The decisions we make are influenced by other possibilities that we did not choose. At the same time, the options we missed out on determine our satisfaction with the outcomes of situations we were unable to control. Psychologists from the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ conducted two experiments: first, they studied the decision-making behavior of students and, second, they measured brain activity and satisfaction when a set of possibilities is supplemented with another alternative. The Journal of Neuroscience has published the results.
Protein aggregates in neurons are characteristic for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. These so-called amyloids arise from misfolded proteins and lead to cell death. Researchers at the Biozentrum of the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ has demonstrated by the example of the hormone vasopressin that such amyloids in the cell are, however, not always harmful but can also play a quite useful role.
Researchers from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) and the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ have identified two types of neurons in the amygdala, each of which generates a distinct fear response – freezing or flight. In addition, these two cell types interact, thus creating a balance, which shifts in one direction or the other, depending on the particular situation. The researchers’ findings were published in Nature.
Independent medical evaluations are often used to adjudicate disability claims. But different doctors assessing the same patient often disagree on whether the patient is disabled or not. This problem can be mitigated by applying standardized procedures, says an international study led by researchers at the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.
Researchers from the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ in Switzerland have clarified the role of the enzyme MPO. In fighting infections, this enzyme, which gives pus its greenish color, produces a highly aggressive acid that can kill pathogens without damaging the surrounding tissue. The findings, published in the current issue of Nature Microbiology, may provide new approaches for immunity strengthening therapies.
When we eat, we consume a significant quantity of bacteria. This triggers an inflammatory response that activates the immune systems of healthy individuals and has a protective effect, as doctors from the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and the University Hospital Basel have proven for the first time. In overweight individuals this inflammatory response can lead to diabetes.
Why does breast cancer develop and how come certain patients are resistant to established therapies? Researchers from the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ have gained new insights into the molecular processes in breast tissue.
Researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and University Hospital Basel are on the trail of a possible connection between autoimmune diseases and infections: errors can occur when immune cells absorb certain proteins from pathogen cells.
Replacing a hydrogen atom by an iodine atom in insulin, the hormone retains its efficacy but is available more rapidly to the organism. Researchers at the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ were able to predict this effect based on computer simulations and then confirm it with experiments.