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Little is known about the content and quality of reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability. This study aimed to describe the reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability who were not yet readers in self-contained elementary classrooms. The teachers of 24 classrooms participated in the study. Systematic observations of reading lessons, follow-up interviews with the teachers, review of teaching material, and content analysis of students' individualized education plans were conducted. Findings indicate that phonics and phonological awareness were taught in most of the classrooms. However, phonics was taught systematically, as recommended in the research, in only less than half of the classes. Sight-word instruction and vocabulary instruction were observed in more than half of the classes. Comprehension instruction of texts read aloud by the teacher was observed in only about a third of the classrooms. Recommendations to support teachers in enhancing the quality of reading instruction are provided.

Background: GPs are on the front line for the identification and management of chronic depression but not much is known of their representations and management of chronic depression. Objectives: To analyze GPs' representations of chronic depression and to explore how they manage it. Methods: Three focus groups were conducted with 22 French-speaking general practitioners in Switzerland. The focus groups were transcribed and coded with MaxQDA. A detailed content analysis was carried out and the results were synthesized into a conceptual map. Results: GPs form representations of chronic depression at the intersection of expert and lay knowledge. When talking about patients suffering from chronic depression, GPs mention middle-aged women with complex psychosocial situations and somatic complaints. GPs' management of chronic depression relies on the relationship with their patients, but also on taking care of them as a whole: psyche, body and social context. GPs often feel helpless and lonely when confronted with a patient with chronic depression. They insist on the importance of collaboration and supervision. As regards chronic depression management, GPs remain alone with patients suffering from complex biopsychosocial situations. In other situations, GPs seek the help of a psychiatrist, sometimes quickly, sometimes after a long approach. In each situation, GPs have to develop skills for translating patients' complaints. Conclusion: GPs endorse a role of interpreter, making the physical presentation of their patient complaints move towards a psychological appreciation. Our results call for a renewed interest in GPs' role as interpreters and the means to achieve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify the strategies to prevent missed nursing care (MNC) that can be implemented by nurse managers/directors on a daily basis. Background: Only few recommendations have been established to date aiming at supporting nurse managers/ directors in preventing MNC. However, several strategies are implemented on a daily basis, suggesting that a body of tacit, practical and wise knowledge is already in place. Method(s): An international qualitative descriptive study based on the positive deviance approach conducted in 2019−2020 and reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. A purposeful sample of 35 nurse managers/directors working in hospitals in Cyprus, Italy, Germany and Switzerland was involved. Codes were extracted from each country, and a thematic analysis was performed at the transnational level to identify strategies and interventions preformed to prevent MNC. Results: Eight strategies and 22 interventions, mainly with preventive intent and designed at the hospital level, affecting both the processes and the structural dimensions, have been reported as effective in preventing MNC. Conclusion: Nurse leaders are involved daily in implementing strategies to minimise MNC at the nursing and at the hospital system levels, integrated with each other. Implications for Nursing Management: Preventing MNC should be a core value of the entire hospital, and not merely a nursing issue. Therefore, complex interventions at the system level are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guidelines recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT‐I) as first‐line treatment for chronic insomnia, but it is not clear how many primary care physicians (PCPs) in Switzerland prescribe this treatment. We created a survey that asked PCPs how they would treat chronic insomnia and how much they knew about CBT‐I. The survey included two case vignettes that described patients with chronic insomnia, one with and one without comorbid depression. PCPs also answered general questions about treating chronic insomnia and about CBT‐I and CBT‐I providers. Of the 820 Swiss PCPs we invited, 395 (48%) completed the survey (mean age 54 years; 70% male); 87% of PCPs prescribed sleep hygiene and 65% phytopharmaceuticals for the patient who had only chronic insomnia; 95% prescribed antidepressants for the patient who had comorbid depression. In each case, 20% of PCPs prescribed benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine receptor agonists, 8% prescribed CBT‐I, 68% said they knew little about CBT‐I, and 78% did not know a CBT‐I provider. In the clinical case vignettes, most PCPs treated chronic insomnia with phytopharmaceuticals and sleep hygiene despite their lack of efficacy, but PCPs rarely prescribed CBT‐I, felt they knew little about it, and usually knew no CBT‐I providers. PCPs need more information about the benefits of CBT‐I and local CBT‐I providers and dedicated initiatives to implement CBT‐I in order to reduce the number of patients who are prescribed ineffective or potentially harmful medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native to East Asia, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) was accidentally introduced into Switzerland around 2004 and is now spreading all over Europe. This pentatomid is highly polyphagous and attacks vegetables, field and tree crops as well as soft fruits. Moreover, all development stages of H. halys are found in vineyards, suggesting that grapevine is also a host plant for this insect. Nonetheless, its actual effects on European wine production is unclear. As such, we studied the impact of processed H. halys on the aroma and taste of grape musts and wines. We artificially contaminated 'Chardonnay' and 'Merlot' grapes with up to ten H. halys nymphs and adults per kg grapes directly before the vintage was crushed. In the freshly pressed must, the addition of 1 living bug·kg-1 grapes did not affect the olfactory sensation of the 'Chardonnay' juice. However, the aroma and taste of 'Chardonnay' juices and 'Merlot' musts contaminated with 3 to 10 H. halys individuals ·kg-1 grapes could be distinguished from the uncontaminated controls and were perceived as 'vegetal' and 'woody'. Yet after bottling, the different wines with 0 to 10 H. halys individuals·kg-1 grapes could no longer be differentiated from each other in 2-out-of-5 discrimination tests. Amongst 17 rated organoleptic descriptors to characterise the sensory profile of the four 'Chardonnay' wines, only two showed significant differences; the 'colour intensity' increased and wines' 'harmony/finesse' decreased with the number of added bugs. For the three 'Merlot' wines, none of the 21 organoleptic descriptors of the sensory profiles differed significantly. In addition, winegrowers did not dislike H. halys contaminated 'Chardonnay' and 'Merlot' wines compared to their uncontaminated controls one year after bottling. It therefore seems that the molecules responsible for the off-flavours in contaminated musts volatilise to a large part during the fermentation process. Our results consequently indicate that a contamination of the vintage with H. halys has the potential to alter the quality of grape juices and musts but that there is little risk for influencing the taste of processed wines. Nonetheless, we recommend monitoring the development of H. halys in vineyards in order to anticipate quantitative and qualitative problems at harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila suzukii is a very polyphagous species that can also tack and develop in a great variety of grape cultivars. In Switzerland, the control of D. suzukii mainly relies on prophylactic measures and kaolin, a white inert aluminosilicate mineral who's particles stick to the leaf surface and form a physical barrier that help to reduce ovipositions by the pest. Here we present a synthesis of our recent insights on the efficacy of kaolin against D. suzukii as well as on the chemical and sensory properties of the wines vinified from kaolin treated grapes. In autumn 2016, kaolin (Surround WP®) was applied in 23 field trials on various cultivars located in various winegrowing regions of Switzerland. Overall, kaolin achieved an average efficiency of 54 % and no significant differences could be observed between kaolin applications at 1 % and 2 % with 56.8 % and 57.1 % efficacy, respectively. At the higher concentration, the preventive and curative strategy were also nearly as effective with efficacies at 67.4 % and 50.3 %, respectively. In addition, a field experiment was set up on the red grape cultivar 'Mara' in 2015. This experiment revealed that three applications of kaolin at 1 % or 2 % did neither affect fermentation nor the usual chemical properties of kaolin treated wines compared to the untreated control. However, aluminum concentration within wines increased with the applied dosage of kaolin but the measured aluminum levels were 38-times lower than the maximal German threshold of 8 mg·L-1. Moreover, tasters were also not able to distinguish the aroma and the taste of wines processed from kaolin treated grapes from the untreated control. We therefore conclude that kaolin applications are effective against D. suzukii and do not cause any major risks to the environment, to wine quality and to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in agricultural practice during the last century resulted in high-input farming in lowlands and the abandonment of crop fields in marginally profitable mountain regions. In Switzerland abandoned fields were converted into grassland. These fields had a rich historical flora and the few still existing fields still belong to the most species rich. As many arable weeds produce persistent seeds, abandoned fields should have a high potential to promote rare and threatened arable plants if tilled again. To test this hypothesis we collected 21 soil samples down to 20 cm depth in each the centre and the border of 38 abandoned fields. The centre and border samples of each field were each pooled, and afterwards the present seeds washed out. These seeds were then sown in pots and germination monitored in a greenhouse during six months. A total of 119 plant species were identified. Of these, 48 species were typical arable weeds and only one was red listed in Switzerland. The number of arable weeds per former field was lower at higher altitudes. Hence, the surveyed meadows have a small potential to promote threatened arable weeds if tilled again. Likely, some seeds were no longer viable because the fields were not tilled for a too long. If on newly established conservation fields no threatened species grow spontaneously after a few years, the reintroduction of desired plant species should be considered. The source of the seeds should preferably be a nearby species pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Drosophila suzukii is a highly polyphagous vinegar fly native to Asia, which invaded Switzerland in 2011. The pest was found in all regions of the country, from low altitudes to the timberline. Due to its fast reproduction rate and the infestation of fruits shortly before harvest D. suzukii is difficult to control. OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to establish an efficient monitoring campaign all over Switzerland. RESULTS: In 2012, a total of 60,000 D. suzukii were captured in 200 monitoring traps, whereupon it represented between 25 and 75% of all vinegar flies trapped. The range of host plants is very broad, not only affecting crops, but also wild fruits. In 2012 most individuals were captured close to or within cultivated raspberry, blackberry and grapevine as well as in wild shrubs such as elderberry. It is likely that as a result of a consequent application of the recommended sanitation measures, only very few cases of economic damage were reported by the producers in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring traps can reliably detect the occurrence of the pest in a region. The trap must be very selective to small insects (diameter of 3 mm) to avoid other beneficial insects such as Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera being caught. In case of local presence, setting up a dense net of mass-traps around the crop or between a hedge and the crop should guarantee capture of most vinegar flies before they attack ripe fruits. In close collaboration with national and international partners, Agroscope will try to identify pragmatic and sustainable crop protection measures against D. suzukii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switzerland is not a member of the EU and in 1992 refused to join the European Economic Area (EEA) treaty in a popular vote. A conservative majority preferred to keep utmost national autonomy, and consequently, relations between the EU and Switzerland are regulated by a series of bilateral treaties. This process of Europeanisation without institutionalisation has led to profound changes of Swiss politics over the last two decades. While many effects of economic liberalisation and internationalisation are similar to those found in EU countries, some specific problems like the acceleration of immigration present rising social conflict. Social cleavages between urban and rural regions, and between capital and labour are deepening. The continuous rise of the conservative nationalist Swiss People's Party and the growing polarisation between the political Right and Left have put the traditional political culture of accommodation and power sharing at risk. Twenty years after the No-vote on the EEA-treaty, Switzerland is a divided country. Why do Swiss politicians still practice consensus democracy, and what does the divide mean for the future relations between the EU and Switzerland? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diuretics are among the most commonly prescribed medications and, due to their mechanisms of action, electrolyte disorders are common side effects of their use. In the present work we investigated the associations between diuretics being taken and the prevalence of electrolyte disorders on admission as well as the impact of electrolyte disorders on patient outcome. Methods: In this cross sectional analysis, all patients presenting between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011 to the emergency room (ER) of the Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland were included. Data on diuretic medication, baseline characteristics and laboratory data including electrolytes and renal function parameters were obtained from all patients. A multivariable logistic regression model was performed to assess the impact of factors on electrolyte disorders and patient outcome. Results: A total of 8.5% of patients presenting to the ER used one diuretic, 2.5% two, and 0.4% three or four. In all, 4% had hyponatremia on admission and 12% hypernatremia. Hypokalemia was present in 11% and hyperkalemia in 4%. All forms of dysnatremia and dyskalemia were more common in patients taking diuretics. Loop diuretics were an independent risk factor for hypernatremia and hypokalemia, while thiazide diuretics were associated with the presence of hyponatremia and hypokalemia. In the Cox regression model, all forms of dysnatremia and dyskalemia were independent risk factors for in hospital mortality. Conclusions: Existing diuretic treatment on admission to the ER was associated with an increased prevalence of electrolyte disorders. Diuretic therapy itself and disorders of serum sodium and potassium were risk factors for an adverse outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In its capacity as the supervisory authority, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH) has responded to the increase in extremity doses observed in nuclear medicine facilities in Switzerland over the past decade by introducing facility-specific radiation protection audits. These audits have raised the awareness of the staff members concerned with the problem of high extremity doses which arise from handling beta emitters and PET nuclides and prevented any further rise in the extremity doses. However, the evaluation of these audits has also shown that there is still considerable scope for improvement in terms of reducing extremity doses and that further measures are therefore required. Facility-specific and person-specific investigations are currently being conducted with the support of the SFOPH. Their aim is to show facilities which operations during the preparation and application of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals lead to high extremity doses. This will enable the reduction of extremity doses for nuclear medicine staff as well as ensure that the dose limits are adhered to, in spite of the increasing numbers of examinations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the role of the cantons, federal districts, and the strategies they engage in to protect their interests in Switzerland politics. Influence of the cantons on federal politics; Impact of the differences between the cantons on policy outcomes; Need for and strategies for reform of federalism.

Northern Switzerland is characterized by a plateau (Swiss Mittelland) between two parallel southwest-northeast-running mountain chains: the Alps to the southeast of the plateau and the Jura to its northwest. Under the same large-scale conditions, thunderstorms form sometimes over the Jura and not over the Alps and vice versa. This paper investigates whether the different regions of storm formation can be related to differences in the surface wind field on the plateau. Fourteen years (1983-96) of wind data from the Swiss Mesonet (ANETZ) show for fair weather a thermal circulation between the plateau and the mountains. The interaction of the channeled surface flow on the plateau (usually NE or SW) with the thermal circulation is investigated by dividing the fair weather days into days with strong southwesterly, weak southwesterly, weak variable, weak northeasterly, and strong northeasterly surface flow on the plateau. During northeasterly surface flow, the thermal upslope flow from the plateau toward the Jura is stronger than from the plateau toward the Alps. During southwesterly surface flow, the thermal upslope flow from the plateau toward the Alps is stronger than from the plateau toward the Jura. These flow patterns are consistent with the preferred origin regions of thunderstorms. A total of 329 hail days (1983-96) with 1262 radar-derived hail cells are divided according to the same surface wind criteria as the fair weather days. During northeasterly surface flow, hail cells form preferably over the western Jura while during southwesterly flow hail cells form preferably over the eastern Jura, the plateau, and the Alps. Hence, using the surface flow on the plateau is a first step toward thunderstorm forecasts on a regional scale in Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: This Multi Centre study is performed in order to evaluate foreign language acquisition at school in cochlear implant patients in the German speaking part of Switzerland. Material and Methods: In October 2016, 125 CI patients (10-18 years) were registered in the na-tional CI Database. CI non-users and mentally retarded patients were excluded. Additional data (type of schooling, foreign language learning and bilingualism) were obtained with questionnaires. German-speaking children with foreign language tuition (English and/or French) in mainstream were enrolled for further testing (n=31). The normal-hearing control group consisted of matched-pairs. Results: Hundred returned questionnaires were available for analysis. Forty-eight were in main-stream and 52% attained special schools. 88% of CI users attended foreign language tuition. The 12 CI users without foreign language learning were all enrolled in special schools. CI users with foreign language education had better German speech comprehension (89% vs. 51%; p < 0.05). Thirtyone patients were further tested. The 10 students in 6th grade had all reached the school norms in English reading and listening. For French, 3 out of 7 CI students (44%) reached the school norm for French reading and one (14%) in French listening. The normal hearing group had higher scores (83.6 vs. 76.4%) which was statistical significant for English reading. Those with bi-modal fitting also had higher test-scores (on average 84% vs. 71%; p<0.05). Conclusion: Almost 90% of our CI children attain foreign language tuition. Those without foreign language learning were all in special schools. Overall, most of the tested patients reached the cur-rent school norm for English reading and listening, whereas the French school norms appeared to be more difficult to reach. A trend for better test scores was found in the normal hearing group. Also CI users with bimodal fitting seem to perform better than bilateral implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the vast type specimen collection held by Switzerland in spite of its lack of marine or tropical ecosystem. Taxonomists who established the vast species collection; Establishment of the exact number of types in Swiss collections as part of the initiative by the Swiss Biodiversity Collections Online Consortium.

Human prion disases are devastating and incurable, but are very rare. Fears that the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epizootic would lead to a large epidemic of its presumed human counterpart, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), have not been realised. Yet a feeling of uncertainty prevails in the general public and in the biomedical world. The lack of data on the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of vCJD compounds this uncertainty. In addition to this problem, Switzerland is currently faced with another issue of major public concern: a recent rise in the incidence of CJD. Here we examine the plausibility of several scenarios that may account for the increase in CJD incidence, including ascertainment bias due to improved reporting of CJD, iatrogenic transmission, and transmission of a prion zoonosis. In addition, we present the design and current status of a Swiss population-wide study of subclinical vCJD prevalence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigated whether agri-environmental incentive payments help to maintain biodiversity. We studied the effect of agricultural management intensity on vascular plant species richness and plant assemblages of mountain meadows in Switzerland. Other factors such as slope, altitude or accessibility (distance from farmyard) were also taken into account. Vegetation sampling was conducted at 69 sites representing five different management types, differing with respect to nutrient input and soil moisture: (i) dry extensive meadows; (ii) extensive meadows; (iii) dry low-intensive meadows; (iv) low-intensive meadows; (v) intensive meadows. There was a significant negative relationship between plant species richness and management intensity: The mean number of plant species per management type declined markedly when management intensity increased, although dry sites harboured slightly more species regardless of management intensity (dry extensive>dry low intensive>extensive>low intensive>>intensive meadows). Species richness was clearly affected by management intensity, but not so by slope, altitude or accessibility. There was a gradual shift in plant assemblages among management types with only intensive meadows differing from the other four types of differently managed meadows. We therefore found, in contrast to many studies done in the European lowlands, positive effects of incentive payments on plant species richness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

2444 Cochlear Implant surgeries have been performed in Switzerland from 1977-2013 at one of the five CI Centers i.e. Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lucerne and Zurich. Basic information about all implantations is anonymously stored in a national cochlear implant register. 2013 the implant register was extended to totally 154 items including medical history, social economic status, etiology as well as objective audiometric outcome. Additionally a webinterface was programmed to allow continuous collection of data during each visit of the patients. The collection of patient specific data in a central database with an annual conjoint report of all five CI centers is requested by the Swiss government. We studied 1015 side-specific or bilateral thresholds from 755 patients. The patients used soundprocessors from Cochlear, Medel, Advanced Bionics or Oticon Medical. The averaged threshold for the frequencies between 250 Hz and 6000 Hz ranged from 24-28 dB HL (SD 7.1-14 dB). At 8000 Hz the averaged threshold was 43 dB HL (SD 24 dB). 130 Patient were equipped with the latest soundprocessors (CP900 N=115, Sonnet N=3, Naida=33 or Saphyr=2) showed similar results. The threshold for frequencies between 250 Hz and 6000 Hz ranged between 26-30 dB HL in mean and deviates also at 8000 Hz to 43.3 dB HL. This analysis includes The Swiss National Cochlear Implant Register allows multiple analysis of an entire national Cochlear Implant Population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After the introduction of an inactivated intranasal influenza vaccine that was used only in Switzerland, 46 cases of Bell's palsy were reported. Methods: We conducted a matched case–control study and a case-series analysis. All primary care physicians, ear, nose, and throat specialists, and neurologists in German-speaking regions of Switzerland were requested to identify cases of Bell's palsy diagnosed in adults between October 1, 2000, and April 30, 2001. Each physician was invited to select three control patients for each patient with Bell's palsy, with matching according to age, date of the clinic visit, and physician. Vaccination information was provided by the physicians. Results: A total of 773 patients with Bell's palsy were identified. Of the 412 (53.3 percent) who could be evaluated, 250 (60.7 percent) were enrolled and matched with 722 control patients; the other 162 patients had no controls. In the case–control study, we found that 68 patients with Bell's palsy (27.2 percent) and 8 controls (1.1 percent) had received the intranasal vaccine (P<0.001). In contrast to parenteral vaccines, the intranasal vaccine significantly increased the risk of Bell's palsy (adjusted odds ratio, 84.0; 95 percent confidence interval, 20.1 to 351.9). Even according to conservative assumptions, the relative risk of Bell's palsy was estimated to be 19 times the risk in the controls, corresponding to 13 excess cases per 10,000 vaccinees within 1 to 91 days after vaccination. In the case-series analysis, the period of highest risk was 31 to 60 days after vaccination. Conclusions: This study suggests a strong association between the inactivated intranasal influenza vaccine used in Switzerland and Bell's palsy. This vaccine is no longer in clinical use. N Engl J Med 2004;350:896-903. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists in the management of chronic depression is considered as necessary but found suboptimal in the literature. The present qualitative study aims to better understand the factors influencing the decision to refer a patient with chronic depression to a psychiatrist. In order to do so, we conducted three focus groups with GPs in the French speaking part of Switzerland. The focus groups were recorded and transcribed, then coded by three members of the pluridisciplinary research team, using the software MaxQDA.We show that GPs carry out an implicit classification process of the patients, parting those who are &#8220;good cases&#8221; for the psychiatrist from those who express their suffering only by the body. The latter will only be treated at the GP&#8217;s practice. We argue that such a classification may therefore produce unequal access to psychotherapy.We identify several reasons for GPs to refer patients with chronic depression. These reasons rarely relate to the acknowledgement of a specific expertise of the psychiatrist in the management of chronic depression. It also appears that GPs perceive themselves as &#8220;specialists of the relationship&#8221;, which they consider central to the management of chronic depression. In addition, some GPs have negative representations of psychiatrists. These factors suggest the existence of issues around professional boundaries, which can work against collaboration.In conclusion, a clarification of the specificities of the GPs and the psychiatrists &#8211;&#160;through training and interprofessional meetings&#160;&#8211; would help reduce the negative representations of GPs about psychiatrists and promote collaboration, thus facilitating the referral of patients with chronic depression to the psychiatrist.