Der Feldbegriff in seiner Anwendung auf das Problem der Zellteilung

Summary The authors show that in certain isolated tissues (cornea of frog, mouse cancer) the mitotic processes continue during at least one hour. They are very strongly stimulated by heat and also by mitogenetic radiation. In the case of the cancer cells new mitoses are promoted in considerable number. A detailed analysis of both energy factors leads to the conclusion that they effect a disturbance of the unstable constellations (structures) of the elementary particles in the cell-body. Thus a certain degree of disorganisation of its plasma seems to stimulate cell-division. This statement is, in the opinion of the authors a proof that cell-division is controlled by a field, the trajectories of the elementary particles of the cell-body being a function of their coordinates relative to the cell-axes.

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Résumé Les auteurs démontrent que dans certains tissus survivants (la cornée des yeux de grenouille et le cancer de souris) les mitoses continuent leur processus d'évolution durant au moins une heure. Par l'application de chaleur aussi bien que par l'irradiation mitogénétique on peut accélérer beaucoup le rhythme des mitoses en cours d'évolution et provoquer (dans les cas de cancer seulement) l'apparition d'un nombre considérable de nouvelles mitoses. L'analyse de l'action de ces deux facteurs d'énergie aboutit à la conclusion qu'il ne peut s'agir que d'un dérangement des constellations instables des éléments du corps cellulaire. On peut en déduire qu'un certain degré de désorganisation du plasme est favorable aux divisions cellulaires. En poursuivant et en développant cette conception, les auteurs arrivent à la conception du champ cellulaire de division, définissant les trajectoires des particules élémentaires comme fonction de ses coordonnés relativement aux axes des cellules.

     

A trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor from seeds of Bauhenia purpurea

A trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor was partially purified from Bauhenia purpurea seeds and separated from a second inhibitor by Ecteola cellulose chromatography. The factor inhibited bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin as well as pronase trypsin and elastase. It formed a complex with trypsin and with chymotrypsin, but a ternary complex could not be detected. Differences were detected in the effect on trypsin and on chymotrypsin, although one enzyme interfered with the inhibition of the other. The results obtained point to two active centers on the inhibitor for the trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibition such that the one cannot complex with the inhibitor after this inhibitor had complexed with the other.     

What is the best age to circumcise? A medical and ethical analysis

Circumcision is often claimed to be simpler, safer and more cost-effective when performed in the neonatal period as opposed to later in life, with a greater benefit-to-risk ratio. In the first part of this paper, we critically examine the evidence base for these claims, and find that it is not as robust as is commonly assumed. In the second part, we demonstrate that, even if one simply grants these claims for the sake of argument, it still does not follow that neonatal circumcision is ethically permissible absent urgent medical necessity. Based on a careful consideration of the relevant evidence, arguments and counterarguments, we conclude that medically unnecessary penile circumcision—like other medically unnecessary genital procedures, such as ‘cosmetic’ labiaplasty—should not be performed on individuals who are too young (or otherwise unable) to provide meaningful consent to the procedure.     

Psychological and clinical characteristics of female patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Aims

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is increasingly recognised as a cause of myocardial infarction, but psychological characteristics of patients with SCAD have not yet been extensively investigated. We assessed the prevalence of a broad range of psychological and clinical factors, and their inter-relationships in patients with a history of SCAD. Furthermore, we investigated whether specific clusters of patients with SCAD can be identified.

Methods

Participants were recruited between March and May 2019 from a Dutch SCAD database and completed online questionnaires. Clinical information was verified by review of medical records. Participants were predominantly female (172/183; 94%). Analyses focused on the 172 female patients (mean age 52.0 ± 7.5 years, 37% postmenopausal).

Results

The most common comorbidities of SCAD were migraine (52%), fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD; 29%), chronic pain (29%), and tinnitus (28%). Six women (3%) had pregnancy-associated SCAD. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were rare (<10%), except for hypertension (31%). Psychological assessment indicated high levels of perceived stress (PSS-10 ≥14; 50%), fatigue (FAS-10 ≥22; 56%), and a frequent history of burnout (25%). The prevalence of depression (9%) and anxiety (12%) was relatively low. Three clusters were identified: (A) FMD and chronic non-ischaemic conditions (tinnitus, chronic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome); (B) migraine; and (C) none of these conditions.

Conclusion

This study shows that perceived stress and fatigue are common in patients with SCAD, in addition to prevalent comorbid FMD, migraine, tinnitus, and non-ischaemic pain conditions. These factors may add to developing tailored rehabilitation programmes for patients with SCAD.

     

Dietary fatty acids promote sleep through a taste‐independent mechanism

Consumption of foods that are high in fat contribute to obesity and metabolism‐related disorders. Dietary lipids are comprised of triglycerides and fatty acids, and the highly palatable taste of dietary fatty acids promotes food consumption, activates reward centers in mammals and underlies hedonic feeding. Despite the central role of dietary fats in the regulation of food intake and the etiology of metabolic diseases, little is known about how fat consumption regulates sleep. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful model system for the study of sleep and metabolic traits, and flies potently regulate sleep in accordance with food availability. To investigate the effects of dietary fats on sleep regulation, we have supplemented fatty acids into the diet of Drosophila and measured their effects on sleep and activity. We found that flies fed a diet of hexanoic acid, a medium‐chain fatty acid that is a by‐product of yeast fermentation, slept more than flies starved on an agar diet. To assess whether dietary fatty acids regulate sleep through the taste system, we assessed sleep in flies with a mutation in the hexanoic acid receptor Ionotropic receptor 56D, which is required for fatty acid taste perception. We found that these flies also sleep more than agar‐fed flies when fed a hexanoic acid diet, suggesting the sleep promoting effect of hexanoic acid is not dependent on sensory perception. Taken together, these findings provide a platform to investigate the molecular and neural basis for fatty acid‐dependent modulation of sleep.