Science in the Swiss public: the state of science communication and public engagement with science in Switzerland

Science communication and public engagement with science have repeatedly been called for in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, die Swiss Academies of the Arts and Sciences have set up an expert group to assess the state of science communication in Switzerland, and to provide recommendations for how to improve it. The expert group report is based on a comprehensive review of the available interdisciplinary scholarship analyzing science communication and public engagement with science in Switzerland. Selectively, it also incorporates original data, international findings, and secondary analyses where little or no published scholarly work was available. The report covers a wide range of facets of science communication and public engagement in Switzerland, from public attitudes towards science over individuals and organizations engaging in science communication and engagement formats to news and social media representations of science. On this basis, it formulates 20 recommendations for improving science communication in Switzerland

Difficult tracheal intubation in neonates and infants. NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE): a prospective European multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND: Neonates and infants are susceptible to hypoxaemia in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to analyse interventions related to anaesthesia tracheal intubations in this European cohort and identify their clinical consequences. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of tracheal intubations of the European multicentre observational trial (NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe [NECTARINE]) in neonates and small infants with difficult tracheal intubation. The primary endpoint was the incidence of difficult intubation and the related complications. The secondary endpoints were the risk factors for severe hypoxaemia attributed to difficult airway management, and 30 and 90 day outcomes. RESULTS: Tracheal intubation was planned in 4683 procedures. Difficult tracheal intubation, defined as two failed attempts of direct laryngoscopy, occurred in 266 children (271 procedures) with an incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 5.8% (95% CI, 5.1–6.5). Bradycardia occurred in 8% of the cases with difficult intubation, whereas a significant decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2<90% for 60 s) was reported in 40%. No associated risk factors could be identified among co-morbidities, surgical, or anaesthesia management. Using propensity scoring to adjust for confounders, difficult anaesthesia tracheal intubation did not lead to an increase in 30 and 90 day morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study demonstrate a high incidence of difficult tracheal intubation in children less than 60 weeks post-conceptual age commonly resulting in severe hypoxaemia. Reassuringly, the morbidity and mortality at 30 and 90 days was not increased by the occurrence of a difficult intubation event

Difficult tracheal intubation in neonates and infants. NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE): a prospective European multicentre observational study

Background: Neonates and infants are susceptible to hypoxaemia in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to analyse interventions related to anaesthesia tracheal intubations in this European cohort and identify their clinical consequences. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of tracheal intubations of the European multicentre observational trial (NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe [NECTARINE]) in neonates and small infants with difficult tracheal intubation. The primary endpoint was the incidence of difficult intubation and the related complications. The secondary endpoints were the risk factors for severe hypoxaemia attributed to difficult airway management, and 30 and 90 day outcomes. Results: Tracheal intubation was planned in 4683 procedures. Difficult tracheal intubation, defined as two failed attempts of direct laryngoscopy, occurred in 266 children (271 procedures) with an incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 5.8% (95% CI, 5.1e6.5). Bradycardia occurred in 8% of the cases with difficult intubation, whereas a significant decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2&lt;90% for 60 s) was reported in 40%. No associated risk factors could be identified among comorbidities, surgical, or anaesthesia management. Using propensity scoring to adjust for confounders, difficult anaesthesia tracheal intubation did not lead to an increase in 30 and 90 day morbidity or mortality. Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate a high incidence of difficult tracheal intubation in children less than 60 weeks post-conceptual age commonly resulting in severe hypoxaemia. Reassuringly, the morbidity and mortality at 30 and 90 days was not increased by the occurrence of a difficult intubation event. Clinical trial registration: NCT02350348

Grain Prices and Mortality in Vienna, 1648-1754

Class specific mortality in 17th and 18th Century Vienna shows a cyclical pattern which is related to grain price cycles in the 5-10 years range. This relationship is not stable over time. Applying spectral analysis based on time-varying VARs, it can be shown that at the beginning of the observation period, comovement of grain prices and mortality is considerably high in areas populated by lower classes of society. This comovement cannot be found in richer areas of the city and vanishes over time for the entire population of the city

The Influence of Business Cycles on Strike Activity in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland 1901–2004

Labour disputes might serve as indicators of socio-economic development, because strike measures such as frequency or days not worked reflect not only the overall economic and political conditions, but inform also about ongoing conflicts in the relationship between capital and labour. The availability of comparable and well-documented data on strikes suggests the use of a quantitative approach to these issues. There is a body of literature analysing the strike history of German speaking countries. However, these studies are largely of qualitative nature or restricted to particular economies. The contribution of this paper is the analysis of labour conflicts from a cross-country perspective, concentrating on the strike history of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland from 1901–2004. The method utilised in this paper is spectral analysis. This approach allows to examine the cyclical structure of the strike series as well as its interrelationship with the business cycle in the countries under consideration. The main findings are that most of the fluctuation in strike activity is dominated by short cycles of 3–5 years, particularly in the second half of the last century. In addition, there is evidence that the 3–5 years business cycles had an impact on strike activity at least in Germany and Austria for the extraordinary growth period until the 1970s.Labour disputes might serve as indicators of socio-economic development, because strike measures such as frequency or days not worked reflect not only the overall economic and political conditions, but inform also about ongoing conflicts in the relationship between capital and labour. The availability of comparable and well-documented data on strikes suggests the use of a quantitative approach to these issues. There is a body of literature analysing the strike history of German speaking countries. However, these studies are largely of qualitative nature or restricted to particular economies. The contribution of this paper is the analysis of labour conflicts from a cross-country perspective, concentrating on the strike history of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland from 1901–2004. The method utilised in this paper is spectral analysis. This approach allows to examine the cyclical structure of the strike series as well as its interrelationship with the business cycle in the countries under consideration. The main findings are that most of the fluctuation in strike activity is dominated by short cycles of 3–5 years, particularly in the second half of the last century. In addition, there is evidence that the 3–5 years business cycles had an impact on strike activity at least in Germany and Austria for the extraordinary growth period until the 1970s

Grain prices and mortality in Vienna, 1648-1754

Class specific mortality in 17th and 18th Century Vienna shows a cyclical pattern which is related to grain price cycles in the 5-10 years range. This relationship is not stable over time. Applying spectral analysis based on time-varying VARs, it can be shown that at the beginning of the observation period, comovement of grain prices and mortality is considerably high in areas populated by lower classes of society. This comovement cannot be found in richer areas of the city and vanishes over time for the entire population of the city.Grain prices, mortality, Vienna, spectral analysis

Structure of the V. cholerae Na⁺-pumping NADH:quinone oxidoreductase

NADH oxidation in the respiratory chain is coupled to ion translocation across the membrane to build up an electrochemical gradient. The sodium-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR), a membrane protein complex widespread among pathogenic bacteria, consists of six subunits, NqrA, B, C, D, E and F. To our knowledge, no structural information on the Na+-NQR complex has been available until now. Here we present the crystal structure of the Na+-NQR complex at 3.5 Å resolution. The arrangement of cofactors both at the cytoplasmic and the periplasmic side of the complex, together with a hitherto unknown iron centre in the midst of the membrane-embedded part, reveals an electron transfer pathway from the NADH-oxidizing cytoplasmic NqrF subunit across the membrane to the periplasmic NqrC, and back to the quinone reduction site on NqrA located in the cytoplasm. A sodium channel was localized in subunit NqrB, which represents the largest membrane subunit of the Na+-NQR and is structurally related to urea and ammonia transporters. On the basis of the structure we propose a mechanism of redox-driven Na+ translocation where the change in redox state of the flavin mononucleotide cofactor in NqrB triggers the transport of Na+ through the observed channel

La participation d'adolescent-e-s dans les projets de promotion de la santé ::guide

La participation d’adolescent-e-s dans les projets de promotion de la santé prend une importance croissante, en lien avec l’objectif de créer des es- paces de vie favorables à la santé. L’exigence de faire participer les adolescent-e-s à la promotion de la santé découle également de la Charte d’Ottawa. Le présent guide décrit ce que l’on entend précisément par participation et comment la participation d’adolescent-e-s dans la conception, la planification, la mise en œuvre et l’évaluation de projets de promotion de la santé peut se faire efficacement. À cet égard, la règle de base suivante s’applique: la participation est possible avec toutes les jeunes personnes, pour autant que les processus soient adaptés aux besoins et à l’âge, et méthodologiquement bien conçus. Le présent guide offre un soutien pratique à cet effet pour les responsables PAC, les services spécialisés et les directions de projet dans le domaine de la promotion de la santé

Partizipation von Jugendlichen in Projekten der Gesundheitsförderung ::Leitfaden

In Projekten der Gesundheitsförderung nimmt die Partizipation von Jugendlichen einen zunehmenden Stellenwert ein, verbunden mit der Zielsetzung, gesundheitsförderliche Lebenswelten zu schaffen. Der Anspruch, dass Jugendliche an der Gesundheitsförderung partizipieren, lässt sich auch aus der Ottawa-Charta ableiten. Der vorliegende Leitfaden zeigt auf, was unter Partizipation genau verstanden wird und wie die Partizipation Jugendlicher bei der Ideenentwicklung, Planung, Umsetzung und Auswertung von Projekten im Bereich der Gesundheitsförderung er- folgreich gelingen kann. Dabei gilt die Grundregel: Partizipation ist mit allen jungen Menschen möglich, solange die Prozesse bedürfnisorientiert und altersgerecht ausgerichtet und methodisch gut durchdacht sind. Hierzu bietet dieser Leitfaden eine praxisnahe Unterstützung für KAP-Verantwortliche, Fachstellen und Projektleitungen im Bereich der Gesundheitsförderun