The comfort ability program for adolescents with sickle cell pain: Evaluating feasibility and acceptability of an inpatient group-based clinical implementation.

BACKGROUND: Integration of nonpharmacological therapies, such as cognitive and behavioral pain management strategies, is recommended to support comprehensive disease and pain management among children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). The Comfort Ability Program for Sickle Cell Pain (CAP for SCP) introduces psychological and biobehavioral pain management strategies to children and adolescents with SCD. This study aimed to pilot the implementation of the CAP for SCP in a group setting to children and adolescents hospitalized for SCD pain examining feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness on improving pain knowledge and coping efficacy. METHOD: Adaptation of CAP for SCP into a three-session group format was guided by four phases of the Dynamic Adaptation Process model: Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment. Youth with SCD (n = 57) hospitalized for pain participated in at least one session and completed self-report of knowledge of pain management skills, pain coping efficacy, and treatment acceptance. Completion rates of sessions and qualitative feedback were gathered to evaluate feasibility and acceptability. RESULTS: Feasibility of conducting inpatient group sessions was suboptimal; however, patients and medical providers reported moderate to high levels of treatment acceptance. Patients also reported significant improvements in knowledge of pain management skills following session 1. CONCLUSIONS: CAP for SCP is a patient-centered first-line psychoeducational intervention that can be integrated into clinical practice settings to introduce youth to cognitive and behavioral pain management strategies to support SCD pain management.

The contribution of maternal psychological functioning to infant length of stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: Assess maternal psychological functioning within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and its contribution to neonate length of stay (LOS) in the NICU. STUDY DESIGN: Mothers of infants admitted to the NICU (n=111) were assessed regarding postpartum depression, postpartum social support, postpartum NICU stress, and maternal anxiety at 2 weeks postpartum. Illness severity was assessed with the Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB). RESULTS: Postpartum depression was not significantly correlated with LOS, but was significantly correlated with trait anxiety (r=0.620), which was significantly correlated with LOS (r=0.227). Among mothers with previous mental health history, substance abuse history and CRIB score were the best predictors of LOS. For mothers without a prior mental health issues, delivery type, stress associated with infant appearance, and CRIB scores were the best predictors of LOS. In this group, LOS was found to increase on average by 7.06 days per one unit increase in stress associated with infant appearance among mothers with the same delivery type and CRIB score. CONCLUSION: Significant correlations of trait anxiety, stress associated with infant appearance, and parental role with LOS support the tenet that postpartum psychological functioning can be associated with NICU LOS.

Glands on the foliar surfaces of tribe Cercideae (Caesapiniodeae, Leguminosae): distribution and taxonomic significance.

Large elongated glands occur on Cercideae leaf surfaces. Leaves of Bauhinia (55 taxa, 53 species), Cercis (1 species), Phanera (1 species), Piliostigma (2 species), Schnella (19 species) and Tylosema (1 species) were observed to determine location and relative number of glands. They were only observed on the abaxial leaf surface of 42 Bauhinia taxa. The glands were analyzed by light stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy. They are large (up to 270 µm long and 115 µm wide) and multicellular, containing lipophilic substances, probably volatile oils. Presence or absence and density of the glands in species of Bauhinia may be useful to determine species delimitation or distinction among infraspecific taxa. Higher density of glands is more common in species from "cerrado" (a savanna ecosystem) and "caatinga" (a semiarid ecosystem from northeast Brazil) areas. Bauhinia species devoid of foliar glands are frequently from humid forests.

Bauhinia forficata lectin (BfL) induces cell death and inhibits integrin-mediated adhesion on MCF7 human breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Plant lectins have attracted great interest in cancer studies due to their antitumor activities. These proteins or glycoproteins specifically and reversibly bind to different types of carbohydrates or glycoproteins. Breast cancer, which presents altered glycosylation of cell surface glycoproteins, is one of the most frequent malignant diseases in women. In this work, we describe the effect of the lectin Bauhinia forficata lectin (BfL), which was purified from B. forficata Link subsp. forficata seeds, on the MCF7 human breast cancer cellular line, investigating the mechanisms involved in its antiproliferative activity. METHODS: MCF7 cells were treated with BfL. Viability and adhesion alterations were evaluated using flow cytometry and western blotting. RESULTS: BfL inhibited the viability of the MCF7 cell line but was ineffective on MDA-MB-231 and MCF 10A cells. It inhibits MCF7 adhesion on laminin, collagen I and fibronectin, decreases α1, α6 and ß1 integrin subunit expression, and increases α5 subunit expression. BfL triggers necrosis and secondary necrosis, with caspase-9 inhibition. It also causes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, which leads to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and a decrease in the expression of the regulatory proteins pRb and p21. CONCLUSION: BfL shows selective cytotoxic effect and adhesion inhibition on MCF7 breast cancer cells. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Cell death induction and inhibition of cell adhesion may contribute to understanding the action of lectins in breast cancer.

DIVERSIDADE CONSERVAÇÃO DE LIANAS DO GÊNERO Bauhinia NA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA

Areas of biological interest in the Brasilian Amazon are cited for the purpose of conservation management.These areas are: 1. Pará-leste, 2. Ilha Mexiana, 3. Amapá-sul, 4. Monte Tipac, 5. Óbidos/Alenquer/Santarém, 6. Parintins, 7. Serra de Tepequem, 8. Amazonas-central, 9-Upper Rio Negro, 10. Solimões, 11. Acre/Amazonas, 12. Rondônia/Amazonas. The areas were selected based on taxonomic variation and geographic distribution of 33 liana species of the genus Bauhinia(sections Schnellaand Caulotretus)found in Brazil. Based on herbarium material, the distribution of each species was mapped and the following distribution patterns recorded: extra-amazonian (9 species), wide distribution intra- and extra-Amazonian 3 species), and strictly intra-Amazonian (21 species). The species which occur only within Amazonia are discussed as regards endemisms and disjunctions, as well as the occurrence of the 24 species in each sector. The distributions of 23 species of section Caulotretusare mapped. A map is given of the 12 areas of biological interest and the selection of each area is justified.

Relaciona-se áreas de interesse biológico na Amazônia visando planejamento em Conservação, a saber: 1. Pará-leste, 2. Ilha Mexiana, 3. Amapá-sul, 4. Monte Tipac, 5. Óbidos/ Alenquer/Santarém, 6. Parintins, 7. Serra de Tepequem, 8. Amazonas-central, 9. Alto Rio Negro, 10. Solimões-oeste, 11. Acre/Amazonas, 12. Rondônia/Amazonas. Estas áreas foram selecionadas com base na variação taxonômica e na distribuição geográfica de 33 espécies de lianas do género Bauhinia(secções Schnellae Caulotretus)ocorrentes no Brasil. Após consulta a coleções herborizadas, as localidades de ocorrência de cada espécie foram mapeadas e analizadas, revelando-se os seguintes padrões de distribuição: extra-amazônico (9 espécies), ampla distribuição intra e extra-amazônica (3 espécies), e exclusivamente intra-amazônico (21 espécies). As ocorrências intra-amazônicas foram analizadas em detalhe, apontando-se endemismos e disjunções importantes. Em seguida é dada a ocorrência das 24 espécies da Amazónia por setor fitogeográfico. São apresentados mapas de distribuição de 23 espécies da seção Caulotretus.Apresenta-se um mapa com as 12 áreas de interesse biológico apontando-se justificativas para cada área indicada.