Developing by Doubling

mitosis, your tosis, the complementary components of we.

The divisions by two in human gestation begin with a coming together of two gametes, an oocyte and a spermatocyte.

the resulting single zygote begins the cycle

and doubles to 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 cells, or blastula as they’re called in some circles. Other patterns mimicking the compliments of dark and light, down and up, night and day, winter and summer, also take place.

the 16-32 cell morula has an Inner Cell mass and an Outer cell mass.
the Inner develops into the embryoblast, the Outer into the trophoblast.
the embryoblast becomes embryonic stem cells, the trophoblast the placenta.
the embryonic stem cells become hypoblast and epiblast, together forming the bilaminar disk.

Inner - Outer
embryonic - placental
child - mother

Seeing as this metaphor both compliments the tao, cycles of time and human development, it will be used in defining human health, from the inside out.

Curiously, the doubling patterns end after 13 Days, then gastrulation begins, and the epiblast differentiates into the 3 germ layers, endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm.

Radially symmetrical creatures, starfish for example, typically have two germ layers, the endoderm and the ectoderm. Bilaterally symmetrical creatures, people for example, have three, with the addition of the mesoderm, which develops  in the space between the other two, helping to adhere them together as it moves them into position.

then the body develops from the inside out, the tubes of the nervous system, the heart and digestive tubes forming very early, the skin replacing the epithelial cells indicating the end of the embryonic period.

the circle, inside, represents the endoderm - pitta - fire
the triangle, in the middle, the mesoderm - kapha - earth & water
the thin rectangle, the outside, the ectoderm - vata - air & aether

Human biological rhythms by light

The body’s ticks and tocks

The Light Book: how natural and artificial light affect our health, mood and behaviour
by Jane Wegscheider Hyman, 1990

Ch 1 -

“Our bodies may begin measuring time before birth. In animals, and perhaps in humans, the fetus is first cued to the 24-hour cycle in the womb. Nutrients and hormones regularly cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the fetus. This flow from the mother, as well as her body temperature and activities, reflect her circadian rhythms, and the fetus cues its internal day according to hers.”

see also
Human Development and Fertility Cycles

The Abysmal Wheel of the Day

Midnight is placed at the bottom, to reflect the pattern of the Winter Solstice, the New Moon in their respective cycles in the Synaptic Reform Calendar.

Beginning around about midnight (individual experience guaranteed to vary)

00h00 prolactin (growth hormone) increases
02h00 body temperature at its lowest, melatonin at its highest, cortisal increases
05h00 adrenaline, heart rate and blood pressure increase
04h00 - 12h00 inflow of blood
06h00 prolactin decreases, cortisol peaks, heart rate increases
09h00 melatonin decreases, noradrenaline increases
11h00 - 12h00 sympathetic nervous system activity, and body temp. increase
15h00 blood pressure peaks
16h00 body temp. decreases, melatonin increases
22h00 blood pressure and heart rate decrease

“Researchers think that circadian rhythms are as old as life itself, enabling selected organisms to function in time to astronomical rhythms.”

10h00 - 12h00 concentration & short-term memory
13h00 - 18h00 sports, physical activity
17h00 - 21h00 practice, musical instrument
19h00 - 00h00 study & long-term memory

Zeitgeber = time giver = sunlight, the Sun

“The SCN [superchiasmatic neuclei] is called an oscillator or pacemaker because it sets the pace of the body’s various rhythms, keeping them coordinated with one another and with the Earth’s rotation.”

The SCN are connected with the pituitary and pineal glands, as well as the brain stem, which emit hormones to control the heart, adrenal glands, liver, kidneys and intestines.

“Other time cues, such as acoustic signals (e.g., an alarm clock) and a regular schedule of sleeping, waking and eating may help reinforce the Zeitgeiber.”

“The retina evolved as a protrusion of the brain. It functions, in part, as the starting point of the body’s circadian systems and appears to respond most sensitively to the green portion of the light spectrum. The retina’s light-receiving cells apparently change their structure during the day and may regulate the light information they receive.”

the eyes are most sensitive at twilight - dawn & dusk
at this time, the eyes calibrate the time of day with the season

“The retino-hypothalamic tract through which light transmits its time signals to the brain is separate from the visual pathway.”

pineal gland secretes melatonin circadianly, which in turn regulates the body’s circadian rhythm. This gland was thought to have evolved (if that’s your thing) from the reptilian parietal eye. In some species of reptile, the eye, which peeks through the top of the head, has a lens & retina.

the pineal gland is located in the centre of the brain.

29 Day cycle - skin cells rise to the surface of the skin.

Spring & Summer - heart responds better to exercise
Summer - lungs take in more oxygen

Seasonal changes in cortisol, testosterone, thyroxine and serotonin affects health, mood, sleep and sexuality.

the human immune system observes a circaseptan (7-day) cycle, however, it is thought to have been influenced by our observation of a 7-day week.

Our biological rhythms are affected by:
* artificial light
* electromagnetic fields
* stress
* chemicals (food additives, for example)
* medication
* jet lag

Ch 2 - Fertility & Childbirth

aquatic animals are tied to the rhythms of the Moon and Tides
mass breeding of aquatic species on the full moon
primate sexuality is active on the full moon
estruus and rutting have seasonal rhythms.

9 lunar cycles = 266 days

pineal gland tied to onset of puberty
ovary has melatonin receptor
menarche (onset of menstruation) at 12 1/2 years of age (9 - 18 years is normal)
in the Northern Hemisphere, menarche most often occurs in Winter.

gonadotrophins are scheduled by an hourly pulse from the hypothalamus.

light may also affect the onset of menopause (average 52 years of age)

Seasonal Peaks (in the Northern Hemisphere):
Dec Jan Feb - menarche
May - Aug/Sep + Oct - Dec - sexual activity
Mar - conception
Mar - Jun - estrogen target cells
Sep - Dec - testosterone

water breaks near New or Full Moon
labor begins & births in the dark hours

Ch 3 - Rhythms of Sleep

1 - waking to sleeping
2 - sleep
3 - deep sleep
4 - delta wave sleep
5 - REM

the nightly rhythm follows the pattern: 1-2-3-4-2-5-2-3-4-2-5-2-3-4-2-5-etc

REM
* burst of rapid eye movement
* face & limbs twitch
* heartbeat, respiration, blood pressure irregular
* penis/clitoris engorge
* uterus may increase, or contract
* intensely active Central Nervous System
* limbs remain paralysed

REM closely related to body temperature
* we spend more time in deep sleep in the Winter
* REM timing changes with the seasonal temperature
* newborns & infants 30-50% of sleep is REM
* adults 20% of sleep is REM
* from 6-8 or 9 hours a night is normal for an adult.

Ch 4 - Eating & Drinking

norepinephrine stimulates appetite
serotonin triggers satiety

chewing well allows for our feedback system to process what we’re eating, and when we’re satiated. Aids digestion.

glucose, insulin, cortisol, epidermal growth factor (EGF) in blood affect hunger
cortisol is highest just before eating

at Noon the body puts carbohydrates to use
recommended - carbohydrates in the AM, proteins in the PM

our metabolic rhythm peaks in the Winter, as do glucose and glycogen levels

06h00 - 11h00 greatest use of carbohydrates
12h00 - maximal use of carbohydrates
13h00 - peak in food metabolism
08h00 - peak in male alcohol metabolism
15h00 - peak in female alcohol metabolism

recommended - big breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner

Ch 5 - Mood & Behaviour

hibernate= to pass the winter

in Winter:
* awaken later
* eat more & heavier food
* gain weight

[bears build muscle mass while in hibernation].

Ch 6 - Skin & Bones

* ozone & the atmosphere filter out almost all Ultra-violet C (UVC), and most UVB.
* melanin in the skin filters out the rest.
* the more melanin, the darker the skin, the thicker the UV filter

UVB -> epidermis -> vitamin D -> liver, kidney, bone building
vitamin D = phosphorus & calcium balance

Every 10 Years we have a whole new skeleton.
osteoblasts + collage = bone
add calcium + phosphorus to harden the tissue

vitamin D encourages the intestines to absorb more calcium & phosphorus

UVB (and possible UVA) is linked to the development of cataracts.

Langerhans cell in the epidermis provide early warning to the immune system, and they are weakened by UV.
this can affect Vitamin A production.

Chronobiology

The life and times of Time and Life.

Introducing Biological Rhythms: a primer on the temporal organization of life, with implications for health, society, reproduction and natural environment
by Willard L. Koukkari & Robert B Sothern

Ch 1 - the study of the biology of rhythms

“Life moves in synchrony to the beat of locks and calendars, some outside he body, some within the very cells of all living things.”

“By definition, a rhythm is a change that is repeated with a similar pattern.”"

see also
Crowds and Power,
Language and Feet,
Cadence, Ratio and Ratiocination

“Accidents, catastrophes, and illnesses are inevitable when the time cycle of society does not heed the biological rules that underlie the rhythms of humans or other organisms.”

Three-Mile Island’s nuclear accident, Bhopal’s methyl isocyanate leak, the Exxon Valdez’ oil spill and Chernobyl’s nuclear disaster as well as a train collision in Western Canada on February 8th 1986 - all attributed to human error due to disrupted rhythms resulting from shift-work.

< 1 second - EEG (delta waves) & ECG
4 - 15 minutes - reaction time
75 - 100 minutes - pupillary motility
90 - 100 minutes - REM - NREM sleep
24 hours - body temperature, sleep-wake
7 days - organ transplant rejection
27 - 34 days - menstrual cycle

Ch 2 -

Equivalency

time frequency	time label	spectrum	wavelength
1 second	ultradian	ultraviolet	4 x 10 (17) s
1 minute
1 hour
1/2 day
1 day	Circadian	visible spectrum	4 - 8 x 10 (14) s
1/2 week	infradian	infrared	5 x 10 (11) s
1 week
1 month
1 year		ultrasound	1 x 10 (9) s
11 years		audible sound	1 x 10 (5) s
1 century		infrasound	1 x 10 (3) s

Human rhythms:
core temperature - 64 +/- 8 minutes
sleep EEG - 80-120 minutes
insulin - 6-10 & 140 minutes

Superchiasmatic Nuclei (SCN)

“Anatomically, this area [SCN] is located above the optic chiasm where the two optic nerves cross and include two clumps of nuclei, each containing about 10, 000 neurons.”

rhodopsin - opsin based visual pigment of rods & cones
melanopsin - same mRNA in it & SCN & retinal ganglion

Retinohypothalamic Tract (RHT)
terminates at the SCN
glutamate & PACAP (a polypeptide) involved

Ch 3 -

“Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins, it is we mortals who ring bells and fire pistols.”
–Thomas Mann

bases for calendars:

Sun, Moon, stars & planets
River flooding
Shadows (sundials)
water flow

Prime Meridian and Time Zones introduced in 1884
Daylight Savings Time introduced with WWI
US moved up the Spring Daylight Savings Date in 1986

Ch 4 -

“Time is very bankrupt and owes more than he’s worth to season.
Nay, he’s a thief too: have you not heard men say,
that Time comes stealing on by night and day?”
– William Shakespeare

“Today, the trends of urbanization and the utilization of electrical power and rapid transportation shield most of us from witnessing much of the seasonal biological diversity found in nature.”

photoperiodism - seasonal changes to light
“response of an organism to the timing and duration of light and dark.”

Ch 5 -

“Time, space, and causality are only metaphors of knowledge, with which we explain things to ourselves.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche

attractor
bifurcation
unstable, neutrally stable and stable focus
isochron
saddle point
node
singularity

Ch 6 -

12.4 hour circatidal cycle
24.8 hour circalunidian (lunar day)
29.5 days circalunar

Ch 10 -

“The clock, not the steam engine, is the key machine of the modern industrial age…even today no other machine is so ubiquitous.”
–Lewis Mumford

Ch 11 -

observe one’s own:
body temperature, mood, vigor, perception of elapsed time, heart rate, blood pressure, speed of adding, short-term memory.

Human Development and Fertility Cycles

from Birth to Reproduction and Conception

There are differing theories on the periodicity of women’s menstrual periods. Our urban environment, that in which the majority of the world’s people now live, becomes increasingly anthropocentric, as our points of reference are increasingly objects and technology that we have devised and created, as opposed to that into which we were born.

with the paradigm shift towards the anthropocentric, the relationship between menstrual cycles and cycles of the Moon, tides, and so on become increasingly disrupted.

It is generally accepted to be related to the phases of the Moon (29.53 Days from New Moon to New Moon), averaging about 28 Days. This latter number is a suitable representation for the menstrual cycle, the 28-Day Month of the Reform Calendar. The Lunar Calendar tracks the Moon, such that both cycles may be observed on the Calendar.

Given that every women’s experience is unique, these numbers are merely representational.

If we begin the Menstrual Cycle at Menstruaton, the 28-Days look like this:

Week 1: Menstruation
*Eumenorrhea - usually 3 to 5 but still normal at 2 to 7 Days.
*blood and sometimes endmetrium are shed.

Week 2: Follicular Phase
*5 t o7 ovarian follicles enter the cycle, compete with one another, until one remains, developing into an oocyte (ovum/egg).
*uterine endometrium begins development

Days 13-14-15 (midpoint): Ovulation
* the oocyte breaks out of the follicle in the ovary.
* heightened sense of smell

Week 3 & 4: Luteal Phase
*body temperature rises ~1/2 degree.
*endometrium swells and eventually sheds at the beginning of the next Cycle

if the oocyte should meet the spermatocyte of her dreams:

the Menstrual Cycle follows a pattern comparable to the amount of daylight through the Year, the change of Seasons, the phases of the Moon, Tides, and the Cycle of Life, for which it is the beginning before the beginning.

If these averages are considered with respect to the annual calendar, correlating the cycle of ovulation with the 28-Day Month, then the peak occurs at the midpoint, on the Weekend.

The Weekday symbolism can also be applied to ovulation and fertility in general. Saturday, represented by Saturn, the cthonic Roman deity, and the Chinese element Earth, could be seen as the mud of the physical, the womb.
Sunday, the Sun, the breath and fire of life that set the process of human development into motion.

symbolically speaking.

In physical terms, it still takes a man and a woman, an oocyte and a spermatocyte, to decide to play together.

Curiously, if the Menstrual Cycle were to begin at the Winter Solstice, and the oocyte were fertilised, then the child would be born at about the Autumnal Equinox.

Gestation to Year in Days = 260:364 = 5:7
Menstruation + Gestation to Year in Days = 273:364 = 3:4

Our Body in Time

Growth Development Progression Evolution Diversification

An initial consideration of source material for further research into Health, Sunlight and Time - it may very closely resemble a salt-shaker of jargon and foreign words spilled across the screen - so it begins.

Chinese:
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the yin and Yang forces of the Tao as well as the five elements Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth are used to represent qualities of foods, their taste, effect on the body as well as the divisions of time.

the 64 hexagram structure of the I-Ching represents the linear and radial symmetries in the patterns  of ebbing and flowing light. It also has equivalence with the initial doubling of the fertilized egg beginning pregnancy. At 64 cells, major structural changes begin. DNA has 64-codons.

consider:
Calendar - Zodiac - 5 Elements - the Tao - I-Ching - DNA codons - gestation
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Japan:
Macrobiotic cooking uses the seasons as a basis for diet, among many other stipulations. As the most developed macrobiotic culture is in Japan, it may be possible to link this through to Traditional Chinese Medicine through the commonalities in the Calendar.

consider:
Calendar - Zodiac - 5 Elements - Macrobiotics
Traditional Japanese Medicine

India:
In Ayurvedic Medicine, the Day is divided into Prana, 1 respiration or breath, or 4 seconds by the clock. This isn’t the average length of a breath, nor the ideal length of a breath, but a representation time for a breath. The Ayurvedic system has five elements as well, Space, Water, Air, Fire, Earth with  equivalencies to the Chinese elements. They also relate these elements to the flavours of food and their properties.

However, the Ayurvedic system is based on the body’s approximate ratio of levels of development of tissues, glands, organs with respect to their embryonic tissue of origin: Kapha, Pitta, Vata (aka the endoderm, the mesoderm, the ectoderm).

consider
Calendar - Zodiac - 5 Elements -
Ayurveda

Mexico, Guatemala, Belize:
The Mayan 260-Day Calendar, divided into 20 periods of 13 Days each (among other divisions), measures certain early patterns in the development of the human embryo.

In the 2nd period of 13 Days;
Gastrulation! the primitive streak show up, and the  membranes differentiate. Most notably, the nervous system begins development, ending at this stage with the enclosure of the forebrain by the zippering up of the neural tube by the last pair of somites.

This period relates most significantly with the Ayurvedic system.

The 260-Days is  5/7 of a Year.  The waxing and waning of the Sun’s light by Day and time of Year, the Moon’s by Lunation, and the Planets’ reflected light by synodic period may have a direct effect on the developing embryo and fetus as well as one through the Mother’s perception of these phenomena.

consider:
Tzolkin - gestation -
Traditional Mayan Medicine

Brain:
In particular, the pineal gland, buried deep in the centre of our brains, is key to the hypothalamus’ regulation of our bodies according to the amount of daily and annual sunlight. In other species, lizards in particular, the pineal body has light sensitive cells very similar  in structure and function to retinal cells.

The field of chronobiology offers the most intriguing scientific approach to the relationship between living beings and natural periods.

consider:
chronobiology - brain function - diurnal cycle

Time and Health

The Next Cycle - a Pre-logue.

TheAbysmal Year -7: Gregorian Year December 22 2005 - December 20 2006, has seen the development of a 13-Month Calendar to Re-form the International Standard Measure of Days to replace the Gregorian Calendar. The structure of the 13-Month Calendar was used to schedule the development of this project.

TheAbysmal Year -6: Dec 22 2006 - Dec 20 2007
the intention is to develop a cohesive holistic model of time, health, and urban living, with the Reform Calendar’s structure as the skeleton upon the which is to rest.

Most of the information contained herein was principally inspired by the Mayan Factor, by Jose Arguelles, the Tortuga and Law of Time 13-Moon change for peace movements. A holistic model of healthy living, within the limits of our environment, with the calendar as the central structure in the name of Peace, has been developed, and continues to grow.

TheAbysmal Reform Calendar seeks to use the structure of the most eloquently constructed Calendar system to offer as the International Standard, while still allowing for localised & individualised names for months, glyphs, years, and so on.

The New Year shall see the investigation of Human Development from Birth through Death, and mapping it onto the calendar, as well as creating a holistic model of dietary and preventative health based on diet, the time of year, the amount of daylight and so on, as with Chinese Traditional Medicine, Ayurveda and Macrobiotic Diets.

More recipes, particularly with fresh herbs, seeds, and flowers.

Time & Health Articles Previously Published:
Space Time & Medicine - book excerpts
Definition of Health
Gestation Time & Health - 260-Day Gestation, 260-Day Calendar
In Utero, Ex Utero - 260 Days, Weeks, Months, Years, Centuries
Ayurveda and the 3 embryonic membranes
Ayurveda and Allopathic Medicines
The 5s of Traditional Chinese Medicine
360 degrees of Space & Time

2230 Days until Inception

360 degrees of Space and Time

Calendar Reform: Mapping the Day to the Night

Having explored different cultural traditions in the dividing of the day, particularly where it reflects patterns of division and symbols used for larger measures of time, as with the Chinese Zodiac Animals marking hours, months and years.

Of particular interest, the Hindu division, Prana, equivalent to 4 seconds and considered the period for 1 respiration and how it works with the 360-Day Calendar currently in development as part of the Synaptic Calendar Project.

Dividing the Day
Mesopotamian Numberology
360-Days Divided
Using respiration for a basis of time measures seems about as fundamental as using a heartbeat, the Sun, Moon, Stars, or walking cadence to regulate time. It further reinforces the ties between Time, our Body and Health, as explored in:

Human Gestation, Time & Health
In Utero and Ex Utero
Space, Time and Medicine
In Reforming the Calendar, there is little doubt that the daily division will change from the currently standard 24 hours of 60 minutes of 60 seconds. As this most closely corresponds to the structure with the 360-Day Calendar, this will remain the focus of comparison.

24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds = 86, 400 seconds per day
86, 400 / 4 = 21, 600 respirations per day
86, 400 / 360 = 240 seconds per degree = 4 minutes per degree

1 respiration = 4 seconds

of a 24-Hour Day:
1 degree = 4 minutes

of the 360-Day Calendar
1 degree = 1 Day of 360 Calendar Days
1 degree = 72 Years of 25, 920 Years of the Precession of the Equinoxes
72 Years = 25, 920 Calendar Days (360-Day Calendar)

Circle	24-Hour Day	360-Day Calendar	Precessions	Ratio	Reduced
1 degree	4 Mins	1 Day	72 Years	1/360
15 degs	1 Hour	15 Days	1, 080 Yrs	15/360	1/24
30 degs	2 Hrs	30 Days	2, 160 Yrs	30/360	1/12
45 degs	3 Hrs	45 Days	3, 240 Yrs	45/360	1/8
60 degs	4 Hrs	60 Days	4, 320 Yrs	60/360	1/6
180 degs	12 Hrs	180 Days	12, 960 Yrs	180/360	1/2
360 degs	24 Hrs	360 Days	25, 920 Yrs	360/360	1

In keeping with the Abysmal symbolism, the Day begins at Midnight at the International Date Line - the Darkest part of Day over the Greatest stretch of Ocean. Perfectly Abysmal.

The 12-Hour analog clock is a preferable device, as its arms indicate the progression in a circular patter, whereas digital time displays progress linearly. Yet, with the digital display, the Day begins at Hour 0 before progressing to 1 AM. This numbering system is proposed for the counting of Days, Months and Years, as described in Why Number from 0?
The Circle, as the Ellipse, the Orbit and the Cycles of Water, Life, and Time, continue to provide a fundamental structure upon which to base, divide, subdivide
and catagorise time, space and life.

The projection of the Circle into 3-dimensions creates another series of structures, including the Sphere and the Spiral, both of which describe differing aspects of the movement of celestial bodies as used to measure time.

Perhaps we shall invest more energy in developing spherical timepieces.

In Utero and Ex Utero

The Ins and Outs of timing gestation.

A few assumptions:
* the average human gestation period is approximately 260 days
* the physical universe has holographic properties of self-similarity across orders of magnitude

The period of 260-days, as measured by one of the Mayan calendars, is divided into several shorter lapses of time.
13–day and 20-day periods, combining for the total of 260 days, are used as the basis of the smaller periods, 4- and 5-days typically.

In the Mayan system, the 13-day periods (hereafter “fortnights”) are represented by the numbers 1 to 13; the 20-day periods are represented by 20 sequential glyphs, or images, or symbols.

In terms of human gestation, the embryo finishes developing by week 8, equivalent to days 50 - 56, which falls somewhere between the end of fortnight 4 (52 days) and fortnight 5 (up to 65 days).

For more detail on the in utero development, see also
gestation time & health
definition of health for the masses
space time and health

and
260-Day Calendar
Mayan Sacred Calendar

260-days measures the time of a human developing from a zygote to a baby.
The number 260 can also be used to measure other lapses of time, reflecting self-similarity across scale.

using the 13-month calendar structure (13 months of 28 days with 1 day observed as an intercalary day), the following patterns can be observed:

13 x 20 days = 260 days - human gestation
260 weeks = 5 years - human infancy
260 months = 20 years - human maturation

52 days
52 weeks = 1 year
52 months = 4 years

Numerically speaking, it would suit to use 52-days as the measure of embryonic development.

Thus 260-day calendar measures the period in utero, the 13-month calendar measures ex utero. Somewhere in all that, the lunar cycles weave everything together in sinewy spirals.

To be continued…

halitosis

causes for bad breath.

the 5s of Chinese Medicine

elements and their anatomical correspondences.

Metal	Water	Wood	Fire	Earth
west	north	east	south	centre
autumn	winter	spring	summer	late summer
dry	cold	wind	heat	damp
harvest	storage	generation	growth	bloom
lesser yin	lesser yin	lesser Yang	greater Yang	arriving yin
lungs	kidneys	liver	heart	spleen
large intestine	bladder	gall bladder	small intestine	stomach
skin	bones	sinew	vessels	muscles
nose	ears	eyes	tongue	mouth
body hair	hair	nails	face	lips
white	black	blue	red	yellow
so	la	do	re	mi
cry	moan	shout	laugh	sing
pungent	salt	sour	bitter	sweet
sorrow	fear	anger	joy	thought
fishy	rancid	rammish	burned	fragrant