news 2019
Health
Results 141 - 160 of 174.
Health - Psychology - 28.02.2019
Psychiatry: case notes indicate impending seclusion
Using notes made by the attending healthcare professionals about psychiatric patients enables impending coercive measures to be predicted in advance - potentially even through automated text analysis. This was reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the Psychiatric University Clinics Basel in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Health - Life Sciences - 27.02.2019
A gentle method for unlocking the mysteries of the deep brain
Researchers at UNIGE have successfully demonstrated that electroencephalography can be used to accurately study activity in the deep areas of the brain. The way is now open to understanding how these regions interact with other parts of the brain for developing appropriate treatments following dysfunction.
Life Sciences - Health - 26.02.2019
Oncogenic risk arising from the loss of repeat silencing
The heterochromatin of eukaryotes contains repetitive DNA, which can lead to genome instability when transcribed. These sequences are normally silenced through the methylation of lysine 9 in histone H3 (H3K9me). Researchers from the Gasser group explored the role and importance of H3K9me. In two recent publications, they shed light on how the process is regulated and how loss of H3K9me renders cells sensitive to the loss of the breast tumor suppressor, BRCA1.
Health - Life Sciences - 26.02.2019
CRISPR reveals the secret life of antimicrobial peptides
Using CRISPR, scientists at EPFL have carried out extensive work on a little-known yet effective weapon of the innate immune system, antimicrobial peptides. When it comes to the immune system, we usually think about lymphocytes like B and T cells or macrophages going on constant seek-and-destroy missions against invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
Health - Life Sciences - 25.02.2019
Neanderthals Walked Upright just like the Humans of Today
Neanderthals are often depicted as having straight spines and poor posture. However, these prehistoric humans were more similar to us than many assume. University of Zurich researchers have shown that Neanderthals walked upright just like modern humans ' thanks to a virtual reconstruction of the pelvis and spine of a very well-preserved Neanderthal skeleton found in France.
Health - Life Sciences - 25.02.2019
Bacteria walk (a bit) like we do
EPFL biophysicists have been able to directly study the way bacteria move on surfaces, revealing a molecular machinery reminiscent of motor reflexes. Do bacteria control their "walks" like we do? It might sound strange, but it's a fundamental question. Understanding bacteria motility would not only expand our understanding of their behavior, but would also help us fight certain aggressive pathogens.
Health - 22.02.2019
Why a blow to the chest can kill or save you
It is still a mystery why a blow to the chest can kill some people yet save others. We may be one step closer to an answer, however, thanks to a device developed by researchers at EPFL and the University of Bern that can replicate the experience in the laboratory. A blow to the chest can have highly contrasting effects.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 21.02.2019
New Method Discovered: the Secrets of Lactose Digestion Revealed
Around two-thirds of the global adult population cannot digest lactose - milk sugar - due to a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that is required for lactose digestion in humans. Generally, consumers are unaware of whether they are able to digest the lactose contained in dairy products. However, Agroscope and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) researchers have now discovered a new method to measure the presence of lactase in the human body, and consequently determine an individual's ability to digest lactose.
Health - Life Sciences - 21.02.2019
Bat Influenza Viruses Could Infect Humans
Bats don't only carry the deadly Ebola virus, but are also a reservoir for a new type of influenza virus. These newly discovered flu viruses could potentially also attack the cells of humans and livestock, researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown. Seasonal outbreaks of the flu are caused by influenza viruses that can only infect people.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 18.02.2019
EPFL promotes personalized nutrition with Food & You
EPFL's Digital Epidemiology Laboratory has launched Food & You - one of Switzerland's first citizen science initiatives on personalized nutrition. The study aims to create a digital cohort that will help scientists develop nutritional guidelines that can be personalized to specific individuals. Several studies over the past few years have shown that what constitutes a healthy diet for an individual depends to some extent on his or her physiology and lifestyle.
Health - 15.02.2019
Introduction of flat-rate payments accompanied by an increase in readmission rates
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).
Health - Life Sciences - 13.02.2019
Diabetes: human cells can also change jobs
UNIGE researchers demonstrate the ease of some human pancreatic cells to make insulin. In diabetes, this type of cell conversion could compensate for the loss or dysfunction of cells that naturally produce this hormone. A world first. Biology textbooks teach us that adult cell types remain fixed in the identity they have acquired upon differentiation.
Health - 11.02.2019
Human enhancement: is it good for society?
A team of international scientists has been investigating new technologies that enhance the physical and cognitive skills of human beings, as well as their development and distribution in society. The need to put an appropriate framework in place is becoming increasingly urgent. Human enhancement technologies are opening up tremendous new possibilities.
Health - Pharmacology - 08.02.2019
Drug-resistant tuberculosis: high mortality rate due to inaccurate tests
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.
Health - Mechanical Engineering - 08.02.2019
Gummy-like robots could help prevent disease
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.
Materials Science - Health - 07.02.2019
How safe is graphene?
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.
Health - Social Sciences - 07.02.2019
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.
Health - 06.02.2019
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".
Health - Pharmacology - 05.02.2019
Even psychological placebos have an effect
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.
Health - Social Sciences - 01.02.2019
Risks of eating disorders revealed from childhood
Researchers in Geneva, Switzerland and the United States highlight the link between abnormal body weight in very young children and a higher risk of developing eating disorders in adolescence. Eating disorders - anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or bine eating disorder - usually start in adolescence and often leave young patients and their families helpless.
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