French Part Of Switzerland Research Articles

Strongyle faecal egg counts in Swiss horses: A retrospective analysis after the introduction of a selective treatment strategy

The standard parasite management of horses based on regular anthelmintic treatments, now practiced for decades has resulted in a worrying expansion of resistant helminth populations, which may considerably impair control on the farm level. The aim of the present study was to obtain a retrospective (year 2010 – 2016) nationwide analysis of faecal egg count (FEC) data from the Swiss adult horse population, related to horse age and geographic region. Thirteen labs provided a total of 16,387 FEC data of horses aged four to 39 years (average: 13.6 years). The annual number of performed FEC tests increased from 38 to 4,939 within the observation period. Independent of the annual sample size the yearly patterns of the FEC were very similar. Seventy-eight percent (n = 12,840) of the samples were negative and 90 % (n = 14,720) showed a FEC below 200 strongyle eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces. The annual mean strongyle FEC ranged between 60 and 88 EPG with a total mean of 75 EPG. Horses aged 4–7 years showed a significantly (p < 0.00001) higher mean FEC compared with the other age groups, differences were not significant among the older horses. Based on ZIP codes, samples were allocated by 70.0 %, 6.0 % and 0.2 % to the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland, respectively. With 222 EPG the mean FEC in the French part of Switzerland was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the German-speaking region (60 EPG). Eggs of Parascaris spp., anoplocephalids and Strongyloides westeri were found in 0.36 %, 0.32 % and 0.01 % of the samples, respectively. Based on 3,813 questionnaire feedbacks from owners in 2017 covering a total of 12,689 horses, sixty-eight percent (n = 8,476) were dewormed without diagnosis, two percent (n = 240) were not dewormed at all, whereas for 30 % (n = 3,721) the selective anthelmintic treatment (SAT) concept was applied. The SAT implementation rate differed significantly (p < 0.0005) between regions, with 33 %, 20 % and 25 % for the German-, French- and Italian-speaking areas, respectively. The rate of horses spending 16–24 h on pasture per day was significantly higher in the French-speaking region compared to the German-speaking part of Switzerland (p < 0.0001). In addition, pasture hygiene was practiced at a significantly lower rate in the French-speaking part compared to the German- and Italian-speaking regions (both p < 0.0001). Overall, the shift towards the SAT-concept represents a very promising development with respect to mitigating the further spread of anthelmintic resistance.

Looking for ‘emotional balance’ in desistance from crime: Testimonies from justice‐involved individuals in French‐speaking Switzerland

AbstractThis article is based on 48 interviews and five writing testimonies of 23 men convicted, incarcerated and released from high‐security prisons in the French part of Switzerland. Through a longitudinal and phenomenological perspective, this contribution explores the role of affective states in desistance from crime. The findings show that giving up crime requires navigating through three ‘emotional seeds’ that qualify the most significant affective states of the desistance process: distress; disillusionment; and hope. Thus, this research develops the notion of ‘emotional balance’ in desistance from crime, which consists of being neither overwhelmed by one's feelings nor repressing them.

The Creative Process and Emotions of Pupils in a Training Context with a Design Project.

For many years, researchers have been investigating how the creative process occurs and what factors influence it. The scope of these studies is essential in the school context to enable pupils to develop their creativity and thus address the needs of the 21st century society. Although very rich, these studies are generally not situated in a real teaching and learning context. The output of the present research will make it possible to model, to better understand, and to identify the creative process in pupils as they design and produce utility objects in an educational and training context with ecological validity (real context of training). In the context of teaching Creative and Manual Activities in education, in the French part of Switzerland, we are focusing on observations of the creative process in line with psychology, didactics, and pedagogy. During their class, 22 pupils were invited to create a water fountain and, in parallel, to complete a Creative process Report Diary about the stages they do and the multivariate factors (cognitive, conative, emotional, and environmental factors) they mobilize at each lesson. Results presented the main frequent stages and factors at each lesson and we proposed a model describing the transitions between the stages and how the multivariate factors are involved in each stage. They illustrate what pupils actually do in a creative learning context.

Impact of a telephone triage service for non-critical emergencies in Switzerland: A cross-sectional study.

IntroductionTelephone triage services (TTS) play an increasing role in the delivery of healthcare. The objective of this study was to characterize the adult users of a TTS for non-critical emergencies, describe the types of advice given and their subsequent observation, and assess the influence of TTS on the use of the healthcare system in a sanitary region of Switzerland.MethodsData from a TTS based in the French part of Switzerland were analyzed. This service consists of a medical contact center for non-critical emergencies, with trained nurses available 24/7. A random selection of 2,034 adult calls was performed between July and December 2018. Research students contacted users 2 to 4 weeks after the initial call and assessed sociodemographic and clinical data, as well as the impact of the advice received on the use of the healthcare system.ResultsA sample of 412 users was included in the analyses. The average age was 49.0 (SD 20.4) years; 68.5% were women and 72.8% of Swiss origin. The two main recommendations provided by nurses were to consult the emergency department (ED) (44.6%, n = 184) and to contact a physician on duty (33.2%, n = 137). The majority of users followed the advice given by the nurses (substantial agreement [k = 0.79] with consulting the ED and perfect agreement [k = 0.87] with contacting a physician on duty). We calculated that calling the TTS could decrease the intention to visit the ED by 28.1%.ConclusionTTS for non-critical emergencies have the potential to decrease the use of ED services.

Osteogenesis imperfecta: towards an individualised interdisciplinary care strategy to improve physical activity and quality of life.

This report describes a new strategy for the care of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta, based on an interdisciplinary team working. Thereby, we aim at fulfilling three main goals: offering thorough coordinated management for all, and improving physical activity and quality of life of the patients. With rare diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), patients and their family often suffer from inadequate recognition of their disease, poor care coordination and incomplete information. A coordinated interdisciplinary approach is one possible solution for providing both comprehensive and cost-effective care, with benefits for patient satisfaction. Poor physical activity and impaired quality of life represent a considerable burden for these patients. To better address these issues, in 2012 we created an interdisciplinary team for the management of OI patients in our University Hospital Centre (CHUV, Lausanne University Hospital,). In this article we describe the implementation of this interdisciplinary care strategy for patients suffering from OI, and its impact on their physical activity and quality of life. All patients from the French part of Switzerland were invited to join us. We proposed two complementary evaluations: the initial interdisciplinary evaluation and a yearly follow-up during a special day &ndash; the &ldquo;OI day&rdquo;. This day features specialised medical appointments adapted to each patient&rsquo;s needs, as well as lectures and/or workshops dedicated to patients&rsquo; and families&rsquo; education. Our first aim was to propose for each patient the same management, from diagnosis to the bone health evaluation and physical therapy advice. Our second aim was to evaluate the evolution of physical activity, quality of life (measured by EQ-5D, SF-36 and a dedicated questionnaire) and satisfaction of patients and their families. Here we report both the initial and the long-term results. Since 2012, 50 patients from the French part of Switzerland received the personalised medical evaluation. All of the patients included in this study had the same initial evaluation and at least one participation in an OI Day. All patients had an adaptation of their bone acting drugs. Over a 7-year period, 62% of inactive patients started some physical activity, and 44% of patients who were not involved in any athletic activity started participating in sports. The mean EQ-5D increased from 0.73 to 0.75 (p = 0.59). The mean physical SF36 (musculoskeletal function) score was 59.09 &plusmn; 22.72 and improved to 65.79 &plusmn; 21.51 (p = 0.08), whereas it was 68.06 &plusmn; 20.05 for the mental SF36 without alteration during follow-up. The OI day was revealed to be useful, it contributed to improvement in continuity of care and helped families to better understand the OI patients&rsquo; health. Our interdisciplinary approach aimed at offering the same thorough management for all patients from the French part of Switzerland, and at improving both the physical activity and the satisfaction of the patients and their family. This report is a basis for future work focusing on the effect of bone fragility and the impact of OI on patients&rsquo; social relations.

Knowledge and Practices of Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Survey Among Swiss Dentists.

To evaluate the knowledge and practices of Swiss dentists concerning oral care during pregnancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 dentists from the German and French part of Switzerland. The survey consisted of 16 questions which assessed the knowledge, attitudes and barriers faced by dentists regarding dental care during pregnancy. The majority of dentists agreed that dental care should be part of prenatal care. Overall, good agreement between the French- and German-speaking dentists was found concerning the timing of conducting various dental procedures and the administration of anesthetics and other drugs during pregnancy. Uncertainty was observed regarding the link between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The survey reported that Swiss dentists in private practice have the knowledge to provide dental care to pregnant women. However, they all expressed the need for clear guidelines and direction on this important aspect of public health.

Learning disabilities: Interventions and clinical issues

Learning disabilities: Interventions and clinical issues

The importance of the relational needs of people with learning disabilities in the promotion of self‐determination

Accessible summary People with learning disabilities may need to receive support from social care professionals to make choices and to change things in their life. They may need to receive advice, but sometimes they prefer not to receive advice. Professionals must trust them when they try something new. It is important that professionals know what people with learning disabilities want and need to support them in a better way. It is important that they become aware of the importance to express what they want and what they need. AbstractBackground: Intervention to increase self‐determination of people with learning disabilities is a major issue for social care practices. This study examines relational needs of people with learning disabilities regarding self‐determination in the context of the relationships they share with social care professionals. Method: We held focus group discussions to explore the relational needs of 10 residents and 10 educators at three facilities for people with learning disabilities located in the French part of Switzerland. Results: Relational needs expressed by participants with learning disabilities concern three distinct stages of the self‐determination process (pre‐choice, post‐choice and goal achievement).ConclusionThey suggest the importance of the relational quality of interventions aimed to enhance self‐determination of people with learning disabilities.

Appréhender la Shoah avec des lycéens au travers d’œuvres littéraires et artistiques

Teaching holocaust is essential in the history of the 20th century. Nevertheless, according to the study plan, we only have, in the French part of Switzerland, a few lessons to give the students an idea of such a complex phenomenon. This is why we have the students do an additional research on a literary or artistic work about the holocaust. In this paper, we will present this exercise and see what competences are developed through this type of work. To do so, we will analyse some excerpts of student’s works. It is also the occasion to question literary testimony as a historic source.

Assistance au suicide : expérience et débats en Suisse

Swiss law concerning assisted suicide being quite permissive, this practice is essentially regulated, when performed by a doctor, by medico-ethical directives. Assisted suicide (act performed by the patient himself) must not be confused with direct active euthanasia (act performed by the doctor), the second being criminally repressed. Three main associations perform assisted suicides in Switzerland, Dignitas is particular by accepting assisted suicide for patients living outside of the country. It has been politically discussed to limit or even forbid assisted suicide being practiced by organizations. In 2011, the federal council gave up this proposal; the risk of such a decision would have been to favor “wild” assisted suicide practice, without supervision and control. Any death consecutive to assisted suicide implies justice investigation, with medico-legal examination of the corpse and check of medical indication justifying medical pentobarbital prescription for assisted suicide. The number of assisted suicides being practiced in Switzerland has constantly increased during the ten last years, but is still corresponding to only a minimal proportion of deaths (0.48%). In the French part of Switzerland, we notice an increase of the proportion of patients asking for assisted suicide for physical and/or psychological suffering resulting of aged-related invalidating polypathologies; this is probably in relation with increase of life expectancy and improvement of curative treatments. In this context, Exit association specifically mentions, since 2014, this criterion in the requirements to accept providing assisted suicide.

Burnout scolaire et soutien social : l’importance du soutien des parents et des enseignants

Several authors emphasized the importance of considering social support within a dimensional perspective and have shown the protective role of different sources of support against school adaptation difficulties in adolescence. The aim of this study is to identify sources of support associated with school burnout, which was recently described, as a syndrome of exhaustion due to school demands, cynical and detached attitudes toward school and feelings of inadequacy as a student. A total of 441 adolescents were recruited in two mainstream middle schools from the French part of Switzerland. They were asked to answer a questionnaire including a French version of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS-f) and a previously validated French version of the School Burnout Inventory. Preliminary analyses were conducted to test the psychometric properties of the CASSS-f. Results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the CASSS-f has the same structure than its original version and thus, allows estimating social support from several sources (i.e. parent, teacher, classmates, close friend and school). Moreover, most of the CASSS-f subscales showed satisfactory internal consistency coefficients. Main analyses consisted of correlational and regression analysis. Results showed that parent support, teacher support and school support are negatively associated to school burnout, with weak to moderate correlations. Results also showed that parent support is a negative predictor of school burnout after controlling for background variables. These results are discussed along with the implications for future research and for prevention of school burnout.

Coping is excellent in Swiss Children with inflammatory bowel disease: Results from the Swiss IBD cohort study

BackgroundInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) starting during childhood has been assumed to impair quality of life (QoL) of affected children. As this aspect is crucial for further personality development, the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed in a Swiss nationwide cohort to obtain detailed information on the fields of impairment. MethodsData were prospectively acquired from pediatric patients included in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study. IBD activity was evaluated by PCDAI and PUCAI. The age adapted KIDSCREEN questionnaire was evaluated for 110 children with IBD (64 with Crohn's disease 46 with ulcerative colitis). Data were analyzed with respect to established reference values of healthy controls. ResultsIn the KIDSCREEN index a moderate impairment was only found for physical wellbeing due to disease activity. In contrast, mental well-being and social support were even better as compared to control values. A subgroup analysis revealed that this observation was restricted to the children in the German speaking part of Switzerland, whereas there was no difference compared to controls in the French part of Switzerland. Furthermore, autonomy and school variables were significantly higher in the IBD patients as compared to controls. ConclusionsThe social support for children with IBD is excellent in this cohort. Only physical well-being was impaired due to disease activity, whereas all other KIDSCREEN parameters were better as compared to controls. This indicates that effective coping and support strategies may be able to compensate the burden of disease in pediatric IBD patients.

Assisted Suicide in Switzerland: The 10-Year Experience of a Palliative Care Unit Medical Director and Ethic Committee Member (FR412)

1.Review the definition and history of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and describe its various developments, both in the United States and Europe.2.Explore Switzerland's unique situation regarding assisted suicide (AS).3.Identify and discuss the arguments in support of/in opposition to PAS/AS based on practical, ethical, social, cultural, and spiritual considerations. The Netherlands has been considered the origin of the Death with Dignity movement, which supports allowing a physician to make a lethal prescription available to terminally ill patients who request it, namely PAS. This movement has spread to several countries in Europe and some areas of the United States. In all of these, safeguards and laws have been put in place to prevent abuse and misuse of these practices. Switzerland is in a unique situation, as it is the only country where the law limits the circumstances in which AS is a crime. AS is commonly performed with the assistance of right-to-die organizations and does not require the involvement of a physician. A great deal of media attention and concern has been raised in the past decade due to the practice of a specific organization (Dignitas) that offers AS to nonresident foreigners, now labeled “death tourism.” In the French part of Switzerland, another right-to-die organization (Exit) fought to have AS provided in nursing homes. This has caused various ethics committees to start heated debates on this controversial topic. Several nursing homes and one hospital group, which included a palliative care unit, chose to adopt this AS practice under strict criteria. In 2006, the University Hospital of Lausanne became the first Swiss academic center to allow AS within its walls. These decisions posed ethical and practical dilemmas to the palliative care unit and the palliative care consult service team members of these institutions. Using clinical vignettes as well as a thorough review of the literature, this presentation aims to explore the various dimensions (practical, ethical, social, cultural, and spiritual) of this sensitive topic, and to review in an interactive way the arguments potentially in support of/in opposition to PAS/AS.

A website for unhealthy alcohol use: how to make it visible and to whom?

Websites providing information and tailored feedback for unhealthy alcohol use are increasingly used to reach a large population that does not necessarily access primary-care services. Such websites need to target individuals with unhealthy alcohol use and to be known of and visited to be efficacious. We developed a French-language website offering general information on alcohol use, screening, and brief intervention with tailored feedback. To increase the site’s visibility, we conducted a media campaign in the French part of Switzerland. We assessed the characteristics and satisfaction of web visitors using a screening questionnaire and satisfaction survey built into the site. To qualify the impact of the media campaign, we recorded the geographical provenance of the users. Between July 15, 2011 (the official site release date) and January 31, 2011, 15,633 unique visitors accessed the website, and 84% (13,160) completed the screening and received tailored feedback. General information pages represented 25% of the 28,986 visited pages. Most users were men (67%); the mean age was 36.3 years (standard deviation, 13.6 years). Thirty-four percent of men and 38% of women reported risky alcohol use (> 14 drinks per week for men, >7 for women), and 54% of men and 30% of women reported heavy episodic drinking (> 6 drinks in a single occasion) at least once a month. Of the 56% people with unhealthy alcohol use, 66% envisioned change after receiving the feedback. Among those who completed the satisfaction survey (n = 1001), 88% said the website provided useful information. Most visits (83%) came from Switzerland. People may visit websites providing information and tailored feedback on alcohol use on their own, but a media campaign appear to greatly increase the number of visitors. Our website targets the appropriate users, since unhealthy alcohol use was overrepresented among visitors compared with the general population, and satisfaction was high. Most at-risk drinkers envisioned change after their visit.

Weight status and gender-related differences in motor skills and in child care - based physical activity in young children

BackgroundOver the last decades, a decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children. However, there is a lack of data in young children. We tested if differences in motor skills and in physical activity according to weight or gender were already present in 2- to 4-year-old children.MethodsFifty-eight child care centers in the French part of Switzerland were randomly selected for the Youp'là bouge study. Motor skills were assessed by an obstacle course including 5 motor skills, derived from the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment test. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers (GT1M, Actigraph, Florida, USA) using age-adapted cut-offs. Weight status was assessed using the International Obesity Task Force criteria (healthy weight vs overweight) for body mass index (BMI).ResultsOf the 529 children (49% girls, 3.4 ± 0.6 years, BMI 16.2 ± 1.2 kg/m2), 13% were overweight. There were no significant weight status-related differences in the single skills of the obstacle course, but there was a trend (p = 0.059) for a lower performance of overweight children in the overall motor skills score. No significant weight status-related differences in child care-based physical activity were observed. No gender-related differences were found in the overall motor skills score, but boys performed better than girls in 2 of the 5 motor skills (p ≤ 0.04). Total physical activity as well as time spent in moderate-vigorous and in vigorous activity during child care were 12-25% higher and sedentary activity 5% lower in boys compared to girls (all p < 0.01).ConclusionsAt this early age, there were no significant weight status- or gender-related differences in global motor skills. However, in accordance to data in older children, child care-based physical activity was higher in boys compared to girls. These results are important to consider when establishing physical activity recommendations or targeting health promotion interventions in young children.

Forensic speaker recognition: Comparison and validation of three generations of automatic systems.

The first aim of this paper is to demonstrate the improvement of automatic speaker recognition systems used for forensic evaluation over a period of 12 years. The second aim consists of exploring how the results of different systems can be compared and their improvement measured. The same set of experiments is replicated on three different systems: the original LR-based ASR system from 1998 (ASPIC I), the EPFL ASR system of 2004 (ASPIC II), and the Agnitio ASR system (BATVOX) from 2010. The reference database, Polyphone, consisting of 2000 male and 2000 female speakers from the French part of Switzerland, and the forensic database, Polyphone-IPSC, consisting of 16 male and 16 female speakers from the same region, were used to test the following forensic conditions: spontaneous speech, disguised speech, PSTN, GSM, signal to noise ratio from 30 to −3 dB, digital and analog recording, and close set of family related speakers. The results are visualized using Tippett plots. The refinement and calibration of the systems are measured and compared using the log-likelihood-ratio cost (Cllr). Finally, the value, in terms of forensic validation, of the methodology used and the results produced are discussed.

The subjective assessment of the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): French adaptation of the GELOPH questionnaire

This paper describes the adaptation of the French version of the GELOPH<15>, a short questionnaire (15 items) that measures the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia). The first empirical studies revealed that gelotophobia is a valid and useful new concept that should be interpreted as an individual differences phenomenon within the range of normality. Prior studies suggested that the GELOPH<15> is reliable, and showed a one-dimensional factor solution. In order to test psychometric properties of the French version, N = 218 participants from the French part of Switzerland and N = 245 participants from Quebec (French Canada) took the test. One item that yielded a particularly high endorsement pertained to the interpretation of others’ laughter as being laughter at oneself (Switzerland); another item with the same result reflected how unease experienced while dancing is due to the conviction that one is being assessed negatively by others (Quebec). The fear of being laughed at was independent of the participants’ age, sex or marital status. Additionally, the mean gelotophobia scores in the French Canadian and Swiss samples did not differ from each other. The French version of the GELOPH<15> provides a useful and reliable instrument for the subjective assessment of gelotophobia in French-speaking countries.

ADOS: an educational primary prevention programme for preventing excess body weight in adolescents

The prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased considerably over the past decade in Switzerland and has become a serious public health problem in Europe. Prevention of obesity using various comprehensive programmes appears to be very promising, although we must admit that several interventions had generally disappointing results compared with the objectives and target initially fixed. Holistic programmes including nutritional education combined with promotion of physical activity and behaviour modification constitute the key factors in the prevention of childhood and adolescent obesity. The purpose of this programme was to incorporate nutrition/physical education as well as psychological aspects in selected secondary schools (9th grade, 14-17 years). The educational strategy was based on the development of a series of 13 practical workshops covering wide areas such as physical inactivity, body composition, sugar, energy density, invisible lipids, how to read food labels, is meal duration important? Do you eat with pleasure or not? Do you eat because you are hungry? Emotional eating. For teachers continuing education, a basic highly illustrated guide was developed as a companion booklet to the workshops. These materials were first validated by biology, physical education, dietician and psychologist teachers as well as school medical officers. Teachers considered the practical educational materials innovative and useful, motivational and easy to understand. Up to now (early 2008), the programme has been implemented in 50 classes or more from schools originating from three areas in the French part of Switzerland. Based on the 1-week pedometer value assessed before and after the 1 school-year programme, an initial evaluation indicated that overall physical placidity was significantly decreased as evidenced by a significant rise in the number of steps per day. Future evaluation will provide more information on the effectiveness of the ADOS programme.

Development of a multidisciplinary consultation in pediatric rheumatology in Switzerland with a link to daily life of the patient

Methods We established a multidisciplinary network in the French part of Switzerland, within and outside the hospital, with pediatric rheumatologists, nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists. The patients are seen by the different members of the team according to their needs, and after consent of the physician, patient and parents. The nurses are providing a link between the consultation and the daily life of the child (family, home, school). With the different members of the team, we evaluated the needs of the patients and the goals of the network.

Effects of bioaerosol exposure on work-related symptoms among Swiss sawmill workers

Exposure to bioaerosols in the occupational environment of sawmills could be associated with a wide range of health effects, in particular respiratory impairment, allergy and organic dust toxic syndrome. The objective of the study was to assess the frequency of medical respiratory and general symptoms and their relation to bioaerosol exposure. Twelve sawmills in the French part of Switzerland were investigated and the relationship between levels of bioaerosols (wood dust, airborne bacteria, airborne fungi and endotoxins), medical symptoms and impaired lung function was explored. A health questionnaire was distributed to 111 sawmill workers. The concentration of airborne fungi exceeded the limit recommended by the Swiss National Insurance (SUVA) in the twelve sawmills. This elevated fungi level significantly influenced the occurrence of bronchial syndrome (defined by cough and expectorations). No other health effects (irritations or respiratory effects) could be associated to the measured exposures. We observed that junior workers showed significantly more irritation syndrome (defined by itching/running nose, snoring and itching/red eyes) than senior workers. Lung function tests were not influenced by bioaerosol levels nor dust exposure levels. Results suggest that occupational exposure to wood dust in a Swiss sawmill does not promote a clinically relevant decline in lung function. However, the occurrence of bronchial syndrome is strongly influenced by airborne fungi levels.