University of Zurich

High-salt diet modulates endocrine regulation between cortisol and FGF23

Excessive dietary salt intake is a global health concern, affecting cardiovascular, renal, and bone health. While the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is a known regulator of dietary salt-induced hormonal responses, the impact of adrenal cortisol remains unclear. Here,...

A homozygous hypomorphic FBN1 splice region variant in domestic cats with Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disease caused by variants in the fibrillin 1 ( FBN1 ) gene. While common in humans, spontaneous animal models are rarely reported. We present the first phenotypic and molecular characterization of MFS in domestic c...

Functional diversity of natural human IFNB1 variants in innate immunity

Human interferon-β (IFN-β), a type I IFN, is critical for effective innate immunity and is also an approved disease-modifying therapeutic. While genetic variations in several components of the type I IFN system are associated with infectious and immune diseases, consequences of I...

Accelerated mass loss of glaciers across Alaska since the Little Ice Age

Abstract Alaskan glaciers presently dominate contributions to global glacier mass loss and are projected to do so throughout the 21 st Century. Here we assess centennial-scale evolution and mass loss of 5289 Little Ice Age (LIA) glaciers by mapping geomorphological evidence of gl...

Effect of 3D superimposition software on intraoral scanner accuracy and monitoring outcome

Abstract Objectives To determine whether 3D superimposition software (“Apps”) systematically affects 3D deviation outcomes derived from intraoral scanner (IOS) data, using two quantile‑range accuracy metrics (Q90_Q10_half and Q95_Q05_half). Materials and methods Two jaw‑sized ref...

Chimpanzee food calls provide information about the value and type of food: a playback study

Abstract Functionally referential signals are taxonomically widespread but vary greatly in the specificity of information they convey to receivers. Chimpanzee food calls indicate the relative preference value of the eliciting food in a way that is intelligible to receivers, but w...

A structural cardiac pathway mediates the risk of ischemic heart disease from TyG-related indices: A prospective cohort study

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its derivatives are surrogate markers of insulin resistance and are closely associated with cardiovascular risk. However, whether and to what extent they are associated with IHD risk through subclinical cardiac remodeling remains unclear....

The intracellular subdomain of the volume-regulated anion channel subunit LRRC8A is a hotspot of channel activation

Abstract Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs), formed by heteromers of LRRC8 subunits, mediate the transport of anions and organic osmolytes in numerous physiological processes. Although their gating mechanism remains poorly understood, conformational rearrangements of the cyt...

Reward reduces motor fatigability by increasing movement vigour

Abstract Reward can enhance motor performance. However, its potential to counteract motor fatigability, a reduction in motor performance during sustained movements, remains underinvestigated. This could be relevant in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, where incr...

Dimensional Changes of the Peri‐Implant Mucosa Applying a Suture‐Free Wound Closure Using a Healing Abutment Attachment: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT Aim To compare peri‐implant soft‐tissue dimensional changes following wound closure using a suture‐free healing abutment attachment (HAA) compared to conventional suturing during implant surgery. Materials and Methods Thirty patients who were randomly allocated to the HA...

Quantification of Incomplete A2 Pulley Ruptures and the Question of Coexistent A3 Pulley Ruptures in Sport Climbers

Objectives To quantify the extent of A2 pulley ruptures and the presence of a potential coexistent A3 pulley rupture in sport climbers. Methods Prospectively and consecutively acquired patients presenting to Balgrist University hospital with an A2 pulley rupture due to sport clim...

The state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cloud physics community

The Geosciences are amongst the least diverse research fields, where women and other underrepresented groups face systemic biases. This paper presents the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the cloud-physics community, by combining a metadata analysis of 6987 clou...

Multiplexed embryo profiling links cellular state to zygotic genome activation in single cells

Abstract Multicellular self-organization depends on interactions across multiple length scales, yet mapping protein states at high spatial resolution in whole-mount embryos remains challenging. Here, we introduce high-throughput 3D in toto iterative immunofluorescence imaging (3D...

A disulfide bond sculpts the CTNIP4 phytocytokine fold for recognition by the receptor kinase HSL3

Abstract Precise ligand recognition by closely related leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) is essential for plants to coordinate immunity, development and environmental adaptation. Here we show how the LRR-RK HSL3/NUT specifically recognizes the folded, disulfide-stabi...

Structural framework for the assembly of the human tRNA ligase complex

Abstract In human cells, a subset of tRNA-encoding genes contain introns. These are removed by a spliceosome-independent pathway in which the tRNA splicing endonuclease complex catalyzes intron excision. The resulting exons are subsequently ligated by the tRNA-ligase complex (tRN...

Ashwin and FAM98 paralogs define nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA ligase complexes for tRNA biogenesis

Abstract The tRNA ligase complex (tRNA-LC) seals tRNA exon halves in the nucleus during pre-tRNA splicing and XBP1 -mRNA exons in the cytoplasm as part of the unfolded protein response (UPR). This dual function requires the tRNA-LC to be either nuclear or cytoplasmic. Here, we re...

Advancing minimally invasive precision surgery in large open cavities with robotic flexible endoscopy

Flexible robots hold great promise for enhancing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) by providing superior dexterity, precise control, and safe tissue interaction. Yet, translating these advantages into endoscopic interventions in large open cavities remains challenging. The lack of...

Outer membrane changes enable evolutionary escape from bacterial predation

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to modern medicine. To combat AMR pathogens, natural predators like bacteriophages and predatory bacteria have gained interest recently. Predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is ubiquitous and has a broad prey range. It is parti...

Aggregation framework for continuous digital health measures and application to walking activity data

Abstract No standardized procedures for aggregating continuous digital health measures exist. Using a modified Delphi approach, we developed a framework to standardize the selection of aggregations that provide clinically meaningful, stable values. This was applied to aggregate s...

How do monetary incentives affect the measurement of social preferences?

Abstract In this registered report, we investigate (i) whether incentives affect subjects’ willingness to pay to increase and to decrease the payoff of others, (ii) whether they affect the distribution of social preference types, and (iii) whether they affect the strength and the...