From conformons to human brains: an informal overview of nonlinear dynamics and its applications in biomedicine

Methods of contemporary physics are increasingly important for biomedical research but, for a multitude of diverse reasons, most practitioners of biomedicine lack access to a comprehensive knowledge of these modern methodologies. This paper is an attempt to describe nonlinear dynamics and its methods in a way that could be read and understood by biomedical professionals who usually are not trained in advanced mathematics. After an overview of basic concepts and vocabulary of nonlinear dynamics, deterministic chaos, and fractals, application of nonlinear methods of biosignal analysis is discussed. In particular, five case studies are presented: 1. Monitoring the depth of anaesthesia and of sedation; 2. Bright Light Therapy and Seasonal Affective Disorder; 3. Analysis of posturographic signals; 4. Evoked EEG and photo-stimulation; 5. Influence of electromagnetic fields generated by cellular phones

Pineal gland in rats with 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene-induced mammary tumors subjected to manipulations known as enhancers of pineal actions

The ultrastructure of pinealocytes was studied in rats with 7,17-dimethylbenz (a) anthraceneinduced manimary tumors which were subjected to experimental manipulations known as enhancers of pineal actions (anosmia, underfeeding or cold exposure). In these aniinals we found: (1) - more nuclei with deep nuclear invaginations; (11) - a large number of cytoplasmic organelles, including lipid droplets. myeloid bodies, synaptic ribbons and lysosomes; (111) - numerous degenerative changes. In general, we found an increase in structural features related to pineal photoneuroendocrine activity. Our results indicate that pineal-dependent inhibition of neoplastic growth induced by these experimental manipulations, previously reported, can be mediated through an increase in pineal metabolic activity

Magnetic brain stimulation upregulates adhesion and prevents EAE: MMP-2, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 in the choroid plexus as a target

We are most thankful to Prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld, head of Autoimmunity Center, Sheba Hospital at Tel Aviv, University in Israel, for critical and constructive comments on the manuscript. Thanks to Prof. B. Reljin and N. Stepanic, School of Informational Technology, Universirty of Belgrade for contribution in molecular images and computing analysis. Authors gratefully acknowledge the repeated gifts of the magnetic beads for magnetic brain stimulation of rats presented by Institute for Nuclear Physics, Vincha, Belgrade. Clinical signs appearance and significant increases of ICAM-1 and MMP-2 expressions with the clusters of VCAM-1(+) immunoreactivity in the choroids plexus epithelium to transferred anti-myelin oligodendroglial antibodies into the third brain ventricle, indicate important role of choroids plexus in the induction of acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Magnetic brain stimulation with AKMA micro-magnet flux density of 60 miliTesla, 5 mm in diameter, implanted upon the pineal gland (PG), immediately after antibody injection, significantly decreases the expression of MMP-2 and ICAM-1 in the choroids plexus of the rat brain and abruptly suppresses the induction of acute EAE