Occurrence and determinants of parental psychosocial stress and mental health disorders in parents and their children in early childhood: rationale, objectives, and design of the population-based SKKIPPI cohort study

Purpose: The postnatal period is a vulnerable time for parents and children but epidemiological and health care utilisation data for Germany on parental mental health during early childhood is scarce. This protocol describes the rationale, aim and study design of a population-based cohort study to assess the occurrence and determinants of psychosocial stress and mental health disorders, as well as the use and cost of health care and social services in early childhood. Methods: As part of the collaborative SKKIPPI project, we will contact a random sample of 30,000 infants listed in the residents’ registration offices of three German towns and we expect to include 6,000 mother–child pairs. Both parents are invited to fill out an online screening questionnaire. Mothers with indications of psychosocial stress will be interviewed to assess mental health disorders, regulatory problems of their children, as well as health care and social services utilisation, with a follow-up assessment after 6 months. Results: After description of sociodemographic and health data, we will analyse occurrences, patterns, and potential determinants (maternal age, social status, household factors, migration status etc.) of psychosocial stress and mental health disorders in the mothers and their children in early childhood. Conclusions: Our study will identify potential risk and protective factors for postnatal mental health and health care utilization of psychosocially burdened families. This will help to improve prevention and treatment strategies to strengthen the parent–child relationship, to reduce persisting vulnerability of children, and to improve health care and social services. Trial registration: The study has been registered in the German Clinical Trial Registry on February 8th 2019 (DRKS-ID: DRKS00016653)

Measurements of the Ratios B(Ds+→ηℓ+ν)/B(Ds+→ϕℓ+ν){\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta\ell^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi\ell^+\nu) and B(Ds+→η′ℓ+ν)/B(Ds+→ϕℓ+ν){\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta'\ell^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi\ell^+\nu)

Using the CLEO~II detector we measure ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu) =1.24\pm0.12\pm0.15$, ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta' e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu) =0.43\pm0.11\pm0.07$ and ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta' e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta e^+\nu) =0.35\pm0.09\pm0.07$. We find the vector to pseudoscalar ratio, ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to (\eta+\eta') e^+\nu) =0.60\pm0.06\pm0.06$, which is similar to the ratio found in non strange $D$ decays.Comment: 11 page uuencoded postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Fire emissions from C-3 and C-4 vegetation and their influence on interannual variability of atmospheric CO2 and delta (CO2) - C- 13

Measurements of atmospheric trace gases provide evidence that fire emissions increased during the 1997/1998 El Niño event and these emissions contributed substantially to global C

First Observation of Inclusive BB Decays to the Charmed Strange Baryons Ξc0\Xi_{c}^{0} and Ξc+\Xi_{c}^{+}

Using data collected in the region of the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the CLEO II detector operating at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring CESR, we present the first observation of B mesons decaying into the charmed strange baryons Xi_c0 and Xi_c+. We find 79 +/- 27 Xi_c0 and 125 +/- 28 Xi_c+ candidates from B decays, leading to product branching fractions of BR(Bbar -> Xi_c0 X)BR(Xi_c0 -> Xi- pi+) = (0.144 +/- 0.048 +/- 0.021) x 10^-3 and BR(Bbar -> Xi_c+ X)BR(Xi_c+ -> Xi- pi+ pi+) = (0.453 +/- 0.096 +0.085-0.065) x 10^-3.Comment: 11 pages, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Measurement of the B -> D^* l nu Branching Fractions and |Vcb|

We study the exclusive semileptonic B meson decays B- -> D*0 l- nu and B0 -> D*+ l- nu using data collected with the CLEO II detector at CESR. We present measurements of the branching fractions B(B0 -> D*+ l-nu) = 0.5/f00* [4.49+/-0.32+/-0.39]% and B(B- -> D*0 l-nu) = 0.5/f+-*[5.13+/-0.54+/-0.64]%, where f00 and f+- are the neutral and charged B meson production fractions at the Upsilon(4s) resonance. Assuming isospion invariance and taking the charged to neutral B meson lifetimes measured at higher energy machines, we determine the ratio f+-/f00=1.04+/-0.14+/-0.13+-/-0.10; further assuming f+- + f00 = 1 we also determine the partial width G(B->D* l nu) = 29.9+/-1.9+/-2.7+/-2.0 ns-1 (independent of f+-/f00). From this partial width we calculate B -> D* l nu branching fractions that do not depend on f+-/f00, nor the individual B lifetimes, but only on the charged to neutral lifetime ratio. The product of the CKM matrix element |Vcb| times the normalization of the decay form factor at the point of zero recoil of the D* meson, F(y=1), is determined from a linear fit to the combined differential decay rate of the exclusive B->D* l nu decays: |Vcb|F(y) = 0.0351 +/- 0.0019 +/- 0.0018 +/- 0.0008. Using theoretical calculations of the form factor normalization we extract a value for |Vcb|. LATEX (REVTEX style) file with uuencoded figures attached (uses PSBOX). Available on WWW http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/Comment: 42 pages,CLNS 94/1285, CLEO 94-2

Studies of the Cabbibo-Suppressed Decays D+→π0ℓ+νD^+ \to \pi^0 \ell^+ \nu and D+→ηe+νeD^+ \to \eta e^+ \nu_e

Using 4.8 fb$^{-1}$ of data taken with the CLEO II detector, the branching fraction for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay $D^+\to\pi^0\ell^+\nu$ measured relative to the Cabibbo favored decay $D^+\to\bar{K^0}\ell^+\nu$ is found to be $0.046\pm 0.014\pm 0.017$. Using $V_{cs}$ and $V_{cd}$ from unitarity constraints, we determine $| f_+^{\pi}(0)/f_+^K(0)|^2=0.9\pm 0.3\pm 0.3$ We also present a 90% confidence level upper limit for the branching ratio of the decay $D^+ \to \eta e^+\nu_e$ relative to that for $D^+ \to \pi^0 e^+\nu_e$ of 1.5.Comment: 10 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Influence of Snowmelt Timing on the Diet Quality of Pyrenean Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta pyrenaica): Implications for Reproductive Success

The Pyrenean rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta pyrenaica) is the southernmost subspecies of the species in Europe and is considered threatened as a consequence of changes in landscape, human pressure, climate change, and low genetic diversity. Previous studies have shown a relationship between the date of snowmelt and reproductive success in the Pyrenean ptarmigan. It is well established that birds laying early in the breeding season have higher reproductive success, but the specific mechanism for this relationship is debated. We present an explicative model of the relationship between snowmelt date and breeding success mediated by food quality for grouse in alpine environments. From microhistological analyses of 121 faecal samples collected during three years in the Canigou Massif (Eastern Pyrenees), and the assessment of the chemical composition of the main dietary components, we estimated the potential quality of individual diets. Potential dietary quality was correlated with free-urate faecal N, a proxy of the digestible protein content ingested by ptarmigan, and both were correlated with phenological stage of consumed plants, which in turn depends on snowmelt date. Our findings suggest that the average snowmelt date is subject to a strong interannual variability influencing laying date. In years of early snowmelt, hens benefit from a longer period of high quality food resources potentially leading to a higher breeding success. On the contrary, in years of late snowmelt, hens begin their breeding period in poorer nutrient condition because the peaks of protein content of their main food items are delayed with respect to laying date, hence reducing breeding performance. We discuss the possible mismatch between breeding and snowmelt timing

Entwicklung des auditiven Diskriminationsvermögens und der Nachsingefähigkeit von Grundschülern nach Abschluss einer gesangspädagogischen Intervention

Hintergrund: In Voruntersuchungen konnten wir zeigen, dass ein gesangspädagogisches Training im Musikunterricht während der 3. Klasse zu Verbesserungen der auditiven Diskrimination und der Nachsingefähigkeit führt. Nunmehr sollte untersucht werden, ob diese Effekte ein Jahr nach Abschluss der Intervention bestehen bleiben und inwieweit ein verbessertes Diskriminationsvermögen und eine verbesserte Intonationsfähigkeit beim Nachsingen sich bedingen.Material und Methoden: An einer Stichprobe aus 161 Drittklässlern wurde unter Berücksichtigung der individuellen Hörschwelle das auditive Diskriminationsvermögen in Bezug auf Lautstärke und Frequenz sowie die Nachsingefähigkeit bestimmt. Der Interventionsgruppe wurden 85 Kinder, der Kontrollgruppe 77 Kinder zugeordnet.Die auditiven Stimuli wurden mittels MatLab an einem PC generiert und mittels Kopfhörer dargeboten. Der Proband übermittelte seine Antwort über eine Tastbox. Die Nachsingefähigkeit wurde mittels Reproduktion technisch vorgespielter auf- und absteigender Dreiklänge in unterschiedlicher Stimmlage mit Aufzeichnung durch ein selbstkalibrierendes Mikrophon und akustischer Analyse (DiVAS) ermittelt.Die Testungen erfolgten nach der Intervention, d.h. am Ende des 3. Schuljahres (Dauer ein Schuljahr à 45 min je Schulwoche) sowie etwa 1 Jahr nach Abschluss der Intervention.Ergebnisse: Die signifikante Verbesserung des Frequenzdiskriminationsvermögens der Interventionsgruppe unmittelbar nach der Intervention konnte im postinterventionellen Zeitraum nicht weiter nachgewiesen werden. Zur Abschlussuntersuchung wiesen beide Gruppen ein gleiches, altersgerechtes Frequenzdiskriminationsvermögen von durchschnittlich 18 Hz auf. Bei der Nachsingefähigkeit konnten ein Jahr nach der Intervention zwischen den Gruppen keine signifikanten Unterschiede festgestellt werden.Ein Zusammenhang zwischen verbessertem auditiven Diskriminationsvermögen und der Nachsingefähigkeit bestand unmittelbar nach der Intervention bei Mädchen der Interventionsgruppe für a' (p=0,004) und f'' (p=0,023). Für Jungen zeigte sich kein signifikanter Zusammenhang.Fazit: Ein über die zu erwartende altersabhängige Entwicklung hinaus wirkender Effekt zur Verbesserung des auditiven Diskriminationsvermögens bedarf eines ständigen Trainings, den das niederschwellige Angebot der gesangspädagogischen Musikstunde nur während der 3. Klasse nicht erreicht. Es bleibt jedoch offen, inwieweit eine intensivere musikalische Beeinflussung das auditive Diskriminationsvermögen und die Intonationsgenauigkeit verbessert

Potential efficacy of parent-infant psychotherapy with mothers and their infants from a high-risk population: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Background!#!Psychotherapy of mother-child dyads is an intervention which was developed to prevent maltreatment and negative children's development. There is a lack of good-quality research investigating psychotherapeutic interventions and social care for mothers at high-risk living in Mother-Child Facilities in Germany. The present randomized controlled pilot trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the need for parent-infant psychotherapy (PIP) and to explore its impact on the mother-infant relationship. Primary feasibility objectives were recruitment and attrition, with potential efficacy defined as the secondary feasibility objective.!##!Methods!#!This pilot RCT focused on (young) mothers with cumulative risk factors and their infants under 7 months of age living in Mother-Child Facilities. N=32 mother-child dyads were randomly allocated to PIP or Care as usual (CAU). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of intervention. The primary potential efficacy outcome was maternal sensitivity. Secondary outcomes were maternal mental health problems, reflective functioning, parenting stress, personality organization, infant's development, and attachment.!##!Results!#!At baseline, all mothers showed low levels of emotional availability, but results revealed improvements in sensitivity, mental health problems, stress, and depressive symptomatology favoring PIP after 6 months. Positive developments in maternal sensitivity, a healthy aspect of mother-child interaction, were only found in the PIP group. Overall attrition was high at 6 months. Some evidence of fewer depressive symptoms and lower maternal distress after 6 months of PIP-intervention exists that did not reach significance.!##!Conclusion!#!Findings revealed improvements in the mother's well-being for both groups, but PIP had a higher impact on the mother-child dyad. In sum, there is some evidence that PIP may represent an effective intervention offer besides the social and pedagogical support in these facilities, but further research is demanded.!##!Trial registration!#!DRKS00022485 (retrospectively registered)