A simple method for preventing misplaced electrocauterization.

A small segment of universally available and inexpensive rubber catheter can be easily fitted to insulate electrocautery tips. This technique can prevent numerous thermal injuries and potential litigation arising from accidently burning adjacent tissues. The routine use of this modification in the operating room can save time, anxiety, and potential litigation by preventing misplaced cauterization.

Event-related brain potentials and psychology course mean examination grades.

Since 1965 research into the event-related brain potentials of the human electroencephalogram suggests that these EEG components are closely related to human information-processing activities. In this study were tested 21 normal adult university students (12 women, 9 men, ages 19 to 51 years) from the Alaskan subarctic, using both the auditory and visual event-related potential oddball paradigms. The event-related brain potential recordings were analyzed as explanatory variables of academic performance, as measured by the mean of a series of multiple-choice examinations covering lecture and text material. No high association between these brain electrophysiological measures and students' academic performance was observed. At best, one component explained 27.6% of the variation in mean examination grades.

Lavender aromatherapy in recovery from exercise.

20 men were randomly assigned to a control or an experimental group. After baseline screening, all subjects performed moderate physical exercise for 2 min., then rested for 10 min., during which the experimental group was exposed to lavender aromatherapy. Recovery measures included diastolic and systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, and heart rate. As the mean difference in diastolic blood pressure fell just short of statistical significance, further study with larger groups is required.

Effects of second language study of phonemic discrimination and auditory event-related potentials in adults.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of acquisition of a second language on auditory even-related brain potentials and discrimination of foreign language phonemes by 36 women (ages 18 to 47 years), and 25 men (ages 18 to 36 years) and of varying linguistic background, in response to synthetic versions of Japanese phonemes. Subjects were subsequently tested on discrimination between spoken Japanese phonemes. Analysis indicated that the men and women differed in phonological processing and in the way acquisition of the second language affected phonological processing.

Geophysical variables and behavior: LXX. Testing electromagnetic explanations for a possible psychokinetic effect of therapeutic touch on germinating corn seed.

Designs used to test claims for psychic healing of living systems not amenable to suggestion may produce artifact in the results when there is failure to control for other possible explanations. Some experimental methods in psychokinesis may produce electromagnetic field flux which could lead to erroneous conclusions. This study adds electrical and magnetic controls to assess their effect, leading to the conclusion that therapeutically touched corn seeds did not recover from saline injury significantly better than untreated controls.

Testing an electronic documentation system.

Testing of newly automated clinical documentation system functions in patient care areas is integral to successful automation. Trialing the new functions in the patient care environment can be accomplished by use of alpha and beta patient care areas. Throughout the trialing of functions, involvement and feedback from patient care area managers and staff is crucial for successful automation.

Cerebrospinal fluid levels of amyloid precursor protein and amyloid beta-peptide in Alzheimer's disease and major depression - inverse correlation with dementia severity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive dementia that ultimately leads to death. Histopathological hallmarks of AD include brain amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles. Major depression is a frequent diagnosis in every gerontopsychiatric clinic that sees patients with both cognitive and affective disorders. Many depressed patients, in fact, are clinically characterized by cognitive impairments. Thus, an assay that excludes - or confirms - probable AD in cognitively impaired patients is desirable. Such assays may use protein markers that are derived from such histopathologically relevant molecules as the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its derivatives including the amyloid beta-peptides (Abeta). To evaluate the differential diagnostic properties of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Abeta and secreted soluble ectodomain (APPs), we quantitated CSF levels of these measures in AD patients and compared them to age-matched control patients with major depression. CSF levels of APPs and Abeta were similar in patients with AD or major depression, and the apolipoprotein E genotype had no influence on CSF levels of Abeta in AD patients. Measurement of Abeta peptide using a novel zinc/copper capture ELISA that detects aggregated Abeta peptides as well demonstrated similar levels in AD and major depression. In AD patients, CSF levels of total Abeta (Abeta1-40 plus Abeta1-42) were inversely correlated with a functional measure of dementia severity (NOSGER), suggesting that CSF levels of Abeta decrease with advancing severity of AD. Thus, CSF levels of Abeta are not useful for the differentiation of AD from major depression. However, CSF levels of Abeta reflect the severity of dementia and may be useful as biological markers of the stage of the disease.