Influence of an electromagnetic field on high dilutions measured by ultraviolet light spectroscopy

Background: High dilutions of various starting materials, e.g. copper sulfate, Hypericum perforatum and sulfur, showed significant differences from controls and amongst different dilution levels in ultraviolet light (UV) transmission [1,2]. Exposure of high dilutions to external physical factors such as UV light or elevated temperature (37°C) also yielded significantly different UV transmissions compared to unexposed dilutions [2,3]. In a study with highland frogs it was shown that animals incubated with thyroxine 30c but not with thyroxine 30c exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of a microwave oven or mobile phone metamorphosed more slowly than control animals [4]. Aims: The aim was to test whether the EMF of a mobile phone influences the UV absorbance of dilutions of quartz and Atropa belladonna (AB). Methodology: Commercially available dilutions of 6x, 12x, 15x, 30x in H2O and 19% ethanol of quartz (SiO2) and of 4x, 6x, 12x, 15x, 30x in H2O and 19% ethanol of AB were used in the experiments (Weleda AG, Arlesheim, Switzerland). Four samples of each dilution were exposed to the EMF of a mobile phone (Philips, Savvy Dual Band) at 900 MHz with an output of 2 W for 3 h, while control samples (4 of each dilution) were kept in a separate room. Absorbance of the samples in the UV range (from 190 to 340 nm) was measured in a randomized order with a Shimadzu UV-1800 spectrophotometer equipped with an auto sampler. In total 5 separate measurement days will be carried out for quartz and for AB dilutions. The average absorbance from 200 to 340 nm and from 200 to 240 nm was compared among dilution levels using a Kruskal-Wallis test and between exposed and unexposed samples using a Mann-Whitney-U test. Results: Preliminary results after 2 measurement days indicated that for quartz the absorbance of the various dilution levels was different from each other (except 12x and 15x), and that samples exposed to an EMF did not show a difference in UV absorbance from unexposed samples. Preliminary results after one measurement day indicated that for AB the absorbance of the various dilution levels was different from each other. The samples exposed to an EMF did not show a difference in UV absorbance from unexposed samples (except 4x in the range from 200 – 240 nm). Conclusions: These results suggest that exposure of high dilutions of quartz and AB to a mobile phone EMF as used here does not alter UV absorbance of these dilutions. The final results will show whether this holds true.

Comparison of globules prepared from high dilutions of various starting materials by ultraviolet light spectroscopy

Background: High and ultra-high dilutions of various starting materials, e.g. copper sulfate, Hypericum perforatum and sulfur, showed significant differences in ultraviolet light (UV) transmission from controls and amongst different dilution levels [1,2]. Verum and placebo globules of Aconitum napellus 30c or calcium carbonate/quercus e cortice 6x from the same packs as used in previous clinical trials and dissolved in water could be distinguished by UV spectroscopy [3]. However, it was unclear whether the differences in UV absorbance originated from specific characteristics of the starting materials, from differences in the production of verum and placebo globules, and/or other unknown interference factors. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether globules produced with high and ultra-high dilutions (6x, 12x, 30c, 200c, 200CF (centesimal discontinuous fluxion), 10,000CF) of various starting materials (Aconitum napellus, Atropa belladonna, phosphorus, sulfur, Apis mellifica, quartz) could be distinguished by UV spectroscopy. Methodology: The globules were specially produced for this study by Spagyros AG (Gümligen, Switzerland) and differed only in the starting materials of the dilutions (but not in the batch of globules or ethanol used). Globules were dissolved in water at 10 mg/ml, in quadruplicates, approximately 22 h prior to the measurements. Absorbance of the samples in the UV range (from 190 to 340 nm) was measured in a randomized order with a Shimadzu double beam UV-1800 spectrophotometer equipped with an auto sampler. Samples of each starting material were prepared and measured on 5 independent days. The daily variations of the spectrophotometer as well as the drift during the measurements were corrected for. The average absorbance from 200 to 340 nm was compared among various starting materials within equal dilution levels using a Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Statistically significant differences were found among 30c (Figure 1), 200c and 200CF dilutions of the various starting materials. No differences were found among 6x, 12x and 10,000CF dilutions. Conclusions: Globules prepared from high dilutions of various starting materials may show significantly different UV absorbance when dissolved in water. References [1] Wolf U, Wolf M, Heusser P, Thurneysen A, Baumgartner S. Homeopathic preparations of quartz, sulfur and copper sulfate assessed by UV-spectroscopy. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:692798. [2] Klein SD, Sandig A, Baumgartner S, Wolf U. Differences in median ultraviolet light transmissions of serial homeopathic dilutions of copper sulfate, Hypericum perforatum, and sulfur. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:370609. [3] Klein SD, Wolf U. Investigating homeopathic verum and placebo globules with ultraviolet spectroscopy. Forsch Komplementmed. 2013, accepted.

Effect of electromagnetic fields on highly diluted remedies measured by ultraviolet spectroscopy

Purpose: In homeopathy or anthroposophically extended medicine high dilutions are used. They showed significant differences in ultraviolet light (UV) transmission between controls and different dilution levels. Exposing such dilutions to physical factors such as UV light or elevated temperature (37�C) yielded significantly different UV transmissions values compared to unexposed dilutions. The aim was to test whether electromagnetic fields (EMF) of a mobile phone affect the UV absorbance of dilutions of Atropa belladonna (Ab) and quartz. Methods: Commercially available dilutions of Ab 4x, 6x, 12x, 15x, 30x and of quartz 6x, 12x, 15x, 30x were investigated. On 5 days, 4 samples of each dilution were exposed to the EMF by a mobile phone at 900MHz (GSM) with an output power of 2W for 3 h. Control samples were kept in a separate room. UV-absorbance of the samples in the range from 190 to 340 nm was measured in randomized order. The average absorbance from 200 to 340 nm and from 200 to 240 nm was compared between exposed and unexposed samples by a dependent t-test. Results: Between unexposed and exposed dilutions of Ab and quartz no significant differences were detected, except for quartz 12x over the range from 200 to 340 nm. Conclusion: Exposure of high dilutions of Ab and quartz to GSM EMF of a mobile phone did not alter UV absorbance of these dilutions.

Effects of a latency period between pre-stimulation and teat cup attachment and periodic vacuum reduction on milking characteristics and teat condition in dairy cows

The goal of the present study was to examine the suitability of a short pre-stimulation (P) for 15 s followed by a latency period (L) of 30 s before cluster attachment for machine milking. In addition we tested the effect of a periodic reduction of the vacuum under the teat (VR) during the massage phase from 43 kPa to 12-15 kPa on milking characteristics and teat tissue condition. The study was carried out in 9 cows in a cross-over design. Animals were milked twice daily, and each of the 4 treatment combinations was used for six subsequent milkings (P+L vs. continuous P, and standard pulsation vs. VR, respectively). Milk flow was recorded during all experimental milkings. Longitudinal ultrasound cross sections of the teat were performed by B-mode ultrasound after the last milking of each treatment at 0, 5, and 15 min after the end of milking, respectively. None of the evaluated milking characteristics (total milk yield, main milking time, peak flow rate, average milk flow) differed between treatments. Teat measures as obtained by ultrasound cross sections showed no significant difference if individual treatments were compared at the three time points individually. However, teat wall thickness (TWT) tended to be smaller in VR vs. non-VR treatments at 5 min after milking (P=0·05). In conclusion, teat preparation consisting of a short stimulation followed by a latency period represents a similarly efficient pre-stimulation as a continuous pre-stimulation. VR seems to reduce the load on the teat tissue during milking and thus reduces the development of oedema and hence a less pronounced increase of TWT while milking characteristics are similar with or without VR.

MSSM soft terms from supergravity with gauged R-symmetry in de Sitter vacuum

We work out the phenomenology of a model of supersymmetry breaking in the presence of a tiny (tunable) positive cosmological constant, proposed by the authors in arXiv:1403.1534. It utilizes a single chiral multiplet with a gauged shift symmetry that can be identified with the string dilaton (or an appropriate compactification modulus). The model is coupled to the MSSM, leading to calculable soft supersymmetry breaking masses and a distinct low energy phenomenology that allows to differentiate it from other models of supersymmetry breaking and mediation mechanisms.

Comparison of homeopathic globules prepared from high and ultra-high dilutions of various starting materials by ultraviolet light spectroscopy

Objective Homeopathic globules are commonly used in clinical practice, while research focuses on liquid potencies. Sequential dilution and succussion in their production process has been proposed to change the physico-chemical properties of the solvent(s). It has been reported that aqueous potencies of various starting materials showed significant differences in ultraviolet light transmission compared to controls and between different dilution levels. The aim of the present study was to repeat and expand these experiments to homeopathic globules. Methods Globules were specially produced for this study by Spagyros AG (Gümligen, Switzerland) from 6 starting materials (Aconitum napellus, Atropa belladonna, phosphorus, sulfur, Apis mellifica, quartz) and for 6 dilution levels (6x, 12x, 30c, 200c, 200CF (centesimal discontinuous fluxion), 10,000CF). Native globules and globules impregnated with solvents were used as controls. Globules were dissolved in ultrapure water, and absorbance in the ultraviolet range was measured. The average absorbance from 200 to 340 nm was calculated and corrected for differences between measurement days and instrumental drift. Results Statistically significant differences were found for A. napellus, sulfur, and A. mellifica when normalized average absorbance of the various dilution levels from the same starting material (including control and solvent control globules) was compared. Additionally, absorbance within dilution levels was compared among the various starting materials. Statistically significant differences were found among 30c, 200c and 200CF dilutions. Conclusion This study has expanded previous findings from aqueous potencies to globules and may indicate that characteristics of aqueous high dilutions may be preserved and detectable in dissolved globules.

Pressure from the vacuum of confined spinor matter

Charged spinor matter field is quantized in a spatial region bounded by two parallel neutral plates. The most general set of boundary conditions ensuring the confinement of matter within the plates is considered. We study a response of the vacuum of the confined matter to the background uniform magnetic field which is directed orthogonally to the plates. It is proven that, in the case of a sufficiently strong magnetic field, the vacuum pressure onto the plates is positive and independent of the boundary condition, as well as of the distance between the plates.

Gauging MSSM global symmetries and SUSY breaking in de Sitter vacuum

We elaborate on a recent study of a model of supersymmetry breaking we proposed recently, in the presence of a tunable positive cosmological constant, based on a gauged shift symmetry of a string modulus, external to the Standard Model (SM) sector. Here, we identify this symmetry with a global symmetry of the SM and work out the corresponding phenomenology. A particularly attracting possibility is to use a combination of Baryon and Lepton number that contains the known matter parity and guarantees absence of dimension-four and -five operators that violate B and L.

Effect of Nontronite Smectite Clay on the Chemical Evolution of Several Organic Molecules under Simulated Martian Surface Ultraviolet Radiation Conditions

Most of the phyllosilicates detected at the surface of Mars today are probably remnants of ancient environments that sustained long-term bodies of liquid water at the surface or subsurface and were possibly favorable for the emergence of life. Consequently, phyllosilicates have become the main mineral target in the search for organics on Mars. But are phyllosilicates efficient at preserving organic molecules under current environmental conditions at the surface of Mars? We monitored the qualitative and quantitative evolutions of glycine, urea, and adenine in interaction with the Fe3+-smectite clay nontronite, one of the most abundant phyllosilicates present at the surface of Mars, under simulated martian surface ultraviolet light (190-400 nm), mean temperature (218 +/- 2 K), and pressure (6 +/- 1 mbar) in a laboratory simulation setup. We tested organic-rich samples that were representative of the evaporation of a small, warm pond of liquid water containing a high concentration of organics. For each molecule, we observed how the nontronite influences its quantum efficiency of photodecomposition and the nature of its solid evolution products. The results reveal a pronounced photoprotective effect of nontronite on the evolution of glycine and adenine; their efficiencies of photodecomposition were reduced by a factor of 5 when mixed at a concentration of 2.6x10(-2) mol of molecules per gram of nontronite. Moreover, when the amount of nontronite in the sample of glycine was increased by a factor of 2, the gain of photoprotection was multiplied by a factor of 5. This indicates that the photoprotection provided by the nontronite is not a purely mechanical shielding effect but is also due to stabilizing interactions. No new evolution product was firmly identified, but the results obtained with urea suggest a particular reactivity in the presence of nontronite, leading to an increase of its dissociation rate. Key Words: Martian surface-Organic chemistry-Photochemistry-Astrochemistry-Nontronite-Phyllosilicates. Astrobiology 15, 221-237.

Positron bunching and electrostatic transport system for the production and emission of dense positronium clouds into vacuum

We describe a system designed to re-bunch positron pulses delivered by an accumulator supplied by a positron source and a Surko-trap. Positron pulses from the accumulator are magnetically guided in a 0.085 T field and are injected into a region free of magnetic fields through a μ -metal field terminator. Here positrons are temporally compressed, electrostatically guided and accelerated towards a porous silicon target for the production and emission of positronium into vacuum. Positrons are focused in a spot of less than 4 mm FWTM in bunches of ∼8 ns FWHM. Emission of positronium into the vacuum is shown by single shot positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.