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Depression is among the most widespread mental health disorders worldwide, typically characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, a lack of interest in daily activities and dysregulated sleep and/or eating habits. There are now a wide range of pharmacological treatments for depression, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants and atypical antidepressants.

In recent years, some research groups have been exploring the potential of alternative treatments for depression that rely on psychedelic compounds, such as . Psilocybin is a compound naturally found in more than 100 species of mushrooms, which can influence the mood and perceptions of those who ingest it.

Researchers at Imperial College London’s Center for Psychedelic Research recently carried out a study aimed at better understanding the effects of psilocybin treatment on the processing of and the experience of emotions, comparing them to those of escitalopram, a widely used SSRI.

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Researchers have developed a real-time imaging system that can capture images of fast-spinning objects over long durations. Real-time monitoring of rotating parts such as the turbine blades used in power plants or the fan blades of jet engines is critical for detecting early signs of damage—such as wear or cracks—helping prevent serious failures and reducing maintenance needs.

“Capturing clear images of fast-spinning objects is challenging because they tend to blur or look grainy,” said research team member Zibang Zhang from Jinan University in China. “Although can help, they’re expensive and can’t be used for long periods. Our method overcomes this challenge by virtually freezing time by exploiting the repetitiveness of the object’s motion.”

In the journal Optics Letters, the researchers describe their new imaging system, which is based on a single-pixel detector. They show that it can capture images of an object spinning at around 14,700 rounds per minute (rpm).

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A new study published in Physical Review D titled, “Extending the Bridge Connecting Chiral Lagrangians and QCD Gaussian Sum-Rules for Low-Energy Hadronic Physics,” offers significant advancements in the understanding of the strong nuclear force. This fundamental interaction is responsible for holding protons and neutrons together within atomic nuclei and plays a central role in the formation of matter.

Dr. Amir Fariborz, Professor of Physics at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, has co-authored the research, which builds on a theoretical bridge first proposed by Dr. Fariborz and his collaborators in 2016, which connects the complex world of hadrons (composite particles such as protons, neutrons, and mesons) with their underlying quark structure.

The current work enhances this framework by incorporating higher-order effects, which allow for more refined predictions and the potential to study more intricate subatomic phenomena. These include scalar and pseudoscalar mesons that possess hybrid -gluon structures and may exhibit mixing with glueballs, a type of particle hypothesized to be composed entirely of gluons.

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A new study by University of Kentucky researchers is helping change how scientists understand and control magnetic energy—and it could lead to faster, more efficient electronic devices.

Led by Ambrose Seo, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences, the study was recently published in Nature Communications.

The research focuses on magnons—tiny waves that carry magnetic energy through materials.

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In recent research published in Optics & Laser Technology and Infrared Physics & Technology, a research team led by Prof. Cheng Tingqing at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has introduced a novel low-thermal-effect gradient-doped crystal to tame thermal effects and improve the brightness of high-power end-pumped Nd: YAG lasers.

Traditional end-pumped solid-state lasers rely on uniformly doped crystals, which develop significant temperature gradients and thermal stresses under high pump power due to the axial absorption decay of pump power. These effects not only limit maximum pump power, but also degrade beam quality and conversion efficiency.

In this study, the researchers devised a numerical model for crystals whose neodymium concentration gradually increases along the rod, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing the concentration distribution and growth of novel gradient-doped crystals.

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What would happen if you combined the unparalleled efficiency of a superconductor with the flexibility and controllability of a semiconductor? Thanks to a new breakthrough in quantum materials, we may be getting an answer soon.

In an article published in Communications Physics, a multi-institutional research team led by The University of Osaka announces the successful observation of the so-called superconducting diode effect in an Fe(Se, Te)/FeTe heterostructure. The paper is titled “A scaling relation of vortex-induced rectification effects in a superconducting thin-film heterostructure.”

The article describes a series of experiments in which the material developed a preference for current to flow in a particular direction, a phenomenon known as rectification, under a broad range of temperature and magnetic fields.

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The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Compared with their classical counterparts, systems made up of many quantum particles—such as quantum computers—are horrendously complex to analyze and simulate. This complexity is due in part to the strong correlations between particles, which can act over long distances.

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In the future, quantum technology will become the standard for extremely fast computers. These kinds of machines will be important in everything from space technology to mineral exploration and the development of new medicines.

“Quantum technology is often associated with that have been developed in advanced, completely clean environments,” says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from NTNU’s Department of Physics.

But Fossum and colleagues have good news.

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This material can expand, change shape, move, and respond to electromagnetic commands like a remotely controlled robot, even though it has no motor or internal gears. In a study that echoes scenes from the Transformers movie franchise, engineers at Princeton University have developed a material c

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