Canton Ticino Research Articles

Mycobacterial infections in wild boars (Sus scrofa) from Southern Switzerland: Diagnostic improvements, epidemiological situation and zoonotic potential.

The occurrence of mycobacterial infections in different hosts and their implication as obligate or opportunistic pathogens remain mainly unclear. In addition to the well‐known pathogenic members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis – complex (MTBC), over 180 non‐tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species have been described. Although the large majority of the NTM is assumed to be non‐pathogenic to most individuals, an increasing trend in NTM infections has been observed over the last decades. The reasons of such augmentation are probably more than one: improved laboratory diagnostics, an increasing number of immunocompromised patients and individuals with lung damage are some of the possible aspects. Mandibular lymph nodes of 176 hunted wild boars from the pre‐Alpine region of Canton Ticino, Switzerland, were collected. Following gross inspection, each lymph node was subjected to culture and to an IS6110 based real‐time PCR specific for MTBC members. Histology was performed of a selection of lymph nodes (n = 14) presenting gross visible lesions. Moreover, accuracy of matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) species identification was compared with sequence analysis of a combination of housekeeping genes. Mycobacteria of the MTBC were detected in 2.8% of the wild boars (n = 5; CI95% 1.2–6.5) and were all confirmed to be Mycobacterium microti by molecular methods. In addition, based on the examined lymph nodes, NTM were detected in 57.4% (n = 101; CI95% 50.0–64.5) of the wild boars originating from the study area. The 111 isolates belonged to 24 known species and three potentially undescribed Mycobacterium species. M. avium subsp. hominissuis thereby predominated (22.5%) and was found in lymph nodes with and without macroscopic changes. Overall, the present findings show that, with the exception of undescribed Mycobacterium species where identification was not possible (3.6%; 4/111), MALDI‐TOF MS had a high concordance rate (90.1%; 100/111 isolates) to the sequence‐based reference method.

‘War to war!’: the pacifist propaganda of Coenobium (1913–1919)

ABSTRACT Amongst the Italian exiles who arrived at the Canton of Ticino following repression perpetrated by the Di Rudinì and Pelloux administrations – after the popular uprisings of 1898 – are Enrico Bignami, Giuseppe Rensi and Arcangelo Ghisleri, who, in Lugano, created a sort of secular symposium for fostering spiritual values. This gave birth to Coenobium, the ‘international journal of independent studies’, which remained in operation between 1906 and 1919. This periodical distinguished itself due to the diversity of the issues addressed: from science to law, from history to philosophy, from literature to spiritualism, philosophy and psychology. With the beginning of the First World War, however, Coenobium’s focus was on the spiral of violence triggered by the war; hence a series of denunciations entrusted to the column ‘War to war!’, which marked a dramatic change in the editorial policy of the magazine edited by Bignami, who was determined to turn it into a strong instrument of pacifist propaganda. Several prestigious figures in Europe’s cultural and political milieus participated in this venture, notably Norman Angell, Romain Rolland, Angelo Crespi, Raffaele Ottolenghi, Claudio Treves, Filippo Turati, Henri La Fontaine, Nicholas Murray Butler and Enrico Bignami.

25 February - 28 March 2020 my experience at the time of Covid-19: narratives of a group of nurses who worked in the Canton of Ticino

In February 2020 the first case of COVID-19 arrived in Canton Ticino. Since then, many things have changed at great speed, especially in health organizations, and these changes have had a strong impact on the nursing profession. The objective of this research was: to investigate the experiences of nurses at different organizational levels who were confronted with the COVID pandemic in the first month in which it occurred. Narrative Research. The data collection was carried out involving a group of 20 nurses working in different contexts and roles in Canton Ticino. The collected narrations were analyzed through a thematic analysis of their content using Nvivo 12®. The thematic analysis of the narrations made it possible to define 26 themes and 6 macro-themes: Pandemic, What changes, Communication, Emotions/experiences, Role and image, Interprofessional collaboration. The results of this research make it possible to understand how a heterogeneous group of nurses experienced the particular period of pandemic in Canton Ticino and which reflections were derived from it. Some of the aspects highlighted can be compared with what is present in the international literature on the subject in order to find common ways of action for the nursing leadership, in the different Countries, facing the need to organize, manage and support nursing professionals in this and future pandemic situations. The results of this research can be used both at an organisational and educational level and can be the starting point for future research.

First record of Erysiphe salmonii causing powdery mildew on Fraxinus ornus in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the manna ash (Fraxinus ornus) is native to the canton Ticino (https://www.infoflora.ch). In September and October 2020, a powdery mildew species of the genus Erysiphe sect. Uncinula was discovered in four…

The Y-chromosomal haplotype and haplogroup distribution of modern Switzerland still reflects the alpine divide as a geographical barrier for human migration

A sample of 606 Swiss individuals has been characterized for 27 Y-STR and 34 Y-SNPs, defining major European haplogroups. For the first time, a subsample from the southernmost part of Switzerland, the Italian speaking canton Ticino, has been included. The data reveals significant intra-national differences in the distribution of haplogroups R1b-U106, R1b-U152, I1 and J2a north and south of the alpine divide, with R1b-U152 being the most frequent haplogroup among all Swiss subpopulations, reaching 26 % in average and 53 % in the Ticino sample. In addition, a high percentage of haplogroup E1b1b-M35 in Eastern Switzerland corresponds well with data reported from Western Austria. In general, we detected a low level of differentiation between the subgroups north of the alpine divide. The dataset also revealed a variety of microvariants. Some of them were previously known to be associated with particular haplogroups. However, we discovered one microvariant in DYS533 that seems to be closely associated with haplogroup I2-P215 (xM223). This association had not yet been reported to date. The concordance study with two STR-kits suggests that the DYS533 microvariant is due to an InDel in the flanking regions of the marker. One individual carried a large deletion, frequently detected in people of East Asian ancestry, encompassing the amelogenin locus. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a deletion has been observed within European haplogroup R1b-U152. This is the first comprehensive Y chromosomal dataset for Switzerland, demonstrating significant population substructure due to an intra-national geographical barrier.

Retrospective and prospective of hydro-met monitoring system in the Canton Ticino, Switzerland

ABSTRACT Hydro-meteorological monitoring systems are essential sources of information for designing sustainable water management and developing equitable policies. In this paper we discuss the role of a regional monitoring network in Switzerland, Canton Ticino, and identify a list of challenges and actions to be considered to address future expected issues. The identification is based on a retrospective review of the monitoring network and analysis of the state of the art. Based on our experience, the most critical aspects relate to data density and quality, improvement of archiving and dissemination, modernization of the network for increased quality of service and better interoperability to foster the transition towards an innovative and interdisciplinary water resources management.

Case series of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in a military recruit school: clinical, sanitary and logistical implications

IntroductionA new coronavirus, called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged from China in late 2019 and has now caused a worldwide pandemic. The impact of covid-19 has not been...

Doll therapy intervention for women with dementia living in nursing homes: a randomized single-blind controlled trial protocol

BackgroundDoll therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention for people with dementia aimed to reduce distressing behaviours. Reliable results on the efficacy of Doll therapy for people with dementia are needed. The concept of attachment theorised by Bowlby has been proposed to explain the Doll therapy process, but it has not been proven to influence the response to doll presentation.Methods/designThis single-blind, randomised controlled trial will involve people with dementia living in nursing homes of the Canton Ticino (Switzerland). Participants will be randomised to one of two interventions: Doll Therapy Intervention or Sham Intervention with a non-anthropomorphic object, using a 1:1 allocation ratio. The two interventions will consist of 30 daily sessions lasting an hour at most, led by a trained nurse for an hour at most. We will enrol 64 participants per group, according to power analysis using an estimated medium effect size (f = 0.25), an alpha level of 0.05, and a power of 0.8. The primary goal is to test the efficacy of the Doll Therapy Intervention versus the Sham Intervention as the net change in the following measures from baseline to 30 days (blinded outcomes): the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home administered by a trained psychologist blinded to group assignment, the professional caregivers’ perceived stress scale of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home, patients’ physiological indices of stress (salivary cortisol, blood pressure and heart rate) and interactive behaviours. The secondary goal is to assess the relationship between attachment styles of people with dementia (detected by means of the Adult Attachment Interview to the patients’ offspring) and their caregiving behaviours shown during the Doll Therapy Intervention.DiscussionThis is the first single-blind, randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of Doll therapy for dementia and an explanatory model of the response of people with dementia to doll presentation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03224143. Retrospectively registered on 21 July 2017

An Utstein-based model score to predict survival to hospital admission: The UB-ROSC score

AimsTo develop and validate a multi-parametric practical score to predict the probability of survival to hospital admission of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victim by using Utstein Style-based variables. MethodsAll consecutive OHCA cases occurring from 2015 to 2017 in two regions, Pavia Province (Italy) and Canton Ticino (Switzerland) were included. We used random effect logistic regression to model survival to hospital admission after an OHCA. We computed the model area under the ROC curve (AUC ROC) for discrimination and we performed both internal and external validation by considering all OHCAs occurring in the aforementioned regions in 2018. The Utstein-Based ROSC (UB-ROSC) score was derived by using the coefficients estimated in the regression model. The score value was obtained adding the pertinent score components calculated for each variable. The score was then plotted against the probability of survival to hospital admission. Results1962 OHCAs were included (62% male, mean age 73 ± 16 years). Age, aetiology, location, witnessed OHCA, bystander CPR, EMS arrival time and shockable rhythm were independently associated with survival to hospital admission. The model showed excellent discrimination (AUC 0.83, 95%CI 0.81–0.85) for predicting survival to hospital admission, also at internal cross-validation (AUC 0.82, 95%CI 0.80–0.84). The model maintained good discrimination after external validation by using the 2018 OHCA cohort (AUC 0.77, 95%CI 0.74–0.80). ConclusionsUB-ROSC score is a novel score that predicts the probability of survival to hospital admission of an OHCA victim. UB-ROSC shall help in setting realistic expectations about sustained ROSC achievement during resuscitation manoeuvres.

An example of syntactic and semantic ties among images, texts and maps

This study-experiment analyses the syntactic and semantic ties among images, texts and maps by using a blend of Geomatics and Linguistics techniques. Specifically, this work deals with the construction of a map on the basis of a written text representing a pictorial description of a panoramic mountain view. The aims are to demonstrate the aforementioned linkages and to measure the quality results in quantitative terms: the whole procedure is performed in seven steps (described in the introduction) and it closes with a final statistical evaluation. In order to achieve this task, a photograph was taken from the top of Mount San Giorgio, in Switzerland (Canton of Ticino), near Lake Lugano.

First record of Erysiphe corylacearum on Corylus avellana in Switzerland and in central Europe

From July to November 2019, a previously unseen powdery mildew disease was found repeatedly on Corylus avellana (hazelnut) in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It occurred on leaves of C. avellana shrubs growing in hedges and deciduous forests dominated by Castanea sativa at six locations north of the city of Lugano around Sonvico, at altitudes ranging from 510 to 700 m. Morphological examination revealed small, white, effuse, amphigenous mycelial patches of 0.5-2 cm in diameter (Fig. 1). The ellipsoid to doliiform conidia (30-35 × 15-23 μm) were produced singly. They were mainly found in July and became rare in autumn. In contrast, the gregarious chasmothecia were common throughout the observation time. They measured 80-120 μm in diameter, had up to 14 appendices (60-100 μm long) with multiple dichotomously branched tips, and contained 2-5 obovoid asci (40-60 × 30-50 μm) with up to 8 ellipsoid ascospores (14-20 × 7-14 μm) (Fig. 2). These characters correspond to the description of E. corylacearum in Braun & Cook (3). The morphological identification was confirmed by sequencing the ITS-region of rDNA using three samples and performing a phylogenetic analysis as described in Beenken (2). PCR was done with the Erysiphales-specific primer pair PMITS1/PMITS2 (Cunnington et al., 4) to eliminate co-amplification of the fungus Ampellomyces quisqualis that parasitises E. corylacearum, as preliminary molecular and microscopic investigations on the Swiss material had shown. Obtained sequences were deposited in GenBank (Accession Nos. MN822721-MN822723). Voucher specimens were deposited in the fungal herbarium of ETH Zurich (ZT Myc 59971-ZT Myc 59973). The molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the Swiss strains had identical ITS sequences to those of E. corylacearum from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey and differed only in a few base pairs from those from China, Iran and Japan (Fig. 3). Erysiphe corylacearum is native to east Asia and has been reported from USA (Ohio) and Canada but until now it has been unknown from central Europe (Braun & Cook 3). Recently, Heluta et al. (5) reported its occurrence on C. avellana from Ukraine, but without molecular validation. The species has been reported as an invasive pathogen from hazelnut orchards in Turkey, Iran and Georgia where it caused serious damage (Arzanlou et al., 1, Meparishvili et al., 6). Despite active searching for E. corylacearum in Switzerland, it has not yet been found outside the one small area in the canton of Ticino. The pathogen differs from the native hazelnut powdery mildew Phyllactinia guttata, with which it sometimes co-occurs, by forming mycelia on the upper leaf surface and having smaller chasmothecia with branched appendices.

Electricity Use as a Real Time Indicator of the Economic Burden of the COVID-19-Related Lockdown: Evidence from Switzerland

We employ hourly electricity load data for Switzerland as a real time indicator of the economic effects of the lockdown following the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings reveal that following the drastic lockdown, overall electricity use decreased by 4 per cent, with a reduction of even 11.3 per cent in the Canton of Ticino where the number of confirmed cases per capita was one of the highest in Switzerland and also stricter measures such as closures of construction sites and industrial companies were implemented on top of federal regulations. Looking at working days only, we estimate a Swiss-wide decrease in electricity consumption of 6.3 per cent. Assuming industry, services, transport and agriculture account for 67 per cent of electricity demand, the 4 per cent decrease in electricity use implies a 6 per cent output reduction in these sectors. In addition, the reduced electricity imports and the change in the generation mix of neighbouring countries, also translates into reduced CO2 emissions related to these imports.

Social Influences on Influenza Vaccination Decision Among Senior Citizens in Taiwan, South Korea, and Switzerland

Background: Although the vaccination against influenza has been found to be an impactful and cost-effective protection against the disease, coverage is incomplete. This draws attention to the factors of people’s flu vaccination decisions. The article contributes to understanding the effect of social factors on vaccination behavior. Social factors comprise the ways people may be affected by their peers and the mass media or by healthcare providers and health institutions. Method: Samples of some 200 senior citizens were interviewed by write-in questionnaire in Taiwan, South Korea and the Swiss canton Ticino. Results: Encouragement by the family physician and a combination of the frequency of contact with vaccination subjects in interpersonal and traditional mass communication and perceived concern with vaccination there increased vaccination rates in the two Asian countries, and model behavior and experience strongly affected vaccination in South Korea, all in bivariate analyses. Multivariate regression in Taiwan and Korea loses the impact of mass media. Perceived concern in sources showed complete mediation by frequency of interpersonal communication in Taiwan and partial mediation in Korea. Conclusion: There is indeed a relationship between social factors and individual vaccination behavior, which, however, is far from being pervasive. There’s hardly any result with direct relevance for the hypotheses that shows up in all three countries, and a meaningful and clear pattern in the differences between the Swiss sample on the one hand and the two Asian countries emerges.

The role of hope for health professionals in rehabilitation:A qualitative study on unfavorable prognosis communication.

BackgroundThe communication of prognosis represents an ethical and clinical challenge in medical practice due to the inherent uncertain character of prognostic projections. The literature has stressed that the mode of communicating prognoses has an impact on patients’ hope, which is considered to play a major role in adapting to illness and disability. In light of this, this study aims to explore health professionals’ (HPs) perceptions of the role of hope in rehabilitation and to examine if and how they use strategies to maintain hope when discussing prognostic information with patients.MethodsEleven qualitative semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of HPs were conducted at two rehabilitation clinics in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe HPs perceive hope in rehabilitation as a double-edged sword. Three main strategies were identified to maintain hope while avoiding false hope: 1) giving space for self-evaluation; 2) tailoring the communication of prognostic information; and 3) supporting the patient in dealing with the prognosis. These strategies are particularly suitable when HPs consider that patients might not be ready to accept the prognosis, due to their expectations for recovery.ConclusionsThe strategies identified here support a person-centered approach to the communication of prognosis and are in line with existing protocols for the communication of unfavorable medical information. The findings emphasize the need for strengthening communication and inter-professional collaboration skills of rehabilitation HPs.

A new Ladinian (Middle Triassic) mysidacean shrimp (Crustacea, Lophogastrida) from northern Italy and southern Switzerland

AbstractSince the end of the nineteenth century, many paleontological studies have been developed on the Middle Triassic localities of the Monte San Giorgio area (Canton Ticino, Switzerland, and Lombardy, Italy). These localities were inscribed in 2003 and 2010 in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to their paleontological relevance. New crustaceans are here described from the Kalkschieferzone member of the upper Ladinian Meride Limestone, outcropping near Besnasca-Cà del Frate (Viggiù, Italy) and Meride (Mendrisio, Switzerland). Several hundred specimens of a new genus and new species of Lophogastrida, named here Vicluvia lombardoae, improve information on Triassic mysidaceans (sensu lato), a group of shrimp-like crustaceans presently including hundreds of species worldwide distributed in marine and freshwater environments. The paper discusses the relations between Vicluvia n. gen. and the other fossil genera belonging to the same family. Vicluvia lombardoae n. gen. n. sp. exhibits two dorsally vanishing transverse grooves with their branches regularly bending toward the posterior margin of the shield and a telson with a rounded and setose apex. It was probably a euryhaline species living in a transitional environment affected by frequent and ephemeral salinity variations. Middle Triassic taphonomic windows have preserved specimens of lophogastrids in shallow basins along the Tethys, from the present Alps to China as well as in the German Basin.UUID: http://zoobank.org/1623e8f9-2ceb-4cd6-bcbe-4f05a873e1ff

A method for mapping areas potentially suitable for district heating systems. An application to Canton Ticino (Switzerland)

The technical literature underlines the strategic role of district heating systems (DHS) in the decarbonization process in the European context.The main scope of this work is to develop a method for identifying areas potentially suitable for DHS, taking heat need density as the main metric. The method is tested for the case study of Canton Ticino (Switzerland) and allows analysis of the total and public building stock. This implies the collection and elaboration of energy data about public buildings, providing a dataset formerly unavailable. Because these buildings are managed by a few owners who are generally asked to be exemplary in terms of sustainability, they could have a pivotal role for the development of DHS. By using a multi-criteria and GIS- supported method, the study ensures the mapping of areas potentially suitable for DHS and renewable sources available for thermal purposes toward low carbon targets. Based on the results of the research, it is estimated that potentially 17% of the global heat needs in Canton Ticino could be satisfied by DHS, by also exploiting thermal renewable energy sources locally available. The consistency of the method was tested through a validation on the existing DHS.

MaaS for the suburban market: Incorporating carpooling in the mix

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is often cited as providing an alternative solution to car ownership and car dominated lifestyles. However, MaaS as it currently exists appears to cater mainly for a specific segment of society – those who live close enough to walk to good quality public transport for daily journeys and close enough to access car share/car rental for other trips which public transport cannot serve. By default, this is limited to large, dense urban areas. This paper considers the evolution of intermodal journey planning that incorporates carpooling with public transport in the transition towards MaaS for suburban areas. It introduces a new journey planning App (known as RideMyRoute) that allows users to discover and make connected journeys involving carpooling and public transport, presenting key aspects of its design, development and testing.Results from a trial of the RideMyRoute App in four European test sites (Canton Ticino, Brussels, Zagreb and Ljubljana) revealed that the App was able to suggest trip planning solutions which included carpool options for one in five journey planning solutions and that the majority (85%) of these were solutions that involved connection from carpool to public transport. This is a significant advance on what is currently available through existing carpool provider systems or journey planning apps/services and could potentially increase the attractiveness of MaaS options in suburban markets. However, quality of data feeding the App from external sources remained an issue, as it is with all MaaS systems, and recommendations for future practice are presented. In conclusion, the new intermodal trip planning algorithm and data structure supporting it provide a fundamental stepping stone towards incorporating carpool services within MaaS-type offerings in the future.

The Effect of Positive Working Conditions on Work Engagement and Teaching Classroom Practices: A Large Cross-Sectional Study in Switzerland.

IntroductionTeaching methods and techniques represent important classroom practices that promote both academic achievement and the efficacy of learning processes: the use of a complex array of teaching practices by educators in the classrooms has been frequently associated with better student academic outcomes (Hattie, 2012, 2009). So far, less is known about the psychological aspects linked to the working endeavors able to promote the adoption of different teaching techniques in educational contexts.AimThe present cross-sectional quantitative research aimed at estimating the cumulative network of associations between psychological resources at work (e.g., social support, sense of autonomy, and job satisfaction) and both work engagement and the use of teaching classroom practices.Sample and MethodThe sample was composed of in-service teachers (N = 1,370) recruited in primary and lower secondary public schools in urban and suburban areas of Canton Ticino (Switzerland). Self-administered quantitative measures were used to evaluate the following constructs: social support, job satisfaction, teachers’ autonomy, work engagement, and teaching classroom practices. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with decomposition analysis of total effects in direct and indirect effects.ResultsThe hypothesized structural model reported a good fit with the empirical data (normed χ2 (NC) = 2.7; root mean square error of approximation = 0.051, normed fit index (NNFI) = 0.951, non normed fit index = 0.950, comparative fit index = 0.968) and support the interpretation of the structural model. The main results revealed a large positive association between psychological resources at work and teaching classroom practices (β = 0.37). The level of work engagement seemed to be a minor element in promoting the use of teaching classroom practices (β = 0.10).DiscussionOverall, the results provide a fresh piece of evidence for the association between working conditions and teaching practices. In fact, teachers who perceive a supportive and satisfying working environment (both in terms of internal and external resources) are more likely to be engaged in their activities, and this in turn leads to a more heterogeneous array of teaching practices with students. The practical implications in terms of professional training and on-field intervention are discussed.

Das Konzept «Waldbrand 2020» des Kantons Tessin

The “forest fire 2020” program of Canton Ticino The Canton of Ticino has a long-lasting experience in facing forest fires. As a result, a tradition in forest fire documentation and analysis exists and the forest fire management approach is continuously reviewed and improved with the aim to preserve the forest protection functions and to keep the mountain areas safe for the inhabitants. The fire regime has been reduced in Ticino since the seventies of last century thanks to improvement of the firefighting organization and fire control techniques (e.g. systematic use of helicopters for the aerial fire control) and the possibility of declaring a total fire ban in the open. However the demand in terms of protection of human lives and goods of the modern society is raising and as consequence of the climate change fire risk may increase in the future. For this reason two years ago the forest service of Canton Ticino developed the “forest fire 2020” program, in collaboration with the cantonal fire brigades association and the federal research Institute WSL. The program consists of four interdependent activity modules, which are 1) prevention, 2) organizational and technical measures, 3) firefighting and control, 4) burnt area restoration. The forest service is responsible for the fire-danger rating, the fire-ban release, the mentoring of local authorities in forest management questions and for planning pre-suppression facilities (e.g. water points for helicopters). It is also responsible for defining the mission rules for aerial firefighting, for collecting the data for the statistics, and for planning the post-fire forest restoration measures. The fire brigades are in charge of the firefighting tasks, by first intervening with the urban fire brigades and in case of need requiring the support of specialized forest-fire brigades. During the firefighting actions the forest service takes a consulting role. The first two years of implementation confirmed the suitability of the “forest fire 2020” program. Potential improvements have been however detected and are under implementation, such as the completion of the pre-suppression infrastructures, a better coordination between aerial and terrestrial firefighting and the strengthening of the specialized forest-fire brigades.

Sustainability Assessment in Architectural Competitions in Switzerland

Architectural and urban planning decisions, that have a strong impact on all areas of sustainability, are often set during preliminary phases of project development. This work focuses on the architectural competition, that is traditionally an instrument for enhancing quality in architecture and urban planning in the preliminary phase. However, in Switzerland, only occasionally assessment criteria adopted in such competitions include principles of sustainable development (SD), as there are no specific references to SD in the specific national SIA 142 “Regulation of architecture competitions”.In the Swiss Canton of Ticino, in some architectural competitions the evaluation criteria of sustainable development have been already clearly enumerated in the tender documents. Those criteria were selected according to existing tools (Sustainable neighbourhood by SMEO, SNBS, SIA 112/1) widely used in Switzerland. In addition to the usual graphic documents each project team had to structure a sustainability report. The presented projects have been then assessed by an interdisciplinary team, after that the resultsin several representations (global index, dimension index, category index, bar graph diagram and spider web diagram) and compared them to show the strengths and weaknesses from an integrated point of view.A change in the competition culture is needed because the sensitivity for the topic depends strongly on subjectives purposes, namely primarly on the composition of the jury.