Streptobacillus canis sp. nov. isolated from a dog.

From a phlegmon in a dog an aerobic and facultatively anaerobic, indole-, oxidase- and catalase-negative, non-motile bacterium was isolated in 2019 in Germany that stained Gram-negative and showed a pleomorphic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming appearance. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, strain IHIT1603-19T was assigned to the genus Streptobacillus with sequence similarities of 98.6, 98.0, 97.9, 97.1 and 94.4 % to the type strains of Streptobacillus felis, Streptobacillus notomytis, Streptobacillus ratti, Streptobacillus moniliformis and Streptobacillus hongkongensis, respectively. Strain IHIT1603-19T could also clearly be differentiated from other Streptobacillus species by rpoB, groEL and recA gene, nucleotide and amino acid sequence analyses as well as by core genome phylogeny. Regarding DNA-DNA relatedness, strain IHIT1603-19T demonstrated an average nucleotide identity of 83.00 and 82.28 % compared to S. felis 131000547T and S. moniliformis DSM 12112T, respectively. Chemotaxonomic and physiological data of strain IHIT1603-19T were in congruence with other closely related members of the family Leptotrichiaceae, represented by highly similar enzyme profiles and fatty acid patterns. MALDI-TOF MS analysis also proved suitable in unequivocally discriminating strain IHIT1603-19T from all currently described taxa of the genus Streptobacillus. On the basis of these data, we propose the novel species Streptobacillus canis sp. nov. with the type strain IHIT1603-19T (=DSM 110501T=CCUG 74118T=CIP 111795T). The G+C content of the DNA of the type strain is 26.6 mol%, genome size is 1.60 Mbp.

[Violence in contact and custody proceedings-A case of child endangerment in the family court-Where are efficient child protection measures?] / Intrafamiliäre Gewalt im Kontakt- und Sorgerechtsverfahren ­ Ein Fall von Kindeswohlgefährdung im Familiengericht ­ Wo greifen Maßnahmen zum Kinderschutz?

Against the background of 30 years of discussion in medicine and law about unfounded accusations and the existence of reasonable suspicion of intra-family violence in contact and custody proceedings, this article emphasises the importance of focusing on child protection by all professionals.Based on a case report in connection with the Federal Ministry of Justice's handout "Dealing with violence in custody and contact proceedings", the article describes the relevance of child protection in Austrian case law and the means by which it is undermined. In the name of science, ideological diagnoses are used instead of evidence-based treatment diagnoses [1]. "Professionals from the healthcare system, youth welfare, justice and education should cooperate in child protection with the aim of recognising, identifying and ending child abuse, maltreatment and/or neglect as such (cf. § 3 KKG) [2]."In legal practice, however, practitioners in the psychosocial, psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic fields are often not recognised as witnesses because of the assumption they are influenced by parents or patients themselves. In Austria, the evaluation of evidence is the responsibility of the judge and it is often assumed that practitioners cannot take an objective position towards their patients and their relatives. Specialist medical or psychological experts are therefore of crucial importance. When taking their oath, they have committed themselves to objectivity and impartiality in the recording of findings and orientation towards scientific principles and standards ("state of the art") and their application, as well as to continuous further training and education in the preparation of expert opinions [3].The specific case in question is a child with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder following suspected sexualised violence, enuresis and enkopresis in connection with the traumatic experiences.The connection between violent situations and child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and the course of the custody and contact proceedings are described. Relevant legal interests such as the will of the child, the best interests of the child, attachment tolerance and protection against violence are addressed and put up for discussion. Topics such as domestic, psychological, sexualised, institutional violence and intimate terror are presented.The case report is an example of how child psychiatrists deal with points relevant to the Federal Ministry of Justice's handbook "Dealing with violence in custody and contact proceedings", which was published in January 2024. It represents a guideline for the area of court proceedings, assessment and treatment.

[The self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in an Austrian field sample]. / Der Selbstbeurteilungsbogen des SDQ anhand einer österreichischen Feldstichprobe.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity and the reliability of the self-report version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire in an Austrian sample. METHODS: The questionnaire was given to 2529 healthy children and adolescents aged 11-18 years (mean age 12.71 +/- 1.4). Evaluation was performed according to given criteria, yielding a Total Problem Score, scores on four clinical subscales, and on one scale for pro-social behaviour. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, and a varimax rotated factorial analysis were calculated. RESULTS: Cronbach's Alpha was > 0.63 for the Total Problem Scale, the Pro-Social Behaviour Scale and Emotional Problems Subscale. Factorial analysis revealed five independent factors explaining 41.8% of the variance. The analysis revealed good item-subscale correlations, but could not replicate the original factorial structure completely. Normative data for the SDQ-Self for Austria are provided. CONCLUSION: The German self-report version of the SDQ should, at the moment, only be used with extended analysis of multi-informant information.