Drug effects have dominated the national conversation about psychedelics for medical treatment, but a new study suggests that when it comes to reducing depression with psychedelic-assisted therapy, what matters most is a strong relationship between the therapist and study participant.  Researchers analyzed data from a 2021 .  Twenty-four adults who participated in the trial received two doses of psilocybin and 11 hours of psychotherapy. Participants completed the therapeutic alliance questionnaire, assessing the strength of the therapist-participant relationship, three times: after ..read more

A new study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) has discovered that physical cues in the womb, not just genetics, play a crucial role in the normal development of neural crest cells, the embryonic stem cells responsible for forming facial features. The findings, published in Nature Cell Biology, suggest that differences in hydrostatic pressure sensed by the embryo can impact the risk of facial malformations. The researchers found that when neural crest cells are exposed to higher-than-usual levels of pressure, key cell signaling pathways are impeded, significantly increas ..read more

An international team of researchers has discovered a gas outflow of enormous proportions in the galaxy NGC 4383, located in the nearby Virgo cluster. The outflow is so large that it would take light 20,000 years to travel from one end to the other, according to a study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr Adam Watts, lead author from The University of Western Australia node at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), explained that the outflow was caused by powerful stellar explosions in the galaxy’s central regions. These explosions c ..read more

A new study published in the journal CANCER has shed light on how long-term daily use of aspirin can help prevent the development and progression of colorectal cancer. The research, conducted by investigators in Italy, suggests that aspirin may exert these protective effects by enhancing certain aspects of the body’s immune response against cancer cells. The study analyzed tissue samples from 238 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer between 2015 and 2019, with 12% of the patients being aspirin users. Compared to non-aspirin users, tissue samples from aspirin users showed less ..read more

The mindset of Japanese early childhood educators, known as the mimamoru approach, has its roots in a premodern concept of nature, according to Professor Yosuke Hirota at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences. The mimamoru approach involves educators watching over and waiting on preschoolers, allowing them to learn and develop at their own pace. Influence of Sozo Kurahashi and Kitaro Nishida on Modern Education Professor Hirota investigated the works of Sozo Kurahashi (1882-1955) and Kitaro Nishida (1870-1945) to understand how the traditional conce ..read more

Researchers at Purdue University are developing a patent-pending treatment for glioblastoma, an almost always lethal type of brain tumor with a median survival time of just 14 months. Led by Sandro Matosevic, associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, the team has created a novel immunotherapy that aims to overcome the limitations of traditional treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Off-the-Shelf Immunotherapy Eliminates Need for Patient Blood Cells Unlike traditional cell therapies that rely on a patient’s own blood cells, the Purdue glioblast ..read more

Recent studies suggest that manipulating gut bacteria through the use of prebiotics may offer a promising approach to managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and unclassified IBD, affects millions of people worldwide and is characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The Role of Prebiotics in Promoting Gut Health Prebiotics are dietary fibers that nourish beneficial gut bacteria. Researchers believe that promoting the growth of these beneficial bacteria may help restore balance in the gut and alleviate IBD symptoms ..read more

A recent study published by the American Psychological Association has found that middle-aged and older adults now believe old age begins later in life compared to their peers’ perceptions decades ago. The study, which analyzed data from the German Ageing Survey, suggests that increased life expectancy and improved health may contribute to this shift in perception. Later Generations Push Back the Onset of Old Age Markus Wettstein, PhD, of Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and the study’s lead author, explained, “Life expectancy has increased, which might contribute to a later perceived ..read more

Nearly 1 in 5 older adults in central Ohio report not being prepared for emergencies, such as extreme weather events, or not knowing if they are ready. That is concerning because research shows older adults are at greater risk of harm during disasters such as extreme weather events, said .  It involved 1,417 adults over age 65 in eight central Ohio counties, including Franklin County, which contains Columbus, the state capital. They also included information on county-level data from administrative sources. Overall, 78% of respondents were prepared for emergencies, 13% were not and 9% d ..read more

The inauguration of the world’s most powerful fusion machine brings the dream of clean, safe and abundant power closer. By  Gareth Willmer In the eastern Japanese city of Naka stands a six-storey-high tower that is far from being an ordinary building. The device inside the cylindrical steel structure is called a tokamak. It’s designed to hold swirling superheated gases called plasmas at up to 200 million degrees Celsius – more than 10 times hotter than the sun’s core. Major milestone Located northeast of Tokyo, the tokamak represents the next milestone in a decades-long internation ..read more