Novel genetic markers associate with atrial fibrillation risk in Europeans and Japanese

OBJECTIVES This study sought to identify nonredundant atrial fibrillation (AF) genetic susceptibility signals and examine their cumulative relations with AF risk. BACKGROUND AF-associated loci span broad genomic regions that may contain multiple susceptibility signals. Whether multiple signals exist at AF loci has not been systematically explored. METHODS We performed association testing conditioned on the most significant, independently associated genetic markers at 9 established AF loci using 2 complementary techniques in 64,683 individuals of European ancestry (3,869 incident and 3,302 prevalent AF cases). Genetic risk scores were created and tested for association with AF in Europeans and an independent sample of 11,309 individuals of Japanese ancestry (7,916 prevalent AF cases). RESULTS We observed at least 4 distinct AF susceptibility signals on chromosome 4q25 upstream of PITX2, but not at the remaining 8 AF loci. A multilocus score comprised 12 genetic markers demonstrated an estimated 5-fold gradient in AF risk. We observed a similar spectrum of risk associated with these markers in Japanese. Regions containing AF signals on chromosome 4q25 displayed a greater degree of evolutionary conservation than the remainder of the locus, suggesting that they may tag regulatory elements. CONCLUSIONS The chromosome 4q25 AF locus is architecturally complex and harbors at least 4 AF susceptibility signals in individuals of European ancestry. Similar polygenic AF susceptibility exists between Europeans and Japanese. Future work is necessary to identify causal variants, determine mechanisms by which associated loci predispose to AF, and explore whether AF susceptibility signals classify individuals at risk for AF and related morbidity.

Head movement synchrony in social interactions of patients with schizophrenia indicates symptoms, cognition and social functioning

Background: Disturbed interpersonal communication is a core problem in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia often appear disconnected and "out of sync" when interacting with others. This may involve perception, cognition, motor behavior, and nonverbal expressiveness. Although well-known from clinical observation, mainstream research has neglected this area. Corresponding theoretical concepts, statistical methods, and assessment were missing. In recent research, however, it has been shown that objective, video-based measures of nonverbal behavior can be used to reliably quantify nonverbal behavior in schizophrenia. Newly developed algorithms allow for a calculation of movement synchrony. We found that the objective amount of movement of patients with schizophrenia during social interactions was closely related to the symptom profiles of these patients (Kupper et al., 2010). In addition and above the mere amount of movement, the degree of synchrony between patients and healthy interactants may be indicative of various problems in the domain of interpersonal communication and social cognition. Methods: Based on our earlier study, head movement synchrony was assessed objectively (using Motion Energy Analysis, MEA) in 378 brief, videotaped role-play scenes involving 27 stabilized outpatients diagnosed with paranoid-type schizophrenia. Results: Lower head movement synchrony was indicative of symptoms (negative symptoms, but also of conceptual disorganization and lack of insight), verbal memory, patients’ self-evaluation of competence, and social functioning. Many of these relationships remained significant even when corrected for the amount of movement of the patients. Conclusion: The results suggest that nonverbal synchrony may be an objective and sensitive indicator of the severity of symptoms, cognition and social functioning.

Job satisfaction of Swiss general practitioners with and without proficiency certificate in homeopathy

Introduction: Job satisfaction and therefore wellbeing of physicians is an important issue in high quality and safety of health care provision. The role of additional qualification in complementary medicine (CM) for job satisfaction of general practitioners (GPs), however, has not been explored. This study compared job satisfaction of conventional and homeopathic Swiss GPs. Methods: Participants of the Swiss Family Doctors Conference 2013 and members of the Swiss Association of Homeopathic Physicians participated in the survey. They indicated the extent of job satisfaction on 17 questions covering patient care, work-related burden, income-prestige, personal rewards, and professional relations. Results: Data of n = 125 GPs with homeopathic proficiency certificate and data of n = 143 GPs without any proficiency certificate in CM were analyzed. Overall job satisfaction was high and did not differ between the groups. However, due to lower number of patients per day, homeopathic GPs reported higher satisfaction in relations with patients and with workload, and lower satisfaction with income and in relations with peers compared to conventional GPs. Controlling for further confounding variables (e.g. working hours per week, practice setting), homeopathic GPs reported less satisfaction with their income than their conventional colleagues. Conclusions: Longer consultation time and lower number of patients homeopathic GPs see per day, may allowthem to unfold a deeper and more satisfying relationship with their patients and to lessen the workload. However, this comes along with financial discontent compared to conventional GPs. Certification in homeopathy and increased consultation time, respectively, may represent a way to enhance GPs’ job satisfaction.

New Sites, New Challenges? Ethical and Methodological Questions in the Context of Research on Migration Exclusion

The challenges of research ethics and methodologies have been reflected on extensively, but – aside from the context of feminist methodologies – less so in relation to research on particular migration sites such as in transit, detention centres, at the borders or within migration administration. First attempts in this direction have been made (Düvell et al. 2010, Fresia et al. 2005, Riedner 2014, van Liempt/Bilger2009), however, more reflection and theorization is needed, considering the contested nature of these temporal and volatile sites. In this workshop, we thus aim at examining methodological as well as ethical questions that arise during field work: We attempt to reflect the power relations involved in the research process, the ethics of research design, the dissemination of research results, the question of gaining access to and – whenever necessary – staying in contact with our research subjects. How can we negotiate informed consent with subjects whose life is currently marked by transit and insecurity concerning their own future, and who are in an uncertain situation in which substantial information (legal, social, cultural etc.) is likely to be missing? How do we deal with the dilemma of possibly contributing to knowledge production that might facilitate removals and deportations in the future, considering that the reception of the results is not in the hands of the researchers? How do we deal with the anticipated as well as unexpected impacts of our research on social and political practice? Regarding fieldwork in state institutions, how do we negotiate the multiple loyalties we often find ourselves faced with as social researchers, both with the excluded migrants and with the authorities implementing the exclusions – two groupings considered to be opposite to each other (Lavanchy 2013)? Which different roles do researchers need to take on? The aim of our workshop is first and foremost to exchange experiences on fieldwork with others doing qualitative research on related topics and to consider its possible implications – including affective dimensions – for all participants involved in the research process: the migrants, the security staff of detention centres, its social workers, border police and bureaucrats and, last but not least, the researchers themselves. Furthermore, we generally wish to reflect upon the question of how best to conduct research in this contested field, applying an interdisciplinary perspective.