Attitudes and beliefs about hypnosis: A multicultural study

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of having personal experience and information about hypnosis over the beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis, using a sample of students from Spain, United States, Portugal and Romania. The factor structure of the Revised Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Beliefs toward Hypnosis-Client Version, as well as its psychometric properties are also analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis of the scale was conducted and an 8-factor model solution similar to the one found in other versions of this scale was obtained: Help, Personal Control, Magical Solution, Interest, Collaboration, Fear, Memory/Trance and Marginal. Results also indicated that participants who had previously experienced hypnosis and/or based their knowledge of hypnosis on scientific sources scored, in general, higher in factors indicating positive attitudes and correct beliefs about hypnosis. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis

Lipoproteins inhibit platelet aggregation and arachidonic acid metabolism in experimental hypercholesterolaemia

1. Human plasma contains unidentified components that inhibit arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. In the present study, we investigated whether plasma from rabbits fed a normal or high-cholesterol diet for 16 weeks also inhibits AA metabolism. Specifically, we studied the effects of plasma on platelet aggregation and on the production of AA metabolites, tri-hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid, 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and thromboxane B(2). 2. Haematological and lipid profiles were altered by a high-cholesterol diet. Platelets from hypercholesterolaemic rabbits showed enhanced aggregatory sensitivity to AA and platelet-activating factor. However, plasma from hypercholesterolaemic and control rabbits, when added to the incubation mixture, significantly inhibited platelet aggregation and eicosanoid production. 3. High- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL, respectively) concentrations increased several-fold in plasma with cholesterol feeding. When added directly to the incubation mixture, both HDL and LDL inhibited platelet aggregation, as well as AA metabolism. 4. Haptoglobin, albumin and Cohn\u27s fraction IV, but not globulins, exhibited antiplatelet and anti-AA metabolism activities. Their concentrations in plasma were not affected by cholesterol feeding. 5. We conclude that LDL and HDL account for at least some of the inhibition of AA metabolism produced by plasma

Recent results on CP violation from the CPLEAR experiment

The CPLEAR experiment is aiming at precise CP violation tests using initially pure K0- and K0 beams from the intense source provided by the annihilation of the LEAR p-beam in hydrogen. The strangeness tagging efficiency and the systematic errors have been studied and found to be in agreement with the design specifications. The measurement of the differential time asymmetry of the π+π- decays allowed the direct observation of differences in the decay rates of particles and antiparticles. The CP violating parameters were determined as |ν±| = (2.32 ± 0.14) · 10-3 and ψ± = 42.3° ± 4.4°. First results in the reconstruction and analysis of the neutral kaon decays into two neutral pions and the Ke3 decay are presented. © 1993