| 1. |
- Chalmers, J. R., et al.
(författare)
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Report from the fourth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative)
- 2016
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Ingår i: British Journal of Dermatology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0007-0963 .- 1365-2133. ; 175:1, s. 69-79
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article is a report of the fourth meeting of the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative held in Malmo, Sweden on 23-24 April 2015 (HOME IV). The aim of the meeting was to achieve consensus over the preferred outcome instruments for measuring patient-reported symptoms and quality of life for the HOME core outcome set for atopic eczema (AE). Following presentations, which included data from systematic reviews, consensus discussions were held in a mixture of whole group and small group discussions. Small groups were allocated a priori to ensure representation of different stakeholders and countries. Decisions were voted on using electronic keypads. For the patient-reported symptoms, the group agreed by vote that itch, sleep loss, dryness, redness/inflamed skin and irritated skin were all considered essential aspects of AE symptoms. Many instruments for capturing patient-reported symptoms were discussed [ including the Patient-Oriented SCOring Atopic Dermatitis index, Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), Self-Administered Eczema Area and Severity Index, Itch Severity Scale, Atopic Dermatitis Quickscore and the Nottingham Eczema Severity Score] and, by consensus, POEM was selected as the preferred instrument to measure patient-reported symptoms. Further work is needed to determine the reliability and measurement error of POEM. Further work is also required to establish the importance of pain/soreness and the importance of collecting information regarding the intensity of symptoms in addition to their frequency. Much of the discussion on quality of life concerned the Dermatology Life Quality Index and Quality of Life Index for Atopic Dermatitis; however, consensus on a preferred instrument for measuring this domain could not be reached. In summary, POEM is recommended as the HOME core outcome instrument for measuring AE symptoms.
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| 2. |
- Sijbrandij, M., et al.
(författare)
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Strengthening mental health care systems for Syrian refugees in Europe and the Middle East : integrating scalable psychological interventions in eight countries
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Journal of Psychotraumatology. - : Taylor and Francis Ltd.. - 2000-8198 .- 2000-8066. ; 8:sup2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The crisis in Syria has resulted in vast numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Syria’s neighbouring countries as well as in Europe. Refugees are at considerable risk of developing common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most refugees do not have access to mental health services for these problems because of multiple barriers in national and refugee specific health systems, including limited availability of mental health professionals. To counter some of challenges arising from limited mental health system capacity the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a range of scalable psychological interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress and improving functioning in people living in communities affected by adversity. These interventions, including Problem Management Plus (PM+) and its variants, are intended to be delivered through individual or group face-to-face or smartphone formats by lay, non-professional people who have not received specialized mental health training, We provide an evidence-based rationale for the use of the scalable PM+ oriented programmes being adapted for Syrian refugees and provide information on the newly launched STRENGTHS programme for adapting, testing and scaling up of PM+ in various modalities in both neighbouring and European countries hosting Syrian refugees. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 3. |
- Moschella, P. S., et al.
(författare)
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Low-crested coastal defence structures as artificial habitats for marine life: Using ecological criteria in design
- 2005
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Ingår i: Coastal Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3839. ; 52:10-11, s. 1053-1071
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coastal defence structures to protect sedimentary coastlines from erosion and flooding are increasingly common throughout Europe. They will become more widespread over the next 10-30 years in response to rising and stormier seas and accelerating economic development of the coastal zone. Building coastal defences results in the loss and fragmentation of sedimentary habitats and their replacement by artificial rocky habitats that become colonised by algae and marine animals. The engineering design and construction of these structures have received considerable attention. However, the ecological consequences of coastal defences have been less extensively investigated. Furthermore, due to their rapid proliferation, there is a growing need to understand the role of these man-made habitats in the coastal ecosystems in order to implement impact minimisation and/or mitigation measures. As part of the DELOS project, targeted studies were carried out throughout Europe to assess the ecological similarity of low-crested coastal defence structures (LCS) to natural rocky shores and to investigate the influence of LCS design features on the colonising marine epibiota. LCSs can be considered as a relatively poor surrogate of natural rocky shores. Epibiotic communities were qualitatively similar to those on natural rocky shores as both habitats are regulated by the same physical and biological factors. However, there were quantitative differences in the diversity and abundance of epibiota on artificial structures. Typically, epibiotic assemblages were less diverse than rocky shore communities. Also, LCSs offered less structurally complex habitats for colonisation and in some locations experienced higher disturbance than natural shores. We propose several criteria that can be integrated into the design and construction of LCSs to minimise ecological impacts and allow targeted management of diversity and natural living resources. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Zheng, Ju-Sheng, et al.
(författare)
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Association between plasma phospholipid saturated fatty acids and metabolic markers of lipid, hepatic, inflammation and glycaemic pathways in eight European countries : a cross-sectional analysis in the EPIC-InterAct study
- 2017
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 1741-7015. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that individual circulating saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are heterogeneous in their associations with cardio-metabolic diseases, but evidence about associations of SFAs with metabolic markers of different pathogenic pathways is limited. We aimed to examine the associations between plasma phospholipid SFAs and the metabolic markers of lipid, hepatic, glycaemic and inflammation pathways. Methods: We measured nine individual plasma phospholipid SFAs and derived three SFA groups (odd-chain: C15:0 + C17:0, even-chain: C14:0 + C16:0 + C18:0, and very-long-chain: C20:0 + C22:0 + C23:0 + C24:0) in individuals from the subcohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct case-cohort study across eight European countries. Using linear regression in 15,919 subcohort members, adjusted for potential confounders and corrected for multiple testing, we examined cross-sectional associations of SFAs with 13 metabolic markers. Multiplicative interactions of the three SFA groups with pre-specified factors, including body mass index (BMI) and alcohol consumption, were tested. Results: Higher levels of odd-chain SFA group were associated with lower levels of major lipids (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B (ApoB)) and hepatic markers (alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)). Higher even-chain SFA group levels were associated with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), TC/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, triglycerides, ApoB, ApoB/A1 ratio, ALT, AST, GGT and CRP, and lower levels of HDL-C and ApoA1. Very-long-chain SFA group levels showed inverse associations with triglycerides, ApoA1 and GGT, and positive associations with TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, ApoB and ApoB/A1. Associations were generally stronger at higher levels of BMI or alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Subtypes of SFAs are associated in a differential way with metabolic markers of lipid metabolism, liver function and chronic inflammation, suggesting that odd-chain SFAs are associated with lower metabolic risk and even-chain SFAs with adverse metabolic risk, whereas mixed findings were obtained for very-long-chain SFAs. The clinical and biochemical implications of these findings may vary by adiposity and alcohol intake.
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| 5. |
- Lundblad, Dan, et al.
(författare)
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Low level of tissue plasminogen activator activity innon-diabetic patients with a first myocardial infarction
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 258:1, s. 13-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. To explore the role of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activity and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in survivors of a first myocardial infarction (MI). Insulin and proinsulin were analysed as potential risk factors. Design. Case-control study in northern Sweden. Subjects. A total of 115 patients under 65 years of age with a first MI were enrolled and recalled for further examination 3 months later. Twenty-seven patients were excluded, 17 with known diabetes and 10 who did not come to the follow-up, giving a final number of 88 patients, 73 men and 15 women. Patients were age- and sex matched with control subjects drawn from the local cohort in the MONICA population survey 1994. Main outcome measures. We compared MI patients and controls using univariate and multiple regression analyses including odds ratios (OR). Results. PAI-1 activity, fibrinogen, postload insulin and -proinsulin were significantly higher and tPA activity significantly lower in MI patients in the univariate analysis. In a multiple regression analysis, including also age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors, these parameters were divided in quartiles. The lowest quartile of tPA activity was significantly associated with MI (OR = 19.1; CI 3.0-123) together with the highest quartiles of fibrinogen (OR = 25; CI 5.2-120) but other variables were not. Conclusion. Low tPA activity, i.e. low fibrinolytic activity, characterized nondiabetic subjects after a first MI which is not explained by concomitant disturbances in metabolic and anthropometric variables
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