scholarly journals University of Washington Twin Registry: Poised for the Next Generation of Twin Research

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 455-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Strachan ◽  
Corinne Hunt ◽  
Niloofar Afari ◽  
Glen Duncan ◽  
Carolyn Noonan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Twin Studies ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
University Of Washington ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Gene By Environment Interactions ◽  
Birth Records ◽  
New Research ◽  
The University

The University of Washington Twin Registry is a unique community-based registry of twin pairs who join specifically to participate in scientific research. It was founded in 2002 to serve as a resource for investigators throughout the scientific community. Current enrollment exceeds 7,200 pairs, and plans are in place to increase enrollment to 10,000 pairs by 2015. In addition to serving as a recruitment base for new research studies, the registry maintains extensive and continually expanding survey data on physical and mental health, as well as a biorepository that includes DNA from more than 8,800 individual twins. The registry is engaged in linking member data to birth records and to diagnostic and procedure variables for hospital-based care provided to members in Washington State. It also incorporates several innovative variables relevant to the built and social environments, which were created by geocoding twin addresses and linking the resulting coordinates to geospatial information systems databases. This combination of existing data and biospecimens, characterizing a group of twins who are willing to participate in research, is a valuable resource for the new wave of twin studies. These include ‘omics’, epigenetics, gene-by-environment interactions, and other novel methods to understand human health.

scholarly journals Australian Twin Registry: 30 Years of Progress

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Hopper ◽  
Debra L. Foley ◽  
Paul A. White ◽  
Vincent Pollaers
Keyword(s):  
Twin Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Pair Comparisons ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
The University ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Online Software

The Australian Twin Registry (ATR) is a national volunteer resource of twin pairs and higher-order multiples willing to consider participating in health, medical, and scientific research. The vision of the ATR is ‘to realize the full potential of research involving twins to improve the health and well-being of all Australians’. The ATR has been funded continuously by the National Health and Medical Council for more than 30 years. Its core functions entail the recruitment and retention of twin members, the maintenance of an up-to-date database containing members’ contact details and baseline information, and the promotion and provision of open access to researchers from all institutes in Australia, and their collaborators, in a fair and equitable manner. The ATR is administered by The University of Melbourne, which acts as custodian. Since the late 1970s the ATR has enrolled more than 40,000 twin pairs of all zygosities and facilitated more than 500 studies that have produced at least 700 peer-reviewed publications from classical twin studies, co-twin control studies, within-pair comparisons, twin family studies, longitudinal twin studies, randomized controlled trials, and epigenetics studies, as well as studies of issues specific to twins. New initiatives include: a Health and Life Style Questionnaire; data collection, management, and archiving using a secure online software program (The Ark); and the International Network of Twin Registries. The ATR's expertise and 30 years of experience in providing services to national and international twin studies has made it an important resource for research across a broad range of disciplines.

scholarly journals The Brazilian Twin Registry

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 687-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo H. Ferreira ◽  
Vinicius C. Oliveira ◽  
Daniela R. Junqueira ◽  
Lígia C. Cisneros ◽  
Lucas C. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Health History ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Governmental Institutions ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
The University ◽  
Different Sources

The Brazilian Twin Registry (BTR) was established in 2013 and has impelled twin research in South America. The main aim of the initiative was to create a resource that would be accessible to the Brazilian scientific community as well as international researchers interested in the investigation of the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the development of common diseases, phenotypes, and human behavior traits. The BTR is a joint effort between academic and governmental institutions from Brazil and Australia. The collaboration includes the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne in Australia, the Australian Twin Registry, as well as the research foundations CNPq and CAPES in Brazil. The BTR is a member of the International Network of Twin Registries. Recruitment strategies used to register twins have been through participation in a longitudinal study investigating genetic and environmental factors for low back pain occurrence, and from a variety of sources including media campaigns and social networking. Currently, 291 twins are registered in the BTR, with data on demographics, zygosity, anthropometrics, and health history having been collected from 151 twins using a standardized self-reported questionnaire. Future BTR plans include the registration of thousands of Brazilian twins identified from different sources and collaborate nationally and internationally with other research groups interested on twin studies.

scholarly journals The Qingdao Twin Registry: A Focus on Chronic Disease Research

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 758-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengchang Pang ◽  
Feng Ning ◽  
Jennifer Unger ◽  
C. Anderson Johnson ◽  
Shaojie Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Special Events ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Adult Twins

AbstractWith the changing patterns of morbidity and mortality in China, noncommunicable chronic diseases have become the major threats to the health of the Chinese population. The causes of chronic diseases include genetic factors and behavioral risk factors such as the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and lack of physical activity. Twin studies offer a unique opportunity to disentangle the genetic and environmental risk and protective factors for chronic disease. The Qingdao Twin Registry (QTR) was initiated in 1998 as part of the National Chinese Twin Registry. Over 11,000 pairs of twins and multiples of all ages have been recruited into the registry. Several studies of physical and mental health are underway. Many of the adult twins have completed health and behavioral risk factor surveys, and the adolescent twins are participating in a study of gene–environment interactions in tobacco and alcohol use. Studies of the heritability of personality factors have been conducted. In 2002, Qingdao established the Qingdao Twin Health Promotion Association, a nonprofit organization that supports health services for twins and their parents, organizes special events and health-related activities for twins, and raises funds to conduct twin health examinations. The QTR will be a useful resource for future studies of population genetics in human health and disease.

scholarly journals University of Washington Twin Registry: Construction and Characteristics of a Community-Based Twin Registry

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1023-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niloofar Afari ◽  
Carolyn Noonan ◽  
Jack Goldberg ◽  
Karen Edwards ◽  
Kiran Gadepalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attorney General ◽  
State Department ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Community Based ◽  
University Of Washington ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Washington State Department ◽  
The University

AbstractThe University of Washington Twin Registry is a community-based registry of twins identified from the Washington State Department of Licensing. A fortuitous quirk in the Washington State drivers' license and identification number assignment, and collaborative Washington State laws, permitted us to build a statewide registry. Since obtaining approval from the Washington State Attorney General, the Washington State Department of Licensing has provided us with information on over 26,000 newly licensed twins, and we continue to receive computerized records on approximately 80 new twins per week. The University of Washington Twin Registry is assembled by mailing each twin a recruitment packet that includes an information sheet, brochure, brief survey, and nominal gift. Once both members of a twin pair have completed the packet, the pair is enrolled in the registry. As of June 2006, 2287 adult twin pairs have enrolled in the registry; about one half of these are female–female pairs. Among all twins, the average age is 32 years. Based on self-report, 52% of twins are monozygotic, 42% are dizygotic, and zygosity on 6% cannot yet be determined. We also have instituted a clinical protocol for collecting additional data and DNA from all twins participating in research studies requiring an in-person visit. The registry has established policies and procedures to protect the confidentiality of twin data and guidelines for the use of the registry by investigators. Plans for the further growth of the University of Washington Twin Registry and its use are discussed.

scholarly journals First Steps of the Mexico Twin Registry (RGMex-MexTR) at the University of Guadalajara

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-610
Author(s):  
Guillermo A. Cervantes-Cardona ◽  
Tania E. Cervantes-Nápoles ◽  
Gabino Cervantes-Guevara ◽  
Olga R. Manzo-Palomera ◽  
Alejandro González-Ojeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

AbstractDespite the well-known relevance of twin studies in the medical and social sciences and the growing number of twin registries throughout the world, Latin America has not fully incorporated into the twin research community. We describe the first steps taken toward developing a twin registry in Mexico: its aim, organization, recruiting potential and main short-term objectives.

scholarly journals The South Korean Twin Registry

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 606-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon-Mi Hur ◽  
Man Chull Kang ◽  
Hoe-Uk Jeong ◽  
Il Cook Kang ◽  
Jong Woo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
The South ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Gene By Environment Interactions ◽  
Physical Traits ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Adult Twins

AbstractThe South Korean Twin Registry (SKTR) is an ongoing nationwide volunteer registry of South Korean twins and their families. Since its inception, from preschooler to young adult, twins have been registered with the SKTR and have demonstrated that relative influences of genetic and environmental factors explaining individual differences in various psychological, mental health and physical traits in South Koreans are similar to those found in many Western twin studies. Currently, studies at the SKTR focus on identification of the process of gene-by-environment interactions as well as developmental differences in genetic and environmental influences on psychological and mental health traits in South Koreans. This report provides a brief overview, recruitment strategies, current samples, zygosity assessment, measures and future directions of the SKTR.

1523: How We Learn Resection Skills: Analysis of Data from the University of Washington Turp Simulator

2004 ◽  
Vol 171 (4S) ◽  
pp. 401-401
Author(s):  
Robert M. Sweet ◽  
Timothy Kowalewski ◽  
Peter Oppenheimer ◽  
Jeffrey Berkley ◽  
Suzanne Weghorst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Of Washington ◽  
The University

MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINES AND SYSTEMS – UMI-TWINN PROJECT CONTRIBUTION

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-20
Author(s):  
Péter Telek ◽  
Béla Illés ◽  
Christian Landschützer ◽  
Fabian Schenk ◽  
Flavien Massi
Keyword(s):  
Material Handling ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Scientific Excellence ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
New Research ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
The University

Nowadays, the Industry 4.0 concept affects every area of the industrial, economic, social and personal sectors. The most significant changings are the automation and the digitalization. This is also true for the material handling processes, where the handling systems use more and more automated machines; planning, operation and optimization of different logistic processes are based on many digital data collected from the material flow process. However, new methods and devices require new solutions which define new research directions. In this paper we describe the state of the art of the material handling researches and draw the role of the UMi-TWINN partner institutes in these fields. As a result of this H2020 EU project, scientific excellence of the University of Miskolc can be increased and new research activities will be started.

scholarly journals 136. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Solutions for Large-Scale Stewardship Obstacles

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S79-S80
Author(s):  
Joanne Huang ◽  
Zahra Kassamali Escobar ◽  
Rupali Jain ◽  
Jeannie D Chan ◽  
John B Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urgent Care ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
University Of Washington ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Diagnostic Coding ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The University

Abstract Background In an effort to support stewardship endeavors, the MITIGATE (a Multifaceted Intervention to Improve Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infection for Adult and Children in Emergency Department and Urgent Care Settings) Toolkit was published in 2018, aiming to reduce unnecessary antibiotics for viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs). At the University of Washington, we have incorporated strategies from this toolkit at our urgent care clinics. This study aims to address solutions to some of the challenges we experienced. Challenges and Solutions Methods This was a retrospective observational study conducted at Valley Medical Center (Sept 2019-Mar 2020) and the University of Washington (Jan 2019-Feb 2020) urgent care clinics. Patients were identified through ICD-10 diagnosis codes included in the MITIGATE toolkit. The primary outcome was identifying challenges and solutions developed during this process. Results We encountered five challenges during our roll-out of MITIGATE. First, using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes can lead to inaccurate data collection. Second, technical support for coding a complex data set is essential and should be accounted for prior to beginning stewardship interventions of this scale. Third, unintentional incorrect diagnosis selection was common and may require reeducation of prescribers on proper selection. Fourth, focusing on singular issues rather than multiple outcomes is more feasible and can offer several opportunities for stewardship interventions. Lastly, changing prescribing behavior can cause unintended tension during implementation. Modifying benchmarks measured, allowing for bi-directional feedback, and identifying provider champions can help maintain open communication. Conclusion Resources such as the MITIGATE toolkit are helpful to implement standardized data driven stewardship interventions. We have experienced some challenges including a complex data build, errors with diagnostic coding, providing constructive feedback while maintaining positive stewardship relationships, and choosing feasible outcomes to measure. We present solutions to these challenges with the aim to provide guidance to those who are considering using this toolkit for outpatient stewardship interventions. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document