news 2024

Researchers at ETH Zurich have used a drug screening platform they developed to show that an antidepressant, currently on the market, kills tumour cells in the dreaded glioblastoma - at least in the cell-culture dish. Glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive brain tumour that at present is incurable.

Study reveals new links between body and brain. The findings, conducted at the University of Fribourg, show how our body cycles modify our visual perception. Taking a deep breath to see more clearly may be more concrete than we thought. Breathing has a physiological impact on the perception of visual stimuli.

The Molecular Oncology research group, led by Prof. Andrea Alimonti at the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR, affiliated to USI and member of Bios+) has recently discovered that a factor involved in blood coagulation, Factor X, directly promotes resistance to hormonal therapies in preclinical models and is associated with poor survival in  metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients.

As income inequality widens, debates around redistribution policies are heating up. New research from the Universities of Zurich, Lille and Copenhagen reveals that support for these policies stems not only from individuals' financial situations but also from an inherent aversion to inequality. These findings offer valuable insights into predicting public support for future redistribution policies.

Why is it that we often find it difficult to sleep well on the first night in an unfamiliar place? The phenomenon of suffering from insomnia on the first night in unfamiliar surroundings is known as the first-night effect. We usually sleep better on the second night. It is unclear whether this improvement also occurs if there are several days between sleepless nights in unfamiliar surroundings.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have been working with researchers from Ukraine and Germany to investigate how to rebuild Ukraine's destroyed energy infrastructure based on renewable energy. They have determined that solar and wind energy would quickly deliver a distributed power supply system and prevent corruption.

An international team, including UNIGE, unveiled the "Neptunian Ridge", an overdensity of Neptunes nestled between the Neptunian Desert and the Neptunian Savanna. Astronomers have uncovered the ''Neptunian Ridge'', a newly identified feature in the distribution of exoplanets. This discovery, led by an international team including members of the University of Geneva, The NCCR PlanetS and the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), highlights the complex dynamics within the Neptunian Desert, a region with a scarcity of hot Neptunes, and the Neptunian Savanna, where these planets are more commonly found.

The experiment at CERN is the latest to weigh in on the mass of the W boson - an elementary particle that, along with the Z boson , mediates the weak force, which is responsible for a form of radioactivity and initiates the nuclear fusion reaction that powers the Sun. At a seminar held at CERN today, the CMS collaboration reported how it has analysed proton-proton collision data from the second run of the Large Hadron Collider , the Laboratory's flagship particle accelerator, to make its first mass measurement of this fundamental particle.

Scientists at the University of Geneva, Bern Inselpital and UNIBE have discovered that hidden mutations in non-coding DNA are responsible for the ageing of certain tissues, such as those in the liver. The accumulation of mutations in DNA is often mentioned as an explanation for the ageing process, but it remains just one hypothesis among many.

A new EPFL paper has found that students are cautious towards AI feedback, highlighting the complexity of integrating it into educational feedback systems. Feedback plays a crucial role in learning, helping individuals to understand and improve their performance, yet globally large and diverse student populations often mean that providing timely and personalized observations can be a challenge.

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.