Health - Feb 15
Social Sciences - Feb 15
Those who set realistic goals can hope for a higher level of well-being. The key for later satisfaction is whether the life goals are seen as attainable and what they mean to the person, as psychologists from the University of Basel report in a study with over 970 participants.
Environment - Feb 14
Hardly a day went by in the summer of 2018 without a report on the continuing water scarcity at the time in Switzerland.
Electroengineering - Feb 15
EPFL researchers have developed a compact and efficient medium-frequency transformer. Their device is poised to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of tomorrow's smart grids and DC power distribution networks.
Environment - Feb 13
Does a drier and hotter climate present a threat to the meerkats in the Kalahari Desert? Researchers from UZH and Cambridge show that climate change is likely to impact meerkats, and seasonal rainfall and temperature will be the key factors.
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Seven years after the introduction of flat-rate payments at Swiss hospitals, a major study has revealed a slight increase in readmission rates. Researchers from the University of Basel and the Cantonal Hospital of Aarau reported the findings in the journal JAMA Network Open. In January 2012, a flat-rate payment structure for inpatient hospital services was introduced across Switzerland in the form of the Swiss Diagnosis Related Groups (SwissDRG).
Those who set realistic goals can hope for a higher level of well-being. The key for later satisfaction is whether the life goals are seen as attainable and what they mean to the person, as psychologists from the University of Basel report in a study with over 970 participants. Wealth, community, health, meaningful work: life goals express a person's character, as they determine behavior and the compass by which people are guided.
EPFL researchers have developed a compact and efficient medium-frequency transformer. Their device is poised to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of tomorrow's smart grids and DC power distribution networks. An EPFL-made prototype has been thoroughly tested and presented in several tutorials designed for experts from the academic and industrial worlds.
Hardly a day went by in the summer of 2018 without a report on the continuing water scarcity at the time in Switzerland. Again and again, newspapers, radio and television were coming up with questions like: "How much water do nature, agriculture and people need?", "How can we find ways to save water?" and "Which regions have the least water reserves?" On the other hand, Swiss municipal governments, cantons, engineering firms, NGOs and public sector agencies appear to be less concerned with the relationship between water scarcity and water-saving measures.
Does a drier and hotter climate present a threat to the meerkats in the Kalahari Desert? Researchers from UZH and Cambridge show that climate change is likely to impact meerkats, and seasonal rainfall and temperature will be the key factors. The effects of climate change are especially obvious in arid environments where resources are scarce and subject to seasonal availability.
Earth's solid surface and clement climate may be in part due to a massive star in the birth environment of the Sun. Without its radioactive elements injected into the early solar system, our home planet could be a hostile ocean world covered in global ice sheets. This is demonstrated by computer simulations in which the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS, based at the University of Bern, was involved.
One of the key building blocks of flexible photonic circuits and ultra-thin optics are metasurfaces. And EPFL engineers have now discovered a simple way of making these surfaces in just a few minutes - without needing a clean room - using a method already employed in manufacturing. Their findings have just been published.
Seeking to address fluoride contamination in drinking water, chemical engineers at EPFL have developed a portable and user-friendly device that can measure fluoride concentration accurately and reliably. Adding fluoride to water has been common practice in a number of countries, including the US, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, India and Vietnam.
Up to a billion people around the world are deficient in selenium and do not get sufficient amounts in their diets. This is detrimental to health, as selenium plays an important role in the immune system and is involved in the formation of countless proteins in the body. Animal products and, most of all, grains contain a lot of selenium.
Physicists from the University of Basel have developed a new method to examine the elasticity and binding properties of DNA molecules on a surface at extremely low temperatures. With a combination of cryo-force spectroscopy and computer simulations, they were able to show that DNA molecules behave like a chain of small coil springs.
Inaccurate tests carried out on tuberculosis patients in developing countries often fail to reliably detect resistance to drugs, leading to incorrect treatment and a higher mortality rate. These are the results of study by an international group of researchers led by a team at the University of Bern published today.
EPFL scientists have developed microscopic, hydrogel-based muscles that can manipulate and mechanically stimulate biological tissue. These soft, biocompatible robots could be used for targeted therapy and to help diagnose and prevent disease. Human tissues experience a variety of mechanical stimuli that can affect their ability to carry out their physiological functions, such as protecting organs from injury.
Graphene is considered one of the most interesting and versatile materials of our time. The application possibilities inspire both research and industry. But are products containing graphene also safe for humans and the environment? A comprehensive review, developed as part of the European graphene flagship project with the participation of Empa researchers, investigated this question.
Dying in Switzerland - a review of current developments
All of us die - but the question is how? Today we have a greater say in the way our lives end than ever before. Nevertheless, most people do not die where they would like to. The book "Das Lebensende in der Schweiz" (End of life in Switzerland) reflects on what is currently known about dying in Switzerland.
All of us die - but the question is how? Today we have a greater say in the way our lives end than ever before. Nevertheless, most people do not die where they would like to. The book "Das Lebensende in der Schweiz" (End of life in Switzerland) reflects on what is currently known about dying in Switzerland.
Escort service: The role of immune cells in the formation of metastases
Tumor cells use a certain type of immune cells, the so-called neutrophils, to enhance their ability to form metastases. Scientists have deciphered the mechanisms of this collaboration and found strategies for blocking them. This is reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel in the scientific journal "Nature".
Tumor cells use a certain type of immune cells, the so-called neutrophils, to enhance their ability to form metastases. Scientists have deciphered the mechanisms of this collaboration and found strategies for blocking them. This is reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel in the scientific journal "Nature".
Morals versus Money: How We Make Social Decisions
Our actions are guided by moral values. However, monetary incentives can get in the way of our good intentions. Neuroeconomists at the University of Zurich have now investigated in which area of the brain conflicts between moral and material motives are resolved. Their findings reveal that our actions are more social when these deliberations are inhibited.
Our actions are guided by moral values. However, monetary incentives can get in the way of our good intentions. Neuroeconomists at the University of Zurich have now investigated in which area of the brain conflicts between moral and material motives are resolved. Their findings reveal that our actions are more social when these deliberations are inhibited.
Transcription of our genes mostly begins in regions of the genome called CpG islands. These are rich in the dinucleotide CpG (thus the name), critical for gene activity and devoid of DNA methylation. Despite the relevance of CpG islands, it is unclear if the CpG dinucleotide itself contributes to their activity.
Placebo effects do not only occur in medical treatment - placebos can also work when psychological effects are attributed to them. Psychologists from the University of Basel reported these findings in the journal Scientific Reports, based on three studies with over 400 participants. Psychotherapy and placebos are both psychological interventions that not only have comparable effects, but that are also based on very similar mechanisms.
Tiny plastic particles measuring about 100 nanometres (millionths of a millimetre) are used in many products, for example to encapsulate dye or aromatic substances or as additives to shampoos and cosmetics. Many of them land directly in sewage as soon as the products are used. Together with other plastics, for example from tyre rubber in road run-off, they end up in the water-treatment plants.
Monthly wages are an important step towards economic development
Across developing economies, most workers and agricultural producers are paid are paid on a daily basis. This has a negative impact on their ability to generate savings for large expenses. Researchers from UZH show dairy farmers and agricultural workers prefer to be paid once at the end of the month, rather then daily, because monthly payments schemes are an efficient tool to increase saving.
Across developing economies, most workers and agricultural producers are paid are paid on a daily basis. This has a negative impact on their ability to generate savings for large expenses. Researchers from UZH show dairy farmers and agricultural workers prefer to be paid once at the end of the month, rather then daily, because monthly payments schemes are an efficient tool to increase saving.
News from the Lab is a selection of science news that are significant or interesting for a broad readership.
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