Asking simultaneously about truth and familiarity may disrupt truth effects

Tell me something that sounds familiar and I will believe it to be true. This is a statement that we should believe because it summarizes a well-documented and empirically supported effect: the illusion of truth effect (see Dechêne, Stahl, Hansen, & Wänke, 2010 for a review). The fact is we are more likely to believe a statement if we have been previously exposed to it (e.g., Bacon, 1979; Hasher, Goldstein, & Toppino, 1977). Repetition increases truth-value generating the illusion that repeated statements are more valid than information we never heard or read before. A general assumption of the explanations of the truth effect is that the subjective experience of processing a familiar statement is interpreted as informing about the validity of the statement (see Dechêne et al, 2010). This implies that a process of misattribution underlies repetition’s effect on judgments of truth (e.g., Bornstein & D’Agostino, 1994; Mandler, Nakamura, & Van Zandt, 1987; Schwarz, & Clore, 1983). In this paper we present an experiment that tests such misattribution process by making more or less explicit the real source of the feeling of familiarity with statements. In this way we test whether illusions of truth decrease when it is clear (vs. unclear) that familiarity is due to previous exposure

Adsorption of proteins to thin-films of PDMS and its effect on the adhesion of human endothelial cells

This paper describes a simple and inexpensive procedure to produce thin-films of poly(dimethylsiloxane). Such films were characterized by a variety of techniques (ellipsometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, atomic force microscopy, and goniometry) and used to investigate the adsorption kinetics of three model proteins (fibrinogen, collagen type-I, and bovine serum albumin) under different conditions. The information collected from the protein adsorption studies was then used to investigate the adhesion of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. The results of these studies suggest that these films can be used to model the surface properties of microdevices fabricated with commercial PDMS. Moreover, the paper provides guidelines to efficiently attach cells in BioMEMS devices.Fil: Chumbimuni Torres, Karin Y.. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Coronado, Ramon E.. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Mfuh, Adelphe M.. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Castro Guerrero, Carlos. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Silva, María Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Negrete, George R.. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Bizios, Rena. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados UnidosFil: Garcia, Carlos D.. The University of Texas at San Antonio; Estados Unido

Sickle Cell Disease and Cerebrovascular Stroke: A Preventable Event

Introdução: Na criança, a etiologia do acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) é conhecida em 75% dos casos, sendo a anemia de células falciformes (ACF) a mais frequente na criança de raça negra. O interesse deste caso clínico reside na forma de apresentação pouco habitual e curso evitável. Caso clínico: Criança de raça negra com 27 meses de idade, sem antecedentes relevantes, admitida por sinais neurológicos focais de instalação súbita. A tomografia computorizada cranio-encefálica e ressonância magnética evidenciaram lesão isquémica aguda extensa e alterações compatíveis com AVC silencioso prévio. Analiticamente apresentava anemia normocítica, muitos drepanocitos de formação espontânea e 87% de hemoglobina S. Neste contexto, foi submetida a transfusão-permuta. Conclusão: O AVC como complicação da ACF pode acontecer em idades precoces e surgir como quadro inaugural. Pensamos que se justifica divulgar o rastreio pré-natal e realizar um estudo da relação custo-benefício para a implementação de um rastreio neonatal desta patologia em Portugal