Thermal stability of protein solitons
Protein α-helices provide an ordered biological environment that is conducive to soliton-assisted energy transport. The nonlinear interaction between amide I excitons and phonon deformations induced in the hydrogen-bonded lattice of peptide groups leads to self-trapping of the amide I energy, thereby creating a localized quasiparticle (soliton) that persists at zero temperature. The presence of thermal noise, however, could destabilize the protein soliton and dissipate its energy within a finite lifetime. To evaluate soliton thermal stability, we have computationally solved the system of stochastic differential equations that govern the quantum dynamics of protein solitons at physiological temperature, T=310 K, for either a single isolated α-helix spine of hydrogen bonded peptide groups or the full protein α-helix comprised of three parallel α-helix spines.
Quantum propensities and free will
Capacity of conscious agents to perform genuine choices among future alternatives is a prerequisite for moral responsibility. Determinism that pervades classical physics, however, forbids free will and undermines ethics. To resolve that impasse, we use the indeterminism of quantum physics to derive a measure for the amount of free will manifested by the brain cortex. The interaction between the nervous system and the environment performs a quantum measurement upon the neural constituents, which actualize a single measurement outcome from the available choices.
Computational capacity of pyramidal neurons
Electric activities of cortical pyramidal neurons are supported by structurally stable, morphologically complex axo-dendritic trees. Anatomical differences between axons and dendrites in regard to their length or caliber reflect the underlying functional specializations, for input or output of neural information, respectively. To properly assess the computational capacity of cortical pyramidal neurons, various morphometric measures of their axons and dendrites need to be precisely quantified from available three-dimensional digital reconstructions.
Retelling traumatic stories in virtual reality
Virtual Reality (VR) shapes modern life, including entertainment and digital health. In medicine, VR could be used to teach skills, alleviate challenging psychological conditions and bring relaxation. VR is also a common treatment tool for psychological trauma with its capability to immerse the patient in exposure scenarios as it recreates life events in a realistic way. This storytelling feature of VR, combined with the strong sense of presence elicited in the people who are immersed in VR, promises a great potential in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.