Community In Switzerland Research Articles

Assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis (ASAP) in Switzerland: A nationwide survey on severity assessment in daily clinical practice

Background/ObjectivesWe aim to assess which tools for severity stratification in acute pancreatitis are used in today's daily clinical practice and to what extent the new Atlanta classification is being implemented by the medical community in Switzerland. MethodsThe heads of surgical, medical and emergency departments of Swiss hospitals (n = 83) that directly treat patients with acute pancreatitis were given access to an online survey and asked to forward the questionnaire to their team. The questionnaire consisted of 16 items, including questions about the specialty background of the participants, the allocation of patients with AP, severity assessment, patient management, the role of imaging procedures, and future perspectives. ResultsA total of 233 participants from 63 hospitals responded (response rate, 74%). A vast majority of participants [198 (87%)] does assess severity. The most frequently used tools are the Ranson [108 (87%)] and APACHE II scores [28 (23%)]. A majority of the participants were not satisfied with the currently available tools to assess severity [130 (59%)]. A minority [15 (12%)] use the revised Atlanta classification to assess the degree of severity in AP. ConclusionsThe Ranson score remains the dominant risk stratification tool in clinical practice in Switzerland, followed by the APACHE II score. Other modern instruments, such as the Atlanta 2012 classification, have not yet earned broad recognition and have not reached daily practice. Further efforts must be made to expand physicians' awareness of their existence and significance.

Sport transfer over the channel: elitist migration and the advent of football and ice hockey in Switzerland

This article analyses the early cultural transfer of British sports to Switzerland by the example of football and ice hockey. After an assessment of Anglo-Swiss political, economic and cultural relations during the Victorian period, it identifies four main channels, all of which linked to elitist migration, through which football and ice hockey were transferred to Switzerland: British student and merchant communities in Switzerland, Swiss migrants returning from Britain, boarding schools in Western and Eastern Switzerland (from which the games were also transferred to other continental European countries) and British tourism to the Swiss Alps. A final section assesses the pattern of popularization of the two games in Switzerland. Both football and ice hockey were considered national sports by the end of the interwar period at the very latest. This process of appropriation included cultural, social, economic, geographical and gender issues. Players became role models of masculine heroes – footballers rather of an urban and working-class type, ice hockey players rather of a rural and alpine type, whilst their elitist character of the pioneering period largely disappeared. Nevertheless, the two games’ Anglo-Saxon roots were never forgotten, and unlike in many other countries, English sport terminology remained predominant in Switzerland.

Rhinitis in Swiss adults is associated with asthma and early life factors, but not second hand tobacco smoke or obesity

BackgroundSecond hand tobacco smoke (SHS) and overweight/obesity are risk factors for asthma and lower airway respiratory symptoms. We investigated whether SHS or overweight/obesity were also associated with allergic or non-allergic rhinitis. MethodsCross-sectional data were obtained during the second SAPALDIA Study. Interviewer administered questionnaires were completed by 8047 participants from 8 communities in Switzerland. Blood was collected from 5841 participants and tested for allergen specific IgE. Allergic rhinitis was defined as nasal symptoms with detectable IgE. Data were analysed by multinomial logistic regression with four outcome categories defined according to the presence or absence of rhinitis and/or atopy. ResultsThe prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 885 (15.2%) and non-allergic rhinitis 323 (5.5%). The risk of allergic rhinitis was increased in subjects with physician diagnosed asthma (Relative Risk Ratio 6.81; 95%CI 5.39, 8.6), maternal atopy (1.56; 1.27, 1.92) and paternal atopy (1.41; 1.11, 1.79). Older subjects were at lower risk (0.96; 0.95,0.97 per year), as were those raised on a farm (0.64; 0.49,0.84), with older siblings (0.92; 0.86,0.97 per sib) or from rural areas. The risk of non-allergic rhinitis was also increased in subjects with physician diagnosed asthma (4.02; 2.86, 5.67), reduced in males (0.59; 0.46, 0.77), but not associated with upbringing on a farm or older siblings. There were no significant associations of SHS or overweight/obesity with either form of rhinitis. ConclusionsAllergic and non-allergic rhinitis have different risk factors apart from asthma. There are significant regional variations within Switzerland, which are not explained by the factors examined.

Terapia adleriana de grupo: la comunidad terapéutica como base del cambio emocional

En este artículo se presenta la terapia adleriana de grupo tal y como se practica en un centro de día y comunidad terapéutica en Suiza. Se presentan las bases teóricas de la terapia de grupo, la composición de los grupos, los factores del cambio terapéutico y el perfil adecuado del terapeuta. Según Alfred Adler, el ser humano es, por naturaleza, un ser social y constuye, en los primeros años de la vida y a través de la relación con sus congéneres, una opinión inconsciente sobre sí mismo y los demás. Este Estilo de Vida sirve de guía para las emociones, cogniciones y conductas en la vida. El Estilo de Vida puede contener errores que forman la base de problemas psicológicos. En la psicoterapia de grupo, estas creencias erróneas se pueden corregir a través de la creación de la confianza, la ayuda mutua de los participantes, la promoción del sentimiento de comunidad y el trabajo terapéutico en una atmósfera abierta y de igualdad. Es crucial que el terapeuta se sienta igual con los participantes, que sea consciente de sus propias convicciones y que mantenga una actitud de modestia.

Valuation of landscape amenities: A hedonic pricing analysis of housing rents in urban, suburban and periurban Switzerland

The hedonic pricing approach has been successfully applied to estimate the economic value of environmental amenities in urban settings, but the results for landscape variables remain relatively inconsistent across studies. Here, we use national-level data and an existing typology of communities to examine how land use and environmental amenities and disamenities affect rental prices across urban, suburban, periurban, and affluent communities in Switzerland. To make the analysis and the results as transparent as possible we examine largely a priori model specifications, and we systematically report and discuss the patterns of correlation among explanatory variables. Two-level models show that about 70 percent of the price variation is found at the apartment level and about 30 percent at the community level. Models for the different community types suggest that, although we include a sophisticated variable for central services, the centrality of location is not fully controlled in our models and thus picked up by correlated peripheral and central amenities such as open space, forest or urban parks. Analysis of these correlations allows us to qualify our results and present a revised set of relatively reliable estimates. Positive effects on rental prices are identified for views, various types of recreational infrastructure and vicinity of lakes, wetlands, undisturbed areas, nationally significant landscapes and cultural sites. Negative effects are found for several disamenities including road noise, railway noise, industries and power lines. We suggest that systematic hypothesis testing and reporting of correlations may contribute to consistent explanatory patterns in hedonic pricing estimates for landscape amenities.

Emergence of Escherichia coli producing OXA-48 β-lactamase in the community in Switzerland.

BackgroundThe emergence and worldwide spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is of great concern to public health services. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the community in Switzerland.FindingsOne thousand and eighty-six stool samples of healthy humans (staff members of a food-processing company which were screened for the occurrence of salmonellae) were collected in September 2014. After an initial enrichment-step, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from the carbapenem-containing selective medium SUPERCARBA II. Grown colonies from 11 samples were screened by PCR for the presence of blaKPC, blaNDM, blaOXA-48 and blaVIM. A single OXA-48-producing Escherichia coli was detected. Phylogenetic grouping and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) revealed that this strain belonged to D:ST38, a type which had been previously reported in the UK, France, Lebanon and Egypt.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae have started to spread into the community in Switzerland, and a continuous monitoring is necessary to better understand their dissemination in the human population as well as in animals and the environment.

Mentoring in general surgery in Switzerland

BackgroundMentorship has been found as a key factor for a successful and satisfying career in academic medicine and surgery. The present study was conducted to describe the current situation of mentoring in the surgical community in Switzerland and to evaluate sex differences regarding the impact of mentoring on career success and professional satisfaction.MethodsThe study was designed as an anonymous national survey to all members of the Swiss Surgical Society in 2011 (820 ordinary and 49 junior members). It was a 25-item questionnaire addressing mentor–mentee relationships and their impact on the professional front.ResultsOf the 869 mailed surveys, 512 responses were received (response rate: 58.9%). Mentor–mentee relationships were reported by 344 respondents (68.1%) and structured mentoring programs were noted in 23 respondents (6.7%). Compared to individuals without mentors, male mentees exhibited significantly higher subjective career advancement (5.4±1.2 vs. 5.0±1.3; p=0.03) and career development (3.3±1.9 vs. 2.5±1.7; p<0.01) scores, but the differences for female mentees were not statistically significant (4.7±1.1 vs. 4.3±1.2, p=0.16; 2.5±1.6 vs. 1.9±1.4, p=0.26; respectively). The pursuit of an academic career was not influenced by the presence of a mentor–mentee relationship for female (p=0.14) or male participants (p=0.22).ConclusionsMentor–mentee relationships are important for the career advancement of male surgeons. The reason for the lack of an impact on the careers of female surgeons is difficult to ascertain. However, mentoring also provides lifelong learning and personal development. Thus, specific attention should be paid to the development of more structured mentoring programs for both sexes.

Modeling life satisfaction in spinal cord injury: the role of psychological resources.

The aims of the study were (1) to examine the associations between the psychological resources general self-efficacy (GSE) and purpose in life (PIL), appraisals, coping and life satisfaction, and (2) to examine whether the effects of the psychological resources on life satisfaction are mediated by appraisals and coping, as proposed by the spinal cord injury adjustment model (SCIAM). Cross-sectional multicenter study conducted with persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in the community in Switzerland (N = 516). Pearson's correlations were calculated for aim 1, and structural equation modeling was conducted to address aim 2. GSE (r = .48) and PIL (r = .58) were positively related to life satisfaction. The initial model corresponding to the SCIAM yielded a poor model fit. The final model had a good model fit [χ (2) = 66.0, df = 21, p < .01, RMSEA = .065 (90 % confidence interval .048-.082), CFI = .97] explaining 57 % of variance of life satisfaction. PIL had a direct large effect on life satisfaction (β = .54). The influence of GSE on life satisfaction was mediated by loss appraisals. Avoidance, active and humor coping had small effects on life satisfaction. Psychological resources have a substantial effect on life satisfaction in persons with SCI. Our results correspond with the SCIAM and its conceptualization of adjustment as a multifactorial process, but did not fully support the hypothesized mediation. PIL was strongly related to higher life satisfaction and may be a suitable intervention target to support persons with SCI.

Psychological Resources, Appraisals, and Coping and Their Relationship to Participation in Spinal Cord Injury: A Path Analysis

ObjectiveTo test the Spinal Cord Injury Adjustment Model and gain a better understanding about whether and how the psychological resources general self-efficacy (SE), purpose in life (PIL), appraisals, and coping influence participation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). DesignCross-sectional data collection within the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort. SettingCommunity setting. ParticipantsPersons with SCI (N=516) who are ≥16 years old and living in the community in Switzerland. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresParticipation was measured with the restrictions subscale of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation, General SE with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, PIL with the Purpose in Life Test-Short Form, appraisals with the Appraisal of Life Events Scale, and coping with the Brief COPE. ResultsGeneral SE (r=.32) and PIL (r=.23) were associated with less participation restrictions. The initial model yielded a poor model fit. The modified final model had an acceptable fit (χ211=36.2; P<.01; root mean square error of approximation=.067 [90% confidence interval: .045–.09]; comparative fit index=.98). A total of 15% of the variance of participation was explained. In the final model, general SE had a moderate direct effect (β=.24) and mediated effects via threat appraisal and challenge appraisal and humor on participation, indicating a partial mediation effect. The association between PIL and participation was indirect: challenge appraisal and humor acted as mediators. ConclusionsThe results only partly support the double-mediating effect as suggested in the SCI adjustment model because both direct and indirect effects on participation were observed. Individuals with higher general SE and PIL perceive less participation restrictions. General SE seems an appropriate target to enhance participation. Longitudinal studies are needed to support our findings.

No evidence so far for the dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobactericeae in the community in Switzerland

BackgroundCarbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae represent an increasing threat to public health and to the treatment of serious nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to screen for the presence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in human carriers in community settings in Switzerland, a country representative of central Europe.FindingsThree hundred and fourteen stool samples of healthy staff members of a meat-processing company and 291 fecal swabs from primary care patients were recovered in Switzerland between April 2012 and July 2012 and were tested for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates by selecting for growth on a carbapenem-containing selective medium. Six resulting isolates (5 Escherichia coli and 1 Citrobacter youngae) were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and PCR analysis by screening for the carbapenemase genes blaOXA-48, blaVIM, blaNDM-1, and blaKPC as well as for the extended-spectrum ß-lactamase genes blaTEM,blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaCMY-2. No carbapenemase genes were detected. Resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics was due to carriage of the extended-spectrum ß-lactamase CTX-M-15 in 4 isolates, to CTX-M-14 in one further isolate and to the plasmidic AmpC-ß-lactamase CMY-2 in one isolate.ConclusionsThese results show that carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are as yet not present in the community. Continuous surveillance is necessary to anticipate future trends in the prevalence and dissemination of carbapenem resistant isolates in the population.

Cryptosporidium spp. in drinking water

In most rural areas and small communities in Switzerland the drinking water is supplied to the consumers after a minimum or even no treatment at all. However, it is just in these areas where drinking water from sources of agricultural activities can be contaminated by liquid manure and faeces of pasturing animals. The Swiss drinking water regulations are limited to the monitoring of E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and total plate counts only. Hence, resistant pathogens, as for example Cryptosporidium spp., remain unnoticed. During a drinking water survey, which lasted from June 2003 to December 2004, water samples were collected from 3 selected rural sites in Switzerland. The drinking water was investigated for Cryptosporidium spp., E. coli, Enterococcus spp., Clostridium perfringens and other parameters. In all samples oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were detected at elevated concentrations of up to 0.18 oocysts/l. Between 28% and 75% of the oocysts were found to be vital by the excystation method. Sampled oocysts collected from the three sites were subjected to genotyping and in one case the isolate was found to belong to the genotype of C. parvum. No evidence for increased incidents of diarrhoea in the past years was noted by local authorities.

Juozas Eretas (Joseph Ehret): veikla Lietuvai, sugrįžus į Gimtinę

The article reviews the life and activities of Joseph Ehret (18/10/1856–13/3/1984) after his return home to Switzerland. During the years 1919 through 1940 he worked in Lithuania, his second motherland, gained its citizenship, but was forced to leave it by the Soviet occupants. Having returned home, prof. J. Eretas proceeded with his Lithuanian activities which unfolded in his public and academic endeavours. He joined the activities of the Lithuanian immigrant community in Switzerland. In 1954 he was entrusted with the responsibilities of a member of the honorary court. Witnessing his wife Ona Jakaitytė’s inability to put down roots in Switzerland and her homesickness, he sought to create the Lithuanian atmosphere in their home, meaning only the Lithuanian language was spoken in his so much treasured family and while away from home, the children used to write letters to their parents only in Lithuanian. Joseph Ehret’ affection for Lithuania and the reasons why he had moved away were disclosed by him in his public lectures in which he tirelessly raised the issue of Lithuania’s freedom. He successfully refuted the prevalent opinion in Switzerland that the Lithuanian refugees were committed followers of Hitler because they had run away from the “kind uncle” Stalin. The professor’s articles published in foreign languages in various magazines consolidated Lithuania’s image in the West that the occupied country will be free in the future. Concerned about the fate of the Lithuanian state and the Lithuanian exile, Joseph Ehret wrote “A Trilogy of Exile”, a study about the lost Balts, Baltic nations and their fate, about the Lithuanian language and its archaic wealth. The study presented his vision of Lithuania’s way out of this situation. Joseph Ehret was an academician of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science (1936) and its honorary member (1979). He stood at the starting point of the academy’s revival in the West (Roma). His lecture on Stasys Salkauskis acted as a mediator between Vladimir Solovyov’s philosophy and the philosophical trends of the West and contributed to the LKMA’s emergence on the international level. Resorting to his numerous reminiscences, in his three monographs he immortalized the celebrated members of the Catholic academy. He viewed the academic, political and cultural life of the country and the nation through the distinguished persons of Lithuania such as Stasys Salkauskis, Kazys Pakstas and Prelate Pranciskus Juras. The reminiscences of Dr Vaclovas Dargužas (6/1/1920 – 22/10/2009) and Julija Eretaite – Kollar, daughter of the professor, included in the article, are offered to the academic public for the first time. Presented for the first time, the bibliography of publications about Joseph Ehret in Lithuania will serve as an important source for the investigators considering the ways and forms of perpetuating the professor’s memory. Prof. Joseph Ehret’ participation in the life of the Lithuanian community in Switzerland can be a stimulus for the contemporary immigrants to become actively involved in the Lithuanian activities of the exile. His personal life is an excellent example for all those Lithuanian immigrants who have started mixed families and who are now talking loud about the importance of preservation of Lithuanian identity, but do not care to teach their spouses or even their own children some Lithuanian. At least a few greeting expressions in Lithuanian would be welcome for the start. The ideas raised by prof. Joseph Ehret have not lost their importance at the present day. His name is known by the Lithuanians not only in Lithuania, but in Switzerland as well. Article in Lithuanian

Species richness and abundance of native leaf miners are affected by the presence of the invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner

The effect of the alien horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, on native fauna was studied by comparing the species richness of native leaf miner communities and the abundance of selected native leaf miner species in the presence and absence of horse-chestnut trees infested by C. ohridella, in various environments in Europe. The species richness of native leaf miner communities in Switzerland was lower at sites where C. ohridella was present than at control sites. In Switzerland, France and Bulgaria, several native leaf miner species were significantly less abundant in the vicinity of infested horse-chestnuts. The native species most affected by the presence of the invasive alien species were those occurring early in the year and sharing their parasitoid complex with C. ohridella. These results suggest apparent competition mediated by shared natural enemies because these are the only link between C. ohridella and native leaf miners using other food resources.

Case-specific monitoring of butterflies to determine potential effects of transgenic Bt-maize in Switzerland

The present study investigated whether case-specific monitoring (CSM) would be an appropriate option to detect possible effects on butterflies during commercial cultivation of Bt-maize (Cry1Ab). The analysis of an existing dataset on butterfly communities in Switzerland allowed quantifying the variability in species richness and abundance of nine ecological groups of butterflies resulting from habitat features, agricultural field management, landscape features, regional farming characteristics, spatial variability and temporal fluctuations. The data set also enabled to estimate the sample size needed to detect potential effects of Bt-maize in a CSM programme within the determined variability. Fifteen of the 24 tested descriptors of environmental and farming context induced significant variability in butterfly species richness and abundance of generalist butterflies. In case regulatory authorities would request a CSM, a stratified sampling design considering habitat, landscape, and regional farming types would be essential to account for existing sources of variability. However, recording only the presence and abundance of butterfly species will not be sufficient to explain occurring changes and sampling of additional explaining variables is crucial. The analysis showed that CSM will at best detect large effects on ubiquitous butterflies, whilst the detection of small effects would need a considerable sampling effort. A sampling effort of 100 pairs of fields or field margins will only allow detecting changes exceeding 30% in species richness or abundance of the most abundant species. Rare butterfly species can hardly be monitored in CSM and causalities between changes in butterfly communities and the cultivation of Bt-maize will be difficult to determine due to the high variability of communities and the multitude of influencing environmental factors. CSM is thus unlikely to reduce remaining uncertainties on potential effects on butterflies during commercial cultivation of Bt-maize. Ultimately, potential effects might be evaluated more rigorously in pre-market risk assessment by studying hazard and exposure of sensitive butterfly stages to Bt-maize through experimental toxicity studies in the laboratory or in the greenhouse.

Les populations alpines et leurs forêts communales | Alpine populations and their communal forests (reviewed paper)

In order to increase the involvement of local actors in forest management the article proposes a sociological analysis of the perceptions and actions engaging residents in relation with their local forest. The present case studies of alpine communities in Switzerland and France show how conflicts, values and ways of interaction vary according to the actors and depending on the relative importance of the service sector of the territories in question.

Trends in prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in 5–7‐year old Swiss children from 1992 to 2001

Changing occurrence rates of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are of public health concern and require surveillance. Changes in prevalence rates of these atopic diseases were monitored during 10 years and their trend with time was determined taking into account the influence of personal and environmental risk factors. Four cross-sectional surveys in 5-7-year old children were performed in seven different communities in Switzerland between 1992 and 2001. Prevalence of respiratory and allergic symptoms and of affecting risk factors including parental environmental concern were assessed using a standardized parental questionnaire. A total of 988 (74.1%), 1778 (79.0%), 1406 (82.6%) and 1274 (78.9%) children participated, respectively, in the 1992, 1995, 1998 and 2001 surveys. Prevalence rates of asthma and hay fever symptoms remained quite stable over time (wheeze/past year: 8.8%, 7.8%, 6.4% and 7.4%, sneezing attack during pollen season: 5.0%, 5.6%, 5.4% and 4.6%). Rates of reported atopic dermatitis symptoms (specific skin rash/past year: 4.6%, 6.5%,7.4% and 7.6%) showed an increase over time, but those of diagnosis of eczema did not show a clear pattern (18.4%, 15.7%, 14.0% and 15.2%). Stratified analysis by parental environmental concern and by parental atopy showed similar trends. Rates of atopic dermatitis symptoms showed significant increase in girls but stayed stable in boys. Results of these four consecutive surveys suggest that the increase in prevalence of asthma and hay fever in 5-7-year old children living in Switzerland may have ceased. However, symptoms of atopic dermatitis may still be on the rise, especially among girls.

Update on restless legs.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) has become a well known disorder in the medical community in Switzerland within the last ten years, particularly since the official introduction of dopaminergic drugs as first line treatment. However, even today, in some patients a correct diagnosis is delayed, preventing specific therapy and prolonging discomfort or even painful symptoms over years. It is important to recognise the syndrome of restless legs, and it is essential to search systematically for treatable causes and to treat separately frequent comorbidities such as depression or polyneuropathy. It is important to understand the impact of this progressive disease on the personal and professional life of the patient. In addition, therapy resistance and severe side effects, particularly augmentation and fibrosis, can be minimised by understanding important details of treatment and by an optimal follow up of such patients. Research on the genetic basis of RLS, on purported pathogenetic mechanisms in the dopaminergic and other neurotransmittor systems, on iron metabolism in the brain and spinal cord, and the socioeconomic burden of the disease, are urgently needed.

Update on restless legs.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) has become a well known disorder in the medical community in Switzerland within the last ten years, particularly since the official introduction of dopaminergic drugs as first line treatment. However, even today, in some patients a correct diagnosis is delayed, preventing specific therapy and prolonging discomfort or even painful symptoms over years. It is important to recognise the syndrome of restless legs, and it is essential to search systematically for treatable causes and to treat separately frequent comorbidities such as depression or polyneuropathy. It is important to understand the impact of this progressive disease on the personal and professional life of the patient. In addition, therapy resistance and severe side effects, particularly augmentation and fibrosis, can be minimised by understanding important details of treatment and by an optimal follow up of such patients. Research on the genetic basis of RLS, on purported pathogenetic mechanisms in the dopaminergic and other neurotransmittor systems, on iron metabolism in the brain and spinal cord, and the socioeconomic burden of the disease, are urgently needed.

HEALING IN THE LOCAL CHURCH –OEKOLAMPAD BASLE (SWITZERLAND)

FRITZ CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER [*] First personal experiences I was born in 1941 in a little village near Bern. At the age of one I fell seriously ill and had to go to hospital for six months. Naturally I cannot remember this time but since my childhood this has left a deep impression on me: If I'm still alive, it isn't natural. It is because of the work of the doctor (the famous professor Dr Glanzmann), because of the affection and love of my mother and father and because of God, who made the possible. From 1962 to 1969 I studied theology at the universities of Bern, Montpellier (France) and Mainz (Germany). The topic of health, faith and healing was not covered in the academic world. I heard of prayer in a Christian community in France only in 1966 but I had no direct contact with these persons. Around 1968 my interest was directed to the political and social role of the church in the world. It was the time of the World Council of Churches conference on Church and Society (Geneva 1966) and of the fourth assembly of the WCC in Uppsala (1968). Since 1969 I have been a pastor of the evangelical-reformed church in different communities in Switzerland. The social and political role of the church was always an important part of my activities, having been a member of the parliament of the canton of Basle City [1] during the last eight years. My principal interest was the development and the of the world. Soon I saw that not only the world needs but persons as well. I took courses in pastoral care (clinical pastoral training). Experiences in evangelical charismatic communities In 1976 I had my first experience of prayer in a charismatic community, took courses and was deeply impressed by prayer-healing. In 1982 I came to Basle and joined the Oekolampad community, which has two church buildings. In the Thomas Church my colleague had built a charismatic movement with special prayers of healing. In the first half year I participated actively in this movement. After that, I left the movement for various reasons but stayed with the Oekolampad community. In 1991 I attended a Reiki [2] course and I have used this knowledge occasionally in my family. During the last few years I have taken part in the Basler Psi-Tage, [3] a congress for esoteric and frontier-sciences -- often on the subject of spiritual healing. It is a congress outside the churches. I got to know some spiritual healers from different countries, religions and cultures. I came to the conclusion that spiritual has to find a place in our church. Spiritual in the Elisahethen Church and the Oekolampad Church in Basle The Elisabethen Church is a city church in the middle of Basle. It is not a typical community. It is supported by the evangelical-refonned and Roman Catholic churches, and by private supporters. The pastor, Hansrudolf Felix Felix, founded it. His vision was to create a church for the whole human being. He began with four prayers in the year. Since 1995 twelve women healers have been working in the church. Approximately thirty persons come every Thursday. First there was great attention from the mass media because it was probably the first place in Switzerland where spiritual healers worked in a church. Now, other similar centres exist. Three years ago a group of eight women healers asked to rent a room in our church. Before they had asked for a place for their group in the Elisabethen Church but it was fully booked. They made an excellent impression on me and I was very glad that they asked to come to our church. There were no other church leaders who wanted to give them room. The council of our church community rented a room for a low price. In August 1997 the group began its work once a week with the name Healing hands. In the first month only a few persons came. …

Respiratory health and long-term exposure to air pollutants in Swiss schoolchildren. SCARPOL Team. Swiss Study on Childhood Allergy and Respiratory Symptoms with Respect to Air Pollution, Climate and Pollen.

The impact of long-term exposure to air pollution on respiratory and allergic symptoms and illnesses was assessed in a cross-sectional study of schoolchildren (ages 6 to 15 yr, n = 4,470) living in 10 different communities in Switzerland. Air pollution measurements (particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter [PM10], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], sulfur dioxide [SO2], and ozone) and meteorologic data were collected in each community. Reported symptom rates of chronic cough, nocturnal dry cough, and bronchitis, adjusted for individual risk factors, were positively associated with PM10, NO2, and SO2. The strongest relationship was observed for PM10 (adjusted odds ratios for chronic cough, nocturnal dry cough, and bronchitis between the most and the least polluted community for PM10 were 3.07 [95% CI: 1.62 to 5.81], 2.88 [95% CI: 1.69 to 4.89], and 2.17 [95% CI: 1.21 to 4.89], respectively). The high correlation between the average concentrations of the pollutants makes the assessment of the relative importance of each pollutant difficult. No association between long-term exposure to air pollution and classic asthmatic and allergic symptoms and illnesses was found. There was some indication that frequency of fog is a risk factor of chronic cough and bronchitis, independent of air pollution. In conclusion, this study provides further evidence that rates of respiratory illnesses and symptoms among children augment with increasing levels of air pollution even in countries like Switzerland with moderate average air pollution concentrations.