Bern (ots) - The popular initiative in favour of banning animal experiments would significantly weaken Switzerland as a centre of research. Furthermore, animal testing could be relocated to countries with much less stringent welfare rules. The popular initiative "Ja zur tierversuchsfreien Zukunft" (Yes to a future without animal testing) aims to ban animal experiments in Switzerland. This would massively restrict human ...
Bern (ots) - Working at 100% is linked to a higher incidence of the disease, according to an SNSF-funded study. Self-employed men and women who stay at home fared best, but the explanation is not as straightforward as it might seem. Some of the risk factors for cancer are well known - smoking, alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle - while others are a bit harder to explain. For example, work. As part of the completed, ...
Bern (ots) - A study funded by the SNSF highlights previously unknown links between the body and the brain. The findings of this research carried out at the University of Fribourg show how our bodily rhythms affect our visual perception. Taking a deep breath to get a clearer picture is perhaps more effective than you might think. Breathing has a physiological impact on the perception of visual stimuli. This is what ...
Bern (ots) - Spruce and deciduous trees take up nano-sized microscopic plastic particles via their roots. These can reach the leaves and needles where they have an effect on photosynthesis. The exact mechanism behind this is not yet fully understood. It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. ...
Bern (ots) - Temporary complaint or chronic affliction: a research team funded by the SNSF has identified typical trajectories for back pain. Psychosocial factors play a smaller role than expected. Back pain is a widespread condition: at least once in their lives, almost 85% of people will experience pain in the area of the lumbar spine, in other words between the bottom rib and the tailbone. Treating this correctly is ...
Bern (ots) - The Global Research Council in Switzerland! The conference was hosted by the SNSF together with its partner organisation FONSTI from Ivory Coast. The main topic of this year's conference was sustainability in research. The annual conference of the Global Research Council (GRC) at the end of May in Interlaken brought together 60 research funders from 53 countries. The institutions that participate regularly in ...
Bern (ots) - More compassion = a better relationship. This is an obvious rule of thumb for couples. But it doesn't apply to everyone, as a study shows. Some people prefer to do without it. Whether irrevocably estranged or merely bored with the daily routine: "Couples counselling can improve communication and the quality of the relationship. And it has a positive effect on mental health", says Andrew Gloster, Professor of ...
Bern (ots) - From nitrogen pollution to bullying in schools: in 2023, the SNSF invested 961 million francs in its regular research funding. It approved a further 235 million francs for the Horizon Europe transitional measures. Excess nitrogen pollutes water and the air. To what extent can nitrogen emissions from agricultural land be reduced by an indigenous plant, ...
Bern (ots) - The Federal Council draft of the Dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation (ERI Dispatch) for the period 2025-2028 is strongly influenced by concerns about the overall state of government finances. Thus there will be fewer financial resources available to the ERI sector in 2025 than in the previous year. As a consequence, there is a risk that the level of services will be cut back and ...
Bern (ots) - The r4d programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss National Science Foundation is ending. It funded 57 research partnerships between Switzerland and countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Research can help solve global economic, environmental and societal problems. With this aim in mind, the Swiss Programme for ...
Bern (ots) - Identifying terrorists by analysing their online activities is an approach that is sometimes at odds with international law, especially if the outcome is death. A study has documented this problematic legal and ethical issue. These days, virtually everyone leaves footprints in the digital world. Terrorists are no exception. Intelligence agencies realised ...
Bern (ots) - Ein Protein reduziert die Lebenserwartung von Fadenwürmern. Diese Entdeckung wirft die Frage auf, ob es beim Menschen ebenfalls den Alterungsprozess mitbewirkt. Selbst von den am besten erforschten Genen und Proteinen kennt man noch längst nicht alle Geheimnisse. Wie das Schweizer Taschenmesser haben sie zahlreiche, teilweise unbekannte Funktionen. Mit ...