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A team from the University of Geneva and ETH Zurich has shown how the locus coeruleus, a small region of the brain, manages the transition from intense focus to heightened global awareness. What enables our brain to go from intense concentration to a heightened state of alertness? A study carried out by neuroscientists at the University of Geneva , in collaboration with ETH Zurich, shows that a brain region called locus coeruleus (LC) and the neurotransmitter noradrenaline act as conductors, reorganising brain functions according to the mental demands of the moment.

Researchers have found that AI large language models, like GPT-4, are better at predicting what comes next than what came before in a sentence. This "Arrow of Time" effect could reshape our understanding of the structure of natural language, and the way these models understand it. Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 have become indispensable for tasks like text generation, coding, operating chatbots, translation and others.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new way to break down a dangerous subgroup of PFAS known as PFOS. With the help of nanoparticles and ultrasound, piezocatalysis could offer an effective alternative to existing processes in the future. What do firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, water-repellent textiles and pesticides all'have in common? They all contain perand polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS - human-made chemicals that don't break down naturally.

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in females and prostate cancer in males. Despite more than 15,000 papers studying BRCA1 mutations and numerous clinical reports, the exact role of the BRCA1 protein has been poorly understood. A recent paper, published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, provides novel insights into the BRCA1 function during the repair of broken DNA.

A study by Swiss TPH and partners has shown that a new, locally adapted mental health intervention for women with young children in Zambia led to a 50% reduction in mental health symptoms. The intervention also empowered the women, resulting in a positive impact on the relationship with their children and their economic situation.

A study by the University of Lausanne presents a new sorting method designed to optimize bacterial communities for efficient degradation of pollutants in the environment. The ability of microbes to metabolize a wide variety of compounds, including industrial pollutants of human origin, offers considerable potential for solving environmental problems.

The SLF is researching permafrost and snow in Bhutan at an altitude of over 5000 meters and, together with the local population, is developing measures to reduce climate-related risks in the mountains. The Swiss National Science Foundation is funding the Cryo-Spirit project. This text was automatically translated.

For employees between the ages of 20 and 65, solidarity in pension provision is important, and is particularly pronounced in the AHV. But it is also strong in the 2nd pillar. These are the findings of a study by Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) has once again sounded out the Swiss population on the subject of retirement planning.

Multi-storey timber buildings are extremely popular. To prevent them from being damaged by strong winds or earthquakes, sufficient bracing must be provided in the supporting structure. Computer calculations provide the basis for this. To check these in practice and improve the computer models, researchers use a two-ton "shaker".

An AI-powered tool developed at EPFL can distinguish dark matter's elusive effects from other cosmic phenomena, which could bring us closer to unlocking the secrets of dark matter. Image: Still image from simulation of the formation of dark matter structures from the early universe to today. Gravity makes dark matter clump into dense halos, indicated by bright patches, where galaxies form.

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a robotic leg with artificial muscles. Inspired by living creatures, it jumps across different terrains in an agile and energy-efficient manner. Inventors and researchers have been developing robots for almost 70 years.

Researchers at EPFL unlock a detailed understanding of brain and spinal cord interactions. The tool that paves the way for future research breakthroughs and innovative therapeutic approaches. The brain and spinal cord are the central pillars of the human central nervous system (CNS), orchestrating everything from movement to sensation.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have managed to make sound waves travel only in one direction. In the future, this method could also be used in technical applications with electromagnetic waves. Be it water, light or sound: waves usually propagate in the same way forwards as in the backward direction. As a consequence, when we are speaking to someone standing some distance away from us, that person can hear us as well as we can hear them.

An international team, including the University of Geneva, has discovered that iron winds are blowing on the day side of the planet WASP-76 b. An international team of astronomers, including scientists from the University of Geneva and the PlanetS National Centre of Competence in Research, has identified the presence of iron winds in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76 b. This planet with its extreme conditions - over 2

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed ultra-flexible brain probes that accurately record brain activity without causing tissue damage. This opens up new avenues for the treatment of a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurostimulators, also known as brain pacemakers, send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain via special electrodes.

Our glycaemic balance is based on the ability of the pancreatic beta cells to detect glucose and secrete insulin to maintain our blood sugar levels. If these cells malfunction, the balance is broken, and diabetes develops. Until now, the scientific community agreed that beta cells needed the other hormone-producing cells of the pancreas to function properly.

A recent study led by Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern shows that stents with a degradable polymer coating offer no long-term advantage over conventional stents. However, patients who consistently take their cholesterol-lowering medication have a lower risk of complications following stent implantation.

Pharmaceutical researchers often find new pharmaceutically active substances only by sifting through large collections of chemical compounds. Chemists at ETH Zurich have now made critical progress on a specific process for generating and searching these collections. Nowadays, there's lots of buzz about spectacular new medical treatments such as personalised cancer therapy with modified immune cells or antibodies.

Scientists at EPFL have developed an AI tool that creates detailed models of cellular metabolism, making it easier to understand how cells function. Understanding how cells process nutrients and produce energy - collectively known as metabolism - is essential in biology. However, analyzing the vast amounts of data on cellular processes to determine metabolic states is a complex task.

The way we memorise information - a mathematical problem statement, for example - reveals the way we process it. A team from the University of Geneva , in collaboration with CY Cergy Paris University (CYU) and Bourgogne University (uB), has shown how different solving methods can alter the way information is memorised and even create false memories.