Pollen identification of three notorious illicit drug plants and its potential applications in forensic practice.

Opium poppy, coca and cannabis are raw materials for three notorious illicit drugs. For a long time, drug lords have been growing and smuggling these drugs in a variety of ways and channels and are continually finding new ways of trafficking their wares, which has led to the increasing difficulty of global drug enforcement. In the present paper, we propose an innovative pollen identification system for these important drug plants, which provides a tool for screening and detection of the drugs to aid in drug enforcement. By utilizing the characteristics of these fine particles, their abundant production, and high resistance to decay, we believe this tool could be applied in the following scenarios: detecting and dynamically monitoring drug cultivation activities; determining whether a suspect has been to fields of drug plants and determining whether the site has ever been planted with a drug plant and/or was involved in drug production. In the future, combined with microscope automatic image acquisition technology and intelligent image recognition technology, this pollen identification system is expected to be used to screen three notorious illicit drug plants, thus enhancing the efficiency of drug related crime investigations.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis: limited effectiveness of treatments.

(1) Seasonal allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hayfever, is a harmless condition, although it can cause major discomfort and interfere with activities of daily living. We conducted a review of the literature, based on our in-house methodology, to determine the risk-benefits of treatments used in this setting. (2) Placebo-controlled trials show that sodium cromoglicate relieves symptoms, especially if it is used before symptoms appear. Adverse effects are rare with sodium cromoglicate nasal solutions and eye drops. (3) Nasal steroids have well-documented efficacy. Beclometasone is the best choice. Adverse effects include epistaxis, nasal irritation and, occasionally, systemic disorders. (4) Oral antihistamines are less effective than nasal steroids. They also provoke adverse effects, especially drowsiness. Nasal azelastine seems to have a similar efficacy as oral antihistamines. (5) The adverse effects of systemic steroids must not be overlooked, especially with long-term use. Oral administration is an alternative for severe symptoms that do not respond to other treatments, although this is rarely the case. Long-acting intramuscular steroids carry an increased risk of adverse effects. (6) Despite evaluation in several randomised controlled trials, there is no firm evidence that homeopathic preparations have any specific efficacy in allergic rhinitis. (7) Vasoconstrictors, ipratropium and montelukast, have negative risk-benefit balances in hay fever. (8) When a single allergen is responsible (grasses, ragweed, birch), clinical trials suggest that specific desensitisation can provide a modest improvement. However, this treatment carries a risk of local adverse effects, as well as a risk of rare but severe anaphylactic reactions, especially in patients who also have unstable severe asthma. (9) Sublingual desensitisation seems to be even less effective than subcutaneous desensitisation in adults. Follow-up is too short to know whether there is a risk of severe anaphylactic reactions. The results of paediatric studies are even less convincing. (10) In practice, when drug therapy is needed to relieve symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, sodium cromoglicate is the first-line treatment. If a nasal steroid solution is chosen, it should be used for the shortest possible period.

Weak extremely high frequency microwaves affect pollen-tube emergence and growth in kiwifruit: pollen grain irradiation and water-mediated effects.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of weak-intensity extremely high frequency (EHF) microwaves in a model system-the plant organism pollen grain-lacking the placebo effect, available in large populations, to ensure accurate statistical analysis, and whose sensitivity is closely relevant to animal and human biology. DESIGN: This study was blinded using an in vitro pollen germination technique. SUBJECTS AND STUDY INTERVENTIONS: Pollen of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) was either directly irradiated or grown in a medium prepared with irradiated water, using a CromoStim 2000, (PromoPharma, Republic of San Marino) designed for EHF microwave resonance therapy (MRT). It produces weak intensity EHF radiations (40-78 GHz), either continuous wave (cw) or modulated, at a 10 Hz-frequency, with infrared (IR) carried to 635-950 nm, and with an impedance (IPD) of 10(-21) W/Hz cm(2) and a power supply from 0 to 20 mW. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Pollen-tube emergence was expressed as a percent of grains producing a tube and tube elongation was measured at 4 hours of incubation by a turbidimetric assay (A(500)) of cultures, expressed as the net absorbance increase over time 0. RESULTS: At days 2 and 4 during aging, both percent of germination and tube growth significantly and consistently improved over controls in kiwifruit pollen grains irradiated for 30 minutes at day 0 at 10 Hz frequency with the CromoStim 2000. Highly significant effects, either stimulant or inhibitory, were also observed on kiwifruit pollen (stressed or not) growing in a medium prepared with water previously irradiated either cw or modulated. Irradiated water affected pollen germination immediately and even after several days following EHF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Either direct or indirect EHF irradiation performed by the CromoStim 2000 is effective on pollen growth processes. In both cases, water seemed to play a primary role. According to the quantum electrodynamical coherence theory, our work could also have implications for homeopathy, suggesting a key to explain the efficacy of high dilutions and succussion procedures.

[Influence of zhuangling agent to metabolism of lipid in aged rats].

The influence of Zhuangling Agent to the metabolism of lipid in healthy old rats has been studied. The results indicate that the agent can decrease the level of serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and peroxilipid and meanwhile can increase serum superoxide-dismutase and enhance the activity of acid phosphatase in some parts of the tissues. The result suggests that Zhuangling Agent possibly has an effect of anti-arteriosclerosis.

Treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis using homeopathic preparation of common allergens in the southwest region of the US: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Studies using homeopathy have reported beneficial effects from treating allergy-related conditions. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a homeopathic drug prepared from common allergens (tree, grass, weed species) specific to the Southwest region of the US. METHODS: A 4-week, double-blind clinical trial comparing homeopathic preparations with placebo was conducted in the Phoenix metropolitan area during the regional allergy season from February to May. Participants included 40 men and women, 26-63 years of age, diagnosed with moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms. Study outcomes included allergy-specific symptoms using the rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ), functional quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36), and the work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Scales from the RQLQ, MOS SF-36, and WPAI questionnaire showed significant positive changes from baseline to 4 weeks in the homeopathic group compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). Subjects reported no adverse effects during the intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings indicate potential benefits of the homeopathic intervention in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis in the Southwestern US.

Is homoeopathy a placebo response? Controlled trial of homoeopathic potency, with pollen in hayfever as model.

The hypothesis that homoeopathic potencies are placebos was tested in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study model chosen compared the effects of a homoeopathic preparation of mixed grass pollens with placebo in 144 patients with active hayfever. The homoeopathically treated patients showed a significant reduction in patient and doctor assessed symptom scores. The significance of this response was increased when results were corrected for pollen count and the response was associated with a halving of the need for antihistamines. An initial aggravation of symptoms was noted more often in patients receiving the potency and was followed by an improvement in that group. No evidence emerged to support the idea that placebo action fully explains the clinical responses to homoeopathic drugs.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of homeopathic solutions.

The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to study homeopathic solutions, showing provocative results. We examined the reproducibility of one of the allegedly positive studies. 1H NMR spectra were recorded for Sulphur D4, diluted and succussed up to D30 (called potentization) at two different frequencies (300 and 500 MHz). The Sulphur solution had been potentiated according to homeopathic principles with deionized water and alcohol. Water proton T1 relaxation measurements were performed also at 20 MHz for the different potentiated Sulphur solutions. Furthermore, the homeopathic remedy Betula alba 30c (birch pollen extract) and appropriate control solution (deionized water, unsuccussed solutions and placebo globules) were measured analogously, both with frequencies giving spectra and T1 relaxometry. The Sulphur remedies showed identical one dimensional proton spectra (1H NMR) at 300 and 500 MHz, regardless of dilution/succussion stage, from D4 to D30. Furthermore, Betula 30c as a potentiated solution and its controls (ethanol dilutions and Betula diluted but not succussed) showed identical spectra. Nor were there any statistically significant differences in longitudinal (T1) relaxation times between deionized water and Sulphur D10 to D30 preparations. The shorter T1 of the Sulphur D4 preparation could be ascribed to the higher microviscosity within the sample matrix caused by the high concentration of dissolved material. Also, the T1 values of the Betula alba 30c preparation (in globular form) and control placebo globules were identical. In conclusion, published results from NMR research on homeopathy indicating differences between homeopathic solutions and control samples could not be reproduced.

Is homeopathic 'immunotherapy' effective? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with the isopathic remedy Betula 30c for patients with birch pollen allergy.

The objective of the study was to examine the effect of the homeopathic remedy Betula 30c vs. placebo for patients with birch pollen allergy. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out. Tablets were given for 4 weeks during the birch pollen season. The setting was Oslo, Norway, May 1995. Patients were aged between 18 and 50 y; 32 patients received Betula 30c tablets and 34 patients received placebo tablets. The main outcome measure was the total score of 17 different allergy symptoms. Daily total scores were calculated, as well as differences and ratios between the run-in and the following time periods. Point estimates of the median difference between the experimental and placebo groups, with their 95% confidence intervals, were the main measure of effect. No statistically significant difference between the groups was found during the first and last period of May. However, from 8 to 18 May, a clinically interesting difference was revealed between the groups, those receiving Betula 30c having fewer and less serious symptoms. For some days these differences were statistically significant. Surprisingly, this group reported more aggravation from the tablets than did the placebo group. With a statistical power of 70% for a defined clinically interesting difference (25%), the present results indicate that treatment with Betula 30c during the pollen season deserves further attention.

No beneficial effect of isopathic prophylactic treatment for birch pollen allergy during a low-pollen season: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of homeopathic Betula 30c.

The objective of this research was to determine if the homeopathic medicine Betula 30c is more effective than placebo at reducing symptoms of pollen allergy in patients sensitive to birch pollen. It was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Tablets were given both as a prophylactic agent, once a week four weeks before the pollen season and as an acute remedy during the pollen season. The study was done in Oslo, Norway, in May 1996 and involved 73 children, adolescents and young adults from 7 to 25 y of age. Allergy-symptoms were assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) by patients or parents. Main outcome measure was the median (with its 95% confidence interval) of the symptom scores for all the treated patients, each day during a 10-day period. The pollen count was very low in 1996, only three days were high enough to provoke allergic symptoms. Surprisingly, the verum treated patients fared worse than the placebo group; they used more rescue medication and had higher symptom scores during these three days. Homeopaths might attribute the findings to a putative aggravation response, but the results certainly do not lend support to the usefulness of the tested prophylactic approach, under conditions of low allergen exposure.

Prophylactic and acute treatment with the homeopathic medicine, Betula 30c for birch pollen allergy: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of consistency of VAS responses.

A study of the consistency of responses by allergic patients in repeated studies of the homeopathic remedy Betula 30c or placebo against birch pollen allergy, was made. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed including participants with a known allergy to birch pollen. Allergy symptoms were assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) by patients or parents each day during a 20-day period during two different pollen seasons. The work was carried out in Oslo, Norway during May 1995, 1996 and 1997. There were 51 patients ranging in age from 7 to 50y. The homeopathic remedy Betula 30c or placebo was given as tablets, both as a prophylactic agent, once a week for 4 weeks before the pollen season started, and as an acute remedy during the pollen season. The mean value of the symptom scores on the visual analogue scale, for all registration days from each patient was the main outcome. The patient groups that received either placebo or Betula 30c for two successive years showed a consistent response (r=0.75, P=0.01 and r=0.70, P=0.003, respectively). No such correlation was found in the two groups that changed remedy from one year to another (either from placebo to Betula or vice versa). Subjective assessment of allergic symptoms to birch pollen differed more from one year to another when different regimens (placebo or homeopathic) had been administered these two seasons, than when the same treatment had been given.

Valor nutricional do mel e pólen de abelhas sem ferrão da região Amazônica / Nutricional value of honey and pollen of stingerless bees of the Amazonian region

Avaliou-se os constituintes nutricionais de amostras do mel e pólen das espécies Melipona seminigra merrillae (jandaíra), Melipona compressipes manaosensis (jupará), Melipona rufiventris paraensis (uruçu boca de ralo), provenientes do meliponário da Fazenda Poranga no município de Itacoatiara - AM e Meliponário Abelhudo em Manaus - AM. Os resultados demonstraram o potencial do mel como fonte de energia, particularmente a M. rufiventris com 305,3±2,4 kcal em 100g. O pólen da espécie M. compressipes apresentou a maior concentração de proteína 15,7±0,0 por cento e energia 309,8±0,8 kcal. Tais constatações sugerem a implementação de novos estudos visando à incorporação destes produtos na dieta dos amazônidas, possibilitando uma nova fonte alternativa de alimento potencialmente nutritivo e saudável.

L'homeopathie est-elle une reponse placebo? / Is homeopathy a placebo answer?

En partant de l'hypothese selon laquelle les dilutions homeopathiques sont des placebos on a realise un essai randomise en double-aveugle, avec controle placebo. Le modele d"etude comparait le effets d'une preparation homeopathique d'un melange de pollens de graminees a ceux d'un placebo chez 144patients atteints de rhume des foins. Chez les patients traites par l'homeopathie, on a observe une regression significative des symptomes reveles a la fois par le patient et par le medecin. Cette reponse s'est revelee plus significative encore a l'examen des chiffres de comptage du pollen et a correspondu a une diminution de moitie des besoins en anti-histaminiques. Une periode d'aggravation initiale des symptomes ete notee plus souvent chez les patients ayant recu la dilution et a ete suivie d'amelioration dans ce groupe. Aucune preuve n'a ete relevee en faveur de l'idee que l'action placebo explique totalement la reponse clinique aux remedes homeopathiques

Potent placebo or potency? A proposed study model with initial findings using homoeopathically prepared pullens in hayfever

This work suggests that it is possible to study some key issues relevant to homoeopathy using standard trial designs. Further the results of this pilot study appear to demonstrate a difference in effect between a 30c potency and a placebo. A larger definitive study is under way to examine the reproducibility of these results

A homeopatia e uma resposta placebo? / Is the homeopathy a placebo response?

Num experimento duplo-cego randomizado, foi testada a hipotese de que as potencias homeopaticas sao placebo. O modelo escolhido para estudo comparou, os efeitos de uma preparacao de mistura de polens de capim com placebo, em 144 pacientes com Febre do Feno ativa. A resposta era mais significativa quando os resultados eram corrigidos para a dose de polen, e quando ela estava associada a uma diminuicao de 50% da necessidade de anti-histaminicos. Nos pacientes que receberam o tratamento homeopatico foi notada, inicialmente, uma agravacao mais frequente dos sintomas, seguida de melhora. Nao houve evidencia que sustentasse a ideia de que a acao do placebo explica, completamente, as respostas clinicas para as drogas homeopaticas

A homeopatia e uma resposta placebo? / Is the homeopathy a placebo response?

Num experimento duplo-cego randomizado, foi testada a hipotese de que as potencias homeopaticas sao placebo. O modelo escolhido para estudo comparou, os efeitos de uma preparacao de mistura de polens de capim com placebo, em 144 pacientes com Febre do Feno ativa. A resposta era mais significativa quando os resultados eram corrigidos para a dose de polen, e quando ela estava associada a uma diminuicao de 50 porcento da necessidade de anti-histaminicos. Nos pacientes que receberam o tratamento homeopatico foi notada, inicialmente, uma agravacao mais frequente dos sintomas, seguida de melhora. Nao houve evidencia que sustentasse a ideia de que a acao do placebo explica, completamente, as respostas clinicas para as drogas homeopaticas