News releases
Feb 9, 2012 Tell me how you are – and I know how long you will live
The way people rate their health determines their probability of survival in the following decades. Researchers from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Zurich demonstrate that for ratings ranging from “excellent”, “good”, “fair” and “poor” to “very poor”, the risk of mortality increases steadily – independently of such known risk factors as smoking, low education levels or pre-existing diseases.
Jan 17, 2012 Arm in plaster changes brain in 16 days
People who only use their left hand after breaking their right arm already exhibit significant anatomical changes in particular areas of the brain within 16 days. Researchers from the University of Zurich have demonstrated that the thickness of the left brain areas is reduced while the areas on the right hand side that compensate for the injury increase in size. The fine motor skills of the compensating hand also improve considerably. The results of the study are significant for the treatment of strokes, in which the immobilization of an arm or a leg is central.
Jan 12, 2012 Active compounds against Alzheimer’s disease: new insights thanks to simulations
Various molecules have been synthesized that inhibit self-assembly of the amyloid beta peptide in vitro. This peptide is strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Based on computer simulations, biochemists from the University of Zurich have recently shown how the active compounds and fragments of this disease-causing peptide interact with each other: it is the disordered structure of the peptide that determines the interactions with active compounds.
Dec 27, 2011 Oxidative DNA damage repair
Oxidative stress damages DNA. Researchers in the Vetsuisse Faculty have now decoded the mechanism that repairs DNA damaged in this way. This repair mechanism could lead to less invasive approaches in cancer therapy and contribute to the development of new tests for the early diagnosis of cancer.
Dec 15, 2011 First low-mass star detected in globular cluster
Even the most powerful high-tech telescopes are barely able to record remote low-mass and thus faint stars. Together with researchers from Poland and Chile, an astrophysicist from the University of Zurich has now detected a low-mass star in globular cluster M22 for the first time through microlensing. The result indicates that the overall mass of globular clusters might well be explained without enigmatic dark matter.
Dec 14, 2011 Continued weak earnings in Swiss Private Banking
Demanding and well-informed customers are causing the margins in international wealth management to shrink. In addition, successful measures against tax evasion as well as tightening regulatory rules have intensified global competition. Swiss private bankers are painfully aware of these issues and the resulting decline in revenues and stagnation in costs. In particular, small-sized Swiss institutions report high cost/income ratios. Nevertheless, Swiss wealth managers were successful in acquiring new client assets in 2010. This and more is demonstrated in the latest edition of “The International Private Banking Study”, published by the Department of Banking and Finance of the University of Zurich.
Dec 13, 2011 Visualization of DNA-Synthesis in vivo
Researchers of the University of Zurich have discovered a new substance for labelling and visualization of DNA synthesis in whole animals. Applications for this technique include identifying the sites of virus infections and cancer growth, due to the abundance of DNA replication in these tissues. This approach should therefore lead to new strategies in drug development.