On-demand, hospital-based, severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic epidemiology to support nosocomial outbreak investigations: A prospective molecular epidemiology study.

Objectives: We evaluated the added value of infection control-guided, on demand, and locally performed severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic sequencing to support outbreak investigation and control in acute-care settings.

Design And Setting: This 18-month prospective molecular epidemiology study was conducted at a tertiary-care hospital in Montreal, Canada. When nosocomial transmission was suspected by local infection control, viral genomic sequencing was performed locally for all putative outbreak cases.

Adoption of infection prevention and control practices by healthcare workers in Québec: A qualitative study.

Objective: To describe barriers and facilitators to the adoption of recommended infection prevention and control (IPC) practices among healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods: A qualitative research design was used. Individual semistructured interviews with HCWs and observations of clinical practices were conducted from February to May 2018 in 8 care units of 2 large tertiary-care hospitals in Montreal (Québec, Canada).

A covalent inhibitor targeting an intermediate conformation of the fusogenic subunit of the HIV-1 envelope complex.

Peptide inhibitors corresponding to sequences in the six helix bundle structure of the fusogenic portion (gp41) of the HIV envelope glycoprotein have been successfully implemented in preventing HIV entry. These peptides bind to regions in HIV gp41 transiently exposed during the fusion reaction. In an effort to improve upon these entry inhibitors, we have successfully designed and tested peptide analogs composed of chemical spacers and reactive moieties positioned strategically to facilitate covalent attachment.

Synthesis and evaluation of insulin-human serum albumin conjugates.

A series of human insulin maleimido derivatives with short and long linkers was synthesized by exploiting the variations in the pK(a) values and environment of the three amino groups present in the protein. The syntheses were accomplished in organic solvent because of maleimide's instability in basic aqueous media. The derivatives thus obtained were conjugated to the free thiol on Cys34 of human serum albumin (HSA) and purified.

Characterization of an abeo-taxane: brevifoliol and derivatives.

Brevifoliol is a natural diterpene isolated from Taxus baccata Nutt. A series of brevifoliol 1 derivatives, 2-8 and 10, were prepared for characterization and semisynthesis purposes and included the introduction of acetyl, Troc, and TES groups at C-5 and C-13. Derivatives 16-20 of 5-acetylbrevifoliol 2 were obtained via esterification with cinnamic acid, with both 2S-(-)- and 2R-(+)-3-phenyllactic acid, and with N-benzoyl-(2'R,3'S)-3'-phenylisoserine at C-13.