What if your mind could break free from the confines of space and time? A declassified CIA report from 1983 dives into a bizarre experiment known as the Gateway Experience, where scientists explored the possibility of transcending physical reality. The document hints at synchronized brainwaves, universal consciousness, and even timeless perception. But what did the CIA really uncover?
Dr. Masayo Takahashi graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Medicine in 1986. In 1992, she completed her Ph.D. in Visual Pathology at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Medicine. She first worked as a clinician, but later became interested in research following her studies in the United States in 1995. In 2005, her lab became the first in the world to successfully differentiate neural retina from embryonic stem cells. She is currently the project leader of the Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB).
Recently in Japan they restored vision of three people using puliportent stem cells.
Then, in March 2017, Dr. Takahashi and her team made another important step forward. While the 2014 surgery had used cells generated from the patient’s own tissues, Dr. Takahashi and her team succeeded this time in the world’s first transplantation of RPE cells generated from iPS cells that originated from another person (called “allogeneic transplantation”) to treat a patient with wet-type AMD. Currently, the patient is being monitored for the possibility of rejection, which is a risk of allogeneic transplantation. Regarding the significance of the operation, Dr. Takahashi explains that “allogeneic transplantation substantially reduces the time and cost required in producing RPE cells, creating opportunities for even more patients to undergo surgeries. Hearing patients’ eager expectations firsthand when working as a clinician has also been a significant motivation.”
Dr. Takahashi’s team is currently making preparations for clinical studies that will target retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease, by transplanting photoreceptor cells. “Having my mind set on wanting to see applications of iPS cells in treatments as quickly as possible, I have been actively involved in the creation of the regulations for their practical applications in regenerative medicine. In Japan, where clinical studies and clinical trials can be conducted at the same time, there is significant merit in the fact that research can be carried out by doctors who also work in medical settings. This helps ensure that they proceed with a sense of responsibility and strong ethics. Our advanced clinical studies have attracted the attention of researchers working in regenerative medicine in various countries. I intend to maintain a rapid pace of research so that we can treat the illnesses of as many patients as possible.”
The problem of many-over-one asks how it can be that many properties are ever instantiated by one object. A putative solution might, for example, claim that the properties are appropriately bundled, or somehow tied to a bare particular. In this essay, the author argues that, surprisingly, an extant candidate solution to this problem is at the same time an independently developed candidate solution to the mind-body problem. Specifically, what is argued here to be the best version of the relata-specific bundle theory—the thesis that each instance of compresence has a special intrinsic nature in virtue of which it necessarily bundles its specific bundle-ees—is also a species of Russellian monism, labeled by David Chalmers as ‘constitutive Russellian panprotopsychism’. The upshot of this connection is significant for the metaphysics of the mind-body problem: a credible theory of property instantiation turns out to have a built-in account of how consciousness is grounded in certain (broadly) physical systems.
Researchers found that lycopene enhances BDNF expression, a key protein involved in brain health, which appears to be suppressed in depression.
Lycopene’s Potential as an Antidepressant
Lycopene, a natural compound found in plants, may have antidepressant effects, according to emerging research. A new study published on January 22 in Food Science & Nutrition explores how lycopene influences brain function to counteract symptoms of depression.
A research team at POSTECH has developed a novel multidimensional sampling theory to overcome the limitations of flat optics. Their study not only identifies the constraints of conventional sampling theories in metasurface design but also presents an innovative anti-aliasing strategy that significantly enhances optical performance. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.
Flat optics is a cutting-edge technology that manipulates light at the nanoscale by patterning ultra-thin surfaces with nanostructures. Unlike traditional optical systems that rely on bulky lenses and mirrors, flat optics enables ultra-compact, high-performance optical devices. This innovation is particularly crucial in miniaturizing smartphone cameras (reducing the “camera bump”) and advancing AR/VR technologies.
Metasurfaces, one of the most promising applications of flat optics, rely on hundreds of millions of nanostructures to precisely sample and control the phase distribution of light. Sampling, in this context, refers to the process of converting analog optical signals into discrete data points—similar to how the human brain processes visual information by rapidly capturing multiple images per second to create continuous motion perception.
Question Were the liberalization of medical cannabis and the legalization of nonmedical cannabis in Canada associated with changes in the population-attributable fraction of cannabis use disorders associated with schizophrenia?
Findings In this population-based cohort study comprising 13 588 681 individuals, the population-attributable fraction of cannabis use disorder associated with schizophrenia increased significantly from 3.7% in the prelegalization period to 10.3% during the postlegalization period.
Meaning These findings suggest that the association between cannabis use disorders and schizophrenia is an important consideration for the legalization of cannabis.
Researchers using intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from deep within the brain found that meditation led to changes in activity in the amygdala and hippocampus, key brain regions involved in emotional regulation and memory.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published Tuesday, February 4, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may help explain the positive impact these practices have and could contribute to the development of meditation-based approaches for improving memory and emotional regulation.
Previous research has shown that meditation—a set of mental techniques to focus attention and awareness—can improve mental well-being and potentially help improve psychiatric diseases like anxiety and depression. In combination with its beneficial clinical effect, previous brain research has shown a connection between meditative practice and brain activity. Yet the specific neural activity underlying meditative practices and their positive effects is still not well understood.
Scientists used high-resolution 3D X-ray imaging to uncover major structural and immune changes in the gut of Alzheimer’s disease models, suggesting a potential early biomarker.
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An international team of scientists, including researchers from Harvard University and the University of Zurich, analyzed clinical trial results 777 elderly Swiss adults to test the potential anti-aging benefits of supplements and exercise.
While there’s no perfect way to measure biological aging, the researchers used tools that help measure age-related decline in the cells and organs, including factors like brain health and heart health.
They looked at participants who underwent one of eight longevity treatments over three years, including exercising and supplementing omega-3s, vitamin D, or both.