| 1. |
- Bauer, M., et al.
(författare)
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Association between polarity of first episode and solar insolation in bipolar I disorder
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Psychosomatic Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3999 .- 1879-1360. ; 160
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Circadian rhythm disruption is commonly observed in bipolar disorder (BD). Daylight is the most powerful signal to entrain the human circadian clock system. This exploratory study investigated if solar insolation at the onset location was associated with the polarity of the first episode of BD I. Solar insolation is the amount of electromagnetic energy from the Sun striking a surface area of the Earth. Methods: Data from 7488 patients with BD I were collected at 75 sites in 42 countries. The first episode occurred at 591 onset locations in 67 countries at a wide range of latitudes in both hemispheres. Solar insolation values were obtained for every onset location, and the ratio of the minimum mean monthly insolation to the maximum mean monthly insolation was calculated. This ratio is largest near the equator (with little change in solar insolation over the year), and smallest near the poles (where winter insolation is very small compared to summer insolation). This ratio also applies to tropical locations which may have a cloudy wet and clear dry season, rather than winter and summer. Results: The larger the change in solar insolation throughout the year (smaller the ratio between the minimum monthly and maximum monthly values), the greater the likelihood the first episode polarity was depression. Other associated variables were being female and increasing percentage of gross domestic product spent on country health expenditures. (All coefficients: P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Increased awareness and research into circadian dysfunction throughout the course of BD is warranted.
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| 2. |
- Bauer, M., et al.
(författare)
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Variations in seasonal solar insolation are associated with a history of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2194-7511. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Bipolar disorder is associated with circadian disruption and a high risk of suicidal behavior. In a previous exploratory study of patients with bipolar I disorder, we found that a history of suicide attempts was associated with differences between winter and summer levels of solar insolation. The purpose of this study was to confirm this finding using international data from 42% more collection sites and 25% more countries. Methods Data analyzed were from 71 prior and new collection sites in 40 countries at a wide range of latitudes. The analysis included 4876 patients with bipolar I disorder, 45% more data than previously analyzed. Of the patients, 1496 (30.7%) had a history of suicide attempt. Solar insolation data, the amount of the sun's electromagnetic energy striking the surface of the earth, was obtained for each onset location (479 locations in 64 countries). Results This analysis confirmed the results of the exploratory study with the same best model and slightly better statistical significance. There was a significant inverse association between a history of suicide attempts and the ratio of mean winter insolation to mean summer insolation (mean winter insolation/mean summer insolation). This ratio is largest near the equator which has little change in solar insolation over the year, and smallest near the poles where the winter insolation is very small compared to the summer insolation. Other variables in the model associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts were a history of alcohol or substance abuse, female gender, and younger birth cohort. The winter/summer insolation ratio was also replaced with the ratio of minimum mean monthly insolation to the maximum mean monthly insolation to accommodate insolation patterns in the tropics, and nearly identical results were found. All estimated coefficients were significant at p < 0.01. Conclusion A large change in solar insolation, both between winter and summer and between the minimum and maximum monthly values, may increase the risk of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder. With frequent circadian rhythm dysfunction and suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder, greater understanding of the optimal roles of daylight and electric lighting in circadian entrainment is needed.
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| 3. |
- Bauer, M., et al.
(författare)
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Exploratory study of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and age of onset of bipolar disorder
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. - 2194-7511. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundSunlight contains ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation that triggers the production of vitamin D by skin. Vitamin D has widespread effects on brain function in both developing and adult brains. However, many people live at latitudes (about > 40 N or S) that do not receive enough UVB in winter to produce vitamin D. This exploratory study investigated the association between the age of onset of bipolar I disorder and the threshold for UVB sufficient for vitamin D production in a large global sample.MethodsData for 6972 patients with bipolar I disorder were obtained at 75 collection sites in 41 countries in both hemispheres. The best model to assess the relation between the threshold for UVB sufficient for vitamin D production and age of onset included 1 or more months below the threshold, family history of mood disorders, and birth cohort. All coefficients estimated at P <= 0.001.ResultsThe 6972 patients had an onset in 582 locations in 70 countries, with a mean age of onset of 25.6 years. Of the onset locations, 34.0% had at least 1 month below the threshold for UVB sufficient for vitamin D production. The age of onset at locations with 1 or more months of less than or equal to the threshold for UVB was 1.66 years younger.ConclusionUVB and vitamin D may have an important influence on the development of bipolar disorder. Study limitations included a lack of data on patient vitamin D levels, lifestyles, or supplement use. More study of the impacts of UVB and vitamin D in bipolar disorder is needed to evaluate this supposition.
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| 4. |
- Sperl, L, et al.
(författare)
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EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN RHEUMATOLOGY: LOW AWARENESS OF EULAR OFFERINGS AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH COURSE CONTENT AS A MAJOR BARRIER - A EULAR FUNDED EUROPEAN SURVEY
- 2022
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Ingår i: ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 81, s. 139-140
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Health professionals in rheumatology (HPRs) should participate in post-graduate or continuous education to update and advance their knowledge and skills. This can improve patient outcomes and increase quality of care.1 EULAR aims to become a leading provider of postgraduate education for HPRs.ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to evaluate the current motivations for participating in postgraduate education of HPRs, identify barriers and facilitators for participation in postgraduate education, and evaluate participation in the current educational offerings of EULAR for HPRs across Europe.MethodsAn online survey was developed and distributed in collaboration with the EULAR Standing Committee of Education and Training (ESCET) and the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS). The questionnaire was translated by national HPR representatives in 24 languages to cover the 25 national member organisations. Barriers were assessed using 5-point Likert scales, higher scores representing higher barriers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. In addition, we ran the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) on the answers to the open questions. LDA is an unsupervised probabilistic topic modelling technique that extracts the meanings of a pre-defined number of topics. Design of the survey and reporting of results were done according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES).ResultsThe online questionnaire was accessed 3,589 times but only 667 complete responses were recorded. HPRs from 34 European countries responded to the survey; 80% of whom were women. The highest-ranked educational need was prevention, including lifestyle interventions and professional development. Although EULAR was well known among HPRs, only 32.1% of HPRs in adult care and 18.6% of HPRs in paediatric care have ever heard of the EULAR School of Rheumatology (Table 1 A).Table 1.A: Feedback on EULAR. Data are presented separately for HPRs in adult and paediatric care; except for the filter questions, no mandatory questions were included in the survey. To clarify the number of responses per question, the number of valid answers for each question was reported.VariablesHPRs in adult careHPRs in paediatric careHave you ever heard of the EULAR School of Rheumatology?61443 I am not sure, n(%)62 (10.1%)7 (16.3%) No, n(%)355 (57.8%)28 (65.1%) Yes, n(%)197 (32.1%)8 (18.6%)Are you aware of courses offered by the EULAR School of Rheumatology? (sub question)1978 I am not sure, n(%)30 (15.2%)2 (25.0%) No, n(%)63 (32.0%)5 (62.5%) Yes, n(%)104 (52.8%)1 (12.5%)Have you ever attended one of the EULAR School of Rheumatology courses? (sub question)1031 I am not sure, n(%)1 (1.0%)0 No, n(%)47 (45.6%)0 Yes, n(%)55 (53.4%)1 (100%)Have you ever participated in a EULAR annual congress meeting?61843 I am not sure, n(%)11 (1.8%)0 No, n(%)457 (73.9%)39 (90.7%) Yes, n(%)150 (24.3%)4 (9.3%)The main barriers to participation in EULAR’s educational offerings were identified by HPRs in adult care and in paediatric care (respectively) as: the unfamiliarity with the course content (3.48 [±1.50]; 3.92 [±1.46]), the associated costs (3.44 [±1.35]; 3.69 [±1.28]) and English language (2.59 [±1.50]; 2.80 [±1.34]).ConclusionEULAR is well-known by HPRs in Europe, however, awareness of educational offerings is low and barriers to participation are numerous. To become the leading provider of postgraduate training by 2023, EULAR could use a “franchise” model that can be tailored to local conditions. This could be achieved by strengthening national organizations by actively involving them in the development of training programs and disseminating these programs and offerings through their networks.References[1]World Health Organization. Health workforce: Education and training: World Health Organization; 2019 [Available from: https://www.who.int/hrh/education/en/ accessed November, 2019 2019.Disclosure of InterestsLisa Sperl: None declared, Tanja Stamm Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda, Consultant of: AbbVie and Sanofi Genzyme, Grant/research support from: AbbVie and Roche, Margaret Renn Andrews: None declared, Mathilda Bjork: None declared, Carina Boström: None declared, Jeannette Cappon: None declared, Jenny de la Torre-Aboki: None declared, Annette de Thurah: None declared, Andrea Domjan: None declared, Razvan Dragoi Speakers bureau: Received speaker fees last year from: Pfizer, Elly Lilly, Sandoz, Abbvie, Secom, EwoPharma, Fernando Estevez-Lopez: None declared, Ricardo J. O. Ferreira: None declared, George E. Fragoulis: None declared, Jolanta Grygielska: None declared, Katti Korve: None declared, Marja Leena Kukkurainen: None declared, Christel Madelaine-Bonjour: None declared, Andrea Marques: None declared, Jorit Meesters: None declared, Rikke Helene Moe: None declared, Ellen Moholt: None declared, Erika Mosor: None declared, Claudia Naimer-Stach: None declared, Mwidimi Ndosi: None declared, Polina Pchelnikova: None declared, Jette Primdahl: None declared, Polina Putrik: None declared, Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff: None declared, Hana Smucrova: None declared, Sinisa Stefanac: None declared, Marco Testa: None declared, Leti van Bodegom-Vos: None declared, Wilfred Peter: None declared, Heidi A. Zangi: None declared, Olena Zimba: None declared, T.P.M. Vliet Vlieland: None declared, Valentin Ritschl: None declared
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Hammond, A., et al.
(författare)
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Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Dutch and German versions of the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire in people with rheumatoid arthritis
- 2021
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Ingår i: Rheumatology International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0172-8172 .- 1437-160X. ; 41, s. 951-964
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire (EDAQ) is a detailed patient-reported outcome measure of activity ability. The objective of this research was to assess the linguistic and cross-cultural validity and psychometric properties of the EDAQ in rheumatoid arthritis for Dutch and German speakers. The EDAQ was translated into Dutch and German using standard methods. A total of 415 participants (Dutchn = 252; Germann = 163) completed two questionnaires about four weeks apart. The first included the EDAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and 36-item Short-Form v2 (SF-36v2) and the second, the EDAQ only. We examined construct validity using Rasch analysis for the two components (Self-Care and Mobility) of the Dutch and German EDAQ. Language invariance was also tested from the English version. We examined internal consistency, concurrent and discriminant validity and test-retest reliability in the 14 EDAQ domains. The Self-Care and Mobility components satisfied Rasch model requirements for fit, unidimensionality and invariance by language. Internal consistency for all 14 domains was mostly good to excellent (Cronbach's alpha >= 0.80). Concurrent validity was mostly strong: HAQr(s) = 0.65-0.87; SF36v2r(s) = - 0.61 to - 0.87. Test-retest reliability was excellent [ICC (2,1) = 0.77-0.97]. The EDAQ has good reliability and validity in both languages. The Dutch and German versions of the EDAQ can be used as a measure of daily activity in practice and research in the Netherlands and German- speaking countries.
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| 7. |
- Ndosi, M., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the Educational Needs Assessment Tool as a Generic Instrument for Rheumatic Diseases in 7 European Countries
- 2013
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - London : BMJ Books. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 72:Suppl. 3, s. A149-A150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To validate the educational needs assessment tool (The ENAT) as a generic tool with which to assess the educational needs of patients with rheumatic diseases in European Countries.Methods: The study followed a quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants comprised a convenience sample of patients from 7 European countries with each of the following diagnostic group: ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), osteoarthritis (OA) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Rasch analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the adapted ENATs and cross-cultural invariance.Results: The sample comprised 3015 patients with mean (SD) age 52.6 (13.1), disease duration 13.7 (10.7) years, 1996 (66.2%) of which were female. Patient characteristics (stratified by diagnostic group) were comparable across countries except the educational background, which was variable.Initially, the data from each country and diagnostic group was fitted to the Rasch model separately, and then the pooled data from each diagnostic group. On each occasion the data were required to satisfy Rasch model expectations, after correction for local dependency by creating clusters of items known as teslets. The OA group was an exception as it only did so in country-specific datasets, not within the pooled data. There was no significant differential item functioning (DIF) by age, gender, disease duration or educational background, indicating that the ENAT works in the same way across different patient groups. Uniform cross-cultural DIF was present and this was accounted for by 'splitting' the testlets that were affected. Subsequently, DIF-adjusted conversion tables were calibrated, to enable parametric analyses fully adjusted for cross-cultural bias when comparison of multinational data is required.Conclusions: The ENAT is a cross-culturally valid and a reliable tool, providing accurate estimation of educational needs of people with rheumatic diseases. Further research is required for its cross-cultural use in OA.Disclosure of Interest: None Declared
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| 8. |
- Ndosi, Mwidimi, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the educational needs assessment tool as a generic instrument for rheumatic diseases in seven European countries
- 2014
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - London : BMJ Books. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 73:12, s. 2122-2129
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To validate the educational needs assessment tool (ENAT) as a generic tool for assessing the educational needs of patients with rheumatic diseases in European Countries.METHODS: A convenience sample of patients from seven European countries was included comprising the following diagnostic groups: ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis (OA) and fibromyalgia syndrome. Translated versions of the ENAT were completed through surveys in each country. Rasch analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the adapted ENATs including differential item functioning by culture (cross-cultural DIF). Initially, the data from each country and diagnostic group were fitted to the Rasch model separately, and then the pooled data from each diagnostic group.RESULTS: The sample comprised 3015 patients; the majority, 1996 (66.2%), were women. Patient characteristics (stratified by diagnostic group) were comparable across countries except the educational background, which was variable. In most occasions, the 39-item ENAT deviated significantly from the Rasch model expectations (item-trait interaction χ(2) p<0.05). After correction for local dependency (grouping the items into seven domains and analysing them as 'testlets'), fit to the model was satisfied (item-trait interaction χ(2) p>0.18) in all pooled disease group datasets except OA (χ(2)=99.91; p=0.002). The internal consistency in each group was high (Person Separation Index above 0.90). There was no significant DIF by person characteristics. Cross-cultural DIF was found in some items, which required adjustments. Subsequently, interval-level scales were calibrated to enable transformation of ENAT scores when required.CONCLUSIONS: The adapted ENAT is a valid tool with high internal consistency providing accurate estimation of the educational needs of people with rheumatic diseases. Cross-cultural comparison of educational needs is now possible. © 2013 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism.
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| 9. |
- Reutter, Heiko, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide association study and mouse expression data identify a highly conserved 32kb intergenic region between WNT3 and WNT9b as possible susceptibility locus for isolated classic exstrophy of the bladder.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 23:20, s. 5536-5544
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias Complex (BEEC), the severe end of the uro-rectal malformation spectrum, has a profound impact on continence as well as sexual and renal functions. It is widely accepted that for the majority of cases the genetic basis appears to be multifactorial. Here, we report the first study which utilizes genome-wide association methods to analyze a cohort comprising patients presenting the most common BEEC form, classic bladder exstrophy (CBE), to identify common variation associated with risk for isolated CBE. We employed discovery and follow-up samples comprising 218/865 cases/controls and 78 trios in total, all of European descent. Our discovery sample identified a marker near SALL1, showing genome-wide significant association with CBE. However, analyses performed on follow-up samples did not add further support to these findings. We were also able to identify an association with CBE across our study samples (discovery: P=8.88 x 10(-5); follow-up: P=0.0025; combined: 1.09 x 10(-6)) in a highly conserved 32kb intergenic region containing regulatory elements between WNT3 and WNT9B. Subsequent analyses in mice revealed expression for both genes in the genital region during stages relevant to the development of CBE in humans. Unfortunately, we were not able to replicate the suggestive signal for WNT3 and WNT9B in a sample that was enriched for non-CBE BEEC cases (P=0.51). Our suggestive findings support the hypothesis that larger samples are warranted to identify association of common variation with CBE.
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| 10. |
- Ritschl, Valentin, et al.
(författare)
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Educational readiness among health professionals in rheumatology: low awareness of EULAR offerings and unfamiliarity with the course content as major barriers-results of a EULAR-funded European survey
- 2023
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Ingår i: RMD Open. - : BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2056-5933. ; 9:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundOngoing education of health professionals in rheumatology (HPR) is critical for high-quality care. An essential factor is education readiness and a high quality of educational offerings. We explored which factors contributed to education readiness and investigated currently offered postgraduate education, including the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) offerings.Methods and participantsWe developed an online questionnaire, translated it into 24 languages and distributed it in 30 European countries. We used natural language processing and the Latent Dirichlet Allocation to analyse the qualitative experiences of the participants as well as descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression to determine factors influencing postgraduate educational readiness. Reporting followed the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys guideline.ResultsThe questionnaire was accessed 3589 times, and 667 complete responses from 34 European countries were recorded. The highest educational needs were professional development, prevention and lifestyle intervention. Older age, more working experience in rheumatology and higher education levels were positively associated with higher postgraduate educational readiness. While more than half of the HPR were familiar with EULAR as an association and the respondents reported an increased interest in the content of the educational offerings, the courses and the annual congress were poorly attended due to a lack of awareness, comparatively high costs and language barriers.ConclusionsTo promote the uptake of EULAR educational offerings, attention is needed to increase awareness among national organisations, offer accessible participation costs, and address language barriers.
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