Archive – Science

Sex, lies and orchids

This content was published on Jan 16, 2010 The international study, involving Zurich University’s Florian Schiestl, is published in the January edition of The American Naturalist. “Orchids are special. They are maybe the world champions in having evolved diversity of pollination systems,” Schiestl, a professor at the university’s Institute of Systematic Botany, told swissinfo.ch. Most flowering plants reward pollinators, such as bees, wasps…

Stress hormone researcher wins Latsis Prize

This content was published on Jan 14, 2010 The 35-year-old doctor won the prize for her outstanding work into hormones and stress hormones in pneumonia and strokes. As a mother of two, she is also a role model in terms of combining family with a successful research career. Christ-Crain, from Basel University Hospital, received the SFr100,000 ($98,200) award, which is given to young…

Swiss send rescuers to Haiti as outlook worsens

This content was published on Jan 14, 2010 The Swiss foreign ministry on Wednesday evening said it would send a rapid response unit from its humanitarian aid unit to the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. A 12-member team, comprising specialists in logistics, security, water and shelter, left Zurich airport on Thursday morning. A six-person initial detachment of Swiss experts had already arrived in Haiti,…

Haiti devastation

This content was published on Jan 13, 2010 The extent of the devastation is still unclear but there are fears hundreds of people may have died. Haiti’s worst quake in more than a century hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN headquarters and countless other buildings.

ETH researchers break record for new companies

This content was published on Jan 11, 2010 The institute said in a statement that it was “striking” that four out of the spin-offi were created in the “cleantech” sector. Clean technology stands for any products, processes and services that use few natural resources and reduce the negative impact on the environment. As the ETH explained, the four cleantech companies come from different…

Mountain doctors face steep slope

This content was published on Jan 10, 2010 Experts say these important family doctors, who in addition to serving remote communities often work on mountain rescue missions, are a dying breed. They are calling for more efforts to make the job more attractive. Initiatives, such as an online platform to help mountain medics find cover, are also proving useful. “We still have more…

Smoking ban linked to drop in heart attacks

This content was published on Jan 9, 2010 These first Swiss results come after similar findings in other countries, and constitute yet another indication that cigarettes play an important role in cardiac disease. The smoking ban was introduced in canton Graubünden in March 2008. According to the study’s authors, although there is no clear correlation between the ban and cases of acute myocardial…

Swiss seek to improve biodiversity reputation

This content was published on Jan 7, 2010 A damning 2007 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found more animal and plants were threatened or had disappeared in Switzerland than in anywhere else in Europe. To mark the United Nations designated biodiversity year, the Swiss environment ministry and various non-governmental organisations have teamed up to develop a series of…

Living in the valley of the shadow of death

This content was published on Jan 6, 2010 The land register for the picturesque valley, which is surrounded by 3,000-metre mountains, records no fewer than 73 avalanche “hot spots” – overhangs that are often the starting point for large avalanches. Indeed locals say there are in fact only two avalanches: one on the left side of the valley and one on the right.…

“Stress marker” benefits stroke patients

This content was published on Jan 6, 2010 A team at the neurology clinic at Basel University Hospital measured the concentration of copeptin in the blood of 362 stroke patients. The higher the level of copteptin, the greater the likelihood that things wouldn’t turn out well. As they euphemistically concluded in their paper, published in the latest edition of Annals of Neurology, “non-survivors…

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Archive – Science

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Sex, lies and orchids

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Stress hormone researcher wins Latsis Prize

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Swiss send rescuers to Haiti as outlook worsens

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Haiti devastation

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ETH researchers break record for new companies

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Mountain doctors face steep slope

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Smoking ban linked to drop in heart attacks

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Swiss seek to improve biodiversity reputation

More

Living in the valley of the shadow of death

More

“Stress marker” benefits stroke patients

Popular Stories

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