Adjuvant Rosa Damascena has a Small Effect on SSRI-induced Sexual Dysfunction in Female Patients Suffering from MDD.

BACKGROUND: Treating major depressive disorders (MDD) with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may impact negatively on sexual function. On the other hand, a satisfying sexual life is associated with overall life satisfaction. Therefore, managing this negative side effect of SSRIs may have an important role in the treatment of MDD. In a former study, adjuvant Rosa damascena oil improved sexual dysfunction in male patients suffering from both MDD and SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction (SSRI-I SD). The aim of the present study was to test whether the same pattern of results would be observed among female patients suffering from both SSRI-I SD and MDD. METHOD: In a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial, a total of 50 female patients (mean age: 34 years) treated with an SSRI and suffering from MDD and SSRI-I SD were randomly assigned either to the verum (Rosa damascena oil) or to the placebo condition. Patients completed self-ratings of depression and sexual function at baseline, 4 weeks later, and at the end of the study 8 weeks after its start. RESULTS: Sexual desire, sexual orgasms, and sexual satisfaction increased over time. Patients in the verum group reported decreased pain. Overall sexual score increased in the verum as compared to the placebo condition. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas in male patients suffering from both MDD and SSRI-I SD adjuvant Rosa damascena oil improved sexual function, data on female patients are less robust and suggest only modest effects on female sexual function.

Mesoscale dynamic coupling of finite- and discrete-element methods for fluid-particle interactions.

A new method for two-way fluid-particle coupling on an unstructured mesoscopically coarse mesh is presented. In this approach, we combine a (higher order) finite-element method (FEM) on the moving mesh for the fluid with a soft sphere discrete-element method for the particles. The novel feature of the proposed scheme is that the FEM mesh is a dynamic Delaunay triangulation based on the positions of the moving particles. Thus, the mesh can be multi-purpose: it provides (i) a framework for the discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations, (ii) a simple tool for detecting contacts between moving particles, (iii) a basis for coarse-graining or upscaling, and (iv) coupling with other physical fields (temperature, electromagnetic, etc.). This approach is suitable for a wide range of dilute and dense particulate flows, because the mesh resolution adapts with particle density in a given region. Two-way momentum exchange is implemented using semi-empirical drag laws akin to other popular approaches; for example, the discrete particle method, where a finite-volume solver on a coarser, fixed grid is used. We validate the methodology with several basic test cases, including single- and double-particle settling with analytical and empirical expectations, and flow through ordered and random porous media, when compared against finely resolved FEM simulations of flow through fixed arrays of particles.