Identification of Unknown Homeopathic Remedies by Delayed Luminescence

A quality control method of highly diluted and potentized homeopathic remedies is important for curing patients applying homeopathic therapy. Lenger detected photons in highly potentized homeopathic remedies by delayed luminescence. The photons of Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK magnetically bound to their carrier substances ethanol or saccharose were separated by their resonating magnetic field of about 2.06 MHz. The photons of these 100MK potency levels and of their reference substances were determined to be standard values calculated by the B ₂-values of Bajpai’s equation derived from the Hamiltonian equation. The stability of ethanolic Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK declined to 1/3 of their photons within a month in contrast to saccharose globules with Argentum metallicum 100MK having been stable during the period of these investigations for almost 1 year. Some remedies delivered as CMK potency had been proved to be ethanol. The testing amount of high ethanolic potencies is limited to 40 μl because 80 μl resulted in an attenuation of the photons; 40 μl equal 16 medicated saccharose globules. Six unknown homeopathic remedies could be identified as increasing potency levels of Argentum metallicum from 100MK to 1.000MK which indicates a calibration curve. The homeopathic factories having sent the unknown remedies confirmed the measurements. A quality control of homeopathic remedies is possible by comparing the different B ₂-values of the remedies and their carrier substances.     

Initiation of non-physiological division and manipulation of developmental pathway in cultured microspores ofMedicago sp.

Summary Lucerne (alfalfa —Medicago sativa) pollen, cultured at the late unicellular stage, followed one of two developmental pathways: (1) A pathway involving symmetric mitosis which produces pollen containing two vegetative (2 V) or two generative (2 G) pollen. This morphology was only observed in culture, and pollen which followed this developmental path is defined as non-physiological. Occasionally the formation of multi-nucleate pollen grains containing from 4–9 cells were observed. Sustained divisions were not observed. (2) The production of bicellular (V+G) pollen followed by tricellular (V+2G) pollen. Since these types of grains are encountered during development in vivo, pollen following this developmental pathway is defined as physiological. The proportion of pollen that divided was enhanced by a cold treatment at 4°C for one week, prior to culture. The ratio of non-physiological (i.e., 2V or 2G) to physiological pollen (G+V or 2G+V) was found to be affected by the nature of the osmoticum in the medium. Media containing maltose or melibiose gave higher proportions of non-physiological pollen than media containing glucose or sucrose.Culture of detached anthers favoured the formation of 2G pollen whereas culture of whole buds favoured the development of 2V pollen. The ratio of non-physiological to physiological pollen after 1 week of culture was used as a criterion for identifying protocols and media which may be more suitable for inducing sustained cell division in lucerne microspores.     

Electromagnetic Field Propagation in the One-Dimensional Silver Nanoparticle Dimer Chains: Hotspots and Energy Transport

Strong local electromagnetic (EM) fields and efficient EM energy transport in metallic nanostructures are two important issues in their applications in quantum computations/communications. We investigate the propagation characteristics of the hotspots in one-dimensional silver nanoparticle dimer chains, which combine the functions of the gap field enhancement and the waveguide. The near field and the far field induced interplay among the local field enhancement, the radiative interaction, and the dissipation affects significantly the EM field transport efficiency. Moreover, the correlation between local structure and global structure leads to the structure-dependent excitation. With the help of the combined effects of the structure-dependent excitation, the field confinement and the propagation, the efficient EM field excitation, and long-range propagation can be obtained by tuning the structure of our systems. With suitable geometric parameters (dimer orientations, dimer gap sizes) of our system, the electric field intensity at the position 5000 nm away from the starting point (exciting point) is about 50 times of the corresponding field intensity in a silver nanoparticle chain.

     

FOR HOMEOPATHY: A PRACTISING PHYSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE

This article is a rebuttal to Kevin Smith's ‘Against Homeopathy,’ which was posted on 14 February 2011. 1 It contends that his argument rests entirely on the assumption that homeopathic remedies are nothing but placebos. His argumentation is good, but his assumption is false. Evidence is presented to show that the Law of Similars is plausible and that ultradilute remedies do indeed have biological activity.     

A comparison of experience-dependent plasticity in the visual and somatosensory systems

In the visual and somatosensory systems, maturation of neuronal circuits continues for days to weeks after sensory stimulation occurs. Deprivation of sensory input at various stages of development can induce physiological, and often structural, changes that modify the circuitry of these sensory systems. Recent studies also reveal a surprising degree of plasticity in the mature visual and somatosensory pathways. Here, we compare and contrast the effects of sensory experience on the connectivity and function of these pathways and discuss what is known to date concerning the structural, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying their plasticity.     

Physical and chemical perturbations induce the formation of protein aggregates with different structural features

The in vitro aggregation of the model GST–GFP fusion protein was induced by several effectors, including those mimicking variations occurring under cell stress conditions. In particular, we examined the effects of thermal treatments, redox state and pH variations, salt addition, and freezing and thawing cycles. The resulting aggregates displayed different morphologies as seen by electron microscopy, and different secondary and tertiary structures, as indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence. Therefore, proteins can be forced to undergo multiple aggregation pathways that lead to assemblies with different molecular structures and, possibly, specific physiological and pathological roles.In conclusion, great caution should be taken in inferring conclusions on protein aggregation and disaggregation in vivo from results obtained using aggregates produced under non-physiological perturbations.     

A theory of cerebral learning regulated by the reward system

Hypothetical mechanisms of the neocorticohippocampal system are presented. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical findings concerning the system are integrated to demonstrate how animals associate sensory stimuli with rewarding actions: (1) cortical plasticity regulated by cholinergic/noradrenergic inputs from the hypothalamic reward system reinforces association connections between the most activated columns in the cortex; (2) the repetitive reinforcement forms association pathways connecting sensory cortical columns activated by the stimuli with motor cortical columns producing the rewarding actions; (3) after the pathways are formed, the cortex is capable of temporarily memorizing the stimuli by producing long-term potentiation through the cortico-hippocampal circuits; and (4) the memory allows the cortex to extend correct association pathways even in an environment where sensory stimuli rapidly change. A mathematical model of parts of the nervous system is presented to quantitatively examine the mechanisms. Membrane characteristics of single neurons are given by the Hodgkin-Huxley electric circuit. According to anatomical data, neural circuits of the neocortico-hippocampal system are composed by connecting populations of the model neurons. Computer simulation using physiological data concerning ion channels demonstrates how the mechanisms work and how to test the hypotheses presented.A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Tokyo, December 1991     

Bioelectromagnetic medicine: The role of resonance signaling

Only recently has the critical importance of electromagnetic (EM) field interactions in biology and medicine been recognized. We review the phenomenon of resonance signaling, discussing how specific frequencies modulate cellular function to restore or maintain health. The application of EM-tuned signals represents more than merely a new tool in information medicine. It can also be viewed in the larger context of EM medicine, the all-encompassing view that elevates the EM over the biochemical. The discovery by Zhadin that ultrasmall magnetic intensities are biologically significant suggests that EM signaling is endogenous to cell regulation, and consequently that the remarkable effectiveness of EM resonance treatments reflects a fundamental aspect of biological systems. The concept that organisms contain mechanisms for generating biologically useful electric signals is not new, dating back to the nineteenth century discovery of currents of injury by Matteucci. The corresponding modern-day version is that ion cyclotron resonance magnetic field combinations help regulate biological information. The next advance in medicine will be to discern and apply those EM signaling parameters acting to promote wellness, with decreasing reliance on marginal biochemical remediation and pharmaceuticals.     

Intragastric administration of AMG517, a TRPV1 antagonist,enhanced activity-dependent energy metabolism via capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves in mice

ABSTRACT

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a nociceptive cation channel, is known to play roles in regulating the energy metabolism (EM) of the whole body. We previously reported that TRPV1 antagonists such as AMG517 enhanced EM in mice, however, these mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms underlying the enhancement of EM by AMG517, a selective TRPV1 antagonist, in mice. Respiratory gas analysis indicated that intragastric administration of AMG517 enhanced EM along with increasing locomotor activity in mice. Next, to clarify the possible involvement with afferent sensory nerves, including the vagus, we desensitized the capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves of mice by systemic capsaicin treatment. In the desensitized mice, intragastric administration of AMG517 did not change EM and locomotor activity. Therefore, this study indicated that intragastric administration of AMG517 enhanced EM and increased locomotor activity via capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves, including vagal afferents in mice.     

Glucose catabolism by Thiobacillus A2 grown in chemostat culture under carbon or nitrogen limitation

Thiobacillus A2 was grown in glucose- or ammonium-limited chemostats and relative contributions of the Embden-Meyerhof (EM), Entner-Doudoroff (ED) and pentose phosphate (PP) pathways to glucose catabolism estimated by ¹⁴C-glucose radiorespirometry. In fast growing strain GFI, the EM pathway predominated (41–79%) under all growth conditions with the PP pathway contributing 18–30%. The ED pathway was apparently absent under some conditions of glucose limitation. In contrast, wild type Thiobacillus A2 exhibited predominance of the EM pathway (43–48%) under ammonium-limitation but apparent predominance of the PP pathway (43–55%) under glucose-limitation, although all three pathways were calculated to operate. Under some conditions of glucose limitation the EM pathway was possibly considerably depressed. No clear pattern of response of the three pathways to altered environmental conditions could be deduced, although marked change in pathway activities were obviously induced. Growth yield was apparently unaffected by variation in pathways. The problems of interpreting such complex radiorespirometric data are discussed.Abbreviations EM Embden-Meyerhof - ED Entner-Doudoroff - KDPG 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate - 6-PG 6-phosphogluconate - PK phosphoketolase - PP pentose phosphate     

Iridium Oxide‐Assisted Plasmon‐Induced Hot Carriers: Improvement on Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Hot Carriers

Plasmonic nanostructures are capable of driving photocatalysis through absorbing photons in the visible region of the solar spectrum. Unfortunately, the short lifetime of plasmon‐induced hot carriers and sluggish surface chemical reactions significantly limit their photocatalytic efficiencies. Moreover, the thermodynamically favored excitation mechanism of plasmonic photocatalytic reactions is unclear. The mechanism of how the plasmonic catalyst could enhance the performance of chemical reaction and the limitation of localized surface plasmon resonance devices is proposed. In addition, a design is demonstrated through co‐catalyst decorated plasmonic nanoparticles Au/IrO_X upon a semiconductor nanowire‐array TiO₂ electrode that are able to considerably improve the lifetime of plasmon‐induced charge‐carriers and further facilitate the kinetics of chemical reaction. A thermodynamically favored excitation with improved kinetics of hot carriers is revealed through electrochemical studies and characterization of X‐ray absorption spectrum. This discovery provides an opportunity to efficiently manage hot carriers that are generated from metal nanostructures through surface plasmon effects for photocatalysis applications.     

Lateralized memory storage and crossed inhibition during odor processing by Limax

After odor conditioning intact Limax maximus and injecting LY into their haemocoel, labeled groups of neurons are found in either the right or left procerebral lobe but never in both procerebral lobes. This suggests that a competitive interaction occurs between right and left odor processing pathways of which the procerebral lobe is a part. We use the nerve discharge in the external peritentacular nerve evoked by applying a puff of conditioned odor to the nose to document crossed inhibition between left and right odor processing pathways. Responses in the external peritentacular nerve evoked by stimulating one superior nose with a conditioned odor are strongly lateralized as responses occur only on the stimulated side. Stimulating both superior noses simultaneously with the same conditioned odor yields responses in both external peritentacular nerves that resemble the sum of responses to unilateral stimulation. Simultaneously stimulating both superior noses, each with a different conditioned odor, leads to strong inhibition of both external peritentacular nerve responses. The crossed inhibition is also evident if both superior and inferior noses on the same side are stimulated simultaneously. A lateral inhibitory mechanism, situated postsynaptic to odor recognition, appears to inhibit external peritentacular nerve responses if the two noses receive conflicting sensory inputs. Accepted: 14 December 1999     

Expression of a human variant of CHMP2B linked to neurodegeneration in Drosophila external sensory organs leads to cell fate transformations associated with increased Notch activity

Proper function of cell signaling pathways is dependent upon regulated membrane trafficking events that lead to the endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of cell surface receptors. The endosomal complexes required for transport (ESCRT) genes play a critical role in the sorting of ubiquitinated cell surface proteins. CHMP2B^Intron5, a truncated form of a human ESCRT‐III protein, was discovered in a Danish family afflicted by a hereditary form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although the mechanism by which the CHMP2B mutation in this family causes FTD is unknown, the resulting protein has been shown to disrupt normal endosomal–lysosomal pathway function and leads to aberrant regulation of signaling pathways. Here we have misexpressed CHMP2B^Intron5 in the developing Drosophila external sensory (ES) organ lineage and demonstrate that it is capable of altering cell fates. Each of the cell fate transformations seen is compatible with an increase in Notch signaling. Furthermore, this interpretation is supported by evidence that expression of CHMP2B^Intron5 in the notum environment is capable of raising the levels of Notch signaling. As such, these results add to a growing body of evidence that CHMP2B^Intron5 can act rapidly to disrupt normal cellular function via the misregulation of critical cell surface receptor function.     

Prediction of protein interactions is essential for studying biomolecular mechanisms

Structural characterization of protein interactions is essential for our ability to understand and modulate physiological processes. Computational approaches to modeling of protein complexes provide structural information that far exceeds capabilities of the existing experimental techniques. Protein structure prediction in general, and prediction of protein interactions in particular, has been revolutionized by the rapid progress in Deep Learning techniques. The work of Schweke et al. (Proteomics 2023, 23, 2200323) presents a community-wide study of an important problem of distinguishing physiological protein–protein complexes/interfaces (experimentally determined or modeled) from non-physiological ones. The authors designed and generated a large benchmark set of physiological and non-physiological homodimeric complexes, and evaluated a large set of scoring functions, as well as AlphaFold predictions, on their ability to discriminate the non-physiological interfaces. The problem of separating physiological interfaces from non-physiological ones is very difficult, largely due to the lack of a clear distinction between the two categories in a crowded environment inside a living cell. Still, the ability to identify key physiologically significant interfaces in the variety of possible configurations of a protein–protein complex is important. The study presents a major data resource and methodological development in this important direction for molecular and cellular biology.     

Spermine stimulation of phospholipase C fromCatharanthus roseus transformed roots

Polyamines (Pas) are aliphatic amines that are ubiquitous in all living organisms and regulate a broad spectrum of physiological processes. It has been suggested that they can act through a signal transduction pathway. Using Catharanthus roseus hairy roots as a model we determined the levels of Pas throughout a culture cycle. We found that there is a peak in the intracellular concentration of Pas during the first six days of culture. The effect of Pas on phospholipase C (PLC) activity was also investigated. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were added in vitro to the PLC assay. Putrescine did not modify PLC activity; spermidine inhibited the enzyme but at very high, non-physiological concentrations; and spermine increased the PLC activity four-fold at physiological concentrations. Our results suggest that spermine could regulate root growth by regulating the PLC signal transduction mechanism.     

Factors Affecting Risk Perception of Electromagnetic Waves From 5G Network Base Stations

The coverage of the fifth-generation network has increased steadily since the network was introduced in 2019. However, public protests around the globe against the construction of 5G network base stations have continued to occur for fear that electromagnetic (EM) waves emitted from the stations would cause adverse health effects. To identify factors that have contributed to such increased risk perception, we conducted a cross-sectional study using data obtained from a survey that assessed Korean adults’ risk perception of EM wave-related objects. We found that female gender, high level of perceived exposure to EM waves, evaluation of public policies as ineffective, and high level of objective knowledge on EM waves were associated with increased risk perception. Furthermore, we found that higher ratings on a few risk characteristics such as “personal knowledge,” “seriousness of the risk to future generations,” “dreadfulness,” and “severity of consequences” were also associated with increased risk perception as well. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2020 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Bioelectromagnetics Society     

A new type of photoreceptor in Anthopharynx sacculipenis (Plathelminthes,Solenopharyngidae)

The unpaired eye of A. sacculipenis consists of two sensory cells and one pigmented mantle cell. The light-sensing organelles are formed by flattened and rolled lamellae, which are not of ciliary origin but derive from the surface membrane of the sensory cells. The pigment of the mantle cell appears black in living animals, but electron-lucent in the EM picture. The significance of these special features is discussed.     

Effects of the utilization of homeopathic elements in commercial diluent on swine sperm viability

It has been speculated that the homeopathic treatment of sperm cells in order to improve semen quality could be promising. However, few data is available and its use in spermatozoa requires investigation. It is well established that mitochondrial membrane potential is an important viability parameter of spermatozoa and it is intimately related to reproductive efficiency. In this manner, new technologies in order to improve the activity of sperm cells and, finally, the fecundity of swine herds are of extremely importance. Due to the lack of knowledge of homeopathic treatment effect on spermatozoa, the aim of the present study was to verify the effect of three different homeopathic treatments on viability of boar sperm cells. Three homeopathic treatments composed by Pulsatila CH6, Pulsatila and Avena CH6, Avena CH6 and one control treatment (sucrose) were added to diluted boar semen, which were cooled for 24 or 48 h. Interestingly, no positive effect of homeopathic treatments was observed over semen viability. However, it was demonstrated that the 24 h of cooling storage provided more viable sperm cells when compared to the 48-h period. This effect of storage period on sperm viability was assessed by intact plasmatic membrane, intact acrosome and mitochondrial membrane potential evaluation.     

Male-male courtship behavior induced by ectopic expression of the Drosophila white gene: Role of sensory function and age

Male-male courtship behavior was recently reported to be induced in large populations of Drosophila (e.g., 600–1500 flies) by ectopic expression of the white (w) gene. Little is known about the basis of this behavior; in male-female courtship, sensory cues are believed to play an important role. Previous data are consistent with the possibility that misexpression of w causes abnormal reception or processing of sensory information. We show here that w-induced male-male courtship occurs in isolated pairs of flies. Thus the behavior does not depend on sensory cues found only among large populations of flies, or on cues produced only by a small subset of such populations. This finding enabled quantitative analysis of mechanisms that underlie the behavior. Specifically, male-male courtship does not depend on the reception of olfactory information, nor on the reception or generation of auditory cues, as determined by surgical ablation of antennae, maxillary palps, or wings. Although the rapid onset of the behavior following w induction suggested that its basis could lie in a modulation of sensory physiology, we found visual, olfactory, and gustatory function to be normal in physiological or behavioral tests. The only sensory deprivation to produce an effect on male-male courtship was testing under dim red light; the percentage of flies courting another male was reduced to one-fourth of control values. A striking age dependence of the behavior is also documented: courtship between paired male mini-w⁺ flies was not observed in tests of very young (1-day-old) flies, but occurs at high levels between the ages of 1 and 4 weeks. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The oxidation metabolites of endomorphin 1 and its fragments induced by free radicals

Endomorphin 1 (EM1), an endogenous µ‐opioid receptor agonist, acts as a free radical scavenger in vitro and an antioxidant in vivo. The modification of EM1 by ROS and the properties of the OM attracted our attention. In vitro assays were performed via RP‐HPLC, spectrophotometric measurements, EPR and amino acid analysis, Schmorl's reaction to define the formation of melanin‐like compounds transformed from EM1, collectively named EM1–melanin and by solubility assay, radioligand‐binding assay, NADH oxidation, superoxide anion scavenging assay to study some physical and chemical properties of EM1–melanin. Possible pathways of the formation of EM1–melanin were proposed. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.