A school-based health and mindfulness curriculum improves children's objectively measured sleep: a prospective observational cohort study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Poor sleep impedes children's cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial development. Pediatric sleep dysregulation is common, and children who live in communities of low socioeconomic status experience additional risk factors for short sleep duration and poor sleep quality. School-based training in mindfulness and yoga-informed practices can improve children's behavior and well-being, but effects on objectively measured sleep are unknown. METHODS: Effects of a school-based health and mindfulness curriculum, which taught practices such as paced breathing, on sleep and stress were examined in 115 children (49 girls, ages 8 to 11 at baseline). Fifty-eight children in a community of low socioeconomic status received the curriculum twice weekly for 2 years. Fifty-seven children in a socioeconomic status-matched community engaged in their usual physical education class instead. In-home ambulatory polysomnography and perceived social stress were measured in all children at 3 time points: at baseline (ie, prior to curriculum exposure) and at 2 yearly follow-ups. RESULTS: Children receiving the curriculum gained an average of 74 minutes of total sleep time, and 24 minutes of rapid eye movement sleep, per night over the 2-year study period. Children not receiving the curriculum experienced a decrease in total sleep time averaging 64 minutes per night, with no changes in rapid eye movement sleep. Sleep improved within the first 3 months of curriculum exposure, in a dose-dependent fashion. Higher curriculum engagement (eg, using the breathing exercises outside of class) was associated with larger gains in total and rapid eye movement sleep duration. Aggregate within-group changes in social stress were not significant. However, among children receiving the curriculum, those who experienced larger gains in total and rapid eye movement sleep duration also experienced larger increases in perceived social stress. CONCLUSIONS: A school-based health and mindfulness curriculum improved children's objectively measured sleep over 2 years. Social stress did not mediate these effects; instead, mindfulness training may have increased awareness of environmental stressors, while developing tools to reduce stress vulnerability. CITATION: Chick CF, Singh A, Anker LA, et al. A school-based health and mindfulness curriculum improves children's objectively measured sleep: a prospective observational cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(9):2261-2271.

Handcrafted Vacuum-Assisted Device for Skin Ulcers Treatment Versus Traditional Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic lower limb ulcers constitute a public health problem, with important socioeconomic implications and high attention cost. This trial evaluates handcrafted vacuum-assisted therapy versus traditional treatment effectiveness for lower limbs ulcers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective randomized clinical trial conducted over 144 patients with lower limbs ulcers. Patients were randomized into two groups of 72 patients: Experimental group were treated with debridement, cure and a handcrafted vacuum-assisted device that was changed every 72 h. Control group was treated with debridement and cure with soap every 24 h. Ulcers were evaluated every 72 h and on 10th day. The presence of systemic inflammatory response, pain, granulation tissue and viability for discharge was registered and analyzed . RESULTS: After exclusion of 18 patients, 126 were included, 65.1% were men with an average of 58 years. Sole region ulcer by diabetic foot was the more frequent in both groups (73%). Leukocytes count, systemic inflammatory response and pain were significantly lower in experimental group (p < 0.05). Discharge criteria and granulation tissue were present earlier in experimental group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Handcrafted vacuum-assisted system is a feasible and safe method to treat chronic ulcers. This system would benefit patients favoring earlier infection control, faster granulation tissue appearance and earlier discharge. Clinical trials registered in https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ Number NCT02512159.

Can floral display size compensate for Allee effects caused by low population abundance and density in Synthyris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species?

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Conservation seeks to address the issues of small population size, and the reproductive limitations confronting these populations. Sparse, small plant populations often suffer Allee effects such as pollinator limitation. However, some studies show that plants in sparse populations experience reduced resource competition. As a result, these plants may produce larger floral displays, which are also predicted to attract pollinators. The negative impacts from reduced floral quantity may thus be offset by improved floral quality. METHODS: In a 2-yr field study, population abundance and density were quantified for 24 populations of Synthyris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare prairie endemic. In each population, data were collected on inflorescence size, fruit/seed set, and seed germination. KEY RESULTS: Inflorescence size had a positive relationship with population inflorescence abundance and density. Fruit set and germination responded positively to floral quality (i.e., flower density). In comparison, seed set showed a positive relationship with only floral quantity (i.e., population abundance). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our predictions, inflorescence size and population size were not inversely related. While attractive floral displays in sparse populations potentially compensate in terms of fruit set, population abundance nevertheless plays an important role in seed set. Because floral quality and quantity differ in their ability to explain reproductive outcomes, studies should examine reproduction at several stages, otherwise the impacts of population size may be overlooked. Allee effects manifesting at a critical stage of reproduction, such as seed production, may act as a bottleneck impeding successful recruitment.