Federal Department of Home Affairs

Located above the Lütschine Valley, the Grätli landslide endangers parts of the municipality of Gsteigwiler. Since 2021, in situ and remote sensing monitoring has shown frontal acceleration of an unstable rock mass of approximately 500,000 m³.First, hazard analysis results were obtained using scenario-based process modelling, calculated with RAMMS:debrisflow and three-dimensional depth-resolved MPM simulations. The results indicate that the primary rock avalanche is expected to cause little to no damage to infrastructure. However, subsequent debris flows may impact buildings and critical infrastructure. The modelling results will be integrated into the existing hazard map, potentially affecting land-use planning decisions.Second, a risk analysis revealed unacceptable risk levels for several properties as well as protection deficits affecting infrastructure. A safety concept involving evacuation following an initial rock avalanche could reduce the risk to an acceptable level. To address economic losses and infrastructure availability, options for structural protection measures are being evaluated in an ongoing study.This natural hazard mitigation project, commissioned by the municipality, illustrates how the Swiss Integrated Risk Management (IRM) policy can be successfully applied as a framework to prevent major damage from cascading mass movements. Private-sector consultants and communal and cantonal authorities collaborate to address three key questions: (1) What can happen? in terms of hazard analysis; (2) What is allowed to happen? from a policy-based risk perspective; and (3) What needs to be done? by all stakeholders to mitigate unacceptable risks.

Mit seinen über 300 Archivschachteln gehört der Hesse-Bestand zu den umfangreichsten und meistkonsultierten Personenbeständen des Schweizerischen Literaturarchivs (SLA) in der Schweizerischen Nationalbibliothek (NB). Im Durchschnitt beantworten die Bestandsverantwortlichen über 100 Anfragen und betreuen über 20 Forschende pro Jahr, die den Bestand vor Ort konsultieren.

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is usually less severe in children compared to adults. This study describes detailed clinical characteristics, treatment and outcomes of children with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a non-hospitalised and hospitalised setting and quantifies factors associated with admission to hospital and intensive care unit in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection on a nationwide level. Data were collected through the Swiss Paediatric Surveillance Unit from children < 18 years with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. All 33 paediatric hospitals in Switzerland reported non-hospitalised and hospitalised cases from March 1 to October 31, 2020 during both pandemic peaks. In total, 678 children were included. The median age was 12.2 (IQR 5.0 – 14.6) years, 316 (47%) were female and 106 (16%) had comorbidities. Overall, 126 (18.6%) children were hospitalised of whom 16 (12.7%) required ICU admission. Comorbidities were the only factor associated with hospital admission in a multivariable regression analysis (odds ratio 3.23, 95%CI 1.89 to 5.50; p-value <0.01). Hospitalised children more often presented with fever (96 [76.2%] vs 209 [38.1%], p-value<0.01) and rash (16 [12.8%] vs 6 [1.1%], p-value<0.01). Anosmia/dysgeusia was more prevalent in non-hospitalised children (73 [13.3%] vs 3 [2.4%], p-value<0.01). In the hospitalised children, oxygen treatment was required in 34 (27.0%), inotropes in nine (7.3%) and mechanical ventilation in eight (6.3%). Complications were reported in 28 (4.1%) children with cardiovascular complications being most frequent (11 [1.6%]). Three deaths were recorded. Conclusion: This study confirms that COVID-19 is mostly a mild disease in children. Fever, rash, and comorbidities are associated with higher admission rates. Continuous observation is necessary to further understand paediatric COVID-19, guide therapy and evaluate the necessity for vaccination in children.

SummaryOver the past 20 years, the emergence of three highly pathogenic coronaviruses (CoV) – SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and most recently SARS-CoV-2 – has shown that CoVs pose a serious risk to human health and highlighted the importance of developing effective therapies against them. Similar to other viruses, CoVs are dependent on host factors for their survival and replication. We hypothesized that evolutionarily distinct CoVs may exploit similar host factors and pathways to support their replication cycle. Here, we conducted two independent genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens to identify pan-CoV host factors required for the replication of both endemic and emerging CoVs, including the novel CoV SARS-CoV-2. Strikingly, we found that several autophagy-related genes, including the immunophilin FKBP8, TMEM41B, and MINAR1, were common host factors required for CoV replication. Importantly, inhibition of the immunophilin family with the compounds Tacrolimus, Cyclosporin A, and the non-immunosuppressive derivative Alisporivir, resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of CoV replication in primary human nasal epithelial cell cultures that resemble the natural site of virus replication. Overall, we identified host factors that are crucial for CoV replication and demonstrate that these factors constitute potential targets for therapeutic intervention by clinically approved drugs.

<p>The scientific community, politicians, decision makers, and the lay public have to continue, and probably intensify, a discussion on benefits and risks of synthetic biology in a broader sense. The impact of synthetic biology goes far beyond the question of Dual Use Research of Concern, as in the case of viruses, and we have to find a way to cope with the fact that this technology will allow the generation of designer microbes.</p>

Der Transport von Mikroorganismen spielt bei der medizinisch-mikrobiologischen Diagnostik und der Forschung eine wichtige Rolle. Abhangig von den verschiedenen Beforderungswegen (Strase, Bahn, Luft- oder Schifffahrt) bestehen internationale Abkommen sowie nationale Regelungen, die den Transport von infektiosen Stoffen regeln.

PurposeResearch on how social bonding between boundary spanners influences relationship outcomes in business-to-business (B2B) settings is sparse and controversial. This longitudinal study aims to close this gap and assess the impact of social bonding on the share of wallet and actual cross-buying behaviour.Design/methodology/approachB2B relationships between a manufacturer of light commercial vehicles and its customers were investigated. A random sample of fleet managers answered two telephone surveys.FindingsSocial bonding was found to affect both investigated relationship outcomes, share of wallet and cross-buying, through the generation of trust over and above the customer’s perceptions of value.Research limitations/implicationsOnly one product category was investigated in this study, and further research should explore boundary conditions for the relevance of social bonding in B2B.Practical implicationsSocial bonding represents one lever (next to value perceptions) for building a competitive advantage in a B2B context. Relationship marketing activities that are intended to strengthen the development of social bonds between customers and account managers should be encouraged.Originality/valueThe authors provide clear evidence regarding the disputed impact of social bonding between boundary spanners on relationship outcomes in B2B relationships by testing its impact on real purchase behaviour and not only purchase intentions, as is the case in most published studies to date.