Stuff 'n Stuff -- Sci-Tech Olds & News -- February 2014

rexresearch.com

Stuff 'n Stuff

Sci-Tech News & Olds

February 2014

Superluminal Technology Patents

Quercetin + Ultrasound vs Cancer

Quantum Entanglement in Photosynthesis

Methionine Restriction for Longevity

Darkness Ray

Biodegradeable Polyethylene

Magnet Stimulation of Microbe Metabolism

Hydrogen Sulfide Suspended Animation

TeraHertz Water Boiler

TeraHertz Water Treatments

Enzymatic Fuekl Cell / BioBattery

Simple Stem Cell Differentiation

[ January 2014 ]

SUPERLUMINAL TECHNOLOGY PATENTS

http://worldwide.espacenet.com/advancedSearch?locale=en_EP

SUPERLUMINAL ANTENNA
WO2013119566
US2013201073
A superluminal antenna element integrates a balun element to better impedance match an input cable or waveguide to a dielectric radiator element, thus preventing stray reflections and consequent undesirable radiation. For example, a dielectric housing material can be used that has a cutout area. A cable can extend into the cutout area. A triangular conductor can function as an impednace transition. An additional cylindrical element functions as a sleeve balun to better impedance match the radiator element to the cable.

Atomic spectrum communication device
CN102739319

The invention discloses an atomic spectrum communication device. A core technical content of the device is that the atomic spectrum communication device can reflect a resonance transmission process of some superluminal waves, and through a high sensitive atomic spectral analysis, information transfer can be realized. The atomic spectrum communication device consists of three major parts: an atom information receiver, an atomic spectrum analyzer, and an information demodulation device.

Acceleration of particles beyond the speed of light and applications
US2012168676

With my device, I can accelerate in void particles of matter beyond the speed of light thanks to particles, antiparticles of antimatter and electromagnetic or electrostatic field. I can produce energy in a void electromagnetic or electrostatic circuit thanks to properties of superluminal particles since electromagnetic fields produced by superluminal particles are always behind them. So they can heat "black" or "dark" material according to fields produced by them without decelerate at all. I can also produce hypersensitive electromagnetic or electrostatic sensors since superluminal particles doesn't have inertia.

Method for accelerating beam of e.g. atomic nucleus
FR2948847

The method involves guiding a beam of material particles with velocity (v1) into a vacuum by electromagnetic or electrostatic fields, and accelerating or retarding the beam of material particles by using constant electrostatic or electromagnetic fields. The beam of material particles is accelerated at superluminal speed, which is greater than speed of light. The beam of particle materials is annihilated with a beam of anti-material particles having a velocity (v2) at right angle. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for production of economic energy in the form of heat or electromagnetic radiation (2) a method of production of electromagnetic impact wave by a beam of superluminuous material particles (3) a method of forming superluminal antenna with sensors for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic radiations.

Superluminal matter particles
FR2940876

The method involves performing a rear propelling function of non-zero charged matter particles circulating in a vacuum driven electromagnetic circuit by using an electromagnetic radiation or electrostatic or electromagnetic fields in same direction of anti-matter particles having sufficient energy. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for economically producing energy in form of heat or electromagnetic radiations by a beam of superluminal matter particles circulating in a vacuum driven electromagnetic circuit (2) a method for acceleration of matter or anti-matter particles by powerful accelerating laser pulse.

Superluminal aerocraft
CN101475059

The invention provides a super-light-speed flight vehicle aiming at solving the problem of difficult space entrance of human beings. The invention belongs to the technical field of super-light-speed flight vehicles. A large circle encloses a small circle; and the larger circle and the small circle are divided into two equal parts. The center of the circles is designed with 'magnetic explosion' photon jet flow acceleration, rotation and turning double-speed double-side movement and inner and outer magnetic suspension effect. The flight vehicle realizes super-light-speed flight according to the instructions of a computer. The technical key points of the technical proposal comprise: a solution to a weightless problem; a solution to super-light-speed problem; a solution to a human residence problem; and realization of computer control over 'energy level' adjustment and 'transition'. The super-light-speed flight vehicle is mainly used to realize the natural high speed effect of a cosmic 'bright body'.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACECRAFT PROPULSION WITH A FIELD SHIELD PROTECTION
CA2638667

The propulsion method is based on a gravito-inertial phenomenon predicted by the Basic Structures of Matter - Supergavitation Unified Theory (BSM-SG), the practical demonstration of which is called a Stimulated Anomalous Reaction to the Gravity (SARG) effect. The SARG effect is a unidirectional change of the gravito-inertial mass of an object by modulation the parameters of the physical vacuum. The suggested technique employs an asymmetrical envelope of EM activated neutral plasma. The result is a unique force field distinguished from the reactive jet propulsion by lack of throwing mass and effect of reduced gravito-inertial mass of the spacecraft and the surrounding gas molecules. This means a less power for acceleration and less turbulence when moving in a planetary atmosphere. A small scale SARG effect is verified by laboratory experiments. A unique field shield protection against micrometeorites, also predicted by BSM-SG theory, can be achieved by emission of properly space and time correlated EM field packets and superluminal waves, known also as X-waves. KEYWORDS: massless propulsion, space drive, field shield, X-waves, three-phase Tesla coil

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PHASE FRONTS BASED ON SUPERLUMINAL POLARIZATION CURRENT
US8125385

An apparatus and method for a radiation source involving phase fronts emanating from an accelerated, oscillating polarization current whose distribution pattern moves superluminally (that is, faster than light in vacuo). Theoretical predictions and experimental measurements using an existing prototype superluminal source show that the phase fronts from such a source can be made to be very complex. Consequently, it will be very difficult for an aircraft imaged by such a radiation to detect where this radiation has come from. Moreover, the complexity of the phase fronts makes it almost impossible for electronics on an aircraft to synthesize a rogue reflection. A simple directional antenna and timing system should, on the other hand, be sufficient for the radar operators to locate the aircraft, given knowledge of their own source's speed and modulation pattern.

Method and device for obtaining hypervelocity:
CN101338809

The present invention relates to a method for achieving an extremely high speed and a device, which belong to the mechanical field. Continuous acceleration principle is utilized, the device is continuously accelerated by multiple driven gears with attached gears; the ratio between the radius (Rn) of the big gear of each driven gear with the attached gear and the radius (rn) of the small attached gear is not less than 20; when the edge of a first driving gear (C0) reaches a speed (V0), the speed is continuously doubled by the first driven gear (C1) with the attached gear to the nth driven gear (Cn) with the attached gear, and finally the value of the extremely high speed (Vn) on the edge of the Cn is not less than 20<n> multipled by V0. The device can output an extremely high speed which is higher than the first cosmic velocity (7.9km/) and is approximate light speed or superluminal speed. The method can produce an extremely high-speed device which has the advantages of high transmission efficiency, simple structure, each processing, small volume, low production cost, easy control and convenient operation. The method is used to produce a high-speed object or a UFO.

Device, system and method for measuring the dilaton particle
US2005206902

A device, system and method for measuring the sidereal or one-way "superluminal" photon group velocity is presented, in which the measurement of said "superluminal" photon group velocity may be used as a research and educational tool to explore astronomical and physical quantities as well as the dilaton fundamental particle.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BINARY SIGNALING VIA QUANTUM NON-LOCALITY
US7135700

A method of, and system for, binary signalling via quantum non-locality. The method and system are particularly suitable for rapid communication including superluminal signalling. The method and system use an ensemble of quantum-systems in which the quantum-systems are in pairs, with one quantum-system of each pair being in quantum entanglement with the other quantum-system of each pair. The quantum-systems may comprise particles or parts of particles. The paired quantum-systems are separated into two subgroups, with the quantum-systems of each pair being in different subgroups. The quantum-systems in one subgroup are subjected to an influence, such as a slit, to enhance scattering of the quantum-systems to an extent corresponding to the selected binary signal to be transmitted.; The extent of correlated scattering in the quantum-systems in the other subgroup is then detected, the extent of scattering providing an indication of the particular binary signal transmitted. Detection of the extent of correlated scattering involves subjecting the quantum-systems in the other subgroup to a detector slit.

SUPERLUMINAL COMMUNICATION APPARATUS
JP2004282682

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize the superluminal communication apparatus because a communication of information cannot be performed beyond a limit of the light speed under the conventional technology. ; SOLUTION: The apparatus uses a fact that in a condition in which pairs of photon generated for any time whose deflection face is in a constant direction and in an quantum entanglement condition are continuously generated, a probability for one photon to penetrate through a deflection plate varies by non-local long range interactions by changing an angle of a penetration axis of a deflection plate for the other photon.

QUANTUM COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND FORECASTING SYSTEM AND CALCULATION RESULT ANTICIPATING SYSTEM BOTH USING THE SAME
WO02095987

A quantum communication system for transmitting information at superluminal speed. A particle pair generator (100) generates a pair of particles intertwined with each other quantum-mechanically in a way that measurement of the momentum of one of the particles determines the momentum of the other and emits paired particles continuously while apportioning the particles to a transmission region and a receiving region. A transmitter (110) determines the momentum of each particle reaching the transmitting region and transmits a signal. A receiver (120) receives the signal by determining the change with time of the density fluctuation of the particle group reaching the receiving region.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANOMALOUS DISPERSION REGION IN ATOMIC VAPOR, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GAIN-ASSISTED SUPERLUMINAL LIGHT PROPAGATION
JP2002049063

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize superluminal light propagation. SOLUTION: The method for realizing the superluminal light propagation is provided with a step to supply an atomic vapor having an atomic transition frequency and at least two ground states, a step to prepare atoms in the atomic vapor in at least one of the two ground states, a step to introduce a first Raman pump light beam of a first frequency and a first polarization via the atomic vapor a step to introduce a second Raman pump light beam of a second frequency via the atomic vapor,; a step to detune the first and the second Raman pump light beams from the atomic transition frequency of the atomic vapor to the at least two ground states and thereby to form two Raman gain peaks and a step to introduce a probe beam of a second polarization reverse to the first polarization via the atomic vapor in an anomalous dispersion region and as a result to realize the superluminal light propagation of the probe beam.

Device, system and method for measuring reichenbach clock synchronizations
US7075627
A device, system and method for measuring the one-way velocity of light using selective transmission technology to provide a superluminal energy flow is provided. The superluminal transmitter comprises a transmission source, a receiver, and a selective-transmission device for receiving the transmission wavepacket from the transmission source and selectively transmitting the high-energy or wavefront component of the transmission wavepacket through a barrier such that the energy transmission tunnels through the barrier at superluminal velocities. The measured daily oscillation of the tunnel time can then be utilized to measure the one way light velocity.; A system and method for measuring the vector velocity of light using the superluminal transmitter system of the invention is also provided as well as a method of calibrating temporal data and a device which can be utilized as a speedometer, a compass, a calender and/or a clock.

THE TACHYON TRANSCEIVER
CA2307473
Technical field is telecom- munications; cavity quantum electrodynamics the Davy tachyon transceiver transformer transforms superluminal tachyon spacetime quanta energy by means of magnetic induction between a superluminal electron pole through a Davy-Klein- Lobatchevskian-wormhole-spacetime singularity * (see letter s to Simon Davy and to Dr. Brian Boe contained within this application) by conforming a relativistically contracted electron through a Lorentz transformation to Davy-Klein-Lobatchevskian wormhole-spacetime-singularity conditions in vacuum connecting a resonance instantaneously without relativistic time-delay by means of electron free-electron-lepton-photon-lepton-positron-lepton- tachyon-metamorphosis in vacuum, which connects resonance instantaneously to another cavity quantum electrodynamic vacuum tuned to the pre-stated vacuum cavity conditions."

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING FOCUSED ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
WO0014750
US2006192504
An apparatus for generating electromagnetic radiation comprises a polarizable of magnetizable medium. There is means of generating, in a controlled manner, a polarization or magnetisation current whose distribution pattern has an accelerated motion with a superluminal speed, so that the apparatus generated both a non-spherically decaying component and an intense spherically decaying component of electromagnetic radiation.

Quercetin + Ultrasound vs Cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2362095/
Br J Cancer. 2005 February 14; 92(3): 499–502.
doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602364
PMCID: PMC2362095

[ Excerpts ]

Induction of cancer-specific cytotoxicity towards human prostate and skin cells using quercetin and ultrasound

S Paliwal,1 J Sundaram,1 and S Mitragotri1,*

Abstract

Bioflavonoids, such as quercetin, have recently emerged as a new class of chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of various cancer types, but are marred by their low potency and poor selectivity. We report that a short application of low-frequency ultrasound selectively sensitises prostate and skin cancer cells against quercetin. Pretreatment of cells with ultrasound (20 kHz, 2 W cm-2, 60 s) selectively induced cytotoxicity in skin and prostate cancer cells, while having minimal effect on corresponding normal cell lines. About 90% of the viable skin cancer cell population was lost within 48 h after ultrasound-quercetin (50 µM) treatment. Ultrasound reduced the LC50 of quercetin for skin cancer cells by almost 80-fold, while showing no effect on LC50 for nonmalignant skin cells.

Therapeutic selectivity plays a crucial role in determining the success of chemotherapy. Some of the current targeted therapies attempt to localise drugs to cancer cells based on overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) (Mendelsohn and Baselga, 2000) or angiogenesis (Carter, 2001). Antibodies, inhibitors, antisense therapy and gene therapy are also among a few strategies that have gained momentum (Guillemard and Saragovi, 2004). Many of these strategies have now reached clinical trials; however, these methods are still limited by issues including low potency, delivery complications, multi-drug resistance, side effects, collateral damage (Tattersall and Clarke, 2003) or incomplete success (Lynch et al, 2004).

In an attempt to develop a targeted chemotherapeutic strategy, we propose the use of bioflavonoids, which are common dietary supplements, in conjunction with low-frequency ultrasound. Quercetin, a major bioflavonoid in human diet, has been identified as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer (Singhal et al, 1995; Choi et al, 2001), colon cancer (Salucci et al, 2002), ovarian cancer (Chan et al, 2003) and prostate cancer (Knowles et al, 2000; Nakanoma et al, 2001; Kobayashi et al, 2002). Antiproliferative action of quercetin is hypothesised to be mediated by attenuating phosphorylation of activated hsp transcription factor (hsf), shortly after its trimerisation (Nagai et al, 1995; Lee et al, 1998), thereby resulting in increased susceptibility of hsf to proteolytic degradation and as a consequence inhibiting all downstream events, including hsp expression (Li et al, 1999). Since hsps are constitutively overexpressed in many tumours (Jaattela, 1999), inhibition of hsps is an attractive chemotherapeutic strategy. hsps form a complex with mutant p53 protein (mp53), thereby prolonging the half-life of malignant mp53 and allowing tumour cells to bypass the normal mechanism of cell cycle arrest (Selkirk et al, 1996).

In spite of its therapeutic benefits, utilisation of quercetin in clinical applications has been limited by low potency and poor specificity. Additionally, it is difficult to sustain therapeutic quercetin concentrations in blood by oral ingestion (Lamson and Bringall, 2000).

Here, through in vitro studies, we demonstrate for the first time, using two pairs of normal and cancer cells (human skin fibroblast and human prostate epithelial cells), that ultrasound selectively sensitises cancer cells against quercetin. LC50 of quercetin for skin cancer cells is selectively decreased by almost 80-fold by a short pretreatment with ultrasound....

RESULTS

Cytotoxic effects of quercetin and ultrasound were assessed using two pairs of normal and cancer cell lines (human skin fibroblast and human prostate epithelial cells). The pair of skin cells was obtained from the same donor and differed from each other only in terms of malignancy. Cells were incubated with quercetin (0–50 µM) with or without prior exposure to ultrasound (20 kHz, 2 W cm-2, 60 s). A strong concentration-dependent cytoxicity was observed in skin cancer cells for the combined ultrasound and quercetin treatment (Figure 1A, closed squares), but not in nonmalignant skin cells (Figure 1A, open squares, P<0.001 for quercetin=50 µM). About 90% of viable population of skin cancer cells was lost in 48 h after ultrasound and quercetin (50 µM) treatment (Figure 1A, closed squares). In the absence of ultrasound, quercetin showed no significant effect on either malignant or nonmalignant skin cells after 48 h incubation (Figure 1A, closed circles and open circles, respectively; P>0.90 for 50 µM quercetin concentration). Similar results were obtained for prostate cancer and normal cells (data not shown, P<0.05 for ultrasound, followed by quercetin (50 µM) treatment).

Figure 1 (A) Fractional loss of viable skin cancer cells (closed squares) and skin normal cells (open squares) when exposed to various concentrations of quercetin after a short exposure to ultrasound (20 kHz, 2 W cm-2, 60 s). ...

Enhancement in quercetin cytotoxicity towards skin cancer cells due to ultrasound exposure (defined as the fraction of cells killed with ultrasound exposure divided by the fraction of cells killed without the use of ultrasound at the same quercetin concentration) increased with increasing quercetin concentrations (Figure 1B, closed circles; P<0.02 for 50 µM quercetin concentration). Ultrasound had no effect on quercetin toxicity towards nonmalignant skin cells (Figure 1B, open circles). Tumour selectivity (defined as the number of dead cancer cells divided by number of total dead cells; for equal number of normal and cancer cells treated) as high as 82% was observed. Ultrasound alone had no effect on cell viability of either type of skin cells (viability of 96±5% for both types of skin cells). The effect of ultrasound on quercetin-induced cytotoxicity is clearly due to the synergistic activity between the two and not due to the direct effect of ultrasound on cell viability.

The LC50 (quercetin concentration necessary to reduce cell viability by 50%) for skin cancer cells was also significantly reduced by ultrasound pre-exposure (Figure 2A: filled bar – skin cancer cells, open bar – nonmalignant skin cells). In the absence of ultrasound, LC50 of skin cancer cells was 98 µM. However, a single exposure to ultrasound for 60 s reduced LC50 to about 9 µM and two further applications of ultrasound 24 h apart reduced LC50 by 80-fold to about 1.2 µM. LC50 of nonmalignant skin cells was not significantly altered (>50 µM in all cases). To assess the specificity of synergy between quercetin and ultrasound, similar experiments were performed using another drug geldanamycin (a drug known to interfere with hsp90 cycle) and ultrasound. Geldanamycin alone exhibited cytotoxicity consistent with prior reports (Gan et al, 1998); however, no synergistic effect with ultrasound was found.

Figure 2 (A) Reduction of LC50 for skin cancer cells (filled bar) and skin normal cells (open bars) due to application of ultrasound and quercetin. Quercetin alone has an LC50 of about 98 µM for skin cancer as well as skin normal cells. A single ...

Selective effect of quercetin and ultrasound on skin cancer cells was accompanied by an effect on the inducible form of hsp70 (hsp72), which has long been known to confer protection to cells under severe stress (Kiang and Tsokos, 1998) and has been identified as a target of quercetin (Hansen et al, 1997). Skin cancer cells exhibited higher concentrations of hsp72 (1.8-fold, P<0.05) compared to corresponding nonmalignant cells (Figure 2B, lane 4 vs lane 1). This observation is consistent with the generally accepted notion that cancer cells overexpress heat shock proteins (Jaattela, 1999; Jolly and Morimoto, 2000; Nylandsted et al, 2000). Ultrasound alone or ultrasound+quercetin had minimal effect on cellular hsp72 in nonmalignant skin fibroblasts (Figure 2B, 12% decrease for ultrasound alone, P>0.90, and 22% decrease for ultrasound+50 µM quercetin, P>0.76). A combination of ultrasound and quercetin (50 µM) induced a significant decrease in hsp72 concentration in skin cancer cells (72% decrease, P<0.01, Figure 2B). In the same cells, quercetin alone decreased hsp72 concentration by 31.4% (Figure 2B, lane 7) and ultrasound alone decreased hsp72 concentration by 31.7% (Figure 2B, lane 5).

DISCUSSION

The effects reported in Figures 1 and ?and22 are unlikely to originate from enhanced transport of quercetin by ultrasound. Quercetin is a small and slightly lipophilic molecule (molecular weight=302 Da, octanol–water partition coefficient, Ko/w~1.2±0.13 (Brown et al, 1998)) and is expected to diffuse across cell membranes at a high rate. Intracellular quercetin concentrations are expected to be in equilibrium with extracellular concentration even without ultrasound. Moreover, under the conditions used for the experiments in this study, a moderate degree of cavitation was observed (data not shown) and was not strong enough to induce significant membrane permeabilisation (as judged by lack of intracellular uptake of calcein under identical conditions), and hence incapable of pushing quercetin into cells.

It is not clear at this stage as to how ultrasound selectively sensitises cancer cells against quercetin. It is possible that the selectivity originates from the effect of quercetin as well as ultrasound on stress response. Quercetin has been shown to interfere with the stress response and inhibit hsp72 both at protein and mRNA levels in certain cells (Hosokawa et al, 1990; Elia and Santoro, 1994; Jakubowicz-Gil et al, 2002). Ultrasound, being a mild stress, may also induce a stress response in mammalian cells. It is possible that the interplay between the effect of ultrasound and quercetin on hsp cycle leads to selective sensitisation of cancer cells against ultrasound. Whether or not other mild stresses, for example, hypoxia, yield similar results remains to be seen. Since elevated levels of hsps are broadly associated with survival of cancer cells (Burdon, 1987; Lasunskaia et al, 1997), chemotherapeutic strategies that target hsps are attractive. With further studies focused on in vivo testing and mechanistic understanding, this technique may provide a potential treatment for the treatment of cancer, especially skin cancer...

References

Brown JE, Khodr H, Hider RC, Rice-Evans CA. Structural dependence of flavonoid interactions with Cu2+ ions: implications for their antioxidant properties. Biochem J. 1998;330:1173–1178. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Burdon RH. Thermotolerance and the heat shock proteins. Symp Soc Exp Biol. 1987;41:269–283. [PubMed]

Carter P. Improving the efficacy of antibody-based cancer therapies. Nat Rev Cancer. 2001;1:118–129. [PubMed]

Chan MM, Fong D, Soprano KJ, Holmes WF, Heverling H. Inhibition of growth and sensitization to cisplatin-mediated killing of ovarian cancer cells by polyphenolic chemotherapeutic agents. J Cell Physiol. 2003;194:63–70. [PubMed]

Choi JA, Kim JY, Lee JY, Kang CM, Yoo YD, Kim TW, Lee YS, Lee SJ. Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by quercetin. Int J Oncol. 2001;19:837–844. [PubMed]

Elia G, Santoro MG. Regulation of heat shock protein synthesis by quercetin in human erythroleukaemia cells. Biochem J. 1994;300:201–209. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Gan Y, Au JL, Lu J, Wientjes MG. Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of geldanamycin, cytochalasin E, suramin and thiacetazone in human prostate xenograft tumor histocultures. Pharm Res. 1998;15:1760–1766. [PubMed]

Guillemard V, Saragovi HU. Novel approaches for targeted cancer therapy. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2004;4:313–326. [PubMed]

Hansen RK, Oesterreich S, Lemieux P, Sarge KD, Fuqua SA. Quercetin inhibits heat shock protein induction but not heat shock factor DNA-binding in human breast carcinoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1997;239:851–856. [PubMed]

Hosokawa N, Hirayoshi K, Nakai A, Hosokawa Y, Marui N, Yoshida M, Sakai T, Nishino H, Aoike A, Kawai K, Nagata K. Flavonoids inhibit the expression of heat shock proteins. Cell Struct Funct. 1990;15:393–401. [PubMed]

Jaattela M. Escaping cell death: survival proteins in cancer. Exp Cell Res. 1999;248:221–227. [PubMed]

Jakubowicz-Gil J, Paduch R, Gawron A, Kandefer-Szerszen M. The effect of cisplatin, etoposide and quercetin on Hsp72 expression. Pol J Pathol. 2002;53:133–137. [PubMed]

Jolly C, Morimoto RI. Role of the heat shock response and molecular chaperones in oncogenesis and cell death. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:1564–1572. [PubMed]

Kiang JG, Tsokos GC. Heat shock protein 70 kDa: molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology. Pharmacol Ther. 1998;80:183–201. [PubMed]

Knowles LM, Zirgossi DA, Tauber RA, Hightower C, Milner JA. Flavonoids suppress androgen-independent human prostate tumor proliferation. Nutr Cancer. 2000;38:116–122.

Kobayashi T, Nakata T, Kuzumaki T. Effect of flavonoids on cell cycle progression in prostate cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2002;176:17–23.

Lamson DW, Bringall MS. Antioxidants and cancer, part 3: Quercetin. Altern Med Rev. 2000;5:196–208.

Lasunskaia EB, Fridlianskaia II, Guzhova IV, Bozhkov VM, Margulis BA. Accumulation of major stress protein 70 kDa protects myeloid and lymphoid cells from death by apoptosis. Apoptosis. 1997;2:156–163.

Lee SC, Kuan CY, Yang CC, Yang SD. Bioflavonoids commonly and potentently induce tyrosine dephosphorylation/inactivation of oncogene proline-directed protein kinase FA in human prostate carconoma cells. Anticancer Res. 1998;18:1117–1121.

Li DP, Calzi SL, Sanchez ER. Inhibition of heat shock factor activity prevents heat shock potention of glucocortecoid receptor-mediated gene expression. Cell Stress Chaperones. 1999;4:223–234.

Lynch TJ, Bell DW, Sordella R, Gurubhagavatula S, Okimoto RA, Brannigan BW, Harris PL, Haserlat SM, Supko JG, Haluska FG, Louis DN, Christiani DC, Settleman J, Haber DA. Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor underlying responsiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. N Engl J Med. 2004;350 21:2129–2139.

Mendelsohn J, Baselga J. The EGF receptor family as targets for cancer therapy. Oncogene. 2000;19:6550–6565.

Nagai N, Nakai A, Nagata K. Quercetin suppresses heat shock response by down regulation of HSF1. Biochim Biophys Res Commun. 1995;208:1099–1105.

Nakanoma T, Ueno M, Lida M, Hirata R, Deguchi N. Effect of quercetin on the heat-induced cytotoxicity of prostate cancer cells. Int J Urol. 2001;8:623–630.

Nylandsted J, Brand K, Jaattela M. Heat shock protein 70 is required for the survival of cancer cells. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2000;926:122–125.

Salucci M, Stivala LA, Maiani G, Bugianesi R, Vannini V. Flavonoids uptake and their effect on cell cycle of human colon adenocarcinoma cells (CaCo2) Br J Cancer. 2002;86:1645–1651. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Selkirk JK, He C, Patterson RM, Merrick BA. Tumor suppressor p53 gene forms multiple isoforms: evidence for single locus origin and cytoplasmic complex formation with heat shock proteins. Electrophoresis. 1996;17:1764–1771. [PubMed]

Singhal RL, Yeh YA, Praja N, Olah E, Sledge GW, Weber G. Quercetin down-regulates signal transduction in human breast cancer cells. Biochim Biophys Res Commun. 1995;208:425–431. [PubMed]

Tattersall M, Clarke S. Developments in drug delivery: implications for cancer care. Curr Opin Oncol. 2003;15:293–299. [PubMed]

Tezel A, Sens A, Mitragotri S. Investigations of the role of cavitation in low-frequency sonophoresis using acoustic spectroscopy. J Pharm Sci. 2002;91:444–453. [PubMed]

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140109/ncomms4012/full/ncomms4012.html
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/413634/first-evidence-of-entanglement-in-photosynthesis/
http://io9.com/new-evidence-that-plants-get-their-energy-using-quantum-1498695627

Nature Physics, 6, 462 (2010)
arXiv:0905.3787 [quant-ph]
May 28, 2009

Quantum entanglement in photosynthetic light harvesting complexes
Authors: Mohan Sarovar, Akihito Ishizaki, Graham R. Fleming, K. Birgitta Whaley

Abstract: Light harvesting components of photosynthetic organisms are complex, coupled, many-body quantum systems, in which electronic coherence has recently been shown to survive for relatively long time scales despite the decohering effects of their environments. Within this context, we analyze entanglement in multi-chromophoric light harvesting complexes, and establish methods for quantification of entanglement by presenting necessary and sufficient conditions for entanglement and by deriving a measure of global entanglement. These methods are then applied to the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein to extract the initial state and temperature dependencies of entanglement. We show that while FMO in natural conditions largely contains bipartite entanglement between dimerized chromophores, a small amount of long-range and multipartite entanglement exists even at physiological temperatures. This constitutes the first rigorous quantification of entanglement in a biological system. Finally, we discuss the practical utilization of entanglement in densely packed molecular aggregates such as light harvesting complexes.

First Evidence of Entanglement in Photosynthesis

Room-temperature entanglement seems to be a by-product of the process of harvesting light.

Physicists are fascinated with entanglement, the strange quantum phenomenon in which distinct objects share the same existence, regardless of the distance between them. But in their quest to study and exploit entanglement for information processing, physicists have found it fragile and easily destroyed. This fragility seems to severely limits how entanglement might ever be used.

But a new, more robust face of entanglement is beginning to emerge from other types of experiment. For example, physicists have recently found the signature of entanglement in the thermal states of bulk materials at low temperatures. This has huge implications for biological systems: if entanglement is more robust than we thought, what role might it play in living things?

Now we’re beginning to find out. In the first rigorous quantification of entanglement in a biological system, an answer is beginning to emerge. Researchers from various institutions in Berkeley California have shown that molecules taking part in photosynthesis can remain entangled even at ordinary atmospheric temperatures.

The evidence comes from detailed study of light sensitive molecules called chromophore that harvest light in photosynthesis.

Various studies have shown that in light harvesting complexes, chromophores can share coherently delocalised electronic states. K. Birgitta Whaley at the Berkeley Center for Quantum Information and Computation and pals say this can only happen if the chromophores are entangled.

They point out that these molecules do not seem to exploit entanglement. Instead, its presence is just a consequence of the electronic coherence.

This is a big claim that relies somewhat on circumstantial evidence. It’ll be important to get confirmation of these idea before they can become mainstream.

Nevertheless, if correct, the discovery has huge implications. For a start, biologists could tap into this entanglement to make much more accurate measurement of what goes on inside molecules during photosynthesis using to the various techniques of quantum metrology that physicists have developed.

More exciting still, is the possibility that these molecules could be used for quantum information processing at room temperature. Imagine photosynthetic quantum computers!

And beyond that is the question that Whaley and co avoid altogether. If entanglement plays a role in photosynthesis, then why not in other important biological organs too? Anybody think of an organ where entanglement might be useful?

Nature Communications, Volume 5, 3012
doi:10.1038/ncomms4012

Non-classicality of the molecular vibrations assisting exciton energy transfer at room temperature

Edward J. O’Reilly, Alexandra Olaya-Castro

Advancing the debate on quantum effects in light-initiated reactions in biology requires clear identification of non-classical features that these processes can exhibit and utilize. Here we show that in prototype dimers present in a variety of photosynthetic antennae, efficient vibration-assisted energy transfer in the sub-picosecond timescale and at room temperature can manifest and benefit from non-classical fluctuations of collective pigment motions. Non-classicality of initially thermalized vibrations is induced via coherent exciton–vibration interactions and is unambiguously indicated by negativities in the phase–space quasi-probability distribution of the effective collective mode coupled to the electronic dynamics. These quantum effects can be prompted upon incoherent input of excitation. Our results therefore suggest that investigation of the non-classical properties of vibrational motions assisting excitation and charge transport, photoreception and chemical sensing processes could be a touchstone for revealing a role for non-trivial quantum phenomena in biology.

Methionine Restriction for Longevity

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20041736
Rejuvenation Res. 2009 Dec;12(6):421-34. doi: 10.1089/rej.2009.0902.

Forty percent methionine restriction decreases mitochondrial oxygen radical production and leak at complex I during forward electron flow and lowers oxidative damage to proteins and mitochondrial DNA in rat kidney and brain mitochondria.

Caro P, Gomez J, Sanchez I, Naudi A, Ayala V, López-Torres M, Pamplona R, Barja G.

Abstract

Eighty percent dietary methionine restriction (MetR) in rodents (without calorie restriction), like dietary restriction (DR), increases maximum longevity and strongly decreases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidative stress. Eighty percent MetR also lowers the degree of membrane fatty acid unsaturation in rat liver. Mitochondrial ROS generation and the degree of fatty acid unsaturation are the only two known factors linking oxidative stress with longevity in vertebrates. However, it is unknown whether 40% MetR, the relevant methionine restriction degree to clarify the mechanisms of action of standard (40%) DR can reproduce these effects in mitochondria from vital tissues of strong relevance for aging. Here we study the effect of 40% MetR on ROS production and oxidative stress in rat brain and kidney mitochondria. Male Wistar rats were fed during 7 weeks semipurified diets differing only in their methionine content: control or 40% MetR diets. It was found that 40% MetR decreases mitochondrial ROS production and percent free radical leak (by 62-71%) at complex I during forward (but not during reverse) electron flow in both brain and kidney mitochondria, increases the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of brain mitochondria, lowers oxidative damage to kidney mitochondrial DNA, and decreases specific markers of mitochondrial protein oxidation, lipoxidation, and glycoxidation in both tissues. Forty percent MetR also decreased the amount of respiratory complexes I, III, and IV and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in brain mitochondria and complex IV in kidney mitochondria, without changing the degree of mitochondrial membrane fatty acid unsaturation. Forty percent MetR, differing from 80% MetR, did not inhibit the increase in rat body weight. These changes are very similar to the ones previously found during dietary and protein restriction in rats. We conclude that methionine is the only dietary factor responsible for the decrease in mitochondrial ROS production and oxidative stress, and likely for part of the longevity extension effect, occurring in DR.

Rejuvenation Res. 2007 Dec;10(4):473-84
Methionine restriction decreases endogenous oxidative molecular damage and increases mitochondrial biogenesis and uncoupling protein 4 in rat brain.
Naudí A, Caro P, Jové M, Gómez J, Boada J, Ayala V, Portero-Otín M, Barja G, Pamplona R.

J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2011 Dec;43(6):699-708. doi: 10.1007/s10863-011-9389-9. Epub 2011 Oct 18.
Forty percent methionine restriction lowers DNA methylation, complex I ROS generation, and oxidative damage to mtDNA and mitochondrial proteins in rat heart.
Sanchez-Roman I, Gomez A, Gomez J, Suarez H, Sanchez C, Naudi A, Ayala V, Portero-Otin M, Lopez-Torres M, Pamplona R, Barja G.

Biogerontology. 2008 Jun;9(3):183-96. doi: 10.1007/s10522-008-9130-1. Epub 2008 Feb 19.
Forty percent and eighty percent methionine restriction decrease mitochondrial ROS generation and oxidative stress in rat liver.
Caro P, Gómez J, López-Torres M, Sánchez I, Naudí A, Jove M, Pamplona R, Barja G.

J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2009 Jun;41(3):309-21. doi: 10.1007/s10863-009-9229-3. Epub 2009 Jul 25.
Effect of methionine dietary supplementation on mitochondrial oxygen radical generation and oxidative DNA damage in rat liver and heart.
Gomez J, Caro P, Sanchez I, Naudi A, Jove M, Portero-Otin M, Lopez-Torres M, Pamplona R, Barja G.

Biogerontology. 2012 Aug;13(4):399-411. doi: 10.1007/s10522-012-9384-5. Epub 2012 May 13.
Effects of aging and methionine restriction applied at old age on ROS generation and oxidative damage in rat liver mitochondria.
Sanchez-Roman I, Gómez A, Pérez I, Sanchez C, Suarez H, Naudí A, Jové M, Lopez-Torres M, Pamplona R, Barja G.

METHIONINE RESTRICTION FOR CANCER THERAPY
WO03020305

Darkness Ray

arxiv.org/abs/1312.0057

Experimental Demonstration of Light Capsule Embracing Super-Sized Darkness Inside Via Anti-Resolution

Beams of light play a special role in our cultural heritage: World War II search lights picking out Nazi bombers, Gotham City’s Bat signal summoning help in times of distress and lighthouses warning unsuspecting shipping to stay away. Beams of light are beacons of safety.

Now film-makers and optical engineers have something much more sinister to play with. Chao Wan at the National University of Singapore and a few pals have built a “darkness” beam that bathes objects in the absence of light.

The new device hides macroscopic objects by beaming invisibility from a distance, an entirely different technique to the one used in conventional invisibility cloaks that have received much media coverage in recent years.

The new device turns the conventional approach to optics on its head. Conventionally, optical engineers devise imaging system with the best resolving power possible.

The basic idea is that an imaging system focuses light into a pattern known as a point spreading function. This consists of a central region of high intensity surrounded by a concentric region of lower intensity light and a higher intensity lobe beyond this.

Engineers get the best resolution by narrowing and intensifying the central region while suppressing the outer lobe. (Indeed, one of the more exciting recent developments in imaging is in using this technique to resolve objects that are significantly smaller than the wavelength of the light being using to create the image, a technique known as super-resolution. )

Now Chao and co have taken exactly the opposite approach. Instead of narrowing and intensifying the central region at the expense of the lobes, these guys intensify the lobes while suppressing the central region.

The result is a central region where the field intensity of light is essentially zero. This is a region where objects cannot be resolved, hence the group’s name for this effect: anti-resolution.

The central region is surrounded by a region of high intensity light which acts like a kind of light capsule containing a 3D region of darkness. “A three-dimensional object placed in the optical capsule does not cause scattering and one can therefore see the scene behind the object,” they say.

In effect, it is an invisibility capsule. Chao and co say that the region of darkness can be as much as 8 orders of magnitude bigger than the wavelength of light used in the imaging process. That’s huge!

And the imaging system itself is simple. Chao and co demonstrate it using a laser beam passing through a “lens” consisting of concentric dielectric grooves that are straightforward to manufacture. In their test, they hide an object—a letter ‘N’—that is 40 micrometres in size. That’s significantly larger than conventional invisibility cloaks could do when they first hit the headlines.

Perhaps that’s not surprising given that the new device works in an entirely different way from conventional invisibility cloaks. These are built using bespoke metamaterials that steer light around an object placed inside them. By contrast, Chao and co can effectively beam invisibility from a distance.

There are some limitations, however. The current device works at a single frequency of light so an interesting challenge will be to make broadband lenses that work at a wide range of frequencies.

Beyond that, Chao and co will have to find a killer app for their new device. They say it has many potential applications such as in cloaking and surveillance but give little detail.

Perhaps imaginative readers of the Physics arXiv Blog can help out with suggestions of their in the comments section here.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1312.0057: Experimental Demonstration of Light Capsule Embracing Super-Sized Darkness Inside Via Anti-Resolution

Biodegradable Polyethylene

http://english.pravda.ru/news/science/21-01-2014/126643-polyethylene_dissolves_water-0/#
21.01.2014

Young man from Russia invents polyethylene that dissolves in water

A student of the Kazan National Research Technological University, Ivan Zakharov, created eco-friendly film, an analogue of the film used for the production of plastic bags. The new film dissolves in water in one day. The student said that ordinary plastic bags decompose for up to 1,000 years, polluting the soil.

Zakharov said that the film he invented was made on the basis of conventional starch. When dissolved in water, water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are produced as a result of the process, in amounts harmless to humans.

"For example, one car produces as much carbon dioxide as 50 tons of such bags do," says the student.

Currently, the man is patenting his invention. Several waste-processing companies have already showed interest in the new invention.

Zakharov started the work to create the film four years ago under the direction of the head of the department for food engineering of small businesses, Professor Mstislav Polivanov.

Walter RAWLS : Magnet Modification opf Microbe Metabolism

Magnetically modified microbial metabolism
US5709223
WO9313725

[ Excerpts ]

This invention pertains to a method of modifying the reproduction rate of cells by exposing the cells to north directional unipolar magnetic fields, thereby decreasing the reproduction rate of the cells. The reproduction rate of the cells can also be modified by exposing them to south directional unipolar magnetic fields, thereby increasing the reproduction rate of the cells.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to methods for the modification of microbial metabolism using unipolar magnetic fields. In one aspect, this invention is directed to the modification of microbial metabolism, such as enhancing the microbial activity in the biodegradation of contaminated aqueous waste streams. In a further aspect, the present invention relates to methods for utilizing a unipolar magnetic field under controlled conditions to modify the metabolism of microorganisms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The search for a biological effect due to magnetic fields has a long history dating back a hundred years. The literature on biomagnetic effects on the growth and development of various organisms has been quite extensive showing both positive and negative findings. Among the positive findings attributed to strong magnetic fields are: altered growth rate, enzyme activities, cellular metabolism, DNA synthesis and animal orientation.

A wide variety of methods have been reported in the literature which are directed to the use of magnetic energy as a diagnostic technique and also for the treatment of diseases in warm blooded animals including humans. For example, magnetic energy has been utilized quite successfully over the past several years to promote the formation of osteoblasts in conjunction with the healing of bone fractures. In many instances markedly improved results in healing times have been achieved by the application of magnetic energy to the site of bone fractures and other injuries.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,776, which issued Aug. 22, 1967, there is disclosed an apparatus for generating magnetic fields which are indicated to be particularly useful for biomedical applications. Although the patentee is not specific as to individual applications, he does state that magnetic fields generated by the apparatus can decrease metabolism and reacts on the spastic syndrome.

A magnetic probe is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,327 which issued May 23, 1972 and states that the probe can be employed in relatively inaccessible locations, such as in body cavities of animals to cause relaxation of muscle tissue.

A magnetic medical treatment device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,620 which states that the effects of a magnetic field upon a living body is dissociated by polarization and induced currents and is effective in controlling the sympathetic nervous system.

On May 3, 1977, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,590 issued to A. R. Davis discloses an apparatus and method for treating seeds in a unipolar magnetic field. It is indicated in the patent that this treatment enhances the germination rate of the seeds, as well as providing plants having greater sugar content, increased protein and other desirable features.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,935 which issued Jan. 16, 1979 also to A. R. Davis, a method is disclosed and claimed which uses magnetic fields for clinical examination of animals to determine damaged, diseased, abnormal or malfunctioning parts of the body. Changes in tensioning and relaxation of the body extremities are an indication of body abnormalities.

A method for treating cancer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,952 which issued Nov. 18, 1986 and which involves timing an electromagnetic energy to the resonant energy absorption frequencies of the intracellular structures of the selected cells. and then exposing a subject to this tuned electromagnetic energy field. The field can also be tuned to the frequency which has been calculated to be closest to the resonant frequency of the cancer cells and furthest from the normal cells.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,953, which issued to the same patentee, disclosed the identical procedure for the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions. In this process, metabolic and activity varying substance such as ferric hydroxide and dextran were employed and by applying the proper resonant energy, the heat in the diseased cell is increased by an increment sufficient to kill the diseased cell but not sufficient to kill normal cells.

In a patent issued to Robert T. Gordon on May 5, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,359, a process is described and claimed for the treatment of cancer in a host organism which comprises providing to the host organism minute particles capable of being inductively heated and which are of a size which can be absorbed into cancer cells. Thereafter the organism is subjected to an alternating electromagnetic field to heat the particles at that point in metabolic time when the maximum difference in magnetic susceptibility between the cancer cells and normal cells within the region occurs, and then continuing the inductive heating to increase intracellular temperature to selectively kill the cancer cells.

Previous developments of directional magnetic fields began in 1936, when A. R. Davis first discovered that the north and the south magnetic pole fields each exhibited unique properties with respect to their effects on various forms of life. This discovery was slow to be accepted because of investigations by others who confused Davis' directional polarities magnetic fields with those which are simultaneously emitted by horse shoe type magnets and by AC-powered electromagnets. The common belief over the years relating to magnets has been that they emanate the same potential of type of energy. This belief has been found to be a misconception, since the two poles of a magnet are totally different in electric potential and effect. Correspondingly, the application of the respective poles to living systems has been found to produce quite different results. More specifically, it has been shown that magnetic energy has an effect on cells such as blood cells, nerves, bacteria, et al.

Preliminary investigations regarding biological effects of exposure to magnetic fields have indicated a polarity dependence. Cells are deemed to be bioelectric in nature, function and behavior and studies have indicated that directional magnetic fields enhance biological activity. Moreover, due to the orientation of such cells and of the metal elements and other ions contained therein, the blood cells have been found to decrease certain biological effects when exposed to the north pole and to increase other biological effects when exposed to the magnetic south pole. This same type of reaction has been noted in connection with other type cells of the body, it having been observed that, as a general matter, the application of north pole energies to an existing unhealthy or abnormal condition tends to have an arresting, quieting or relaxing effect, to induce an overall healing reaction akin to the body's own defense mechanism. On the other hand, the application of south pole energies tends to have a strengthening, activating effect, which has been found useful in treating some abnormal conditions, particularly those associated with a slowing or weakening in function. Cancer cells exposed to the north field show a significant decrease in the number of surviving cells after a period of incubation. Conversely, the same type of cells, when exposed to the south field, indicated an increase in the number of surviving cells compared to the unexposed controls. A more detailed description of magnetic pole energies can be found in Davis et al, Magnetism and its Effects on the Living System, Acres U.S.A., Kansas City, Mo. (1974) and Davis et al, The Magnetic Effect, Acres U.S.A., Kansas City, Mo. (1975).

The north pole, which is defined as the north seeking pole, is now believed to provide a negative form of energy while the south pole, which is defined as the south seeking pole, is believed to provide a positive form of energy. It has also been found upon examination of the electron paths associated with the fields surrounding the respective poles that the south pole end of a magnet provides a right hand spin of electrons, i.e., a clockwise rotation of electron movement, as contrasted with the north pole electron spin, which provides a left hand spin or counterclockwise rotation of its electron field.

It has been further observed that the lines of magnetic energy leave the south pole to re-enter the magnet at the Bloch Wall where the 180 degrees phase takes place, and leave the Bloch Wall at that point to go on as the north pole energy to re-enter the magnet at its north pole.

Magnetic enhancement or retardation of bacterial or cellular growth rates has been reported in the literature. For example, Davis and Rawls presented numerous examples of enhancement to seeds and various types of cellular growth (Davis, A. R. & Rawls, Jr., W. C., Magnetism and its Effects on the Living System, Acres, U.S.A., Kansas City, Mo., 1974). Bornstein reported magnetic inhibition of bacterial growth in burn wounds (Bornstein, L. A., in Argosy, June, 1968). Investigations sponsored by Bio-Magnetics Systems, Inc. have shown that unidirectional magnetic fields inhibited or increased the growth of cancer cells, depending on the field polarity, as disclosed by A. Trappier et al., in Evolving Perspectives On The Exposure Risks From Magnetic Fields, Journal of Nat. Med. Assoc., 82:621-624, September 1990.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In its broad aspect, this invention is directed to a method for the modification of microbial metabolism through the use of unipolar magnetic fields. In general, the method comprises exposing microbes to a unipolar magnetic field with gauss concentrations sufficient to effect microbial metabolism.

Bioremediation processes, in which microbes are used to repair ecological damage, are under development at the Environmental Protection Agency and elsewhere to treat a range of contaminants including aromatic solvents, polychlorobiphenyls, trichloroethylene, petroleum hydrocarbons and other organic constituents. The use of unipolar magnetic fields has the potential for enhancing the applicability and cost-effectiveness of bioremediation for the treatment of contaminated groundwater and contaminated soil. Specifically, it has now been found that the application of unipolar magnetic fields enhances microbial activity and will result in increasing the efficiency and rate of bioremediation, and proportionally decreasing the time required to meet cleanup goals. Thus, the unipolar magnetic field technology can save significant remediation costs at those toxic waste sites amenable to biological degradation. In addition, this technology can provide an integrated process for remediation. Such an integrated process can be based upon pump, treat, reinjection and/or direct application of magnetic field to the vadose zone to stimulate in situ biodegradation.

The method of modifying cells by exposing the cells to directional unipolar magnetic fields is also disclosed. The reproduction rate is increased when exposed to a south magnetic field, and decreased when exposed to a north magnetic field. The modification also applies to cells which derive energy for reproduction through fermentation. The modification can be either intracellular or modification is through the cell wall and the modification is retained within the cell.

Accordingly, one or more of the following objects will be achieved by the practice of this invention. It is an object of this invention to amplify or otherwise modify microbial metabolism and thereby enhance a process which employees microbes. These and other objects will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the teachings therein set forth...

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In its broad aspect, the present invention is directed to the modification of microbial metabolism by the application thereto of unipolar magnetic energy, i.e., the energy, north or south, emanating from a single pole of a magnet, under specific conditions to achieve the modification. The term modification is used herein to indicate an increase or decrease in the rate and/or efficiency of metabolism...

This invention modifies microbial metabolism using directional unipolar magnetic fields. Laboratory experiments have shown that south pole magnetic fields increase the rate of dissimilation in simulated bioremediation processes whereas north pole magnetic fields inhibit the rate of dissimilation (comparing to a control consisting of no magnetic fields).

Magnetically enhanced bioremediation is one area of application of the invention. Bioremediation is a process by which the use of living organisms, in conjunction with or independent from other technologies, is employed to decontaminate a polluted system. In bioremediation, contaminants are destroyed by the action of microbes such as soil bacteria...

Table 1 presents the results of these experiments. When the south pole magnetic energy was applied, biological oxidation rate was increased by a factor of two compared to the control run without magnetic energy present (from 0.656 to 1.545).

FIG. 3 shows the effect of magnetic fields on the rate of oxygen consumption. It can be seen that the rate increased dramatically after 4 days of directional south pole magnetic field exposure as compared to north pole magnetic field exposure or control.

Results obtained from studies under the influence of north pole, south pole and during the control run are tabulated in Table 1. It can be seen that the highest average rate of phenol biodegradation and oxygen consumption is found during the run when south pole is attached to the bioreactor. When the magnetic south pole was applied, it increased the biological oxidation activity (oxygen consumption rate) by a factor of two as compared to the control run without magnetic field (from 0.7 to 1.5). FIG. 3 shows the effect of magnetic field on the rate of O2 consumption. It can be seen that the rate increases dramatically after 4 days under the influence of south pole as compared to the control and north. One of the measures of biodegradation is the increase in activity that is the rate of oxygen consumption by the microbes in presence of a substrate like phenol. An increase in oxygen consumption indicates that it is being utilized by the microorganisms to break down phenol into its metabolic products which ultimately are CO2 and water.

The phenol consumption rate is faster by nearly 30% in case of the run with the south pole as compared to the control run.

FIG. 4 indicates that the phenol concentration goes down rapidly under the influence of south pole comparison to the north pole and the control. These observations are consistent with those from the rate of oxygen consumption monitoring.

Significant amounts of protein build-up in the liquid phase verified that biological activity was enhanced when magnetic south pole was applied to the system as compared to the control as shown in FIG. 5. Microorganisms release enzymes extracellularly which in turn attack the substrate. A higher amount of proteins in the reaction medium is a positive measure of biodegradation. FIG. 5 indicates that the south pole magnetic field greatly enhanced the concentration of protein in this reactor (protein is produced from phenol degradation). In this experiment it was observed that the pH changed from 7.9 to 8.5.

FIG. 6 shows the effect of repeatedly changing the south pole magnetic field to a north pole magnetic field and a north pole magnetic field to a south pole magnetic field in the bioreactor. The south pole field was consistently activating whereas the north pole field was inhibitory.

FIG. 7 and 8 show the effect of magnetic field on the rate of biodegradation and protein concentration under 1500 and 3500 gauss magnetic south pole. The highest rate of biodegradation is 25.6 ppm/h and the highest protein concentration8s 2250 ug/ml after 11 days under 1500 gauss.

FIG. 9 shows the effect of magnetic field on the rate of O2 consumption. It indicates that the highest rate of O2 consumption is 1649 nmol/ml*hr after 10 days under the influence of 1500 gauss magnetic south pole...

EXAMPLE 3

A polyester copolymer of hydroxybutric acid and hydroxyvaleric acid (PHBV) is produced by bacteria in a reactor by fermenting a carbon source as shown in FIG. 10. When a bacteria such as Alcaligenes eutrophus is depleted of the nitrogen it requires to multiply, growth is inhibited. The carbon source, such as glucose, can then be added to the fermenter, causing the organism to make granules of polyester with the abundant carbon instead of using it to grow. The conventional process is so slow as to be economically unfeasible. The process is repeated with the exception that a south unipolar magnetic field is applied to the organism during the glucose fermenation step. The rate of fermentation will be substantially enhanced.

The effects of unipole application is further applicable in the field of biology. The application of a south magnetic field speeds up the reproduction of cells, while the north field slows reproduction.

Fermentation, a simple, anaerobic method to generate energy in the cell, is commonly used in yeast products and to produce alcholoic beverages. Carbohydrate molecules breakdown into simpler molecules such as ethyl alcohol, lactic acid, or carbon dioxide, releasing energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). An applied south field dramatically speeds up the fermentation process. Chemostats, with their controlled environment, are ideal rapid, mass reproduction of cells, through fermentation, in combination with a unipolar magnetic field.

Further, the magnetic fields influence the growth rate of the aerobically reproduced cells. The application of a south magnetic field increases the production of enzymes without fracturing the cells. The permeability of the cell walls is increased which allows for the influx and efflux of enzymes.

The magnetic fields affect the cells either of two ways. The first is through the cell wall and would include the production and expression of proteins, such as enzymes, insulin and other hormones, interferons and antibiotics. The second is affecting the cells intracellularly and retained the affect within the cell. The appropriate magnetic field is applied for a time period and an intensity which is based on the recepient of the field, the medium and the desired end result. Examples would be many new drugs under evaluation for their effectiveness against cancer and aids.

Although research has been done on the affects of magnetism in both fermentation and other biological processes, they have used bipolar, complex or rotating fields. The instant invention relates to the consistent use of either a north or south magnetic field to produce a desired result. Thus, the cell reproduction can be decreased or increased dependent on the requirements.

Although the invention has been illustrated by the foregoing examples, it is not to be considered as being limited to the materials and processes employed therein, but rather, the invention relates to the generic area as herein before disclosed. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.


US5197492
Focused magnetic directional polarities


Inventor:
RAWLS JR WALTER C [US]
PROVELL GREGORY

A method is provided for focusing magnetic fields, reducing magnetic fields and shielding animate or inanimate subjects from magnetic fields. Further a media which has been subjected to a shielded or focused magnetic field is applied to a subject, as for example, topically. The method, in part, interposes between the subjects and the source of a magnetic field, at least one second magnetic field disposed in such a manner that the polarity of the second magnetic field cancels or at least partially neutralizes the magnetic strength of the first magnetic field. The second magnetic field can also be disposed so as to permit only a portion of the first magnetic field to escape shielding and thereby focused in a predetermined direction. Devices which normally emit magnetic energy and containing the shielding of the present invention are also provided.

Hydrogen Sulfide Suspended Animation

http://keelynet.com/news/012214i.html
01/22/14

Suspended animation coming to life

A gas proven deadly in chemical weapons could one day be used to put people into life-saving suspended animation.

While hydrogen sulfide is toxic in large doses, small amounts of the gas have the potential to make animals appear dead for a while then allow them to wake up unharmed, according to biochemist Mark Roth.

"In the future an emergency medical technician might give hydrogen sulfide to someone suffering serious injuries and they might become a little more immortal giving them time to get the care they need."

Roth found that hydrogen sulfide in bonds in spots in bodies that would usually be occupied by oxygen, ostensibly becoming a sort of dimmer switch for metabolism. "We did it with a mouse; this was cosmic," Roth said.

"We found a way to do this with a mammal. All you had to do was put it in room temperature and it was no worse for the wear." Roth's lab has completed early phase human trials but hasn't actually tried the process in a person.

http://labs.fhcrc.org/roth/
Roth Lab Home Page

Metabolic Flexibility and Suspended Animation

Our work in suspended animation derives from the fact that many animals exhibit what we call "metabolic flexibility," the ability to dial down their respiration and heartbeat and, in effect, "turn themselves off" in response to physical or environmental stress. Mammalian examples include hibernation — from ground squirrels to bears — as well as estivation (quiescence in response to heat) and embryonic diapause, a pause in embryonic development found in about 70 species of mammals. Meanwhile, many invertebrates can go dormant for days, months, and even years before reanimating. Finally, germ and somatic stem cells are well known to exit the cell cycle for extended periods of time and to re-enter only when it is favorable for the organism.

Our approach to understanding this flexibility has been to develop the means to stop animals for given periods of time and then reanimate them to normal function. We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes (using high resolution light microscopy) are stopped: the animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat. We have found that we are able to put a number of animals (yeast, nematodes, drosophila, frogs, and zebrafish) into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique: reducing the concentration of oxygen.

By examining the precise oxygen tensions needed to induce suspended animation, we also found discrete and lethal oxygen tensions exist just above the oxygen level that enables suspended animation. In other words, there is a range of oxygen levels that is too low to support life, but going below that causes the animals to suspend. We hypothesized that perhaps we could prevent death in low oxygen situations by adding agents that effectively inhibit oxygen utilization and induce suspended animation.

Carbon monoxide, a well-known gas, is extremely toxic because it does exactly that: binds to sites where oxygen binds in the body. We found that we can successfully put nematodes into a state of suspended animation using carbon monoxide, and these results with invertebrate systems encouraged us to explore other systems and agents.

Using another highly toxic gas, hydrogen sulfide, we found we can reversibly reduce the metabolic rate of mice: exposed to 80 ppm of hydrogen sulfide, mice enter into what we call a "hibernation-like" state, where their core temperature can be reduced as much as 11 degrees and their metabolic rate as judged by carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption drops 10-fold. We've kept the animals in this state for 6 hours and they recover completely.

Our success in altering the metabolic rate of these mammals has given us the tools to pursue several promising lines of research, including whether it might be possible to 'suspend' human organs (for transplant) or to 'buy time' for human patients in trauma.

Contact Info.
Phone: 206-667-5603
Fax: 206-667-5939
Mail Stop: A3-015

[ Excerpts ]

Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Jan 1;21(1):212-7.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2801715/?tool=pubmed

Hydrogen Sulfide Increases Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 Activity Independently of von Hippel–Lindau Tumor Suppressor-1 in C. elegans
Mark W. Budde and Mark B. Roth

Abstract

Rapid alteration of gene expression in response to environmental changes is essential for normal development and behavior. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 is well known to respond to alterations in oxygen availability. In nature, low oxygen environments are often found to contain high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans can have mutually exclusive responses to H2S and hypoxia, both involving HIF-1. Specifically, H2S results in HIF-1 activity throughout the hypodermis, whereas hypoxia causes HIF-1 activity in the gut as judged by a reporter for HIF-1 activity. C. elegans require hif-1 to survive in room air containing trace amounts of H2S. Exposure to H2S results in HIF-1 nuclear localization and transcription of HIF-1 targets. The effects of H2S on HIF-1 reporter activity are independent of von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL)-1, whereas VHL-1 is required for hypoxic regulation of HIF-1 reporter activity. Because H2S is naturally produced by animal cells, our results suggest that endogenous H2S may influence HIF-1 activity.

INTRODUCTION

In nature, oxygen and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) together create redox environments in which eukaryotes thrive (Fenchel and Finlay, 1995 blue right-pointing triangle). In fiords, for example, ciliates and flagellates are most abundant at depths containing chemically reactive mixtures of oxygen and H2S. In the terrestrial atmosphere, where oxygen is abundant, animal cells produce H2S (Stipanuk and Beck, 1982 blue right-pointing triangle). Although the role of endogenous H2S is unclear, exposure to exogenous H2S has profound physiological effects including improved outcome after myocardial infarction in mammals (Elrod et al., 2007 blue right-pointing triangle; Simon et al., 2008 blue right-pointing triangle) and increased life span in nematodes (Miller and Roth, 2007 blue right-pointing triangle).

Mice exposed to trace amounts of H2S consume 10-fold less oxygen and exhibit a corresponding reduction in basal metabolic rate (Blackstone et al., 2005 blue right-pointing triangle). Treatment with H2S also improves survival of mice in hypoxia (Blackstone and Roth, 2007 blue right-pointing triangle). The response to hypoxia is coordinated by the evolutionarily conserved transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 (Semenza, 2004 blue right-pointing triangle). First identified as the protein responsible for the hypoxia-dependent transcription of erythropoietin (Wang and Semenza, 1993 blue right-pointing triangle), HIF-1 activity increases as a function of decreasing oxygen levels. The activity of HIF-1 is contingent upon escaping degradation (Huang et al., 1998 blue right-pointing triangle), nuclear localization (Wang and Semenza, 1993 blue right-pointing triangle), and coactivator binding (Arany et al., 1996 blue right-pointing triangle). Degradation of HIF-1 is mediated by an oxygen-dependent hydroxylation event and subsequent ubiquitin-dependent degradation (Epstein et al., 2001 blue right-pointing triangle). In C. elegans, the enzymes regulating these events are the EGg Laying defective (EGL)-9 prolyl hydroxylase and the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL)-1 ubiquitin ligase, respectively.

Here, we use C. elegans to study the influence of H2S on HIF-1. We find that hif-1 is required when nematodes are exposed to H2S. In addition, an elevated level of HIF-1 activity dramatically increases the maximum tolerable concentration of H2S. We show both H2S and hypoxia cause an increase of both HIF-1 protein concentration and nuclear localization throughout the animal. However, H2S and hypoxia treatments are distinct, with different patterns of HIF-1 transcriptional activity and H2S can activate HIF-1 in the absence of vhl-1...

RESULTS

Survival of C. elegans in H2S

We exposed C. elegans to atmospheres containing H2S in room air for 24 h. Animals either survived, seemed healthy, and were indistinguishable from untreated animals, or they died; sickly animals were not observed. Survival was dose dependent, with wild-type worms surviving 50 ppm H2S but not 150 ppm H2S.

Hif-1 Mediates Survival of Worms in Hydrogen Sulfide

C. elegans has a single conserved homologue of mammalian hypoxia-inducible factor a subunit, hif-1 (Jiang et al., 2001 blue right-pointing triangle). Animals with the hif-1(ia04) null mutation seem normal and are viable in normal culture conditions, but they display reduced embryonic and larval viability in hypoxia compared with wild-type animals (Jiang et al., 2001 blue right-pointing triangle; Padilla et al., 2002 blue right-pointing triangle; Nystul et al., 2003 blue right-pointing triangle). We observed that hif-1(ia04) worms cannot survive exposure to 15 ppm H2S (Table 1). In contrast, even at 50 ppm H2S, wild-type worms survive with high viability and no obvious changes on growth rate or morphology (Miller and Roth, 2007 blue right-pointing triangle). These results indicate that HIF-1 is necessary for responding appropriately to H2S...

DISCUSSION

Increased H2S or decreased oxygen both constitute a net change in the redox balance to which cells are exposed. We have shown that nematodes rapidly respond to changes in H2S by HIF-1 activation. HIF-1 is also activated by decreased oxygen, which suggests that HIF-1 is important in coordinating the response to changes in environmental and organismal redox balance. Our results demonstrate that vhl-1 is not required for H2S-dependent increase in HIF-1 target gene expression. Previous studies in mammals show that the hypoxic HIF-1 response does require VHL (Iliopoulos et al., 1996 blue right-pointing triangle), suggesting that cells have multiple ways of activating the HIF responses.

Increased HIF-1 activity is positively correlated with survival of nematodes exposed to H2S. C. elegans exposed to low levels of H2S absolutely require hif-1, and increased levels of HIF-1 facilitate quantal survival in otherwise lethal concentrations of H2S. Hif-1 mutants are sensitive to H2S concentrations that have no effect on wild type (15 ppm). Furthermore, egl-9 and vhl-1 mutants have increased HIF-1 levels and can survive higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide than wild type. Egl-9 mutant animals show elevated HIF-1 reporter activity compared with vhl-1 mutants worms, consistent with the finding that egl-9 mutant worms can tolerate higher H2S concentrations than vhl-1 mutant worms. The increased survival of egl-9 mutant worms in H2S is reminiscent of previous work which showed that a mutation in egl-9 protects nematodes from cyanide toxicity (Darby et al., 1999 blue right-pointing triangle; Gallagher and Manoil, 2001 blue right-pointing triangle). Both sulfide and cyanide disrupt cellular respiration as noncompetitive inhibitors of cytochrome oxidase (Cooper and Brown, 2008 blue right-pointing triangle). Thus, it is plausible that HIF-1 helps overcome the toxicity by relieving the stress of impeded cytochrome oxidase activity. Indeed, HIF-1 has been shown to increase expression of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes (Chen et al., 2001 blue right-pointing triangle; Minchenko et al., 2002 blue right-pointing triangle; Obach et al., 2004 blue right-pointing triangle) as well as to down-regulate tricarboxylic acid cycle entry and oxygen consumption in mammals (Papandreou et al., 2006 blue right-pointing triangle).

The H2S-induced expression of a reporter for HIF-1 activity does not require vhl-1 but does require egl-9. This is in contrast to the increase of HIF-1 protein levels observed in both mutant backgrounds. This suggests that H2S may be involved in two steps of HIF-1 activation: protein stabilization and transcriptional activation. A recent article demonstrated the existence of an alternative HIF-1 regulatory pathway in C. elegans (Shen et al., 2006 blue right-pointing triangle). This pathway does not require vhl-1 but does require egl-9 and a novel protein, regulator of hypoxia-inducible factor (rhy-1). The exact function of rhy-1 remains obscure, but perhaps it is important for responding to nonhypoxic impediments of the respiratory chain. In addition, VHL-independent, EGLN1-dependent HIF regulation has been noted in mammalian cells (Ozer et al., 2005 blue right-pointing triangle; To and Huang, 2005 blue right-pointing triangle); thus, it will be interesting to investigate the potential for H2S induction of HIF-1 activity in higher organisms.

We observed that hypoxia and sulfide treatment result in different expression patterns of expression of a reporter for HIF-1 activity. One possibility for the differences observed is that the gut is more easily made hypoxic and the hypodermis is more easily exposed to H2S. This model would predict that increasing the severity of hypoxia should increase the tissue with detectable HIF-1 activity. We were unable to find any concentrations of O2, including anoxia, which would result in HIF-1 activity detected in more tissues. Likewise, increasing the concentration of H2S also failed to increase HIF-1 activity in additional tissues. Also, the near perfect overlap of HIF-1 activity in hypoxia and vhl-1 null animals argues that the observed differences reflect something intrinsic to the tissue, perhaps involving additional transcription factors.

Organisms survive transitions to new environments by changing their physiology to be better suited to the new environment, referred to here as acclimation. Acclimation to nonlethal environmental changes is known to improve the ability to survive otherwise lethal exposure to the same agent. For example, acclimation of nematodes to low concentrations of salt allows them survive subsequent exposure to high salt concentrations that are lethal for naïve animals (Lamitina et al., 2004 blue right-pointing triangle). We suggest that HIF-1 may be involved in acclimation to H2S containing environments. Wild-type nematodes acclimated to a sub-lethal concentration of H2S (50 ppm), are able to withstand a 10-fold increase in H2S concentration (500 ppm) that would kill all naïve animals. This is concordant with the increase in HIF-1 activity observed and suggests that HIF-1 activity may be essential for the acclimation to H2S.

Here, we have shown that H2S exposure increases HIF-1 activity and increases tolerance of further H2S exposure. This is reminiscent of investigations into hypoxia preconditioning, in which brief exposure to hypoxia increases HIF-1 activity and protects against subsequent hypoxia. We now know that animals produce H2S in a regulated manner and that the resultant sulfide is physiologically important (Kamoun, 2004 blue right-pointing triangle). In fact, endogenous H2S production has been suggested to be important during hypoxia preconditioning (Bian et al., 2006 blue right-pointing triangle). In addition, several recent studies have described a protective role of H2S with respect to hypoxia (Blackstone and Roth, 2007 blue right-pointing triangle), hemorrhage (Morrison et al., 2008 blue right-pointing triangle), and reperfusion injury (Elrod et al., 2007 blue right-pointing triangle). It has been shown that overexpression of a sulfide-generating enzyme, cystathionine gamma lyase, results in cardiac protection, suggesting a protective effect of endogenous H2S (Elrod et al., 2007 blue right-pointing triangle). Although all of these studies implicate H2S as a potentially useful therapeutic, the mechanism of action remains ill defined. Other studies have shown that increased HIF-1 levels also provide protection against reperfusion injury, and the data provided here provide a possible link between these phenomena.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20462960
Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Jul;21(13):2161-71

Suspended animation extends survival limits of Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at low temperature. Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Jul;21(13):2161-71
Chan K, Goldmark JP, Roth MB.

Abstract

The orderly progression through the cell division cycle is of paramount importance to all organisms, as improper progression through the cycle could result in defects with grave consequences. Previously, our lab has shown that model eukaryotes such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio all retain high viability after prolonged arrest in a state of anoxia-induced suspended animation, implying that in such a state, progression through the cell division cycle is reversibly arrested in an orderly manner. Here, we show that S. cerevisiae (both wild-type and several cold-sensitive strains) and C. elegans embryos exhibit a dramatic decrease in viability that is associated with dysregulation of the cell cycle when exposed to low temperatures. Further, we find that when the yeast or worms are first transitioned into a state of anoxia-induced suspended animation before cold exposure, the associated cold-induced viability defects are largely abrogated. We present evidence that by imposing an anoxia-induced reversible arrest of the cell cycle, the cells are prevented from engaging in aberrant cell cycle events in the cold, thus allowing the organisms to avoid the lethality that would have occurred in a cold, oxygenated environment.

AU2013216643
METHODS, COMPOSITIONS AND DEVICES FOR INDUCING STASIS IN CELLS, TISSUES, ORGANS, AND ORGANISMS

[ Excerpts ]

Inventor(s):     ROTH MARK B; BLACKSTONE ERIC +

Abstract

The present invention concerns the use of oxygen antagonists for inducing stasis in cells, tissues, and/or organs in vivo or in an organism overall. It includes methods and apparatuses for achieving stasis in any of these biological materials, so as to preserve and/or protect them. In specific embodiments, therapeutic methods and apparatuses for organ transplantation, hyperthermia, wound healing, hemorrhagic shock, cardioplegia for bypass surgery, neurodegeneration, hypothermia, and cancer is provided.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of cell biology. More particularly, it concerns methods and apparatuses for inducing stasis in cells, tissues, organs, and organisms using a substance that competes with oxygen. In certain embodiments, there are methods and apparatuses for treating, preventing, and diagnosing diseases and conditions in a subject exposed to an oxygen antagonist.

2. Description of Related Art Stasis is a latin term meaning "standstill." In the context of stasis in living tissues, the most common fonus of stasis relate to the preservation of tissues for transplant or reattachment.
Typically, such tissues are immersed in a physiologic fluid, such as saline, and placed in the cold to reduce biochemical processes leading to cellular damage. This stasis is incomplete and cannot be relied upon for extended periods. In fact, the success of organ transplant and limb reattachments is inversely related to the time the organ or limb is out of contact with the intact organism.

A more extreme version of stasis involves placing an entire organism into what is known colloquially as "suspended animation." Though still considered largely within the realm of science fiction, some notoriety has been achieved when wealthy individuals have sought to be cryopreserved after death in the hopes that future medical breakthroughs will permit their revival, and cure of their fatal ailments. Allegedly, more than one hundred people have been cryopreserved since the first attempt in 1967, and more than one thousand people have made legal and financial arrangements for cryonics with one of several organizations, for example, Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Such methods involve the administration of anti-ischemic drugs, low temperature preservation, and methods to perfuse whole organisms with cryosuspension fluids. It has not yet been substantiated that this form of.organismal stasis is reversible.

The utility of inducing stasis in biological matter as contemplated by the compositions, methods or articles of manufacture described herein, is characterized by induction or onset of stasis followed by a period of time in which the stasis is maintained, followed then by reversion [0 to a normal or near normal physiological state, or a state that one skilled in the art would recognize as a state that is better than the state of the biological matter had it never undergone stasis, in whole or in part Stasis can also be defined as what it is not. Organismal stasis is not any of the following states: sleep, comatose, death, anesthetized, or grand mal seizure.

There are numerous reports of individuals who have survived apparent cessation of pulse and respiration after exposure to hypothermic conditions, usually in cold-water immersion.

Though not fully understood by scientists, the ability to survive such situations likely derives from what is called the "mammalian diving reflex." This reflex is believed to stimulate the iragal nervous system, which controls the lungs, heart, larynx and esophagus, in order to protect vital ?0 organs. Presumably, cold-water stimulation of nerve receptors on the skin causes shunting of blood to the brain and to the heart, and away from the skin, the gastro-intestinal tract and extremities. At the same time, a protective reflex bradycardia, or slowing the heart beat, conserves the dwindling oxygen supplies within the body. Unfortunately, the expression of this reflex is not the same in all people, and is believed to be a factor in only 10-20% percent of cold water inunersion cases.

Compositions and methods that do not rely fully or at all on hypothermia and/or oxygen may be useful in the context of organ preservation, as well as for tissue or cell preservation. Cells and tissue are currently preserved using hypothermia, frequently at temperatures substantially below freezing, such as in liquid nitrogen. However, dependence on temperature can be problematic, as apparatuses and agents for producing such low temperatures may not be readily available when needed or they may require replacement. For example, tissue culture cells are often stored for periods of time in tanks that hold liquid nitrogen; however, these tanks frequently require that the liquid nitrogen in the unit be periodically replaced, otherwise it becomes depleted and the temperature is not maintained. Furthermore, damage to cells and tissue occurs as a result of the freeze/thaw process. Thus, improved techniques are needed.

Moreover, the lack of ability to control cellular and physiologic metabolism in whole organisms subjected to traumas such as amputation and hypothermia is a key shortcoming in the medical field. On the other hand, the anecdotal evidence discussed above strongly suggests that if properly understood and regulated, it is possible to induce stasis in cells, tissues and whole organisms. Thus, there is a great need for improved methods for controlling metabolic processes under traumatic conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention provides methods, compositions, articles of manufacture, and apparatuses to induce stasis in cells, tissues and organs located within or derived from an organism, as well as in the organism itself. Such methods compositions, articles of manufacture, and apparatuses can be employed to protect biological matter, as well as to prevent, treat, or diagnose diseases and conditions in the organism. Details of such applications and other uses are described below. The invention is based on studies with compounds that were determined to have a protective function, and thus, serve as protective agents. Moreover, the overall results of studies involving different compounds indicate that compounds with an available electron donor center are particularly effective in inducing stasis. In addition, these compounds induce reversible stasis, meaning they are not so toxic to the particular biologic matter that the matter dies or decomposes.

The present invention involves exposing biological matter to an amount of an agent, so as to achieve stasis of the biological matter. In some embodiments, the present invention concerns methods for inducing stasis in in vivo biological matter comprising: a) identifying an organism in which stasis is desired; and, b) exposing the organism to an effective amount of an oxygen antagonist to induce stasis in the in vivo biological matter. Inducing "stasis" in biological matter means that the matter is alive but is characterized by one or more of the following: at least a two fold reduction in the rate or amount of carbon dioxide production by the biological matter; at least a two-fold reduction in the rate or amount of oxygen consumption by the biological matter; and at least a 10% decrease in movement or motility (applies only to cells or tissue that move, ) such as sperm cells or a heart or a limb, or when stasis is induced in the entire organism) (collectively referred to as "cellular respiration indicators"). In methods of the invention, stasis is temporary and/or reversible, meaning that the biological matter no longer exhibits the characteristics of stasis at some later point in time...

Thus, in some embodiments an oxygen antagonist inhibits or reduces the amount of cellular Z5 respiration occurring in the cells, for instance, by binding sites on cytochrome e oxidase that would otherwise bind to oxygen. Cytochrome c oxidase specifically binds oxygen and then converts it to water. Preferably, the binding to cytochrome oxidase c by the oxygen antagonist is specific. In some embodiments, such binding to cytochrome c oxidase is preferably releasable and reversible binding (e.g., has an in vitro dissociation constant, Kd, of at least 10-2, 10-, or 104 0 M, and has an in vitro dissociation constant, Kd, not greater than 10-, 10, 10, 109 , 10-, or 10 M). In some embodiments, an oxygen antagonist is evaluated by measuring ATP and/or carbon dioxide output...

For example, the biological matter may be exposed to a first oxygen antagonist and then exposed to a second oxygen antagonist. Alternatively, biological matter may be exposed to more than one oxygen antagonists at the same time or in an overlapping manner. Furthermore, it is contemplated that more than one oxygen antagonist may be comprised or mixed together, such 0 as in a single composition to which biological matter is exposed.
Methods and apparatuses of the invention involve a protective agent, that in some embodiments is an oxygen antagonist. In still farther embodiments, the oxygen antagonist is a 9 reducing agent. Additionally, the oxygen antagonist can be characterized as a chalcogenide compound.

In certain embodiments, the chalcogenide compound comprises sulfur, while in others, it comprises selenium, tellurium, or polonium. In certain embodiments, a chalcogenide compound contains one or more exposed sulfide groups. It is contemplated that this chalcogenide compounds contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more exposed sulfide groups, or any range derivable therein. In particular embodiments, such a sulfide-containing compound is CS2 (carbon disulfide)...

Moreover, in some methods of the invention, stasis is induced in cell(s) by exposing the cell(s) to a reducing agent that has a chemical structure of Rin R2m Xp wherein X is N, 0, Po, S, Se, or Te;
wherein Y is N or 0;
wherein R1 is H, C, lower alkyl, a lower alcohol, or CN;
wherein R 2 is H, C, lower alkyl, or a lower alcohol, or CN;
wherein n is 0 or 1;
wherein m is 0 or 1;
wherein k is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and, wherein p is I or 2...

In still further embodiments, the reducing agent structure compound is selected from the 0 group consisting of H2S, H2Se, H2Te, and H2Po. In some cases, the reducing agent structure has an X that is an S. In others, X is Se, or X is Te, or X is Po, or X is 0. Furthermore, k in the reducing agent structure is 0 or 1 in some embodiments. In certain embodiments, the reducing agent structure compound is diniethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylsulfide (DMS), carbon monoxide, methylmercaptan (CH 3SH), mercaptoethanol, thiocyanate, hydrogen cyanide, methanethiol (MeSH), or CS2 . In-particular embodiments, the oxygen antagonist is H2S, H2Se, CS 2, MeSH, or DMS. Compounds on the order of the size of these molecules are particularly contemplated (that is, within 50% of the average of their molecular weights).

Moreover, it will be generally understood that any compound discussed herein as an oxygen antagonist can be provided in prodrug form to the biological matter, meaning that the biological matter or other substance(s) in the environment of the biological matter alters the prodrug into its active form, that is, into an oxygen antagonist.

The oxygen antagonist is provided to the biological matter in a state that allows it to compete with oxygen. The oxygen antagonist may be a gas, semi-solid liquid (such as a gel or paste), liquid, or gas. It is contemplated that biological matter may be exposed to more than one oxygen antagonist and/or to an oxygen antagonist in more than one state...

In some embodiments, the oxygen antagonist gas is carbon monoxide and the amount of carbon monoxide is about the same or exceeds any amount of oxygen in the oxygen gas mixture.

In particular embodiments, carbon monoxide is employed with blood-free biological matter. The term "blood-free biological matter" refers to cells and organs whose oxygenation is not dependent, or no longer dependent, on the vasculature, such as an organ for transplant.

Preferably, the atmosphere will be 100% CO, but as will be evident to one skilled in the art, the amount of CO may be balanced with gases other than oxygen providing that the amount of usable oxygen is reduced to a level that prevents cellular respiration. In this context, the ratio of carbon monoxide-to-oxygen is preferably 85:15 or greater, 199:1 or greater or 399:1 or greater.

The present invention also concerns a method of delaying the effects of trauma on or in an organism comprising exposing biological matter at risk for trauma to an effective amount of 0 an oxygen antagonist.
In other aspects of the invention, there are methods for treating or preventing hemorrhagic shock in a patient comprising exposing the patient to an effective amount of an oxygen antagonist.

Methods for reducing heart rate in an organism are also included as part of the invention.

Such methods involve contacting the biological sample or organism with an effective amount of an oxygen antagonist.

One embodiment of the invention relates to a method of inducing hibernation in a mammal comprising contacting the mammal with an effective amount of an oxygen antagonist.

In another embodiment, there is a method of anesthetizing an organism comprising exposing biological matter in which anesthesia is desired to an effective amount of an oxygen antagonist. It is contemplated that the anesthesia may be similar to local or general anesthesia...

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings fonn part of the present specification and are included to father demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 1 - Human keratinocytes survive exposure to 100% CO. Cells were inspected visually using an inverted phase contrast microscope. Quantitation of the number of viable keratinocytes as judged by trypan blue staining, which is an indicator of cell death.

FIG. 2 - Discontinuity of survivability in hypoxia. Viabilities to adulthood were assayed following exposure to 24 hours of anoxia (pure N2), intermediate hypoxia (0.01 kPa 02, 0.05kPa 02 or 0.1 kPa 02) or mild hypoxia (0.5 kPa 02) in wild-type embryos. All data points are the result of at least 3 independent experiments and worms that could not be accounted for were dropped from the total.

FIG. 3 - Carbon monoxide protects against hypoxia. Viabilities to adulthood were --- asayed following exposure to 24 hours of pure carbon monoxide, 0.05 kPa 02/N2 or 0.05 kPa 0 2 /CO in wild-type embryos. All data points are the result of at least 3 independent experiments and worms that could not be accounted for were dropped from the total.

FIG. 4A - Metabolic rate decreases before body core temperature when mice are exposed to hydrogen sulfide. Exposure of mice to 80ppm (at 0 minutes on the X axis) results in an approximately 3 fold decrease in C02 production (black line) in less than five minutes. This precedes the drop in core temperature of the animal toward the ambient temperature (gray line).

FIG. 4B - Termperature of mice exposed to hydrogen sulfide. Each trace represents a continuous measurement of core body temperature individual mouse exposed to either 80ppm of H2S, or to room air. Numbers on the vertical axis are temperature in 'Celsius. On the horizontal axis, the numbers reflect time in hours. The experiments were carried out for 6 hours followed by recordings of the recovery. The beginning point is at 1:00, and the end of the 6 hr treatment is about 7:00.

FIG. 5A - Exposure to 80 ppm hydrogen sulfide causes the core body temperature of a mouse to approach ambient temperature. Gas was turned on and temperature decreased starting at time 0:00. Atmosphere switched back to room air at time 6:00. Triangles indicate the core body temperature of the mouse as determined by radiotelemetry. This was approximately 39"C at time 0:00. Diamonds indicate the ambient temperature which was reduced from 23C to 13'C 21 in the first 3 hours of the experiment, and then increased again toward 23C from hour 6:00 stabilizing at around hour 9:00.

FIG. 6 - The rate of bod core temperature dro is d endent upon the concentration of hydrogen sulfide given to the mice. All lines represent core body temperature of a single mouse as determined by radiotelemetry. Mice subjected to 20ppm and 40ppm H2S exhibit minor drops in core temperature. Exposure to 60ppm induced a substantial drop in temperature beginning at approximately hour 4:00. The mouse exposed to 80ppm exhibited a substantial drop in temperature beginning at approximately hour 2:00.

FIG. 7 - Lowest core body temperature. The lowest core body temperature recorded for a mouse exposed to 80ppm hydrogen sulfide was 10.7 0 C. Triangles indicate the core body temperature of the mouse as determined by radiotelemetry which started at approximately 39C at time 0. Diamonds indicate the ambient temperature which began at approximately 23oC and was dropped to less than lOoC by the mid-point of the experiment, after which it was then increased again toward room temperature.

FIG. 8A - Endogenous levels of hydrogen sulfide are increased in mice acclimated to warm temperatres. Gray bars (two left bars) indicate endogenous H2S concentrations of two individual mice acclimated to 40C; black bars (two right bars) indicate the endogenous H2S concentrations of two individual mice acclimated to 300 C. Hydrogen sulfide concentration determined by GC/MS.

FIG. 8B - Effects of Ambient Temperature on Hydrogen Sulfide Dependent Temperature Drop. The rate of core temperature (expressed in degrees Centigrade) drop due to hydrogen sulfide exposure is dependent on the acclimation temperature. The mice were exposed to the gas at 1:00. Triangles indicate the core body temperature of the mouse, acclimated to 12'C, as determined by radiotelemetry. Squares indicate the core body temperature of the animal acclimated to 30 0C.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a respiration gas delivery system according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing illustrating a respiration gas delivery system according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing illustrating a respiration gas delivery system according to further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic drawing illustrating a tissue treatment gas delivery system according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 15 Metabolic inhibition protects against hvothermia-induced death in Nematodes.

Nematodes exposed to cold temperatures (40C) are unable to survive after 24 hours. However, if kept in anoxic conditions during the period of hypothermia (and for a 1 hour period before and after), a substantial proportion of the nematodes survive.

TeraHertz Water Boiler

http://www.n-tv.de/wissen/Schnellster-Wasserkocher-der-Welt-entworfen-article11930191.html
http://www.desy.de/
16.12.2013

Designed Less than a blink of the eye's fastest kettle in the world

Hamburger researchers find a way to bring water in less than a trillionth of a second to a boil. At its heart is a concentrated lightning so-called terahertz radiation: The flash brings the water molecules to vibrate violently in one fell swoop.

The method may heat up to 600 degrees Celsius, a small amount of water in just half picosecond. This is much faster than a blink of the eye: A picosecond is to a second what a second is to nearly 32 millennia. Thus, the method would be loud Desy the fastest kettle in the world.

The not yet been put into practice concept opens up exciting new opportunities for experimentation with chemically or biologically relevant samples, the scientists write in the journal "Angewandte Chemie - International Edition" (No. 51). Water plays an important role in the dynamics of many biological and chemical processes in which it stabilizes around certain chemical compounds and some reactions enables only.

Vibration by terahertz fla

In the calculation it comes to the heating of nano-liter (billionths of a liter) water to 600 degrees Celsius by a concentrated lightning so-called terahertz radiation. This consists of electromagnetic waves of a frequency between radio waves and infrared radiation. The terahertz flash, causes the water molecules to vibrate violently at a stroke and releases the hydrogen compounds, which hold the water molecules in the liquid state.

Scientists led by Oriol Vendrell from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, a collaboration of DESY, Hamburg University and the Max Planck Society, calculated the interaction between the terahertz flash and the water. For this, they used the supercomputer center Jülich in North Rhine-Westphalia. Radio waves and infrared radiation. The terahertz flash, causes the water molecules to vibrate violently at a stroke and releases the hydrogen compounds, which hold the water molecules in the liquid state.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201305991/abstract;jsessionid=4837327BA1CB6CD4016E988D28D53021.f03t02
23 OCT 2013
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201305991
Angewandte Chemie International Edition -- Volume 52, Issue 51, pages 13685–13687, December 16, 2013

Ultrafast Energy Transfer to Liquid Water by Sub-Picosecond High-Intensity Terahertz Pulses: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study†

Pankaj Kr. Mishra1,2,3,
Dr. Oriol Vendrell1,3,*,
Prof. Dr. Robin Santra1,2,3

Sub-picosecond heating of bulk water is accomplished by ultrashort and intense THz pulses which are able to transfer a large amount of energy to the liquid. The energy transferred corresponds to a temperature jump of about 600 K. Liquid water becomes a structureless and hot gas-like system (see picture) still at the density of the liquid, in which the hydrogen-bonding structure has been washed out.

TeraHertz Water Treatment Patents

Energy conversion gain device
CN202236894

The utility model relates to an energy conversion gain device which comprises a housing, a medium of mineral matters and trace elements, and metal pole plates. The metal pole plates are disposed on the two ends of the medium of mineral matters and trace elements, and are respectively provided with a metal conduction band that is used for connection with an external circuit. The housing is a sealed structure formed by an insulating high-voltage-resistant material, and is arranged outside the medium of mineral matters and trace elements, and the metal pole plates. The medium of mineral matters and trace elements is of a porous stereo structure which is provided with minimum water serving as an internal absorption conduct medium. The technical principles of natural gain ores in nature and biological micro-channel structures are simulated by the energy conversion gain device, so that visible light waves, infrared waves and terahertz waves with a high frequency scope are generated and gain amplification is carried out, wherein the above electromagnetic waves exhibit chaotic properties if being adjusted properly. As compared with the conventional laser pumping technology, the semiconductor excitation technology or the plasma excitation technology, the energy conversion gain device is low in cost and wide in frequency spectrum, and can be utilized in a large-scale and innovation manner in the fields of energy conservation, environmental protection, medical and health care, new energy, chemical photoelectric and the like.

Means for emitting terahertz radiation
US8389035

The present invention provides a method for imprinting water so as to emit Terahertz radiation and a method for maintaining the freshness of foodstuff with an article containing the imprinted water.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and systems for altering the environment in closed chambers by the use of non-ionizing radiation that has been imprinted in water using a spectral region known as Terahertz Radiation. More particularly, there is provided a means for altering the environment so as to maintain the freshness of food products and retard the activity of bacteria associated with the food products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of magnets is known to create a magnetic field to energize water so as to permit the magnetized properties to dissipate to the surrounding areas.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,332 discloses an apparatus to deliver water energized by a vortex flow of water through a magnetic field.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,287 discloses a magnetic processing treatment facility for subjecting a fluid flow to magnetic energy that is integrated into an agricultural use to enhance activity in terms of crop growth and to increase the solubility of agricultural chemical agents to be used in a spray.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,411 discloses a magnetic treatment apparatus to "energize" water using at least two magnetic fields and an electrical current. The water is used to condition potable water, gardening water and recycled water.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,870 to Hopaluk et al, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a method of "energizing" water using reflected ultraviolet light.
There exists an AquaCharge(R) system for "energizing" water using paramagnetic material and Organite to clear harmful energy signatures from water. The system passes water through a concentrated paramagnetic system combined with quartz crystals in combination with orgone to provide the water with positive frequencies.

The article of Gerecht et al entitled "A Passive Heterodyne Hot Electron Bolometer Imager Operating at 850 GHz" in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Technoques, Vol 56, No. 5, May 2008, describes means for producing and detecting Tetrahertz radiation at a frequency of 720-930 GHz.

Light rays produced by the sun comprise electric and magnetic vibrations which are vibrating in more than one plane that is referred to as unpolarized light.

The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation striking the earth on a daily basis originates from the sun including for example commonly known spectra such as the visible and ultraviolet regions. The full spectrum is characterized by the term EOF representing the electro optical frequencies of solar radiation. The bands of these frequencies are characterized based upon wavelengths into nine general regions illustrated by the Solar Spectrum. These nine categories of increasing wavelength from 100 nm to 1 mm include Ultraviolet C, Ultraviolet B, Ultraviolet A, Visible light, Infrared A, Infrared B, Infrared C, FAR Infrared, and Extreme Far Infrared, the latter of which is part of the Terahertz spectrum.

This special region known as Terahertz spectrum radiation or the "Terahertz Gap" falls between electromagnetic frequencies (measured with antennas) and optical frequencies (measured with optical detectors). There are currently no known natural sources of Terahertz radiation in the Extreme Far Infrared region.

Terahertz radiation is a non-ionizing sub-millimeter radiation and shares with X-rays the capability to penetrate a wide variety of non conductive materials. Terahertz radiation can pass through clothing, paper, cardboard, wood, masonry and plastic. It can also penetrate fog and clouds, but cannot penetrate metal or water.

It is possible to transform unpolarized light into polarized light. Polarized light waves are light waves in which the vibrations occur in a single plane. The process of transforming unpolarized light into polarized light is known as polarization. There are a variety of methods of polarizing light. The most common method of polarization involves the use of a Polaroid filter. Polaroid filters are made of a special material which is capable of blocking one of the two planes of vibration of an electromagnetic wave. A Polaroid serves as a device which filters out one-half of the vibrations upon transmission of the light through the filter. When unpolarized light is transmitted through a Polaroid filter, it emerges with one-half the intensity and with vibrations in a single plane; it emerges as polarized light.

A Polaroid filter is able to polarize light because of the chemical composition of the filter material. The filter can be thought of as having long-chain molecules that are aligned within the filter in the same direction. During the fabrication of the filter, the long-chain molecules are stretched across the filter so that each molecule is aligned in the vertical direction. As unpolarized light strikes the filter, the portion of the waves vibrating in the vertical direction are absorbed by the filter. The general rule is that the electromagnetic vibrations which are in a direction parallel to the alignment of the molecules are absorbed.

The alignment of these molecules gives the filter a polarization axis. This polarization axis extends across the length of the filter and only allows vibrations of the electromagnetic wave that are parallel to the axis to pass through. Any vibrations which are perpendicular to the polarization axis are blocked by the filter. Thus, a Polaroid filter with its long-chain molecules aligned horizontally will have a polarization axis aligned vertically. Such a filter will block all horizontal vibrations and allow the vertical vibrations to be transmitted. On the other hand, a Polaroid filter with its long-c chain molecules aligned vertically will have a polarization axis aligned horizontally; this filter will block all vertical vibrations and allow the horizontal vibrations to be transmitted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to the present invention, there is provided a means for radiating in a closed chamber Terahertz radiation and imprinting water containing inorganic salts and/or minerals with wavelengths of about 100 micrometers to 1 micrometer or frequencies from 300 GHz to 3 THz, preferably radiation at a frequency of about 720 to 930 GHz, most preferably of about 850 GHz which is placed in a geometrically suitable transparent container to effect the environment in the chamber. Preferably, the chamber is environmentally controlled.

As seen in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a source (10) of Terahertz radiation which generates the desired Terahertz radiation, such as disclosed in aforementioned IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques or naturally from the sun, is beamed to a metal reflector (11). The electro-optical frequencies generated are reflected onto a polarization filter (12). The polarized rays are then directed into a tank containing ionized water (22) which contains inorganic salts and/or minerals to absorb the polarized Terahertz radiation and store imprinted information.

The tank of water contains a vortex generator (13) to create a spinning turbulent flow of water in the tank. The turbulence is produced for at least one hour in a tank containing about 125 liters of the polarized water. The irradiated polarized water is then rested for about one hour to allow imprinting of the Terahertz radiation. The vortex generated is preferably rotated in a counterclockwise direction.

The imprinted water can then be placed in a geometrically acceptable transparent container (14), for example, an egg shaped transparent container, which when placed into an environmentally controlled chamber (15) transmits the desired Terahertz radiation. The container can also be placed in a non controlled environment such as an insulated container.

When using sunlight as the source of Terahertz radiation, consideration is taken as to the amount of sunlight available. One of the properties of sunlight is its wave particle duality. The main property used in the process encompasses the particle aspect of the waves of sunlight. Using the high photonic energy of the unobstructed sunlight the polarized light has the ability to change the electromagnetic spin of the electrons in the water molecules containing the inorganic salts and/or minerals such as found in spring water. The process synchronizes the water molecules into certain formations allowing the water to absorb the Terahertz radiation, especially those in the Far Infrared end of the spectrum.

As seen in FIG. 2, proper geometrically shaped containers (20), for example, egg shaped transparent containers (21) containing the energized water (22) are placed on a stand (23). Proper geometrically shaped containers are well known to transmit various energies whereby the wavelengths do not interfere with each other. Containers which are egg shaped have this capability. Pyramid configurations are considered to channel energies in the proper direction as well. Tubular containers also permit the energizing properties of the water to dissipate therefrom in proper order.

Use of the radiation emitting devices of the invention can reduce oxidation and retain moisture in food that are stored in chambers such as refrigerators, refrigeration vehicles, coolers, pantries and the like which causes odors and food spoilage.

Example 1

A comparison study was made wherein three controlled environment chambers were used. One chamber contained 25 fresh picked Gala apples. A second chamber contained 25 fresh picked Gala apples treated with gaseous 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) which is commercially available under the trademark Smart Fresh(R). A third chamber contained 25 fresh picked Gala apples and the egg shaped device with the Terahertz radiation treated water of the invention.

After 6 weeks the apples were tested to firmness, acid levels, color, taste and aroma.

Results

The non-treated apples had soft spots, brown spots when sliced, tasted as being stale and not fresh. The color was only slightly faded.
The apples treated with 1-MCP were crunchy, fresh tasting and similar to the fresh picked apples.
The apples from the third chamber had the same quality and characteristics as the apples from the second chamber.
The terms and expressions which have been used are not limitations and there is no intention in the use of these terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

HYDROGEN GENERATING AGENT, METHOD FOR GENERATING HYDROGEN GAS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING HYDROGEN GAS
JP2010269946

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hydrogen generating agent by which a large amount of a hydrogen gas is efficiently generated at a normal temperature, a method for generating the hydrogen gas and an apparatus for supplying the hydrogen gas using the method for generating the hydrogen gas. ; SOLUTION: An artificial ore emitting an electromagnetic wave such as a terahertz wave and the like exists in the mixed powders of zeolite powder particles containing at least Al, Si and an alkali metal element and a calcium compound. The average particle diameter of the zeolite powder particles is 50 [mu]m or less. The content of the artificial ore is 0.1-30 pts.wt. based on 100 pts.wt. of the mixed powders. The content of nanopore carbon (plant fine activated carbon) is 0.1-10 pts.wt. based on 100 pts.wt. of the mixed powders. The hydrogen gas is generated by immersing the hydrogen generating agent in a storing tank stored with fresh water or seawater and a penetrating agent is poured if necessary.

FUNCTIONAL WATER FOR COOKING RICE AND COOKING FOOD AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
JP2010099602

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide water for cooking rice and cooking food, which is activated and functionalized by exposing water to a hot wind of heated compressed air where a resonance electromagnetic wave like a terahertz wave is generated and to provide a method for producing the activated and functionalized water for cooking rice and cooking food. ; SOLUTION: The activated and functionalized water for cooking rice and cooking food is produced by exposing the water satisfying drinking water quality standards to the hot wind of heated compressed air, where the resonance electromagnetic wave like the terahertz wave is generated by regulating pressure and temperature, for a fixed time. Nitrogen (N<SB>2</SB>) and the hydrogen bond of steam (H<SB>2</SB>O) are cut by the hot wind of heated compressed air, where the resonance electromagnetic wave like the terahertz wave which resonates with the natural frequency of the hydrogen bond of a water molecule, and an electron is released from the separated hydrogen and fetched in an outer shell of nitrogen in the air or water to produce active nitrogen and further produce an amino group (NH<SB>2</SB>) so that the produced amino group infiltrates into a foodstuff to be cooked to condense a tasty component in the cooked foodstuff. When the amino group (NH<SB>2</SB>) is dissolved in water, a hydroxyl group (OH<SP>-</SP>) is produced and the cooked foodstuff becomes weakly alkaline and is prevented from being degraded oxidatively

FUNCTIONAL WATER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
JP2010099601

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a functional water which is produced by exposing water to a hot wind of heated compressed air, where a resonance electromagnetic wave like a terahertz wave is generated, and which can be preserved for a long time and to provide a method for producing the functional water. ; SOLUTION: Water is exposed to the hot wind of the heated compressed air, where the resonance electromagnetic wave like the terahertz wave is generated by regulating pressure and temperature, for a fixed time to generate the resonance electromagnetic wave like the terahertz wave, which resonates with the natural frequency of a hydrogen bond of a water molecule, so that the hydrogen bond of steam (H<SB>2</SB>O) is cut by the generated resonance electromagnetic wave and an electron is released from the separated hydrogen and fetched in an outer shell of nitrogen (N<SB>2</SB>) in the air or water to produce active nitrogen and further produce an amino group (NH<SB>2</SB>). When the amino group is dissolved in water, the functional water, in which a hydroxyl group (OH<SP>-</SP>) is produced and which has minute clusters, is weakly alkaline and has a high reduction potential, can be produced easily at a low cost.

The present invention includes the creation and functional water activated by hot air by heating the compressed air to generate a resonance wave of the terahertz wave-like by being adjusted to the pressure and temperature specified, the aeration of water a predetermined time The present invention relates to a method.

Conventionally, the method to be passed through, through which is filled in the cylindrical body of ceramic and natural stone emits resonance waves as a method in which an active functional hydration water (for example, Patent Document 1) a method in which water flow, through the electromagnetic field and ( For example, Patent Document 2) have been proposed.

It is used for cleaning with the aid being greater in surface activity, it is used as an agricultural water by utilizing the greater the penetration capability, the active functional water which is finer clusters generated by the above method, the reducing end It is used as a health drink water by utilizing the antioxidant effect high potential.

JP 2007-289910 JP-Patent Publication No. 2006-136810

However, the functional water activated by the energy of the electromagnetic field and resonant electromagnetic wave radiated from the ceramic or natural stone conventional, there is a problem in the durability and the contents of the functional effects.

There was also a problem with the versatility many expensive also generating device of the active functional water.

Accordingly, the present invention is one which has been made in view of the above circumstances, by a certain time aerated water heating compressed air to generate a resonance wave of the terahertz wave-like by being adjusted to the pressure and temperature specified, small In it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for generating an active functional water versatile low cost with a simple device.

In order to solve these problems, for the hot air was generated by compressing the air by using the heating apparatus invented by itself (Japanese Patent Application 2006-298315 Patent Reference), the present inventors have found that extensive study by thermography etc. Results of repeated, by appropriately changing the conditions for generating the hot-air, and found to emit resonance wave of the terahertz wave-like, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the active functional water of the present invention and in its production process, by controlling the discharge temperature and discharge pressure of the air, the resonance in the infrared region far 5 ~ 10THz generated by the heated compressed air in order to solve the above problems It is intended by aerating the water in hot air electromagnetic waves, separated (N2), hydrogen bonds of water vapor (H2O) Nitrogen in the air, and to generate the functional water.

Accordingly, the present invention has the effect of obtaining a functional water activated large reduction potential in weakly alkaline miniaturized cluster of water.

Also as well as adjusted to a range of 30kPa or more 150kPa following the discharge pressure, a method of generating active functional water by hot air which generates a resonance electromagnetic wave of terahertz wave-like of the present invention is in the range of 250 ? below 40 ? more than the discharge temperature It is obtained so as to adjust.

Therefore, it is to have an effect that can be produced efficiently at low cost a functional water activated a large amount simply by aeration with hot water.

According to the method of generating the functional water obtained by activation of the present invention, can be produced efficiently at low cost active functional water highly persistent in small devices.

The clusters of water is fine to excite the rotational motion of the water molecules to separate hydrogen bonds of water molecules, functional water activated according to the present invention, since the leverage resonance energy by electromagnetic terahertz wave-like are of greater reduction potential of a weak alkaline, active functional water effect containing a large amount of dissolved oxygen is amplified or sustained.

Hereinafter, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a flow chart of a method of generating functional water activated according to the present invention, FIG 2 is a plan view showing a disc inside the heated compressed air regulating device for aeration for activating functions of the water some.

By, as shown in Figure 1 takes in air from the ventilation blower 1 is known to regulate the discharge temperature and discharge pressure of the air, the heated compressed air adjusting device 2, the natural frequency of the water molecules in the air generates the resonance wave of the terahertz wave-like resonance, allowed to separate hydrogen bonds of water molecules in the air, and emit electrons from the hydrogen atom, supplies electrons in the outermost shell of nitrogen to ionize the nitrogen.

That is, a container made of a metallic cylindrical body, and an interior of the container, heating the compressed air regulator 2, adjusting means of the discharge temperature (discharge pressure disc made of metal provided in the midway along the length I and a pipe for connecting the space of two) and 3, is provided on the outside of the container, formed in the container by 3 disc.

Inlet air is fed from the blower blower 1 in the direction end portion whose length is provided, the cylindrical body forming the heat-compressed air regulator 2 is heated outside the heating compressed air regulating device 2 toward the other end a length outlet for discharging the compressed air.

Then, between the blower blower 1 and the inlet well is connected by pipe 10, the outlet pipe for discharging the heated compressed air to the outside of the heated and compressed air regulating device 2 is connected.

Here, the pipes, control valve 5 and 6 are respectively provided, and a release of heated compressed air and inflow of air to be adjusted.

Raw water 9 is designed to be supplied from the raw water supply pipe 8 in the active functional water generation tank 7.

11 shows for aeration header pipe which is provided in the active functional water generator tank 7.

Further, inside the heating compressed air adjusting device 2, the silencer comprising a linear member made of metal wound (soundproofing unit) 4 is filled.

As shown in FIG 2, and has a through hole 3A of the plurality of through-thickness direction thereof, and the outflow direction of the air and the penetration direction of the through hole 3A to be the same, the disc 3 is heated and compressed and is disposed in a standing position midway along the length of the two internal air conditioning system.

The dimensions and heating the compressed air regulating device 2, in accordance with the adjustment range of the discharge temperature and discharge pressure of the air, pore size and number of the through hole 3A formed on the disc 3 can be changed as appropriate.

Then, by adjusting the discharge temperature and discharge pressure of air passing through the through hole 3A of the disc 3, and is configured to generate a heated compressed air.

Some of the pipe 10, the discharge pressure of the air to adjust the temperature and pressure of the air enclosed in the two spaces formed in the interior of the heated and compressed air regulating device 2, passes through the through hole 3A of the 3 disc and and a control valve to finely adjust the ejection temperature (auxiliary adjusting means) 5.

The following describes a method of using the heat-compressed air regulator 2, causing the heated compressed air.

First, the ventilation blower 1, through the inlet pipe 10 and, to feed air into the heated compressed air regulator 2.

Next, the discharge pressure of a predetermined (e.g., 30kPa or 150kPa or less) while adjusting the (250 ? below 40 ? or higher) discharge temperature, and the 3 disc, the air sealed inside the heating compressed air regulator 2 By passing the through hole 3A, and generates a heated compressed air.

That is, air in the hot air heating for processing is present in the air after it has passed through the through hole 3A of the disc 3.

This is resonant electromagnetic wave is estimated to spread rapidly in a jet stream when the high pressure air which is heated and compressed passes through the through hole 3A of the 3 disc, and resonates with the natural frequency of the water molecules in the air It is believed to be generated, to separate hydrogen bonds thereby resonating the water molecules in the air are ionized negative capture the contour of the nitrogen electrons emitted from the hydrogen atom.

Then, via a pipe 10 from the outlet of the heated compressed air regulator 2, to release the hot air working superheated compressed air appropriately.

The generating method and the active functional water according to the present embodiment works as follows.

In the resonant wave of the terahertz wave-like hot air emitted from the heated compressed air regulating device 2 according to the present invention emits, separating the hydrogen bonding of water molecules in the air or water, to excite the rotational motion of the water molecules.

Then it becomes active nitrogen can be incorporated into the outer shell of nitrogen electrons emitted from the separated hydrogen from the hydrogen bonds to bind the ammonia (NH3) or amine (NH2).
In this hot air, to water of one cubic meter to 0.

By air the amount of 2 cubic meters / minute 5 cubic meters / minute to 30 minutes to about 3 hours, it is aerated with fine air condition, cluster of water is miniaturization hydrogen bonding of water is also separated in the same manner as described above, are dissolved oxygen and hydrogen are nanobubbles into plow smaller stably.

This is one of the normal water dissolved oxygen in the water is aerated with the air over a long period of time.

It has been demonstrated by showing a number of 5 to 2 times.

Further, dissolved in water or NH3 NH2 coupled from the active nitrogen above is water, generates the OH-hydroxyl and hydrogen gas, hydrogen and nanobubbles, pH of the water is increased, the oxidation-reduction potential decreases.

This is 1-2 than normal water pH of the water is aerated with the air over a long period of time.

It has been demonstrated by the oxidation-reduction potential is a reduction potential side to 5 increase.

Clusters of the present invention will be further miniaturized, high surface activity, weakly alkaline, a large reduction potential, the active functional water containing a large amount of dissolved oxygen is generated that the effect is amplified prolonged or sustained It has been demonstrated by in a state of being left outdoors for a long time active functional water has a dissolved oxygen content and redox potential and pH is a measure of the effect is increasing the numbers equal to or immediately after generation.

In an embodiment of the present invention to effect elements 5 the following alone or in combination have been demonstrated. (

Water molecules and electrons of heated and compressed air of the product or for 1) active functional water is resonance-resonance frequency in the far infrared region of the terahertz band (5 ~ 10HTz). (

Nitrogen heated compressed air TH effect) for the generation and (2) an active functional water is activated. (
cluster N ¯ effect) (3) Hydrogen bonds are separated is small, and is a major water surface activity.

Water (H + effect) and (4) weak alkaline. (a lot of water dissolved oxygen pH effect) is (5) nanobubbles. (DO effect)

The elements are combined, a different effect was confirmed as follows. (

In hydroponic culture with 1) the active functional water, even if 50% less than the amount of fertilizer, crop yield increases rather, quality also improved. That the growth is very fast, water quality is maintained for a long time After the breeding killifish are are in the water tank N ¯, H +, DO effect) and (2) the active functional water was confirmed. By irrigate N ¯, H +, DO effect) and (3) the active functional water, water purification immediate action of the bath, such as septic tank or the pond can check. For example, by pouring the active functional water 160L in the pond water volume of 3500m3, it was confirmed that 12 hours and activity of microorganisms is activated sludge begins to flying. By attaching N ¯, H +, DO effect) to (4) of the active functional water, it was possible to maintain the freshness of cut flowers. In addition to activating the plant that the roots come out from the stem also can check has been confirmed. Be removed by the scale adhering TH, N ¯, DO effect) to (5) heat exchanger is passed through the active functional water was confirmed. I was confirmed to be effective also in scale removal of cooling water and boiler water. It was confirmed that the H +, pH effect) (6) of the active functional water, can be emulsified and stable plant, animal, mineral oil, and an emulsion fuel of possible stable combustion. I could be used as a solvent for oil-based paint, H +, pH, DO effect) (7) of the active functional water. Simply watering H +, pH effect) and (8) the active functional water, it was possible to remove oil stains factory floor is peeled off. Wax is unnecessary dirt falls easily when you wash the car H +, pH effect) (9) of the active functional water, gloss came out).

The smell and dirt falls When used for cleaning dentures, of precious metal, gloss came out.

That taste and smell changes when you put on the active functional water H +, p H effect) and grapefruit (10) Garlic has been confirmed. (

High moisture retention was determined to be used as a lotion TH, N ¯ effect) (11) of the active functional water.

Also when used as a water bath of the active function water, hot spring effects were confirmed.

The reported symptoms of Alzheimer's has been reduced TH, N-effect) (12) of the active functional water. (

Wound has healed quickly by applying the active functional water the wound TH, N-effect) of (13) cut. (

Diet effect appeared by drinking every day TH, N-effect) (14) of the active functional water. (

When the rice TH, p H, H + effect) (15) of the active functional water, well, I cook softly in, that there is no smell stuffy even cold was confirmed outside. (

When the cooking Nitaki N-, H +, pH effects) (16) of the active functional water, that the cooking time is shortened, taste is condensed has been confirmed. (
N-, H +, pH effect)

The effect obtained by combining the five elements described above, functional water obtained by activation of the present invention can be utilized medical and health and beauty field, agricultural ?? industry field, the field of environmental conservation, industrial, food processing and other fields.

Plan view of the flow chart disc method of generating active functional water of the present invention (Adjusting means of the discharge temperature and discharge pressure of air) 2 heating compressed air regulating device 3 yen plate 1 fan blower 5 6 control valve control valve 7 activity generating functional water tank 8 raw water supply pipe 9 10 raw water pipe 11 aeration four metal network use header pipe

VIBRONIC INTERACTIONS OF WATER CLUSTERS AND USES THEREFOR
WO2009049120

The present disclosure provides methods wherein water-clusters' molecular vibrations in the 0.5 - 32 terahertz (THz) frequency range are coupled to the clusters' electronic states, generally referred to "vibronic interactions", to promote water clusters as active agents in a range of applications. The present disclosure also describes the various natural and engineered systems where these water clusters are present and/or produced and whose unique vibronic interactions can be activated to carry out the desired applications. In addition, methods and systems of using the vibronic interactions of water clusters are disclosed, including applications for environmental remediation, clean energy production, terahertz radiation technologies, chemical synthesis and reactivity, and pharmaceutical and biomedical technologies.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems of using water clusters and specifically to methods and systems of utilizing water clusters and their vibronic interactions in a plurality of applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] Water covers two-thirds of the globe and constitutes seventy percent of our body weight.

Life on Earth would not exist without it. Water vapor in Earth's atmosphere may be one of the most significant greenhouse gases (see LM. Held and B.J. Soden, "Water vapor feedback and global warming", Annual Review of Energy and the Environment. 25, 441-475 2000). Small polyhedral clusters of water molecules, for example, as illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2, have been experimentally identified as being potentially significant to the hydration and stabilization of bio-molecules (see M.M. Teeter, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81, 6014, 1984), proteins (see T. Baker et al., Crystallography in Molecular Biology, D. Moras et al., Eds., Plenum, New York), DNA (see L.A. Lipscomb et al., Biochemistry 33, 3649, 1994), and DNA-drug complexes (see S. Neidle, Nature 288, 129, 1980). Such examples indicate the tendency of water pentagons, illustrated in FIG. 1, to form closed geometrical structures like the pentagonal dodecahedron illustrated in FIG. 2. It has also been suggested that water clusters may play a fundamental role in determining biological cell architecture (see J.G. Watterson, Molec. And Cell. Biochem. 79, 101, 1988). While much of the human body is water by weight, much of that water may not be ordinary bulk liquid, but instead, nano-clustered or "restructured" water which affects bio-molecular processes ranging from protein stability to enzyme activity (see Finney et al., "The role of water perturbations in biological processes", Water and Aqueous Solutions, pp. 227-244, 1986). For example, nano-structured water in the form of water clusters has been found to congregate in the confined cavities of proteins and other bio-molecules, as illustrated in FIG. 3, where a cluster of water molecules interacts with a protein amino-acid group.

4379139vl Attorney Docket No.: 2007135-0007 (HYDR) [0004] An area of scientific interest in water clusters centers around their possible role in atmospheric and environmental phenomena, including global warming (see, for example, H. Carlon, J. Appl. Phys. 52, 3111, 1981), as well as by their relevance to the structure and properties of liquid water and ice (see F. N. Keutsch and R. J. Sakally, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 98, 10533, 2001). Experiment and theory seem to indicate that not only can water clusters be produced, but they also exist optimally in certain "magic numbers" and configurations of water molecules (see, for example, Haberland et al., Electronic and Atomic Collisions, Elsevier, NY, 597, 1984). More prominent among the magic-number water clusters are those possessing an approximately pentagonal dodecahedral structure. Ideally, these water clusters have a closed, icosahedral symmetry formed by twenty hydrogen-bonded water molecules, for example, with their oxygen atoms at the vertices of 12 concatenated pentagons and with 10 free exterior hydrogen atoms. FIG. 2 depicts a protonated water cluster, (H2O)2iH<+>, which occurs as the dominant molecular species in a variety of experiments (see, for example, M. Miyazaki et al., Science 304, 1135, 2004). Its clathrate structure - a hydronium ion, H3O<+>, or neutral water molecule plus proton H<+> trapped in the dodecahedral cage (see, for example, M. Miyazaki et al., Science 304, 1135, 2004) - is the typical protonated water cluster prototype.

[0005] Density-functional molecular-orbital calculations for the archetype (H2O)2IH<+> cluster of FIG. 2 yielded a set of molecular-orbital energies, shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels correspond to the large, delocalized "S"-, "P"-, "Z<)>"- and "F'-like cluster wave-functions illustrated in FIG. 5. The iS-like LUMO level is separated from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level by an energy gap of nearly 3 electron-volts (eV). The low-frequency vibrational modes of the (H2O)2iH<+> cluster have also been computed, producing, in one embodiment, the spectrum illustrated in FIG. 6 Of particular interest is the lowest frequency manifold of cluster modes between 1.5 and 6 terahertz (THz) (about 50 to 200 cm<"1>). The vectors in FIG. 7 illustrate the 1.56 THz "squashing" mode of the otherwise ideally symmetrical dodecahedral cluster (illustrated by FIG. 8), with a large-amplitude vibration of the clathrated hydronium oxygen atom coupled to breathing vibrations of the cluster "surface" oxygen atoms. O-H "stretching" and "bending" vibrational modes occur at much higher frequencies (not shown) spanning the broad infrared region of the spectrum. The 0.5-32 THz (about 50 to 1060 cm<"1>) manifold is thought to be due to water molecule clustering. Density-functional calculations for larger water clusters such as that illustrated in FIG. 9, and even for the simple pentamer in FIG. 1 , indicate similar manifolds of cluster terahertz vibrational modes, except that they extend to as low as 0.5 THz for the largest clusters.

Anomalous emission and absorption of far-infrared and sub-millimeter (THz) radiation from the atmosphere were first identified by Gebbie (see H. A. Gebbie, Nature 296, 422, 1982), as possibly associated with aerosols of water clusters undergoing solar optical pumping. It is thought that at sea-level densities, such aerosols are separated by 10<4> times their cluster radii and, under this condition of isolation, can be pumped by photons into vibrational modes of lowest frequency analogous to a Bose-Einstein condensation, thus acquiring giant electric dipoles. Their interaction with radiation is thereby greatly enhanced. For example, atmospheric aerosol absorption at 50 cm<"1> is comparable with that of a water molecule rotation line at 47 cm<"1>, which has a dipole moment of 1.85 Debyes in an air sample containing 10<17> cm<"3> water molecules. Even if the aerosol density of water clusters is only approximately 10<4> cm<"3> (see H. Pruppacher and J. D. Klett, Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation, Reidel, Dordrecht, 1978), then an effective aerosol transition moment of 10<6> Debyes can be inferred. In other words, this greatly enhanced submillimeter (THz) absorption and emission from comparatively low-density aerosols can be attributed to solar optical pumping, cooperative stimulated emission, and maser action of the constituent water clusters.

[0007] The electronic structure (as illustrated in FIGs. 4 and 5) and vibrational spectrum (as illustrated in FIG. 6) of the (H2O)2IH<+> and other similar clusters can satisfy the conditions for intense optical absorption and Terahertz emission. First, the near-ultraviolet optical pumping of an electron from the HOMO to LUMO can put the electron into the bound S-like cluster molecular orbital mapped in FIG. 5. This is a stable excited state of the cluster. Near-infrared absorption can then excite the LUMO S-like electron to the nearby unoccupied /Mike orbital (as illustrated in FIGs. 4 and 5). There are three nearly degenerate P-like cluster molecular orbitals, analogous to the degenerate p[tau], py, and pz orbitals of an atom. Unlike an atom, however, the Px, Py, P2 near-degeneracy in the water cluster subjects it to the dynamic Jahn- Teller (DJT) effect (see I. Bersuker et al, "Vibronic Interactions in Molecules and Crystals", Springer- Verlag, 1989), where the cluster attempts to remove the degeneracy and lower its energy through vibronic coupling and symmetry breaking. Near-infrared promotion of the optically pumped electron between the closely spaced P-like and D-like cluster energy levels (illustrated in FIG. 4) may also be likely.

[0008] Even in the absence of DJT coupling, excitations within the LUMO manifold can decay vibronically due to the mixing of electronic states. The vibrations here are the Terahertz modes that are the lowest-frequency (H2O)2IH<+> cluster modes, like the 1.56 THz "squashing mode" illustrated in FIGs. 7 and 8. The predicted electric dipole moment of the (H2O)2iH<+> cluster in its optically pumped state is nearly 10 Debyes, as compared with the 1.85 Debye moment for a single water molecule. As shown by the vectors in FIG. 7, the large-amplitude Terahertz vibration of the clathrated hydronium oxygen atom, coupled to breathing modes of the cluster "surface" oxygen atoms, produces an oscillating large electric dipole moment that constitutes the transition moment for Terahertz emission when the cluster is optically pumped. The excited electron in the LUMO manifold may be weakly bound compared to the cluster hydrogen-bonded "valence" electrons below the LUMO level. In fact, the occupied cluster molecular orbital levels below the HOMO (as illustrated in FIG. 4) are, in some embodiments, analogous to the 'Valence band" of a semiconductor, whereas the LUMO manifold is, in some embodiments, analogous to a semiconductor "conduction band". Thus in

(or similar) clusters, the ensemble of optically pumped electrons in the LUMO manifolds, loosely bound to the vibrationally activated, positively charged (H2O)2IH<+> molecular ion "cores", can effectively constitutes a "plasma". An alternative scenario is to view an electron in the LUMO manifold "conduction band", responsible for the large dipole moment of the clusters, as oscillating in the reference frame of the (H2O)2IH<+> ion core. Since the positive charge of the (H2O)2IH<+> cluster is due to the "extra" proton, an even simpler picture is a "hydrogenic plasma" model, in which the aerosol is modeled as electrons loosely bound to protons in large-radius "Rydberg-like" S-, P-, D- or F-like orbits.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0009] The present disclosure describes certain preferred embodiments of water clusters and their applications. These water clusters can have good symmetry (illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2) and may be present in natural systems or produced in engineered systems. In some embodiments, the water clusters' molecular vibrations are coupled to the water clusters' electronic states (hereafter referred to as "vibronic interactions"). Embodiments of these water clusters may be promoted for applications in the areas of environmental remediation, clean energy production, terahertz radiation technologies, chemical synthesis and reactivity and pharmaceutical and biomedical technologies. Water clusters include protonated water clusters, negatively charged water clusters, and neutral water clusters. These three species of water clusters are hereinafter generally referred to as "water clusters". Protonated or positively charged water clusters, and negatively charge water clusters, are hereinafter generally referred to as "charged water clusters".

[0010] In one aspect, a method for removing at least one water cluster from the atmosphere includes injecting at least one electron into the atmosphere, the atmosphere including a plurality of water clusters, wherein the at least one injected electron interacts with the plurality of water clusters causing at least one water cluster to break down. In one embodiment, the method includes injecting at least one electron into the troposphere, the troposphere including the plurality of water clusters. In another embodiment, the method includes injecting at least one electron from a photoelectron-emitting material on an aircraft, the photoelectron-emitting material releasing at least one electron under radiation.

[0011] In another aspect, a method for removing heat stored in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere includes injecting at least one electron into the atmosphere, the atmosphere including a plurality of water clusters, wherein the at least one injected electron attaches onto at least one of the plurality of water clusters to form at least one charged water cluster; the at least one charged water cluster attracting and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting heat stored in the carbon dioxide into radiation. In one embodiment, the method includes applying radiation to the plurality of water clusters, the radiation at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz. In another embodiment, the method includes injecting at least one electron into the troposphere, the troposphere including a plurality of water clusters, wherein the at least one injected electron attaches onto at least one of the plurality of water clusters to form at least one charged water cluster; the at least one charged water cluster attracting and absorbing carbon dioxide from the troposphere and converting heat stored in the carbon dioxide into radiation.

[0012] In yet another aspect, a method for clean energy production includes applying laser stimulation to water vapor to generate terahertz radiation energy from at least one water cluster included in the water vapor, and extracting the terahertz radiation energy from the at least one water cluster. In one embodiment, the method includes extracting the terahertz radiation energy from at least one water cluster via frequency conversion.

[0013] In still even another aspect, a method for clean energy production includes applying stimulation to at least one water cluster to induce vibration of the at least one water cluster at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz and 32 terahertz; and impacting the at least one water cluster on a hydride surface to induce nuclear fusion, the nuclear fusion releasing energy. In one embodiment, each of the at least one water cluster is a heavy water cluster comprising Deuterium. In another embodiment, the nuclear fusion is selected from the group consisting of Deuterium-Deuterium fusion and Hydrogen-Hydrogen fusion.

[0014] In still yet another aspect, a method for releasing trapped gas from clathrate hydrate includes applying, to clathrate hydrate, radiation at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz, the clathrate hydrate including trapped gas, and releasing, via energy gap reduction associated with the clathrate hydrate and induced by the radiation, at least a portion of the trapped gas. In one embodiment, the trapped gas is methane.

In another aspect, a method for producing hydrogen gas from water vapor, comprising impacting at least one water cluster onto an electrically-charged palladium surface, the surface catalyzing the dissociation of the at least one water cluster to produce hydrogen gas.

[0016] In another aspect, a method for generating terahertz radiation, comprising applying a laser pulse to water clusters in water vapor. In one embodiment, the method includes applying a laser pulse to water clusters in water vapor injected from a gas jet nozzle.

[0017] In still another aspect, a method for using terahertz radiation from water clusters for communications includes generating radiation from water clusters in water vapor, tuning the radiation to a frequency in the range of 1.3 terahertz to 1.5 terahertz; and applying the tuned radiation as a carrier wave for a communications signal. In one embodiment, the method includes generating radiation from water clusters in water vapor in the atmosphere.

[0018] In another aspect, a method for causing malfunction in an electronic system includes generating a laser pulse from a plurality of water clusters at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz, and applying the laser pulse at an electronic system to cause malfunction in the electronic system. In one embodiment, the method includes applying the laser pulse at an electronic system, the application being substantially silent, odorless, visually undetectable and harmless to a human body. In another embodiment, the method includes deactivating the electronic system. In still another embodiment, the method includes creating distortion in an electronic system, the electronic system being a radar detection system.

[0019] In yet another aspect, a method of increasing reactive behavior in chemical reactions associated with water, comprising applying radiation, at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz, to a plurality of water clusters in the chemical reaction. In one embodiment, the chemical reaction represents the breakdown of biological material, via interaction with the water clusters, to produce a bio-fuel.

[0020] In still another aspect, a method for imparting a biocidal property against at least one pathogenic agent includes applying at least one negatively-charged water cluster to at least one pathogenic agent. In one embodiment, the method includes adding at least one water cluster to the at least one pathogenic agent, the water cluster including a bicatalytic element clathrated by the water cluster. In another embodiment, the method includes adding at least one water cluster to the at least one pathogenic agent, the water cluster including silver clathrated by the water cluster. In still another embodiment, the method delivering the at least one water cluster via a delivery medium, the delivery medium is selected from the group consisting of a spray, an emulsion, a nano-spray and a nano-emulsion.

[0021] In still another aspect, a method for delivering a chemical to a region of biological tissue, comprising combining a chemical with at least one water cluster to form at least one water cluster micelle, and delivering the at least one water cluster micelle to a region of biological tissue. In one embodiment, the chemical is a pharmaceutical agent. In another embodiment, the region of biological tissue is a region of a brain. In another embodiment, the method includes delivering the at least one water cluster micelle across a blood-brain barrier to the region of the brain.

[0022] In yet another aspect, a method for transdermal delivery of a chemical includes applying at least one water cluster to clathrate a chemical, and delivering the clathrated chemical through cellular skin. In one embodiment, the method includes activating the chemical, via the at least one water cluster, for interaction with receptor sites upon delivery. In another embodiment, the method includes activating the chemical, via application of radiation at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz on the at least one water cluster, for interaction with receptor sites upon delivery. In still another embodiment, the method includes removing free radicals encountered in the skin. In still even another embodiment, the method includes reducing water evaporation through the skin. In one embodiment, the method includes comprises deactivating, via additional water clusters, lipid hydrophobes in the skin, the lipid hydrophobes hindering transdermal delivery of the chemical. In still yet another embodiment, the chemical is a pharmaceutical compound.

[0023] In one aspect, a method for promoting proper protein folding in a biomedical treatment includes applying at least one water cluster to clathrate a pharmaceutical compound, delivering the clathrated pharmaceutical compound to a protein, and providing, via the clathrated pharmaceutical compound, a water cluster interface with the protein, and restoring a proper protein folding to the protein. In one embodiment, the method includes applying a radiation at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz. In another embodiment, the protein is part of a cancer cell.

[0024] In still another aspect, a method for spacecraft propulsion, includes extracting a plurality of water clusters, the plurality of water clusters including charged water clusters. The method includes accelerating the charged water clusters. The method includes emitting the charged water clusters to generate thrust for a spacecraft. In one embodiment, the method includes extracting the plurality of water clusters from interstellar space. In another embodiment, the method includes passing water vapor through a plurality of multi-aperture grids. In still another embodiment, the method includes applying a potential difference between a first grid of the plurality of multi-aperture grids and a second grid of the plurality of multi-aperture grids. In yet another embodiment, the method includes accelerating each of the charged water clusters to an energy level of at least 1 kilo-electron-volt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The foregoing and other objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will become more apparent and better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a pentagonal cluster of water molecules.
[0027] FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a pentagonal dodecahedral (H2[theta])2iH<+> cluster.
[0028] FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a water cluster interacting with a protein amino-acid group.
[0029] FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of a density-functional molecular-orbital energies of the
(H2O)2IH<+> cluster.
[0030] FIG. 5 depicts an embodiments of S- like, P- like, D- like, and F-like LUMO wavefunctions of the (H2O)2iH<+> cluster.
[0031] FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of a computed vibrational spectrum of the (H2O)2iH<+> cluster.
[0032] FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of a Terahertz vibrational mode of a (H2O)2iH<+> cluster.
[0033] FIG. 8 depicts embodiments of vibrational modes of a pentagonal dodecahedron.
[0034] FIG. 9 depicts an embodiment of a large water cluster;
[0035] FIG. 10 is a graph depicting an embodiment of a lowering of the energy barrier of a chemical reaction by a water cluster;
[0036] FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of a water-cluster micelle;
[0037] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of steps of a method for using terahertz radiation from water clusters for communications;
4379139vl Attorney Docket No.: 2007135-0007 (HYDR) [0038] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of steps of a method for promoting proper protein folding in a biomedical treatment; and
[0039] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of steps of a method for spacecraft propulsion.

[0040] The features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present disclosure discusses certain preferred embodiments of water clusters wherein their molecular vibrations are coupled to the water clusters' electronic states (hereafter referred to as "vibronic interactions"). In some embodiments, the molecular vibrations are in the 0.5 - 32 terahertz (THz) frequency range. Water clusters characterized by such interactions may be leveraged as active agents in various applications. They can be found in solid, liquid and gaseous states of water, both on earth and in space, and can be distinguished from typical masses or molecules of water by having properties, such as those characterized by vibronic interactions. Due to these properties, the water clusters of this disclosure may also be considered as representing a fourth state or phase of water, and is distinguished from a simple collection of water molecules such as a droplet. Water clusters may be found in natural systems, which includes the earth's atmosphere, in biological systems and reservoirs of water. Water clusters may also be produced in engineered systems, including, but not limited to, pressurized water vapor cells, nano- electrospray apparatus, jet nozzle systems, ion mobility drift tube apparatus, water-in-oil nano-emulsion formulations (see, for example, US Patents 5,800,576 and 5,997,590), molecular beam apparatus and supercritical water cells.

[0042] In some embodiments, the water clusters may have high symmetry and possess pentagonal or pentagonal dodecahedral structures, as illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2 respectively. In some of these embodiments, water clusters are globular clusters containing up to 100 water molecules (as illustrated in FIG. 9). Preferred embodiments of a water cluster may include twenty or twenty-one water molecules. In one embodiment, a pentagonal dodecahedral cluster can have a closed, icosahedral symmetry formed by twenty hydrogen-bonded water molecules. The associated oxygen atoms are at the vertices of twelve concatenated pentagons and there are ten free exterior hydrogen atoms. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a protonated water cluster, (H2O^oH3O<+> or (H2O)2IH<+>. This has been identified as a dominant molecular species in a variety of experiments (see, for example, Hermann et al., Chem. Phys. 76, 2031, 1982).

[0043] Calculated density-functional molecular-orbital levels for the (H2[theta])2iH<+> cluster are shown in FIG. 4. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels correspond to the large, delocalized "S"-, "F'-, "D"- and "F'-like cluster wave-functions depicted in FIG. 5. The "5"-like LUMO level is separated from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level by an energy gap of nearly 3 eV. The vibrational modes of this cluster have also been computed, an embodiment of the spectrum shown in FIG. 6. Of particular relevance to certain applications of this disclosure is the lowest frequency manifold of cluster modes between 1.5 and 6 THz (about 50 to 200 cm<"1>). The vectors in FIG. 7 show a typical "squashing" mode of the dodecahedral cluster, with a large-amplitude vibration of the clathrated hydronium oxygen atom coupled to breathing vibrations of the cluster "surface" oxygen atoms. Water-cluster "librational modes" are shown in FIG. 6 to occur at higher frequencies up to 32 THz. The 1.5-32 THz (about 50 to 1060 cm<"1>) manifolds may be characteristic of water molecule clustering. Density-functional molecular-orbital calculations for larger water clusters, for example, the embodiment shown in Fig 9, result in similar manifolds of terahertz modes extending to 0.5 THz for the larger clusters.

[0044] Water clusters containing stable pentagonal dodecahedral water structures may be produced by a variety of methods. In liquid water, pentagonal dodecahedral structures may form transiently, but can be unstable. Liquid water can, in one embodiment, be modeled as a collection of pentagonal dodecahedra in which inter-structure interactions are approximately as strong as, or stronger than, intra-structure interactions. To produce stable pentagonal dodecahedral water structures from liquid water, the long-range inter-structure interactions present in liquid water may be disrupted in favor of the intra-structure association. Any of a variety of methods, including physical, chemical, electrical, and electromagnetic methods, can be used to accomplish this. For example, a method of isolating a pentagonal dodecahedral water structure is simply to extract twenty or twenty-one water molecules into a single nano-droplet. Water clusters of twenty or twenty- one water molecules are two preferred embodiments.

[0045] Other methods of producing pentagonal dodecahedral water structures include passing water vapor through a hypersonic nozzle (see, for example, Lin, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 44:516, 1973). Other methods of hypersonic nozzling may also apply. For example, an improved hypersonic nozzling method for preparing pentagonal dodecahedral water structures may include a hypersonic nozzle with a catalytic material such as nickel or a nickel alloy positioned and arranged so that, as water passes through the nozzle, the water comes into contact with reacting orbitals on the catalytic material. The catalytic material may disrupt inter-cluster bonding by sending electrons into anti-bonding orbitals without interfering with intra- cluster bonding interactions.

[0046] Chemical methods for producing water clusters comprising pentagonal dodecahedral structures can include the use of surfactants and/or clathrating agents. Electrical methods may involve inducing electrical breakdown of inter-cluster interactions by providing an electrical spark of sufficient voltage and appropriate frequency. Electromagnetic methods can include application of microwaves of appropriate frequency to interact with the "squashing" vibrational modes of inter-cluster oxygen-oxygen interactions. Also, since it is known that ultrasound waves can cavitate (produce bubbles in) water, it is predicted that inter-cluster associations can be disrupted ultrasonically without interfering with intra-cluster interactions. Finally, various other methods have been reported for the production of pentagonal dodecahedral water structures. Such methods include ion bombardment of ice surfaces (see Haberland, Electronic and Atomic Collisions, ed. by Eichler et al, Elsevier, Ansterdam, pp. 597-604, 1984), electron impact ionization (see, for example, Lin, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 44:516, 1973), and near-threshold vacuum-UV photoionization of neutral clusters (see, for example, Shinohara et al. Chem. Phys. 83:4183, 1985).

[0047] In some embodiments, it may be desirable to ionize the pentagonal dodecahedral water structures (e.g., by passing them through an electrical potential after they are formed) to increase their kinetic energy and reactivity through coulombic repulsion.

[0048] Water cluster vibrational modes such as that illustrated in FIG. 6 may be induced or promoted through application of an external electromagnetic field and/or through the intrinsic action of the dynamical Jahn-Teller (DJT) effect using methods including photoelectric stimulation, addition of electronic charge, exposure to terahertz radiation, design of specific water-in-oil nano-emulsion formulations, design of certain clathrates in water cluster cages (i.e. silver) and contact with certain electron donning materials (i.e. nickel). The Jahn-Teller (JT) effect is known to cause symmetrical structures to distort or deform along symmetry-determined vibrational coordinates (Qs) as illustrated in FIG. 10. Potential energy minima corresponding to the broken-symmetry forms can arise, and the structure may either settle into one of these minima (static Jahn-Teller effect), or oscillate between or among such minima, such as vibrating along the relevant vibrational coordinates (DJT effect).

[0049] DJT-induced vibrational oscillations in certain water clusters can significantly lower the energy barrier for chemical reactions involving such clusters (illustrated in FIG. 10). Specifically, the present disclosure teaches that water clusters (or aggregates thereof) having a ground-state electronic structure characterized by a manifold of fully occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) separated from a manifold of unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) by an energy gap (as illustrated in FIG. 4) can be made to have enhanced reactivity characteristics if the degenerate LUMO states (as illustrated in FIG. 5) are occupied via HOMO-to-LUMO electromagnetic (optical) excitation or through the external addition of electronic charge. This can lead to distortive symmetry breaking and DJT-induced vibronic oscillations.

[0050] A large-amplitude Terahertz vibration of the clathrated hydronium oxygen atom, coupled to breathing modes of the cluster "surface" oxygen atoms (as illustrated in FIG. 6), can produce an oscillating large electric dipole moment that constitutes the transition moment for Terahertz emission when the cluster is optically pumped. Thus water vapor populated by such water clusters may be strong sources of terahertz radiation between approximately 1.5 and 32 TFIz (as illustrated in FIG. 7).

[0051] To estimate the Terahertz emission power of a water cluster at 1.5 THz, we begin with the standard formula for electromagnetic radiation power emission from an oscillating electric dipole (in cgs units), P = p<2>[omega]<4>/3c<3>, where p is the dipole moment, [omega] is the (angular) frequency of the dipole vibration - in a protonated water cluster (as illustrated in FIG. 2)and the "squashing vibration shown in FIG. 7 - and c is the velocity of light. The dipole moment of a protonated water cluster (H2O)2iH<+> in its ground state is approximately 10 Debyes (IDebye = 10<~18> esu-cm). Under electromagnetic (optical) excitation across the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of such a cluster or by external addition of electrons to the LUMOs (as illustrated in FIG. 3), p can approach 50 Debyes, i.e. the effective dipole moment of an optically pumped or negatively-charged water cluster is much larger than that of the ground state. Therefore at Terahertz frequencies, e.g. 1.5 THz, the emission power output of a single water cluster is typically of the order of (converting cgs to MKS units) 10<"21> watt/cluster. For a room-temperature, 40 torr pressure density of 10<12> water clusters/cm<3>, this yields a potential Terahertz emission power of approximately 10<"9> watt or one nanowatt/cm<3>. Therefore a one cubic meter water- vapor chamber containing such a density of water clusters could potentially produce a milliwatt of Terahertz radiation, i.e. comparable to that produced by a commercially available semiconductor Terahertz source. Raising the pressure of the chamber should significantly increase the water cluster population, approaching 10<15> /cm<3> at 100 torr. This would imply 10<"6> watt/cm<3> or one watt/m<3>, which may exceed the power output of most commercially available Terahertz sources.

[0052] In this disclosure, embodiments of methods and systems of utilizing water clusters and their vibronic interactions are disclosed in connection with a number of applications. Areas of interest include environmental remediation, clean energy production, terahertz radiation technologies, chemical synthesis and reactivity, and pharmaceutical and biomedical technologies.

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

[0053] Atmospheric water can be a significant contributor to global warming, compared with carbon dioxide and methane. In one report, water vapor causes 36-70% of the greenhouse effect on Earth, excluding clouds, while carbon dioxide (CO2) causes only 9-26%, and Methane (CH4), only 4-9%. Although increases of CO2 are known to elevate the greenhouse effect and thus global warming, the contribution of atmospheric water is not as commonly discussed partly because unlike most other gases, the distribution of atmospheric water can vary greatly with altitude, terrestrial location, and across time, and water vapor can change between the liquid and solid phases at terrestrial temperatures. For example, slight increases of ocean temperature may produce significant increases in the evaporation of water molecules into the atmosphere. This is in addition to growing man-made combustion sources of water vapor, such as from industry, terrestrial vehicles, ships and aircraft. Even fuel cells, such as used in "clean energy" vehicles, produces water vapor.
[0054] Water vapor is typically viewed as a gas comprising distinct H2O molecules. However, from experimental research at the UK Rutherford Appleton Laboratories and theoretical models developed at MIT and HydroElectron Ventures, Inc. (HEV), atmospheric water vapor can be a natural source of clusters of water molecules, especially protonated water clusters such as (H2[theta])2iH<+>. A water cluster, such as that illustrated in FIG. 7, may store more heat than the sum total from separate water molecules because of the water cluster's vibrational degrees of freedom, which may be shown by unique cluster "surface" vibration vectors. The heat storage capacities of such clusters can approach that of bulk water. Thus, even a modest collection of water clusters in the troposphere can contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect and may explain why water vapor can be a significant greenhouse gas.

[0055] While increases of atmospheric CO2 can contribute to warming of the oceans and therefore increases in atmospheric water clusters, CO2 can directly interact with and be captured by water clusters, forming clusters such as (H2O)nC(V, the analogue of solvated CO2. The capture of CO2 by water clusters increases the cluster heat storage capacities because of the additional vibrational modes OfCO2. Water clusters, including clusters such as (H2[theta])nC[theta]2<~>, have the unique property that their vibrational frequencies can extend into the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, atmospheric water vapor including such clusters can be a strong absorber of Terahertz radiation. Water clusters in general are relatively strong absorbers and emitters in the terahertz region and relatively strong absorbers of infrared (heat) radiation. However, water clusters in general do not radiate heat as efficiently. We leverage these properties of water clusters in applications that may help reduce global warming.

[0056] A method for reducing the greenhouse effect and global warming may involve removing water clusters from the atmosphere. In some embodiments, the addition of electrons to water clusters can break the water clusters down into separate water molecules. This can reduce the contribution of water molecule clustering to atmospheric heat storage. In one embodiment, a method for removing at least one water cluster from the atmosphere includes injecting one or more electrons into the atmosphere, the atmosphere including a plurality of water clusters. The one or more injected electrons interacts with the plurality of water clusters causing one or more water clusters to break down. Each of these water clusters can be a protonated water cluster or any other embodiment of a water cluster.

[0057] In another embodiment, the method may target the troposphere component of the Earth's atmosphere, the troposphere including the plurality of water clusters. In still another embodiment, one or more atmospheric layers in the Earth's atmosphere may be targeted for electron injection. In some embodiments, the method includes injecting at least one electron from a photoelectron-emitting material. The photoelectron-emitting material may be mounted on an aircraft, balloon, or any high-altitude structures or media. Any type or form of aircraft, balloon and structures may be located in the appropriate atmospheric layer or layers. The photoelecfron-emitting material releases one or more electrons when subject to radiation. The photoelectron-emitting material may be fabricated as a panel or any form or type of structure or coating. In one embodiment, the radiation is solar radiation. This method could be accomplished, for example, safely from the many commercial aircraft flying daily through the troposphere by exposing photoelectron-emitting panels that would release electrons under solar radiation once the aircraft reaches a specific altitude. Ozone may be a byproduct of this process but tropospheric ozone is known to be beneficial. In addition, deployment of Terahertz radiation sources in certain embodiments may also assist in breaking down the atmospheric, heat-storing water clusters.

[0058] Through research collaboration between the Center for Terahertz Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and HEV, it is shown that terrestrial ambient water vapor can also be a strong emitter of harmless (non-ionizing) Terahertz radiation which may be associated with water cluster Terahertz vibrational modes like that shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, a method of converting heart to terahertz radiation may be beneficial to mitigating atmospheric warming. As described above, CO2 molecules can directly interact with and be captured by water clusters. A method of reducing heat stored in CO2 may help reduce the greenhouse effect. In one embodiment, the method includes injecting one or more electrons into the atmosphere, the atmosphere including a number of water clusters. In another embodiment, the method may specifically focus on the troposphere of the Earth's atmosphere, the troposphere including the plurality of water clusters. In still another embodiment, one or more atmospheric layers in the Earth's atmosphere may be targeted for electron injection. The one or more injected electrons may attach onto at least one water cluster to form at least one charged water cluster. A charged water cluster, as formed, can attract and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The heat stored in the carbon dioxide can then be converted into Terahertz radiation. Here, heat can be converted vibronically to Terahertz radiation and harmlessly removed from the atmosphere.

[0060] In some embodiments, Terahertz radiation is applied to the plurality of water clusters, the applied radiation at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz. The applied radiation can help CO2 interact with the water clusters, for example, forming water clusters such as (H2O)nCO2<">. Moreover, the applied radiation may help activate the removal of heat through Terahertz radiation. In one of these embodiments, after the removal of an amount of heat through radiation, the water clusters may be removed. One method of removing such clusters is the method of injecting electrons into water clusters to break up the clusters, as discussed above. Some of these water clusters may absorb and retain heat in the atmosphere if they remain in sufficient concentration in the atmosphere.

CLEAN ENERGY PRODUCTION

[0061] A water cluster can store more energy than do the separate water vapor molecules because of the many vibrational degrees of freedom. The water cluster may be in a 1.5 THz mode, as shown in FIG. 7, with large-amplitude excursions of the "surface oxygen" atoms. It is possible to identify the significant vibrational energy exchange between such clusters and their ambient surroundings, as well as the catalytic vibronic energy exchanges that occur when such clusters chemically interact with other molecules and at material interfaces.

Biofuel Production

[0062] In the oxidation/combustion of carbon compounds such as hydrocarbon fuels, water-cluster orbitals on the cluster surface oxygen atoms can overlap with the reactive fuel carbon (e.g. p[pi]) orbitals, promoting oxidation. Because of the potentially significant displacements (large Qs) of water-cluster surface oxygen atoms in the Terahertz vibrational modes, the energy barrier for an expulsion of water oxygen or OH radicals and their oxidative and reactive carbon atoms may be lowered from Ebamerto E'bamer, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The use of water clusters in nano-emulsions along with their direct injection to increase efficiency of diesel combustion while reducing pollutants are described in U.S. Patents 5,800,576 and 5,997,590. Biological enzymes may not be able to function without at least a monolayer (clusters) of water molecules at the interface, which is key to the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. Water clusters may also be used to catalyze the breakdown of biological material, such as switchgrass cellulose. In one embodiment, the water clusters' vibronic interactions may be activated to allow for the efficient breakdown of bio-fuel stocks, or more generally, biological material. This method can be a more efficient process for producing bio-fuels.

Hydrogen Production

[0063] In some embodiments, a system and method for producing hydrogen fuel from water involves nano-electrolysis. In this clean energy production application, experiments performed at McGiIl University indicates that mass-spectrometrically selected protonated water clusters impacting thin, negatively charged metallic membranes can strip hydrogen from the clusters. The water-cluster and membrane interface represents part of a nano-electrolytic system for the nano-electrolysis.

[0064] In one embodiment, a method for producing hydrogen gas from water vapor includes impacting at least one water cluster onto an electrically-charged palladium surface, the surface catalyzing the dissociation of the at least one water cluster to produce hydrogen gas. In another embodiment, the water cluster may be a protonated water cluster or any other type of water cluster. The hydrogen gas may pass through the membrane and be collected. The collected hydrogen gas can then be used as fuel.

Terahertz Radiation Energy

[0065] Water clusters have the unusual property that their vibrational frequencies extend into the Terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Through research collaboration between the Center for Terahertz Research at RPI and HEV, it is shown that laser-stimulated water vapor is a strong emitter of Terahertz radiation, and believed to be associated with water cluster Terahertz vibrational modes like the 1.5 THz mode shown in FIG. 7.

[0066] In one embodiment, a method for clean energy production includes applying laser stimulation to water vapor to generate Terahertz radiation energy from at least one water cluster included in the water vapor, and extracting the Terahertz radiation energy from the at least one water cluster. The Terahertz radiation energy from the water clusters may be extracted either directly or through frequency conversion, and utilized. Any form or type of frequency conversion process may be used, for example, four wave mixing. In particular, non-degenerate four-wave mixing (ND-FWM) may be used.

Nuclear Fusion

[0067] In some embodiments, a method for clean energy production includes applying stimulation to at least one water cluster to induce vibration of the at least one water cluster at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz and 32 terahertz. . In one embodiment, each of the water clusters is a heavy water cluster with Deuterium instead of Hydrogen. For example, ordinary hydrogen water clusters may be replaced with their heavy-water counterparts such as (D2O)2iD<+>. In another embodiment, the water clusters do not include Deuterium. Conditions for the water clusters may be induced, for example, to undergo significant low energy nuclear reactions. The conditions may include, for example, temperature, radiation and use of a catalyst. The nuclear water cluster Terahertz vibrations may be internally or externally stimulated.

[0068] In one embodiment, water clusters can be impacted onto a hydride surface to induce nuclear fusion. The impacted water clusters may be protonated water clusters. Energy released from the nuclear fusion may then be collected and utilized as a clean energy. The fusion may be either Deuterium-Deuterium fusion or Hydrogen-Hydrogen fusion. Such a use of water clusters may be a practical method of inducing nuclear fusion.

Gas Hydrate Liberation

[0069] One aspect of water cluster vibronic interaction relates to methods and systems for extracting gases, including methods and systems for extracting methane and other trapped gas from their hydrate cages. Gas hydrates, also referred to as clathrate hydrates, are crystalline combinations of one or more gases such as methane, natural gas and other hydrocarbon gas molecules of small linear dimension (i.e., C i -C 4 or larger carbon containing molecules which have a maximum linear dimension of about 10 nanometers (100 Angstroms) such as neopentane) and water formed into a substance that may look like ice but can be unstable at standard temperature and pressure. The gas hydrate also may contain other light gases (CO 2 , H 2 S5 N 2 , etc.). The gas molecules may be physically entrapped or engaged in the expanded lattice of the water network comprising hydrogen bonded molecules. The structure may be stable due to weak Van der Waals bonding between the gas and the water molecules and hydrogen-bonding between water molecules within the cage structure.

Gas hydrates may be found under the ocean floor and in permafrost. Gas hydrate is increasingly being considered as a source of fuel to be tapped. Gas hydrates may occur abundantly in nature, both in Arctic regions and in marine sediments. Methane hydrate can be stable in ocean floor sediments at water depths greater than 300 meters and, where it occurs, it is known to cement loose sediments in a surface layer several hundred meters thick.

[0071] Natural gas may be produced economically from the methane and other gas hydrates on a large scale. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the methane hydrates beneath U.S. waters can hold some 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and may be enough to supply all the nation's energy needs for more than 2,000 years at current rates of use. These immense amounts of natural gas can have significant implications for energy resources and climate, but the nature of hydrates and their impacts on the environment are generally not well understood.

[0072] The presence of gas hydrates has several hazardous implications and environmental concerns. In the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies are drilling into water more than 1,000 meters deep and are starting to drill through layers of methane hydrate. This can cause the hydrate to dissociate. If the focus is limited to extracting the oil beneath the gas hydrate layers and/or appropriate precautions are not taken, gas may be released which can explode and cause drilling crews to lose control of their wells. Engineers are worried that unstable hydrate layers could give way beneath oil platforms or even play a role in triggering tsunamis. There is also concern that global warming could melt some shallow methane deposits, releasing millions of tons of this potent greenhouse gas into the air.

[0073] Gas hydrates have not been typically economical to harvest using other existing methods. Supplying heat as steam at the bottom of a drill hole can be inefficient because of heat loss to the wall of the hole. Supplying electrical heat can also be inefficient because transmission of that heat to the water-hydrate interface would require a higher temperatures in the area of the heater. Physically mining the deposits and releasing/capturing the gas at the surface may be technically possible but can be economically prohibitive. Since the days of plentiful oil and gas may be numbered, and countries will require new energy sources to keep their economies moving, gas hydrates could be an answer. The worldwide amounts of carbon-based fuel bound in gas hydrates is estimated to total twice the amount of carbon-based fuel found in other known fossil fuels on Earth. This estimate was made with available information from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other studies. Extraction of methane from hydrates could provide a useful energy resource. Additionally, other conventional gas resources currently trapped beneath methane hydrate layers in ocean sediments may yet be released.

[0074] Research efforts have been directed to reducing the problems of gas hydrates in petroleum product lines, by either inhibiting the formation thereof or dissociating gas hydrates which are present and/or recovering the gases from the hydrates for beneficial use. For example, PCT application number PCT/US97/24202 reviews a variety of prior art research focused upon these. This reference discloses the use of electromagnetic radiation over a broad frequency range 100 megahertz (MHz) to 3000 gigahertz (GHz) (wavelength roughly ranging from 0.1 millimeter (mm) to 3 meter (m)) to heat and dissociate hydrocarbon gas hydrates, with microwave radiation stated as being preferred. Microwave radiation, which has a wavelength in the 0.1 mm to 1 mm range, is widely used to transfer energy to materials containing liquid water (e.g., as in a conventional microwave oven wherein food is heated by the resultant heating of the aqueous component of the food). In the case of a hydrate, sufficient microwave exposure can impart energy to the water molecules and cause the breaking of the hydrogen bonds of the water in the clathrate structure in addition to heating the water molecules.

[0075] Energy of a targeted wavelength may be applied to release a contained gas within a gas hydrate by electromagnetically inducing collective vibrational modes of the gas hydrate. In one embodiment, a method is provided for selectively releasing trapped gas molecules from their hydrate cages and harvesting the released gas molecules. The trapped gas in the gas hydrate may be methane or any other gas, including hyrocarbons. Sub-millimeter wavelength radiation in the 0.5 - 32 THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum may be applied to the gas hydrate. At least a portion of the trapped gas is released, via energy gap reduction associated with the clathrate hydrate and induced by the radiation. The released gas may then be harnessed as fuel energy.

[0076] In further detail, sub-millimeter radiation in the 0.5 - 32 THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum may be applied to methane or other trapped hydrocarbon gas hydrate to excite the large-amplitude gas-hydrate vibrations (i.e., instead of simply imparting heat energy directly to the water molecules). In one embodiment, this directly impacts the hydrogen-bonding between the water molecules in the hydrate. The vibrations induced by the electromagnetic radiation can cause the energy gap between the highest-energy occupied gas-hydrate bonding molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest-energy, otherwise unoccupied gas- hydrate anti-bonding molecular orbitals (LUMOs) to close. This can result in the pouring of electrons from the bonding into the anti-bonding gas-hydrate orbitals, thereby causing the release of the gas from its water- clathrate cages. This vibronic process can be more efficient in releasing the gases from the clathrate structure than broad frequency microwave or other electromagnetic heating process.

Spacecraft Propulsion

[0077] Gridded electrostatic ion thrusters for interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft propulsion typically utilize xenon gas as a source for ions. This gas has no charge and is ionized by bombarding it with energetic electrons. The electrons are provided from a hot cathode filament and accelerated in the electrical field between a cathode and an anode. In another embodiment, the electrons may be accelerated by the oscillating electric field induced by an alternating magnetic field of a coil, which results in a self-sustaining discharge (radiofrequency ion thruster). Positively charged water cluster ions, such as occurring naturally in water vapor or harvested from interstellar space (see W. W. Duley, Molecular Clusters in Interstellar Clouds, Astrophys. J. 471, L57, 1996), may be used instead of ionized xenon.

[0078] The positively charged water cluster ions are extracted by a system consisting of a plurality of multi-aperture grids. After entering the grid system via the plasma sheath, the cluster ions are accelerated due to the potential difference between the first and second grids. In some embodiments, the first grid is referred to as a screen and the second grid referred to as an accelerator grid. The water cluster ions can be accelerated to an ion energy of at least one keV, generating the thrust. This embodiment of an ion thruster emits a beam of positive charged water cluster ions. In order to avoid a charge-up of the spacecraft, a cathode placed near the engine emits additional electrons (the electron current is basically the same as the ion current) into the ion beam. This also prevents the beam of ions from returning to the spacecraft and thereby canceling the thrust. Therefore, neutral water clusters may also emitted can contribute to the thrust.

[0079] In another embodiment, negatively charged water clusters are harvested or generated and used in place of the positively charged water clusters. The system of multi-aperture grids are similarly used to extract and accelerate the negatively charged water clusters, by adjusting the potential differences between the grids. This embodiment of an ion thruster emits a beam of negatively charged water cluster ions. In order to avoid the charging-up of the spacecraft an anode may be placed near the engine. Therefore, neutral water clusters may also emitted can contribute to the thrust.

TERAHERTZ RADIATION TECHNOLOGIES

Terahertz Radiation Generation

[0080] In modern terahertz sensing and imaging spectroscopy, water can, in some embodiments, be a barrier due to radiation absorption in the Terahertz frequency range. Water clusters, however can also be used in the generation of intense broadband Terahertz radiation. In one embodiment, a method for generating terahertz radiation includes applying a laser pulse to water clusters in water vapor. The laser pulse may be of any intensity necessary to activate the vibronic properties, notably the terahertz-frequency vibrations and the large electric dipole moments of water clusters of the water clusters. The water vapor may be contained in a gas cell or injected from a gas jet nozzle. The large oscillating electric dipole moments of water clusters present in the water vapor in either systems can significantly contribute to the generation of intense Terahertz radiation. The peak power levels and broadband frequency range of the Terahertz radiation generated from these systems can then be applied to non-linear spectroscopy, imagining, communications, and biomedical diagnostics and treatments.

Terahertz Frequency Communications

[0081] The term "Terahertz communications" can mean effective data rates exceeding 1 Terabit per second (usually on an optical carrier), or communication with a Terahertz carrier wave. Although greater bandwidths may be obtained at optical wavelengths with point-to-point optical communications, a number of reasons can make communications at Terahertz frequencies attractive. One reason may be the availability of the frequency band and the communications bandwidth. Frequencies above 300 GHz are currently unallocated by the Federal Commission. Terahertz communications is in the early stages of development, with first data transmission in this frequency range reported in the last few years. The disadvantages of communications at Terahertz frequencies arise through strong absorption through the atmosphere caused by water vapor as well as low efficiency and relatively low power available from currently available sources.

[0082] Water vapor can be a strong emitter of Terahertz radiation, as discussed in US Patent Application 11/582,817. Since water vapor can be a strong emitter of Terahertz radiation due to the stimulation of water clusters' vibronic properties present in water vapor in the atmosphere, this property may be used to promote wireless communications both in land based and satellite systems. Terahertz radiation can be generated from water clusters present in the atmosphere and space and then tuned to specific frequencies that match up with the known "atmospheric windows" in the water vapor spectrum, around the 1.3 THz and 1.5 THz frequencies. The Terahertz radiation can be of varying intensity, and may be controlled, for example, by stimulation of water clusters' vibronic properties. Such terahertz frequencies do not suffer from strong absorption through the atmosphere and can be utilized to produce astronomical data from ground based Terahertz telescopes. These frequencies can also function as the carrier frequencies for communications signals over long distances.

Advanced Defense Systems Design

[0083] The interaction between high-intensity, ultra-short laser pulses and water-cluster plasmas generated from water vapor can lead to an emission of intense, coherent, short-pulse radiation at terahertz frequencies (see Johnson et al, "Water Vapor: An Extraordinary Terahertz Wave Source Under Optical Excitation", Physics Letters A 372, 6037, 2008). A system and method of using short-pulse radiation at terahertz frequencies to deactivate an electronic system is disclosed. The system and method may be used to target an electronic system a substantial distance away. The system and method may be adapted to create a virtual shield for any advancing army, navy or air force. The delivery of the Terahertz radiation pulses may be silent, invisible, smokeless and odorless. The short pulse radiation may be used to destroy enemy weapon systems, command and control structures and bases. By adjusting the frequency of the Terahertz radiation, human beings may be unharmed.

[0084] An embodiment of such a defense system may be implemented to emit Terahertz radiation from any vantage point, such as from space satellites, from aircraft, or from a tower. Beaming the short- pulse radiation at terahertz frequencies from a vantage point can provide an electronic shield for or against an advancing army, airforce or navy. The electronic shield may create a zone within which electronic devices are disabled or partially disabled. The zone may also prevent enemy transport vehicles and projectiles to advance past the zone by disabling any electronic devices on board the vehicles or projectiles. In some embodiments, the vehicles or projectiles may not be fully disabled but enemy activities can be disrupted. Another embodiment of the same technology may be used to create distortions in the radar detection systems of an enemy. Application of the technology can be made possible from a distance away, based in part on relatively low atmospheric absorption described above. This application can also be adapted to counter- terrorism, for example, for use in the airport or other public areas. For example, using terahertz radiation pulses to disable electronic devices suspected to be involved in terror acts may be safer than conventional methods.

CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS AND REACTIVITY

Oxidation Applications

[0085] The water clusters described in this patent can have highly reactive oxygen components. These water clusters can be used in various methods, particularly in "oxidative" reactions (i.e. reactions that involve transfer of an oxygen from one molecule to another) though not limited to such reactions. The clusters can be employed in any oxidative reaction, including but not limited to the combustion applications mentioned in the clean energy production applications. The water clusters, in combination with any appropriate reaction partner, can increase chemical reaction rates and chemical synthesis. In some embodiments, a method of increasing reactive behavior in chemical reactions associated with water includes applying radiation, at a frequency in the range of 0.5 terahertz to 32 terahertz, to a plurality of water clusters in the chemical reaction. In other embodiments, other types of stimulus to activate the vibronic interactions of water clusters can also improve reactive behavior in chemical reactions.

Biocidal Applications

[0086] Negatively charged water clusters and water clusters clathrating biocatalytic elements such as silver (Ag) in the form of nano-sprays and nano-emulsions can exhibit biocidal activity. For example, they may kill pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, E. CoIi, as well as the spore-forming bacterium. Bacillus Anthracis, responsible for Anthrax. A bicatalytic element can disable an enzyme of a bacteria, virus, fungi, or any other form and type of pathogenic agent. When clathrated by water clusters, the vibronic interactions helps to activate the bicatalytic element's catalytic interaction with the enzyme of a pathogenic agent, disabling the pathogenic agent.

[0087] These biocidal formulations may be delivered via various media and using various methods. For example, an oil-based medium may be used to deliver a biocidal emulsion. The emulsion can be injected or directly applied to a mass afflicted with a bacteria for example. In one embodiment, nano-emulsions of silver-clathrated water clusters can be applied directly to the skin and function as an "over-the-counter" antiseptic.

[0088] In one embodiment, a method for imparting a biocidal property to a water-based spray or emulsion against a pathogenic agent includes applying at least one negatively-charged water cluster to a pathogenic agent. In another embodiment, a method for imparting a biocidal property against a pathogenic agent includes clathrating a bicatalytic element with a water cluster. The negatively-charged water cluster or clathrated bicatalytic element is then applied to the pathogenic agent to kill or disable the pathogenic agent. In one embodiment, the bicatalytic element is silver. The negatively-charged water cluster or clathrated bicatalytic element may be further stimulated by radiation to improve the biocidal activity.

PHARMACEUTICAL & BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Pharmaceutical Drug Development

[0089] Water cluster vibronic interactions may be used to design novel drugs that accelerate electron-transfer, proton transfer and chemical reactions. These vibronically active water clusters may be present within the body naturally or delivered in water vapor or water-in-oil nano-emulsions. Such water clusters can lower the energy barrier for the reactions along the cluster Terahertz-frequency vibrational modes. This method may be used in conjunction with stimulated Terahertz radiation to further enhance drug-biomolecule resonance. A method of delivering pharmaceuticals to diseased cells and bio-molecules includes using water-cluster micelles of the type shown schematically in FIG. 11. A micelle is an aggregate of surfactant molecules dispersed in a liquid colloid, in this case, water clusters. The unique THz-frequency vibrations of these water cluster (or nano-cluster) micelles can facilitate their resonance interaction with diseased cell and other biomolecules, including DNA and proteins. Stabilizing surfactants for the micelle can include fatty acid and alcohol ethoxylates.

Transdermal Delivery

[0090] The pharmaceutical industry has devoted a significant part of its resources towards the development of drugs that can be delivered transdermally to the bloodstream (through the stratum corneum and deeper skin layers) for the treatment of afflictions ranging from skin disorders to bodily disease. Transdermal drug delivery systems provide for the controlled release of drugs directly into the bloodstream through intact skin. Transdermal drug delivery can be an attractive alternative when oral drug treatment is not possible or desirable. In particular, with transdermal administration, therapeutic activity may be prolonged and controlled activity can be achieved.

[0091] First-principles quantum-chemical computations of the electronic structure and vibrational modes of water nano-clusters like the one, (H2O)2IH<+> shown in FIG. 7 suggests application of water clusters to transdermal delivery. Such permeating water clusters can (1) clathrate and deactivate lipid hydrophobes responsible for the stratum corneum hydration barrier, (2) thereby enable transdermal delivery of clathrated pharmaceuticals, (3) scavenge free radicals that damage epidermal cells and interfere with drug delivery, and (4) be subject to less water evaporation from the skin because of the intrinsic stabilities of the water nanoclusters.

[0092] Water clusters' vibration frequencies extend into the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the 1.5 THz vibrational mode shown in FIG. 7 for the (H2O)2IH<+> cluster by the oxygen atomic displacement vectors. Water cluster "surface" Terahertz vibrational modes like the one above can be important because they couple or "resonate" with Terahertz-frequency vibrations of the amino- acid residues in epidermal proteins. Water in the form of small clusters is therefore not merely a solvent for epidermal proteins and other bio-molecules but helps to activate them through the resonant dynamics of the clustered water molecules at the skin cellular interfaces.

[0093] In U.S. Patents 5,800,576 and 5,997,590, and US Patent Application US2006/0110418, it was shown that small clusters of water molecules can be created in water-in-oil (W/O) nano-emulsions, providing a medium for delivering active water clusters to the skin to yield high epidermal permeability and improved delivery of water to within the outer layer of human skin. Pharmaceutical ingredients that can be transdermally delivered by nano-emulsions include FDA-approved transdermally deliverable "classic" drugs such as hormonally active testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol, glycyril trinitrate (e.g., for treatment of angina), hyoscine (e.g., for seasickness), nicotine (e.g., for smoking cessation); prostaglandin El (e.g., for treatment of erectile dysfunction); proteins and peptides; DNA and oligo-nucleotides (e.g., for gene therapy; DNA vaccines).

Water Cluster Micelles for Drug Delivery to the Brain

[0094] The problem of delivering pharmaceutical agents to targeted areas of the brain is a known challenge in the treatment of brain disorders. This is due to the blood-brain barrier, which prevents the efficient and effective delivery of many diagnostic and therapeutic agents. A method of delivering such agents across the blood-brain barrier includes using water-cluster micelles of the type shown schematically in FIG. 11. A micelle is an aggregate of surfactant molecules dispersed in a liquid colloid, in this case, water clusters. The unique THz-frequency vibrations of these water cluster (or nano-cluster) micelles can facilitate their penetration through the blood-brain barrier. Such micelles can deliver pharmaceuticals, such as antineoplastic drugs, to brain tumors and other disorders. Stabilizing surfactants for the micelles can include fatty acids and alcohol ethoxylates.

Biomedical Treatments

[0095] Many diseases are associated with the conformational "misfolding" of proteins. Water "restructured" as water clusters, or "nano-clusters" can play a role in the proper folding of proteins. The "misfolding" of proteins, making them dysfunctional and disease-causing may be associated with the failure of water molecules to associate in clusters that properly interact with the protein amino-acid residues. The 4379139vl Attorney Docket No.: 2007135-0007 (HYDR) development of drugs to treat such diseases should therefore be focused on the restoration of water clustering at the protein interfaces.

[0096] Water clusters' vibration frequencies extend into the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the 1.5 Terahertz vibrational mode shown in FIG. 7 for the cluster by the oxygen atomic displacement vectors. Water cluster "surface" Terahertz vibrational modes like the one shown in FIG. 7 can be important because they couple or "resonate" with Terahertz-frequency vibrations of the amino-acid residues in proteins. This property may be key to optimizing the delivery of drugs to and their interaction with drug-receptor sites, where Terahertz vibrations of water clusters clathrating the drug in our proprietary nano-emulsions may provide the resonance need to restore the interfacial water restructuring necessary for proper protein folding. Formation of hydrogen bonds between a drug molecule and a water molecule will polarize the latter, resulting in former hydrogen bonding to other water molecules and the formation of water clusters that play a key role in drug receptor identification. Even in the absence of hydrogen bonding, drug molecules may tend to cause water restructuring and the formation of cage-like structures, which implies that the drug molecule will have a "water signature".

[0097] Additionally, the application of intense 1.5 THz radiation externally (or internally via "nanobots") to restructure water near cancerous tissue, which is known to harbor more "liquid-like" water, can possibly complement drug treatment. For example, skin or sub-coetaneous tumors may treated with an intense external Terahertz radiation source, alone or in combination with a water-in-oil nanoemulsion formulation to restructure the bulk water-like properties of cancerous tissue into vibronically active water clusters, restoring healthy cell and tissue functioning. Instead of an intense external Terahertz radiation source, other stimuli may be applied to promote the vibronic interactions of water clusters.

[0098] Having described certain embodiments of methods and systems for utilizing the vibronic interactions of water clusters, it will now become apparent to one of skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating the concepts of the disclosure may be used. Therefore, the disclosure should not be limited to certain embodiments, but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

APPARATUS FOR TERAHERTZ WAVE GENERATION FROM WATER VAPOR
WO2008091419

Apparatus for Terahertz wave generation. An amplified laser generates a pulsed optical fundamental beam and a crystal passes the fundamental beam to generate a second harmonic beam of the fundamental beam. A lens focuses the mixed fundamental and second harmonic beams and a gas cell containing water vapor receives the focused beams and generates Terahertz waves.


METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING PASSING WATER
JP2007289910

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for sterilizing passing water without depending on a chemical agent in supplied water from staying water in a water tank or the like or circulating water in a bathtub or the like. ; SOLUTION: Bacteria-containing water is made to pass through a vessel such as a cabinet 2 in which a group of sintered composite mineral masses 19 consisting essentially of a silicon compound radiating electromagnetic waves of a terahertz zone is contained and thereby sterilizing bacteria in the passing water. In the method and the apparatus therefor, since an action means is electromagnetic wave, sterilizing treatment can be thoroughly performed to the passing water. Further since the method and the apparatus are simple and life time of the sintered composite mineral mass is semipermanent, there is little failure and maintenance cost or the like is low.

Enzymatic Fuel Cell / BioBattery

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175137-sugar-powered-biobattery-has-10-times-the-energy-storage-of-lithium-your-smartphone-might-soon-run-on-enzymes
ExtremeTech -- January 21, 2014

Sugar-powered biobattery has 10 times the energy storage of lithium: Your smartphone might soon run on enzymes

by Sebastian Anthony



Zhang's glucose-powered enzymatic fuel cell (Virginia Tech)

As you probably know, from sucking down cans of Coke and masticating on candy, sugar — glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrose — is an excellent source of energy. Biologically speaking, sugar molecules are energy-dense, easy to transport, and cheap to digest. There is a reason why almost every living cell on Earth generates its energy (ATP) from glucose. Now, researchers at Virginia Tech have successfully created a sugar-powered fuel cell that has an energy storage density of 596 amp-hours per kilo — or “one order of magnitude” higher than lithium-ion batteries. This fuel cell is refillable with a solution of maltodextrin, and its only by products are electricity and water. The chief researcher, Y.H. Percival Zhang, says the tech could be commercialized in as soon as three years.

Now, it’s not exactly news that sugar is an excellent energy source. As a culture we’ve probably known about it since before we were Homo sapiens. The problem is, unless you’re a living organism or some kind of incendiary device, extracting that energy is difficult. In nature, an enzymatic pathway is used — a production line of tailor-made enzymes that meddle with the glucose molecules until they become ATP. Because it’s easy enough to produce enzymes in large quantities, researchers have tried to create fuel cells that use artificial “metabolism” to break down glucose into electricity (biobatteries), but it has historically proven very hard to find the right pathway for maximum efficiency and to keep the enzymes in the right place over a long period of time.
Enzymatic fuel cell diagram

A diagram of the enzymatic fuel cell. The little Pac-Man things are enzymes.

Now, however, Zhang and friends at Virginia Tech appear to have built a high-density fuel cell that uses an enzymatic pathway to create a lot of electricity from glucose. There doesn’t seem to be much information on how stable this biobattery is over multiple refills, but if Zhang thinks it could be commercialized in three years, that’s a very good sign. Curiously, the research paper says that the enzymes are non-immobilized — meaning Zhang found a certain battery chemistry that doesn’t require the enzymes to be kept in place… or, alternatively, that it will only work for a very short time.

Energy densities of various battery types. “15% Maltodextrin”, in dark blue, is the battery being discussed here.

The Virginia Tech biobattery uses 13 enzymes, plus air (it’s an air-breathing biobattery), to produce nearly 24 electrons from a single glucose unit. This equates to a power output of 0.8 mW/cm, current density of 6 mA/cm, and energy storage density of 596 Ah/kg. This last figure is impressive, at roughly 10 times the energy density of the lithium-ion batteries in your mobile devices. [Research paper: doi:10.1038/ncomms4026 - "A high-energy-density sugar biobattery based on a synthetic enzymatic pathway"]

If Zhang’s biobatteries pan out, you might soon be recharging your smartphone by pouring in a solution of 15% maltodextrin. That battery would not only be very safe (it produces water and electricity), but very cheap to run and very green. This seems to fit in perfectly with Zhang’s homepage, which talks about how his main goals in life are replacing crude oil with sugar, and feeding the world.

The other area in which biobatteries might be useful is powering implanted devices, such as pacemakers — or, in the future, subcutaneous sensors and computers. Such a biobattery could feed on the glucose in your bloodstream, providing an endless supply of safe electricity for the myriad implants that futuristic technocrats will surely have.

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140121/ncomms4026/full/ncomms4026.html
Nature Communications -- Article number: 3026
doi:10.1038/ncomms4026
21 January 2014

A high-energy-density sugar biobattery based on a synthetic enzymatic pathway

Zhiguang Zhu, Tsz Kin Tam, Fangfang Sun, Chun You & Y. -H. Percival Zhang

Abstract

High-energy-density, green, safe batteries are highly desirable for meeting the rapidly growing needs of portable electronics. The incomplete oxidation of sugars mediated by one or a few enzymes in enzymatic fuel cells suffers from low energy densities and slow reaction rates. Here we show that nearly 24 electrons per glucose unit of maltodextrin can be produced through a synthetic catabolic pathway that comprises 13 enzymes in an air-breathing enzymatic fuel cell. This enzymatic fuel cell is based on non-immobilized enzymes that exhibit a maximum power output of 0.8?mW?cm-2 and a maximum current density of 6?mA?cm-2, which are far higher than the values for systems based on immobilized enzymes. Enzymatic fuel cells containing a 15% (wt/v) maltodextrin solution have an energy-storage density of 596?Ah?kg-1, which is one order of magnitude higher than that of lithium-ion batteries. Sugar-powered biobatteries could serve as next-generation green power sources, particularly for portable electronics.

Related Patents :

FUEL CELL, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FUEL CELL, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, ENZYME-IMMOBILIZED ELECTRODE, BIOSENSOR, ENERGY CONVERSION ELEMENT, CELL, CELL ORGANELLE, AND BACTERIUM
WO2012096126

ENZYME ELECTRODE, AND BIO FUEL CELL EQUIPPED THEREWITH
US2013059212

AN ELECTRODE FOR ENZYME BIOFUEL CELL AND A METHOD THEREOF
KR20120113085

ENZYMATIC BIOFUEL CELL AND METHOD OF FEEDING BIOFUEL SOLUTION BY USING THE SAME
KR20120086127

METHOD FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE FROM PALM OIL PRODUCTION BY PROCESSING IT INTO LIGNOCELLULOSE POWDER TO BE FURTHER USED FOR LIQUID AND SOLID FUEL PRODUCTION
WO2012049530

FUEL CELL, PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE OF FUEL CELL, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, ENZYME-IMMOBILIZED ELECTRODE, BIOSENSOR, ENERGY CONVERSION ELEMENT, CELL, CELL ORGANELLE, AND BACTERIUM
WO2010143702

ENZYMATIC FUEL CELL USING DNA-WRAPPED CARBON NANOTUBE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF
WO2010140821

FUEL CELL AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF
US2010009241

AN ELECTRODE, AN ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF
WO2010011851

METHOD FOR UTILIZATION OF PALM OIL PRODUCTION WASTE BY ITS REPROCESSING IN LIGNOCELLULOSE FLOUR WITH ITS SUBSEQUENT APPLICATION FOR LIQUID AND SOLID FUEL PRODUCTION
WO2011002330

FUEL CELL, METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF FUEL CELL, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, ENZYME-IMMOBILIZED ELECTRODE, BIOSENSOR, BIOREACTOR, ENERGY CONVERSION ELEMENT, AND ENZYMATIC REACTION-UTILIZING APPARATUS
KR20110005841

ENZYMATIC FUEL CELLS USING DNA-WRAPPED CARBON NANOTUBE AND MANUFACTURING METHODS THEROF
KR20100096433

BUFFER COMPOSITIONS FOR CATHODE ELECTROLYTE OF ENZYMATIC FUEL CELLS
KR20100062167

ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD FOR COFACTOR REGENERATION
WO2009028920

ENZYMATIC FUEL CELL
KR20090048987

CARBON MEMBRANE HAVING BIOLOGICAL MOLECULE IMMOBILIZED THEREON
US2009192297

Enzymatic Fuel Cell
US2008020244

FUEL CELL-TYPE ENZYME SENSOR
WO2006090873

Enzymatic fuel cell with membrane bound redox enzyme
US2005266290

Enzymatic fuel cell
US2005158618

Fuel battery
US2005053825

FUEL CELL USING IN THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT AND OPTIONALLY IN THE ANODE COMPARTMENT OXYDOREDUCTASE ENZYMES
WO03067697

Process for generating electricity with a hydrogen fuel cell
US2003027023

Enzymatic fuel cell
US2003198859

Haruko Obokata

Stem Cells

///
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25967136

Dr Haruko Obokata - A young researcher in Japan has been facing the world's media after her stem cell studies were heralded as a "major scientific discovery."

Dr Haruko Obokata's work, published in the journal Nature, showed stem cells can now be made quickly just by dipping blood cells into acid.

The breakthrough at the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology was achieved in mouse blood cells, but could have the potential to start a new age of personalised medicine.

Stem cell researchers are heralding a "major scientific discovery", with the potential to start a new age of personalised medicine.

Scientists in Japan showed stem cells can now be made quickly just by dipping blood cells into acid.

Stem cells can transform into any tissue and are already being trialled for healing the eye, heart and brain.

The latest development, published in the journal Nature, could make the technology cheaper, faster and safer.

The human body is built of cells with a specific role - nerve cells, liver cells, muscle cells - and that role is fixed.

However, stem cells can become any other type of cell, and they have become a major field of research in medicine for their potential to regenerate the body.

Embryos are one, ethically charged, source of stem cells. Nobel prize winning research also showed that skin cells could be "genetically reprogrammed" to become stem cells (termed induced pluripotent stem cells).

Acid bath

Now a study shows that shocking blood cells with acid could also trigger the transformation into stem cells - this time termed STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells.

Dr Haruko Obokata, from the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology in Japan, said she was "really surprised" that cells could respond to their environment in this way.

She added: "It's exciting to think about the new possibilities these findings offer us, not only in regenerative medicine, but cancer as well."

The breakthrough was achieved in mouse blood cells, but research is now taking place to achieve the same results with human blood.

Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, said if it also works in humans then "the age of personalised medicine would have finally arrived."

He told the BBC: "I thought - 'my God that's a game changer!' It's a very exciting, but surprise, finding.

"It looks a bit too good to be true, but the number of experts who have reviewed and checked this, I'm sure that it is.

"If this works in people as well as it does in mice, it looks faster, cheaper and possibly safer than other cell reprogramming technologies - personalised reprogrammed cell therapies may now be viable."

For age-related macular degeneration, which causes sight loss, it takes 10 months to go from a patient's skin sample to a therapy that could be injected into their eye -and at huge cost.

Prof Mason said weeks could be knocked off that time which would save money, as would cheaper components.

Dr Haruko Obokata explains how she nearly gave up on the project when fellow researchers didn't believe what she had found

'Revolutionary'

The finding has been described as "remarkable" by the Medical Research Council's Prof Robin Lovell-Badge and as "a major scientific discovery" by Dr Dusko Ilic, a reader in stem cell science at Kings College London.

Dr Ilic added: "The approach is indeed revolutionary.

"It will make a fundamental change in how scientists perceive the interplay of environment and genome."

But he added: "It does not bring stem cell-based therapy closer. We will need to use the same precautions for the cells generated in this way as for the cells isolated from embryos or reprogrammed with a standard method."

And Prof Lovell-Badge said: "It is going to be a while before the nature of these cells are understood, and whether they might prove to be useful for developing therapies, but the really intriguing thing to discover will be the mechanism underlying how a low pH shock triggers reprogramming - and why it does not happen when we eat lemon or vinegar or drink cola?"

WO2013163296

GENERATING PLURIPOTENT CELLS DE NOVO
[ Excerpts ]

Inventor(s):     VACANTI CHARLES A [US]; VACANTI MARTIN P [US]; KOJIMA KOJI [US]; OBOKATA HARUKO [JP]; WAKAYAMA TERUHIKO [JP]; SASAI YOSHIKI [JP]; YAMATO MASAYUKI [JP] +
Applicant(s):     BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL [US]; RIKEN [JP]; UNIV TOKYO WOMENS MEDICAL [JP] +

Abstract

The technology described herein relates to methods, assays, and compositions relating to causing a cell to assume a more pluripotent state, e.g. without introducing foreign genetic material.

Background

[0003] Current methods of obtaining pluripotent cells rely primarily upon tissues of limited availability (e.g. embryonic tissue or cord blood) or the addition of reprogramming factors (Hanna, J. et al. Cell 2008 133, 250-264; Hockemeyer, D. et al. Cell stem cell 2008 3, 346-353; Kim, D. et al. Cell stem cell 2009 4, 472-476; Kim, J. B. Nature 2009 461, 649-643; Okabe, M. et al. Blood 2009 114, 1764-1767), which involves introduction of exogenous nucleic acids. Methods of readily producing stem cells, particularly autologous stem cells, without the complications introduced by the addition of exogenous reprogramming factors, would accelerate research into cellular differentiation and the development of stem-cell based therapies. While it is hypothesized that damage to cells as a result of exposure to irritants, such as burns, chemical injury, trauma and radiation, may alter normal somatic cells to become cancer cells, there is no direct evidence that healthy adult somatic cells can be converted to other states without the specific manipulation of reprogramming factors.

[0004] Previously, researchers have reported finding "adult stem cells" in adult tissues (Reynolds, B. A. & Weiss, S. Science 1992 255, 1707-1710; Megeney, L. A. et al. ,Genes & development 1996 10, 1173-1183; Caplan, A. I. Journal of orthopaedic research 1991 9, 641-650; Lavker, R. M. & Sun, T. T. The Journal of investigative dermatology 1983 81, 121s-127s). Such reports remain controversial. For example, researchers looking for cells expressing the stem cell marker Oct4 failed to find Oct4-expressing cells in adult bone marrow in normal homeostasis, (Lengner, C. J. et al. Cell Cycle 2008 7, 725-728; Berg, J. S. & Goodell, M. A. Cell stem cell 2007 1, 359-360), while others report the ability to isolate Oct4-expressing cells from different adult tissues (Jiang, Y. et al. Nature 2010 418, 41-49; D'Ippolito, G. et al. Journal of cell science 2004 117, 2971-2981; Johnson, J. et al. Cell 2005 122, 303-315; Kucia, M. et al. Leukemia 2006 20, 857-869; Kuroda, Y. et al. PNAS 2011 107, 8639-8643; Obokata, H. et al. Tissue engineering. 2011 Part A 17, 607-615; Rahnemai-Azar, A. et al. Cytotherapy 2011 13, 179-192; Huang, Y. et al. Transplantation 2010 89, 677-685; Zuba-Surma, E. K. et al. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 2011 15, 1319-1328; Paczkowska, E. et al. Annals of transplantation 2011 16, 59-71). It has been hypothesized that these cells represent either a population of adult stem cells or are merely an artifact of the techniques being used. In either case, they remain rare and do not represent an adequate source of pluripotent cells for research and therapeutic purposes.

[00176] Introduction

[00177] All organisms appear to have a common instinct to survive injury related to stressful stimuli by adapting themselves to the environment and regenerating their bodies. In plants, ontogenesis is observed not only in zygotes but also in fully differentiated cells and immature pollen. In vertebrates, newts are capable of regenerating several anatomical structures and organs, including their limbs <1>. Of particular note is that the remarkable regenerative capacity demonstrated by both plants and newts is induced by external stimuli, which cause cellular dedifferentiation of previously fully differentiated somatic cells. While billions of years have passed from the earliest form of life, and different organisms have evolved in unique ways, this survival instinct may be inherited from a common ancestor to modern-era organisms. Although terminally differentiated mammalian cells are normally believed to be incapable of reversing the differentiation process, mammals may retain a previously unappreciated program to escape death in response to drastic environmental changes.

[00178] The plant callus, a mass of proliferating cells formed in response to external stimuli, such as wounding, which can be stimulated in culture by the plant hormones . The callus contains reprogrammed somatic cells, referred to as callus cells, each of which is capable of clonally regenerating the entire body. Callus cells are not inherent in plants, but are generated from somatic cells in response to external stimuli. Although recent studies demonstrated that mammalian somatic cells can be reprogrammed by exogenous processes, such as gene induction 3- <">7 , reprogramming of mammalian somatic cells in response to external physical and or chemical stimuli, in a manner that parallels plants, has not been reported. Interestingly, it is believed that extreme external stimuli, such as exposure to irritants, including burns, chemical injury, trauma and radiation, may alter normal somatic cells to become cancer cells. Such experiences seem to indicate that external stimuli will result in mammalian cellular change.

[00179] In this study, it was hypothesized that mammalian cells retain a mechanism to survive exposure to significant external stress, in the same manner as plants. This report presents evidence that application of significant physical and chemical stimuli can cause reprogramming of mature, fully differentiated mammalian somatic cells, procured from various tissues, and that such stress altered cells are capable of forming an animal callus containing "animal callus cells", which can regenerate the clonal body...

Your Support Maintains this Service --

BUY

The Rex Research Civilization Kit

... It's Your Best Bet & Investment in Sustainable Humanity on Earth ...
Ensure & Enhance Your Survival & Genome Transmission ...
Everything @ rexresearch.com on a Data DVD !

ORDER PAGE