Specific facial emotion recognition deficits across the course of psychosis: A comparison of individuals with low-risk, high-risk, first-episode psychosis and multi-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Our study aimed to explore the recognition of specific emotions across the course of psychosis. A visual task representing the six basic emotions was used to assess facial emotion recognition (FER) in 204 healthy controls classified into 152 low-risk (LR) and 52 high-risk for psychosis (HR), following a psychometric risk approach; and 100 patients: 44 with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 56 with multi-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (MES). First, we performed a MANCOVA to compare the four conditions.

Self-reported cognitive biases in psychosis: Validation of the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) in a Spanish sample of psychotic patients and healthy controls.

Cognitive biases have been demonstrated to be important in developing and maintaining psychosis. However, self-report measures for everyday clinical practice have been developed only recently. We aimed to study one of these instruments for assessing cognitive biases: the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS).

Metabolically Healthy, but Obese Individuals and Associations with Echocardiographic Parameters and Inflammatory Biomarkers: Results from the CARLA Study.

Introduction: The research on heterogeneity among obese individuals has identified the metabolically healthy, but obese (MHO) phenotype as a distinct group that does not experience the typical cardiovascular-related diseases (CVD). It is unclear if this group differs with regard to preconditions for CVDs. Our aim was to assess differences in echocardiographic parameters and inflammatory biomarkers between MHO and metabolically healthy, normal weight individuals (MHNW).

Association between advanced glycation end products, their soluble receptor, and mortality in the general population: Results from the CARLA study.

Background: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the plasma are associated with a number of age-related diseases that possibly lead to reduced longevity. However, previous studies showed large inconsistencies in the association between AGEs or their soluble receptor (sRAGE) and mortality. We studied this association in a cohort study of general population and assessed the potential changes in this association over time.

Advanced glycation end products and their ratio to soluble receptor are associated with limitations in physical functioning only in women: results from the CARLA cohort.

Background: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), modifications of proteins or amino acids, are increasingly produced and accumulated with age-related diseases. Recent studies suggested that the ratio of AGEs and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) is a more accurate biomarker for age-related diseases than each separately. We aim to investigate whether this also applies for physical functioning in a broad age-spectrum.

Measuring Cognitive Reserve (CR) - A systematic review of measurement properties of CR questionnaires for the adult population.

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and critically appraise the quality of published literature on measurement properties of questionnaires assessing Cognitive Reserve (CR) in adults (>18 years).

Methods: We systematically searched for published studies on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science through August 2018. We evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies and the results on measurement properties based on a consensus-based standard checklist.

Ageing Investigation Using Two-Time-Point Metabolomics Data from KORA and CARLA Studies.

Ageing, one of the largest risk factors for many complex diseases, is highly interconnected to metabolic processes. Investigating the changes in metabolite concentration during ageing among healthy individuals offers us unique insights to healthy ageing. We aim to identify ageing-associated metabolites that are independent from chronological age to deepen our understanding of the long-term changes in metabolites upon ageing.

Serum dietary fatty acids and coronary heart disease risk - A nested case-control-study within the CARLA cohort.

Background And Aims: Diet is known to play a decisive role in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). One factor believed to decrease lifetime risk of CHD is the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Yet, conclusive evidence regarding the potential cardioprotective effects of fatty acids is far from being reached.

The role of nutrition, intimate partner violence and social support in prenatal depressive symptoms in rural Ethiopia: community based birth cohort study.

Background: Depression during pregnancy has far-reaching adverse consequences on mothers, children and the whole family. The magnitude and determinants of prenatal depressive symptoms in low-resource countries are not well established. This study aims to describe the prevalence of prenatal depressive symptoms and whether it is associated with maternal nutrition, intimate partner violence and social support among pregnant women in rural Ethiopia.

The human metabolic profile reflects macro- and micronutrient intake distinctly according to fasting time.

Although the impact of dietary patterns on human serum metabolites has been examined, the fasting effect on the metabolic profile has not yet been considered. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the influence of fasting regarding the association between dietary patterns, reflected by macro- and micronutrient intake, and human serum metabolites in a population-based cohort. A total 1197 non-diabetic German adults aged 45 to 83 years, who participated in baseline of the CARLA study 2002-2006 and had metabolite quantification were selected for this study.

Comparison of metabolite networks from four German population-based studies.

Background: Metabolite networks are suggested to reflect biological pathways in health and disease. However, it is unknown whether such metabolite networks are reproducible across different populations. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate similarity of metabolite networks in four German population-based studies.

Instability of personal human metabotype is linked to all-cause mortality.

Disruption of metabolic homeostasis is an important factor in many diseases. Various metabolites have been linked to higher risk of morbidity and all-cause mortality using metabolomics in large population-based cohorts. In these studies, baseline metabolite levels were compared across subjects to identify associations with health outcomes, implying the existence of 'healthy' concentration ranges that are equally applicable to all individuals.

[Mosaic trisomy 18. Series of cases].

Trisomy 18 syndrome (T18) is a clinical and genetic disorder, which has a full extra chromosome 18 in each cell, variant that is called free trisomy. In addition, it can occur in partial and mosaic form. It is characterized by intrauterine growth restriction, psychomotor and mental retardation, characteristic craniofacial findings, congenital heart disease, hypoplastic pelvis, clenched hand and rocker-bottom foot, among others.

Short-term blood pressure variability - variation between arm side, body position and successive measurements: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Precise blood pressure (BP) measurements are central for the diagnosis of hypertension in clinical and epidemiological studies. The purpose of this study was to quantify the variability in BP associated with arm side, body position, and successive measurements in the setting of a population-based observational study. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate the influence of different measurement conditions on prevalence of hypertension.

Association of late-life changes in blood pressure and cognitive status.

Background: Disagreement exists on the association between changes in blood pressure and cognitive impairment. We aimed to examine whether 4-year changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) are associated with cognitive status in a representative sample of older men and women.

Methods: Analysis of longitudinal data from 854 participants of a population-based German sample (aged 60-87 years) was performed with standard cognitive screening and blood pressure measurements.

Socioeconomic status and anthropometric changes-A meta-analytic approach from seven German cohorts.

Objective: To study the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and annual relative change in anthropometric markers in the general German adult population.

Methods: Longitudinal data of 56,556 participants aged 18-83 years from seven population-based German cohort studies (CARLA, SHIP, KORA, DEGS, EPIC-Heidelberg, EPIC-Potsdam, PopGen) were analyzed by meta-analysis using a random-effects model. The indicators of SES were education and household income.

Depressive symptoms, life satisfaction and prevalence of sleep disturbances in the general population of Germany: results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study.

Objectives: It appears that not only depression, but also low life satisfaction (LS), is related to sleep disorder in the general population. We evaluate whether the prevalence of sleep disorder attributable to depressed mood is greater among participants with low LS.

Setting, Participants And Outcome Measures: Analysis of cross-sectional data from 3880 cohort members from the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (2006-2008) aged 51-81 years.

Incidence of functional bi-temporal connections in the human brain in vivo and their relevance to epilepsy surgery.

The incidence of functional connections between human temporal lobes and their latencies were investigated using intracranial EEG responses to electrical stimulation with 1 msec single pulses in 91 patients assessed for surgery for treatment of epilepsy. The areas studied were amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, inferior and mid temporal gyrus. Furthermore, we assessed whether the presence of such connections are related to seizure onset extent and postsurgical seizure control.

Lower morning to evening cortisol ratio is associated with cognitive impairment in men but not women: An analysis of 733 older subjects of the cross-sectional KORA-Age study.

Background: A dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA) is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment. Surprisingly, little agreement exists on the association of cortisol and cognitive impairment. Thus, we sought to examine the association between cognitive function and salivary cortisol levels in a representative sample of older men and women.

Prevalence of use and level of awareness of CAM in older people - results from the KORA-Age study.

Background: Despite the growing proportion of older adults in Europe there is only limited knowledge of CAM use among the elderly. This analysis aims to provide estimates for the prevalence of CAM use in persons with an age of ≥65, and to investigate correlations of CAM use with demographic characteristics.

Methods: Based on participants of the MONICA/KORA studies S1-S4 who were born before 1944, a random sample of 1,079 was selected for comprehensive medical examinations.

Local leadership and the Affordable Care Act.

Local health departments are in key positions to lead in the education and implementation efforts to advance the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The first enrollment period is over, but the efforts to enroll the uninsured and advocate for expansion of Medicaid in the states that have not yet taken on this expansion will continue for years to come. Political climates may be unsupportive, but some actions may still be possible.

Mind over hormones: sex differences in associations of well-being with IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and physical activity in the KORA-Age study.

Objectives: A ssociations between well-being, serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), and its primary binding protein IGFBP-3, were examined in an epidemiologic study. The influence of physical activity on the effect of hormones on well-being was considered.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from participants of the KORA-Age study (n=985, age 64-93) was analyzed in sex-specific multivariable regressions of well-being (World Health Organization (WHO) -5) or ill-being (geriatric depression scale (GDS) -15).