Purity assay comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Last reviewed on 2026-05-21. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Copper binds to the peptide through the histidine imidazole nitrogen and the terminal amino group, forming a stable square-planar complex. Binding constants reported for copper(II) with GHK are high, so the peptide competes effectively for copper in solution. The complex absorbs visible light, which gives solutions a blue to violet colour. Whether the metal-free peptide has a distinct biological function of its own is still an open question; some work treats it mainly as a copper delivery vehicle, while other work reports peptide-specific effects.
The compound was first isolated from human plasma in the 1970s by Loren Pickart, who later described copper-binding activity in liver and other tissues. Early reports focused on its presence in blood and its ability to carry copper between proteins. Commercial and cosmetic use of the term 'copper peptide' has since broadened, and labels rarely distinguish GHK-Cu from other copper-binding fragments. This naming overlap makes literature searching harder, because cosmetic ingredient lists, supplier catalogues and laboratory papers use different vocabularies for the same molecule.
Practical handling notes centre on limiting exposure to water, oxygen, and repeated temperature cycling. Weighed powder is often equilibrated to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation on the solid. Working solutions are typically divided into single-use aliquots and frozen rather than stored refrigerated for long periods. Reported shelf lives vary widely between laboratories, and no single set of conditions is universally treated as a reference standard, which complicates direct comparison of published stability figures.
Solutions of GHK-Cu respond strongly to pH, redox conditions, and the presence of competing chelators such as EDTA. Below roughly pH 4 the copper tends to dissociate, because the amide nitrogen donors become protonated and can no longer coordinate. Strongly alkaline conditions instead favour hydrolysis and precipitation of copper hydroxide. Dissolved oxygen and light accelerate breakdown of the peptide backbone, and the copper released during that process can catalyse further oxidation, so dry, cold, dark storage is the usual recommendation.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Gly-His-Lys | Three amino acids; histidine supplies the main copper-binding nitrogen |
| Bound metal | Copper(II) | Coordination is described as square-planar around the metal centre |
| Appearance | Blue to violet solid | Colour originates from copper d-d electronic transitions |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Aqueous solutions are often slightly acidic |
| Common synonyms | Copper tripeptide, Cu-GHK | Ingredient lists may say only 'copper peptide' without giving the sequence |
Identity and purity are assessed mainly by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection, often paired with mass spectrometry to confirm the expected mass. Copper content is measured separately by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry or atomic absorption spectroscopy, because the peptide assay alone does not establish the metal-to-peptide ratio. Visible spectroscopy provides a rapid check on complex integrity through the absorption band in the visible region. Agreement between the peptide assay and the copper assay is the practical test of whether a sample is the intended complex rather than a mixture.
Aqueous solutions of GHK-Cu are less stable than the dry powder. The peptide backbone is vulnerable to hydrolysis at extreme pH, and copper can be stripped from the complex by strong chelating agents such as EDTA or citrate. Oxidising agents and high concentrations of ascorbic acid can reduce copper(II) and change the complex, which is one reason formulators often keep such ingredients in separate phases. How quickly these changes occur under real storage conditions depends on pH, buffer, temperature and packaging, and quantitative data on the subject are limited.
Analytical confirmation usually combines a separation method with a copper-specific measurement. Liquid chromatography or mass spectrometry establishes peptide identity and purity, while an elemental measurement quantifies the metal content. A frequent misconception is that any blue solution contains an intact copper peptide complex; color alone does not confirm structure, because free copper salts and degraded mixtures can also appear colored. Literature on efficacy is mixed, with in vitro findings often more dramatic than human evidence, and reviews note small sample sizes and short follow-up. Open questions include optimal concentration, skin penetration, and long-term effects.
Proposed mechanisms for copper peptide activity center on delivery of copper ions to cells and on peptide fragments acting as signaling molecules. Copper is a cofactor for enzymes involved in collagen cross-linking and antioxidant defense, and the peptide may improve its availability at target sites. Separately, the tripeptide and its breakdown products have been reported to influence gene expression in cultured fibroblasts. Much of this evidence comes from laboratory cell cultures and animal models rather than controlled human trials. The relative contribution of the copper ion and the peptide sequence is therefore not fully settled.
Stability depends on temperature, light exposure, moisture, and the presence of oxidizing or reducing agents. Solid material held dry and protected from light is generally more stable than aqueous solutions, which can undergo gradual degradation. Recommended storage in much of the literature is a freezer at around minus twenty degrees Celsius for long-term retention, with working aliquots kept cold and shielded from light. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles and alkaline pH are commonly noted as factors that accelerate loss of the intact complex, though exact degradation rates vary.
Dry material is typically held at low temperature, often around minus twenty degrees Celsius, and protected from moisture and light. Copper complexes can release their metal ion under acidic conditions or in the presence of competing chelators. Hydrolysis of the peptide backbone is a slower but real pathway, and the histidine residue is susceptible to oxidation over long periods. Stability statements therefore depend on formulation, pH, and container, and they should be read as conditional rather than absolute.
Identity and purity are usually assessed with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often paired with mass spectrometry. Copper content is measured separately by techniques such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or atomic absorption. Amino acid analysis confirms the peptide sequence after hydrolysis. Because the metal and the peptide can be quantified independently, a complete certificate of analysis normally reports both values rather than a single purity figure. This separation of measurements is important when comparing suppliers.
Solid GHK-Cu appears as a blue to blue-violet powder, and the colour is a direct consequence of copper coordination. The complex dissolves readily in water and in many polar solvents, while the free peptide behaves differently. Solubility in nonpolar media is low, which limits its use in oil-based systems. Solutions are typically prepared fresh because the dissolved form is more exposed to hydrolysis and to loss of the metal ion than the dry powder. Working concentrations are usually low, and preparation notes often specify the solvent and the order of addition.
=== Chairmen === Chairman of the Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Vojislav Kecmanović (25 November 1943 – 26 April 1945) Chairmen of the Presidium of the People's Assembly Vojislav Kecmanović (26 April 1945 – November 1946) Đuro Pucar (November 1946 – September 1948) Vlado Šegrt (September 1948 – March 1953) Chairmen of the People's Assembly Đuro Pucar (December 1953 – June 1963) Ratomir Dugonjić (June 1963 – July 1967) Džemal Bijedić (1967 – July 1971) Hamdija Pozderac (July 1971 – May 1974) Chairmen of the Presidency Ratomir Dugonjić (May 1974 – April 1978) Raif Dizdarević (April 1978 – April 1982) Branko Mikulić (April 1982 – 26 April 1984) Milanko Renovica (26 April 1984 – 26 April 1985) Munir Mesihović (26 April 1985 – April 1987) Mato Andrić (April 1987 – April 1988) Nikola Filipović (April 1988 – April 1989) Obrad Piljak (April 1989 – 20 December 1990) Alija Izetbegović (20 December 1990 – 8 April 1992)
=== Books === Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease. with Ann B, Parson. New York: Perseus Publishing, 2000. Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being. New York: Harmony Books, Random House, 2012. Super Genes: Unlock the Astonishing Power of Your DNA for Optimum Health and Well-Being. New York: Harmony Books, Random House, 2015. The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life. New York: Harmony, Random House, 2018.
Historians have explored how the Napoleonic wars became total wars. Most historians argue that the escalation in size and scope came from two sources. First was the ideological clash between revolutionary/egalitarian and conservative/hierarchical belief systems. Second was the emergence of nationalism in France, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere, that made these "people's wars" instead of contests between monarchs. Bell has argued that even more important than ideology and nationalism were the intellectual transformations in the culture of war that came about through the Age of Enlightenment. One factor, he says, is that war was no longer a routine event but a transforming experience for societies—a total experience. Secondly, the military emerged in its own right as a separate sphere of society distinct from the ordinary civilian world. The French Revolution made every civilian a part of the war machine, either as a soldier through universal conscription, or as a vital cog in the home front machinery supporting and supplying the army. Out of that, says Bell, came "militarism", the belief that the military role was morally superior to the civilian role in times of great national crisis. The fighting army represented the essence of the nation's soul. As Napoleon proclaimed, "It is the soldier who founds a Republic and it is the soldier who maintains it." Napoleon said on his career "I closed the gulf of anarchy and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it.
=== MeSH D12.644.360 – intracellular signaling peptides and proteins === MeSH D12.644.360.011 – activating transcription factor 6 MeSH D12.644.360.024 – adaptor proteins, signal transducing MeSH D12.644.360.024.264 – caveolin 1 MeSH D12.644.360.024.272 – caveolin 2 MeSH D12.644.360.024.280 – cortactin MeSH D12.644.360.024.295 – crk-associated substrate protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.297 – grb2 adaptor protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.298 – grb7 adaptor protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.300 – grb10 adaptor protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.301 – interferon-stimulated gene factor 3 MeSH D12.644.360.024.301.500 – interferon-stimulated gene factor 3, alpha subunit MeSH D12.644.360.024.301.500.500 – stat1 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.301.500.750 – stat2 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.301.750 – interferon-stimulated gene factor 3, gamma subunit MeSH D12.644.360.024.303 – interferon regulatory factors MeSH D12.644.360.024.303.124 – interferon regulatory factor-1 MeSH D12.644.360.024.303.249 – interferon regulatory factor-2 MeSH D12.644.360.024.303.374 – interferon regulatory factor-3 MeSH D12.644.360.024.303.437 – interferon regulatory factor-7 MeSH D12.644.360.024.303.500 – interferon-stimulated gene factor 3, gamma subunit MeSH D12.644.360.024.305 – pii nitrogen regulatory proteins MeSH D12.644.360.024.307 – paxillin MeSH D12.644.360.024.311 – protein inhibitors of activated STAT MeSH D12.644.360.024.313 – 14-3-3 proteins MeSH D12.644.360.024.318 – proto-oncogene proteins c-crk MeSH D12.644.360.024.326 – proto-oncogene proteins c-vav MeSH D12.644.360.024.334 – smad proteins MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.200 – smad proteins, inhibitory MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.200.600 – smad6 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.200.700 – smad7 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500 – smad proteins, receptor-regulated MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500.100 – smad1 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500.200 – smad2 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500.300 – smad3 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500.500 – smad5 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.500.800 – smad8 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.334.750 – smad4 protein MeSH D12.644.360.024.342 – stat transcription factors MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.100 – stat1 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.200 – stat2 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.300 – stat3 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.400 – stat4 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.500 – stat5 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.342.600 – stat6 transcription factor MeSH D12.644.360.024.374 – suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins MeSH D12.644.360.024.500 – tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated peptides and proteins MeSH D12.644.360.024.500.500 – tnf receptor-associated factor 1 MeSH D12.644.360.024.500.750 – tnf receptor-associated factor 2 MeSH D12.644.360.024.500.875 – tnf receptor-associated factor 3 MeSH D12.644.360.024.500.937 – tnf receptor-associated factor 5 MeSH D12.644.360.024.500.968 – tnf receptor-associated factor 6 MeSH D12.644.360.050 – adenylate cyclase MeSH D12.644.360.075 – apoptosis regulatory proteins MeSH D12.644.360.075.311 – apoptosis inducing factor MeSH D12.644.360.075.405 – caspases MeSH D12.644.360.075.405.200 – caspase 1 MeSH D12.644.360.075.437 – inhibitor of apoptosis proteins MeSH D12.644.360.075.437.500 – neuronal apoptosis-inhibitory protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.437.750 – x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.718 – proto-oncogene proteins c-bcl-2 MeSH D12.644.360.075.718.100 – bcl-associated death protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.718.400 – bcl-2-associated x protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.718.750 – bcl-2 homologous antagonist-killer protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.718.937 – bcl-x protein MeSH D12.644.360.075.718.968 – bh3 interacting domain death agonist protein MeSH D12.644.360.100 – ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent protein kinase MeSH D12.644.360.100.500 – myosin-light-chain kinase MeSH D12.644.360.150 – casein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.150.300 – casein kinase i MeSH D12.644.360.150.300.100 – casein kinase ialpha MeSH D12.644.360.150.300.200 – casein kinase idelta MeSH D12.644.360.150.300.300 – casein kinase iepsilon MeSH D12.644.360.150.600 – casein kinase ii MeSH D12.644.360.200 – cyclic nucleotide-regulated protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.200.125 – cyclic amp-dependent protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.200.125.500 – beta-adrenergic receptor kinase MeSH D12.644.360.200.150 – cyclic gmp-dependent protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.200.575 – protamine kinase MeSH D12.644.360.250 – cyclin-dependent kinases MeSH D12.644.360.250.067 – cdc2-cdc28 kinases MeSH D12.644.360.250.067.249 – cdc2 protein kinase MeSH D12.644.360.250.067.500 – cdc28 protein kinase, s cerevisiae MeSH D12.644.360.250.067.875 – cyclin-dependent kinase 5 MeSH D12.644.360.250.067.900 – cyclin-dependent kinase 9 MeSH D12.644.360.250.323 – cyclin-dependent kinase 2 MeSH D12.644.360.250.451 – cyclin-dependent kinase 4 MeSH D12.644.360.250.515 – cyclin-dependent kinase 6 MeSH D12.644.360.250.580 – maturation-promoting factor MeSH D12.644.360.250.580.500 – cdc2 protein kinase MeSH D12.644.360.275 – eif-2 kinase MeSH D12.644.360.287 – focal adhesion protein-tyrosine kinases MeSH D12.644.360.300 – glycogen synthase kinases MeSH D12.644.360.300.500 – glycogen synthase kinase 3 MeSH D12.644.360.325 – gtp-binding protein regulators MeSH D12.644.360.325.150 – gtpase-activating proteins MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.100 – chimerin proteins MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.100.200 – chimerin 1 MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.300 – eukaryotic initiation factor-5 MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.500 – ras gtpase-activating proteins MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.500.460 – neurofibromin 1 MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.500.500 – p120 gtpase activating protein MeSH D12.644.360.325.150.750 – rgs proteins MeSH D12.644.360.325.225 – guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors MeSH D12.644.360.325.300 – guanine nucleotide exchange factors MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.200 – eukaryotic initiation factor-2b MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.300 – guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2 MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.450 – proto-oncogene proteins c-vav MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.600 – ral guanine nucleotide exchange factor MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.700 – ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.700.500 – ras-grf1 MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.700.700 – son of sevenless proteins MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.700.700.600 – son of sevenless protein, drosophila MeSH D12.644.360.325.300.700.700.630 – sos1 protein MeSH D12.644.360.350 – guanylate cyclase MeSH D12.644.360.375 – heterotrimeric gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.375.100 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunits MeSH D12.644.360.375.100.100 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunits, g12-g13 MeSH D12.644.360.375.100.200 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunits, gi-go MeSH D12.644.360.375.100.200.500 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunit, gi2 MeSH D12.644.360.375.100.300 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunits, gq-g11 MeSH D12.644.360.375.100.400 – gtp-binding protein alpha subunits, gs MeSH D12.644.360.375.520 – gtp-binding protein beta subunits MeSH D12.644.360.375.730 – gtp-binding protein gamma subunits MeSH D12.644.360.375.940 – transducin MeSH D12.644.360.376 – i-kappa b kinase MeSH D12.644.360.378 – i-kappa b proteins MeSH D12.644.360.381 – intracellular calcium-sensing proteins MeSH D12.644.360.381.249 – calmodulin MeSH D12.644.360.381.311 – calnexin MeSH D12.644.360.381.374 – calreticulin MeSH D12.644.360.381.437 – gelsolin MeSH D12.644.360.381.500 – neuronal calcium-sensor proteins MeSH D12.644.360.381.500.124 – guanylate cyclase-activating proteins MeSH D12.644.360.381.500.249 – hippocalcin MeSH D12.644.360.381.500.374 – Kv channel-interacting proteins MeSH D12.644.360.381.500.500 – neurocalcin MeSH D12.644.360.381.500.750 – recoverin MeSH D12.644.360.400 – map kinase kinase kinases MeSH D12.644.360.400.100 – map kinase kinase kinase 1 MeSH D12.644.360.400.200 – map kinase kinase kinase 2 MeSH D12.644.360.400.300 – map kinase kinase kinase 3 MeSH D12.644.360.400.400 – map kinase kinase kinase 4 MeSH D12.644.360.400.500 – map kinase kinase kinase 5 MeSH D12.644.360.400.800 – proto-oncogene proteins c-mos MeSH D12.644.360.400.842 – raf kinases MeSH D12.644.360.400.842.249 – oncogene proteins v-raf MeSH D12.644.360.400.842.374 – proto-oncogene proteins b-raf MeSH D12.644.360.400.842.500 – proto-oncogene proteins c-raf MeSH D12.644.360.440 – mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases MeSH D12.644.360.440.100 – map kinase kinase 1 MeSH D12.644.360.440.200 – map kinase kinase 2 MeSH D12.644.360.440.300 – map kinase kinase 3 MeSH D12.644.360.440.400 – map kinase kinase 4 MeSH D12.644.360.440.500 – map kinase kinase 5 MeSH D12.644.360.440.600 – map kinase kinase 6 MeSH D12.644.360.440.700 – map kinase kinase 7 MeSH D12.644.360.450 – mitogen-activated protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.450.169 – extracellular signal-regulated map kinases MeSH D12.644.360.450.169.500 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 MeSH D12.644.360.450.169.750 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 MeSH D12.644.360.450.169.875 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 MeSH D12.644.360.450.169.937 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 MeSH D12.644.360.450.340 – jnk mitogen-activated protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.450.340.500 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 MeSH D12.644.360.450.340.750 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 9 MeSH D12.644.360.450.340.800 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 10 MeSH D12.644.360.450.835 – p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases MeSH D12.644.360.450.835.200 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 11 MeSH D12.644.360.450.835.400 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 12 MeSH D12.644.360.450.835.600 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 13 MeSH D12.644.360.450.835.800 – mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 MeSH D12.644.360.525 – monomeric gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.100 – adp-ribosylation factors MeSH D12.644.360.525.100.100 – ADP-ribosylation factor 1 MeSH D12.644.360.525.400 – rab gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.025 – rab1 gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.050 – rab2 gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.100 – rab3 gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.100.100 – rab3a gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.150 – rab4 gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.400.200 – rab5 gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.450 – ral gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.462 – ran gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.475 – rap gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.475.100 – rap1 gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.500 – ras proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.500.300 – oncogene protein p21(ras) MeSH D12.644.360.525.500.600 – proto-oncogene proteins p21(ras) MeSH D12.644.360.525.700 – rho gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.050 – cdc42 gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.050.500 – cdc42 gtp-binding protein, saccharomyces cerevisiae MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.100 – rac gtp-binding proteins MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.100.100 – rac1 gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.200 – rhoa gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.525.700.300 – rhob gtp-binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.543 – olfactory marker protein MeSH D12.644.360.562 – phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein MeSH D12.644.360.581 – phospholipase c gamma MeSH D12.644.360.600 – ribosomal protein s6 kinases MeSH D12.644.360.600.249 – ribosomal protein s6 kinases, 70-kda MeSH D12.644.360.600.500 – ribosomal protein s6 kinases, 90-kda
By 2015, industry analysts and academic researchers agreed, that the sky-high price of orphan drugs, such as eculizumab, was not related to research, development and manufacturing costs. Their price is arbitrary and they have become more profitable than traditional medicines.Public resources went into understanding the molecular basis of the disease, public resources went into the technology to make antibodies and finally, Alexion, to their credit, kind of picked up the pieces.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Apoptosis, a form of controlled cell death, has been suggested to be regulated by O-GlcNAc. In various cancers, elevated O-GlcNAc levels have been reported to suppress apoptosis. Caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 have been reported to be modified by O-GlcNAc. Caspase-8 is modified near its cleavage/activation sites; O-GlcNAc modification may block caspase-8 cleavage and activation by steric hindrance. Pharmacological lowering of O-GlcNAc with 5S-GlcNAc accelerated caspase activation while pharmacological raising of O-GlcNAc with thiamet-G inhibited caspase activation.
Poppy straw (also known as opium straw, mowed opium straw, crushed poppy capsule, poppy chaff, or poppy husk) is derived from opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) that are harvested when fully mature and dried by mechanical means. Opium poppy straw is what remains after the seed pods have been harvested — that is, the dried stalks, stem and leaves of poppies grown for their seeds. The field-dried leaves, stalk, and seed pod are then used in commercial manufacture of morphine or other poppy-alkaloid derived drugs, by first processing the material, separating the seeds, and then making concentrate of poppy straw where no extraction using the traditional methods of latex extraction has been made. The straw was originally considered an agricultural by-product of the mechanised poppy seed harvest, which was primarily grown for its edible and oil-producing seed. This changed in 1927 when János Kabay developed a chemical process to extract morphine from the crushed capsule. Concentrated poppy straw, consisting mainly of the crushed capsule without the seeds, soon became a valuable source of morphine. Today, concentrate of poppy straw is a major source of many opiates and other alkaloids. It is the source of 90% of the world supply of legal morphine (for medical and scientific use) and in some countries it also is a source of illegal morphine, which could be processed into illegal heroin. The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs defines poppy straw as "all parts (except the seeds) of the opium poppy, after mowing".
=== Soft tissue sarcoma === In 2007, the European Commission gave authorization for the marketing of trabectedin, under the trade name Yondelis, "for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, after failure of anthracyclines and ifosfamide, or who are unsuited to receive these agents". The European Medicine Agency's evaluating committee, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), observed that trabectedin had not been evaluated in an adequately designed and analyzed randomized controlled trial against current best care, and that the clinical efficacy data were mainly based on patients with liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. However, the pivotal study did show a significant difference between two different trabectedin treatment regimens, and due to the rarity of the disease, the CHMP considered that marketing authorization could be granted under exceptional circumstances. As part of the approval PharmaMar agreed to conduct a further trial to identify whether any specific chromosomal translocations could be used to predict responsiveness to trabectedin. Trabectedin is also approved in South Korea and Russia. In 2015, (after a phase III study comparing trabectedin with dacarbazine), the US FDA approved trabectedin (Yondelis) for the treatment of liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma that is either unresectable or has metastasized. Patients must have received prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline.
==== Automation and workplace surveillance ==== The TUC has warned against the "uncritical use" of AI and algorithmic management in the workplace. In 2022, the TUC published a report stated that intrusive worker surveillance technology was "spiralling out of control", noting that 60% of workers believed they had been subject to surveillance at their current or most recent job. The TUC highlighted that AI-powered technologies were increasingly being used to analyse facial expressions, tone of voice, and accents during recruitment, and to make automated decisions regarding shift allocation and redundancies. In August 2025, the TUC launched its "worker first" AI strategy, titled Building a Pro-Worker AI Innovation Strategy. The strategy called for a "digital dividend" to ensure workers share in the productivity gains generated by AI. The TUC's demands included:
There exist dozens of recognized schools or orientations of psychotherapy—the list below represents a few influential orientations not given above. Although they all have some typical set of techniques practitioners employ, they are generally better known for providing a framework of theory and philosophy that guides a therapist in his or her working with a client.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Legal status == Difenoxin is a Schedule I drug by itself in the US; the combination with atropine is in the less-restrictive category Schedule IV on account of the adulterant (the practice of making opioids more easily available by including an abuse-deterring adulterating agent is standard practice in the United States). Pure difenoxin, in Schedule I, has a quota of 50 grammes, and an ACSCN of 9168. The combination of difenoxin and atropine, in Schedule IV, has the DEA ACSCN of 9167 and being in Schedule IV is not assigned an aggregate annual manufacturing quota.
== History == When international vaccine care standards were being designed in the 1970s, the manuals typically generalized from the needs of care for the oral polio vaccine since that was the most delicate vaccine in wide use. In the 1970s PATH began working with the WHO to develop a system for identifying vaccines which had expired from improper storage. In 1996 the vaccine vial monitor was first used in a vaccine project, and by the next year it was widely accepted for use on many vaccine projects. It took until 2007 for VVMs to be widely adopted by vaccine manufacturers. by 2017, over 6.6 billion VVMs had been used. In 2007 in Geneva the World Health Organization hosted a commemoration in the presence of highly talented Antony Varghese and Augustin Shyju during the 10th anniversary of the introduction of VVMs. In 2007 PATH won a Tech Award for the development of the VVM.
=== Freeze drying === Freeze drying is accomplished by lowering the pressure in a chamber containing the wood to a few millibars, while lowering the temperature of the chamber to below the eutectic point of the material. Heat is typically added slowly to the material to allow the water contained in the wood to sublimate directly into vapor, and be deposited on the sides of the vacuum chamber or in the cold trap through which the chamber is evacuated. Freeze drying through sublimation typically takes about 10 times the energy that is taken through evaporation of water by heat. In practice, freeze drying of wood can be accomplished by placing room temperature wood in a vacuum chamber that can be chilled to -30 degrees C or lower, evacuating the chamber to a few millibars, and at the same time cooling the chamber to a freezing temperature. The latent heat of the ice in the wood will come out through the water vapor, which will condense as ice on the inside of the chamber. After a few hours under vacuum and freezing conditions, the chamber is returned to normal pressure, the wood removed and bagged in plastic to keep water from condensing on it, and allowed to return to room temperature over a few hours to a day. The cycle is then repeated, each time the latent heat in the wood is removed through the water content in the wood sublimating and/or evaporating and condensing on the sides of the container and in the cold trap. The cycles are repeated until the moisture content of the wood is at a pre-determined acceptable level.
In humans, excessive exposure to UV radiation can result in acute and chronic harmful effects on the eye's dioptric system and retina. The risk is elevated at high altitudes and people living in high latitude areas where snow covers the ground right into early summer and sun positions even at zenith are low, are particularly at risk. Skin, the circadian system, and the immune system can also be affected. The differential effects of various wavelengths of light on the human cornea and skin are sometimes called the "erythemal action spectrum". The action spectrum shows that UVA does not cause immediate reaction, but rather UV begins to cause photokeratitis and skin redness (with lighter skinned individuals being more sensitive) at wavelengths starting near the beginning of the UVB band at 315 nm, and rapidly increasing to 300 nm. The skin and eyes are most sensitive to damage by UV at 265–275 nm, which is in the lower UVC band. At still shorter wavelengths of UV, damage continues to happen, but the overt effects are not as great with so little penetrating the atmosphere. The WHO-standard ultraviolet index is a widely publicized measurement of total strength of UV wavelengths that cause sunburn on human skin, by weighting UV exposure for action spectrum effects at a given time and location. This standard shows that most sunburn happens due to UV at wavelengths near the boundary of the UVA and UVB bands.
==== Fear and anxiety ==== Oxytocin is typically remembered for its effects on prosocial behaviors, such as its role in facilitating trust and attachment between individuals. However, oxytocin has a more complex role than solely enhancing prosocial behaviors. There is consensus that oxytocin modulates fear and anxiety; that is, it does not directly elicit fear or anxiety. Two dominant theories explain the role of oxytocin in fear and anxiety. One theory states that oxytocin increases approach/avoidance to certain social stimuli, and the second theory states that oxytocin increases the salience of certain social stimuli, causing animals (including humans) to pay closer attention to socially relevant stimuli. Nasally administered oxytocin has been reported to reduce fear, possibly by inhibiting the amygdala (which is thought to be responsible for fear responses). Indeed, studies in rodents have shown oxytocin can efficiently inhibit fear responses by activating an inhibitory circuit within the amygdala. Some researchers have argued oxytocin has a general enhancing effect on all social emotions, since intranasal administration of oxytocin also increases envy and Schadenfreude. Individuals who receive an intranasal dose of oxytocin identify facial expressions of disgust more quickly than individuals who do not receive oxytocin. Facial expressions of disgust are evolutionarily linked to the idea of contagion. Thus, oxytocin increases the salience of cues that imply contamination, which leads to a faster response because these cues are especially relevant for survival.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The letters GHK are the one-letter codes for glycine, histidine and lysine, the three amino acids in the peptide. The suffix Cu indicates that the peptide is bound to a copper ion, normally copper(II).
The free tripeptide and its copper complex have been measured in human plasma, saliva, urine and some tissue extracts. Reported concentrations vary widely between studies, and the role of the complex in normal physiology remains partly unresolved.
The plain peptide lacks the metal, so its charge, colour and binding behaviour differ. The copper complex is blue and carries a bound copper ion, while the metal-free form is colourless and has different solution chemistry.
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or atomic absorption spectroscopy gives total copper after acid digestion. Combining that value with a peptide concentration from chromatography or amino acid analysis yields the metal-to-peptide ratio.