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This study examined self-reported state anxiety (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence) measured by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Martens, Vealey, Bump,Smith, 1990) and physiological responses (salivary cortisol concentration and heart rate) in elite golfers prior to, during and on completion of a tournament and practice round. The relationships between psychophysiological variables were investigated by comparing physiological and psychological responses during competition and practice to each other, and to performance. Performance was determined for each player as the difference between 18 hole score and handicap. Fifteen male Professional Golfing Association (PGA) trainees (aged 21-25 years) competed in a PGA sanctioned tournament and a practice round on the same, or similar golf course. Players completed the CSAI-2 and collected saliva for cortisol analysis on four occasions: prior to tee off, and after completing holes 6, 12 and 18. Cortisol concentration was corrected for circadian variations in cortisol secretion, using baseline cortisol measures. Within-subject analysis revealed elite golfers experienced elevated cortisol, heart rate, cognitive and somatic anxiety, and lower self-confidence during competition compared to practice. For both game conditions, the highest cortisol response was measured prior to the commencement of play, whilst state anxiety measures did not change significantly during the golf rounds. Univariate and multivariate analyses failed to reveal significant correlations between the psychophysiological variables and golf performance. In conclusion, competition and practice were clearly discriminated by the psychophysiological variables, but none of these predicted performance.

The alpha neurone habituates to repetitive short (40 msec.) or long (2–3 sec.) pulses of sound. The response decrement to 10 short pulses at 1/sec. is exponential. Twenty-five minutes is required for complete recovery to 20 short pulses at 1/sec. No dishabituation followed various changes in stimulus repetition. The C.N.S. affects both response level and habituation. In 13% of all animals the neurone was completely inhibited by the head ganglia and was disinhibited by decapitation. Progressive lesions reveal strong inhibition by the head ganglia, and possibly weaker inhibition by the abdominal chain; the prothoracic ganglion has no apparent effect. Removal of the head ganglia almost halves the habituation rate; further removal of the abdominal chain may give a further slight reduction; the prothoracic ganglion has no effect. There is a significant negative correlation between response level and habituation. This could be partially explained if the absolute response decrement is independent of response level. The remaining decrease in habituation observed suggests either a further link between response level and habituation at the synapse, or possibly independent central control of both. Central control affects habituation more than response level. Spontaneous variation in response level is unaffected by the various central lesions. It thus arises in the posterior thoracic ganglia, and not as descending inhibition or excitation from higher centres. These findings are related to the animal’s biology and to previous work.

Two cases of intramural diverticulosis are reported. One of them representing intramural diverticulosis of the oesophagus is the first on record. The other case, where Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses have been demonstrated by filling of the gall-bladder with barium suspension through a cholecysto-duodenal anastomosis, shows non-filling, partial and complete filling of the intramural diverticula during the same barium meal examination. The significance of increased intraluminal pressure and intramural pathology in producing intramural diverticulosis in both cases is discussed. A review of the literature is submitted.

The responses of the auditory interneurones indicate that the tettigoniid ear discriminates frequencies. The T fibre receives strong ipsilateral and weak contralateral excitatory inputs and a strong contralateral inhibitory input, from the tympanic nerves. These inputs are frequency-sensitive, the response being greatest at 30 kcyc./sec. and above. Responsiveness is low in the region of 15 kcyc./sec., which is the dominant song frequency. At 30 kcyc./sec. the T fibre is most sensitive to amplitude increments, and conveys maximal directional information. Both the T fibre and the ear (as judged by the compound potential in the tympanic nerve) respond to steps of 2 dB. The directionality of the ear is enhanced by the contralateral inhibitory connexions of the T fibre. At 15 kcyc./sec. directionality is poor, but is present at 10 kcyc./sec. The T fibre is inhibited by continuous sounds, including the species song. The extent of the inhibitory effect varies with the amplitude of the continuous sound. This may assist in explaining the ‘phasic’ response of the T fibre. There is little habituation to repetitive stimuli. A small interneurone seen in split connectives gives a ‘tonic’ response to song and to continuous sound. It may inhibit the T fibre. Two other auditory fibres are occasionally recorded in the connectives. The T fibre has all the properties required of a warning system responding to pulsed high-frequency sound, and it responds well to bat cries. There is, however, no evidence that it mediates a behavioural response.

The effects of LSD on neuronal activity in the LGN were studied in cats anaesthetised with urethane. LSD was given in doses of 25 μg, 100 μg, 200 μg and 300 μg per cat. Changes in neuronal activity were compared with those observed in a control population of cells recorded from animals that had received 0.5 ml of physiological saline or no treatment. The spontaneous firing rate, the responses to light stimuli delivered to the centre and to the surround regions of the receptive fields were all depressed by the drug. There was a dose response relationship which was almost identical (slope, b = -0.19 to -0.20) for each of these aspects of LGN neuronal activity. In a given cell changes in spontaneous activity were not correlated with changes in the responses to field centre or surround stimulation. Changes in response to field centre stimulation were not predictive of changes in response to field surround stimulation except in the LSD≧ 100 μg treatment groups. In these groups the variances of the change in spontaneous activity were greater than those in the controls. It is concluded that, in the doses used, LSD does not exert a uniformly depressant action on postsynaptic membranes: the effects observed are consistent with an action on the release of transmitter substance and/or its interaction with receptors. BOL 148, the non-psychoactive analogue of LSD did not completely reproduce the effects of any dose of LSD used in this study. The possible consequences of the action of LSD on LGN neurones for the processing of visual information is discussed.

Occlusion of the pulmonary artery branch to the right upper lung, in a man of 47 years, was suspected from the finding of a translucent area in the X-ray of his chest. This diagnosis was confirmed by angiogram, done during cardiac catheterisation.

It is sometimes assumed that in order to establish that compensation should be paid to children who are born malformed as a result of injuries done negligently to the foetus it is necessary to regard the foetus as having rights, and it is frequently argued that to admit that the foetus has rights provides the basis for a strong, perhaps overriding, argument against abortion. If this is so, then there are two conflicting tendencies in what might be called liberal social attitudes concerning the foetus. On the one hand there is the view, characteristically held by defenders of abortion, that the foetus has no rights to stand in the way of abortion where this is thought to be desirable, and on the other hand there is the view, held by some who wish to establish that antenatal injury gives rise to valid claims for compensation, that the foetus has rights on the basis of which damages may be awarded against the negligent perpetrators of such injuries. It may therefore appear to the supporter of abortion that he must resist the tendency to admit claims based on antenatal injuries on the grounds that he cannot have it both ways; consequently he must abandon his position on abortion or modify his views on antenatal injury. Thus it has been alleged that American law appears schizoid because it protects the right to property and bodily integrity of someone who has no legal right even to exist, with the paradoxical result that it is legally permissible to kill but not to injure the foetus.1 How, it is asked, can the law permit abortion while at the same time it allows posthumous children to inherit, forces mothers to have blood transfusions in the interests of the health of the foetus, and rules that a child which dies almost immediately after birth may recover for prenatal injuries caused early in the pregnancy? Consistency requires, surely, either that the foetus has the right to health and happiness, in which case abortion is ruled out, or that it has not, in which case antenatal injury to the foetus does not give rise to claims by the foetus for damages against those who caused the injuries. In this paper we shall consider various solutions to this liberal paradox