Signals, in order.

Künstliche Intelligenz entwickelt sich von einfacher Automatisierung und Inhaltsgenerierung hin zu Systemen, die komplexe Ziele über heterogene Unternehmenslandschaften hinweg verfolgen. Der Beitrag definiert Agentic AI anhand von sechs Kernfähigkeiten – Ziele, Umgebungsinteraktion, Schlussfolgern, Gedächtnis, Werkzeuge und Handeln – und unterscheidet Agenten erster Ordnung (einzelne KI-Agenten) von Agenten zweiter Ordnung (Kollaboration mehrerer Agenten). Auf dieser Basis werden agentenbasierte Workflows, Architekturmuster und praktische Implikationen für Design, Governance und Mensch-Agent-…

Source: OpenAlex

This study compared microbial composition between simple appendicitis (SA) and complicated appendicitis (CA) in pediatric patients using culture and 16S rRNA sequencing of appendix tissues and rectal swabs. The most common aerobic bacteria identified were Escherichia, Klebsiella spp., and Enterococcus spp., and CA samples showed higher relative abundance of potential pathobionts such as an unclassified Enterobacteriaceae genus. No significant differences were found at the alpha or beta diversity levels between SA and CA groups, and the study highlighted limitations including a small sample si…

Source: OpenAlex

On 3 October 2026, EPFL in Lausanne awarded 1,565 Master’s diplomas during its traditional graduation ceremony. The event highlighted outstanding achievements, presented several awards, and featured speeches from EPFL President Anna Fontcuberta i Morral and alumni such as Nicolas Cudré-Mauroux. The ceremony also honored faculty and staff contributions with special recognitions.

Source: EPFL News

This systematic review evaluated learning-curve assessment in laparoscopic and robotic colorectal surgery, analyzing 114 studies with 167 learning-curve analyses. The most common method was CUSUM or risk-adjusted CUSUM (66.4%), with operative time as the primary endpoint (79.6%). Operative-time plateaus were identified after 38 colonic and 56 rectal procedures, and robotic series reported numerically lower competency thresholds than laparoscopic series, though differences were not statistically significant.

Source: OpenAlex

Thomas Zurbuchen, former Director of ETH Zurich Space, has left the university after a three‑year tenure to become Senior Vice President of Blue Origin’s Advanced Concepts team. During his time at ETH, he launched Switzerland’s first Master in Space Systems, established an innovation hub and the ESA Business Incubation Centre, and co‑founded the ETH Swiss GeoLab, an interdisciplinary centre that combines space and in‑situ data with advanced AI and high‑performance computing.

Source: ETH Zurich News

This paper reports the results of a community blind challenge organized with Expansion Therapeutics, where participants predicted nine ADMET endpoints from a realistic dataset. The top performers were message‑passing neural networks and chemical foundation models, and the study highlighted the importance of proprietary industry data and the need to tailor predictive workflows via multitasking and task‑affinity grouping. Hosting the challenge on Hugging Face proved pivotal for community engagement and visibility, underscoring the value of robust, open‑source infrastructure for advancing ADMET …

Source: OpenAlex

ETH Zurich will construct an 80‑metre high HWS building on the Hönggerberg campus starting in 2028, providing 64,000 m² of floor area, 1,600 staff workstations and 1,500 student workstations. The structure includes a 20‑storey tower for the Department of Computer Science, a library wing, lecture theatres, catering, a public forum, and a panoramic restaurant, and will be completed in 2032. The project, valued at CHF 310 million for construction and CHF 140 million for fit‑outs, uses timber‑and‑concrete construction, recycled aluminium panels, ground‑source heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, and…

Source: ETH Zurich News

The paper presents a novel current-mode silicon neuron that incorporates neuromodulation to achieve robust and adaptive computation, a feature largely unexplored in neuromorphic circuits. A mathematical model and tuning tools are introduced, and both theoretical analysis and experimental results on a low‑power 180 nm CMOS implementation confirm the neuron’s biologically plausible adaptation across a wide range of parameters. The design demonstrates high robustness, flexibility, and scalability over varying currents and temperatures, positioning it as a strong candidate for real‑world neuromor…

Source: OpenAlex

This research focuses on designing solid thermal energy storage systems to enhance heat transfer efficiency. It examines material selection, geometry optimization, and thermal interface improvements to maximize energy storage capacity and discharge rates. The study provides guidelines for scaling and integrating such systems into renewable energy infrastructures.

Source: OpenAlex

Swiss glaciers lost more than 5 % of their volume in 2026, the highest melt rate recorded, following a winter with exceptionally little snow and a summer marked by record-breaking heatwaves. Over the past five years, nearly 20 % of Switzerland’s total glacier volume has disappeared, and several smaller glaciers have vanished completely. The findings, based on GLAMOS data reported by the Swiss Academy of Sciences, highlight the rapid retreat of glaciers such as the Rhône, Aletsch, and Clariden.

Source: ETH Zurich News