Gazing Back, Playing Forward: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Musings on the Relational Essence of Hypnotherapeutic Action.

To build bridges between hypnosis and contemporary psychoanalysis, this article addresses how hypnosis, when used in psychotherapy, facilitates curative action through its relational essence. The author's extensive experience with hypnosis, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis orient the narrative toward the unconscious patient-therapist interaction, with particular attention paid to the ethics of the inherent hypnotic seduction. Whether used primarily in relief-oriented ways or geared toward more transformative therapeutic aims, powerful unconscious factors are in play for both patient and therapist and are explicated to illustrate the interactive and frequently unformulated, intersubjective factors that facilitate effective, psychotherapeutic hypnosis. Consequently, therapists attuned to such intersubjective dynamics can make use of their own internal mental activities to understand a patient's current state of mind and level of developmental functioning, and thereby subsequently formulate mutative interventions. For instance, because hypnotizability reflects the ability to play in imaginative space, the regression promoted in hypnotherapy may activate both an illusion of omnipotence and its optimal disillusionment through the relational context. This requires going beyond more traditional, procedural ways of bifurcating hypnotic interventions as being either direct or indirect and instead further distinguish hypnotic interventions in accordance with their maternal and paternal relational dimensions. Arguably, then, the skillful hypnotherapist needs to maintain a coupling interplay between the maternal, maximally receptive and the paternal, more active modes of functioning within hypnotic play space.

The Generative Presence of Relatedness.

In this guest editorial, the authors introduce a special issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis that focuses on relational factors of hypnosis in psychotherapy. The authors have invited a number of esteemed colleagues to comment on aspects of the therapeutic relationship, and how it informs and influences the processes, techniques, and outcomes of hypnosis and therapy. In addition to summarizing each of these articles, this article analyzes the major relational themes that present across the articles.

In the Intersubjective Space: Hypnosis Through a Neuropsychological Lens.

This article explores five interwoven principles about relationship that impact on attentional focus as it relates to the practice of clinical hypnosis. It first reviews how relationship is an irreducible feature of life that greatly predates the arrival of human beings. Second, it describes brain structures that, from an evolutionary perspective, appeared relatively recently, and the neuropsychological abilities those structures confer on human relationships. Third, it links those social brain structures to trance, an inborn response to novelty that is an important feature of our adaptive learning capacity. It further suggests that narrative is a multilevel concept that is deeply embodied and constitutes the sorbate from which hypnotic interactions can draw their rich impact. Finally, the article posits that hypnosis represents a skill set through which attuned clinicians engage in co-creative dances with clients, where the choreography of their interaction attends and responds to spontaneously arising and/or deliberately seeded opportunities for adaptive change. Reconstructed descriptions of interactions with clients are provided to illustrate the application of the principles presented.

Hypnosis and The Therapeutic Relationship: Relational Factors of Hypnosis in Psychotherapy.

Over the years, the field of hypnosis has often given more attention to the state and procedural factors of hypnosis than the relational ones. In an attempt to address this imbalance, the 60th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) had as its theme "Hypnosis and the Treatment Relationship." A centerpiece of this meeting was a collegial discussion among a panel of psychologists with expertise in relational hypnotherapy. The panel addressed several pertinent questions: (1) What are the healing qualities of relationship in psychotherapy? (2) What makes hypnosis relational in nature? (3) How do relational factors of hypnosis resemble healthy attachment processes and recapitulate stalled developmental maturation? (4) How does relationally informed hypnotherapy influence and strengthen the relationship, process, and outcome of psychotherapy? This article summarizes the factors that led to the creation of this panel; provides an edited transcript of this panel discussion, along with additional commentary on several key points raised; and concludes with a summary of the main themes and recommendations for further clinical practice and study.

Dancing in the In-Between: Hypnosis, Transitional Space, and Therapeutic Action.

This article develops the idea that hypnosis is an interactive phenomenon occurring in a relational matrix. A tripartite model for explicating this relational matrix is presented, which includes a discussion of transference, contemporary relationship factors, and the interaction of these to produce a sense of therapeutic alliance. These relationship factors are central to the therapeutic action of hypnosis as a vehicle to potentiate change and growth. The unique and specific contribution of each of these factors to the process of hypnotherapy and to therapeutic action is examined. Phenomenologically, this relational interaction is conceptualized as occurring in transitional space, shaped by processes of regression and attunement. From this perspective, the hypnotherapist is viewed as a kind of transitional object whose empathic presence contains and facilitates those interactive phenomena which evoke and balance the transferential and contemporary aspects of the relationship and which allow for uniquely evocative developmentally focused interventions in trance work. Several examples are presented from an ongoing case that demonstrate how these relational variables shape the hypnotherapeutic process and how they can be used for uncovering and self-examination, for structural maturation, for affect regulation, and for emerging ego mastery. The therapeutic action demonstrated relies on hypnotic interventions rooted in the various components of the relational matrix made possible by the clinician's awareness of and attunement to these and by hisor her informed and sensitive management of them and of his or her own intersubjectivity. Specific strategies are presented via these examples to effectively utilize this experience in the service of treatment goals.

It Takes More Than Two to Tango: Building Secure Attachment Through Hypnotic and Ego-State Relationships.

This article explores how hypnotic strategies can be used within a polyvagal science framework to help create more secure attachment within the therapeutic relationship, as well as within the client in terms of ego-state relationships. Principles of safety and connection are emphasized, along with specific strategies to access the attachment circuits of the ventral vagal system, including the necessity of being present with the client without agenda. Uses of hypnosis related to safety and connection and methods to work with the center core self to facilitate empowerment, self-cohesion, and conflict-free experience are also reviewed. From an ego-state therapy perspective, a discussion of hypnosomatic approaches to connect with preverbal, nonverbal, and somatic aspects of self to accomplish developmental repair and facilitate secure attachment is also offered, along with case examples. A three-step model, which attempts to integrate polyvagal, somatic, and hypnotic approaches, is offered by the author to help structure corrective experiences for clients with trauma.

Relationship Factors in the Theater of the Imagination: Hypnosis With Children and Adolescents.

This article examines the spatial and social nature of human relationships with children and adolescents in clinical hypnosis. Beginning with the unique way in which the phenomenon of rapport is intrinsic to the therapeutic uses of hypnosis and is distinct among other therapies, the stage is set for the importance of relational hypnosis. Through the use of case vignettes that illustrate developmental imperatives, relationship factors influencing the clinical interaction are demonstrated in practice. These include transference and countertransference, safety, embodiment, novelty, creativity, respect, trust, equality, being with, loving responses, synchronicity, and empathy. Hypnotic relating exists in a framework through which absorption in play and imagination evokes the child's resources and suggestions are made. In this receptive stance the personalized suggestions lead to an environment for positive change.

Longing and Fear: The Ambivalence About Having a Relationship in Psychotherapy.

It is unquestioned that reaching the hypnotic state is helped along by relational factors and that, conversely, relational experiences can be deepened through hypnosis. It is also true that deepening the experience of being in a relationship with another person is neither comfortable nor indicated for every patient or therapist. Most humans feel ambivalent about closeness. People vary in their desire for and their skill in sustaining mature intimacy. When we move along the continuum from rudimentary notions about relational factors in psychotherapy, such as rapport, to complex concepts, such as enactments, we move along a corresponding continuum of increasing need for specialized training, supervised experience, and personal therapy. The field of psychotherapy has been plagued from its inception by not knowing what to do with the tensions that emerge when two people listen to and look at each other. Avoiding relational factors may be a very human response to a very daunting matter.

In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicity of Black Phosphorus Nanosheets.

As a new kind of two-dimensional nanomaterial, black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets have attracted significant interests in diverse bioapplications due to their unique structure and physicochemical properties. Despite BP nanosheets' advantages in cancer diagnosis and therapy applications, their biosafety issues are still unclear. Herein, we report a systematic study on the In Vitro and In Vivo toxicity of BP nanosheets. In Vitro experiments showed that BP nanosheets decrease the viability of human bronchial epithelial cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The mechanism study showed that BP nanosheets interfere with mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to an increase in intracellular ROS. These responses further initiated the activation of the caspase-3 and ultimately dictated cells to undergo apoptosis. Then, the In Vivo experiments of BP nanosheets revealed that single injection of BP nanosheets does not cause toxicity to mice in a short period of time, whereas multiple injections of BP nanosheets exert adverse effects on liver and renal function of mice. Interestingly, the liver and renal function of the mice returned to normal after a recovery period. Our findings provide insights into the rational design of BP nanosheets and guide their applications in biomedical fields.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Living Cells Imaging.

Currently, optical probes with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence are of great interest in chemical biology. In the present study, we designed and synthesized a novel NIR fluorescent probe, IR789. IR789 has high selectivity and sensitivity for living cells imaging. The stronger excitation and emission characteristics suggested its dominant optical properties over ICG. IR789 also showed a high affinity and inconspicuous cytotoxicity at the cellular level. The results of fluorescent image in living A549 cells (human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line) further demonstrated its potential applications for biomedical diagnosis in biological systems utilization of nanotechnology.

Effects of Titanium Nano-Foveolae Surfaces on Human Gingival Fibroblasts.

A proper soft tissue seal between implants and gingiva is critical for success of dental implants. Implant surface modification is an important approach for achieving ideal host-implant integration. In this study, we used a new and simple oxidation method to generate a rough surface on implants at the nano scale, which oxidized titanium nano-foveolae (TiNF) surface. We further analyzed the surface topography and tested its effects on biological activities of human gingival fibroblasts. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination demonstrated that TiNF disks displayed uniform rough surfaces, with average TiNF diameters of approximately 60 nm and 100 nm respectively. However, the surfaces of smooth samples were highly irregular, and cell adhesion and proliferation rates on TiNF surfaces were significantly higher than those of the smooth surfaces. Extracellular matrix synthesis was also increased in the cells that interacted with oxidized TiNF surfaces. Altogether, these results suggest that the TiNF implant surfaces perform better for human gingival fibroblast biological activities compared to traditional smooth surfaces. Therefore, the TiNF implant surfaces may serve as ideal interface to facilitate implant-host integration.

Regenerative Effect of Resorbable Scaffold Embedded Boron-Nitride/Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles in Rat Parietal Bone.

BN has important roles in several physiological events, including bone growth and immune system. New infection-free cranioplasty and has an osteogenic activities material that are compatible with tissue are being developed. We aimed in our study to examine whether different combinations of Boron-nitride/Hydroxyapatite are embedded into the scaffold in the treatment of calvarial defects. 200 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats divided into 10 equal groups. Osteotomy was made by trepan drill in 8 mm diameter. The scaffolds were placed in the rats and were left to recovery for 2 months. During the experiment, CT scans were taken from the calvarial areas of the rats in the 2nd, 4th and 8th weeks. Significant healing was observed in defect diameters in 2.5% BN+10% HA, 2.5% BN and 5% BN+10% HA, respectively. After 8 weeks, it was seen that the amounts of OPN, BMP-2, RunX2 and ALP mRNA expression significantly decreased in 2.5% BN+10% HA, 2.5% BN, 5% BN+10% HA and 5% BN groups. It was shown that bone recovery was at the best grade in the groups, which contained 2.5% BN and 2.5% BN+10% HA when compared to the other groups. BN is a very promising agent that will be used in reconstructive surgery for the treatment of calvarial bone defects.

Au-Ag Nanoclusters/3,3',5,5' Tetramethylbenzidine Complex as a Sensitive "Turn-On" Fluorescent Nanoplatform for Mercury (II) Ions Sensing.

Fluorescent bimetallic Au-Ag nanoclusters (Au-AgNCs) were found to exhibit oxidase-like activity and could catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5' tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to oxTMB. On the basis of this property, we assembled a fluorescent nanoplatform as a turn-on probe for sensing mercury (II) ions (Hg2+) through the inner-filter effect (IFE). Au-AgNCs and oxTMB were chosen as IFE absorber and fluorophore pair for the first time. In the absence of Hg2+, the Au-AgNCs absorption band well. Covered the fluorescence emission band of oxTMB, and as a result, the fluorescence of oxTMB was reduced. In the presence of Hg2+, Hg2+ was reduced to Hg0 by extra BSA in Au-AgNCs probe system and anchored on the surface of Au-AgNCs. The absorption intensity for Au-AgNCs then decreased at 418 nm, resulting in the recovery of fluorescence from oxTMB. The formed Au-Hg thin amalgam layer obviously enhanced the oxidase-like activity of Au-AgNCs as well as hindered the IFE activity between Au-AgNCs and oxTMB. Therefore, based on the Hg2+ stimulating oxidaselike properties of Au-AgNCs, a fluorometric assay for determination of Hg2+ was developed in this study. The proposed sensing strategy showed a linear range from 10 nM to 500 nM, with ultralow LOD of ~0.7 nM for Hg2+. Moreover, the detection probe system was stable over a wide pH range, making it able to be applied in complex sample systems. We have successfully demonstrated the detection of Hg2+ in tap water samples. The fluorescent assay reported here, for sensitive and selective determination of Hg2+, may find great application in multiple areas, such as environmental and pharmaceutical analysis.

The Loading of Luminescent Magnetic Nanocomposites Fe3O4@Polyaniline/Carbon Dots for Methotrexate and Its Release Behavior In Vitro.

In the present study we developed novel luminescent magnetic nanocomposites termed Fe3O4@polyaniline/carbon dots. First, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The nanoparticles were then coated with polyaniline using the in situ growth method to form Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids, which were endowed with amino functional groups on the surface and avoided the aggregation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction pattern demonstrated that the crystalline phase of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles was an inverse spinel structure and was not changed in the Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids. The saturation magnetization and the coercive force of the as-prepared Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids measured by a vibrating sample magnetizer were 63.7 emu·g-1 and zero respectively, which indicated that the Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids exhibited excellent superparamagnetism. The Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids were conjugated with carbon dots, prepared from orange juice, via the amide bond between the amino groups on the surface of the Fe3O4@polyaniline nanohybrids and the carboxyl groups on the surface of carbon dots. The obtained luminescent magnetic nanocomposites Fe3O4@polyaniline/carbon dots showed good photoluminescent properties, which hinted that the nanocomposites have potential in drug tracing and magnetic targeted drug delivery. Finally, the anticancer drug methotrexate was loaded into the Fe3O4@polyaniline/carbon dots nanocomposites, forming a novel magnetic targeted drug delivery system. The results confirmed that the novel drug delivery system exhibited excellent drug-loading capability for methotrexate of ca. 70%, and emits strong fluorescence at the wavelength of 360 nm. An in vitro release experiment of the drug delivery system indicated that the cumulative release percentage of methotrexate was 17.2% in the phosphate-buffered saline (pH = 7.4) within 36 h.

Novel Ag-TiO2/ZnFe2O4 Nanocomposites for Effective Photocatalytic, Electrocatalytic and Cytotoxicity Applications.

We report the preparation and characterization of a new heterostructured Ag-TiO2/ZnFe2O4 (ATZ) nanocomposite. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the presence of spinel type ZnFe2O4 and anatase TiO2. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of ATZ nanocomposites show that Ag nanoparticles are successfully loaded on the composite Ag-TiO2 and is uniformly distributed on surface of ZnFe2O4 forming a nanocomposite with an approximate particle size of 44.8 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) analysis clearly indicates the particles with spherical and hexagonal structure and sizes of most of the particles are below 50 nm. Ultra violet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-vis-DRS) show that Ag-TiO2/ZnFe2O4 has increased visible absorption than TiO2. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows that the intensity of ATZ is low relative to prepared TiO2. The photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Yellow 86 (RY 86) dye was studied. Based on the band gap energies of TiO2 and ZnFe2O4, a mechanism of degradation is given. Photocatalytic activity results suggest that as-prepared ATZ shows higher photodegradation efficiency than pure TiO2. The main reactive oxidative species involved in the degradation and stability of photocatalyst were also investigated. ATZ shows higher electrocatalytic activity than TiO2 for methanol electrooxidation. The cytotoxicity of ATZ was analysed. Multifunctionality of ATZ makes it useful for environmental and biomedical applications.

Improved Removal of Toxic Metal Ions by Incorporating Graphene Oxide into Bacterial Cellulose.

The efficient removal of toxic metal ions from waste water is of critical importance in environmental protection. In this study, we report the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) into bacterial cellulose (BC) and the effect on the removal of metal ions from waste water. The as-prepared BC/GO adsorbents have a three-dimensional (3D) network structure with interconnected pores and high porosity. The adsorption capacities and efficiencies of the BC/GO adsorbents with varying GO contents were compared by using Cu2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ as model heavy metal ions. The incorporated GO into the BC/GO adsorbents plays a critical role in removing metal ions through strong electrostatic interactions between the positive metal ions and the negative functional groups on GO. In addition, the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent dose, and ion concentration on the adsorption behavior of the BC/GO adsorbents were investigated. The data from adsorption kinetics indicate that the adsorption of Cu2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ on BC/GO obeys a pseudo-second-order model, while the adsorption isotherms vary with the type of metal ions. The desorption and readsorption experiments of the BC/GO adsorbents demonstrate good recyclability. It has been demonstrated that incorporating GO into BC is an effective way to improve the adsorption behavior of BC.

Enhanced Ethanol-Sensing Properties Based on Modified NiO-ZnO p-n Heterojunction Nanotubes.

NiO/ZnO gas-sensing nanotube materials were prepared by electrospinning. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energydispersive X-ray detection (EDX) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The template, PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate) fibers, was completely removed, as evidenced by the EDX results. The final NiO/ZnO composite materials were composed of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO and cubic NiO and exhibited hollow tubular structures. In the composites, p-n heterojunctions were formed at the interface of NiO and ZnO. The results of gas sensitivity tests showed that the incorporation of NiO considerably improved the gas sensitivity of ZnO to ethanol. When the doping ratio was 0.125 mol/mol, the composites exhibited the highest sensitivity to ethanol (100.92 at 300 °C) and showed high selectivity.