heart failure therapy, combined TAVR and transcatheter mitral valve intervention, or staged transcatheter therapies—is ill-defined, and guideline-based recommendations in patients at increased risk for open heart surgery are lacking. Hence, a thorough evaluation of the aortic and mitral valve anatomy and function, along with an in-depth assessment of the patients' baseline risk profile, provides the basis for an individualized treatment approach. The aim of this review is therefore to give an overview of the current literature on mitral regurgitation in TAVR, focusing on different diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and optimal clinical decision making

Macroporous Composite Cryogels with Embedded Polystyrene Divinylbenzene Microparticles for the Adsorption of Toxic Metabolites from Blood

Composite monolithic adsorbents were prepared by the incorporation of neutral polystyrene divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) microparticles into macroporous polymer structures produced by cryogelation of agarose or poly(vinyl alcohol). The composite materials exhibited excellent flow-through properties. Scanning electron microscopy of the composite cryogels revealed that the microparticles were covered by thin films of poly(vinyl alcohol) or agarose and thus were withheld in the monolith structure. Plain PS-DVB microparticles showed efficient adsorption of albumin-bound toxins related to liver failure (bilirubin and cholic acid) and of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6). The rates of adsorption and the amount of adsorbed factors were lower for the embedded microparticles as compared to the parent PS-DVB microparticles, indicating the importance of the accessibility of the adsorbent pores. Still, the macroporous composite materials showed efficient adsorption of albuminbound toxins related to liver failure as well as efficient binding of cytokines, combined with good blood compatibility. Thus, the incorporation of microparticles into macroporous polymer structures may provide an option for the development of adsorption modules for extracorporeal blood purification