OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the effect of two inhaled essential oils (black pepper or angelica) on the nicotine habits of students, staff, and faculty on a U.S. college campus.

DESIGN:Comparative study with pre-/post-test measures.

SETTING:Community college in rural East Texas.

PARTICIPANTS:Convenience sample of 20 volunteers from the college community (students, faculty, and staff) who were regular (daily) users of nicotine (cigarettes, snuff, or chewing tobacco).

INTERVENTIONS:Inhalation of one drop of essential oil on a tissue for 2 minutes when participant was craving nicotine.

OUTCOME MEASURES:(1) Pre-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, (2) post-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, and (3) minutes that participant waited from start of inhalation until next use of tobacco.

RESULTS:Both black pepper and angelica reduced the level of nicotine craving and allowed a longer delay before next use of tobacco. However, black pepper reduced the level of craving more than did angelica, and angelica allowed for a longer delay than did black pepper.

CONCLUSIONS:Aromatherapy may be useful in nicotine withdrawal. Further studies are warranted.

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aromatherapy on pain, depression, and feelings of satisfaction in life of arthritis patients.

METHOD:This study used a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group, pre-and post-test. The sample consisted of 40 patients, enrolled in the Rheumatics Center, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, South Korea. The essential oils used were lavender, marjoram, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint blended in proportions of 2:1:2:1:1. They were mixed with a carrier oil composed of almond (45%), apricot(45%), and jojoba oil(10%) and they were diluted to 1.5% after blending. The data were analyzed using an 2-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test and paired t-test.

RESULT:Aromatherapy significantly decreased both the pain score and the depression score of the experimental group compared with the control group. However, aromatherapy didn't increase the feeling of satisfaction in life of the experimental group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION:The result of this study clearly shows that aromatherapy has major effects on decreasing pain and depression levels. Based on our experiment's findings, we suggest that aromatherapy can be a useful nursing intervention for arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to discuss the effect of pelvic floor muscle training on fecal incontinence.

METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on patients who received pelvic floor muscle training from March 2002 to April 2007. There were 55 patients with fecal incontinence (male, 32 cases; female, 23 cases; mean age, 9.4 years old from 6 to 14), including 39 cases of anorectal malformation and 16 cases of Hirschsprung's disease. Pelvic floor muscle training was performed using biofeedback for 2 weeks in hospital, 2 times each day, and 30 minutes each time. The patients were then instructed to carry out self-training at home without the biofeedback device daily and received training evaluations in the hospital outpatient department monthly. All patients completed the training regimen and were followed up for 1 year. Anal manometry and clinical score were evaluated before and after training.

RESULTS: Anal continence of 30 patients had satisfactory improvement, but not for the other 25 cases after training. The mean anal squeeze pressures of the group that had good results and the group that had poor results were 98.4 +/- 7.3 and 47.4 +/- 13.6 mm Hg, respectively, before training. There were 31 patients whose anal squeeze pressures were above 80 mm Hg, and 26 of these had satisfactory anal continence improvement, including all patients with Hirschsprung's disease. On the contrary, only 4 of 24 cases whose anal squeeze pressure was below 80 mm Hg acquired satisfactory anal continence improvement.

CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic floor muscle training could achieve good results in some patients with fecal incontinence. Baseline measurements during anorectal manometry appear to provide good prediction of prognosis and effective management.

This study investigated the effects of wearing compression garments during and 24 h following a 4-h exercise protocol simulating manual-labour tasks. Ten physically trained male participants, familiar with labouring activities, undertook 4 h of work tasks characteristic of industrial workplaces. Participants completed 2 testing sessions, separated by at least 1 week. In the experimental condition, participants wore a full-length compression top and compression shorts during the exercise protocol and overnight recovery, with normal work clothes worn in the control condition. Testing for serum creatine kinase and C-reactive protein, handgrip strength, knee flexion and extension torque, muscle stiffness, perceived muscle soreness and fatigue as well as heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses to 4-min cycling were performed before, following, and 24 h after exercise. Creatine kinase, muscle soreness, and rating of perceived fatigue increased following the exercise protocol (p<0.05) as did RPE to a standardised cycling warm-up bout. Conversely, no postexercise changes were observed in C-reactive protein, handgrip strength, peak knee flexion torque, or stiffness measures (p>0.05). Knee extension torque was significantly higher in the control condition at 24 h postexercise (3.1%± 5.4% change; compression: 2.2% ± 11.1% change), although no other variables were different between conditions at any time. However, compression demonstrated a moderate-large effect (d>0.60) to reduce perceived muscle soreness, fatigue, and RPE from standardised warm-up at 24 h postexercise. The current findings suggest that compression may assist in perceptual recovery from manual-labour exercise with implications for the ability to perform subsequent work bouts.

:Compression garments are frequently used to facilitate recovery from strenuous exercise.

PURPOSE:To identify the effects of 2 different grades of compression garment on recovery indices after strenuous exercise.

METHODS:Forty-five recreationally active participants (n = 26 male and n = 19 female) completed an eccentric-exercise protocol consisting of 100 drop jumps, after which they were matched for body mass and randomly but equally assigned to a high-compression pressure (HI) group, a low-compression pressure (LOW) group, or a sham ultrasound group (SHAM). Participants in the HI and LOW groups wore the garments for 72 h postexercise; participants in the SHAM group received a single treatment of 10-min sham ultrasound. Measures of perceived muscle soreness, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), countermovement-jump height (CMJ), creatine kinase (CK), C-reactive protein (CRP), and myoglobin (Mb) were assessed before the exercise protocol and again at 1, 24, 48, and 72 h postexercise. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures ANOVA.

RESULTS:Recovery of MVC and CMJ was significantly improved with the HI compression garment (P<.05). A significant time-by-treatment interaction was also observed for jump height at 24 h postexercise (P<.05). No significant differences were observed for parameters of soreness and plasma CK, CRP, and Mb.

CONCLUSIONS:The pressures exerted by a compression garment affect recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage, with higher pressure improving recovery of muscle function.

CONTEXT: Many individuals suffer from various kinds of chronic pain. Some controlled studies on distant healing for chronic pain exist, but no definitive conclusion has been established.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of distant healing performed by a professional Japanese healer on chronic pain.

DESIGN: A double-blind randomized controlled study. SETTING: Holos University, Fair Grove, Missouri.

SUBJECTS: People suffering from chronic pain (not caused by clear organic diseases or that persists long after a reasonable period of healing following injuries or surgery) were recruited through local radio and newspaper advertising. Subjects were randomly assigned to a treatment group or control group using a double-blind procedure.

INTERVENTIONS: All subjects met the healer at the initial session at Holos University. At the session, a 20-minute group meditation was performed. The healer went back to Japan after the session and started distant healing only to the treatment group for a 2-month period. All participants were asked to meditate for 20 minutes every day during this 2-month period.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The visual analog scale and McGill Pain Questionnaire.

RESULTS: A total of 17 subjects were recruited, and 16 subjects completed the study. Comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment visual analog scale indicated a slightly significant effect of distant healing (P=.056). The Present Pain Intensity Scale showed significant improvement in the treatment group compared to the control group (P=.0016). The Pain Rating Index showed improvement in the treatment group, but the difference between both groups was not statistically significant (P=.12).

Our study investigated the effect of a music training program on working memory (verbal memory, visual memory, and as a part of central executive processing working memory) in older adults. The experimental group was musically trained (drumming and singing), whereas one control group received a literature training program and a second control group was untrained. We randomly assigned 24 participants (all females; M = 77 years and 3 months) to the music group, the literature group, and the untrained group. The training groups were trained for 15 weeks. The three groups did not differ significantly in age, socioeconomic status, music education, musical aptitude, cognitive abilities, or depressive symptoms.We did not find differences in the music group in central executive function. However, we found a potential effect of music training on verbal memory and an impact of music training on visual memory. Musically trained participants remembered more words from a word list than both control groups, andthey were able to remember more symbol sequences correctly than the control groups. Our findings show a possible effect of music training on verbal and visual memory in older people.

BACKGROUND:Grape seed extract (GSE) is a natural supplement known for its various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effect. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GSE supplementation on inflammatory markers, neuropeptide Y, anthropometric measurements, and appetite in obese or overweight individuals.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 40 obese or overweight subjects who were randomly assigned to receive GSE (300 mg/day) or placebo for a period of 12-weeks. Both groups were under a restricted calorie diet (RCD)(~250 kcal lower than the estimated energy requirement). Anthropometric measurements, biochemical biomarkers and dietary intakes were determined during the study period.

RESULTS:The reductions of body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio were significantly higher in the GSE group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.045, 0.033, 0.029, and 0.021, respectively). Lower levels of neuropeptide Y, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were observed in the GSE group in comparison with the placebo group (P = 0.041, 0.001, and 0.034, respectively).

CONCLUSION:GSE supplement with a RCD has favorable effects in reducing anthropometric measurements and inflammatory markers in obese or overweight individuals, and may play an effective role in the treatment of obesity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of natural honey supplementation on seminal plasma cytokines, oxidative stress biomarkers, and antioxidants during 8 weeks of intensive cycling training in male road cyclists. Thirty-nine healthy nonprofessional male road cyclists aged 18-28 years participated in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to exercise + supplement (E + S, n = 20) and exercise (E, n = 19) groups. All subjects participated in 8 weeks of intensive cycling training. Ninety minutes before each training session, subjects in the E + S group supplemented with 70 g of honey, whereas subjects in the E group received 70 g of an artificial sweetener. All subjects had an initial semen sampling at baseline (T(1)). The next 6 semen collections were collected immediately (T(2)) and 12 (T(3)) and 24 hours (T(4)) after the last training session in week 4, as well as immediately (T(5)) and 12 (T(6)) and 24 hours (T(7)) after the last training session in week 8, respectively. In the E group, 8 weeks of intensive cycling training significantly increased seminal interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P<.008) and significantly decreased the levels of seminal superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P<.008). Significantly less elevation in seminal IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, ROS, and MDA levels (P<.008) and significant increases in seminal SOD, catalase, and TAC concentrations were observed after the honey supplementation in the E + S group (P<.008). It may be possible that honey supplementation following long-term intensive cycling training would be effective in attenuating the probable aggravating effects of intensive cycling training on spermatogenesis and fertility capacity in road cyclists.

Background:Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common problems in women of childbearing age. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of aromatherapy on PPD.

Materials and Methods:In this study, 105 pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled using convenient sampling and randomly assigned to three groups. The intervention group dropped 7 drops of lavender oil and 1 cc rose water at the concentration of 100%, and the placebo group dropped 7 drops of odorless sesame seed oil, with 1 cc of musk willow sweat at the concentration of 100% by dropper on a special cloth. They put the cloths on their mouths and took 10 deep breaths before sleeping and then placed them next to their pillows. The control group only received the routine care. The intervention lasted from 38week of pregnancy until 6 weeks after delivery. Then depression level was determined before the intervention, 35-37 weeks of pregnancy, 2 and 6 weeks after delivery using Edinburgh questionnaire.

Results:The mean of depression score in the intervention group decreased significantly compared to the placebo and control groups, 2 weeks (= 9.412,<0.001) and 6 weeks after delivery (= 7.813,<0.01).

Conclusions:This study provides valid evidence for the effect of aromatherapy on PPD. Therefore, the use of aromatherapy can be recommended in high.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to characterize patients who were diagnosed with glucose transporter protein 1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1D), and also to assess the efficacy of ketogenic diet (KD) therapy on seizure control, cognitive functions, and other neurological disorders. Patients and Methods We studied six unrelated patients with the classical phenotype of Glut1D, focusing on clinical and laboratory features, the KD therapy and outcome over the 25-month follow-up period. Results Five patients became seizure-free with the onset of ketosis, and anticonvulsants were discontinued. Other neurological features such as ataxia, spasticity, and dystonia showed a less striking improvement than seizure control. There was no significant change in the intelligence quotient (IQ) level or microcephaly. In all patients, alertness, concentration, motivation, and activity resulted in a moderate improvement of variable degree. The early-onset adverse effects of KD were observed in five patients. The KD regimen failed in one patient, therefore, his diet was changed with an alternative to KD. Conclusions Treatment with KD resulted in a marked improvement in seizures and cognitive functions but its effect appeared to be less striking on the other neurological disorders of the patients. When the classic KD is not tolerated, an alternative to KD may be helpful.

OBJECTIVE:Investigate the effects of lavender oil on the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and mood responses in humans after inhalation.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:Twenty healthy volunteers participated in the experiments. The present study assessed autonomic parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature to determine the arousal level of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, subjects were asked to estimate their mood responses such as feeling pleasant or unpleasant, uncomfortable, sensuality, relaxation, or refreshing in order to assess subjective behavioral arousal. Finally, electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded from 31 electrodes on the scalp according to the international 10 to 20 system, and EEG power spectra were calculated by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Data was analyzed by comparing the effects of lavender oil on physiological and mood states with sweet almond oil. These assessments were measured before and after using paired t-test statistical procedure.

RESULTS:The results revealed that lavender oil caused significant decreases of blood pressure, heart rate, and skin temperature, which indicated a decrease of autonomic arousal. In terms of mood responses, the subjects in the lavender oil group categorized themselves as more active, fresher relaxed than subjects just inhaling base oil. Compared with base oil, lavender oil increased the power of theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-13 Hz) brain activities. The topographic map showed obviously more scattering power in alpha range waves particularly in bilateral temporal and central area.

CONCLUSION:The findings provided evidence the relaxing effect of inhaling lavender oil.

The aim of our study was to determine whether nasal massage of the "yingxiang" acupuncture point in patients with nasal congestion had any effect on nasal airway resistance (NAR) measured by posterior rhinomanometry and sensation of nasal airflow measured on a visual analog scale (VAS). Twenty patients were randomized into two groups; one group self massaged the yingxiang point for 30 seconds, while the other group acted as control group without nasal massage. NAR and VAS were measured at baseline, and at 2 and 10 minutes after massage. At the end of the study, patients were asked to score any change in their nasal congestion. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in percentage change in NAR or VAS from baseline at any time during the study, although the massage group showed trends toward decongestion and relief from congestion. At the end of the study, more patients in the massage group than the control group felt their nasal congestion was improved (p<0.005). It is interesting that all three measures (NAR, VAS, and end question) showed that the nasal massage group had greater relief from nasal congestion than the control group. The results of this study, when taken together, indicate that nasal massage may provide some relief from nasal congestion and that further studies involving a larger patient population are warranted to determine whether nasal massage has a significant effect on NAR.

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral cryotherapy on oral mucositis, reactive oxygen series, inflammatory cytokines, and oral comfort in patients undergoing chemotherapy for gynecologic cancers.

METHODS:Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=25, receiving oral cryotherapy during chemotherapy) and the control group (n=25, receiving the usual care consisting of 0.9% normal saline gargles three times before meals). Oral mucositis was assessed using the oral assessment guide, while oral comfort was assessed using the oral perception guide. Reactive oxygen series was measured as total oxidant stress, and the level of two inflammatory markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were examined. The data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS:There was a significant difference in the oral mucositis score, reactive oxygen series score, TNF-α level, and oral comfort score between the two groups, and there were significant changes over time and in the group-by-time interactions. There was a significant difference in the IL-6 score between the two groups, but there were no significant changes over time or in the group-by-time interactions.

CONCLUSION:The study results revealed that oral cryotherapy was more effective than the usual care regime of normal saline gargles for reducing oral mucositis, reactive oxygen series, and inflammatory cytokines and for improving oral comfort in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

This study was designed to determine whether kefir accentuates the positive health benefits assessed by measures in fitness, body composition, or both, as a measure of cardiovascular disease risk as well as the biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP). Sixty-seven adult males and females aged 18 to 24 yr were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (1) endurance training + control beverage, (2) endurance training +kefir beverage,(3) active control + control beverage, or (4) active control + kefir beverage. The exercise groups completed 15 wk of structured endurancetraining while the active control groups maintained their usual exercise routine. Additionally, each group was assigned to either a kefir or a calorie/macronutrient matched placebo beverage that was consumed twice per week. No significant interactions were found among groups with respect to outcome variables with the exception of serum CRP. The endurance training was effective in improving 1.5-mile (2.41 km) times and kefir supplementation may have been a factor in attenuating the increase in CRP that was observed over the course of the intervention period. This preliminary study suggests that kefir may be involved in improving the risk profile for cardiovascular disease as defined by CRP.

Ginger possesses analgesic and pharmacological properties mimicking non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. We aimed to determine if ginger supplementation is efficacious for attenuating muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following high-intensity resistance exercise. Following a 5-day supplementation period of placebo or 4 g ginger (randomized groups), 20 non-weight trained participants performed a high-intensity elbow flexor eccentric exercise protocol to induce muscle damage. Markers associated with muscle damage and DOMS were repeatedly measured before supplementation and for 4 days following the exercise protocol. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed one repetition maximum lift decreased significantly 24 h post-exercise in both groups (p < 0.005), improved 48 h post-exercise only in the ginger group (p = 0.002), and improved at 72 (p = 0.021) and 96 h (p = 0.044) only in the placebo group. Blood creatine kinase significantly increased for both groups (p = 0.015) but continued to increase only in the ginger group72 (p = 0.006) and 96 h (p = 0.027) post-exercise. Visual analog scale of pain was significantly elevated following eccentric exercise (p < 0.001) and was not influenced by ginger. In conclusion, 4 g of ginger supplementation may be used to accelerate recovery of muscle strength following intense exercise but does not influence indicators of muscle damage or DOMS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley&Sons, Ltd.

This pilot study examined the effects of Reiki therapy and companionship on improvements in quality of life, mood, and symptom distress during chemotherapy. Thirty-six breast cancer patients received usual care, Reiki, or a companion during chemotherapy. First, data were collected from patients receiving usual care. Second, patients were randomized to either receive Reiki or a companion during chemotherapy. Questionnaires assessing quality of life, mood, symptom distress, and Reiki acceptability were completed at baseline and chemotherapy sessions 1, 2, and 4. Reiki was rated relaxing with no side effects. Reiki and companion groups reported improvements in quality of life and mood that were greater than those seen in the usual care group. Interventions during chemotherapy, such as Reiki or companionship, are feasible, acceptable, and may reduce side effects.

Respiratory dysfunction and complications are the most common causes of death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This is a pilot study to observe the changes in respiratory physiology parameters after Sa-am acupuncture treatment. Eighteen ALS patients received Sa-am acupuncture treatment twice a day for 5 days. The EtCO2, SpO2, RR, and pulse rate were measured for 15 min before and during treatment, using capnography and oximetry. Correlation of K-ALSFRS-R scores against measured parameters showed that patients who had high K-ALSFRS-R scores had greater changes in pulse rate after acupuncture stimulation; they also showed a decrease in EtCO2, RR, and pulse rate and an increase in SpO2. A comparison of the mean values of these different parameters before and after Sa-am acupuncture stimulation revealed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in SpO2 and pulse rate, but none in EtCO2 and RR. Sa-am acupuncture treatment on ALS patients seems to be more effective in the early stages of the disease. In light of increased SpO2 values, Sa-am acupuncture appears to have a greater effect on inspiration rather than on expiration. As a pilot study of acupuncture on ALS patients, this study could be used as a basis for future research.

OBJECTIVE:This study sought to investigate the influence of spinal dysfunction and spinal manipulation on the response of the central nervous system to a motor training task.

METHODS:The dual peripheral nerve stimulation somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) ratio technique was used in 11 subjects before and after a 20-minute typing task and again when the typing task was preceded with cervical spine manipulation. Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded after median and ulnar nerve stimulation at the wrist (1 millisecond square wave pulse, 2.47 Hz, 1x motor threshold). The SEP ratios were calculated for the N9, N11, N13, P14-18, N20-P25, and P22-N30 peak complexes from SEP amplitudes obtained from simultaneous median and ulnar (MU) stimulation divided by the arithmetic sum of SEPs obtained from individual stimulation of the median (M) and ulnar (U) nerves.

RESULTS:There was a significant increase in the MU/M+U ratio for both cortical (ie, N20-P25 and P22-N30) SEP components after the 20-minute repetitive contraction task. This did not occur when the motor training task was preceded with spinal manipulation. Instead, there was a significant decrease in the MU/M+U ratio for the cortical P22-N30 SEP component. The ratio changes appear to be due to changes in the ability to suppress the dual input as concurrent changes in the MU amplitudes were observed.

DISCUSSION:This study suggests that cervical spine manipulation not only alters cortical integration of dual somatosensory input but also alters the way the central nervous system responds to subsequent motor training tasks.

CONCLUSION:These findings may help to clarify the mechanisms responsible for the effective relief of pain and restoration of functional ability documented after spinal manipulation and the mechanism involved in the initiation of overuse injuries.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of aromatherapy on blood pressure and stress responses of clients with essential hypertension. METHOD: There were fifty-two subjects divided into an essential oil group, placebo group, and control group by random assignment. The application of aromatherapy was the inhalation method of blending oils with lavender, ylangylang, and bergamot once daily for 4 weeks. To evaluate the effects of aromatherapy, blood pressure and pulse were measured two times a week and serum cortisol levels, catecholamine levels, subjective stress, and state anxiety were measured before and after treatment in the three groups. Data was analyzed by repeated measures of ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and chi(2)-test using the SPSS 10.0 program. RESULTS: The blood pressure, pulse, subjective stress, state anxiety, and serum cortisol levels among the three groups were significantly statistically different. The differences of catecholamine among the three groups were not significant statistically. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the inhalation method using essential oils can be considered an effective nursing intervention that reduces psychological stress responses and serum cortisol levels, as well as the blood pressure of clients with essential hypertension.