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PubMedDate not supplied

[French translations and adaptations of questionnaires of magical thinking (MIS, Eckblad and Chapman, 1983) and perception disorders (PAS, Chapman et al., 1978)].

Meehl used the term "schizotype" to refer to individuals who possess an underlying vulnerability for schizophrenia. Because of the extremely varying degrees of the schizotype's clinical expression, he recommended assessing schizotypic signs through objective measures rather than clinical judgement. In this way, Chapman et al. have developed symptom-oriented scales based on Meehl's manual, such as the Social Anhedonia (SA) and Physical Anhedonia (PhA) Scales, the Magical Ideation Scale (MIS), the Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS) and the Impulsive Nonconformity Scale (IN). Whereas Chapman's scales of psychosis proneness are the most internationally used instruments for the assessment of schizotypy, some of them, such as MIS and PAS, were still not available in French. Therefore, the first aim of this report was to offer French translations of the Magical Ideation and the Perceptual Aberration Scales; the agreement of the original authors were obtained for both translated versions and their back translations. The second aim of our study was to establish French norms for each of these scales. The preliminary norms presented here [MIS: 19/30 (for females) and 20/30 (for males); PAS: 18/35 (for both genders)] were obtained by administering both scales to a sample of 134 French students. They are very close to those found by Chapman et al. for University of Wisconsin undergraduate students. We will confirm them with a larger sample of French students.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Intravenous magnesium sulphate in acute myocardial infarction--is the answer "MAGIC"?

The role of magnesium in coronary artery disease has been evaluated extensively during the last three decades. The intravenous application of magnesium in acute myocardial infarction is of major importance, the beneficial effects have been underlined in several studies. Magnesium is of significance in the pathomechanisms of reperfusion injury and reduction of malign arrhythmias in the critical acute phase of myocardial infarction, if applied intravenously. However, the promising results of LIMIT-2 could not be confirmed by the data of ISIS-4. The timing of magnesium therapy is probably the most important key factor. Similar to the guidelines of thrombolytic intervention, magnesium has to be administered as early as possible, at the latest before myocardial reperfusion has started. Nevertheless, because of conflicting results of prior trials doubts on the efficacy of intravenous magnesium in myocardial infarction still remain. The multinational, multicenter trial MAGIC has been set up to evaluate the optimal patient cohort as well as the ideal dose regimen for the application of intravenous magnesium sulphate in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The answer on the open questions on intravenous magnesium sulphate in myocardial infarction could be "MAGIC".

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Effect of Magic Johnson's HIV status on HIV-related attitudes and behaviors of an STD clinic population.

This paper reports data on the effects that Earvin "Magic" Johnson's announced HIV infection had on the clients of an Philadelphia sexually-transmitted-disease (STD) clinic. Interviews conducted after Johnson's announcement (N = 148) included questions about whether respondents had heard his announcement and how this news had influenced their sexual attitudes and behaviors. The findings include comparisons of matched samples (N = 138) of respondents interviewed before and after the news. The comparisons focused on 3 areas related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): 1) passive concern; 2) sense of personal risk; and 3) resolve to be tested for HIV in the next 6 months. A significantly greater percent (92%) of the postannouncement respondents reported planning HIV tests than did the preannouncement respondents (52%). Although the differences in perceived risk were not statistically significant, 25% of the preannouncement and 34% of the postannouncement respondents indicated high perceived risk for HIV. Forty-four percent of the postannouncement sample indicated that, as a result of the news, they were now using condoms; 32% reported no effect; and 54% reported a variety of behavior changes that included monogamy (21%), greater selectivity (10.6%), fewer sexual partners (9.2%), and abstinence (3.5%). Overall, the announcement by Magic Johnson that he had been infected with HIV was associated with increased concern about HIV and with attitude and behavior changes that would lead to reduced risk. This was especially true for those in the sample at relatively higher risk.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of a new chemiluminometric immunoassay, Magic Lite Chlamydia, for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen from urogenital specimens.

The chemiluminometric sandwich immunoassay, Magic Lite Chlamydia by Ciba Corning (Medfield, MA), using one Chlamydia trachomatis-specific monoclonal antibody conjugated with acridinium ester and one polyclonal immobilized to magnetic particles, was compared to cell culture in 291 urogenital specimens from 92 men and 102 women tested both in the cervix and urethra. The proportion of patients with positive culture results ranged from 11.8% among the women to 15% among the men, using microculture plates and peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining procedure with genus-specific monoclonal antibody (Orthodiagnostics, Raritan, NJ). The chemiluminometric method for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen showed an overall sensitivity of 72.4%, specificity of 97.7%, positive predictive value of 77.7%, and negative predictive value of 96.9%. A higher sensitivity of Magic Lite was found in clinical specimens yielding more than 10 inclusions by well in cell culture. The newly developed chemiluminometric test, easy to perform, had the same limits in terms of sensitivity and positive predictive value than the other widely-used existing tests for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen from urogenital specimens.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Another person's heart: magical and rational thinking in the psychological adaptation to heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to examine heart transplant recipients' psychological adaptation to another person's heart, with particular emphasis on recipients' attitudes toward graft and donor. METHOD: Thirty-five male heart recipients were examined by: the Symptom Distress Checklist (revised) (SCL-90-R); the Depression Adjective Checklist (DACL); a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (PTSD-Q); a Heart Image Questionnaire (HIQ); and a Semi-Structured Interview (SSI), aimed at eliciting attitudes and fantasies regarding the transplanted heart. RESULTS: All instruments indicated high levels of stress even several years after the transplant, but, simultaneously, 73% of recipients felt that acquiring a new heart had had a dramatic influence on their lives with a new appreciation of the preciousness of life and a shift of priorities, toward altruism and spirituality. Sixty percent returned to work after the transplant but some had to adapt to a changed attitude from those around them who regarded them as anything from mystical creatures to vulnerable or still-sick individuals. While all recipients possessed a scientific knowledge of the anatomy and physiological significance of the heart (as revealed in the HIQ), many endorsed fantasies and displayed magical thinking: 46% of the recipients had fantasies about the donor's physical vigor and prowess, 40% expressed some guilt regarding the death of the donor, 34% entertained the possibility of acquiring qualities of the donor via the new heart. When asked to choose a most and least preferred imagined donor, 49% constructed their choices according to prejudices, desires, or fears related to ethnic, racial or sexual traits attributed to the donor. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the intuitive idea that heart transplant involves a stressful course of events that produces an amplified sense of the precariousness of existence. Simultaneously, it gives rise to rejoicing at having been granted a new lease on life and a clear sense of new priorities, especially with regard to relationships. Less expectedly, this study shows that, despite sophisticated knowledge of anatomy and physiology, almost half the heart recipients had an overt or covert notion of potentially acquiring some of the donor's personality characteristics along with the heart. The concomitance of the magical and the logical is not uncommon in many areas of human existence, and is probably enhanced by the symbolic nature of the heart, and maybe, also, by the persistent stress that requires an ongoing, emotionally intense, adaptation process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Poisonings resulting from the ingestion of magic mushrooms in Kraków.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms, also called "magic mushrooms", are becoming a more frequent cause of abuse, especially among young people, who use them experimentally for recreational purposes. In the autumn of 2004, several people were admitted to and observed in the Department of Clinical Toxicology in Krakòw after they had used magic mushrooms to experience hallucinatory sensations. Three of them had visual hallucinations, and the fourth experienced both visual and auditory hallucinations followed by the exogenous psychosis after use of Psilocybe semilanceata. One person was hospitalised for several days while the others were observed in the emergency department. The main source of information for patients about hallucinogenic mushrooms was the internet. In the cases discussed the mushroom poisoning caused no organ damage and the symptoms disappeared in about 6 hours.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of the solid components of biological tissues by cross-polarization, magic angle NMR spectrometry.

A biological tissue is composed of cytosol, which can be investigated by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and membrane and particulate components, which yield NMR spectra similar to those of solids. In this review, the theoretical and technical requirements of recording NMR spectra of solids with cross polarization and magic angle sample spinning techniques are compared with the physical characteristics of the solid components of biological tissues. Current applications of cross-polarization, magic angle NMR spectroscopy to the investigation of membranes, mineral deposits and biosynthetic pathways are presented and discussed in terms of the biomedical questions to which this technique might be applied.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1996

Searching for the Magic Johnson effect: AIDS, adolescents, and celebrity disclosure.

The objectives of this study were to measure changes in AIDS-related attitudes and behaviors in adolescents in the 13 months following Magic Johnson's disclosure that he was HIV positive, and to test whether gender, race, age, sexual experience, and pre-existing HIV-avoidant behaviors would emerge as significant dependent variables. Adolescent clinic attendees (N = 181) ages 12-19 in four cities completed a questionnaire assessing change in AIDS-related attitudes and behaviors since Johnson's announcement. Respondents were divided into low-risk and at-risk groups. Sixty percent of respondents reported that Magic Johnson's announcement had increased their awareness of AIDS, 65.4% reported increased self-efficacy in a sexual situation, 37.2% reported that they had changed their perceived AIDS risk, 37.8% described increased resistance to peer pressure for sexual intercourse. The low-risk group was more likely to report increased self-efficacy and resistance to peer pressure but no change in perceived risk or increased AIDS awareness. Significant relationships were found between gender and increased AIDS awareness, gender and increased resistance to peer pressure to engage in sexual intercourse, race and increased AIDS awareness, and more lifetime sex partners and increased self-efficacy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

The magic angle effect in musculoskeletal MR imaging.

The "magic angle" effect in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is caused by changes in the dipolar interactions between water hydrogen protons that are loosely bound along collagen fibrils in organized tissue such as tendon or articular cartilage. When tendons are aligned at 55 degrees to the main magnetic field, the T2 relaxation time is lengthened, causing focal increased signal on short echo time MR images. Tendons in the ankle, wrist, and rotator cuff of the shoulder are common sites to observe this effect. Distinguishing magic angle effect from pathologic signal abnormalities due to degeneration or partial tears requires close comparison between T1- and T2-weighted images, as well as evaluation for secondary signs of injury such as tendon thickening or associated fluid.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1997

Right hemispatial inattention and magical ideation.

In visual and tactile bisection tasks, healthy subjects have been reported to place the subjective midline towards the left of the objective midline. This phenomenon, known as "pseudoneglect", has been interpreted as a right hemispatial inattention due to hypodopaminergic activity of the left hemisphere mesocortical dopamine system. In schizophrenic patients pseudoneglect was previously found to be correlated with severity of psychotic symptoms. We administered a tactile bisection task (rod centering) to 40 healthy students (20 women and 20 men). All participants also filled in the "Megical Ideation" scale which asks for hallucination-like experiences and delusion-like beliefs. There was no significant pseudoneglect for the group as a whole. However, Magical Ideation scores were significantly correlated to the size of relative right-sided inattention for the 20 men only. On the background of the findings in patients with schizophrenia we conclude that, at least in healthy men, susceptibility to schizophrenia-like experiences and thoughts is likewise accompanied by an attentional shift towards the left hemi-space.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Black magic and illness in a Malaysian Chinese community.

Ah Yuk Je is a successful Hakka Chinese spirit medium practicing in a small Chinese community in Malaysia. Her clientele consists largely of young children suffering from a culturally specific condition called haak geng or 'soul loss' and women concerned about infertility, prenatal problems and errant spouses. While in a trance state, assisted by her tutelary spirits, she diagnoses, prescribes and treats illnesses. Her treatment includes naturalistic and magico-religious elements such as 'cooling' herbal teas, tonics to strengthen the body, rituals and amulets. Because Ah Yuk Je is a wife and mother, women find her sympathetic and astute at solving family problems. When faced with an illness herself, which she suspects to be the result of kong tao (black magic) instigated by someone in her own village, she seeks assistance from a healer outside her own ethnic group as well as outside her community. Four important factors influence Ah Yuk Je's decision to seek out this healer. The first two, recommendation from a trusted friend and a positive previous experience, are obvious, and require no further discussion. The remaining factors are the special nature of the illness, which requires treatment from a specialist, and her practice as a spirit medium. Successful spirit mediums are perceived to have a certain immunity to and control over supernatural forces. Thus the need for secrecy when a spirit medium becomes the victim of evil forces. She is able to preserve her professional reputation by consulting someone outside her ethnic group of potential clients as well as outside her physical community.

Ethnicity↗
PubMed1994

The magical and medicinal usage of Stangeria eriopus in South Africa.

The underground caudex of the cycad Stangeria eriopus is used extensively by several ethnic groups in South Africa, mainly as an ingredient in magical potions but also as an emetic. An assessment of two main outlets showed that 3410 plants were sold in the month of July 1992; continued usage of this material now threatens the remaining plant populations. A proximate analysis of the caudex material gives high carbohydrate content with only small percentages of fat, protein, fibre and ash. An unusually high content of sodium sulphate may explain the efficacy of Stangeria-containing preparations as an emetic. The phytosterols sitosterol and stigmasterol are present in a 4:1 ratio while the fatty acid component comprises palmitic, oleic, stearic and arachidic acids. Twelve amino acids were identified in the material, including the non-protein amino acids beta-alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and pyroglutamic acid. The candidate neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine could not be detected but cycasin is present at the levels of 0.17% and 0.21% in fresh and dry caudex material, respectively and appears to be accompanied by the related toxin, macrozamin.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2004

Magical food and health beliefs: a portrait of believers and functions of the beliefs.

The aims of the present two studies were to delineate a portrait of people who are attracted to magical beliefs about food and health and to study the self-reported functions for the beliefs. Participants were Finnish men and women ranging in age from 15 to 66 years (N=3261 in study 1 and N=189 in study 2), and they filled in either an Internet-based or a paper questionnaire. The believers were more often women than men, vegetarians than omnivores, and they relied more on alternative medicine, thought in a more intuitive way, and demonstrated more eating-disordered thinking than the nonbelievers. Additionally, the believers had experienced slightly more negative life events than the nonbelievers in study 1 but contrary to our hypothesis, they did not differ in their desire for control. The believers reported value-expressive function as the most important one served by their beliefs, followed by the control and utilitarian functions. The emotional, intuitive nature of food beliefs and their connection to values and identity are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

"It's magic!" The effects of presentation modality on children's event memory, suggestibility, and confidence judgments.

The current study investigated the influence of presentation modality (live, video, and slide show) on children's memory, suggestibility, recognition, and metamemorial monitoring processes. A total of 270 children in three age groups (5- and 6-year-olds, 7- and 8-year-olds, and 9- and 10-year-olds) watched a magic show and were questioned about it 1 week later. The live show yielded more correct answers to nonleading questions, higher resistance to misleading questions, and better recognition memory than did the video condition, which in turn resulted in better performance than did the slide show. Although presentation modality raised the general level of memory performance, the effects were equally strong in all age groups and did not affect memory phenomena such as the size of the misinformation effect and confidence judgments.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Magical thinking about illness virulence: conceptions of germs from "safe" versus "dangerous" others.

AIDS-related research has documented overreactions to casual contact and underreactions to sexual risk. This contradiction is explained by "magical contagion", a principle of thinking common in traditional societies, wherein contagion is considered socially discriminating, such that harmfulness depends on the nature of the relationship between source and recipient. In Study 1, 100 undergraduate participants drew germs described as their own, a stranger's, their lover's, or a disliked peer's. Lovers' germs were depicted as less threatening than disliked peers' germs. In Study 2, scenarios described contact with a flu-infected lover, stranger, or disliked peer. New undergraduate participants (N = 133) rated how likely they were to become ill and how severely. Although likelihood ratings did not differ, severity ratings followed a linear trend, effects of lover contact being least severe and contact with disliked peer most severe. Behavioral implications of the blurring of feelings about germ source with estimates of germ virulence are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2006

Everyday magical powers: the role of apparent mental causation in the overestimation of personal influence.

These studies examined whether having thoughts related to an event before it occurs leads people to infer that they caused the event--even when such causation might otherwise seem magical. In Study 1, people perceived that they had harmed another person via a voodoo hex. These perceptions were more likely among those who had first been induced to harbor evil thoughts about their victim. In Study 2, spectators of a peer's basketball-shooting performance were more likely to perceive that they had influenced his success if they had first generated positive visualizations consistent with that success. Observers privy to those spectators' visualizations made similar attributions about the spectators' influence. Finally, additional studies suggested that these results occur even when the thought-about outcome is viewed as unwanted by the thinker and even in field settings where the relevant outcome is occurring as part of a live athletic competition.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Frog secretions and hunting magic in the upper Amazon: identification of a peptide that interacts with an adenosine receptor.

A frog used for "hunting magic" by several groups of Panoan-speaking Indians in the borderline between Brazil and Peru is identified as Phyllomedusa bicolor. This frog's skin secretion, which the Indians introduce into the body through fresh burns, is rich in peptides. These include vasoactive peptides, opioid peptides, and a peptide that we have named adenoregulin, with the sequence GLWSKIKEVGKEAAKAAAKAAGKAALGAVSEAV as determined from mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. The natural peptide may contain a D amino acid residue, since it is not identical in chromatographic properties to the synthetic peptide. Adenoregulin enhances binding of agonists to A1 adenosine receptors; it is accompanied in the skin secretion by peptides that inhibit binding. The vasoactive peptide sauvagine, the opioid peptides, and adenoregulin and related peptides affect behavior in mice and presumably contribute to the behavioral sequelae observed in humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗