University Of Zurich Research Articles

Genetic Analysis in a Swiss Cohort of Bilateral Congenital Cataract

Identification of geographic population-based differences in genotype and phenotype heterogeneity are important for targeted and patient-specific diagnosis and treatment, counseling, and screening strategies. To report disease-causing variants and their detailed phenotype in patients with bilateral congenital cataract from a single center in Switzerland and thereby draw a genetic map and perform a genotype-phenotype comparison of this cohort. This clinical and molecular-genetic cohort study took place through the collaboration of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Zurich and the Institute of Medical Molecular Genetics, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland. Thirty-seven patients from 25 families with different types of bilateral congenital cataract were included. All participating family members received a comprehensive eye examination. Whole exome sequencing was performed in the index patients, followed by a filtering process to detect possible disease-associated variants in genes previously described in association with congenital cataract. Probable disease-causing variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing in available family members. All data were collected from January 2018 to June 2020, and the molecular-genetic analyses were performed from January 2019 to July 2020. Identification of the underlying genetic causes of bilateral congenital cataract, including novel disease-causing variants and phenotype correlation. Among the 37 patients (18 [49%] male and 19 [51%] female; mean [SD] age, 17.3 [15.9] years) from 25 families, pathogenic variants were detected in 20 families (80% detection rate), which included 13 novel variants in the following genes: BCOR, COL4A1, CRYBA2, CRYBB2, CRYGC, CRYGS, GJA3, MAF, NHS, and WFS1. Putative disease-causing variants were identified in 14 of 20 families (70%) as isolated cases and in 6 of 20 families (30%) with syndromic cases. A recessive variant in the CRYBB2 gene in a consanguineous family with 2 affected siblings showing a nuclear and sutural cataract was reported in contrast to previously published reports. In addition, the effect on splicing in a minigene assay of a novel splice site variant in the NHS gene (c.[719-2A>G]) supported the pathogenicity of this variant. This study emphasizes the importance of genetic testing of congenital cataracts. Known dominant genes need to be considered for recessive inheritance patterns. Syndromic types of cataract may be underdiagnosed in patients with mild systemic features.

Spina revisited: the 2008 geophysical prospection in the light of the excavation results

In 2008 the British School at Rome (BSR) and Archaeological Prospection Services of Southampton (APSS) conducted a geophysical survey at the Etruscan site of Spina (Comacchio, Emilia Romagna) on the behalf of the University of Southampton, the University of Zurich and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Bologna e le Province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara. The survey was conducted during a period of excavations in a central area of the site and aimed to place the excavation results in a wider context. This paper re-examines the geophysical survey results ahead of a new programme of research being led by the University of Bologna.

Generalizing Longitudinal Age Effects on Brain Structure - A Two-Study Comparison Approach.

Cross-sectional studies indicate that normal aging is accompanied by decreases in brain structure. Longitudinal studies, however, are relatively rare and inconsistent regarding their outcomes. Particularly the heterogeneity of methods, sample characteristics and the high inter-individual variability in older adults prevent the deduction of general trends. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare longitudinal age-related changes in brain structure (measured through cortical thickness) in two large independent samples of healthy older adults (n = 161 each); the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain (LHAB) database project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and 1000BRAINS at the Research Center Juelich, Germany. Annual percentage changes in the two samples revealed stable to slight decreases in cortical thickness over time. After correction for major covariates, i.e., baseline age, sex, education, and image quality, sample differences were only marginally present. Results suggest that general trends across time might be generalizable over independent samples, assuming the same methodology is used, and similar sample characteristics are present.

Zurich, 1970. The Exhibition Balenciaga: Ein Meister der Haute Couture

This article takes a new look at Balenciaga: Ein Meister der Haute Couture, the exhibition held at the Museum Bellerive in Zurich from May 31 to August 16, 1970. By exploring the materials preserved in the museum’s archives (now at the Zurich University of the Arts), the study sets out to reconstruct this retrospective dedicated to Cristóbal Balenciaga and to consider its relevance to the museology of the Spanish creator. Examining these archival materials provides an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on the history of fashion exhibitions, on the genealogy of these three-dimensional artifacts and on the practice and discipline of fashion curating. How do we decide whom and what to show? How do we construct a museum collection that represents fashion? To address these questions, this article analyzes not only the exhibition project, but also and above all the decision-making processes that preceded and shaped this exhibition in particular. Balenciaga: Ein Meister der Haute Couture was an exhibition produced in an institutional dimension which saw a close connection between the museum and the school of applied arts. At the root of this project lay the intentions of a school of fashion design: this allows us to think about the relationship between the design of fashion and the languages used in exhibitions of and for fashion.

Qumran, Early Judaism, and New Testament Interpretation

Qumran, Early Judaism, and New Testament Interpretation

Frequency and Localization of Second Primary Tumors in Patients with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma-The Influence of the Human Papilloma Virus.

Simple SummaryHuman papillomavirus (HPV) infection, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption have been established as risk factors for the development of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). While the HPV epidemic has led to an increasing incidence of OPSCC, HPV-negative OPSCC cases associated with smoking and alcohol remain stable. As HPV-positive and -negative OPSCC present two distinct etiological, clinical, and prognostic entities, different treatment and follow-up strategies are being discussed. Still, specific surveillance strategies for HPV-positive OPSCC are lacking, as the risk of second primary tumors (SPT) in the era of HPV-associated OPSCC has not been comprehensively assessed. Our study investigated the frequency and localization of SPT of HPV-positive OPSCC, as well as their prognostic impact. We find that the SPT of HPV-positive OPSCC are less frequent than those of HPV-negative OPSCC, and they are also associated with higher survival rates. The localization of SPT of HPV-positive OPSCC did not differ from the localization of SPT of HPV-negative OPSCC.Purpose: To investigate the frequency, localization, and survival of second primary tumors (SPT) of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) depending on human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart analysis of 107 OPSCC patients treated at the Zurich University Hospital from 2001 to 2010. Rate and localization of SPT after an index OPSCC were stratified according to smoking and HPV infection status. Results: In total, 57/91 (63%) included patients showed an HPV-associated OPSCC. Of these, 37/57 (64.9%) patients with an HPV-positive and 32/34 (94.1%) patients with an HPV-negative OPSCC were smokers. The median age at diagnosis of the SPT was 59.54 years (interquartile range 52.7–65.6). In addition, 8/57 (14%) HPV-positive and 13/34 (38.2%) HPV-negative patients developed SPT. The rate of SPT in patients with HPV-positive index tumors was significantly lower than in patients with HPV-negative OPSCC (p-value 0.01). Smokers showed significantly more SPT in the head and neck area than outside. The development of an SPT led to a significantly lower survival time in HPV-negative patients, while it did not significantly affect the survival time of HPV-positive patients. Conclusions: Patients with HPV-positive index tumors had a significantly lower risk of developing SPT than patients with HPV-negative tumors. If SPT developed, survival was significantly shorter in patients with HPV-negative tumors than with HPV-positive tumors.

Vaccinating Against Sars-Cov-2 at a Snail’s Pace

Free AccessVaccinating Against Sars-Cov-2 at a Snail’s PaceEdouard BattegayEdouard Battegay International Center for Multimorbidity and Complexity in Medicine (ICMC), University of Zurich, and Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Basel, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:April 20, 2021https://doi.org/10.1024/1661-8157/a003703PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreThe pace of the vaccination programme against COVID-19 is slow in Switzerland, even when vaccines are available. This limits the predictability of the future for the unvaccinated, whether young adults or the elderly, for businesses and organizations, the economy, and society in its entirety. In turn, a lack of predictability and a lack of will to fight and overcome a threat generates considerable anxiety, fear, and sometimes despair, both individually and collectively. These negative moods cannot always be controlled, and an uneasy sense of defenselessness and helplessness ensues.According to media reports, there are significant delays in the delivery of vaccines and the actual vaccinations. For example, large quantities of vaccine arrived in Switzerland just before Easter 2021, but in some cantons, vaccination did not begin until a week later. The United Kingdom and Israel are two countries with a gross national income per capita in 2019 of about half of ours [1]. Compared to Switzerland, these countries have considerably fewer human and material resources in the health care system per capita or per patient and are also struggling with substantial other problems. Nonetheless, the vaccination programme was carried out immediately after the supplies had arrived. In Israel for example, mass vaccinations with the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, which is particularly difficult to handle logistically, were carried out just a few hours after the vaccines arrived at Tel Aviv airport. My general practitioner friends in London told me as early as winter 2021 that they were attending to vaccinations from the early morning hours into the night, sometimes in hubs, wearing winter coats and with freezing fingers, but – God save the Queen! – lots of hot tea. In Israel, up to 3 % of the population were vaccinated daily. Not only doctors tackled the task, but also nurses, MPAs, paramedics, etc., because in most countries with fewer resources it is unusual that doctors vaccinate personally, but of course, medical doctors are always available should complications and special questions pop up. In the U.S., the week after Easter, starting April 5th, over 1 % of the population were vaccinated every day. Vaccinations are available almost everywhere, in stadiums, at the shopping mall, at the pharmacy, in the street, at the drive-through. Starting April 19th, 2021, all adult Americans can get vaccinated, no ifs or buts. Motto: Speed trumps perfection! In contrast, Switzerland presents itself with far too much risk aversion, unnecessary and slowing perfectionism, and an oppressive bureaucratic complexity and inertia. However, lack of efficiency is not an option, not epidemiologically, medically, psychologically, socially, organizationally nor economically, and certainly not ethically. In this context, a lack of efficiency and speed simply costs lives. If a vaccine is available, it has to be delivered to the people quickly; once a vaccine is available, vaccination has to start within hours, regardless of the time of day, of weekend, holiday or whatever. This is what a conscientious medical profession and all the other people in health professions stand for. The steadfast and improvisation-tested Brits should serve us as an example; they are ready to go at any time.Bibliography The World Bank. GNI per capita, PPP (current international $) 2019. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD?year_high_desc=true)); last access: 08.04.2021. First citation in articleGoogle ScholarProf. Edouard Battegay, MD, FACP, Specialist in Internal Medicine, ESH Specialist in Hypertension,, Fellow SSPH and Editor of “Praxis”., Head of Innovation Hub, International Center for Multimorbidity and Complexity in Medicine (ICMC), University of Zurich, edouard.battegay@uzh.chFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 110Issue 6April 2021ISSN: 1661-8157eISSN: 1661-8165 Published online20. April 2021 InformationPraxis (2021), 110, pp. 1-1 https://doi.org/10.1024/1661-8157/a003703.© 2021Hogrefe AGPDF download

Universities of Applied Sciences.

When the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic started,[1] science came to the immediate attention of the broad public. People and politicians were hanging on every word of medical doctors, virologists, molecular biologists, data scientists and many others in the hope of finding other protective measures than those used for centuries such as basic hygiene, distance, or quarantine. Here, at the Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) we were also willing to provide scientific solutions to overcome the pandemic. Together with our partners from industry, we contributed to the development of a Swiss vaccine, are working on filters for active ventilated full protective suits and are developing tests to show the efficacy and safety of an active antiviral textile that allows controlled virus inactivation through an electrochemical reaction by applying a small current.

Family Nursing Network: A New Initiative in Family Nursing Practice, Education, and Research at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Family Nursing Network: A New Initiative in Family Nursing Practice, Education, and Research at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Clariant signs catalysis research partnership with prestigious ETH Zurich University

Clariant signs catalysis research partnership with prestigious ETH Zurich University

A Longitudinal Study on Generalized Anxiety Among University Students During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic and government measures implemented to counter the spread of the infection may be a major stressor affecting the psychological health of university students. This study aimed to explore how anxiety symptoms changed during the pandemic.Methods676 students (76% females) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences participated in the first (T0) and second (T1) survey waves. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Scale-7 (GAD-7). Risk and protective factors (e.g., COVID-19-related variables) were examined.ResultsGAD-7 scores decreased significantly from T0 to T1 (mean change: −0.446, SE = 0.132, 95% CI: −0.706, −0.186, t = −3.371, df = 659, p = 0.001). Participants with moderate-to-severe anxiety score were 20.2 and 15.6% at T0 and T1, respectively. The following positively predicted anxiety: older age, female gender, non-Swiss nationality, loneliness, participants’ concern about their own health, and interaction between time and participants’ concern about their own health. Resilience and social support negatively predicted anxiety.ConclusionsOur findings provide information for public health measures and psychological interventions supporting the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 emergency.

Older Adults’ Engagement in Senior University Lectures and the Effect of Individual Motivations

Among older adults, engagement in education can potentially have positive effects on cognition and psychological well-being and can prevent social isolation. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of individual motivations specific to older learners that underlie the frequency of participation at a senior university and how health or socioeconomic dimensions may affect the possibilities for participation. With data on participants from the senior university program at the University of Zurich (N = 811), we show that greater individual motivations regarding different aspects of learning have an effect on the frequency of lecture attendance, while other life circumstances do not. However, the findings show that when different forms of motivation are compared, instrumental motivation—meaning that the intention to use the gained knowledge now or in the future is responsible for the participant’s learning aspirations—is the only motivation that significantly increases lecture attendance. Hence, we conclude that to increase people’s engagement in this specific form of education in later life and to intensify lecture attendance, these programs should meet participants expectations.

Students' experience and adherence to containment measures during COVID-19 in Switzerland.

SummaryBackgroundYoung adults are not considered a risk group, but the public health response to COVID-19 impacts all citizens. We investigated the impact on young adults’ and their adherence to containment measures addressing potential gender differences.MethodsIn April 2020 12 341 students of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences were invited to a longitudinal health survey. Survey topics spanned socio-demographic data, students’ health status and behavior, COVID-19 specific impact, concerns, information sources, adherence to containment measures, and trust in government bodies. Group comparisons by gender and multivariate ordinal regression models assessing adherence to restrictions of mobility and social contacts were conducted (n = 2373).ResultsMean age was 26.4 (SD = 5.6), 70% were female. 43.5% reported some concern about their own health, 2.7% stated major worries. Women experienced more conflicts (p < 0.000) and, enjoyed time with the family more (p < 0.000). Men felt less locked up (p = 0.001). The most frequented COVID-19 information source was public media (48%) and confidence in government bodies was high (82%) for both genders. Men yielded lower adjusted odds (OR; 95%-CI) of adherence regarding the following measures: social distancing (0.68; 0.53–0.87), non-utilization of public transport (0.74; 0.56–0.97), 5-person limit for social gatherings (0.47; 0.35–0.64) and the stay at home rule (0.64; 0.51–0.82).ConclusionEarly in the pandemic a high degree of adherence was observed in this young academic population. Containment measures restricting movement and social contact yielded considerable differences by gender, information source and perceived susceptibility to the virus. More targeted communication may increase adherence regarding mobility restrictions.

First person – Vibhu Prasad

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Vibhu Prasad is co-first author on ‘Cell-to-cell and genome-to-genome variability of adenovirus transcription tuned by the cell cycle’, published in JCS. Vibhu conducted the research described in this article while a Research Associate/bridging postdoc in Professor Urs Greber's lab at Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland. He is now a postdoc in the lab of Professor Ralf Bartenschlager at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Germany, working on identification of cellular factors and processes required for flavivirus and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The contribution of professor Paul Karrer (1889–1971) to dextrins

Paul Karrer (1889–1971), a Swiss organic chemist best known for his research on vitamins, has published more than 1000 articles. In 1919, Karrer became professor of chemistry at the University of Zurich and in the same year he was appointed director of the Chemical Institute in Zurich, where he remained until his retirement in 1959. Karrer’s most famous work was on vitamins, and probably his most important contribution was his demonstration in 1931 that vitamin A was structurally related to carotenoid. Karrer also published important works on natural products, carotenoids and other plant pigments, coenzymes, alkaloids, amino acids, sugars, carbohydrates, polysaccharides, and organometallic compounds. Professor Karrer was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1937 for his research into the constitution of carotenoids, flavins and vitamins A and B2, a prize shared with the British chemist Sir Walter Norman Haworth. However, few researchers working in the field of cyclodextrins know that Karrer was also one of the first to take an interest in these molecules. Between 1920 and 1925, he published several studies on the nomenclature, structure and chemistry of dextrin-α and dextrin-β. This historical review, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his death, aims, on the one hand, to retrace his immense scientific career highlighting selected works on vitamins and alkaloids and, on the other hand, to commemorate his contribution to (cyclo)dextrin chemistry.

An analysis of core EPAs reveals a gap between curricular expectations and medical school graduates\u2019 self-perceived level of competence

BackgroundEntrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are being implemented worldwide as a means to promote competency-based medical education. In Switzerland, the new EPA-based curriculum for undergraduate medical education will be implemented in 2021. The aim of our study was to analyze the perceived, self-reported competence of graduates in 2019. The data represent a pre-implementation baseline and will provide guidance for curriculum developers.MethodsTwo hundred eighty-one graduates of the Master of Human Medicine program of the University of Zurich who had passed the Federal Licensing Exam in September 2019 were invited to complete an online survey. They were asked to rate their needed level of supervision (“observe only”, “direct, proactive supervision”, “indirect, reactive supervision”) for 46 selected EPAs. We compared the perceived competence with the expected competence of the new curriculum.ResultsThe response rate was 54%. The need for supervision expressed by graduates varied considerably by EPA. The proportion of graduates rating themselves at expected level was high for “history taking”, “physical examination” “and documentation”; medium for “prioritizing differential diagnoses”, “interpreting results” and “developing and communicating a management plan”; low for “practical skills”; and very low for EPAs related to “urgent and emergency care”.ConclusionsCurrently, there are significant gaps between the expectations of curriculum developers and the perceived competences of students. This is most obvious for practical skills and emergency situations. The new curriculum will either need to fill this gap or expectations might need to be revised.

BII-Implementation: The causes and consequences of plant biodiversity across scales in a rapidly changing world

The proposed Biology Integration Institute will bring together two major research institutions in the Upper Midwest—the University of Minnesota (UMN) and University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW)—to investigate the causes and consequences of plant biodiversity across scales in a rapidly changing world—from genes and molecules within cells and tissues to communities, ecosystems, landscapes and the biosphere. The Institute focuses on plant biodiversity, defined broadly to encompass the heterogeneity within life that occurs from the smallest to the largest biological scales. A premise of the Institute is that life is envisioned as occurring at different scales nested within several contrasting conceptions of biological hierarchies, defined by the separate but related fields of physiology, evolutionary biology and ecology. The Institute will emphasize the use of ‘spectral biology’—detection of biological properties based on the interaction of light energy with matter—and process-oriented predictive models to investigate the processes by which biological components at one scale give rise to emergent properties at higher scales. Through an iterative process that harnesses cutting edge technologies to observe a suite of carefully designed empirical systems—including the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and some of the world’s longest running and state-of-the-art global change experiments—the Institute will advance biological understanding and theory of the causes and consequences of changes in biodiversity and at the interface of plant physiology, ecology and evolution. INTELLECTUAL MERIT The Institute brings together a diverse, gender-balanced and highly productive team with significant leadership experience that spans biological disciplines and career stages and is poised to integrate biology in new ways. Together, the team will harness the potential of spectral biology, experiments, observations and synthetic modeling in a manner never before possible to transform understanding of how variation within and among biological scales drives plant and ecosystem responses to global change over diurnal, seasonal and millennial time scales. In doing so, it will use and advance state-of-the-art theory. The institute team posits that the designed projects will unearth transformative understanding and biological rules at each of the various scales that will enable an unprecedented capacity to discern the linkages between physiological, ecological and evolutionary processes in relation to the multi-dimensional nature of biodiversity in this time of massive planetary change. A strength of the proposed Institute is that it leverages prior federal investments in research and formalizes partnerships with foreign institutions heavily invested in related biodiversity research. Most of the planned projects leverage existing research initiatives, infrastructure, working groups, experiments, training programs, and public outreach infrastructure, all of which are already highly synergistic and collaborative, and will bring together members of the overall research and training team. BROADER IMPACTS A central goal of the proposed Institute is to train the next generation of diverse integrative biologists. Post-doctoral, graduate student and undergraduate trainees, recruited from non-traditional and underrepresented groups, including through formal engagement with Native American communities, will receive a range of mentoring and training opportunities. Annual summer training workshops will be offered at UMN and UW as well as training experiences with the Global Change and Biodiversity Research Priority Program (URPP-GCB) at the University of Zurich (UZH) and through the Canadian Airborne Biodiversity Observatory (CABO). The Institute will engage diverse K-12 audiences, the general public and Native American communities through Market Science modules, Minute Earth videos, a museum exhibit and public engagement and educational activities through the Bell Museum of Natural History, the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) and the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Association.

Identification of Broad Anti-Coronavirus Chemical Agents for Repurposing Against SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern

Endemic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) 229E and OC43 cause respiratory disease with recurrent infections, while severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 spreads across the world with impact on health and societies. Here, we report an image-based multicycle infection procedure with α-coronavirus hCoV 229E-eGFP in an arrayed chemical library screen of 5440 clinical and preclinical compounds. Toxicity counterselection and challenge with the β-coronaviruses OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 in tissue culture and human airway epithelial explant cultures (HAEEC) identified four FDA-approved compounds with oral availability. Methylene blue (MB, used for the treatment of methemoglobinemia), Mycophenolic acid (MPA, used in organ transplantion) and the anti-fungal agent Posaconazole (POS) had the broadest anti-CoV spectrum. They inhibited the shedding of SARS CoV 2 and variants-of-concern (alpha, beta, gamma) from HAEEC in either pre- or post exposure regimens at clinically relevant dosage. Co-treatment of cultured cells with MB and the FDA-approved SARS-CoV-2 RNA-polymerase inhibitor Remdesivir reduced the effective anti-viral dosage of MB by 2-fold, and Remdesivir by 4 to 10-fold, indicated by BLISS independence syner-gy modelling. Neither MB, MPA or POS affected the cell delivery of SARS-CoV-2 or OC43 (+)sense RNA, but blocked subsequent viral RNA accumulation in cells. Unlike Remdesivir, MB, MPA or POS did not reduce the release of viral RNA in post exposure regimen, thus indicating infection inhibition at a post-replicating step as well. In summary, the data emphasize the power of unbiased, full cycle compound screens to identify and repurpose broadly acting drugs against coronaviruses.Funding Information: We acknowledge financial support from the Swiss National Science foundation (SNSF) to UFG and GT (31CA30_196177 / 1), the NCCR Chemical Biology supported by the SNSF for purchasing the BSF-EPFL repurposing collection, and a special Coronavirus Research grant from the University of Zurich to UFG. Declaration of Interests: UFG has been a consultant and stock owner in 3V-Biosciences (now Sagimet Biosciences), and a consultant to F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. The authors filed a patent application on the use of MPA for the treatment of COVID-19 (EP20213904, European Patent Office, University of Zurich).Ethical Approval: Nasal polyp epithelial cells and bronchial epithelial cells were purchased from Epithelix SARL (Geneva, Switzerland). Mucilair™ cells were reconstituted from patients undergoing surgical nasal polypectomy or bronchial biopsies, respectively. All samples from Epithelix SARL were obtained with informed consent, according to the declaration of Helsinki on biomedical research (Hong Kong amendment, 1989), and received approval from local ethics committee (commission cantonale d’éthique de la recherche CCER de Genève).Coronavirus storage and procedures have been registered and validated by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (Bundesamt für Umwelt, BAFU) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit, BAG); Ecogen A203032-00, registered the 01-Sep-2020 for a duration of 5-years for the University of Zurich (Department of Molecular Life Sciences).

On the Question of Moderate Islam

In her book The Perils of Nonviolent Islamism,1 the Yemeni-Swiss political scientist Elham Manea, an associate professor at the University of Zurich, takes us back to her childhood, where she talks with nostalgia and sorrow about the popular, peaceful Islam that prevailed at that time in many Muslim countries. She writes about the colorful women’s clothing in Sana‘a, the unveiled women in Rabat, and how these colors and this freedom were replaced, covered by the black veil. She speaks with sadness about the loss of tolerance that was compounded by brutality and war, and she asks: What happened? These changes are a consequence of the project of political Islam: the Islamization of society.

(Un)equal and defiant to patriarchy: The first female Serbian doctors Draga Ljocic Milosevic and Smilja Kostic-Joksic and their place in the society

This paper analyses professional biographies of the first female Serbian doctor Draga Locic Milosevic (1855-1926) and Smilja Kostic-Joksic (1895-1981), a female paediatrician and a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. Although they did not belong to the same generation, their biographies have so much in common. Similarities are obvious especially considering their social status and political and intellectual elite?s attitude towards first educated women. Draga Locic, the first woman with diploma in medicine from Zurich University, was not able to find the job in the state medical institutions after returning to Belgrade. Only after being persistent and taking additional professional exams she managed to get position but only as a medical assistant, with twice lower salary than her male colleagues. She did not manage to achieve equal status until the end of the professional career. Doctor Draga Locic was a philanthropist, feminist and active suffragette. Her professional and educational heiress, female paediatrician and scientist Smilja Kostic-Joksic, managed to become a part of the intellectual elite but to a limited extend. Before the beginning of World War II she had an assistant status and was a woman with the highest academic status in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In the socialist Yugoslavia due to ideological disagreements, she was dismissed from the University. These two biographies are evident examples how concept of public patriarchy functions in practice. Public patriarchy is not conditioned with any chronological nor ideological context but instead, it is always present and dominant within the discourse of women?s position in the society.