Phase Nanoengineering via Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography and Direct Laser Writing

Nanomaterials derive their electronic, magnetic, and optical properties from their specific nanostructure. In most cases, nanostructured materials and their properties are defined during the materials growth, and nanofabrication techniques, such as lithography, are employed subsequently for device fabrication. Herein, a perspective is presented on a different approach for creating nanomaterials and devices where, after growth, advanced nanofabrication techniques are used to directly nanostructure condensed matter systems, by inducing highly controlled, localized, and stable changes in the electronic, magnetic, or optical properties. Then, advantages, limitations, applications in materials science and technology are highlighted, and future perspectives are discussed

Early molecular diagnosis of aspergillosis in a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia

Diagnosis of invasive fungal infection remains challenging. Here we report a case of early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in a neutropenic patient affected by acute myeloid leukaemia, achieved through the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus species-specific ribonucleic acid sequences by a sensitive multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction-based molecular assay. Thanks to the early diagnosis, targeted therapy was promptly established and the severe fungal infection controlled, allowing the patient to subsequently receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a haploidentical donor, her only curative option. Also in this instance, targeted secondary antifungal prophylaxis with voriconazole avoided any other fungal infection afterwards. This report suggests how the implementation of molecular assays in combination with routine diagnostic procedures, can improve microbiological diagnosis in sepsis, particularly in case of fungal infection, difficult to detect with standard microbiological culture methods

Researching Complex Interventions in Health: The State of the Art : Exeter, UK. 14-15 October 2015.

Erratum to this paper available at http://hdl.handle.net/10871/23087

Changes in socioeconomic resources and mental health after the second COVID-19 wave (2020-2021): a longitudinal study in Switzerland

BACKGROUND: During the 2020/2021 winter, the labour market was under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in socioeconomic resources during this period could have influenced individual mental health. This association may have been mitigated or exacerbated by subjective risk perceptions, such as perceived risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 or perception of the national economic situation. Therefore, we aimed to determine if changes in financial resources and employment situation during and after the second COVID-19 wave were prospectively associated with depression, anxiety and stress, and whether perceptions of the national economic situation and of the risk of getting infected modified this association. METHODS: One thousand seven hundred fifty nine participants from a nation-wide population-based eCohort in Switzerland were followed between November 2020 and September 2021. Financial resources and employment status were assessed twice (Nov2020-Mar2021, May-Jul 2021). Mental health was assessed after the second measurement of financial resources and employment status, using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). We modelled DASS-21 scores with linear regression, adjusting for demographics, health status, social relationships and changes in workload, and tested interactions with subjective risk perceptions. RESULTS: We observed scores above thresholds for normal levels for 16% (95%CI = 15-18) of participants for depression, 8% (95%CI = 7-10) for anxiety, and 10% (95%CI = 9-12) for stress. Compared to continuously comfortable or sufficient financial resources, continuously precarious or insufficient resources were associated with worse scores for all outcomes. Increased financial resources were associated with higher anxiety. In the working-age group, shifting from full to part-time employment was associated with higher stress and anxiety. Perceiving the Swiss economic situation as worrisome was associated with higher anxiety in participants who lost financial resources or had continuously precarious or insufficient resources. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the association of economic stressors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the exacerbating role of subjective risk perception on this association

hMYH and hMTH1 cooperate for survival in mismatch repair defective T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

hMTH1 is an 8-oxodGTPase that prevents mis-incorporation of free oxidized nucleotides into genomic DNA. Base excision and mismatch repair pathways also restrict the accumulation of oxidized lesions in DNA by removing the mis-inserted 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosines (8-oxodGs). In this study, we aimed to investigate the interplay between hMYH DNA glycosylase and hMTH1 for cancer cell survival by using mismatch repair defective T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells. To this end, MYH and MTH1 were silenced individually or simultaneously using small hairpin RNAs. Increased sub-G1 population and apoptotic cells were observed upon concurrent depletion of both enzymes. Elevated cell death was consistent with cleaved caspase 3 accumulation in double knockdown cells. Importantly, overexpression of the nuclear isoform of hMYH could remove the G1 arrest and partially rescue the toxicity observed in hMTH1-depleted cells. In addition, expression profiles of human DNA glycosylases were generated using quantitative reverse transcriptase–PCR in MTH1 and/or MYH knockdown cells. NEIL1 DNA glycosylase, involved in repair of oxidized nucleosides, was found to be significantly downregulated as a cellular response to MTH1–MYH co-suppression. Overall, the results suggest that hMYH and hMTH1 functionally cooperate for effective repair and survival in mismatch repair defective T-ALL Jurkat A3 cells

Delegation and coordination with multiple threshold public goods: experimental evidence

When multiple charities, social programs and community projects simultaneously vie for funding, donors risk mis-coordinating their contributions leading to an inefficient distribution of funding across projects. Community chests and other intermediary organizations facilitate coordination among donors and reduce such risks. To study this, we extend a threshold public goods framework to allow donors to contribute through an intermediary rather than directly to the public goods. Through a series of experiments, we show that the presence of an intermediary increases public good success and subjects’ earnings only when the intermediary is formally committed to direct donations to socially beneficial goods. Without such a restriction, the presence of an intermediary has a negative impact, complicating the donation environment, decreasing contributions and public good success.When multiple charities, social programs and community projects simultaneously vie for funding, donors risk mis-coordinating their contributions leading to an inefficient distribution of funding across projects. Community chests and other intermediary organizations facilitate coordination among donors and reduce such risks. To study this, we extend a threshold public goods framework to allow donors to contribute through an intermediary rather than directly to the public goods. Through a series of experiments, we show that the presence of an intermediary increases public good success and subjects’ earnings only when the intermediary is formally committed to direct donations to socially beneficial goods. Without such a restriction, the presence of an intermediary has a negative impact, complicating the donation environment, decreasing contributions and public good success

Changes in healthcare utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic and potential causes : a cohort study from Switzerland

Objectives: To describe the frequency of and reasons for changes in healthcare utilization in those requiring ongoing treatment, and to assess characteristics associated with change, during the second wave of the pandemic. Methods: Corona Immunitas e-cohort study (age ≥20 years) participants completed monthly questionnaires. We compared participants reporting a change in healthcare utilization with those who did not using descriptive and bivariate statistics. We explored characteristics associated with the number of changes using negative binomial regression. Results: The study included 3,190 participants from nine research sites. One-fifth reported requiring regular treatment. Among these, 14% reported a change in healthcare utilization, defined as events in which participants reported that they changed their ongoing treatment, irrespective of the reason. Reasons for change were medication changes and side-effects, specifically for hypertension, or pulmonary embolism treatment. Females were more likely to report changes [Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 2.15, p = 0.002]. Those with hypertension were least likely to report changes [IRR = 0.35, p = 0.019]. Conclusion: Few of those requiring regular treatment reported changes in healthcare utilization. Continuity of care for females and chronic diseases besides hypertension must be emphasized