Impact of hypnosis on psychophysiological measures: A scoping literature review.

Exploring psychophysiological changes during hypnosis can help to better understand the nature and extent of the hypnotic phenomenon by characterizing its influence on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), in addition to its central brain effects. Hypnosis is thought to induce a relaxation response, yet studies using objective psychophysiological measures alongside hypnosis protocols show various results. We review this literature and clarify the effects of hypnosis on psychophysiological indices of ANS activity and more specifically of the stress/relaxation response, such as heart rate variability and electrodermal activity. Studies reporting psychophysical measures during hypnosis were identified by a series of Pubmed searches. Data was extracted with an interest for the influence of hypnotizability and effects of specific suggestions or tasks on the findings. We found 49 studies comprising 1315 participants, 45 concerning healthy volunteers and only 4 on patients. Sixteen compared high vs. low hypnotizable people; 30 measured heart rate, 18 measured heart rate variability, 25 electrodermal activity, and 23 respiratory signals as well as other physiological parameters. Globally, results converge to show reductions in sympathetic responses and/or increases in parasympathetic tone under hypnosis. Several methodological limitations are underscored, such as older studies (N = 16) using manual analyses, small sample sizes (<30, N = 31), as well as uncontrolled multiple comparisons. Nevertheless, we confirm that hypnosis leads to a physiological relaxation response and highlight promising avenues for this research. Suggestions are made for guiding future work in this field

Determination of Strong-Interaction Widths and Shifts of Pionic X-Rays with a Crystal Spectrometer

Pionic 3d-2p atomic transitions in F, Na, and Mg have been studied using a bent crystal spectrometer. The pionic atoms were formed in the production target placed in the external proton beam of the Space Radiation Effects Laboratory synchrocyclotron. The observed energies and widths of the transitions are E=41679(3) eV and Γ=21(8) eV, E=62434(18) eV and Γ=22(80) eV, E=74389(9) eV and Γ=67(35) eV, in F, Na, and Mg, respectively. The results are compared with calculations based on a pion-nucleus optical potential

Sub MeV Particles Detection and Identification in the MUNU detector ((1)ISN, IN2P3/CNRS-UJF, Grenoble, France, (2)Institut de Physique, Neuch\^atel, Switzerland, (3) INFN, Padova Italy, (4) Physik-Institut, Z\"{u}rich, Switzerland)

We report on the performance of a 1 m$^{3}$ TPC filled with CF$_{4}$ at 3 bar, immersed in liquid scintillator and viewed by photomultipliers. Particle detection, event identification and localization achieved by measuring both the current signal and the scintillation light are presented. Particular features of $\alpha$ particle detection are also discussed. Finally, the ${54}$Mn photopeak, reconstructed from the Compton scattering and recoil angle is shown.Comment: Latex, 19 pages, 20 figure

A method for the stochastic modeling of karstic systems accounting for geophysical data: an example of application in the region of Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico)

The eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, contains one of the most developed karst systems in the world. This natural wonder is undergoing increasing pollution threat due to rapid economic development in the region of Tulum, together with a lack of wastewater treatment facilities. A preliminary numerical model has been developed to assess the vulnerability of the resource. Maps of explored caves have been completed using data from two airborne geophysical campaigns. These electromagnetic measurements allow for the mapping of unexplored karstic conduits. The completion of the network map is achieved through a stochastic pseudo-genetic karst simulator, previously developed but adapted as part of this study to account for the geophysical data. Together with the cave mapping by speleologists, the simulated networks are integrated into the finite-element flow-model mesh as pipe networks where turbulent flow is modeled. The calibration of the karstic network parameters (density, radius of the conduits) is conducted through a comparison with measured piezometric levels. Although the proposed model shows great uncertainty, it reproduces realistically the heterogeneous flow of the aquifer. Simulated velocities in conduits are greater than 1cm s−1, suggesting that the reinjection of Tulum wastewater constitutes a pollution risk for the nearby ecosystem

Ground-based aerosol optical depth trends at three high-altitude sites in Switzerland and Southern Germany from 1995–2010

Ground-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) climatologies at three high-altitude sites in Switzerland (Jungfraujoch and Davos) and Southern Germany (Hohenpeissenberg) are updated and re-calibrated for the period 1995 – 2010. In addition, AOD time-series are augmented with previously unreported data, and are homogenized for the first time. Trend analysis revealed weak AOD trends (λ = 500 nm) at Jungfraujoch (JFJ; +0.007 decade-1), Davos (DAV; +0.002 decade-1) and Hohenpeissenberg (HPB; -0.011 decade-1) where the JFJ and HPB trends were statistically significant at the 95% and 90% confidence levels. However, a linear trend for the JFJ 1995 – 2005 period was found to be more appropriate than for 1995 – 2010 due to the influence of stratospheric AOD which gave a trend -0.003 decade-1 (significant at 95% level). When correcting for a recently available stratospheric AOD time-series, accounting for Pinatubo (1991) and more recent volcanic eruptions, the 1995 – 2010 AOD trends decreased slightly at DAV and HPB but remained weak at +0.000 decade-1 and -0.013 decade-1 (significant at 95% level). The JFJ 1995 – 2005 AOD time-series similarly decreased to -0.003 decade-1 (significant at 95% level). We conclude that despite a more detailed re40 analysis of these three time-series, which have been extended by five years to the end of 2010, a significant decrease in AOD at these three high-altitude sites has still not been observed

Observation of single collisionally cooled trapped ions in a buffer gas

Individual Ba ions are trapped in a gas-filled linear ion trap and observed with a high signal-to-noise ratio by resonance fluorescence. Single-ion storage times of ~5 min (~1 min) are achieved using He (Ar) as a buffer gas at pressures in the range 8e-5 - 4e-3 torr. Trap dynamics in buffer gases are experimentally studied in the simple case of single ions. In particular, the cooling effects of light gases such as He and Ar and the destabilizing properties of heavier gases such as Xe are studied. A simple model is offered to explain the observed phenomenology.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A. Minor text and figure change

Low energy tracking and particles identification in the MUNU Time Projection Chamber at 1 bar. Possible application in low energy solar neutrino spectroscopy

In this paper we present the results from the measurements made with the MUNU TPC at 1bar pressure of CF4 in the energy region below 1 MeV. Electron events down to 80 keV are successfully measured. The electron energy and direction are reconstructed for every contained single electron above 200 keV. As test the 137Cs photopeak is reconstructed by measuring both the energy and direction of the Compton electrons in the TPC.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures (6 figures in color); Figure 10 has been deleted from [v1]. Additional paragraph has been included; Manuscript is submitted to Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research,

A deficit of spatial remapping in constructional apraxia after right-hemisphere stroke

This Article is provided by the Brunel Open Access Publising Fund - Copyright @ 2010 Oxford University PressConstructional apraxia refers to the inability of patients to copy accurately drawings or three-dimensional constructions. It is a common disorder after right parietal stroke, often persisting after initial problems such as visuospatial neglect have resolved. However, there has been very little experimental investigation regarding mechanisms that might contribute to the syndrome. Here, we examined whether a key deficit might be failure to integrate visual information correctly from one fixation to the next. Specifically, we tested whether this deficit might concern remapping of spatial locations across saccades. Right-hemisphere stroke patients with constructional apraxia were compared to patients without constructional problems and neurologically healthy controls. Participants judged whether a pattern shifted position (spatial task) or changed in pattern (non-spatial task) across two saccades, compared to a control condition with an equivalent delay but without intervening eye movements. Patients with constructional apraxia were found to be significantly impaired in position judgements with intervening saccades, particularly when the first saccade of the sequence was to the right. The importance of these remapping deficits in constructional apraxia was confirmed through a highly significant correlation between saccade task performance and constructional impairment on standard neuropsychological tasks. A second study revealed that even single saccades to the right can impair constructional apraxia patients’ perception of location shifts. These data are consistent with the view that rightward eye movements result in loss of remembered spatial information from previous fixations, presumably due to constructional apraxia patients’ damage to the right-hemisphere regions involved in remapping locations across saccades. These findings provide the first evidence for a deficit in remapping visual information across saccades underlying right-hemisphere constructional apraxia.European Commission Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (011457 to C.R.) and a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship (to M.H.)