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Blue lotus, also known as Nymphaea caerulea (Nymphaeaceae), is a water lily found globally in lakes and rivers. With its long history of use in Egyptian culture, blue lotus has been associated with spiritual rituals and health benefits. Nowadays, blue lotus is still consumed as a tea or tincture to induce relaxation and heightened spiritual awareness. In this study, six authentic N. caerulea extracts from trusted sources and eleven commercial products were analyzed using gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Authentic blue lotus extracts were produced in industrial settings. Overall, the extracts were a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic alcohols, fatty acids, phenyl derivatives, diterpenoids, phytosterols, and stigmastanes. Apomorphine and nuciferine, which are responsible for psychoactive effects of the blue lotus flower, were virtually absent from the authentic blue lotus extract. Although blue lotus has a long history of use, the safety data on the plant and its extracts is limited; however, together with the analytical data, the available information does not indicate major safety concerns for the topical application of authentic blue lotus flower concrete or absolute when diluted as a fragrance ingredient.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Miller or Lavandula officinalis Chaix) is an ethnopharmacological plant commonly known as English lavender. Linalool and linalyl acetate are putative phytoactives in lavender essential oil (LEO) derived from the flower heads. LEO has been used in aroma or massage therapy to reduce sleep disturbance and to mitigate anxiety. Recently, an oral LEO formulation was administered in human clinical trials designed to ascertain its anxiolytic effect. However, human pharmacokinetics and an LC–MS/MS method for the measurement of linalool are lacking. To address this deficiency, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of linalool in human serum. Prior to the analysis, a simple sample preparation protocol including protein precipitation and liquid–liquid extraction of serum samples was created. The prepared samples were analyzed using a C18 reversed-phase column and gradient elution (acetonitrile and water, both containing 0.1% formic acid). A Waters Xevo TQ-S tandem mass spectrometer (positive mode) was used to quantitatively determine linalool and IS according to transitions of m/z 137.1→95.1 (tR 0.79 min) and 205.2→149.1 (tR 1.56 min), respectively. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, selectivity, linearity, sensitivity, matrix effects, and stability, and it was successfully applied to characterize the oral pharmacokinetics of linalool in humans. The newly developed LC–MS/MS-based method and its application in clinical trial serum samples are essential for the characterization of potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions.

In this article we illustrate what the contours of “Cliophysics” are. The term was coined by the “Cliometrics and Complexity” (CAC) team, composed of economists and physicists, and hosted by the Complex Systems Institute of ENS Lyon (IXXI). Cliophysics consists in the application of methodological tools from Complexity and Econophysics to the field of Economic history. More precisely, this new scientific challenge aims at combining Cliometrics, i.e. the application of economic modelling and econometrics to the field of Economic history, together with Complexity analysis and Econophysics. In this article, we highlight how using statistical signal processing, topological analysis and network analysis can enrich Cliometrics. To that end, we present three case studies taken from the research agenda developed within the CAC Team: 1) An original research in Cliophysics involving coïncidence analysis based on symbolic time series, aiming to revisit the classical standards of the link between public debt and economic growth in Economic history; 2) An approach in Cliophysics involving topological representations of asset markets networks, aiming to detect homogeneous eras of international monetary regimes; 3) An approach in Cliophysics involving the segmentation of multivariate time series derived from assets returns, aiming to allow for the identification of the structural breaks in the history of global capital markets. We provide evidence that Cliophysics 1) reveals new stylized facts in Economic history, 2) unveils key moments in the history of capital flows, different from the conventional view, and 3) fills a gap in historical analysis, by focusing on “structure matters in Economic history”.

Global financial crises trigger off amplification effects, which allow relatively small shocks to propagate through the whole financial system. For this reason, the range of Central banks policies is now widening beyond conventional monetary policies and lending of last resort. The aim of this paper is to establish a rule for this practice. The model is based on the formalization of funding conditions in various types of markets. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of the “unconventional monetary policies”, and especially quantify government bonds purchases by the Central bank.