iACToR Weekly Newsletter #24

[James Cullen]

Opening Statement

Hello iACToR members,

After a brief hiatus, the iACToR Weekly Newsletter has returned to continue informing our online iACToR members as to the latest news and opportunities within the Cyberpsychology and advanced technologies disciplines.

The management board of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR) would like to welcome recent members who joined our online social community in the recent months. Thank you for your current and future participation in this website that exists to provide a forum to promote individuals and organizations dedicated to furthering the use of Virtual Reality and other advanced technologies as adjuncts to more traditional forms of therapy, education, and rehabilitation.

Please contact the Communications Director of iACToR, Mr. James Cullen, with any relevant events, articles, or news items you may wish to be publicized through the weekly newsletter at [e-mail].

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Top CyberPsychology News

Pilot Joint Call for Collaborative S&T Projects
In the frame of the ERA.Net RUS project a Pilot Joint Call on Collaborative S&T Projects was launched on 16 March 2011 and applicants are invited to submit online proposals until 31 May 2011. By Collaborative S&T Project is meant a joint undertaking by a partnership of institutions ("consortium") designed to produce new knowledge through fundamental, experimental and/or theoretical scientific research, whereby each team of the partnership actively pursues specific objectives with a view to pooling the results to contribute to common, well-defined objectives. The goal of the PJC/STP is to create long-term research collaboration between EU MS/AC and Russia. Research collaboration of a high standard between teams from EU Member States and/or Associated Countries and Russia will be supported through open competition. Research proposals regarding the following thematic fields can be submitted:

1. Innovative materials and cutting edge technological processes
- ultrahigh-power laser sources
- intelligent materials and nanomaterials
- quantum optics
2. Environmental research and climatic change
- biodiversity and ecophysiology of natural ecosystems
- climate change in the artic and subartic regions
- Material sciences connected with energy convergion and storage
3. Research on serious human health problems
- viral infections: HIV and Hepatitis
- auto-immune diseases
- neurodegenerative diseases
4. Contemporary socio-economic studies

Please view more information at http://www.eranet-rus.eu/en/175.php

Glucocorticoids Enhance Extinction-Based Psychotherapy
Proceedings of the National Academy of the United States of America (PNAS)
Behavioral exposure therapy of anxiety disorders is believed to rely on fear extinction. Because preclinical studies have shown that glucocorticoids can promote extinction processes, we aimed at investigating whether the administration of these hormones might be useful in enhancing exposure therapy. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 40 patients with specific phobia for heights were treated with three sessions of exposure therapy using virtual reality exposure to heights. Cortisol (20 mg) or placebo was administered orally 1 h before each of the treatment sessions. Subjects returned for a posttreatment assessment 3–5 d after the last treatment session and for a follow-up assessment after 1 mo. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/hJZm54.

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5 Ways to Get More Involved

1. Become a Premium Member of iACToR!
   • Get extensive discounts off the 16th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference.
   • Get discounted subscriptions to your favorite CyberPsychology publications
   • Enjoy premium access ot the fast growing social networking psychology association on the internet
   • Take part in the annual iACToR General Assembly
   • Receive discounted membership to affiliated associations and societies.
2. Join your local iACToR Chapter! Please visit the Chapter page to request membership to the appropriate iACToR Chapter. This is an excellent way to become acquainted and introduced to colleagues in your area!
   
   
3. Begin the discussion! Please visit the Forum, find the appropriate category, and click Add a Discussion! As this field is rapidly growing, collaboration and discussion is vital to the growth and progress. Some have begun already, and we hope to see you post as well.
   
   
4. Invite your colleagues! On the right hand side, under your name, next to the friends hyperlink is an Invite hyperlink. We encourage you to invite your colleagues to join in the discussion.
   
   
5. Update Your Profile and Comment on Others! Keep members up to date with your latest information. Post a blog, update your status, add a picture of yourself, and let the community know your area of expertise. All can be done with in your Profile page and we encourage you to do so!

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Thank you all and I look forward to shaping our community with your help and valuable input!

Create your own reality!

Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA
Secretary General
International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR)