Similarity Of Effects On EEG Parameters Of Aramaic, Greek Catholic And Krishnaic Prayers

The neurotropic effects of Prayer are manifested in two inhibitory and three activating patterns. The first inhibitory pattern reflects the decrease in elevated and upper limit levels of SPD of θ-and δ-rhythm in frontal loci and the second - decrease in normal SPD levels of β-and θ-rhythm in the frontal, central, temporal and parietal loci. The first activating pattern reflects a small increase in normal levels of β-rhythm index and asymmetry and SPD entropy in locus C3, as well as a further increase in elevated δ-rhythm SPD levels in loci P3 and T3. The second pattern reflects the slight increase in normal SPD levels of θ-rhythm in loci T3, T5, T6, O2 and α-rhythm in locus T5, as well as their indices and entropy SPD in locus O2. The third pattern reflects a slight increase in amplitude and SPD of α-rhythm in central, frontal, temporal and occipital loci

Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Functionality in the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus.

Ergothioneine (EGT; 2-mercaptohistidine trimethylbetaine) is a trimethylated and sulphurised histidine derivative which exhibits antioxidant properties. Here we report that deletion of Aspergillus fumigatus egtA (AFUA_2G15650), which encodes a trimodular enzyme, abrogated EGT biosynthesis in this opportunistic pathogen. EGT biosynthetic deficiency in A. fumigatus significantly reduced resistance to elevated H2O2 and menadione, respectively, impaired gliotoxin production and resulted in attenuated conidiation. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed substantial proteomic remodelling in ΔegtA compared to wild-type under both basal and ROS conditions, whereby the abundance of 290 proteins was altered. Specifically, the reciprocal differential abundance of cystathionine γ-synthase and β-lyase, respectively, influenced cystathionine availability to effect EGT biosynthesis. A combined deficiency in EGT biosynthesis and the oxidative stress response regulator Yap1, which led to extreme oxidative stress susceptibility, decreased resistance to heavy metals and production of the extracellular siderophore triacetylfusarinine C and increased accumulation of the intracellular siderophore ferricrocin. EGT dissipated H2O2 in vitro, and elevated intracellular GSH levels accompanied abrogation of EGT biosynthesis. EGT deficiency only decreased resistance to high H2O2 levels which suggests functionality as an auxiliary antioxidant, required for growth at elevated oxidative stress conditions. Combined, these data reveal new interactions between cellular redox homeostasis, secondary metabolism and metal ion homeostasis

Perspectives on the use of electrostimulation with the device “VEB”® in the management of disorders related to COVID-19

Background. One of the symptoms of COVID-19 is the so-called "cytokine storm". Its pathogenesis is that the initial release by lymphocytes and macrophages of proinflammatory cytokines in the classical immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is significantly enhanced and maintained due to excessive adrenergic stimulation of the immune cells. The proinflammatory adrenergic mechanism of the "cytokine storm" can be offset by the activation of the anti-inflammatory cholinergic mechanism by non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nuclei (VNS). In 2015, a generator for electrotherapy and stimulation oh human nerve centers was created, called “VEB-1”. Preliminary observation of volunteers revealed a modulating effect of a four-day course of electrical stimulation on the parameters of electroencephalogram, metabolism, as well as gas-discharge visualization (GDV).. This report launches a series of articles on a comparative study of the course effects of the devices "VEB-1" and recently designed "VEB-2" on the sympathetic-vagal balance as key link of pathogenesis of "cytokine storm". Material and research methods. The object of observation were 18 volunteers: 11 women 33-62 y and 7 men 29-62 y (Mean±SD: 51±12 y) without clinical diagnose but with dysfunction of neuro-endocrine-immune complex and metabolism. In the morning registered HRV (“CardioLab+HRV”, “KhAI-Medica”, Kharkiv, UA), EEG (“NeuroCom Standard”, “KhAI-Medica”, Kharkiv, UA), kirlianogram by the method of GDV (“GDV Chamber”, “Biotechprogress”, SPb, RF), electroconductivity of skin in points of acupuncture (“Medissa”), electrokinetic index of buccal epithelium ("Biotest", Kharkiv State University), as well as some parameters of immunity and metabolism. After the initial testing, an electrical stimulation session was performed with a VEB-1 or a VEB-2 devices. The next morning after completing the four-day course, retesting was performed. Results. The effects of electrical stimulation can be divided into the following networks. Regarding EEG, this is a leveling of right-hand lateralization and normalizing decrease in the increased of the amplitude of the θ-rhythm and its spectral power density (SPD) at the loci F3, F7, F8, T3, T4, T6, P3, O1 and O2; further increase of SPD of δ-rhythm in loci F3, F4, T6, P3 and O1 as well as further decrease of SPD F4-α; reversion of the increased level of entropy in loci Fp1, F4, C3 and P3 to the lowered level. Regarding HRV, it is a vagotonic shift of sympatho-vagus balance due to a decrease in elevated levels of sympathetic tone markers and an increase in decreased levels of vagus tone markers, but without normalization. Neurotropic effects are accompanied by favorable changes in a number of immune parameters and a tendency to decrease the level of C-Reactive Protein. Regarding GDV, it is almost complete normalization of the initially increased GDI Area in the frontal projection and third Chakra Energy; normalizing decrease in the initially increased Energy of second and seventh Chakras; normalizing right-hand shift of more or less pronounced left-sided Asymmetry of first and third Chakra. These effects should be clearly interpreted as physiologically beneficial. The effects on these parameters are almost equally pronounced in people of both sexes when using both devices. Conclusion. Vagotonic and immunotropic effects of our device give us a reason to offer it for further research on the leveling of cytokine storm in COVID-19

Scale and Edge Detection with Topological Derivatives

A typical task of image segmentation is to partition a given image into regions of homogeneous property. In this paper we focus on the problem of further detecting scales of discontinuities of the image. The approach uses a recently developed iterative numerical algorithm for minimizing the Mumford-Shah functional which is based on topological derivatives. For the scale selection we use a squared norm of the gradient at edge points. During the iteration progress, the square norm, as a function varied with iteration numbers, provides information about different scales of the discontinuity sets. For realistic image data, the graph of the norm function is regularized by using total variation minimization to provide stable separation. We present the details of the algorithm and document various numerical experiments

Aspergillus Cell Wall Melanin Blocks LC3-Associated Phagocytosis to Promote Pathogenicity

Concealing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) is a principal strategy used by fungi to avoid immune recognition. Surface exposure of PAMPs during germination can leave the pathogen vulnerable. Accordingly, beta-glucan surface exposure during Aspergillus fumigatus germination activates an Atg5-dependent autophagy pathway termed LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), which promotes fungal killing. We found that LAP activation also requires the genetic, biochemical or biological (germination) removal of A. fumigatus cell wall melanin. The attenuated virulence of melanin-deficient A. fumigatus is restored in Atg5-deficient macrophages and in mice upon conditional inactivation of Atg5 in hematopoietic cells. Mechanistically, Aspergillus melanin inhibits NADPH oxidase-dependent activation of LAP by excluding the p22phox subunit from the phagosome. Thus, two events that occur concomitantly during germination of airborne fungi, surface exposure of PAMPs and melanin removal, are necessary for LAP activation and fungal killing. LAP blockade is a general property of melanin pigments, a finding with broad physiological implications

Liturgy affects the parameters of gas discharge visualization, acupuncture points and neuro-endocrine-immune complex

Background. The impact of religion on the human body has been the subject of a number of studies, including ours. The proposed article is a continuation of them. Purpose of the study: to detect in the supervised observation the characteristic effects of the Liturgy on some biophysical and physiological parameters of healthy people. Materials and methods. Under a observations were 10 healthy men by age 26-56 years. In the morning in basale condicions registered parameters of Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV), electroskin conductivity of Points Acupuncture (CPA), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Leukocytogram, phagocytic function of neutrophils as well as anxiety and plasma levels of main adaptive hormones: Cortisol, Triiodothyronine and Testosterone. After testing, one volunteer went to a chapel to attend a half-hour Liturgy, and another volunteer was in the park nearby, serving as a control. After that, both participants returned to their duties, and after 1 hour all tests were repeated. Results. The characteristic effects of the Liturgy are: minimization the decrease in CPA TR(X) and G8Dg on the right, reactive anxiety, cortisolemia and one marker of vagal tone; limitation the increase in the area of the GDV in the frontal projection and the intensity of phagocytosis; initiation an increase in plasma testosterone, entropy of the leukocytogram and the proportion of rod-core neutrophils, as well as reversion the decrease in the tone of the vagus and the decrease of the energy of the virtual seventh chakra, which takes place in the control group. Conclusion. Liturgy affects the parameters of gas discharge visualization, acupuncture points and neuro-endocrine-immune complex in healthy men