Impact of reading a scientific journal issue about hypnosis on the beliefs and attitudes towards hypnosis among psychologists

The goal of this study was to examine the influence of receiving scientific information about hypnosis over Spanish psychologists" beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis. The Valencia Scale on Attitudes and Beliefs toward Hypnosis-Therapist (VSABH-T) was administered to 2434 Spanish psychologists. A retest and a second retest were carried out,and between these testing administrations a monograph issue focused on hypnosis was published in a journal that all members of the Spanish Psychological Association received. Results indicated that psychologists who read this monograph, in general terms, changed their misconceptions about hypnosis for correct beliefs and their negative attitudes toward hypnosis for positive ones. Moreover, the VSABH-T was useful for detecting changes in psychologists" beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis. RESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio es conocer la influencia de adquirir información científica referida a la hipnosis sobre las creencias y actitudes hacia la misma de los psicólogos colegiados españoles. Para ello se aplicó la Escala de Valencia de Actitudes y Creencias hacia la Hipnosis-Terapeuta (EVACH-T) a una muestra de 2434 colegiados en dos ocasiones, y una tercera más, ésta última tras publicarse un monográfico sobre hipnosis en la revista Papeles del Psicólogo, recibida por todos los colegiados. Los resultados indicaron que aquellos psicólogos que leyeron dicho monográfico cambiaron, en general, sus creencias erróneas por otras más ajustadas, y sus actitudes negativas por otras más positivas hacia la hipnosis. Asimismo, la EVACH-T es sensible a los cambios en las actitudes y creencias de los psicólogos hacia la hipnosis

Creencias y actitudes hacia la hipnosis de los psicólogos españoles

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las creencias y actitudes hacia la hipnosis de los colegiados para informar al Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos de las necesidades de formación sobre hipnosis, así como analizar las respuestas en función de los Colegios de los participantes. Para ello se aplicó la Escala de Valencia de Actitudes y Creencias hacia la Hipnosis-Terapeuta a una muestra de 2.434 colegiados españoles. Los resultados indican que los colegiados que respondieron a la escala tienen, en general, creencias ajustadas sobre la hipnosis y una actitud positiva hacia la misma. No se encontraron diferencias entre los distintos COP en cuanto a creencias y actitudes hacia la hipnosis. Sin embargo, esta interpretación no está sustentada por pruebas de significación estadística debido al tamaño reducido de las muestras de los diferentes COP. Dada la baja respuesta por parte de los profesionales sería positivo que los COP realizaran de nuevo esta investigación aumentando la muestra, y llevaran a cabo acciones de difusión del conocimiento científico de la hipnosis. Esto ayudaría a favorecer un uso eficaz y no iatrogénico de la hipnosis. Beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis of spanish psychologists. The aims of this study are to analyze Spanish psychologists" beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis and to examine the responses obtained in different branches of the Spanish Psychological Association. The results will be useful for this Association in order to know psychologists" needs of training in hypnosis. The Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Beliefs toward Hypnosis-Therapist was applied to 2434 Spanish psychologists. Results indicated that participants, in general, hold correct beliefs about hypnosis and showed a positive attitude toward it. No differences in beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis were found among different branches of the Association. Because of the fact that there was a low response, it would be worthwhile for the different branches of the Spanish Psychological Association to repeat this research, increasing the sample size and offering scientific information about hypnosis. This would be very helpful to promote the efficacious and non-iatrogenic use of hypnosis

Effects of different types of preparatory information on attitudes towards hypnosis.

This paper examines how attitudes of initially reluctant subjects towards hypnosis are influenced by three different approaches to introducing the topic. Participants (N = 90) were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: minimal information, cognitive-behavioural information and trance information. All three groups showed positive changes in attitudes toward hypnosis. Contrary to our expectations, positive attitudinal changes were not diminished for subjects exposed to trance information. Groups given trance and cognitive-behavioural explanations demonstrated significantly greater collaboration compared to the control group. No differences in hypnotic suggestibility were obtained. Copyright © 2005 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosi

Synthesis of steroid-oligonucleotide conjugates for a DNA site-encoded SPR immunosensor

The excellent self-assembling properties of DNA and the excellent specificity of the antibodies to detect analytes of small molecular weight under competitive conditions have been combined in this study. Three oligonucleotide sequences (N1up, N2up, and N3up) have been covalently attached to three steroidal haptens (8, hG, and 13) of three anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), stanozolol (ST), tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), and boldenone (B), respectively. The synthesis of steroid-oligonucleotide conjugates has been performed by the reaction of oligonucleotides carrying amino groups with carboxyl acid derivatives of steroidal haptens. Due to the chemical nature of the steroid derivatives, two methods for coupling the haptens and the ssDNA have been studied: a solid-phase coupling strategy and a solution-phase coupling strategy. Specific antibodies against ST, THG, and B have been used in this study to asses the possibility of using the self-assembling properties of the DNA to prepare biofunctional SPR gold chips based on the immobilization of haptens, by hybridization with the complementary oligonucleotide strands possessing SH groups previously immobilized. The capture of the steroid-oligonucleotide conjugates and subsequent binding of the specific antibodies can be monitored on the sensogram due to variations produced on the refractive index on top of the gold chip. The resulting steroid-oligonucleotide conjugates retain the hybridization and specific binding properties of oligonucleotides and haptens as demonstrated by thermal denaturation experiments and surface plasmon resonance (SPR).This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN (MAT2011-29335-C03-01 and CTQ2010-20541-C03-01), CCEE (FUNMOL, FP7-NMP-213382-2), Generalitat de Catalunya (2009/SGR/1343, 2009/SGR/208), and CIBER-BBN. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. Núria Tort has a FI_B fellowship from the AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca) of the (Generalitat de Catalunya) Government of Catalonia.Peer reviewe

Innovation, tourism and ICT: the case of museums in Barcelona

Esta investigación trata sobre el relieve de la incorporación de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en los museos de la ciudad de Barcelona y cómo éstas influyen sobre el comportamiento de los públicos. Para la investigación se han realizado dos análisis: sobre las TIC online, considerado la web y las redes sociales, y offline, teniendo en cuenta los dispositivos que encontramos en los museos de Barcelona. Los resultados muestran que las páginas web de los museos se encuentran en un estadio inicial de mejora en cuanto a la promoción, pero siguen sin mantener comunicación con su comunidad virtual. La presencia en las redes sociales es una realidad, aunque por el momento las aplicaciones para móviles siguen siendo escasas. En cuanto a las TIC en los museos, los visitantes siguen siendo un receptor pasivo porque los dispositivos están anticuados y no permiten un gran nivel de interactividad.This research deals with the relief of the incorporation of Information Technology and Communication (ICT) in the museums of the city of Barcelona and how they influence the behavior of the public. For research we have conducted two analyses: about online ICT, considered the web and social networks, and offline, considering the devices found in museums in Barcelona. The results show that the websites of the museums are in an early stage of improvement in the promotion, but they still maintain communication with their virtual community. The presence in social networks is a reality, although at mobile applications remain rare. As for ICT in museums, visitors remain a passive recipient because the devices are outdated and do not allow a high level of interactivity

Impact of a lecture abour empirical bases of hypnosis on beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis among Cuban health professionals.

The aim of this study is to examine whether a lecture on hypnosis can modify attitudes and misconceptions about hypnosis. The sample consisted of 97 health professionals from institutions of Havana City. Group 1 consisted of 46 participants who received a lecture on hypnosis. Group 2 consisted of 51 participants who received a lecture about Urology. The Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Beliefs toward HypnosisTherapist was applied before and after the lecture. Results indicated that there were significant differences between the groups in which Group 1 showed more positive attitudes toward hypnosis. However, both groups showed similar misconceptions about hypnosis and memory, which changed significantly in Group 1 after receiving the lecture about hypnosis, but not in Group 2. Therefore, the lecture about hypnosis had a significant impact in correcting participants" misconceptions about memory and hypnosis

Human Urine as a Noninvasive Source of Kidney Cells

Urine represents an unlimited source of patient-specific kidney cells that can be harvested noninvasively. Urine derived podocytes and proximal tubule cells have been used to study disease mechanisms and to screen for novel drug therapies in a variety of human kidney disorders. The urinary kidney stem/progenitor cells and extracellular vesicles, instead, might be promising for therapeutic treatments of kidney injury. The greatest advantages of urine as a source of viable cells are the easy collection and less complicated ethical issues. However, extensive characterization and in vivo studies still have to be performed before the clinical use of urinederived kidney progenitors

Leigh Syndrome Associated with TRMU Gene Mutations

tRNA 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate methyltransferase (TRMU) deficiency causes an early onset potentially reversible acute liver failure, so far reported in less than 30 patients. We describe two new unrelated patients with an acute liver failure and a neuroimaging compatible with Leigh syndrome (LS) due to TRMU deficiency, a combination not previously reported. Our report enlarges the phenotypical spectrum of TRMU diseaseThe Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Spain). This study was supported by the Agencia de Gestio d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR) (2014: SGR 393) and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. The present study was supported by the Department de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya (URDCAT project, SLT002/16/00174

Leigh syndrome associated with TRMU gene mutations

tRNA 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate methyltransferase (TRMU) deficiency causes an early onset potentially reversible acute liver failure, so far reported in less than 30 patients. We describe two new unrelated patients with an acute liver failure and a neuroimaging compatible with Leigh syndrome (LS) due to TRMU deficiency, a combination not previously reported. Our report enlarges the phenotypical spectrum of TRMU disease

Vaccination with Recombinant Aspartic Hemoglobinase Reduces Parasite Load and Blood Loss after Hookworm Infection in Dogs

BACKGROUND: Hookworms infect 730 million people in developing countries where they are a leading cause of intestinal blood loss and iron-deficiency anemia. At the site of attachment to the host, adult hookworms ingest blood and lyse the erythrocytes to release hemoglobin. The parasites subsequently digest hemoglobin in their intestines using a cascade of proteolysis that begins with the Ancylostoma caninum aspartic protease 1, APR-1. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We show that vaccination of dogs with recombinant Ac-APR-1 induced antibody and cellular responses and resulted in significantly reduced hookworm burdens (p = 0.056) and fecal egg counts (p = 0.018) in vaccinated dogs compared to control dogs after challenge with infective larvae of A. caninum. Most importantly, vaccinated dogs were protected against blood loss (p = 0.049) and most did not develop anemia, the major pathologic sequela of hookworm disease. IgG from vaccinated animals decreased the catalytic activity of the recombinant enzyme in vitro and the antibody bound in situ to the intestines of worms recovered from vaccinated dogs, implying that the vaccine interferes with the parasite's ability to digest blood. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a recombinant vaccine from a hematophagous parasite that significantly reduces both parasite load and blood loss, and it supports the development of APR-1 as a human hookworm vaccine