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Irastorza-Valera L, Soria-Gómez E, Benitez JM, Montáns FJ, Saucedo-Mora L. Review of the Brain's Behaviour after Injury and Disease for Its Application in an Agent-Based Model (ABM). Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:362. [PMID: 38921242 PMCID: PMC11202129 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9060362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain is the most complex organ in the human body and, as such, its study entails great challenges (methodological, theoretical, etc.). Nonetheless, there is a remarkable amount of studies about the consequences of pathological conditions on its development and functioning. This bibliographic review aims to cover mostly findings related to changes in the physical distribution of neurons and their connections-the connectome-both structural and functional, as well as their modelling approaches. It does not intend to offer an extensive description of all conditions affecting the brain; rather, it presents the most common ones. Thus, here, we highlight the need for accurate brain modelling that can subsequently be used to understand brain function and be applied to diagnose, track, and simulate treatments for the most prevalent pathologies affecting the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Irastorza-Valera
- E.T.S. de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pza. Cardenal Cisneros 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (L.I.-V.); (J.M.B.); (F.J.M.)
- PIMM Laboratory, ENSAM–Arts et Métiers ParisTech, 151 Bd de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Edgar Soria-Gómez
- Achúcarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain;
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi, 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - José María Benitez
- E.T.S. de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pza. Cardenal Cisneros 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (L.I.-V.); (J.M.B.); (F.J.M.)
| | - Francisco J. Montáns
- E.T.S. de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pza. Cardenal Cisneros 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (L.I.-V.); (J.M.B.); (F.J.M.)
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Luis Saucedo-Mora
- E.T.S. de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pza. Cardenal Cisneros 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (L.I.-V.); (J.M.B.); (F.J.M.)
- Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
- Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Sergi A, Messina A, Vicario CM, Martino G. A Quantum-Classical Model of Brain Dynamics. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:e25040592. [PMID: 37190380 PMCID: PMC10138112 DOI: 10.3390/e25040592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The study of the human psyche has elucidated a bipartite structure of logic reflecting the quantum-classical nature of the world. Accordingly, we posited an approach toward studying the brain by means of the quantum-classical dynamics of a mixed Weyl symbol. The mixed Weyl symbol can be used to describe brain processes at the microscopic level and, when averaged over an appropriate ensemble, can provide a link to the results of measurements made at the meso and macro scale. Within this approach, quantum variables (such as, for example, nuclear and electron spins, dipole momenta of particles or molecules, tunneling degrees of freedom, and so on) can be represented by spinors, whereas the electromagnetic fields and phonon modes can be treated either classically or semi-classically in phase space by also considering quantum zero-point fluctuations. Quantum zero-point effects can be incorporated into numerical simulations by controlling the temperature of each field mode via coupling to a dedicated Nosé-Hoover chain thermostat. The temperature of each thermostat was chosen in order to reproduce quantum statistics in the canonical ensemble. In this first paper, we introduce a general quantum-classical Hamiltonian model that can be tailored to study physical processes at the interface between the quantum and the classical world in the brain. While the approach is discussed in detail, numerical calculations are not reported in the present paper, but they are planned for future work. Our theory of brain dynamics subsumes some compatible aspects of three well-known quantum approaches to brain dynamics, namely the electromagnetic field theory approach, the orchestrated objective reduction theory, and the dissipative quantum model of the brain. All three models are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Sergi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Institute of Systems Science, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Antonino Messina
- Dipartimento di Matematica ed Informatica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 34, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Carmelo M Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e degli Studi Culturali, Università degli Studi di Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriella Martino
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Clinica Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Messina, A.O.U. "G. Martino", Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Alachkar A. Aromatic patterns: Tryptophan aromaticity as a catalyst for the emergence of life and rise of consciousness. Phys Life Rev 2022; 42:93-114. [PMID: 35905538 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sunlight held the key to the origin of life on Earth. The earliest life forms, cyanobacteria, captured the sunlight to generate energy through photosynthesis. Life on Earth evolved in accordance with the circadian rhythms tied to sensitivity to sunlight patterns. A unique feature of cyanobacterial photosynthetic proteins and circadian rhythms' molecules, and later of nearly all photon-sensing molecules throughout evolution, is that the aromatic amino acid tryptophan (Trp) resides at the center of light-harvesting active sites. In this perspective, I review the literature and integrate evidence from different scientific fields to explore the role Trp plays in photon-sensing capabilities of living organisms through its resonance delocalization of π-electrons. The observations presented here are the product of apparently unrelated phenomena throughout evolution, but nevertheless share consistent patterns of photon-sensing by Trp-containing and Trp-derived molecules. I posit the unique capacity to transfer electrons during photosynthesis in the earliest life forms is conferred to Trp due to its aromaticity. I propose this ability evolved to assume more complex functions, serving as a host for mechanisms underlying mental aptitudes - a concept which provides a theoretical basis for defining the neural correlates of consciousness. The argument made here is that Trp aromaticity may have allowed for the inception of the mechanistic building blocks used to fabricate complexity in higher forms of life. More specifically, Trp aromatic non-locality may have acted as a catalyst for the emergence of consciousness by instigating long-range synchronization and stabilizing the large-scale coherence of neural networks, which mediate functional brain activity. The concepts proposed in this perspective provide a conceptual foundation that invites further interdisciplinary dialogue aimed at examining and defining the role of aromaticity (beyond Trp) in the emergence of life and consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Abstract
Uncertainty is an intrinsic part of life; most events, affairs, and questions are uncertain. A key problem in behavioral sciences is how the mind copes with uncertain information. Quantum probability theory offers a set of principles for inference, which align well with intuition about psychological processes in certain cases: cases when it appears that inference is contextual, the mental state changes as a result of previous judgments, or there is interference between different possibilities. We motivate the use of quantum theory in cognition and its key characteristics. For each of these characteristics, we review relevant quantum cognitive models and empirical support. The scope of quantum cognitive models encompasses fallacies in decision-making (such as the conjunction fallacy or the disjunction effect), question order effects, conceptual combination, evidence accumulation, perception, over-/underdistribution effects in memory, and more. Quantum models often formalize psychological ideas previously expressed in heuristic terms, allow unified explanations of previously disparate findings, and have led to several surprising, novel predictions. We also cast a critical eye on quantum models and consider some of their shortcomings and issues regarding their further development. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology, Volume 73 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel M Pothos
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom;
| | - Jerome R Busemeyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA;
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Li T, Tang H, Zhu J, Zhang JH. The finer scale of consciousness: quantum theory. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2019; 7:585. [PMID: 31807566 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2019.09.09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Consciousness is a multidisciplinary problem that has puzzled all human beings since the origin of human life. Being defined in various pointcuts by philosophers, biologists, physicists, and neuroscientists, the definitive explanation of consciousness is still suspending. The nature of consciousness has taken great evolution by centering on the behavioral and neuronal correlates of perception and cognition, for example, the theory of Neural Correlates of Consciousness, the Global Workspace Theory, the Integrated Information Theory. While tremendous progress has been achieved, they are not enough if we are to understand even basic facts-how and where does the consciousness emerge. The Quantum mechanics, a thriving branch of physics, has an inseparable relationship with consciousness (e.g., observer effect) since Planck created this subject and its derived quantum consciousness theory can perfectly fill this gap. In this review, we briefly introduce some consciousness hypotheses derived from quantum mechanics and focus on the framework of orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR), including its principal points and practicality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianwen Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Huashan Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, the Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Hailiang Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Huashan Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, the Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Jianhong Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University Huashan Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, the Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - John H Zhang
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA
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Inchauspe AÁ. Solitons: A Cutting-Edge Scientific Proposal Explaining the Mechanisms of Acupuntural Action. Chin Med 2018. [DOI: 10.4236/cm.2018.91002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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7
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Tressoldi P. Emergence of qualia from brain activity or from an interaction of proto-consciousness with the brain: which one is the weirder? Available evidence and a research agenda. SCIENCEOPEN RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.14293/s2199-1006.1.sor-socsci.ay054b.v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
This contribution to the science of consciousness aims at comparing how two different theories can explain the emergence of different qualia experiences: meta-awareness, meta-cognition, the placebo effect, out-of-body experiences, cognitive therapy, meditation-induced brain changes, etc. The first theory postulates that qualia experiences derive from specific neural patterns, and the second one that qualia experiences derive from the interaction of a proto-consciousness with the brain’s neural activity. From this comparison, it will be possible to judge which one seems to better explain the different qualia experiences and to offer a more promising research agenda.
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Choi JR, Kim D, Menouar S, Sever R, Abdalla MS. Classical analysis of time behavior of radiation fields associated with biophoton signals. Technol Health Care 2016; 24 Suppl 2:S577-85. [PMID: 27163320 DOI: 10.3233/thc-161184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Propagation of photon signals in biological systems, such as neurons, accompanies the production of biophotons. The role of biophotons in a cell deserves special attention because it can be applied to diverse optical systems. OBJECTIVE This work has been aimed to investigate the time behavior of biophoton signals emitted from living systems in detail, by introducing a Hamiltonian that describes the process. The ratio of the energy loss during signal dissipation will also be investigated. METHOD To see the adiabatic properties of the biophoton signal, we introduced an adiabatic invariant of the system according to the method of its basic formulation. RESULTS The energy of the released biophoton dissipates over time in a somewhat intricate way when t is small. However, after a sufficient long time, it dissipates in proportion (1+λ_0t)^2 to where λ_0 is a constant that is relevant to the degree of dissipation. We have confirmed that the energy of the biophoton signal oscillates in a particular way while it dissipates. CONCLUSION This research clarifies the characteristics of radiation fields associated with biophotons on the basis of Hamiltonian dynamics which describes phenomenological aspects of biophotons signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Ryeol Choi
- Department of Radiologic Technology, Daegu Health College, Daegu, Korea
| | - Daeyeoul Kim
- National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Yuseong-daero 1689-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Salah Menouar
- Laboratory of Optoelectronics and Compounds, Departement of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ferhat Abbas Setif, Setif, Algeria
| | - Ramazan Sever
- Department of Physics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - M Sebawe Abdalla
- Mathematics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Martínez-Martínez I, Sánchez-Burillo E. Quantum stochastic walks on networks for decision-making. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23812. [PMID: 27030372 PMCID: PMC4815055 DOI: 10.1038/srep23812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent experiments report violations of the classical law of total probability and incompatibility of certain mental representations when humans process and react to information. Evidence shows promise of a more general quantum theory providing a better explanation of the dynamics and structure of real decision-making processes than classical probability theory. Inspired by this, we show how the behavioral choice-probabilities can arise as the unique stationary distribution of quantum stochastic walkers on the classical network defined from Luce's response probabilities. This work is relevant because (i) we provide a very general framework integrating the positive characteristics of both quantum and classical approaches previously in confrontation, and (ii) we define a cognitive network which can be used to bring other connectivist approaches to decision-making into the quantum stochastic realm. We model the decision-maker as an open system in contact with her surrounding environment, and the time-length of the decision-making process reveals to be also a measure of the process' degree of interplay between the unitary and irreversible dynamics. Implementing quantum coherence on classical networks may be a door to better integrate human-like reasoning biases in stochastic models for decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Martínez-Martínez
- Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE), Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eduardo Sánchez-Burillo
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza and Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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10
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Cosic I, Lazar K, Cosic D. Prediction of Tubulin Resonant Frequencies Using the Resonant Recognition Model (RRM). IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2015; 14:491-496. [DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2014.2365851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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11
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Cosic I, Cosic D, Lazar K. Is it possible to predict electromagnetic resonances in proteins, DNA and RNA? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1140/epjnbp/s40366-015-0020-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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12
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Bawden D, Robinson L, Siddiqui T. “Potentialities or possibilities”: Towards quantum information science? J Assoc Inf Sci Technol 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/asi.23192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Bawden
- Centre for Information Science; City University London; Northampton Square London United Kingdom
| | - Lyn Robinson
- Centre for Information Science; City University London; Northampton Square London United Kingdom
| | - Tyabba Siddiqui
- Centre for Information Science; City University London; Northampton Square London United Kingdom
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13
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Trueblood JS, Pothos EM, Busemeyer JR. Quantum probability theory as a common framework for reasoning and similarity. Front Psychol 2014; 5:322. [PMID: 24782814 PMCID: PMC3990050 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Trueblood
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Jerome R Busemeyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA
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14
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Tang R, Dai J. Spatiotemporal imaging of glutamate-induced biophotonic activities and transmission in neural circuits. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85643. [PMID: 24454909 PMCID: PMC3893221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The processing of neural information in neural circuits plays key roles in neural functions. Biophotons, also called ultra-weak photon emissions (UPE), may play potential roles in neural signal transmission, contributing to the understanding of the high functions of nervous system such as vision, learning and memory, cognition and consciousness. However, the experimental analysis of biophotonic activities (emissions) in neural circuits has been hampered due to technical limitations. Here by developing and optimizing an in vitro biophoton imaging method, we characterize the spatiotemporal biophotonic activities and transmission in mouse brain slices. We show that the long-lasting application of glutamate to coronal brain slices produces a gradual and significant increase of biophotonic activities and achieves the maximal effect within approximately 90 min, which then lasts for a relatively long time (>200 min). The initiation and/or maintenance of biophotonic activities by glutamate can be significantly blocked by oxygen and glucose deprivation, together with the application of a cytochrome c oxidase inhibitor (sodium azide), but only partly by an action potential inhibitor (TTX), an anesthetic (procaine), or the removal of intracellular and extracellular Ca(2+). We also show that the detected biophotonic activities in the corpus callosum and thalamus in sagittal brain slices mostly originate from axons or axonal terminals of cortical projection neurons, and that the hyperphosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau leads to a significant decrease of biophotonic activities in these two areas. Furthermore, the application of glutamate in the hippocampal dentate gyrus results in increased biophotonic activities in its intrahippocampal projection areas. These results suggest that the glutamate-induced biophotonic activities reflect biophotonic transmission along the axons and in neural circuits, which may be a new mechanism for the processing of neural information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rendong Tang
- Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiapei Dai
- Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail:
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15
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Wang H, Sun Y. On quantum models of the human mind. Top Cogn Sci 2013; 6:98-103. [PMID: 24259276 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed rapidly increasing interests in developing quantum theoretical models of human cognition. Quantum mechanisms have been taken seriously to describe how the mind reasons and decides. Papers in this special issue report the newest results in the field. Here we discuss why the two levels of commitment, treating the human brain as a quantum computer and merely adopting abstract quantum probability principles to model human cognition, should be integrated. We speculate that quantum cognition models gain greater modeling power due to a richer representation scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Wang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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16
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Quantum mathematical cognition requires quantum brain biology: the "Orch OR" theory. Behav Brain Sci 2013; 36:287-90. [PMID: 23673035 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x1200297x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The "Orch OR" theory suggests that quantum computations in brain neuronal dendritic-somatic microtubules regulate axonal firings to control conscious behavior. Within microtubule subunit proteins, collective dipoles in arrays of contiguous amino acid electron clouds enable "quantum channels" suitable for topological dipole "qubits" able to physically represent cognitive values, for example, those portrayed by Pothos & Busemeyer (P&B) as projections in abstract Hilbert space.
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Consciousness in the universe: a review of the 'Orch OR' theory. Phys Life Rev 2013; 11:39-78. [PMID: 24070914 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The nature of consciousness, the mechanism by which it occurs in the brain, and its ultimate place in the universe are unknown. We proposed in the mid 1990's that consciousness depends on biologically 'orchestrated' coherent quantum processes in collections of microtubules within brain neurons, that these quantum processes correlate with, and regulate, neuronal synaptic and membrane activity, and that the continuous Schrödinger evolution of each such process terminates in accordance with the specific Diósi-Penrose (DP) scheme of 'objective reduction' ('OR') of the quantum state. This orchestrated OR activity ('Orch OR') is taken to result in moments of conscious awareness and/or choice. The DP form of OR is related to the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and space-time geometry, so Orch OR suggests that there is a connection between the brain's biomolecular processes and the basic structure of the universe. Here we review Orch OR in light of criticisms and developments in quantum biology, neuroscience, physics and cosmology. We also introduce a novel suggestion of 'beat frequencies' of faster microtubule vibrations as a possible source of the observed electro-encephalographic ('EEG') correlates of consciousness. We conclude that consciousness plays an intrinsic role in the universe.
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Gardiner J. Fractals and the irreducibility of consciousness in plants and animals. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2013; 8:25296. [PMID: 23759545 PMCID: PMC4005797 DOI: 10.4161/psb.25296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In both plants and animals consciousness is fractal. Since fractals can only pass information in one direction it is impossible to extrapolate backward to find the rule that governs the fractal. Thus, similarly, it will be impossible to completely determine the rule or rules that govern consciousness.
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Hirstein W. Conscious States: where are they in the brain and what are their necessary ingredients? Mens Sana Monogr 2013; 11:230-8. [PMID: 23678244 PMCID: PMC3653223 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1229.109343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the final obstacles to understanding consciousness in physical terms concerns the question of whether conscious states can exist in posterior regions of the brain without active connections to the brain's prefrontal lobes. If they can, difficult issues concerning our knowledge of our conscious states can be resolved. This paper contains a list of types of conscious states that may meet this criterion, including states of coma, states in which subjects are absorbed in a perceptual task, states in brains with damaged prefrontal lobes, states of meditation and conscious states of some infants and animals. Recent evidence also suggests that conscious states of some autistic people may meet this criterion.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hirstein
- Department of Philosophy, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois, USA
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Abstract
AbstractClassical (Bayesian) probability (CP) theory has led to an influential research tradition for modeling cognitive processes. Cognitive scientists have been trained to work with CP principles for so long that it is hard even to imagine alternative ways to formalize probabilities. However, in physics, quantum probability (QP) theory has been the dominant probabilistic approach for nearly 100 years. Could QP theory provide us with any advantages in cognitive modeling as well? Note first that both CP and QP theory share the fundamental assumption that it is possible to model cognition on the basis of formal, probabilistic principles. But why consider a QP approach? The answers are that (1) there are many well-established empirical findings (e.g., from the influential Tversky, Kahneman research tradition) that are hard to reconcile with CP principles; and (2) these same findings have natural and straightforward explanations with quantum principles. In QP theory, probabilistic assessment is often strongly context- and order-dependent, individual states can be superposition states (that are impossible to associate with specific values), and composite systems can be entangled (they cannot be decomposed into their subsystems). All these characteristics appear perplexing from a classical perspective. However, our thesis is that they provide a more accurate and powerful account of certain cognitive processes. We first introduce QP theory and illustrate its application with psychological examples. We then review empirical findings that motivate the use of quantum theory in cognitive theory, but also discuss ways in which QP and CP theories converge. Finally, we consider the implications of a QP theory approach to cognition for human rationality.
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Quantum Computing: A Prime Modality in Neurosurgery's Future. World Neurosurg 2012; 78:404-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Buljan VA, Damian Holsinger RM, Hambly BD, Banati RB, Ivanova EP. Intrinsic microtubule GTP-cap dynamics in semi-confined systems: kinetochore-microtubule interface. J Biol Phys 2012; 39:81-98. [PMID: 23860835 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-012-9287-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to quantify the intrinsic dynamics associated with the tip of a GTP-cap under semi-confined conditions, such as those within a neuronal cone and at a kinetochore-microtubule interface, we propose a novel quantitative concept of critical nano local GTP-tubulin concentration (CNLC). A simulation of a rate constant of GTP-tubulin hydrolysis, under varying conditions based on this concept, generates results in the range of 0-420 s(-1). These results are in agreement with published experimental data, validating our model. The major outcome of this model is the prediction of 11 random and distinct outbursts of GTP hydrolysis per single layer of a GTP-cap. GTP hydrolysis is accompanied by an energy release and the formation of discrete expanding zones, built by less-stable, skewed GDP-tubulin subunits. We suggest that the front of these expanding zones within the walls of the microtubule represent soliton-like movements of local deformation triggered by energy released from an outburst of hydrolysis. We propose that these solitons might be helpful in addressing a long-standing question relating to the mechanism underlying how GTP-tubulin hydrolysis controls dynamic instability. This result strongly supports the prediction that large conformational movements in tubulin subunits, termed dynamic transitions, occur as a result of the conversion of chemical energy that is triggered by GTP hydrolysis (Satarić et al., Electromagn Biol Med 24:255-264, 2005). Although simple, the concept of CNLC enables the formulation of a rationale to explain the intrinsic nature of the "push-and-pull" mechanism associated with a kinetochore-microtubule complex. In addition, the capacity of the microtubule wall to produce and mediate localized spatio-temporal excitations, i.e., soliton-like bursts of energy coupled with an abundance of microtubules in dendritic spines supports the hypothesis that microtubule dynamics may underlie neural information processing including neurocomputation (Hameroff, J Biol Phys 36:71-93, 2010; Hameroff, Cognit Sci 31:1035-1045, 2007; Hameroff and Watt, J Theor Biol 98:549-561, 1982).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlado A Buljan
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
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Hameroff S. How quantum brain biology can rescue conscious free will. Front Integr Neurosci 2012; 6:93. [PMID: 23091452 PMCID: PMC3470100 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2012.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conscious "free will" is problematic because (1) brain mechanisms causing consciousness are unknown, (2) measurable brain activity correlating with conscious perception apparently occurs too late for real-time conscious response, consciousness thus being considered "epiphenomenal illusion," and (3) determinism, i.e., our actions and the world around us seem algorithmic and inevitable. The Penrose-Hameroff theory of "orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR)" identifies discrete conscious moments with quantum computations in microtubules inside brain neurons, e.g., 40/s in concert with gamma synchrony EEG. Microtubules organize neuronal interiors and regulate synapses. In Orch OR, microtubule quantum computations occur in integration phases in dendrites and cell bodies of integrate-and-fire brain neurons connected and synchronized by gap junctions, allowing entanglement of microtubules among many neurons. Quantum computations in entangled microtubules terminate by Penrose "objective reduction (OR)," a proposal for quantum state reduction and conscious moments linked to fundamental spacetime geometry. Each OR reduction selects microtubule states which can trigger axonal firings, and control behavior. The quantum computations are "orchestrated" by synaptic inputs and memory (thus "Orch OR"). If correct, Orch OR can account for conscious causal agency, resolving problem 1. Regarding problem 2, Orch OR can cause temporal non-locality, sending quantum information backward in classical time, enabling conscious control of behavior. Three lines of evidence for brain backward time effects are presented. Regarding problem 3, Penrose OR (and Orch OR) invokes non-computable influences from information embedded in spacetime geometry, potentially avoiding algorithmic determinism. In summary, Orch OR can account for real-time conscious causal agency, avoiding the need for consciousness to be seen as epiphenomenal illusion. Orch OR can rescue conscious free will.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Hameroff
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Consciousness Studies, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Consciousness Studies, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
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Gardiner J. Insights into plant consciousness from neuroscience, physics and mathematics: a role for quasicrystals? PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2012; 7:1049-1055. [PMID: 22899055 PMCID: PMC3489624 DOI: 10.4161/psb.21325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable debate over whether plants are conscious and this, indeed, is an important question. Here I look at developments in neuroscience, physics and mathematics that may impact on this question. Two major concomitants of consciousness in animals are microtubule function and electrical gamma wave synchrony. Both these factors may also play a role in plant consciousness. I show that plants possess aperiodic quasicrystal structures composed of ribosomes that may enable quantum computing, which has been suggested to lie at the core of animal consciousness. Finally I look at whether a microtubule fractal suggests that electric current plays a part in conventional neurocomputing processes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Gardiner
- The School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney, Australia.
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Abstract
Embodied cognitive science appeals to the idea that cognition depends on the body as well as on the brain. This study looks at whether we are more likely to engage just the brain or enlist the body for complex cognitive functioning such as creative problem solving. Participants were presented with a puzzle based on De Bono's lateral thinking puzzles. The puzzle consisted of rotating and joining two-dimensional shapes to make a three-dimensional one. In one condition, participants were given the choice of either solving the puzzle mentally or through manipulation of the images on a computer screen. In another condition, the subjects had to solve the puzzle first mentally and then report which mode they would have preferred to solve the puzzle. Two more conditions were applied with slight variations. In all conditions, an overwhelming majority of participants chose to solve the puzzle by manipulation, even though there was not a significant increase on performance. It appeared that participants were making a conscious choice for the body to play a feedback-driven role in creative cognitive processing. This strong preference for manual manipulation over just mental representation, regardless of the impact on performance, would seem to suggest that it is our natural tendency to involve the body in complex cognitive functioning. This would support the theory that cognition may be more than just a neural process, and that it is a dynamic interplay between body, brain and world. The experiential feedback of the body moving through space and time may be an inherently important factor in creative cognition.
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Smith LS. Neuromorphic systems: past, present and future. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 657:167-82. [PMID: 20020347 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-79100-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Neuromorphic systems are implementations in silicon of elements of neural systems. The idea of electronic implementation is not new, but modern microelectronics has provided opportunities for producing systems for both sensing and neural modelling that can be mass produced straightforwardly. We review the the history of neuromorphic systems, and discuss the range of neuromorphic systems that have been developed. We discuss recent ideas for overcoming some of the problems, particularly providing effective adaptive synapses in large numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S Smith
- Department of Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
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Hameroff S. The "conscious pilot"-dendritic synchrony moves through the brain to mediate consciousness. J Biol Phys 2010; 36:71-93. [PMID: 19669425 PMCID: PMC2791805 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-009-9148-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2008] [Accepted: 02/18/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive brain functions including sensory processing and control of behavior are understood as "neurocomputation" in axonal-dendritic synaptic networks of "integrate-and-fire" neurons. Cognitive neurocomputation with consciousness is accompanied by 30- to 90-Hz gamma synchrony electroencephalography (EEG), and non-conscious neurocomputation is not. Gamma synchrony EEG derives largely from neuronal groups linked by dendritic-dendritic gap junctions, forming transient syncytia ("dendritic webs") in input/integration layers oriented sideways to axonal-dendritic neurocomputational flow. As gap junctions open and close, a gamma-synchronized dendritic web can rapidly change topology and move through the brain as a spatiotemporal envelope performing collective integration and volitional choices correlating with consciousness. The "conscious pilot" is a metaphorical description for a mobile gamma-synchronized dendritic web as vehicle for a conscious agent/pilot which experiences and assumes control of otherwise non-conscious auto-pilot neurocomputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Hameroff
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
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McKemmish LK, Reimers JR, McKenzie RH, Mark AE, Hush NS. Penrose-Hameroff orchestrated objective-reduction proposal for human consciousness is not biologically feasible. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2009; 80:021912. [PMID: 19792156 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.80.021912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2008] [Revised: 05/29/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Penrose and Hameroff have argued that the conventional models of a brain function based on neural networks alone cannot account for human consciousness, claiming that quantum-computation elements are also required. Specifically, in their Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch OR) model [R. Penrose and S. R. Hameroff, J. Conscious. Stud. 2, 99 (1995)], it is postulated that microtubules act as quantum processing units, with individual tubulin dimers forming the computational elements. This model requires that the tubulin is able to switch between alternative conformational states in a coherent manner, and that this process be rapid on the physiological time scale. Here, the biological feasibility of the Orch OR proposal is examined in light of recent experimental studies on microtubule assembly and dynamics. It is shown that the tubulins do not possess essential properties required for the Orch OR proposal, as originally proposed, to hold. Further, we consider also recent progress in the understanding of the long-lived coherent motions in biological systems, a feature critical to Orch OR, and show that no reformation of the proposal based on known physical paradigms could lead to quantum computing within microtubules. Hence, the Orch OR model is not a feasible explanation of the origin of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K McKemmish
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Kokarovtseva L, Jaciw-Zurakiwsky T, Mendizabal Arbocco R, Frantseva MV, Perez Velazquez JL. Excitability and gap junction-mediated mechanisms in nucleus accumbens regulate self-stimulation reward in rats. Neuroscience 2009; 159:1257-63. [PMID: 19409225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2008] [Revised: 01/19/2009] [Accepted: 01/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (Acb) is a part of the striatum which integrates information from cortical and limbic brain structures, and mediates behaviors which reinforce reward. Previous work has suggested that neuronal synchrony mediated by gap junctions in Acb-related areas is involved in brain pleasure and reward. In order to gain insight into functional aspects of the neural information processing at the level of the striatum, we explored the possible role of Acb gap junctional communication and chemical synapses on reward self-stimulation in rats using positive reinforcement. Rats were trained to press a lever that caused an electrical current to be delivered into the hypothalamus, which is recognized to cause pleasure/reward. Intracerebral infusion into the Acb of the gap junctional blocker carbenoxolone (CBX) decreased the lever-pressing activity. Considering that the net effect of blocking gap junctions is a reduced synchronized output of the cellular activities, which at some level represents a decrease in excitability, two other inhibitors of neuronal excitability, carbamazepine (CBZ) and tetrodotoxin (TTX), were infused into the Acb and their effects on lever-pressing assessed. All manipulations that diminished excitability in the Acb resulted in reduced lever-pressing activity. CBX and TTX were also infused into motor cortex mediating forelimb lever-pressing with no effect. However, a manipulation that has the net effect of increasing excitation, the infusion of the opiate antagonist naloxone, also decreased significantly brain self-stimulation. We conclude that reward behaviors depend to a great extent on both excitability and gap junction-mediated mechanisms in Acb neuronal networks. Thus, the Acb provides a site for the study of pleasure/reward, addiction and conscious experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Kokarovtseva
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Programme and Brain and Behaviour Centre, Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G1X8
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Information Hypothesis: On Human Information Capability Study. Brain Inform 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-04954-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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