Hypothesis: A cognitive benefit seen in the "red wine paradox" might be also obtained by delivering Tylenol directly to the veins in conjunction with consuming the right polyphenols

I don't drink alcohol because of my religion. The Word of Wisdom (Doctrine and Covenants 89) counsels against "strong drink." So for years I read about the "red wine paradox" seen in France--the phenomenon of moderate red wine consumption being protective against cognitive decline (see Nooyens AC, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, van Gelder BM, van Boxtel MP, Verschuren WM. Consumption of alcoholic beverages and cognitive decline at middle age: the Doetinchem Cohort Study. Br J Nutr. 2014 Feb;111(4):715-23. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513002845.)--and wondered how I could get the same effect without actually drinking wine. I looked at many of the different polyphenols that could be involved, and quercetin seemed like a good candidate. But studies with these compounds in rats and mice that looked promising never seemed to work out for humans in subseqent human studies.

A few years ago, my mother was visiting us, and she was already in the early stages of cognitive decline. She took a sage supplement I had, and within hours she was much more like her previous feisty self. But subsequent bottles of the same sage brand of sage supplement did not have the same effect. Plain dried sage also failed to have a postive effect. I've been trying to figure out what could have been different about the first bottle; somewhere in its processing, the sage could have been exposed to yeast that altered it somehow, but in what way?

Quercetin-3-O-glucuronide has been found to be quite effective in treating Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model:

Moreover, in an in vitro analysis using the photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) technique, we found that quercetin-3-O-glucuronide is also capable of interfering with the initial protein-protein interaction of Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 that is necessary for the formation of neurotoxic oligomeric Aβ species. Lastly, we found that quercetin-3-O-glucuronide treatment, compared to vehicle-control treatment, significantly improved AD-type deficits in hippocampal formation basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation, possibly through mechanisms involving the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinases and the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Brain-targeted quercetin-3-O-glucuronide may simultaneously modulate multiple independent AD disease-modifying mechanisms and, as such, may contribute to the benefits of dietary supplementation with red wines as an effective intervention for AD.

Ho L, Ferruzzi MG, Janle EM, Wang J, Gong B, Chen TY, Lobo J, Cooper B, Wu QL, Talcott ST, Percival SS, Simon JE, Pasinetti GM. Identification of brain-targeted bioactive dietary quercetin-3-O-glucuronide as a novel intervention for Alzheimer's disease. FASEB J. 2013 Feb;27(2):769-81. doi: 10.1096/fj.12-212118.)

How can we get hold of some of that quercetin-3-O-glucuronide? Our liver makes glucuronide compounds via a process in the liver cells called glucuronidation. Ethanol, i.e., alcohol, triggers one of the pathways involved in glucuronidation of Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol), so perhaps getting Tylenol directly to the liver (i.e., not going through the stomach and intestines first) at the same time as quercetin can help the liver make some quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, too. 

Intravenous Tylenol doesn't seem to be a common part of most people's health regimens given how invasive it is to have an IV; I couldn't find any Tylenol skin patches for sale. There is a tantalizing study showing reduced delirium in older patients given IV Tylenol after a surgery (See Subramaniam B, Shankar P, Shaefi S, Mueller A, O'Gara B, Banner-Goodspeed V, Gallagher J, Gasangwa D, Patxot M, Packiasabapathy S, Mathur P, Eikermann M, Talmor D, Marcantonio ER. Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen vs Placebo Combined With Propofol or Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Delirium Among Older Patients Following Cardiac Surgery: The DEXACET Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2019 Feb 19;321(7):686-696. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.0234. Erratum in: JAMA. 2019 Jul 16;322(3):276. PMID: 30778597; PMCID: PMC6439609.). 

What would happen if we gave people Tylenol intravenously via skin patches at the same time as they ate/drank lots of high-polyphenol fruits/vegetables/herbs? I think this is a possibility that should be looked at. Something is getting in the way of carrying over the results of rat/mice studies into humans when it comes to preventing age-related cognitive decline, and it think it might be a difference in human digestive systems versus the digestive systems of mice/rats.

Hypothesis: Hyaluronic acid in cosmetics and hair products are contributing to female infertility

It's interesting and a bit sad to look at what has been happening to fertility statistics in the USA. Women in their 20s are having far fewer babies now than they did 20 years ago. (See https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2022/04/fertility-rates-declined-for-younger-women-increased-for-older-women-figure-2.jpg.) No, it's not because they're less interested in having relationships or have greater access to birth control and abortions. While careers are certainly important to them, careers were important 20 years ago. Early abortion medicines are more available now than they were 20 years ago, so that could certainly be part of it, but effective contraceptive alternatives were numerous (and often given out free) 20 years ago. The dropoff in fertility seems to be more than just an increase in access to abortion. Many women in their 20s who want to have babies are having issues conceiving; that used to be quite rare, if I recall correctly. What could be happening?

I was recently learning about urinary tract infections and came across an interesting article on trigonitis (the trigone is a triangular piece of tissue in the lower part of the bladder), and it mentioned the efficacy of using sodium hyaluronate to help rebuild the surface of the trigone in order to heal trigonits. 

Sodium hyaluronate is a derivative of hyaluronic acid that replaces the deficient glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer of the bladder wall. It is the traditional agent for GAG substitution therapy based on existing theories about urothelial dysfunction. Sodium hyaluronate has been safely administered with success for the treatment of chemical and radiation cystitis as well as interstitial cystitis.

Stavropoulos M, Papatsoris AG, Konstantinidis C, Chrisofos M. Pseudomembranous Trigonitis: A Common but Underrecognized Urological Entity. Adv Urol. 2010;2010:269254. doi: 10.1155/2010/269254. Epub 2010 Dec 1. PMCID:  PMC2997493. (online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997493)

Tight junction proteins are important in the tissue of the trigone compared to the rest of the bladder. (See Sánchez Freire V, Burkhard FC, Schmitz A, Kessler TM, Monastyrskaya K. Structural differences between the bladder dome and trigone revealed by mRNA expression analysis of cold-cut biopsies. BJU Int. 2011 Jul;108(2 Pt 2):E126-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2010.09934.x. Epub 2011 Jan 18. PMID: 21244608 (online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21244608)). 

Reduction of tight junction complexity in the uterus--which is right next to the bladder--can prevent blastocysts from implanting in the uterine surface and thus prevent a successful pregnancy. (See Mokhtar MH, Giribabu N, Salleh N. Testosterone Reduces Tight Junction Complexity and Down-regulates Expression of Claudin-4 and Occludin in the Endometrium in Ovariectomized, Sex-steroid Replacement Rats. In Vivo. 2020 Jan-Feb;34(1):225-231. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11764. PMID: 31882482; PMCID: PMC6984066 (online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6984066))

If you've been paying attention to cosmetics and hair products in the past few decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the ones touting the inclusion of hyaluronic acid. Moreover, hyaluronic acid can also be present in ingredients such as keratin, hydrolyzed keratin, and the like.

Women, what if the sodium in our diets and in our bodies is sometimes combining with the hyaluronic acid in hair and cosmetic products to mess with the tight junction proteins in our uterine surfaces in ways that are contributing to female infertility? Is any hair look worth that result? A great adventure and joy of my life is being a mother, and I would hate to leave uninvestigated anything that could be preventing other women from enjoying the same privilege.

Further experiments in weight loss point to a possible need for a phosphotransferase enzyme contained in animal products, including dairy

I get better results when experimenting as described in section (2) of my post https://petticoatgovernment.blogspot.com/2023/03/update-on-some-promising-advances-in.html when I remember to include a little plain butter than when I do not. Because I am investigating manipulation of phospholipid-like molecules, I currently think it's possible that the butter is providing a phosphotransferase that assists in forming desires phospholipid-like molecules. Specifically, I'm looking at whether it might not be phosphotidylserine synthase. I think I'm also trying to avoid any action by the enzyme phosphatidylserine decarboxylase. 

Another thing I'm focusing on is using the phospholipases in fresh tomato mixed together with unsalted, home-ground peanut butter as a source to obtain phospholipid-like molecules. I'm not sure yet whether the lithium in tomatoes is important, but I seem to get better results if I hold off on adding any NaCl (salt) until the very end.

Thought experiment on how to exploit the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to fake a "second coming of Christ"

In Matthew 24, verses 23-27, Jesus Christ warns against pretended Christs who would claim to be him. He said, 

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

I have noticed some odd things about LDS culture (not its scriptures, which contain very strong words against such shady doings) that point to a plan in the works to fake a supposed return of a Christ "in hiding," even though Christ specifically warns us all not to be taken in by such a ruse.

First, it's a widespread notion in the LDS culture that Jesus Christ was supposedly born on April 6, based on the start of D&C 21, where Jesus said to Joseph Smith upon the organizing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April." It's been repeatedly floated in Church culture that this means that Jesus was born exactly 1830 years before the calendar date of April 6, 1830. The text of the scripture does not require such an interpretation. Given the calendar shifts over the last 2000 years, it's bizarre to insist upon this verse meaning that Jesus was literally born on April 6.

However, it makes more sense that those seeking to discredit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint with a false Christ ruse would want us all to focus on that date as being "special" because in 2024, there will be a long total eclipse of the sun on April 8 over Palmyra and Fayette, New York, the towns where Joseph Smith was living when he was called as a prophet and organized the Church. Big events in the sky tend to grab people's attention and make them wonder if God is using the events to send a message.

If you've ever read any Mark Twain (an 1800's American writer who is notable for using a false name and for criticizing the Book of Mormon--he called the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon "chloroform in print" which is ridiculous given its compact narrative of conspiracies, wars, betrayals, riches, slavery, and an epic journey), you might have come across his book, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The most memorable part of the novel is when a time-traveling man from Connecticut convinces the court of King Arthur that he is a wizard by foretelling a solar eclipse. Just like a time traveler to the past could known of a prior eclipse's occurrence, people 100 years ago could have calculated out when a future solar eclipse would be and planned to use it to discredit the religion founded by Joseph Smith. April 8 is only 2 days off April 6, and it happens to be the day right after the general conference of the Church that will be held on April 6-7, 2024.

How would one plan ahead to use that date and that eclipse? 

One could talk up the importance of early April. Check, as anyone who has grown up in the LDS Church in the USA has likely noticed.

One could have the Church president's wife and others talk about the possibility of Christ being secretly returned to Earth. Check. See a 2016 address where Wendy Nelson said, "So, now a question as I conclude: What if you learned that the Savior had already returned to this earth—that He, as part of His Second Coming, had already met with some of His true followers in several marvelous, large gatherings—gatherings about which the world, including CNN and the blogosphere, knew nothing. If you found out that the Savior was already on the earth, what would you desperately want to do today, and what would you be willing and ready to do tomorrow?" (Online at  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2016/01/becoming-the-person-you-were-born-to-be?lang=eng) I think Wendy Nelson is a very nice person, but this kind of hypothetical is flatly contrary to Matthew 24 and should be recognized as nondoctrinal. There has also been a book or two floating around the Utah Mormon culture about a man who had a near death experience and claims to have seen visions of Christ being quietly back on Earth and directing things from a hidden location. Again, totally contrary to what Jesus himself said in Matthew 24.

One could have some notable Church members "die" but actually have them go into hiding until just after April 8, 2024, whereupon they can be presented as "resurrected" after getting a little surgery to rejuvenate their appearance. I think this has been happening. Patricia Holland, who is reported to have passed away suddenly earlier this year, is a very good candidate for such plan. I have interacted with some of her relatives personally, and they have behaved in such a way as to show membership in a secret society within the LDS Church (odd handshakes, knowledge about the usefulness of metallic rings to influence thought patterns, etc.).

Songs for the children that indicate what time of year Jesus will come back. Check. "I wonder, when he comes again, Will herald angels sing? Will earth be white with drifted snow, Or will the world know spring?" (Online at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/when-he-comes-again?lang=eng) If you've experienced a series of early Aprils in the Intermountain West, this verse perfectly describes the weather at that time of year. 

I know this is a serious scenario I am outlining above. Messing with people's faith in God is not something that should be done. But because faith is such a powerful motivator for so many people, unscrupulous people do take advantage of it. There is nothing in Christ's teachings that says we have to fall for such schemes, and being prepared for the possibility of their occurrence allows us to help protect everyone else from the wolves in sheep's clothing that exist in so many societies.

Weight maintenance smoothie

As I continue to experiment with weight loss, I have hit upon a way to maintain my weight. For breakfast, I drink a celery leaf/distilled water/toasted banana leaf beverage that helps me function through the morning until lunch. I think it acts similarly to green tea. Then at lunch and dinner, I drink a homemade broccoli/cacao nib/gelatin bevereage. Here are the steps for the smoothie/beverage I make:

(1) Dissolve beef gelatin powder (about 1 tablespoon) in distilled water (about 1/2 cup) in a jar. 

(2) Blend at high speed raw unsweetened cacao nibs (about 1/2 tablespoon), fresh rinsed broccoli florets (about 1 cup), and distilled water (about 2/3 cup) until steaming (for me, this means approximately 49 seconds in a Blendtec blender). 

(3) Pour the contents of the blender from step (2) into the jar from step (1) and mix. Dilute with more distilled water to the preferred consistency. Drink throughout the meal.

I think the smoothie works because step (2) makes a sulfur molecule--I think it might be the HS⎺ ion--which then attaches to an amino acid or small peptide in the hydrated gelatin to make a molecule similar to cysteine, taurine, or hypotaurine.* Consuming this sulfur-containing molecule via the smoothie throughout the meal seems to give a weight maintenance benefit similar to that obtained by drinking some varieties of wine throughout a meal.

* For a possible mechanism of action, see Kulakowski EC, Maturo J. Hypoglycemic properties of taurine: not mediated by enhanced insulin release. Biochem Pharmacol. 1984 Sep 15;33(18):2835-8. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(84)90204-1. PMID: 6383406. Online at https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(84)90204-1: "Pretreatment with taurine (200 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated the rise in serum glucose levels at 0.5 hr after glucose administration. In addition, taurine also prevented the rise in serum immunoreactive insulin levels. The taurine analogue hypotaurine produced a similar inhibition in the rise of both serum glucose and insulin levels while β-alanine, the carboxylic acid derivative of taurine, was totally ineffective. The enhanced glucose clearance can be explained by an increase in deoxyglucose accumulation in skeletal muscle and liver. In the liver, a 50% increase in glycogen synthesis was observed. A possible interrelationship between taurine and insulin receptor is discussed."

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 9

Here are some more interesting finds from my huge 1971 dictionary:

* "commination" - the first definition given for commination is "an instance, or the action of announcing, warning of, or threatening punishment or vengeance, esp. divine punishment or vengeance." The etymology is Latin and comes from comminari, which means to "threaten." The part that grabbed my attention was at the end of the etymology where it said after several Latin words "--more at MOUNT." Over the last few years, I've come to realize that mounts (short for mountains) are often used as a representation of secret organizations working to control events in the world from behind public knowledge, which organizations the Book of Mormon describes as "secret combinations." "Combination" and "commination" sound almost identical, and secret organizations that don't rely on secret threats don't stay secret for long.

* "mental chemistry" = "associationism by analogy with chemistry that forms mental compounds with qualities not inherent in the elements to be combined." What does this look like? Can one use a recipe, for lack of a better word, saying, "combine three parts fear, one part disgust, and one part anger to get a person willing to act in a certain unusual-for-them way"? Such formulas would come in handy in marketing fields and politics.

* "groovy" has an unexpected first definition: "settled into a fixed often tiresomely undeviating way of living or acting or thinking <so-called leaders who have become [groovy] dolts." This isn't how people usually use the word. 

 * "sludge": "to sludge" can mean either "to fill in with sludge" or the opposite, "to clear of sludge."

* "frazil" = "ice crystals or granules sometimes resembling slush that are formed in turbulent water." Wouldn't these exist in slushie drinks or some ice cubes? Oddly, the etymology says the word is from the French fraisil meaning "coal cinders" and further claims that comes from the Latin word for "torch." What do cinders and ice crystals have to do with each other?

* "cylinder" has a very odd etymology: "MF or L; MF cylindre, fr. L cylindrus, fr. Gk kylindros, fr. kylindein to roll; akin to OE sceol wry, sqinting, OHG scelah, ON skjalgr wry, squinting, L scelus crime, wickedness, Gk skolios curved, crooked, skelos leg, Alb tshäle lame; basic meaning: turning, bending." Wickedness? Squinting? What's that about?

* "topless" has two older definitions, the archaic-labeled one of "so high as to reach up beyond sight," and the obsolete-labeled one of "SUPREME." Because the dictionary treats archaic definitions as old but still valid, that means "topless" can mean having an invisible top.

* "syncryptic" is a word that describes how imposters can hide in plain sight: "of, relating to, or being a protective resemblance in appearance in which basically unlike organisms are similar (as in color) often through a common adaptation to their environment, also: exhibiting such resemblance...compare SYNTECHNIC." Just because someone looks and acts a part doesn't mean they're genuinely motivated by the same things that motivate outwardly-similar people.

* "syncerebrum" = "a brain (as of an insect) consisting of several segments." 

* "sequester" has a lesser-known definition of "to hide from public view: withdraw from circulation: SECLUDE, SECRETE <old houses...[sequester]-ed under leafy boughs--Amer. Guide Series: Vt.> <no crusading idealist ever thought it right to [sequester] himself in an estate--Norman Thomas>."

* "nice" has an etymology that is anything but nice: "ME, foolish, wanton, fr. OF, simpleminded, stupid, fr. L. nescius ignorant, not knowing, fr. nescire not to know--more at NESCIENCE." We use "nice" now to mean "kind," and many a smart person is kind. I think the smartest people are usually going to be the kindest, for being unkind hurts one's own heart and it doesn't inspire genuine love or loyalty in others.

Juniper "berry" and juniper sap appear to be helpful in weight loss

When I blend some foods, such as raw cacao nibs, butter, peanut butter, and curded-milk products (some of them) with juniper sap that has been partially dehydrated, I see a greater increase in helpfulness in losing weight. Has anyone else experimented with juniper berries (they're not technically berries) or dehydrated juniper sap? Or even noticed anything special about them? 

Juniper berries are actually a common food spice in a few parts of the world. They were commonly used in medieval times instead of black pepper, and dehydrated juniper berries look very similar to black pepper. They also taste pretty good. :)

[Update on June 26, 2023: I've continued to experiment with juniper berries, and I have come to conclude--based on the sweetish taste of the juniper berries that work versus the lack of sweetness in juniper berries that don't work--that the molecule from some of them that helps in weight loss is one that is soluble in chloroform (CHCl3). That leads me to P4 (four phosphates bound in an independent compound, i.e., "white posphorus"), which is soluble in CS2 and chloroform (CHCl3). P4 is made by heating together solid calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2), carbon (C), and silicon dioxide (SiO2), and it isn't soluble in water. I did look at heating solid SiO2 earlier because of my daughter's former success in heating dry SiO2-containing stevia sweetener powder in the microwave. This seems a promising avenue of research, although I suspect given the kelp connection, I'll probably end up looking at CHCl2Br or possibly some other combination of 3 halide ions with CH. To make CHCl3, one does need Cl2 (chlorine gas), which is made by running some electricity through a solution containing chloride ions (so plain salt can come in handy, as can a battery or some static electricity). Interestingly, electricity can be present in a mixing bowl depending on the materials used, the way a mixing appliance is wired, and the spacing of the attachments. Some processed foods--like salted butter--would thus have a little chloroform in them while others wouldn't, depending on overlooked things like mixer attachment metal alloys and such.]

[Update on November 18, 2023: Iceland is one of the world's foremost users of juniper berries in food. I think it's why they stay relatively slender despite a very fattening cuisine. Unfortunately, Iceland is about to have a volcanic eruption that is forcing the evacuation of a mostly-unknown town called Grindavík. Grind-avík. This town being emptied just happening to have the same name as one of the major ways juniper berries get processed seems too improbable to be a coincidence. I think Iceland is being forced to give up its "special" version of juniper berries by a shadowy group that can trigger volcanic eruptions on its geologically-unstable island. Since grinding appears to be targeted, I think that something in the grinding process--perhaps an ozonified cobalt--is doing an otherwise hard-to-attain ionization to an element relatively high in juniper berries, perhaps yttrium or gold.]

Use of signet rings with "magic of the Amorites" in medieval Europe

Recently, I came across an intriguing example of usage of the word "oligarchy" in my big old dictionary. It said, "the Millennium -- old domination of the landowning and merchant [oligarchy] -- D.M. Friedenberg." (See photo of the dictionary entry below.)

I looked up D.M. Friedenberg and found he was an authority on the use of seals by Jews in medieval Europe. He claimed that there was no usage of seals by Jews in medieval Poland (see https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/27/oa_monograph/chapter/2186169), but that claim has been contradicted. A Polish scholar, Jerzy Mazur, in 2009 wrote the following in an article in Scripta Judaica Cracoviensia ("Jewish Seals in Late Medieval and Early Modern Poland," link at https://www.ejournals.eu/pliki/art/5665/):

Even though there are no preserved Jewish seals from the medieval Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, we can still attempt to reconstruct them by analyzing available artifacts from neighboring countries and provinces, especially those from Silesia and Hungary. One of the most interesting Jewish seals from this region is a golden signet ring found by Marcus Brann in Wroclaw in 1906. This thirteenth century reversible artifact belonged, according to the Hebrew inscription, to Abba ben Abba. Its edge was decorated with an image of a dragon and its rim with a head of an unrecognizable mythological animal. The face of the seal was adorned with a representation of unidentified bird with its head turned to the right and surrounded by small branches of a tree. The signet’s reverse side showed an abbreviated Hebrew inscription deciphered by Marcus Brann as, “Increase my luck (happiness), do not diminish it. Amen, Amen. Amen. Selah. And nothing is here of the Amorites practice.” The formula distancing the owner of the seal from “Amorites’ practices” was employed to confirm that the inscription and ring itself were not connected with magic.

(P. 52)

Having noted a couple years ago that my thinking seemed much clearer after I had stopped wearing my rings, I think that rings can be used to alter thought patterns via the central nervous system. For lack of a better analogy, remember wrapping metal objects around TV antennae to get better reception decades ago? Conductive spirals and rings can greatly enhance reception of specific transmissions made via electromagnetic radiation.

Because I'm not smart enough to have been the first person to notice a difference in my thinking when wearing rings constantly versus no longer doing so, I think that the "magic of the Amorites" is a reference to electromagnetism-based manipulation (or at least "nudging") of other people with the aid of conductive jewelry. I think this is a secret that has been kept from "the masses" for centuries, but it is slowly beginning to come out now.

I'd like to know more about what D.M. Friedberg meant when he talked about this oligarchy he calls "the Millennium," wouldn't you?

Hypothesis: Oral vitamin D supplementation causes downregulation of skin synthesis of Vitamin D, resulting in fibromyalgia and related conditions

In the 1990s in college, I had a roommate who suffered greatly from chronic fatigue syndrome. Since then I have periodically considered what might have contributed to her symptoms. I recall that she drank a lot of milk, and most US milk is supplemented (by law) with vitamin D supplements. 

The human body usually synthesizes (i.e., makes) Vitamin D in the skin, but it can also absorb it from the intestines. The principle of homeostasis indicates that when there is a high oral intake of Vitamin D, the body is consequently likely to decrease the expression and/or activity in the skin of enzymes that synthesize Vitamin D. The problem with this happening is that those same proteins and enzymes might have other important functions besides producing Vitamin D.

I have a hypothesis that the widespread intestinally-delivered supplementation with vitamin D, mostly via fortified milk and multivitamins, is depressing Vitamin-D-synthesizing processes in the skin such as to contribute to an increase in chronic fatigue syndrome ("CFS") and fibromyalgia (which often occurs along with CFS). 

Fibromyalgia is noted for pain and sensitivity all over the body, including specifically in skin tissue. 

Fibromyalgia consists of widespread pain with similarities to neuropathic pain in clinical findings, pathophysiology, and neuropharmacology. Pain is the predominant symptom and allodynia [i.e., "pain resulting from a stimulus (such as a light touch of the skin) which would not normally provoke pain"] and hyperalgesia [i.e., "increased sensitivity to pain or enhanced intensity of pain sensation"] are common signs. Extreme fatigue, impaired cognition and nonrestorative sleep difficulties coexist in addition to other somatic symptoms. Research including neuroimaging investigations shows abnormalities in neurotransmitters and an abnormal response to pain.

"Fibromyalgia." Janice E Sumpton & Dwight E Moulin, Handb Clin Neurol 2014;119:513-27. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-4086-3.00033-3; online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24365316.

A 2010 study in England found that people were less likely to report feeling pain on days with a lot of sunshine, which supports that something involved in the skin's response to sunlight is connected to pain levels. (See "Whether the weather influences pain? Results from the EpiFunD study in North West England," found online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20430867.) Vitamin D is repeatedly found to be connected to fibromyalgia in ways that are unclear. (See "Vitamin D in Fibromyalgia: A Causative or Confounding Biological Interplay?" online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27271665.)

Further, enzymes that synthesize Vitamin D require the element magnesium. (See "Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial" online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6693398.) In a majority of studies looking at trials of magnesium for treating fibromyalgia symptoms, magnesium did significantly improve symptoms. (See "Magnesium and Fibromyalgia: A Literature Review" online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8371721.) 

I think the evidence is strong enough to investigate this possible hypothesis further. Homeostasis is an important principle in biology, and it has not received enough attention in this world of fortified foods and daily multivitamins.

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 8

Here are some more dictionary entries I found interesting in the past couple of weeks:

* "hr factor" = "an agglutinogen present in Rh-negative blood and apparently reciprocally related to the Rh factor." I have Rh-negative blood and have read a fair amount about why it is advisable for pregnant woman with that kind of blood to get the Rhogam shot, and I never saw anything about an "hr factor"; the articles all talked only about the absence of the Rh factor. What is this? I'd like to know what is in my blood.

* "huarizo" = "the offspring of a male llama and a female alpaca." I didn't know they could cross-breed. I'd like to see the result of such a match someday.

* "haustorium" = "a food-absorbing outgrowth of a hypha, stem, or other plant organ: as a: a projection from various fungous hyphae b: a cell of the embryo sac or embryo in some seed plants c: an ougrowth of the stem or root in a parasitic seed plant (as dodder)." Part b appears most interesting because it seems to have disappeared from modern dictionary definitions of haustorium even though "cells of embryo sac[s] or embryo[s]" are not the same thing at all as parts a and c. I'm currently looking at soybeans in connection with weight loss, and I was already realizing that a specific part of dormant soybeans is involved; perhaps it is the haustorium I'm looking for! (Interestingly, the word that led me to look up haustorium was "dodder," which is on page 666 of this dictionary and has a weird font thing with haustoria where it is partially faded.)

* "dod": one of the given definitions of "dod" is "[euphemism for God]--used as a mild oath esp. as an intensive with a verb."

* "devote": one of the given definitions of "devote" is "to consign to the powers of evil: give over to destruction: DAMN, DOOM." Have you ever seen "to devote" used in such a way? This is frankly bizarre. The dictionary doesn't even include an example of it being used this way.

* "sonochemistry" = "a branch of chemistry that deals with the chemical effects of ultrasound." I'd like to see studies on this, as well as on the chemical effects of infrasound, too, especially in connection with their biochemical effects on humans.

* "cauma" = "[Gr. kauma, heat] in medicine, burning heat; febrile heat. [Rare.]" This one is from a smaller 1977 dictionary, and my much larger 1971 dictionary (both are Webster dictionaries) doesn't have it. What is going on? Greek is a very old language, and a word like this is unlikely to have come into the English language from Greek medical terminology within a space of six years in modern times. Is it connected to the idea of a medical "coma"?

* "catacoustics" = "[cata-, and Gr. akoustikos, from akouein, to hear.] that part of the science of acoustics which treats of reflected sounds; cataphonics." Again, this word definition is from a smaller 1977 dictionary, and my much larger 1971 dictionary doesn't have it; the larger dictionary doesn't have "cataphonics" either. What is going on with this word? Surely in a world saturated with multimedia presentations and digital music, catacoustics should be a very important field.

That's all for today.

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 7

Reading a dictionary is like taking a lot of mini-courses in various subjects, except you never know quite what you're going to find, while selecting mini-courses has more predictable results. Here are some of the interesting words I've come across in the past few weeks:

* "pachypasa" = "a genus of lasiocampid moths including a Syrian silkworm (P. otus) reared by the Greeks and Romans for its silk until the introduction of the Chinese silkworm in A.D. 550." The Greeks and the Romans made their own silk from their own silkworms? I never learned about that in history. Interesting!

* "thimble": one of the definitions for thimble in my big 1971 dictionary is "a thimble-shaped cup or shell (as of filter paper or fritted glass) for containing material to be extracted by solvents esp. in chemical analysis." "Frit" is defined as "to prepare (materials for glass) by heat: FUSE." Now that I'm looking at heated silicon dioxide (i.e., glass) compounds in connection with weight loss (see my last post), I'm curious about what kind of fritted glass has been used throughout history in food and beverage preparation.

* "thigh": the etymology of thigh in my dictionary is "ME, thigh, thie, fr. OE thēoh, thīoh; akin to OHG dioh thigh, ON thjō buttock, Mir tōn buttocks, OSlav tukû fat, Skt tavīti he is strong--more at THUMB." Doesn't it seem random to throw in the last few strained-but-supposedly-possible word origins and then to send the reader off to the word "thumb"? This caught my eye because the Bible talks about patriarchs making oaths by putting their hand "under thighs" (see for example Genesis 24:2), but maybe it really is talking about handshakes where thumbs are held in specific unusual ways instead of actually putting hands under thighs (doesn't that last seem like a really awkward thing to do in societies that might not have had underwear?).

* "third world": the 1971 Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged adds the term "third world" to the dictionary with two definitions: "1: a group of nations esp. in Africa and Asia that are not aligned with either the Communist or the non-Communist blocs 2: an aggregate of minority groups within a larger predominant culture." That second definition is a new, much more inclusive one than what I thought the "third world" definition meant, especially because "predominant" means "one that predominates," and "predominate" can mean to rule, hold numerical advantage over, or even--in times gone by--"to have determining astrological influence." 

* "theopneust" = "given by inspiration of the Spirit of God: divinely inspired." But the etymology description points the reader to the word "SNEEZE." Given the lack of respect for religious people shown elsewhere in this particular dictionary, this looks like an intentional wrong reference.

* "canchalagua" = "[Sp, alter of cachanglaguen, modif. of Araucan cachanlahuen, fr. cachan pain in the side + lahuen medicinal herb]: a bitter tonic herb of the genus Centaurium (esp. C. chilensis of Chile and C. venustum of California)." This appears to be talking about an herb used formerly to treat internal pain. Now that even low-dose aspirin has been connected to stomach bleeding, we should be looking at other natural sources such as this herb that might be helpful.

Update on some promising advances in weight loss experimenting

My current experiments (otherwise known as meal preparation) in losing weight are still pointing to phospholipid-like molecules. If I combine a low-carb first part of the day (i.e., breakfast and lunch) with beverages and compounds aimed at getting these molecules broken down in my intestines, I think I see faster weight loss, especially if I'm able to get in some exercise during the morning.

Here are my steps at present:

1) First beverage (around 7-8 am) is distilled water/banana (or plantain) leaf (toasted black in the toaster)/celery leaf pieces from a jar I keep in the sunshine so that the celery leaf pieces can still receive sunshine and produce enzymes. I strain about 1/4 cup of it with a nylon mesh strainer and just drink it plain.

2) About an hour later, I microwave on high for 60 seconds [UPDATE: this must be in something with a glass inner lining, not plastic. Presumably, that means silica in glass is vitally important.] some Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa on which I have sprinkled powdered onion (dried, from the dollar store) and then sprinkled some red raspberry seed powder and then sprinkled powdered toasted banana/plantain leaf (I roasted it in the toaster myself and used a wooden spoon to turn it into powder) and dill weed. I microwave it in a ceramic mug and then let it cool just a couple minutes. Then I put small pieces of fresh tomato (washed and dried before cutting) in. Last I stir in a small pat (around 1/4 teaspoon) of butter (I used salted because the unsalted butter has undisclosed additives in it these days in the USA--I'd rather use plain unsalted butter). Then I eat it all (it's only 1-2 Tbsps total). I also eat a little raw green cabbage.

3) About an hour after that, I strain and drink a little more of the celery leaf beverage from step 1.

4) During the rest of the morning, I try to jog for around 40 minutes, and if I'm hungry or thirsty, I alternate between the snacks in step 2 and the drink in step 1.

5) For lunch, a moderate-carb lunch seems to work well. I try to avoid anything with baked Vitamin E or A, since those seem to be counterproductive for losing weight. At least, I've noticed that raw carrots are fine, but cooked carrots are not. The same seems to be for other foods higher in Vitamins A&E. I also drink a protein-vegetable smoothie I make with my blender: I puree till steaming cacao nibs (unsweetened), a few broccoli florets, some soaking water from red raspberry seeds, and some water (I only use distilled water for both), and then I let that sit a few minutes and pour it into a glass jar containing beef gelatin (hydrated ahead of time with a relatively large amount of distilled water) and topped with a little Hershey's Special Dark cocoa. I stir that and drink it throughout my meal. I eat a lot of vegetables and homemade yogurt.

6) Dinner is similar to lunch, except I also eat potatoes, rice, and even some bread. I often even have some dessert.

7) About an hour after lunch and dinner, if I remember, I drink a little more of the strained beverage from step 1.

I think that the blender drink from lunch/dinner and the microwaved cocoa/spice/herb-tomato concoction are providing a nitrogen-and-sulfur-compound-altered aromatic aldehyde (look up Twitchell reagents for an idea of the kind of compound I'm looking at) that, with the help of vanadium, silicon, and lithium, alters phospolipid-family molecules (i.e., ones that contain arsenic, bismuth, or antimony in place of the phosporus atom) such as to make them promote weight loss once the middle part has been freed by phospholipases D and C (which are found in celery leaf and in brassica vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli) down in the intestines. I think the toasted banana leaf in step 2 does something to stabilize the celery leaf enzyme so that it can survive the gastric environment and make it to the intestines without losing its function.

Because the banana/plantain leaves are from the tropics and are basically unprocessed, I think they provide the vanadium (a trace mineral) I need; putting them in the toaster changes the vanadium to a more useable form, I think the necessary aromatic aldehydes are in the cocoa and to a greater level in the red raspberries. I think the gelatin and the tomatoes are providing necessary lithium; I think that rubidium might also be involved, helping me to get lithium in the correct form. The vegetables are providing the needed sulfur and nitrogen compounds, with the help of heat and the trace minerals in the cocoa/cacao nibs. Butter and gelatin appear to provide the needed phospholipid-type molecules. I think the glass jar and the dill weed are providing silicon.

As you can see, this is a fairly complicated process. Oh, well. Life isn't always simple. I'll keep plugging away at it, but I think I've learned a lot and made some good progress in the past few weeks.

[UPDATE 4/14/2023: I think another phospholipase enzyme is needed to prepare the phospolipid-family molecules that I'm looking at. My current focus is on phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which can remove the fatty acid that is next to the phosphate at the 3rd spot on the phospholipid glycerol. I think this could be a necessary first step in altering the phospholipid-family molecules because it frees up neighboring space to permit the change without interference by the removed fatty acid. Sources of PLA2 include soy (which is very frequently in the canned fish which I have observed to be connected to weight loss), some animal tissues, the orange plant, rice, etc. (see more plant sources in the article "Secretory Phospholipases A2 in Plants," Mariani, María Elisa & Fidelio, Gerardo Daniel, 2019, Frontiers in Plant Science; online at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00861/full). The plant sources of PLA2 all seem to be associated in some way with weight loss, so I am cautiously optimistic at having identified another necessary step to making the needed molecules for weight loss.]

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 6

Because my dictionary is dated 1971, I don't think many women were involved in writing/editing it. That probably partly explains the first term with "unexpected meanings" in today's blog post:

* "wife" = noun, "[ME wif, from OE wīf; akin to OHG wīb, woman, wife, ON vīf, woman; perhaps akin to ON veipr head covering--more at WIPE]...." Because "veipr" looks and sounds like viper, or snake, and there's no need to look for sources for "wife" other than the obvious "wif/wīf," this dictionary entry apparently contains an intentional slam on women. So I looked further and turned to the dictionary entry for the noun "wipe," the first definition of which is "1 a (1) BLOW, STRIKE, SWIPE (2) obs: a mark from or as if from a blow b: a harsh sarcastic remark: GIBE, JEER." None of the other definitions of the noun "wipe" mention head coverings. This really does look like someone was sneaking an insult to women into the dictionary.

* "shool": this word sounds just like "shul," which means synagogue. But this word has an "unknown origin" and is defined to be "to drag or scrape along: SHAMBLE, SHUFFLE; to loaf or idle about begging: LOITER, SAUNTER." Doesn't this look like a sneaky slam on religious Jewish people? After the insulting of Christians (see https://www.blogger.com/u/0/blog/post/edit/7919117044428850947/1488006919036740996) and wives (see above), I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find anti-Jewish insults in this dictionary, too. Still, one hopes for more virtuous behavior on the part of everyone.

* "ovonics" = "a branch of electronics that deals with applications of the Ovshinky effect." And the "Ovshinsky effect" = "the change from an electrically nonconducting to a semiconducting state shown by glasses of special composition upon application of a certain minimum voltage." Glass can become a semiconductor, depending on its composition? That seems like something that should be more widely known in this era of sleek, glass-faced tech devices.

* "magnetostriction" = "the change in the dimensions of a ferromagnetic body caused by a change in its state of magnetization." "Ferromagnetic" = "of or relating to a class of substances characterized by abnormally high magnetic permeability, definite saturation point, and appreciable residual magnetism and hysteresis." Our human bodies are ferromagnetic bodies, so I would like more information about how changes in magnetic fields on and around our body surfaces could affect us internally. Could magnetostriction be used to help treat blood vessel-related issues? That would potentionally be a lot of issues!

* "Zener diode" = "[origin unknown]: a silicon semiconductor device used esp. as a voltage regulator." While the entry says the origin is unknown, there is a dictionary entry for "Zener cards," which are a set of cards with five distinct shapes used to test for extrasensory perception (ESP). If such testing is carried out by having subjects touch silicon buttons, it seems that the tests could be manipulated by using silicon buttons that can effect voltage alterations in the subjects' nerves. (Doesn't it make you think of the scene from Ghostbusters where Peter Venkman is doing ESP testing and shocking the test subject who is not a pretty young woman? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW8Ua49dCYk)

* "optoelectronic" = "being or relating to a device in which light energy and electrical energy are coupled." How are they coupled? Are they coupled in my cell phone and computer monitor screen? Because I spend far too long staring at them, and I'd like to know about all the types of energy being sent my way.

* "numerical control" = "automatic control (as of a machine tool) by a digital computer." "Automatic control...by a digital computer"? In this age of people-manipulating technological algorithms? Doesn't that seem too broad a definition for something that on the surface only seems to be talking about controlling numbers?

* "tylosin" = "[origin unknown]: an antibacterial antibiotic from an actinomycete (Streptomyces fradiae)." I never heard of this antibiotic before. In fact, this 1971 dictionary mentions many antibiotics that never seem to be used in medicine any more. Is that because they aren't patentable and so get crowded out by the revenue-producing formulations of pharmaceutical companies?

* "diacodion": this is listed as a medicine by the dictionary in connection with the prefix "dia-", but I couldn't find any description of what it is or what it is supposed to treat. Online dictionaries say it is merely another name for diacodium, an opiate, but "codium" is defined in this 1971 dictionary as a green algae. (The part of me that wonders whether there are some forgotten "treasures of knowledge" in my old dictionary hopes that this has to do with an obscured-by-time treatment for tuberculosis, since Robert Koch--pronounced "co-"--did a lot of research on tuberculosis and I've lived in places where this illness is still a big problem.)

* "Wankel engine" = "an internal combustion engine developed in Germany that has a rounded triangular rotor functioning as a piston and rotating in a space in the engine and that has only two major moving parts." Why isn't it used for vehicles? It sounds simpler that the internal combustion engines in use presently. Is it less efficient? Less robust? With only two major moving parts, it seems like it would be a more enduring type of motor, not less.

* "worry beads" = "[so called fr. the belief that the fingering releases nervous tension]: a string of beads to be fingered so as to keep one's hands occupied." Yes, the 1970s had "fidgets"! I wonder if they were more effective (and less annoying, speaking as a teacher who sees them used as toys more often than not) than the modern version.

That's all for today!

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 5

Here are some more words that stood out to me as I looked through our big 1971 Webster's Dictionary:

* "patient" = (noun) "archaic: one that suffers, endures, or is victimized." Yes, that really is what is says in the first definition of patient--one that is victimized. I think most people in the health care field would be surprised to see a "patient" defined thus, as they work in health care to help others, not victimize them!

* "trephone" = (noun) "any of various blood substances in the blood serum and body fluids that promote the growth of cells." Why, when our global community researches cancer so diligently, is this word not part of our vocabulary?

* "trephocyte" = "a blood cell found in many invertebrates and concerned primarily with the transport of substances between the body cells." Invertebrates? We don't eat many of those, but we do eat some--squid, octopus, snails, clams, oysters, scallops, etc.--and I'd be interested in knowing what substances trephocytes transport and what health benefits could be obtained by the utilization of trephocyte-containing blood.

* "apoplex" = (transitive verb) "archaic: to strike with apoplexy." Apoplexy is defined as a stroke. A transitive verb is one that a person (or other agent) can do to a second person. If it's possible to strike someone down with a stroke-like illness--which the existence of this verb definition implies--how would one do such a thing? Shouldn't that be investigated?

* "appliance" = (noun) "2: something applied to a purpose or use: as a archaic : DEVICE, MEASURE, STRATAGEM b: a piece of equipment for adapting a tool or machine to a special purpose: ACCESSORY, FIXTURE, APPLIANCE." I never would have thought "stratagem" to be a definition of appliance. To me, appliances are clothes washers and such.

* "-tribe": as an ending, one definition of "-tribe" is "instrument for crushing, compressing, or rubbing." Because electricity can be generating by the use of such instruments (see "triboelectricity", which means the positive and negative charges caused by friction), I'd be interested in knowing whether such instruments are present in my kitchen, my footwear, and my apparel.

* "trifle": not just a British dessert or a small thing, a "trifle" can also be "a pewter of moderate hardness (as of 83 parts tin and 17 parts antimony) used esp. for small utensils." I have been looking at how antimony might get into our food and drinks, and kitchen utensils made with antimony could certainly contribute to that happening.

* "apostate" = "adj [ME, fr. apostate n.] 1: relating to or characterized by apostasy <the child of an ~ ... Catholic--Time> faithless to moral allegiance: RENEGADE <so spoke the ~ angel--John Milton> 2: abandoning or involving the abandonment of any form of allegiance <an ~ and unnatural connection with any foreign power--George Washington>." Why name-drop George Washington here? I didn't think the term apostate was used in connection with revolution, but if that makes George Washington an "apostate" in the eyes of some people in the British Commonwealth, he is still my hero. :)

* "hydromagnetic", introduced in the dictionary in 1971, has two definitions. One is "being a wave in an electrically conducting fluid in a magnetic field," and the other is "MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC," which was previously defined in the main text of the dictionary as "or or relating to phenomena arising from the motion of electrically conducting fluids in the presence of electric and magnetic fields." The second definition appears much broader than and inclusive of the narrower "hydromagnetic" term introduced in 1971; I don't see why it was deemed necessary to create a different, more narrow term. Also, how does magnetohydrodynamics intersect with human biology? After all, we have "electrically conducting fluids in the presence of electric and magnetic fields" throughout our bodies.

* "appendant" has definitions that appear contradictory. One says "annexed or belonging as a right--used in English law of certain ancient immemorial rights in land (as an advowson or common) that are annexed to the land of the person claiming them," while another says "attached as an appendage: ANNEXED." When I go to the definition of "to annex," one of them is "to appropriate esp. by highhanded or or ethically questionably methods: get hold of: make off with; often STEAL." Who knew that boring-sounding contract law terms sometimes are hiding theft underneath their layers of definitions?

* "Sanctified" and "sanctimonious" have somehow been made equivalent in this dictionary, even though they are opposites in the minds of most English speakers. Here's the entry for "sanctimonious": adj [L sanctimonia sanctimony + E -ous] 1: affecting piousness: hypocritically devout: displaying high-mindedness with intent to impress <easy to be ~ about loyalty--C.P. Curtis> <a woman who was religious without being ~ --G.S.Stokes> 2: archaic: possessing sanctity: HOLY, SACRED [synonym] see DEVOUT." (Keep in mind that archaic merely means old, not invalid.) And here is the entry for "sanctified": adj [ME, fr. past part. of sanctifien to sanctify] 1 a: made holy: made free of sin or from the bondage of sin b: set apart to sacred duty or use 2: made to have the air of sanctity: SANCTIMONIOUS." Isn't that odd? 

The last two words in today's post have me wondering--after the dictionary entry I found earlier on "cretin" (see https://petticoatgovernment.blogspot.com/2023/01/terms-with-unexpected-meanings-part-2.html)--who were the 1971 Webster's dictionary editors with a deep dislike for religious people?

Science secrets, Jesus, and the leaders who didn't want to share

This week, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are all studying John 2-4 from the Bible. Chapter 3 contains a very interesting account of the visit of Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers, to Jesus. Nicodemus came by night, even though Jesus was teaching in the open by day, and basically said to Jesus, "We know you are sent from God because of the miracles you do." Some of the Jewish leaders of his time recognized that Jesus was sent from God and even admitted it to him, but only when no one else was around. Why? Why would they keep quiet their knowledge of a prophet of God?

I encourage everyone to read deeply in John 3, for it reveals that the Jewish elders contemporary with Jesus were keeping valuable science-related secrets for themselves. John 3:8 records Jesus saying to Nicodemus:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

What meaning of wind is Jesus using here? Readers generally assume it means the movement of wind currents, but wind has many meanings. Usually, we can tell where movements of air come from and are going to, so this definition of wind doesn't fit what Jesus is saying. Another meaning of wind, per my big 1971 dictionary, is "a force or agency that carries along or influences." A "force...that...influences" and that makes sounds--I think this is a description of electromagetism. 

Archaeologists have found evidence that people as long ago as the Olmecs in southern Mexico have apparently been aware of the interesting and useful properties of magnets and purposely sought out rocks magnetized by lightning. See this 2019 article from the Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mesoamerican-sculptures-reveal-early-knowledge-magnetism-180972820/. Combining magnetism with movement and iron rods results in the presence of electrical currents, and the Old Testament contains significant references to iron rod-shaped objects, such as King Saul's javelin. 

The conversation between Jesus and the Jewish ruler goes on in the next few verses:

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Jesus was talking about earthly things, i.e., what we think of as science, when he described the force that made sounds and didn't have an ascertainable source or terminus. Our technology now allows us to use electromagnetism to produce music, move muscles, and affect our neural networks in both positive and negative ways. Did the Jewish rulers of Jesus' time also have ways in which they used electromagnetism, uses which they preferred to keep hidden? I think so, for in verses 19-21, Jesus says to the Jewish ruler, 

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

In a previous blog post of mine, I mention how Jesus also talked openly about the Jewish leaders having the ability to heal some kinds of mental illness and how they reacted with anger at him. The interactions between Jesus and the Jewish rulers of his time make much more sense when viewed in the context of leaders desperate to keep science-related secrets from the people they controlled.

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 4

Here are some more unexpected or unusual word definitions out of the 1971 Webster's Third New International Dictionary:

* "Situation ethics" = introduced to the dictionary as a new English word in 1971 and defined as "a system of ethics which is based on love and by which acts are judged within their contexts instead of by categorical principles." I typically hear this term used negatively in the sense of moral relativism, but it was originally meant to be a formulation of ethics based on the New Testament commandments to love God and our neighbor.

* "patterning" = "a technique designed to improve damaged neural controls by means of feedback from forced muscular activity imposed in physical therapy." If this was something done in 1971, was it stopped? I know of two young men with brain injuries who could really benefit from less-known techniques to improved damaged neural controls.

* "paralanguage" = "optional vocal effects (as tone of voice) that accompany or modify the phonemes of an utterance and may communicate meaning." What are these optional vocal effects, and can they be produced and manipulated with today's computers in order to add artificial enhancements conveying sincerity or alarm? Do cable news networks, inspirational speakers, and radio programs use them?

* "pemoline" = "a synthetic organic drug that is usually mixed with magnesium hydroxide, is a mild stimulant of the central nervous system, and is used experimentally to improve memory." The definitions I saw on the internet just now said nothing about memory improvement, just that pemoline is no longer used due to "a link" to liver failure; correlation isn't causation, so this brief mention of a link doesn't seem enough reason to completely drop a medication. Given the number of people we have in the world now dealing with dementia, I'd expect to see a little more attention given to a memory enhancer.

* "phytochrome" = "a chromoprotein present in traces in many plants that when activated by red to far-red radiation plays a role in initiating floral and developmental processes." As noted in a previous blog post (https://petticoatgovernment.blogspot.com/2023/01/terms-with-unexpected-meanings-part-2.html), "far-red" has contradictory definitions, so "phytochrome" is also going to have different definitions depending on which definition of "far-red" is used.

* "poor-mouth" = (intransitive verb) "to plead poverty as a defense or excuse"; (transitive verb) "to speak disparagingly of." I never heard the first definition before. I think poverty is a perfectly valid defense or excuse in many situations, so I am surprised this term doesn't get used more often.

* "programming" = "the process of instructing or learning by means of an instructional program." Or learning? Who uses the word programming so broadly? Instructing and learning are almost considered antonyms.

* "muti" = "[Zulu umu ti tree, shrub, herb, medicine] Africa: MEDICINE." As a German speaker, this  looks like "mommy" ("Mutti") to me. Since the Zulus lived in areas where Afrikaans, a language similar to German is spoken now, I don't think this is an unfair connection to make. But mommies, great as they are, aren't medicine. They're much better. :)

* "pherentasin" = "a pressor amine present in the blood in severe hypertension." I've never heard of this before, and there seems to be almost no research on it, which is odd considering the number of people on medication for hypertension.

* "mutica" = from Latin, neuter plural of muticus docked "syn[onym] of CETACEA." Why would a Latin word for "being cut off" be a synonym for whales and related aquatic mammals?

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 3

This is ending up being a longer series of posts than I anticipated. Dictionaries are very interesting books that contain more partisanship than we in US society have been taught. Here are some more dictionary terms from a 1971 Webster's dictionary that are surprising to me here in 2023:

* "euphenics" = "a science that deals with the biological improvement of human beings after birth." Eugenics is nowadays discussed disapprovingly, but no one seems to discuss the term euphenics. I think we should be paying a lot more attention to explicitly optimizing the biological outcomes of everyone on the planet by providing the conditions that will promote the best phenotypes possible for each person's genotype.

* "michurinism" is defined as "Lysenkoism"in this dictionary, even though it is named after Ivan V. Michurin, a Russian horticulturalist who died in 1935. This is a big error. It is untrue that Lysenko and Michurin had the same ideas. Lysenko's ideas are now rejected as mostly nonsense; Michurin, on the other hand, put forth the idea that external circumstances can cause a change in the genotype, an idea which we now research in fields like epigenetics.

* "pump": one of the definitions given for "pump" is "electromagnetic radiation for pumping atoms or molecules." That seems like it is saying that electromagnetic radiation can be used to move atoms and molecules around. Atoms, not surprising. Molecules....now that is surprising to me, for molecules are much larger, our bodies are full of molecules, and we live surrounded by sources of electromagnetic radiation.

* "rolamite" = "a nearly frictionless elementary mechanism consisting of two or more rollers inserted in the loops of a flexible metal or plastic band with the band acting to turn the rollers whose movement can be directed to perform various functions." I've never heard of such a mechanism. It looks to me as though it would be useful in explaining earth crust movement and earthquakes. 

* "holidic" = "having the actual constituents chemically defined < ~ diets>." Wouldn't it be great if we could obtain holidic descriptions of what is in our food and water? These days, the ingredients lists are very uninformative. Stating that "artificial flavor" and "spices" are in the ingredients tells me nothing about what I'm being sold.

* "hype": one of the given definitions of the noun "hype" is "deception, put-on." I knew "hype" was used for exaggerated advertisements, but it is news to me that "hype" can also be outright "deception."

* "IUD" = "intrauterine device" = "a device (as a spiral of plastic or a ring of stainless steel) inserted and left in the uterus to prevent effective conception." I include this one because I didn't know that IUDs used to be made of stainless steel.

* "melatonin" = "a substance produced in the pineal body that plays a role in sexual development and maturation." Sexual development and maturation? Parents have been blithely giving this to their children to help them sleep. That seems hazardous if melatonin affects their sexual development and maturation.

* "proxemics" = "a branch of study dealing with the personal and cultural spatial needs of man and his interaction with his environing space." I am curious who engages in this kind of study and what exactly they think are the actual "spatial needs of man."

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 2

There is so much to learn from studying an old dictionary! Here are some other terms I found interesting recently. I hope you will, too.

* "poop" = one definition is "a short jarring sound; GULP, TOOT." Who ever expected "poop" to be basically equated with "gulp"? (I can tell you what I won't be drinking at 7-11 ever again....)

* "neurohemal organ" = "an organ (as a corpus cardiacum of an insect) that releases stored neurosecretory substances into the blood." This appears to be a broader definition than how the term is used now.

* "lib" =  (noun abbreviations) book; liberal; pound; library, librarian; (transitive verb) to castrate. While this word is now most associated with the women's lib movement in the USA, the original meaning of it, when not used as an abbreviation, was "to castrate." And, yes, castration can be surgical sterilization of men or women. I don't think "women's lib" was meant to be a nice nickname in the minds of some who used it....

* "far-red": this term was given two contradictory definitions in the 1971 dictionary: 1) "lying in the part of the infrared spectrum farthest from the red--used of radiations with wavelengths between 30 and about 1000 microns" and 2) "lying in the part of the infrared spectrum nearest to the red--used of radiations with wavelengths starting at about 0.8 micron." How does one word get defined in two obviously contradictory ways like that?

* "rig": again, this word was given two different-but-related meanings one right after the other within the same definition segment: 1) "the complete station of an amateur radio station" and 2) "a high fidelity sound system." No one would call a radio station and a stereo the same thing, but this definition appears to be doing just that.

* "mi contra fa" = "TRITONE--used in early contrapuntal music as an expression of caution to the musician against the use of dangerous intervals." That's what the dictionary says, dangerous. What is the significance of that? 

* "mhometer" = "an instrument for measuring conductance." I didn't know this was an available measuring device. It seems like we're always indirectly measuring conductance via resistance with an ohmmeter, but conductance is not the same thing as resistance. Shouldn't we measure conductance directly?

* "cretin": you have to see this one to believe it. Apparently, the writers/editors of this dictionary--Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1971--at some point included person(s) with a big grudge against Christians.

[February 3, 2023 update on "cretin": I found a 1977 Webster's dictionary yesterday that claimed an "uncertain" origin for "cretin," and sandwiched it between two very rare words that were defined as "lying" and "deceit." Here's a photo of the excerpt: 

Dictionaries get treated as objective authorities, but they are written by ordinary people who can hold grudges and exhibit varying levels of honesty.]

And there you have today's installment of interesting word definitions. 

Terms with unexpected meanings, part 1

As I look through my 1970s dictionary, I occasionally come across a word that has a definition I didn't know it had. Some of these words are ones that would be used in legal agreements, so it's important for everyone involved in the agreement to be aware of the possible definitions of the words they are using.

Here are some of the alternate definitions that have stood out recently to me:

* "sympathetic" = of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system [this isn't as limited as one might think, for the sympathetic nervous system is archaically--which means "old-fashioned," but not "no-longer-in-use"-- defined as the autonomic nervous system, which in turn is defined as "a part of the vertebrate nervous system that innervates smooth and cardiac muscle and glandular tissues, governs actions that are more or less automatic (as secretion, vasoconstriction, or peristalsis), and consists of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system."]

* "hype" = (as a noun) deception, put-on; (as a verb) to put on (synonyms--mislead, deceive)

* "happening" = an event or series of events designed to evoke a spontaneous audience reaction to sensory, emotional, or spiritual stimuli: as a: the activities concurrent with or involved in the creation or presentation of a nonrepresentational art object (as an action painting) b: a [usually] unrehearsed stage performance utilizing art objects and sound effects for chance and impromptu results

* "boo" = marijuana

* "hunting" = a self-induced or undesirable oscillation of a variable above and below the desired value in an automatic control system; a continuous attempt by an automatically controlled system to find a desired equilibrium condition

* "ice" = an undercover premium paid to a theater employee for choice theater tickets

* "genetic code" = the self-reproducing record of the specific protein pattern of an organism which is apparently stored in triplets of sequential nucleotides in the nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid and which is transmitted through a series of ribonucleic acids to the cytoplasmic seats of protein synthesis [APPARENTLY?]

* "interrogate" = to give or send out a signal to (as a computer) for triggering an appropriate response [notice that this expands interrogating humans from the usual understanding of just asking us questions to actually triggering responses in us]

A good warning for us all, as we casually click "I accept" for all kinds of agreements these days, is the experience of the indigenous people of New Zealand, who learned that they could be bound by an agreement they didn't know they had made. Look into the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 if you haven't read about it before. The British held the Maori to the English-language version of the treaty, even though the Maori leaders thought they had only agreed to the Maori-language version. Of course, the English-language treaty gave the British more power than than the Maori anticipated.

Pay attention to the first word above, "sympathetic." When most of us read that word, we think of "being nice." However, the world trade agreements currently in force frequently include a contractual duty of countries to "afford sympathetic consideration" to each other. What meaning of sympathetic is being used? Because if it's a meaning that includes the "part of [our] nervous system" that "governs actions that are more or less automatic," there's potential there for exploitation of our "more or less automatic" thinking processes, an abusive exploitation which we supposedly agreed to in the world trade treaties. Definitions matter, and fine print should be scrutinized.

Using "concrete poetry" to manipulate people

Today I came across a term introduced in my 1970s dictionary that I think might help explain some of the political and societal polarization we have seen with the rise of the internet as a major news medium. The term is "concrete poetry," and it means "poetry in which the poet's intent is conveyed by the graphic patterns of letters, words, or symbols rather than by the conventional arrangement of words."

Suppose a poet's intent is to creat disgust or other strong feeling by means of graphic patterns in the text of his or her verses. How to do such a thing? I think that one way is by creating associations. For instance, the poet could use an odd font or line/letter/paragraph spacing when discussing something that most people find revolting, like vomit or diarrhea. Then later on, when discussing something that is not generally an object of disgust, the poet could utilize that same font or spacing pattern to recall those feelings of revulsion in connection with the new topic.

Imagine how useful that could be in political newswriting. A news outlet could subtly shift the spacing and appearance of letters in all articles that have to do with sexual harassment, and then it could use that same spacing and letter appearance when writing about a politician whom it opposes; readers would develop sensations of disgust towards that politician without even realizing why they are doing so. Subtle manipulation in such a way can be even more effective than overt propaganda because people can't intentionally, rationally reason through feelings that they don't realize have been subtly created in them.

The internet's primary use as a text-based information outlet with a wide variety of fonts and text patterns makes it ideal for exploiting the principles of concrete poetry. The ability to create positive and negative feelings in people can be harnessed to, among other things, increase sales, boost or decrease popularity, win elections, shift public opinions, and divide nations.

Does vesicle fusion within the process of intraneuron recycling deserve more attention when it comes to researching dementia? Could TRPML1-3 be involved?

Last night I was reading this article--"Pathogenic cascades in lysosomal disease-Why so complex?" (J Inherit Metab Dis. 2009 Apr; 32(2): 181–189; full text online at http://europepmc.org/article/MED/19130290), and it occurred to me that some health problems that we associate with reduced autophagy (i.e., impaired autophagic function), ones such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's, are more likely to be caused by impaired reforming of intra-cell functions than by reduced autophagy per se. I think the reduced autophagy is the body's feedback mechanisms trying to slow down the recycling of cellular parts because something is not working correctly in the recycling process. 

Here's an excerpt from the article that caught my eye:

Lysosomal diseases are also caused by defects in soluble and membrane-associated non-enzyme proteins of late endosomes and lysosomes believed essential for the processes of substrate degradation and egress, as well as vesicle fusion....

Like NPC1 and NPC2 described above, defects in other enigmatic proteins have similarly been linked to lysosomal disease. For example, mutations in the MCOLN1 gene which codes mucolipin-1, a lysosomal membrane TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) family of ion channel, causes mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV) disease (Zeevi, et al., 2007). In spite of its name MLIV has little connection other than historic with MLII/III diseases which are caused by defects in the phosphotransferase enzyme responsible for adding the mannose-6 phosphate moiety to lysosomal enzymes as required for normal targeting to lysosomes. Like NPC1, mucolipin-1 resides in the membrane of late endosomes/lysosomes and while implicated in lysosomal pH control and in membrane fusion/fission events, its function remains essentially unknown. A similar situation exists for many of the proteins implicated in the ten (CLN1-CLN10) so-called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, or Batten diseases (Kyttälä, et al., 2006). The CLN3 protein, for example, defects in which cause juvenile Batten disease, may be associated with autophagolysosomes fusion/maturation (Cao, et al., 2006), in lysosomal pH control (Pearce, et al., 1999), or a host of other functions (Rakheja, et al., 2008). Similarly, the CLN6 and CLN8 proteins are believed localized to membranes of the ER and while their absence leads to lysosomal storage, their functional link to lysosomes is unknown (Kyttälä, et al., 2006).

I'm most intrigued by the mucolipin mentioned above. There are now three mucolipins identified, TRPML1, TRPML 2, and TRPML3, as well as promoters and inhibitors of them. It would be interesting to see how they affect intraneuron recycling processes and whether they are involved in the development of dementia.

A synergy between cobalt (including the cobalt in vitamin B12) and hydrogen peroxide appears to elevate risks of developing colorectal cancer

While I was thinking recently about how reverse osmosis filters can elevate the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in our mouths and digestive tracts by removing fluoride F−ions from our drinking water, I thought of a teenage boy I know of who lives in a fluoride-avoiding household with a reverse osmosis filter and who was diagnosed in 2020 with Stage 4 colorectal cancer. He is still alive in 2023, but it's been a hard fight against the cancer.

It is highly unusual for someone his age to have aggressive colorectal cancer. I wondered whether there could be a connection between having more H2O2 in the gastrointestinal tract and his youthful development of colorectal cancer. Here is what I found:

Regarding direct genotoxic mechanisms, [cobalt(II)] induces the formation of reactive oxygen species when combined with hydrogen peroxide in cell-free systems. At high (i.e., millimolar) concentrations, [cobalt(II)] also decreases the fidelity of DNA synthesis.

Beyersmann D, Hartwig A. The genetic toxicology of cobalt. Toxicology Applied Pharmacology 1992;115(1):137-145, ISSN 0041-008X, https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-008X(92)90377-5. Online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0041008X92903775.

Cobalt has already been noted to impair DNA replication and damage DNA (see "Cobalt and nickel impair DNA metabolism by the oxidative stress independent pathway" online at https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/mt/c7mt00231a). Cobalt has been found to be associated with colon cancer (see "Association between heavy metals and colon cancer: an ecological study based on geographical information systems in North-Eastern Iran" online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33858386/). Taking vitamin B12--the only vitamin that contains cobalt--appears to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer (see "Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Supplementation and the Risk of Cancer: Long-term Follow-up of the B Vitamins for the Prevention of Osteoporotic Fractures (B-PROOF) Trial" online at https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-1198; see also "Genetically predicted circulating B vitamins in relation to digestive system cancers" online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-021-01383-0).

Failure to accurately replicate DNA (i.e., decreased DNA synthesis fidelity) has been found to increase susceptibility to early-onset colorectal cancer, per an interesting 2010 article:

Perhaps the strongest early evidence that increased spontaneous mutation (i.e., mutator phenotype) contributes to human cancer was the discovery that defective mismatch repair (MMR) causes hereditary colon cancer....In the early 1990s, colorectal cancer samples from Lynch syndrome pedigrees (also called hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or HNPCC) were noted to have microsatellite instability, normal cytogenetics, and were associated with a unique clinical presentation. Two groups simultaneously reported that these families carried mutations in MSH2, the gene encoding one of the primary proteins required for MMR. Shortly thereafter, MLH1, the gene encoding another essential MMR protein, was cloned and found to be mutated in additional Lynch syndrome families. The majority of Lynch syndrome patients inherit a mutation in either MSH2 or MLH1, with a smaller percentage inheriting mutations in PMS2 or MSH6. The wild-type allele is then lost in tumors through LOH or gene silencing. Patients with inherited MMR deficiency are primarily susceptible to early-onset colorectal cancer, but also have an increased risk for extra-intestinal neoplasms. Inherited MMR defects are only responsible for a small number (1–5%) of colorectal cancer cases; thus, most colorectal cancers with MSI (~15% of all colorectal cancer cases) result from acquired defects in MMR, almost exclusively due to MLH1 promoter hypermethylation. MMR defects and MSI are also detected in non-colonic sporadic tumors, most commonly in endometrial, lung and gastric cancer.

Preston BD, Albertson TM, Herr AJ. DNA replication fidelity and cancer. Semin Cancer Biol. 2010 Oct;20(5):281-93. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2010.10.009. Epub 2010 Oct 15. PMID: 20951805; PMCID: PMC2993855. Online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2993855/.

As far as I have heard, the parents of this family encourage the use of vitamins, especially B vitamins. It appears that their desire for clean water and adequate vitamins might have inadvertently contributed to DNA replication issues in their son that could be behind his unusual early-onset colorectal cancer.

Faucets, aerators, and pipes as possible factors in delaying or accelerating dementia

Way back in September of 2016, I was looking at how hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) causes hair to go gray, for a chronically elevated level of H2O2 increases cell death and as we age we have less activity of enzymes that break down H2O2. In February of 2017, I considered whether H2O2 in the mouth was responsible for increased stroke risk as we age. The oxidative stress caused by H2O2 also seems like it could be connected to the development of dementia, as I published in this hypothesis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28915962/.

Here is an update on H2O2 and a new question. 

First, the update: I continue to go gray more slowly than expected. Decades ago, I got into the habit of letting my toothpaste stay in my mouth for extended periods of time while I did other parts of my going-to-bed routine, including reading (which for me can be quite a long time). Many toothpastes rely on sodium fluoride (NaF) as their primary active ingredient, and NaF can help break down H2O2. All of my siblings are going gray faster than I am, including the one with the most similar hair pigmentation. The sibling who is going gray fastest of all avoids fluoridated water, going so far as to have installed a reverse osmosis filter in her home around fifteen years ago. I think simple fluoride F−))))))aions really are helping slow down the death of my hair-pigment-producing cells (the technical name for those cells is melanocytes).

The new question is whether we should be paying more attention to fluoride and fluorine generally when it comes to developing dementia. My elderly mother moved last year from her 1970s home to a newer apartment, and she quickly "went downhill" as far as her memory issues. The older home had older plumbing and faucets, while the new apartment had newer everything. While fluoride in NaF can help break down H2O2, diatomic fluorine molecules (F2) actually can increase the presence of H2O2 by oxidizing water (H2O) to H2O2 where free electrons are present. As we all learn at an early age from shocking each other after scuffling our feet along carpet, friction can cause free electrons to be present, so it appears to merit more investigation as to how pipes, faucets, and especially aerators on faucets are affecting the water that we put into our mouths.