Lactose drives Enterococcus expansion to promote graft-versus-host disease.

Disruption of intestinal microbial communities appears to underlie many human illnesses, but the mechanisms that promote this dysbiosis and its adverse consequences are poorly understood. In patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), we describe a high incidence of enterococcal expansion, which was associated with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and mortality. We found that Enterococcus also expands in the mouse gastrointestinal tract after allo-HCT and exacerbates disease severity in gnotobiotic models. Enterococcus growth is dependent on the disaccharide lactose, and dietary lactose depletion attenuates Enterococcus outgrowth and reduces the severity of GVHD in mice. Allo-HCT patients carrying lactose-nonabsorber genotypes showed compromised clearance of postantibiotic Enterococcus domination. We report lactose as a common nutrient that drives expansion of a commensal bacterium that exacerbates an intestinal and systemic inflammatory disease.

Cobalt-containing bioactive glasses reduce human mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenic differentiation despite HIF-1α stabilisation.

Bioactive glasses (BGs) are excellent delivery systems for the sustained release of therapeutic ions and have been extensively studied in the context of bone tissue engineering. More recently, due to their osteogenic properties and expanding application to soft tissue repair, BGs have been proposed as promising materials for use at the osteochondral interface. Since hypoxia plays a critical role during cartilage formation, we sought to investigate the influence of BGs releasing the hypoxia-mimicking agent cobalt (CoBGs) on human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) chondrogenesis, as a novel approach that may guide future osteochondral scaffold design. The CoBG dissolution products significantly increased the level of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in hMSCs in a cobalt dose-dependent manner. Continued exposure to the cobalt-containing BG extracts significantly reduced hMSC proliferation and metabolic activity, as well as chondrogenic differentiation. Overall, this study demonstrates that prolonged exposure to cobalt warrants careful consideration for cartilage repair applications.

Adaptive color segmentation-a comparison of neural and statistical methods.

With the availability of more powerful computers it is nowadays possible to perform pixel based operations on real camera images even in the full color space. New adaptive classification tools like neural networks make it possible to develop special-purpose object detectors that can segment arbitrary objects in real images with a complex distribution in the feature space after training with one or several previously labeled image(s). The paper focuses on a detailed comparison of a neural approach based on local linear maps (LLMs) to a classifier based on normal distributions. The proposed adaptive segmentation method uses local color information to estimate the membership probability in the object, respectively, background class. The method is applied to the recognition and localization of human hands in color camera images of complex laboratory scenes.

Learning and generalization in cascade network architectures.

Incrementally constructed cascade architectures are a promising alternative to networks of predefined size. This paper compares the direct cascade architecture (DCA) proposed in Littmann and Ritter (1992) to the cascade-correlation approach of Fahlman and Lebiere (1990) and to related approaches and discusses the properties on the basis of various benchmark results. One important virtue of DCA is that it allows the cascading of entire subnetworks, even if these admit no error-backpropagation. Exploiting this flexibility and using LLM networks as cascaded elements, we show that the performance of the resulting network cascades can be greatly enhanced compared to the performance of a single network. Our results for the Mackey-Glass time series prediction task indicate that such deeply cascaded network architectures achieve good generalization even on small data sets, when shallow, broad architectures of comparable size suffer from overfitting. We conclude that the DCA approach offers a powerful and flexible alternative to existing schemes such as, e.g., the mixtures of experts approach, for the construction of modular systems from a wide range of subnetwork types.

[Self evaluation questionnaires for clinical psychodiagnosis in school-age children]. / Selbstbeurteilungsfragebögen für die klinische Psychodiagnostik im (Schul-) Kindesalter.

A survey of the literature is given on methodological problems associated with, and results of, the clinical diagnosis of personality in school age with questionnaires for self-evaluation. Further is given an outline of a number of major personality inventories used in (german) practice. Finally are presented the results of validation and standardisation gained with two children's inventories (PF/SF) for the multidimensional registration of psychic and social features of behaviorally disturbed children.

[Abnormal psychosocial development and legal responsibility--results of psychopathometric studies]. / Psychosoziale Fehlentwicklung und strafrechtliche Verantwortlichkeit--Ergebnisse psychopathometrischer Untersuchungen.

The introduction (1968) of the legal concept of Grave Abnormal Development of the Personality Amounting to a Disorder into the penal code, made possible criminal deculpation on the basis of psychosocial maldevelopment. On the basis of an intelligence- and personality-diagnostic test-battery (Psychopathometry), the findings obtained in the examination of a sample of culprits on probation under this legal provision, has been compared with a control group homogeneous in respect of the significant parameters. Psychopathometric methods can and should reasonably supplement expertises of this culprits with defective psychosocial development.

['Commitment-adequate' personality diagnosis using the Seitz (revised) Personality Questionnaire for Prisoners within the scope of forensic-psychologic-psychiatric expert assessment]. / 'Inhaftierungsadäquate' Persönlichkeitsdiagnostik mit dem (revidierten) PFI von Seitz im Rahmen forensisch-psychologisch-psychiatrischer Begutachtungen.

In this contribution, the necessity and expediency, but also the limits of the application of psychodiagnostic methods within the scope of forensic-psychological-psychiatric expertises are discussed. A survey is given on results of statistical analysis, revision and validation gained with a personality questionnaire relevant to prison situation (PFI acc. Seitz, 1983).

[Forensic-psychologic-psychiatric assessment from the viewpoint of perpetrators--data from a survey]. / Die forensisch-psychologisch-psychiatrische Begutachtung im Erleben zu Begutachtender--Daten einer Befragung.

In this contribution, various aspects of the expert/culprit-relationship and of the communication behavior styles between the included persons within the scope of forensic-psychological-psychiatric expertise, are discussed. A survey is given on results gained with a questionnaire study (n = 93 culprits; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Charité Berlin) of the most important expectations, of the social-relevant attitudes towards the assessment and physicians before the forensic investigation as well as of the experiences of own feelings, stress and of the culprit's reflections on the physician/proband relationship after the assessment. A good partnership relation between experts and culprits presupposes that the expert not only possesses a high profession but also the necessary interpersonal-social competence.

[Results of psychodiagnostic examinations in forensic-psychologically and psychiatrically evaluated criminals]. / Ergebnisse psychodiagnostischer Untersuchungen bei-forensisch-psychologisch und -psychiatrisch begutachteten Straftätern.

In this contribution, the necessity and expediency, but also the limits of the application of psychodiagnostic methods within the scope of forensic-psychological-psychiatric expertises are briefly discussed. On the basis of an intelligence and personality-diagnostic routine programme (RAVEN-PM, MWT-B; FPI, PpKV and Giessen test), the findings obtained in the examination of about 600 culprits who had been subjected to an expertise are presented. Test-psychological examination methods can and should reasonably supplement expertises in foro, but they will only gain their informative value and importance from the connection with the anamnesis, the content of the records, the exploration of the personality, of deed and deed experience of the person on whom expert opinion was given and the large range of neuropsychiatric diagnostic methods.

[Experiences and investigations with a Polish abbreviated form of the MMPI (DKO 74)]. / Uber einige Erfahrungen und Untersuchungen mit einer polnischen Kurzform des MMPI (DKO/74).

Starting from a description of the advantages and weaknesses of the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) test, the authors discuss the development, standardization, and normalization of an abbreviated form (DKO/74) which is used in Poland. Results of investigations made to determine the suitability of the method for establishing diagnoses, which included comparative examinations of various groups of Polish and G.D.R. patients (schizophrenics, neurotics, alcoholics, oncological subjects, and criminal offenders) as well as studies into factorial validity, are presented and show the test to be a suitable instrument for clinical and psychodiagnostic examinations.

[Relationship between (perceived) maternal rearing behavior and personality characteristics of behaviorally disturbed children and juveniles]. / Zusammenhänge zwischen (perzipiertem) mütterlichem Erziehungsverhalten und Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen verhaltensgestörter Kinder und Jugendlicher.

A survey of the literature on methodological problems associated with, and results of, the diagnosis of parental educational attitudes and practices as viewed and experienced especially by those receiving education is followed by a report on an investigation of the maternal educational behavior perceived by behaviorally disturbed children and juveniles of male sex. Correlative results obtained from the evaluation of questionnaires confirm the interrelation of disturbed (maternal) emotional relations to children and abnormal behavior shown by children. The inclusion in the diagnostic practice of reports given by those receiving education on the educational behavior shown by parents or other persons in whom the right of education is vested is considered to be a necessary and useful supplementary method.

[Usefulness of shortened questionnaires for detection of accentuated personalities]. / Zur Brauchbarkeit der Kurzform eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung akzentuierter Persönlichkeiten

A survey is given of literature on the experience gained with the shortened questionnaire developed by Schmieschek for the registration of accentuated features of the personality acc. to Leonhard, information is given on the results of statistical tests of this procedure leading to a decrease in the numberof items. Factorial analysis confirmed the homogeneity of some hypothetic scales of features along the lines of factorial validity, but the homogeneity of others appeared questionable. The shortened questionnaire therefore would not, at first sight, seem to be a reliable and valid measuring instrument for diagnosis in an individual case. Reference is made to further implications of possible diagnosis of accentuated features by means of questionnaires.

[Psychodiagnostic methods in neuropsychiatry and psychotherapy]. / Psychodiagnostische Methoden in der Neuropsychiatrie und Psychotherapie

After a previous article had dealt with the general problems of psychodiagnostic procedures, this paper provides a critical presentation of different psychological test methods, classified according to groups of methods. The authors described some tests often applied in practical clinical diagnostics for the evaluation of development, intelligence and capacity, methods for measurement of special abilities and efforts, questionnaires and scales for self-evaluation, as well as developmental tests. Their diagnostic value and limits are emphasized; methods are dealt with in detail which have been designed or adapted in the G.D.R. or have recently been standardized.

[Psychodiagnosis of brain damage and brain damage sequelae in adults]. / Zur Psychodiagnostik von Hirnschäden und Hirnschadensfolgen im Erwachsenenalter

The author examines methodical problems of construction and validation, and the local value of psychological methods within the framework of neuropsychological diagnostics. He bases this examination on a characterization of the wide field of problems of psychological diagnostics when proving, bjectivizing, quantifying and describing psychic consequences of cerebro-organic conditioned functional lesions and their differential diagnostic delimitation with regard to other symptom images. He goes on to describe diagnostic aims, statement possibilities and the limitations of psychopathometric and psychopathognostic testing devices. Finally, more from pragmatic than from strictly theoretical aspects of neuropsychology, he gives an outline of a number of major psychodiagnostic processes commonly used in practice with a view to objecting and quantifying forms of performance and behavior resulting from cerebro-organic alterations, i.e. processes which definately occupy an equal place in the arsenal of methods employed by the neuropsychiatrist.

[On the problem of psychodiagnosis in psychiatry and psychotherapy]. / Zur Problematik der Psychodiagnostik in der Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie

Owing to the changed concept of psychiatry and psychotherapy, greater demands are also being made on psychodiagnostics. The article deals with the prerequisites, possible significance and application of the clinical methods and psychological tests, describes the problems of standardization and quality testing and discusses indications and problems of the different groups of methods. The demands of the clinician addressed to test designers are dealt with, as well as the question of which group of methods should be used and by whom.