Preliminary evidence of psychological improvements and increased maternal-fetal attachment associated with a mindfulness sleep programme: secondary analysis of uncontrolled data in 11 pregnant women with insomnia disorder.

Treating insomnia during pregnancy improves sleep and depressed mood. However, given well-established links between poor sleep and a broad spectrum of adverse maternal outcomes, the benefits of insomnia care may reach beyond sleep and depression. The present study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of 'Perinatal Understanding of Mindful Awareness for Sleep' (PUMAS)-a mindfulness sleep programme tailored to pregnancy that combines behavioural sleep strategies and meditation-for enhancing everyday mindfulness and maternal-fetal attachment, as well as for alleviating anxiety, repetitive thinking, and sleep-related daytime impairment. We conducted a secondary analysis of a single-arm proof-of-concept trial of 11 pregnant women with fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnosed insomnia disorder who completed PUMAS (six sessions), which was delivered in an individual format via telemedicine video. Pre- and post-treatment outcomes included the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R), Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item survey (GAD-7), Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), Daytime Insomnia Symptoms Response Scale (DISRS), and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep-Related Impairment Scale (PROMIS-SRI). Symptom changes were evaluated with paired-samples t tests. Results showed PUMAS patients reported large increases in CAMS-R (Cohen's dz = 1.81) and medium-large increases in MFAS scores (Cohen's dz = 0.73). Moreover, PUMAS patients reported large reductions in scores on the GAD-7 (Cohen's dz = 1.09), PTQ (Cohen's dz = 1.26), DISRS (Cohen's dz = 1.38), and PROMIS-SRI (Cohen's dz = 1.53). Preliminary evidence suggests that a mindfulness-based perinatal sleep programme may benefit several domains of maternal wellbeing beyond sleep and depression. PUMAS substantially enhanced patient ratings of everyday mindfulness and maternal-fetal attachment, while reporting alleviations in anxiety, perseverative thinking, insomnia-focused rumination, and sleep-related daytime impairment.

Perinatal Understanding of Mindful Awareness for Sleep (PUMAS): A single-arm proof-of-concept clinical trial of a mindfulness-based intervention for DSM-5 insomnia disorder during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective for prenatal insomnia, but unresolved cognitive arousal limits patient outcomes. Therapies aimed at reducing cognitive arousal may benefit pregnant women with insomnia. This proof-of-concept trial evaluated Perinatal Understanding of Mindful Awareness for Sleep (PUMAS, which combines mindfulness with behavioral sleep strategies) on insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal. METHODS: A single-arm trial of 12 pregnant women with DSM-5 insomnia disorder (n = 5/12 with comorbid depression) who received six sessions of PUMAS delivered individually via telemedicine. Pretreatment and posttreatment outcomes included the insomnia severity index (ISI), Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS), pre-sleep arousal scale's cognitive factor (PSASC; nocturnal cognitive arousal), perinatal-focused rumination (appended to PSASC), and Glasgow sleep effort scale. RESULTS: Eleven of 12 patients completed all sessions. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed a 10.83-point reduction in ISI (Cohen's dz = 3.05), resulting in 83.3% insomnia remission. PUMAS produced large reductions in EPDS (Cohen's dz = 2.76 in depressed group), resulting in all five baseline depressed patients remitting from depression. PUMAS produced large reductions in nocturnal cognitive arousal, perinatal-focused rumination, and sleep effort (all Cohen's dzs>2.00). Patients were highly satisfied with PUMAS and identified the telemedicine format and meditation app as positive features of its delivery. Patients rated sleep restriction and guided meditations as the most helpful treatment components. CONCLUSION: Prenatal insomnia patients were highly engaged in PUMAS, which produced large acute reductions in insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal. These findings support the concept and feasibility of PUMAS for pregnant women with insomnia who present with or without comorbid depression. GOV ID: NCT04443959.

Illegal trade in wild cats and its link to Chinese-led development in Central and South America.

Seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in Central and South America from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional Asian medicine. We compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], and ocelot [Leopardus pardalis]) from 19 Central and South American countries and China. We ran generalized additive mixed models to detect trends in wild-cat seizures from 2012 to 2018 and assess the effects of socioeconomic factors of source countries and between those countries and China on the number of wild cats seized. Jaguar seizures increased over time, and most of the seized jaguar pieces were canines (1991 of 2117). Around 34% (32 of 93) of the jaguar-part seizure reports were linked with China, and these seizures contained 14-fold more individuals than those intended for domestic markets. Source countries with relatively high levels of corruption and Chinese private investment and low income per capita had 10-50 times more jaguar seizures than the remaining sampled countries. The number of Chinese residents in Central and South America was not significantly related to the number of jaguars seized. No socioeconomic factors influenced the seizures of puma and ocelots. Legal market chains may provide structure for the illegal chain; thus, the influx of illegal jaguar products is potentially a side effect of the economic partnership between Central and South American countries and China. Poverty and high levels of corruption in the source countries may motivate local people to engage in illegal activities and contribute to the growth of this trade. Supply-side interventions to curb this threat to Neotropical wild cats may include improved training for officials and promotion of governance and the value of protecting these animals to local people.

Mercado Ilegal de Felinos Silvestres y su Conexión al Desarrollo Encabezado por China en América Central y América del Sur Resumen La incautación de cientos de cabezas y colmillos de jaguar en América Central y América del Sur entre 2014 y 2018 resultó en una cobertura mediática mundial que sugirió que los traficantes de fauna están comerciando con partes de jaguar como sustituto de las partes de tigre para satisfacer la demanda de la medicina tradicional asiática. Recopilamos un conjunto de datos de más de mil felinos silvestres incautados (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], ocelote [Leopardus pardalis]) en 19 países de América Central y América del Sur y en China. Corrimos modelos aditivos mixtos generalizados para detectar las tendencias en las incautaciones de felinos silvestres entre 2012 y 2018 y para evaluar los efectos de los factores socioeconómicos de los países de origen y entre esos países y China sobre el número de felinos silvestres incautados. La incautación de artículos de jaguar incrementó con el tiempo y la mayoría de ellos fueron colmillos (1991 de 2117). Alrededor del 34% (32 de 93) de los reportes de incautación estuvieron vinculados a China y estas incautaciones tenían 14 veces más individuos que las incautaciones de artículos dirigidos al mercado doméstico. Los países de origen con niveles relativamente altos de corrupción y con inversión privada proveniente de China y con un bajo ingreso per cápita tuvieron de 10 a 50 veces más incautaciones de artículos de jaguar que los demás países muestreados. El número de residentes chinos en América Central y en América del Sur no tuvo una relación significativa con el número de jaguares incautados. Ningún factor socioeconómico influyó sobre las incautaciones de pumas y ocelotes. Las cadenas de mercado legales pueden proporcionar una estructura para la cadena ilegal; por lo tanto, la afluencia de productos ilegales de jaguar es potencialmente un efecto colateral de la colaboración económica entre China y los países de América Central y América del Sur. La pobreza y los altos niveles de corrupción en los países de origen pueden motivar a los habitantes locales a participar en actividades ilegales y a contribuir al crecimiento de este mercado. Las intervenciones del lado del suministro para disminuir esta amenaza para los felinos silvestres neotropicales pueden incluir mejoras al entrenamiento para los oficiales y el fomento entre los locatarios de la gestión y el valor de proteger a estos animales.

Depredation of domestic herds by pumas based on farmer's information in Southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Large carnivores such as pumas are frequently killed due to conflicts with human populations involving predation on domestic herds. In Southern Brazil, traditional pasture systems, where animals feed without specific husbandry practices is typical, becoming the herds vulnerable to puma attacks. The aim of this study was to examine the conflict between local people and pumas in a Protected Areas mosaic in southern Brazil. METHODS: Forty-five face-to-face interviews with local people were performed during the year of 2011, using a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions about puma attack episodes in some farms. Based on responses, the conflict and puma attacks were described, and the characteristics of attacked farms and estimated financial losses were evaluated. The first respondents were indicated by the Local Environmental Agency, and the others were indicated by the first one and so on, which is known as "snow-ball" method. RESULTS: Our data suggested that pumas used to attack in unfavorable conditions of visibility (foggy days) and on easier prey (e.g. sheep). Most of the attacks reported were close to forested areas and were focused on free herds during feeding activities. Some farmers said they gave up their sheep breeding activity due to losses caused by puma attacks. However, some farmers could over estimate their losses. Moreover, pumas were considered a threat to domestic herds and respondents mentioned cases of illegal puma hunting in the area. The results of questionnaires suggested that puma attack episodes were related to fragmentation of their habitat associated to incorrect management of herds in the farms studied. The diagnosis of this type of conflict and the characterization of most attacked sites are extremely important to create strategies to prevent and control attacks by wild carnivores. CONCLUSIONS: Deep changes in husbandry practices added to educational programs should be implemented, in order to maintain the sustainability of rural activities as well as the survival of pumas in southern Brazil.

Values, animal symbolism, and human-animal relationships associated to two threatened felids in Mapuche and Chilean local narratives.

BACKGROUND: The Chilean temperate rainforest has been subjected to dramatic fragmentation for agriculture and forestry exploitation. Carnivore species are particularly affected by fragmentation and the resulting resource use conflicts with humans. This study aimed at understanding values and human-animal relationships with negatively perceived threatened carnivores through the disclosure of local stories and Mapuche traditional folktales. METHODS: Our mixed approach comprised the qualitative analysis of 112 stories on the kodkod cat (Leopardus guigna) and the puma (Puma concolor) collected by students (9-14 years) from 28 schools in the Araucania region within their family contexts, 10 qualitative in-depth interviews with indigenous Mapuche people, 35 traditional Mapuche legends, and the significance of naming found in ethnographic collections. RESULTS: We revealed a quasi-extinction of traditional tales in the current knowledge pool about pumas and kodkods, local anecdotes, however, were present in significant numbers. Values associated to both felids were manifold, ranging from negativistic to positive values. While pumas played an important role in people's spirituality, negative mythological connotations persisted in kodkod stories. Four prominent relationships were derived: (1) Both felids represent threats to livestock, pumas even to life, (2) both felids are symbols for upcoming negative events, (3) pumas are spiritual creatures, and (4) kodkods are threatened by humans. Recommendations are provided for stimulating new ways of perceiving unpopular and threatened carnivores among those who live in vicinity to them.