Development of a thermodynamics of human cognition and human culture.

Inspired by foundational studies in classical and quantum physics, and by information retrieval studies in quantum information theory, we prove that the notions of 'energy' and 'entropy' can be consistently introduced in human language and, more generally, in human culture. More explicitly, if energy is attributed to words according to their frequency of appearance in a text, then the ensuing energy levels are distributed non-classically, namely, they obey Bose-Einstein, rather than Maxwell-Boltzmann, statistics, as a consequence of the genuinely 'quantum indistinguishability' of the words that appear in the text. Secondly, the 'quantum entanglement' due to the way meaning is carried by a text reduces the (von Neumann) entropy of the words that appear in the text, a behaviour which cannot be explained within classical (thermodynamic or information) entropy. We claim here that this 'quantum-type behaviour is valid in general in human language', namely, any text is conceptually more concrete than the words composing it, which entails that the entropy of the overall text decreases. In addition, we provide examples taken from cognition, where quantization of energy appears in categorical perception, and from culture, where entities collaborate, thus 'entangle', to decrease overall entropy. We use these findings to propose the development of a new 'non-classical thermodynamic theory' for human cognition, which also covers broad parts of human culture and its artefacts and bridges concepts with quantum physics entities. This article is part of the theme issue 'Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)'.

Ab Initio Structure Factors for Spin-Dependent Dark Matter Direct Detection.

We present converged ab initio calculations of structure factors for elastic spin-dependent WIMP scattering off all nuclei used in dark matter direct-detection searches: ^{19}F, ^{23}Na, ^{27}Al, ^{29}Si, ^{73}Ge, ^{127}I, and ^{129,131}Xe. From a set of established two- and three-nucleon interactions derived within chiral effective field theory, we construct consistent WIMP-nucleon currents at the one-body level, including effects from axial-vector two-body currents. We then apply the in-medium similarity renormalization group to construct effective valence-space Hamiltonians and consistently transformed operators of nuclear responses. Combining the recent advances of natural orbitals with three-nucleon forces expressed in large spaces, we obtain basis-space converged structure factors even in heavy nuclei. Generally results are consistent with previous calculations but large uncertainties in ^{127}I highlight the need for further study.

Sensory function after cavernous haemangioma: a case report of thermal hypersensitivity at and below an incomplete spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report of a 42-year-old woman with non-evoked pain diagnosed with a cavernous C7-Th6 spinal haemangioma. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of intramedullary haemorrhage (IH) on nociception and neuropathic pain (NP) at and below an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Sensorimotor Function Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo (HNPT). METHODS: T2*-susceptibility weighted image (SWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of spinal haemosiderin and a complete pain history were performed 8 months following initial dysaesthesia complaint. Thermal pain thresholds were assessed with short 1 s stimuli, while evidence for central sensitization was obtained with psychophysical electronic Visual Analogue Scale rating of tonic 10 s 3 °C and 48 °C stimuli, applied at and below the IH. Control data were obtained from 10 healthy volunteers recruited from the HNPT. RESULTS: Non-evoked pain was present within the Th6 dermatome and lower legs. T2*-SWI MRI imaging detected extensive haemosiderin-rich IH (C7-Th5/6 spinal level). Cold allodynia was detected below the IH (left L5 dermatome) with short thermal stimuli. Tonic thermal stimuli applied to the Th6, Th10 and C7 dermatomes revealed widespread heat and cold allodynia. CONCLUSION: NP was diagnosed following IH, corroborated by an increase in below-level cold pain threshold with at- and below-level cold and heat allodynia. Psychophysical evidence for at- and below-level SCI central sensitization was obtained with tonic thermal stimuli. Early detection of IH could lead to better management of specific NP symptoms, an appreciation of the role of haemorrhage as an aggravating SCI physical factor, and the identification of specific spinal pathophysiological pain mechanisms.

Transvaginal specimen extraction in a laparoscopic anterior resection of a sigmoid colon neoplasia with en bloc right salpingo-oophorectomy.

Laparoscopic colorectal surgery has well-known benefits. However, an abdominal incision, albeit much smaller than conventional surgery, is still needed. A transvaginal extraction of a sigmoid colon neoplasia with en bloc salpingo-oophorectomy and colorectal mechanical anastomosis is described. The technique is feasible and safe. The excellent recovery of the 86-year-old patient shows the potential future of the natural orifices endoscopic surgery.

Interdisciplinary consensus document for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Backgrounds. The elevated prevalence and enormous clinical and social impact of fibromyalgia, together with the complexity of its treatment, require action consensuses that guide health care professionals. Although there are some similar documents in our language, most have been made from the perspective of a single discipline.Objective. To develop a consensus on the treatment of fibromyalgia made by selected representatives and supported by the principal medical associations that intervene in its treatment (rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry,rehabilitation and family medicine) and representatives of the associations of patients. On the other hand, understanding the disease not as a homogenous disorders but also as the sum of different clinical subtypes,having specific symptomatic characteristics and different therapeutic needs is stressed. This approach represented a need perceived by the clinicians and a novelty regarding previous consensuses.Methods. The different clinical classifications proposed in fibromyalgia and the scientific evidence of the treatments used in this disease were reviewed. For the selection of the classification used and performance of the therapeutic recommendations, some of the usual techniques to obtain the consensus (nominal group and brainstorming) were used.Conclusion. The classification of Giesecke of fibromyalgia into 3 subgroups seems to have the greatest scientific evidence and the most useful for the clinician. The guide offers a series of general recommendations for all the patients with fibromyalgia. However, in addition, for each subgroup, there are a series of specific pharmacological and psychological-type recommendations and those of modification of the environment, which will make it possible to have a personalized approach to the patient with fibromyalgia in accordance with their individual clinical characteristics (pain, catastrophizing levels, etc.).

Comparison of sleep and chronotype between senior and undergraduate university students.

The university programs for seniors provide a third age perspective in lifelong learning with classes and recreational facilities, and enable students to share their experiences and knowledge. A good sleep quality promotes better cognitive functioning and serves to protect against age-related cognitive declines. Central nervous system reorganization takes place during sleep, and although the influence of sleep quality on memory is not clear, circadian rhythm disorders affect alertness and individual performance. Physiological change during aging need to be clarified to better understand how university might help students. The aim of the present study was to evaluate for the first time the chronotype, the sleep quality and their relationship in senior university students and to compare them with those of undergraduate students. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. The results indicated that approximately 50% of the participants were good sleepers. This percentage was equal in the senior and undergraduate students. The results showed that undergraduate students tended toward eveningness while senior students tended toward morningness. Among the undergraduate students, evening type chronotypes had a tendency toward higher PSQI scores and this affected their daytime function scores, while it did not in the senior students, in whom worsening sleep quality was associated with disturbances such as going to the bathroom and nocturnal awakening. This information would be useful for designing environmental interventions to optimize sleep/work cycles for decreasing age-associated changes in memory in senior students and for improving the academic achievements of undergraduate students.

Oxcarbazepine monotherapy in carbamazepine-unresponsive trigeminal neuralgia.

The objective of this prospective open-label study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) unresponsive to treatment with the standard antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine. Thirty-five patients with idiopathic TN, who underwent treatment with oxcarbazepine monotherapy for at least 12 weeks, were studied. Pain was assessed using mean pain frequency, responder rate, pain-free patients and clinical global impression. The mean maintenance dose was 773.7 mg/day. There was a significant decrease in the mean of the main scores following 12 weeks of treatment (p<0.05) compared with baseline. Oxcarbazepine was effective from the first month of treatment. There was a significant reduction in pain frequency, leading to improvements in patient satisfaction. In general, oxcarbazepine was well tolerated. Oxcarbazepine appears to be an important alternative therapeutic approach for patients affected by TN. This study adds to the existing literature arriving at the same findings.

[Evaluation of the endoscopic response to argon plasma coagulation in patients with chronic radiation proctopathy]. / Valoración de la respuesta endoscópica al tratamiento con argón plasma en la rectitis actínica crónica.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate endoscopic improvement after argon plasma coagulation (APC) in symptomatic patients with chronic radiation proctopathy. METHODS AND PATIENTS: A prospective study of 38 patients with radiation proctitis (26 males and 12 females, mean age 70.9 +/- 7.38 yrs), and with rectal bleeding and or anemia. We performed monthly interviews, blood tests, and APC sessions until rectal bleeding had ceased and hemoglobin and ferritin levels were improved, with a follow-up of 24 months. We used blood testing, bleeding scores (Chutckhan's index), and endoscopic scores to evaluate improvement. RESULTS: Mean time between inclusion and follow-up completion was 28.5 +/- 3.9 months. Mean number of sessions per patient was 3.6 +/- 2.7. There was a significant decrease (2.29 +/- 1.8 vs. 0.59 +/- 1.12, p < 0.05) in rectal bleeding (Chutckan score) from baseline after APC. There was a significant increase in hemoglobin levels (11.3 +/- 3.05 vs. 14.014 +/- 1.29, p < 0.001) and ferritin levels (31.15 +/- 66.45 vs. 80.60 +/- 55.6, p < 0.05) from baseline after APC. Also, there was improvement in the endoscopic index at the end of treatment, as well as in friability (p < 0.0001) and involved surface area (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Argon plasma coagulation is an effective technique, and the endoscopic index is a useful tool to evaluate endoscopic improvement.

Effects of bisphenol A treatment during pregnancy on kidney development in mice: a stereological and histopathological study.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in plastics that resembles oestrogen in organisms. Developmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as BPA, increases the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases. Animal studies have reported a nephron deficit in offspring exposed to maternal diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the prenatal BPA exposure effects on nephrogenesis in a mouse model that was predisposed to T2DM. This study quantitatively evaluated the renal structural changes using stereology and histomorphometry methods. The OF1 pregnant mice were treated with a vehicle or BPA (10 or 100 µg/kg/day) during days 9-16 of gestation (early nephrogenesis). The 30-day-old offspring were sacrificed, and tissue samples were collected and prepared for histopathological and stereology studies. Glomerular abnormalities and reduced glomerular formation were observed in the BPA offspring. The kidneys of the BPA10 and BPA100 female offspring had a significantly lower glomerular number and density than those of the CONTROL female offspring. The glomerular histomorphometry revealed a significant difference between the female and male CONTROL offspring for the analysed glomerular parameters that disappeared in the BPA10 and BPA100 offspring. In addition, the kidney histopathological examination showed typical male cuboidal epithelial cells of the Bowman capsule in the female BPA offspring. Exposure to environmentally relevant doses of BPA during embryonic development altered nephrogenesis. These structural changes could be associated with an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases later in life.

[Neuroimaging in fibromyalgia]. / Neuroimagen en fibromialgia.

INTRODUCTION: Most current research suggests that fibromyalgia is a disease produced by an alteration in the processing of pain signals in the central nervous system. In recent years, advances in non- or minimally-invasive brain imaging techniques have made it possible to discover how different areas of the nervous system are involved in the aetiopathogenesis of diseases that up until now have been considered as having a functional profile. AIM: To describe the objectified functional and the structural changes that take place in the brains of patients with fibro-myalgia by means of the currently available neuroimaging techniques. DEVELOPMENT: This work reviews the clinical studies, both anatomical and molecular, that have been conducted to date in the field of fibromyalgia using different brain imaging techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Different, but related, areas of the central nervous system have been described as altering not only the functional but also the structural form, in patients with fibromyalgia. These involved areas extend beyond the pain circuits, which would explain the variety of symptoms in patients, in addition to the characteristic pain reported by them.

TITLE: Neuroimagen en fibromialgia.Introduccion. La mayoria de las investigaciones actuales sugiere que la fibromialgia es una enfermedad producida por una alteracion en el procesamiento de la señal dolorosa en el sistema nervioso central. En los ultimos años, gracias al avance de las tecnicas de imagen cerebral no invasivas o minimamente invasivas, se ha podido averiguar como participan las diferentes areas del sistema nervioso en la etiopatogenia de enfermedades consideradas hasta ahora como de perfil funcional. Objetivo. Describir los cambios objetivados, tanto funcionales como estructurales, que ocurren en el cerebro de pacientes con fibromialgia a traves de las tecnicas de neuroimagen disponibles en la actualidad. Desarrollo. Se revisan los estudios clinicos, tanto anatomicos como moleculares, que se han realizado hasta ahora, con las diferentes tecnicas de imagen cerebral, en el campo de la fibromialgia. Conclusiones. Se han descrito diferentes areas del sistema nervioso central, relacionadas entre si, que se alteran no solo de forma funcional, sino tambien estructural, en los pacientes con fibromialgia. Estas areas involucradas se extienden mas alla de los circuitos de dolor, lo que explicaria la variada sintomatologia de los pacientes y el dolor caracteristico referido por ellos.

Effects of baclofen on temperature perception in humans.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic consumption of the GABAB agonist baclofen on temperature perception in humans. We investigated temperature perception thresholds to detect warm and cold stimuli in a group of 21 patients with spinal cord injury, who were chronically consuming oral baclofen at different daily doses to treat spasticity. Temperature perception thresholds were assessed above the level of the lesion, using a psychophysical approach based on the ability of the subjects to perceive precisely quantified sensory stimuli (quantitative sensory testing, QST). The data were compared with a control group of healthy subjects, not receiving baclofen. We found that chronic baclofen consumption increased temperature perception thresholds for both cold and warm stimuli in a dose-dependent manner. Temperature perception thresholds did not depend on the level of the lesion nor on the duration of baclofen treatment, suggesting that our finding represent normal GABAB-mediated modulation in spared nervous structures. We conclude that GABAB therefore plays a role in temperature perception in humans.

Role of trehalose in resistance to macrophage killing: study with a tps1/tps1 trehalose-deficient mutant of Candida albicans.

Accumulation of trehalose by yeast is an important protective mechanism against different stress conditions. This study examined the effect of trehalose on several growth features, as well as its association with the intracellular survival of yeasts exposed to macrophages. A tps1/tps1 mutant and its parental counterpart, CAI4, exhibited similar growth rates and preserved their dimorphic conversion and agglutination ability. However, electron-microscopy of cell-wall architecture showed a partial loss of material from the outer cell-wall layer in the tps1/tps1 mutant. Flow-cytometry revealed that the mutant had lower auto-fluorescence levels and a higher fluorescein isothiocynate staining efficiency. When co-cultured with macrophages, a slight reduction in binding to macrophages and slower ingestion kinetics were revealed for the tps1/tps1 mutant, but these did not interfere significantly with the amount of yeast ingested by macrophages after co-incubation for 2 h. Under the same conditions, CAI4 cells were more resistant to macrophage killing than was the tps1 null mutant, provided that the macrophages had been stimulated previously with interferon-gamma. Measurement of trehalose content and the anti-oxidant activities of yeast cells recovered after phagocytosis revealed that the trehalose content and the glutathione reductase activity were increased only in CAI4 cells, whereas levels of catalase activity were increased similarly in both strains. These results suggest that the presence of trehalose in Candida albicans is a contributory factor that protects the cell from injury caused by macrophages.

Glucose-induced hyperaccumulation of cyclic AMP and defective glucose repression in yeast strains with reduced activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Addition of glucose or related fermentable sugars to derepressed cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triggers a RAS-mediated cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal that induces a protein phosphorylation cascade. In yeast mutants (tpk1w1, tpk2w1, and tpk3w1) containing reduced activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, fermentable sugars, as opposed to nonfermentable carbon sources, induced a permanent hyperaccumulation of cAMP. This finding confirms previous conclusions that fermentable sugars are specific stimulators of cAMP synthesis in yeast cells. Despite the huge cAMP levels present in these mutants, deletion of the gene (BCY1) coding for the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase severely reduced hyperaccumulation of cAMP. Glucose-induced hyperaccumulation of cAMP was also observed in exponential-phase glucose-grown cells of the tpklw1 and tpk2w1 strains but not the tpk3w1 strain even though addition of glucose to glucose-repressed wild-type cells did not induce a cAMP signal. Investigation of mitochondrial respiration by in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed the tpk1w1 and tpk2w1 strains, to be defective in glucose repression. These results are consistent with the idea that the signal transmission pathway from glucose to adenyl cyclase contains a glucose-repressible protein. They also show that a certain level of cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation is required for glucose repression. Investigation of the glucose-induced cAMP signal and glucose-induced activation of trehalase in derepressed cells of strains containing only one of the wild-type TPK genes indicates that the transient nature of the cAMP signal is due to feedback inhibition by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Maternal RAS influence on the ontogeny of thirst.

Perillan, C., Costales, M., Vijande, M., and J. Arguelles. Maternal RAS influence on the ontogeny of thirst. Physiol Behav XX (X) 000-000, 2006. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of an altered ambiance in utero, on the development of thirst mechanisms in the offspring. Female rats underwent a partial ligature of the aorta (PAL), which induces an intrinsic activation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), thirst and sodium appetite. A second group of female rats was treated with desoxycorticosterone (DOCA) which depresses the RAS. The offspring of these two groups were tested for their responses to several thirst stimuli at 2, 4 and 6 days of age. The offspring from PAL mothers responded like their controls to cellular dehydration (NaCl hypertonic injection) at 2 days of age, and also did to extracellular dehydration by polyethyleneglycol at 4 days. Nevertheless, they responded more to isoproterenol at 6 days of age in comparison to their control group. The offspring from DOCA treated mothers did not show statistically significant responses (in comparison with vehicle injected pups) to hypertonic NaCl at two days nor to polyethyleneglycol at four days. Water intake at 6 days of age after isoproterenol administration in DOCA was statistically enhanced, but not differently from the response obtained from pseudo-DOCA treated pups. In particular, rats developed in a hypereninemic ambiance (O-PAL) during gestation, responded with higher water intake when treated with a strong RAS and thirst activator (isoproterenol) but responded normally to a more gentle and complex stimulus (PG). Therefore it seems that in utero conditions can determine the chronology and intensity of thirst responses in offspring.

Sodium taste threshold in children and its relationship to blood pressure.

Popular science has emphasized the risks of high sodium intake and many studies have confirmed that salt intake is closely related to hypertension. The present mini-review summarizes experiments about salt taste sensitivity and its relationship with blood pressure (BP) and other variables of clinical and familial relevance. Children and adolescents from control parents (N = 72) or with at least one essential hypertensive (EHT) parent (N = 51) were investigated. Maternal questionnaires on eating habits and vomiting episodes were collected. Offspring, anthropometric, BP, and salt taste sensitivity values were recorded and blood samples analyzed. Most mothers declared that they added "little salt" when cooking. Salt taste sensitivity was inversely correlated with systolic BP (SBP) in control youngsters (r = -0.33; P = 0.015). In the EHT group, SBP values were similar to control and a lower salt taste sensitivity threshold. Obese offspring of EHT parents showed higher SBP and C-reactive protein values but no differences in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity. Salt taste sensitivity was correlated with SBP only in the non-obese EHT group (N = 41; r = 0.37; P = 0.02). Salt taste sensitivity was correlated with SBP in healthy, normotensive children and adolescents whose mothers reported significant vomiting during the first trimester (N = 18; r = -0.66; P < 0.005), but not in "non-vomiter offspring" (N = 54; r = -0.18; nonsignificant). There is evidence for a linkage between high blood pressure, salt intake and sensitivity, perinatal environment and obesity, with potential physiopathological implications in humans. This relationship has not been studied comprehensively using homogeneous methods and therefore more research is needed in this field.

[Topiramate in comorbid disorders: epilepsy and migraine]. / Topiramato en enfermedades comórbidas: epilepsia y migraña.

INTRODUCTION: With relative frequency epilepsy and migraine are associated in a same patient. Some times it is difficult to distinguish an attack of others. Reason why it would be of utility to have a treatment effective in both pathologies. It is tried to study in patients with this comorbidity, how of effective it is a drug indicated in the two pathologies, as it is topiramate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational, longitudinal and prospective study is made, where 15 patients are recruited with this association, and which they were treated with topiramate. They are revaluated at three and six months of treatment. RESULTS: Significant differences are obtained (p < 0.05) in all the studied variables (severity and duration of the migraine attacks and frequency of the migraine and epileptic attacks), with a medium dose of 100 mg/day of topiramate, at the end of the study. Not serious adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Topiramate in monotherapy seems to be a suitable treatment in patients who undergo epileptic and migrainous attacks jointly.

Differential changes in the activity of cytosolic and vacuolar trehalases along the growth cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells contain two intracellular and soluble trehalases with distinct subcellular location (cytosol and vacuoles, respectively). Both enzymes showed an opposite pattern of activity along the growth cycle. Activity of the cytosolic trehalase was high in cells growing exponentially on fermentable sugars (glucose, mannose or galactose) and sharply decayed as the cultures enter stationary phase coinciding with the beginning of trehalose biosynthesis. By contrast, vacuolar trehalase was only detectable in glucose-grown resting cells or in cultures growing on respiratory substrates (glycerol or ethanol). This enzyme was partially derepressed in the mutant hex2, which is deficient in glucose repression. Addition of fresh YPD medium to stationary-phase cultures induced the sudden reactivation of cytosolic trehalase with the concomitant slower inactivation of vacuolar trehalase. However, addition of glucose or various nitrogen sources alone had only a minor effect on both activities. The presence of cycloheximide had no effect on cytosolic trehalase, whereas completely blocked the appearance of vacuolar trehalase suggesting the requirement of protein synthesis 'de novo'.

Offspring's hydromineral adaptive responses to maternal undernutrition during lactation.

Early development, throughout gestation and lactation, represents a period of extreme vulnerability during which susceptibility to later metabolic and cardiovascular injuries increases. Maternal diet is a major determinant of the foetal and newborn developmental environment; maternal undernutrition may result in adaptive responses leading to structural and molecular alterations in various organs and tissues, such as the brain and kidney. New nephron anlages appear in the renal cortex up to postnatal day 4 and the last anlages to be formed develop into functional nephrons by postnatal day 10 in rodents. We used a model of undernutrition in rat dams that were food-restricted during the first half of the lactation period in order to study the long-term effects of maternal diet on renal development, behaviour and neural hydromineral control mechanisms. The study showed that after 40% food restriction in maternal dietary intake, the dipsogenic responses for both water and salt intake were not altered; Fos expression in brain areas investigated involved in hydromineral homeostasis control was always higher in the offspring in response to isoproterenol. This was accompanied by normal plasma osmolality changes and typical renal histology. These results suggest that the mechanisms for the control of hydromineral balance were unaffected in the offspring of these 40% food-restricted mothers. Undernutrition of the pups may not be as drastic as suggested by dams' restriction.

Heat-shock response in a yeast tps1 mutant deficient in trehalose synthesis.

Exponential cells of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae tps1 mutant underwent a rapid loss of viability upon a non-lethal heat exposure (from 28 to 42 degrees C). However, a further more severe heat stress (52.5 degrees C 5 min) induced an increase in the fraction of viable cells. This mutant can not synthesize trehalose either at 28 degrees C or at 42 degrees C due to the lack of a functional trehalose-6P synthase complex. In control experiments carried out with the wild-type W303-1B, heat-stressed exponential phase cultures grown on YPgal at 28 degrees C acquired thermotolerance to a higher extent than identical cultures grown on YPD, although in both cultures the level of stored trehalose was negligible. These data suggest that the bulk of trehalose accumulated in yeast upon mild heat treatments is not sufficient to account for the acquisition of thermotolerance.