The QBIT Theory: Consciousness and the Maximum Possible Order.

According to the QBIT theory, the necessary and sufficient condition for the emergence of consciousness is the transformation of a system consisting of many brain qubits from a disordered state to a state with maximum possible order. This idea relates consciousness to the concept of quantum coherence and the phenomenon of Bose-Einstein condensation.

The QBIT Theory of Consciousness: Information, Correlation, and Coherence.

The ultimate goal of the QBIT theory is to provide a scientific solution to the problem of consciousness. The theory assumes that qualia (plural for quale) are real physical entities. Each quale is a physical system consisting of qubits bonded together by quantum entanglement. The qubits of a quale are so intimately bonded together that they collectively form a unified whole that is more than (and different from) the sum of its parts. A quale is a highly organized, coherent system. Organization and coherence are manifestations of information. The more the amount of information in a system, the more organized, integrated, and coherent the system is. That is why the QBIT theory suggests that qualia are maximally entangled, maximally coherent systems containing high amounts of information, and extremely low amounts of entropy or uncertainty.

The QBIT theory of consciousness: Entropy and qualia.

The QBIT theory is a recently introduced multi-disciplinary approach to the problem of consciousness. One of the main axioms of the theory is that when information-theoretic certainty of an observer about a stimulus goes beyond a certain threshold, the observer becomes conscious of that stimulus. This axiom could provide an explanation for how the brain generates consciousness.In short, the QBIT theory suggests that the brain generates consciousness by reducing the entropy of its internal representations below a critical threshold. This paper explains how the brain gradually minimizes the entropy of its internal representations and consequently generate minimum-entropy representations (also known as conscious representations or qualia). The paper also explores the consequences of this entropy-minimization process in the context of quantum information theory.

The QBIT Theory: Consciousness from Entangled Qubits.

How does the brain generate consciousness? The present paper is an attempt to answer this question from the perspective of the QBIT theory. In sum, the theory argues that the brain has a prior belief (P) about the stimulus that has caused a sensory representation (R) to be created in the brain. When the conditional entropy of P given R becomes less than zero, the brain becomes more than certain about (i.e. becomes conscious of) the stimulus. Conditional entropy can become negative (and thus the brain can become more than certain) only if the brain uses entangled quantum information in its computations. The QBIT theory suggests that, at the most fundamental level, consciousness is nothing but a special kind of entangled information.

COVID-19-associated mucormycosis involving the maxilla.

It is important to increase the awareness and knowledge of head and neck surgeons about the recent surge of craniofacial mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients because early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential to improve the outcomes. Here, we describe clinical features, treatment protocols, and outcomes of treatment in eight patients with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis in the maxilla. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, our experience in the management of these eight patients shows that early administration of amphotericin B and prompt aggressive surgery are essential for optimal control of the disease.

The QBIT Theory of Consciousness.

The QBIT theory is an attempt toward solving the problem of consciousness based on empirical evidence provided by various scientific disciplines including quantum mechanics, biology, information theory, and thermodynamics. This theory formulates the problem of consciousness in the following four questions, and provides preliminary answers for each question: Question 1: What is the nature of qualia? ANSWER: A quale is a superdense pack of quantum information encoded in maximally entangled pure states. Question 2: How are qualia generated? ANSWER: When a pack of quantum information is compressed beyond a certain threshold, a quale is generated. Question 3: Why are qualia subjective? ANSWER: A quale is subjective because a pack of information encoded in maximally entangled pure states are essentially private and unshareable. Question 4: Why does a quale have a particular meaning? ANSWER: A pack of information within a cognitive system gradually obtains a particular meaning as it undergoes a progressive process of interpretation performed by an internal model installed in the system. This paper introduces the QBIT theory of consciousness, and explains its basic assumptions and conjectures.

Inferior Alveolar Nerve Medialization for Dental Implant Placement: Case Report with the Introduction of a New Technique.

Inferior alveolar nerve repositioning is an option for treating the edentulous posterior mandible with insufficient bone height above the inferior alveolar canal. This report presents a case in which inferior alveolar nerve medialization was performed for placing dental implants. In the second postoperative week, mandibular fracture occurred after biting on a relatively solid piece of food, which was treated conservatively.

A thermodynamic approach to the problem of consciousness.

What is the nature of qualia? Why qualia are subjective? This article is an attempt to provide speculative answers to these questions based on what we know about thermodynamics. The proposed answer to the first question is that qualia are self-organized structures built by exported entropy. The proposed answer to the second question is that qualia are subjective because entropy-decreasing phenomena cannot be observed physically.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a complication of orthognathic surgery.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a clinical disorder that may develop following surgical trauma to the maxilla, for example as a result of closed sinus lifting with the use of mallet and osteotome during implant surgery. We proposed that BPPV may also occur following maxillary Le Fort osteotomy during orthognathic surgery. In a prospective study of 50 consecutive cases of orthognathic surgery, we observed that one patient developed BPPV in the postoperative period following bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. The patient was a 23-year-old woman who met the strict criteria for a diagnosis of BPPV, including a positive Dix-Hallpike test. We have described BPPV in more detail and have discussed the necessity of increasing awareness and knowledge of surgeons about BPPV as a possible complication of craniomaxillofacial surgery.

Ultrasound-guided simultaneous irrigation and drainage of facial abscess.

The establishment of drainage and the elimination of the origin of infection are essential procedures for successful management of odontogenic infections. Irrigation and aspiration are considered as the 2 main procedures for the treatment of facial space infections; we invented a new method named simultaneous irrigation and aspiration. The simultaneous irrigation and aspiration method is significantly less painful and less invasive compared with the standard surgical incision and drainage. This method was thought to be useful for managing facial infections if proper patient selection is performed.

The effect of sutureless wound closure on postoperative pain and swelling after impacted mandibular third molar surgery.

Our aim was to assess the influence of sutureless and multiple-suture closure of wounds on postoperative complications after extraction of bilateral, impacted, mandibular third molars in 30 patients in a split mouth study. After the teeth had been removed, on one side the flap was replaced but with no suture to hold it in place (study side), and on the other side the wound was closed primarily with three sutures (control side). Recorded complications included pain, swelling, bleeding, and formation of periodontal pockets. The results showed that patients had significantly less postoperative pain and swelling when no sutures were used (p=0.005). There were no signs of excessive bleeding or oozing postoperatively on either side. Six months postoperatively there was no significant difference in the depth of the periodontal pocket around the second molar.

Ewing sarcoma of the jaws.

Three cases of Ewing sarcoma in the jaw bones are presented. The first patient is a 43-year-old woman with a rapidly growing tumor in the hard palate. The second patient is a 9-year-old girl with tumor in the left mandibular ramus and body. In both patients, the tumors were excised with significant safe margins. However, postoperative histopathologic evaluation revealed the presence of tumor cells in bony margins, necessitating a second surgery. The third patient is a 9-year-old boy with tumor in the right mandibular ramus and body. In patients 1 and 2, chemotherapy failed to control the tumor; however, in patient 3, chemotherapy resulted in significant shrinkage of the tumor and no further growth.

The prevalence of maxillofacial fractures due to domestic violence--a retrospective study in a hospital in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Domestic violence has been identified as a cause of maxillofacial fractures especially among women. The present study investigated the maxillofacial fractures in Tehran, Iran, with special focus on injuries related to domestic violence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Records of patients with maxillofacial fractures who were referred to Shariati hospital, Tehran, from June 2004 to June 2006 were considered to extract required data. The extracted data included the patients' gender, age, cause of fracture, and type of fracture. For patients with domestic violence recorded as their fracture cause, complementary data were also recorded. Chi-square test served for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Totally, the records of 257 patients (188 men, 69 women) were considered. Of the 257 records studied, 188 records (73%) belonged to men. The most common fracture cause was vehicle accidents (55.3%) among both men (52.1%) and women (63.8%). The domestic violence stood for 3.5% of cases (all women). It was the fracture cause among 13% of women. One-third of women with domestic violence as fracture cause had previous history of fracture. The spouses of one-third of domestic violence victims were drug addicted. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of domestic violence as a cause for maxillofacial fracture is relatively high among women. Because these fractures can be life-threatening, appropriate strategies at both community and family levels should be implemented to prevent and reduce these types of fractures.

Bacterial contamination of autogenous bone collected by rongeur compared with that collected by bone filter during implant surgery.

The aim was to compare the degree of microbial contamination of autogenous bone collected by a bone filter with that of autogenous bone harvested by a rongeur during implant surgery. Thirty healthy patients had dental implants inserted. A strict aspiration protocol was used during the operation to collect particulate bone with minimal risk of contamination by oral flora. A fragment of bone (mainly from the tuberosity) was also harvested with a rongeur. Samples from both groups were sent to the laboratory for the microbes to be counted. All samples yielded viable micro-organisms. There was no significant difference between the number of aerobes in the bone filter and those in the bone fragment group (p=0.9). However, there were significantly more anaerobes in the bone filter group than in the bone fragment group. There were significantly more micro-organisms (both aerobes and anaerobes) in the bone filter group than the bone fragment group (p=0.0001). Even with the use of a stringent aspiration protocol the degree of bacterial contamination was significantly higher in collected bone debris than in bone harvested by rongeur during implant surgery.

The presence of consciousness in the absence of the cerebral cortex.

Hydranencephaly is a rare neurological condition in which the cerebral hemispheres are either absent or severely compromised. It is widely believed that children with hydranencephaly are not conscious; and therefore, are routinely classified into the diagnostic criteria of vegetative state. However, there are several pieces of behavioral evidence clearly indicating the presence of consciousness in such patients. Here, I review these behavioral evidence and argue how misclassification of these patients and assigning them a lack of consciousness have far-reaching implications in terms of both clinical and theoretical neuroscience.