Search

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex disorder that typically arises in late adolescence or early adulthood. Age at onset (AAO) of SCZ is associated with long-term outcomes of the disease. We explored the genetic architecture of AAO with a genome-wide association study (GWAS), heritability, polygenic risk score (PRS), and copy number variant (CNV) analyses in 4 740 subjects of European ancestry. Although no genome-wide significant locus was identified, SNP-based heritability of AAO was estimated to be between 17 and 21%, indicating a moderate contribution of common variants. We also performed cross-trait PRS analyses with a set of mental disorders and identified a negative association between AAO and common variants for SCZ, childhood maltreatment and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We also investigated the role of copy number variants (CNVs) in AAO and found an association with the length and number of deletions (P-value = 0.03), whereas the presence of CNVs previously reported in SCZ was not associated with earlier onset. To our knowledge, this is the largest GWAS of AAO of SCZ to date in individuals from European ancestry, and the first study to determine the involvement of common variants in the heritability of AAO. Finally, we evidenced the role played by higher SCZ load in determining AAO but discarded the role of pathogenic CNVs. Altogether, these results shed light on the genetic architecture of AAO, which needs to be confirmed with larger studies.© 2023. The Author(s).

Bipolar affective disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric illness, for which lithium (Li) is the gold standard for acute and maintenance therapies. The therapeutic response to Li in BD is heterogeneous and reliable biomarkers allowing patients stratification are still needed. A GWAS performed by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) has recently identified genetic markers associated with treatment responses to Li in the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) region. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this association, we have genetically imputed the classical alleles of the HLA region in the European patients of the ConLiGen cohort. We found our best signal for amino-acid variants belonging to the HLA-DRB1*11:01 classical allele, associated with a better response to Li (p < 1 × 10−3; FDR < 0.09 in the recessive model). Alanine or Leucine at position 74 of the HLA-DRB1 heavy chain was associated with a good response while Arginine or Glutamic acid with a poor response. As these variants have been implicated in common inflammatory/autoimmune processes, our findings strongly suggest that HLA-mediated low inflammatory background may contribute to the efficient response to Li in BD patients, while an inflammatory status overriding Li anti-inflammatory properties would favor a weak response.

Bipolar affective disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric illness, for which lithium (Li) is the gold standard for acute and maintenance therapies. The therapeutic response to Li in BD is heterogeneous and reliable biomarkers allowing patients stratification are still needed. A GWAS performed by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) has recently identified genetic markers associated with treatment responses to Li in the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) region. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this association, we have genetically imputed the classical alleles of the HLA region in the European patients of the ConLiGen cohort. We found our best signal for amino-acid variants belonging to the HLA-DRB1*11:01 classical allele, associated with a better response to Li (p < 1 × 10-3; FDR < 0.09 in the recessive model). Alanine or Leucine at position 74 of the HLA-DRB1 heavy chain was associated with a good response while Arginine or Glutamic acid with a poor response. As these variants have been implicated in common inflammatory/autoimmune processes, our findings strongly suggest that HLA-mediated low inflammatory background may contribute to the efficient response to Li in BD patients, while an inflammatory status overriding Li anti-inflammatory properties would favor a weak response.

Lithium is a first-line medication for bipolar disorder (BD), but only one in three patients respond optimally to the drug. Since evidence shows a strong clinical and genetic overlap between depression and bipolar disorder, we investigated whether a polygenic susceptibility to major depression is associated with response to lithium treatment in patients with BD. Weighted polygenic scores (PGSs) were computed for major depression (MD) at different GWAS p value thresholds using genetic data obtained from 2586 bipolar patients who received lithium treatment and took part in the Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLi+Gen) study. Summary statistics from genome-wide association studies in MD (135,458 cases and 344,901 controls) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) were used for PGS weighting. Response to lithium treatment was defined by continuous scores and categorical outcome (responders versus non-responders) using measurements on the Alda scale. Associations between PGSs of MD and lithium treatment response were assessed using a linear and binary logistic regression modeling for the continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively. The analysis was performed for the entire cohort, and for European and Asian sub-samples. The PGSs for MD were significantly associated with lithium treatment response in multi-ethnic, European or Asian populations, at various p value thresholds. Bipolar patients with a low polygenic load for MD were more likely to respond well to lithium, compared to those patients with high polygenic load [lowest vs highest PGS quartiles, multi-ethnic sample: OR = 1.54 (95% CI: 1.18-2.01) and European sample: OR = 1.75 (95% CI: 1.30-2.36)]. While our analysis in the Asian sample found equivalent effect size in the same direction: OR = 1.71 (95% CI: 0.61-4.90), this was not statistically significant. Using PGS decile comparison, we found a similar trend of association between a high genetic loading for MD and lower response to lithium. Our findin

Lithium is the gold standard therapy for Bipolar Disorder (BD) but its effectiveness differs widely between individuals. The molecular mechanisms underlying treatment response heterogeneity are not well understood, and personalized treatment in BD remains elusive. Genetic analyses of the lithium treatment response phenotype may generate novel molecular insights into lithium's therapeutic mechanisms and lead to testable hypotheses to improve BD management and outcomes. We used fixed effect meta-analysis techniques to develop meta-analytic polygenic risk scores (MET-PRS) from combinations of highly correlated psychiatric traits, namely schizophrenia (SCZ), major depression (MD) and bipolar disorder (BD). We compared the effects of cross-disorder MET-PRS and single genetic trait PRS on lithium response. For the PRS analyses, we included clinical data on lithium treatment response and genetic information for n = 2283 BD cases from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLi+Gen; www.ConLiGen.org ). Higher SCZ and MD PRSs were associated with poorer lithium treatment response whereas BD-PRS had no association with treatment outcome. The combined MET2-PRS comprising of SCZ and MD variants (MET2-PRS) and a model using SCZ and MD-PRS sequentially improved response prediction, compared to single-disorder PRS or to a combined score using all three traits (MET3-PRS). Patients in the highest decile for MET2-PRS loading had 2.5 times higher odds of being classified as poor responders than patients with the lowest decile MET2-PRS scores. An exploratory functional pathway analysis of top MET2-PRS variants was conducted. Findings may inform the development of future testing strategies for personalized lithium prescribing in BD.

Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) with early disease onset is associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and constitutes a clinically and biologically homogenous subgroup within the heterogeneous BD spectrum. Previous studies have found an accumulation of early age at onset (AAO) in BD families and have therefore hypothesized that there is a larger genetic contribution to the early-onset cases than to late onset BD. To investigate the genetic background of this subphenotype, we evaluated whether an increased polygenic burden of BD- and schizophrenia (SCZ)-associated risk variants is associated with an earlier AAO in BD patients. Methods: A total of 1995 BD type 1 patients from the Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen), PsyCourse and Bonn-Mannheim samples were genotyped and their BD and SCZ polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were calculated using the summary statistics of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium as a training data set. AAO was either separated into onset groups of clinical interest (childhood and adolescence [≤18 years] vs adulthood [>18 years]) or considered as a continuous measure. The associations between BD- and SCZ-PRSs and AAO were evaluated with regression models. Results: BD- and SCZ-PRSs were not significantly associated with age at disease onset. Results remained the same when analyses were stratified by site of recruitment. Conclusions: The current study is the largest conducted so far to investigate the association between the cumulative BD and SCZ polygenic risk and AAO in BD patients. The reported negative results suggest that such a polygenic influence, if there is any, is not large, and highlight the importance of conducting further, larger scale studies to obtain more information on the genetic architecture of this clinically relevant phenotype.

OBJECTIVES: Bipolar disorder (BD) with early disease onset is associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and constitutes a clinically and biologically homogenous subgroup within the heterogeneous BD spectrum. Previous studies have found an accumulation of early age at onset (AAO) in BD families and have therefore hypothesized that there is a larger genetic contribution to the early-onset cases than to late onset BD. To investigate the genetic background of this subphenotype, we evaluated whether an increased polygenic burden of BD- and schizophrenia (SCZ)-associated risk variants is associated with an earlier AAO in BD patients. METHODS: A total of 1995 BD type 1 patients from the Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen), PsyCourse and Bonn-Mannheim samples were genotyped and their BD and SCZ polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were calculated using the summary statistics of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium as a training data set. AAO was either separated into onset groups of clinical interest (childhood and adolescence [≤18 years] vs adulthood [>18 years]) or considered as a continuous measure. The associations between BD- and SCZ-PRSs and AAO were evaluated with regression models. RESULTS: BD- and SCZ-PRSs were not significantly associated with age at disease onset. Results remained the same when analyses were stratified by site of recruitment. CONCLUSIONS: The current study is the largest conducted so far to investigate the association between the cumulative BD and SCZ polygenic risk and AAO in BD patients. The reported negative results suggest that such a polygenic influence, if there is any, is not large, and highlight the importance of conducting further, larger scale studies to obtain more information on the genetic architecture of this clinically relevant phenotype.

Season of birth (SOB) has been shown to modify the risk of several health outcomes, including a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. Empirical evidence indicates that subclinical forms of psychosis in the general population share some risk factors with categorical diagnoses of psychosis. Hence, by systematically reviewing and meta-analyzing new and existing data, the current work aimed to determine whether there is evidence of an association between winter SOB and subclinical psychosis in the general population. Our meta-analytic results do not indicate an association between winter SOB and schizotypy in adult populations, although they indicate winter SOB may be a risk factor for psychotic experiences or symptoms in children around 12-15 years (OR=1.12, 95%CI:1.03-1.21). In the whole new dataset for adults (n=481, mean age=22.8 years) no association was detected in either an unadjusted model or adjusting for gender and age. Overall, our results indicate that the association between winter SOB and increased subclinical psychosis may hold in children, but does not in the broad general adult population. Nevertheless, the epidemiological and clinicopathological significance of winter SOB as a risk factor for subclinical psychosis would probably be slight due to the small effect sizes indicated by the reports available to date.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common, highly heritable neuropsychiatric disease characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Lithium is the best-established long-term treatment for BD, even though individual response is highly variable. Evidence suggests that some of this variability has a genetic basis. This is supported by the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of lithium response to date conducted by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen). Recently, we performed the first genome-wide analysis of the involvement of miRNAs in BD and identified nine BD-associated miRNAs. However, it is unknown whether these miRNAs are also associated with lithium response in BD. In the present study, we therefore tested whether common variants at these nine candidate miRNAs contribute to the variance in lithium response in BD. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed whether any other miRNA in the genome is implicated in the response to lithium. For this purpose, we performed gene-based tests for all known miRNA coding genes in the ConLiGen GWAS dataset (n = 2,563 patients) using a set-based testing approach adapted from the versatile gene-based test for GWAS (VEGAS2). In the candidate approach, miR-499a showed a nominally significant association with lithium response, providing some evidence for involvement in both development and treatment of BD. In the genome-wide miRNA analysis, 71 miRNAs showed nominally significant associations with the dichotomous phenotype and 106 with the continuous trait for treatment response. A total of 15 miRNAs revealed nominal significance in both phenotypes with miR-633 showing the strongest association with the continuous trait (p = 9.80E-04) and miR-607 with the dichotomous phenotype (p = 5.79E-04). No association between miRNAs and treatment response to lithium in BD in either of the tested conditions withstood multiple testing correction. Given the limited power of our study, the investigation of miRNAs

IMPORTANCE Lithium is a first-line mood stabilizer for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). However, the efficacy of lithium varies widely, with a nonresponse rate of up to 30%. Biological response markers are lacking. Genetic factors are thought to mediate treatment response to lithium, and there is a previously reported genetic overlap between BPAD and schizophrenia (SCZ). OBJECTIVES To test whether a polygenic score for SCZ is associated with treatment response to lithium in BPAD and to explore the potential molecular underpinnings of this association. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 2586 patients with BPAD who had undergone lithium treatment were genotyped and assessed for long-term response to treatment between 2008 and 2013.Weighted SCZ polygenic scores were computed at different P value thresholds using summary statistics from an international multicenter genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 36 989 individuals with SCZ and genotype data from patients with BPAD from the Consortium on Lithium Genetics. For functional exploration, a cross-trait meta-GWAS and pathway analysis was performed, combining GWAS summary statistics on SCZ and response to treatment with lithium. Data analysis was performed from September 2016 to February 2017. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Treatment response to lithiumwas defined on both the categorical and continuous scales using the Retrospective Criteria of Long-Term Treatment Response in Research Subjects with Bipolar Disorder score. The effect measures include odds ratios and the proportion of variance explained. RESULTS Of the 2586 patients in the study (mean [SD] age, 47.2 [13.9] years), 1478 were women and 1108 were men. The polygenic score for SCZ was inversely associated with lithium treatment response in the categorical outcome, at a threshold P < 5 ? 10-2. Patients with BPAD who had a low polygenic load for SCZ responded better to lithium, with odds ratios for lithium response ranging from 3.46 (95%

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common, highly heritable neuropsychiatric disease characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Lithium is the best-established long-term treatment for BD, even though individual response is highly variable. Evidence suggests that some of this variability has a genetic basis. This is supported by the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of lithium response to date conducted by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen). Recently, we performed the first genome-wide analysis of the involvement of miRNAs in BD and identified nine BD-associated miRNAs. However, it is unknown whether these miRNAs are also associated with lithium response in BD. In the present study, we therefore tested whether common variants at these nine candidate miRNAs contribute to the variance in lithium response in BD. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed whether any other miRNA in the genome is implicated in the response to lithium. For this purpose, we performed gene-based tests for all known miRNA coding genes in the ConLiGen GWAS dataset (n = 2,563 patients) using a set-based testing approach adapted from the versatile gene-based test for GWAS (VEGAS2). In the candidate approach, miR-499a showed a nominally significant association with lithium response, providing some evidence for involvement in both development and treatment of BD. In the genome-wide miRNA analysis, 71 miRNAs showed nominally significant associations with the dichotomous phenotype and 106 with the continuous trait for treatment response. A total of 15 miRNAs revealed nominal significance in both phenotypes with miR-633 showing the strongest association with the continuous trait (p = 9.80E-04) and miR-607 with the dichotomous phenotype (p = 5.79E-04). No association between miRNAs and treatment response to lithium in BD in either of the tested conditions withstood multiple testing correction. Given the limited power of our study, the investigation of miRNAs

Background Lithium is a first-line treatment in bipolar disorder, but individual response is variable. Previous studies have suggested that lithium response is a heritable trait. However, no genetic markers of treatment response have been reproducibly identified. Methods Here, we report the results of a genome-wide association study of lithium response in 2563 patients collected by 22 participating sites from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen). Data from common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association with categorical and continuous ratings of lithium response. Lithium response was measured using a well established scale (Alda scale). Genotyped SNPs were used to generate data at more than 6 million sites, using standard genomic imputation methods. Traits were regressed against genotype dosage. Results were combined across two batches by meta-analysis. Findings A single locus of four linked SNPs on chromosome 21 met genome-wide significance criteria for association with lithium response (rs79663003, p=1·37×10-8; rs78015114, p=1·31×10-8; rs74795342, p=3·31×10-9; and rs75222709, p=3·50×10-9). In an independent, prospective study of 73 patients treated with lithium monotherapy for a period of up to 2 years, carriers of the response-associated alleles had a significantly lower rate of relapse than carriers of the alternate alleles (p=0·03268, hazard ratio 3·8, 95% CI 1·1-13·0). Interpretation The response-associated region contains two genes for long, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), AL157359.3 and AL157359.4. LncRNAs are increasingly appreciated as important regulators of gene expression, particularly in the CNS. Confirmed biomarkers of lithium response would constitute an important step forward in the clinical management of bipolar disorder. Further studies are needed to establish the biological context and potential clinical utility of these findings. Funding Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Institute of Mental Hea

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a genetically complex mental illness characterized by severe oscillations of mood and behaviour. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several risk loci that together account for a small portion of the heritability. To identify additional risk loci, we performed a two-stage meta-analysis of > 9 million genetic variants in 9,784 bipolar disorder patients and 30,471 controls, the largest GWAS of BD to date. In this study, to increase power we used ~2,000 lithium-treated cases with a long-term diagnosis of BD from the Consortium on Lithium Genetics, excess controls, and analytic methods optimized for markers on the X-chromosome. In addition to four known loci, results revealed genome-wide significant associations at two novel loci: an intergenic region on 9p21.3 (rs12553324, P= 5.87×10-9; odds ratio (OR)=1.12) and markers within ERBB2 (rs2517959, P= 4.53×10-9; OR=1.13). No significant X-chromosome associations were detected and Xlinked markers explained very little BD heritability. The results add to a growing list of common autosomal variants involved in BD and illustrate the power of comparing well-characterized cases to an excess of controls in GWAS.

BACKGROUND: Lithium is a first-line treatment in bipolar disorder, but individual response is variable. Previous studies have suggested that lithium response is a heritable trait. However, no genetic markers of treatment response have been reproducibly identified. METHODS: Here, we report the results of a genome-wide association study of lithium response in 2563 patients collected by 22 participating sites from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen). Data from common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association with categorical and continuous ratings of lithium response. Lithium response was measured using a well established scale (Alda scale). Genotyped SNPs were used to generate data at more than 6 million sites, using standard genomic imputation methods. Traits were regressed against genotype dosage. Results were combined across two batches by meta-analysis. FINDINGS: A single locus of four linked SNPs on chromosome 21 met genome-wide significance criteria for association with lithium response (rs79663003, p=1·37 × 10(-8); rs78015114, p=1·31 × 10(-8); rs74795342, p=3·31 × 10(-9); and rs75222709, p=3·50 × 10(-9)). In an independent, prospective study of 73 patients treated with lithium monotherapy for a period of up to 2 years, carriers of the response-associated alleles had a significantly lower rate of relapse than carriers of the alternate alleles (p=0·03268, hazard ratio 3·8, 95% CI 1·1-13·0). INTERPRETATION: The response-associated region contains two genes for long, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), AL157359.3 and AL157359.4. LncRNAs are increasingly appreciated as important regulators of gene expression, particularly in the CNS. Confirmed biomarkers of lithium response would constitute an important step forward in the clinical management of bipolar disorder. Further studies are needed to establish the biological context and potential clinical utility of these findings. FUNDING: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National In

This study describes a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses that were conducted with the 44-item Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children- 4th version (SAQ-CIV) to identify a reduced set of items that might be used to construct a new abbreviated instrument for measuring social anxiety in children and adolescents. The fourth version of the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (SAQ-CIV) was administered to 12,801 non-clinical participants (ages 9 to 15 years) from 12 Latin American countries and Spain. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a 6-factor structure of social anxiety in children, replicating a similar structure to that of adults (Caballo et al. in Behavioral Psychology/Psicología Conductual, 18(1), 5–34, 2010; Caballo et al. in Behavior Therapy, 43(2), 313–328, 2012): 1) Interactions with the opposite sex, 2) Criticism and embarrassment, 3) Speaking in public/Talking to teachers, 4) Assertive expression of annoyance and disgust, 5) Performing in public, and 6) Interactions with strangers. Each of the factors contains 4 items, yielding an abbreviated 24-item instrument, the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (SAQ-C). The present results suggest this is a reliable, valid, and culturally sensitive instrument to assess social anxiety in youth.

This study describes a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses that were conducted with the 44-item Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children- 4th version (SAQ-CIV) to identify a reduced set of items that might be used to construct a new abbreviated instrument for measuring social anxiety in children and adolescents. The fourth version of the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (SAQ-CIV) was administered to 12,801 non-clinical participants (ages 9 to 15 years) from 12 Latin American countries and Spain. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a 6-factor structure of social anxiety in children, replicating a similar structure to that of adults (Caballo et al. in Behavioral Psychology/Psicología Conductual, 18(1), 5–34, 2010; Caballo et al. in Behavior Therapy, 43(2), 313–328, 2012): 1) Interactions with the opposite sex, 2) Criticism and embarrassment, 3) Speaking in public/Talking to teachers, 4) Assertive expression of annoyance and disgust, 5) Performing in public, and 6) Interactions with strangers. Each of the factors contains 4 items, yielding an abbreviated 24-item instrument, the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (SAQ-C). The present results suggest this is a reliable, valid, and culturally sensitive instrument to assess social anxiety in youth.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the postural overload caused by the physical infrastructure of the working stations assigned to bank tellers of ten agencies of a financial institution in the city of Quito. A general musculoskeletal discomfort survey was conducted to a sample of workers composed by 43 subjects. A postural overload evaluation, using the methods OWAS and RULA, was applied to thirteen bank teller workstation users. This study recorded that 77% of participants show discomfort mainly in the neck and low and upper back. 60% of the postures evaluated with OWAS method reflected risk levels of physical injures on users. The application of this method helps to determine risk zones on bank teller working stations. The 37% of postures evaluated with RULA method showed the need of profound research and postural correction, whereas 25% of analyzed postures demanded urgent changes on the working place. A reengineering of the working stations was suggested, emphasizing the improvements on risk zonesto reduce the postural overload. The study also suggests the design of programs, these programs contain: the promotion of the physical activity, training on postural hygiene, vigilance of health and establishing ergonomic participative groups., El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue evaluar la carga postural provocada por las condiciones físicas de las estaciones de trabajo de los cajeros, en diez agencias de una entidad financiera en la ciudad de Quito. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 43 personas, quienes llenaron un cuestionario general para determinar molestias músculo esqueléticas. Posteriormente se realizó la evaluación de la carga postural a trece usuarios del total de la muestra mencionada, utilizando los métodos OWAS y RULA. Se encontró que el 77% de participantes presentaban molestias principalmente en el cuello y zonas altas y bajas de la espalda. El 60% de las posturas evaluadas con el método OWAS reflejaron niveles donde existe la posibilidad de causar daño al usuario. El método determinó las zonas de riesgo en la estación de trabajo. El 37% de posturas evaluadas con el método RULA, exigieron un estudio a profundidad y corrección de posturas, mientras que el 25% de posturas analizadas, demandaron cambios urgentes en el puesto de trabajo. Se propone al final, realizar la reingeniería de las estaciones de trabajo enfatizando las mejoras en las zonas críticas para controlar los riesgos, plantear programas de promoción de la actividad física, acompañados de capacitación sobre higiene postural, vigilancia de la salud y ergonomía participativa.

The current work describes the adaptation of an existing lab-scale cell production method for an anode supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cell to an industrially ready and easily scalable method using extruded supports. For this purpose, Ni–YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) anode is firstly manufactured by Powder Extrusion Moulding (PEM). Feedstock composition, extruding parameters and binder removal procedure are adapted to obtain the tubular supports. The final conditions for this process were: feedstock solid load of 65 vol%; a combination of solvent debinding in heptane and thermal debinding at 600 °C. Subsequently, the YSZ electrolyte layer is deposited by dip coating and the sintering parameters are optimized to achieve a dense layer at 1500 °C during 2 h. For the cathode, an LSM (lanthanum strontium manganite)–YSZ layer with an active area of ∼1 cm2 is deposited by dip coating. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the cell is measured using pure humidified hydrogen as fuel. The measured power density of the cell at 0.5 V was 0.7 W cm−2 at 850 °C.

In this work the processing route for an anode supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cell is adjusted. The fuel cell composition and microstructure design is based on previous work. In this work we have developed microtubular cells based on an extruded support. Firstly, Ni-YSZ anode was manufactured by Powder Extrusion Moulding (PEM). Feedstock composition and extruding parameters were adjusted to obtain tubular green bodies. An YSZ layer was then deposited as the electrolyte and the sintering parameters were optimized to obtain a dense layer. An active area of ~1 cm2 LSMYSZ was deposited as the cathode and its electrochemical performance was measured using pure hydrogen as fuel, yielding a power output at 0.5V of 0.7Wcm-2 at 8500C.

Item does not contain fulltext, This paper reports on two studies conducted to develop and validate a new self-report measure of social phobia/anxiety - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (SAQ-A) (Cuestionario de ansiedad social para adultos, CASO-A). A diary-item recording procedure was used to generate the initial pool of items. In Study 1, data from 12,144 participants provided 6 factors with moderate intercorrelations. Estimates of internal consistency reliability were adequate (range = .86 to .92) for the 6 factors included in the final confirmatory factor analysis. In Study 2, data provided by 10,118 nonclinical participants were used to explore preliminary reliability and validity estimates for a revised version of the SAQ-A - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults Revised (SAQ-AR). Approximately 106 researchers from 10 Latin American countries and Spain contributed to this data collection process. Specific comments are made on the structure of the new questionnaire as regards some commonly-used self-report measures of social phobia/anxiety.

Item does not contain fulltext, This paper reports on two studies conducted to develop and validate a new self-report measure of social phobia/anxiety - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (SAQ-A) (Cuestionario de ansiedad social para adultos, CASO-A). A diary-item recording procedure was used to generate the initial pool of items. In Study 1, data from 12,144 participants provided 6 factors with moderate intercorrelations. Estimates of internal consistency reliability were adequate (range = .86 to .92) for the 6 factors included in the final confirmatory factor analysis. In Study 2, data provided by 10,118 nonclinical participants were used to explore preliminary reliability and validity estimates for a revised version of the SAQ-A - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults Revised (SAQ-AR). Approximately 106 researchers from 10 Latin American countries and Spain contributed to this data collection process. Specific comments are made on the structure of the new questionnaire as regards some commonly-used self-report measures of social phobia/anxiety.

Item does not contain fulltext, This paper reports on two studies conducted to develop and validate a new self-report measure of social phobia/anxiety - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (SAQ-A) (Cuestionario de ansiedad social para adultos, CASO-A). A diary-item recording procedure was used to generate the initial pool of items. In Study 1, data from 12,144 participants provided 6 factors with moderate intercorrelations. Estimates of internal consistency reliability were adequate (range = .86 to .92) for the 6 factors included in the final confirmatory factor analysis. In Study 2, data provided by 10,118 nonclinical participants were used to explore preliminary reliability and validity estimates for a revised version of the SAQ-A - the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults Revised (SAQ-AR). Approximately 106 researchers from 10 Latin American countries and Spain contributed to this data collection process. Specific comments are made on the structure of the new questionnaire as regards some commonly-used self-report measures of social phobia/anxiety.