The prevalence of mental disorders among older people is greater than previously assumed

Previous studies have largely assumed that the prevalence of mental disorders declines with old age. The results of a new large-scale study with innovative diagnostic methods conducted in six European countries reveal that, considering the previous year retrospectively, approximately one third of the respondents in the age group between 65 and 85 had suffered from a mental disorder, and roughly one quarter were mentally ill at the time of the interviews. The results have now been published in the renowned “British Journal of Psychiatry”.   

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Biomass turnover time in ecosystems is halved by land use

In order to improve our understanding of climate change and to increase the predictability of future dynamics, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the global carbon cycle. To date, little is known about the average time carbon is stored in biomass, before it passes back into atmosphere or soils (biomass turnover time), and the factors influencing this key parameter also remain largely unknown. Now, a new publication in Nature Geoscience shows that biomass turnover time in vegetation is halved as a result of human influence.

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Pharmaceutical advertising: A combination of information & emotion produces the best results

A new study, which takes a close look at the acceptance of advertising for non-prescription medications, has recently been published as a comprehensive book publication. The investigation focused on the pharmaceutical markets in the USA, in Germany, Austria and Brazil.

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Self-aware computing systems

Knowledge about oneself and how this influences one’s behaviour are well-established concepts from the fields of psychology and cognitive science. Over the past five years, an international team of researchers has studied how these concepts can be applied to computing systems, and the results have recently been published in a book.

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