Guidelines for the assessment of efficacy of clinical hypnosis applications

Research on the efficacy of hypnosis applications continues to grow, but there remain major gaps between the science and clinical practice. One challenge has been a lack of consensus on which applications of hypnosis are efficacious based on research evidence. In 2018, 6 major hypnosis organizations collaborated to form the Task Force for Establishing Efficacy Standards for Clinical Hypnosis. This paper describes a Guideline for the Assessment of Efficacy of Clinical Hypnosis Applications developed by the Task Force, which makes 10 specific recommendations. The guideline is intended to be a tool for those who want to assess the quality of existing evidence on the efficacy of clinical hypnosis for any particular indication. The paper also discusses methodological issues in the interpretation and implementation of these guidelines. Future papers will report on the other products of the Hypnosis Efficacy Task Force, such as best practice recommendations for outcomes research in hypnosis and an international survey of researchers and clinicians on current practice and attitudes about hypnosis

Hymenoptera “parasitica” no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

A checklist composed of 105 species of parasitic Hymenoptera, which includes the non-aculeate Apocrita, recorded in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, is presented. A new list, containing 153 genera obtained in recent surveys is also presented; out of these 131 are new records. The major knowledge gaps for these organisms in the State and the prospects for future studies for these organisms are discussed. © 2017, Fundacao Zoobotanica do Rio Grande do Sul. All rights reserved

The need of dermatologists, psychiatrists and psychologists joint care in psychodermatology

The mind-skin connection has been studied since the nineteenth century. The last 40 years have set the development of new research areas which allowed the clarifying of how these two dimensions interact. The diseases that involve skin and mind constitute the field of psychodermatology and require that specialists in dermatology, psychiatry and psychology together and integrated take part in it, since skin, nervous system and mind are simultaneously affected. This paper aims to expose how psychodermatoses are currently conceptualized and the need of integration of these three specialties for conveniently treating the patients

Retinoic acid regulates avian lung branching through a molecular network

Retinoic acid (RA) is of major importance during vertebrate embryonic development and its levels need to be strictly regulated otherwise congenital malformations will develop. Through the action of specific nuclear receptors, named RAR/RXR, RA regulates the expression of genes that eventually influence proliferation and tissue patterning. RA has been described as crucial for different stages of mammalian lung morphogenesis, and as part of a complex molecular network that contributes to precise organogenesis; nonetheless, nothing is known about its role in avian lung development. The current report characterizes, for the first time, the expression pattern of RA signaling members (stra6, raldh2, raldh3, cyp26a1, rar alpha, and rar beta) and potential RA downstream targets (sox2, sox9, meis1, meis2, tgf beta 2, and id2) by in situ hybridization. In the attempt of unveiling the role of RA in chick lung branching, in vitro lung explants were performed. Supplementation studies revealed that RA stimulates lung branching in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the expression levels of cyp26a1, sox2, sox9, rar beta, meis2, hoxb5, tgf beta 2, id2, fgf10, fgfr2, and shh were evaluated after RA treatment to disclose a putative molecular network underlying RA effect. In situ hybridization analysis showed that RA is able to alter cyp26a1, sox9, tgf beta 2, and id2 spatial distribution; to increase rar beta, meis2, and hoxb5 expression levels; and has a very modest effect on sox2, fgf10, fgfr2, and shh expression levels. Overall, these findings support a role for RA in the proximal-distal patterning and branching morphogenesis of the avian lung and reveal intricate molecular interactions that ultimately orchestrate branching morphogenesis.The authors would like to thank Ana Lima for slide sectioning and Rita Lopes for contributing to the initiation of this project. This work has been funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038; and by the Project NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improved Cellular Specificity of Plasmonic Nanobubbles versus Nanoparticles in Heterogeneous Cell Systems

The limited specificity of nanoparticle (NP) uptake by target cells associated with a disease is one of the principal challenges of nanomedicine. Using the threshold mechanism of plasmonic nanobubble (PNB) generation and enhanced accumulation and clustering of gold nanoparticles in target cells, we increased the specificity of PNB generation and detection in target versus non-target cells by more than one order of magnitude compared to the specificity of NP uptake by the same cells. This improved cellular specificity of PNBs was demonstrated in six different cell models representing diverse molecular targets such as epidermal growth factor receptor, CD3 receptor, prostate specific membrane antigen and mucin molecule MUC1. Thus PNBs may be a universal method and nano-agent that overcome the problem of non-specific uptake of NPs by non-target cells and improve the specificity of NP-based diagnostics, therapeutics and theranostics at the cell level

Single case report of adjunctive hypnosis in the treatment of digital warts

Abstract Encouraging evidence demonstrates the efficacy of hypnosis within psychotherapy in the treatment of warts of different locations and severity The present case reports the cure of digital warts after a single psychotherapeutic session with hypnosis. Other than the brevity and efficacy of treatment, this case is significant for the utilization of patient's own pre-hypnotic visual images of self-cure and for patient's original use of auto-hypnotic exercises, ruling out the possibility of spontaneous remission. The low suggestibility of this patient will lead to a final discussion on suggestibility and susceptibility scales. Some promising trends in the psychotherapeutic treatment of warts are suggested. Case History A 55-year-old male with a University degree, without previous medical or psychological problems, reported suffering from digital warts for the last three years. During this time he followed several treatments recommended by his dermatologist, of which he remembered cryotherapy and salicylic acid. He declared a paradoxical effect described elsewhere (Lankton S. 2007), by which worsening (wart growth) would follow initial improvement after medical treatment. Single warts in the first, second and third fingers of patient's right hand were evidenced, the one on the first finger (medial interphalangeal region) being the biggest, with a diameter of 8 mm and about 5 mm thick, while the other two, 5 mm in diameter and 3-4 mm thick, were located in the lateral distal phalanges of the second and third fingers. The patient complained of only mild discomfort due to the warts, being worried more by the inconvenience they caused when writing than by any social or other considerations. The patient was asked, during clinical interview, to describe how he would imagine the healing process, to which the patient answered that he imagined healthy skin "progressively invading the warts, from the outside towards the inside, until only healthy skin would remain". He was also asked how long he imagined such a process should reasonably take. The answer was "more or less, about a week". Hypnosis was then presented, common myths and misconceptions were clarified, and the patient's active engagement was described as important for clinical success. Suggestibility was tested in the absence of hypnosis with poor results. Low suggestibility was reframed during the clinical interview as a particular way to respond to suggestions and as significant for later individualization of treatment within the hypnotic procedure. The patient was highly motivated and curious about hypnosis, a technique he was not familiar with, reinforced by a prior confidence relationship with the therapist, not related to the clinical context. The patient stated that hypnosis would be "the definite treatment" of his warts. A formal induction followed, with progressive (direct and systematic) relaxation suggestions. Some external signs of relaxation were observed (facial muscles, minimal postural changes) during hypnotic induction. Despite low suggestibility, ideomotor responses were sought (spontaneous eyelid closure, hand levitation), without success. Specific suggestions were finally introduced, using patient's own description of the healing process, including temporal cues ("a week"), for the final elimination of the warts. Confusion techniques were also used (amnesia), in order to evade a subsequent formal analysis by the patient of intra-hypnotic suggestions, as well as general health and post-hypnotic suggestions. After hypnosis the patient referred the feeling of having fallen asleep. He only seemed to remember the beginning of the hypnotic induction. He was reinforced again, the importance of the apparent amnesic effect was minimized, and he was encouraged to perform a five-minute "concentration exercise" before going to sleep, every night for the next week, during which he must deeply relax ("as during hypnosis") and simply imagine the healing process, just as he had previously described it during the interview. It was explained to him that this was an auto-hypnotic exercise that would complete the therapeutic effect of the induction