Synthetic molecular evolution of antimicrobial peptides.

As we learn more about how peptide structure and activity are related, we anticipate that antimicrobial peptides will be engineered to have strong potency and distinct functions and that synthetic peptides will have new biomedical applications, such as treatments for emerging infectious diseases. As a result of the enormous number of possible amino acid sequences and the low-throughput nature of antimicrobial peptide assays, computational tools for peptide design and optimization are needed for direct experimentation toward obtaining functional sequences. Recent developments in computational tools have improved peptide design, saving labor, reagents, costs, and time.

Predicting Membrane-Active Peptide Dynamics in Fluidic Lipid Membranes.

Understanding the interactions between peptides and lipid membranes could not only accelerate the development of antimicrobial peptides as treatments for infections but also be applied to finding targeted therapies for cancer and other diseases. However, designing biophysical experiments to study molecular interactions between flexible peptides and fluidic lipid membranes has been an ongoing challenge. Recently, with hardware advances, algorithm improvements, and more accurate parameterizations (i.

Autism spectrum disorder: An examination of sex differences in neuropsychological and self-report measures of executive and non-executive cognitive function.

Research comparing females and males with a diagnosis of autism suggests that there are sex differences in some characteristics such as behaviour regulation. One area not studied in detail is whether females and males with autism perform differently in tests of cognitive ability. The results of previous research are quite mixed.

Validation of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The purpose of the study was to examine the internal consistency and validity of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and without intellectual disability (IQ >= 70). Participants (NN = 123) were consecutively recruited from the Brain and Mind Centre in New South Wales, Australia. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha.

Machine Learning for Differential Diagnosis Between Clinical Conditions With Social Difficulty: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Early Psychosis, and Social Anxiety Disorder.

Differential diagnosis in adult cohorts with social difficulty is confounded by comorbid mental health conditions, common etiologies, and shared phenotypes. Identifying shared and discriminating profiles can facilitate intervention and remediation strategies. The objective of the study was to identify salient features of a composite test battery of cognitive and mood measures using a machine learning paradigm in clinical cohorts with social interaction difficulties.

Distress, quality of life and disability in treatment-seeking young adults with social anxiety disorder.

Aim: This study aimed to: (a) examine whether treatment-seeking young adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD) demonstrate similar degrees of distress, quality of life (QoL) and disability to those with other mental disorders; and (b) investigate the impact of comorbidity, specific comorbid conditions and antidepressants use on distress, QoL and disability in treatment-seeking young adults with SAD.

Methods: A cohort of treatment-seeking young adults (aged 16-45) diagnosed with SAD (N = 298) or other mental health disorders (N = 842; including depression, N = 349; bipolar, N = 141; psychosis, N = 173) completed self-report assessments of distress, QoL and disability.

Results: Young adults with SAD showed distress and disability of similar degree to those with most other mental disorders.

Self-reported empathy in adults with autism, early psychosis, and social anxiety disorder.

The Empathy Quotient (EQ) self-report questionnaire is used to measure empathy in individuals with clinical conditions that have been associated with social impairments. In this study, older teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 60), early psychosis (EP; N = 51) and social anxiety disorder (SAD; N = 71) and neurotypical controls (NT; N = 26) were compared on the cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity and social skills sub-scales of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) measure. All three clinical groups reported lower cognitive empathy than NT controls, and the ASD group reported lower cognitive empathy than EP and SAD groups.

Validation of the 36-item and 12-item self-report World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS-II) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS-II) is one of the most widely used generic assessments for measuring disability levels in both clinical and nonclinical populations, with sound psychometrics that is also aligned with the International Classification of Functioning framework. However, its psychometric properties have not been explored extensively in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the psychometric properties of the 36-item and 12-item Self-Report WHODAS-II from 109 individuals diagnosed with ASD and without intellectual disability (IQ ≥ 70).

Validation of the social functioning scale: Comparison and evaluation in early psychosis, autism spectrum disorder and social anxiety disorder.

Social functioning is an important component of mental disorders for assessment and treatment. There is no recognised self-report instrument to measure social functioning across disorders where social impairment is significant. The Social Functioning Scale (SFS) has, however, been used to assess social functioning in psychotic disorders, including Schizophrenia and Early Psychosis.

Disability, functioning, and quality of life among treatment-seeking young autistic adults and its relation to depression, anxiety, and stress.

In this study, we consecutively recruited treatment-seeking young autistic adults without intellectual impairment aged 16-30 years who presented to a mental health service and evaluated general health (distress, quality of life, and disability), functioning (work loss days and social functioning), and mood symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) in those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ( = 96). This group was compared to young adults presenting to the same service with primary mental health disorders (depression,  = 343; bipolar,  = 132; psychosis,  = 166; and anxiety,  = 303). This study also investigated the influence of mood symptoms on general health and functioning in the autism spectrum disorder group.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells genetically engineered to produce vascular endothelial growth factor for revascularization in wound healing and ischemic conditions.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) may be able to improve ischemic conditions as they can actively seek out areas of low oxygen and secrete proangiogenic factors. In more severe trauma and chronic cases, however, cells alone may not be enough. Therefore, we have combined the stem cell and angiogenic factor approaches to make a more potent therapy.

Autism, Early Psychosis, and Social Anxiety Disorder: a transdiagnostic examination of executive function cognitive circuitry and contribution to disability.

The disability burden in clinical cohorts with social impairment is significant, leading to poor functional outcomes. Some of this impairment has been linked to executive dysfunction. In this study, a transdiagnostic approach was taken to identify executive function (EF) processes in young adults that may underpin social impairment and to evaluate their contribution to disability.

Preclinical evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing VEGF to treat critical limb ischemia.

Numerous clinical trials are utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat critical limb ischemia, primarily for their ability to secrete signals that promote revascularization. These cells have demonstrated clinical safety, but their efficacy has been limited, possibly because these paracrine signals are secreted at subtherapeutic levels. In these studies the combination of cell and gene therapy was evaluated by engineering MSC with a lentivirus to overexpress vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Human Myoblast and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Interactions Visualized by Videomicroscopy.

Muscle-derived progenitor cell (myoblast) therapy has promise for the treatment of denervated, weakened, and fibrotic muscle. The best methods for injecting myoblasts to promote fusion and retention have yet to be determined, however. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells have also been reported to have beneficial effects in restoring damaged tissue, through increasing vascularization and reducing inflammation.

Sexual health of Indian immigrant men in Australia: an exploratory research on help-seeking attitudes.

The help-seeking attitudes for sexual health of Indian men living in Australia was explored. Of all survey respondents (n=225), many preferred to seek help from medical doctors. Young (18-25 years) Indian men were three times more likely to prefer a specialist medical doctor than older men.

Prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms with computer based work across occupations.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and risk factors associated with computer based work between occupations in a sample of Australian public sector employees.

Method: A cross-sectional study was completed with employees of 6 government departments. An online survey was electronically distributed to over 8,000 employees characterised by a range of occupational groups and levels of employment.

Examination of mesenchymal stem cell-mediated RNAi transfer to Huntington's disease affected neuronal cells for reduction of huntingtin.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded trinucleotide (CAG) repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (Htt). This expansion creates a toxic polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein (HTT). Currently, there is no treatment for either the progression or prevention of the disease.

Characterization and in vivo testing of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to contribute to the recovery of tissues through homing to injured areas, especially to hypoxic, apoptotic, or inflamed areas and releasing factors that hasten endogenous repair. In some cases genetic engineering of the MSC is desired, since they are excellent delivery vehicles. We have derived MSCs from the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line H9 (H9-MSCs).

Melamine in infant formula sold in Canada: occurrence and risk assessment.

An analytical method incorporating simple liquid extraction followed by mixed mode cation exchange/reversed phase solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the analysis of melamine (MEL) in liquid and powdered infant formula. The method used two different MEL stable isotope labeled internal standards to monitor analyte recoveries and to account for matrix effects. The method is sensitive (limit of quantitation of 4 ng/g), accurate, and precise (during validation, recoveries corrected by internal recovery standard averaged between 92 and 104% for all fortification levels and matrices).

Cooking decreases observed perfluorinated compound concentrations in fish.

Dietary intake is a major route of exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). Although fish and seafood contribute significantly to total dietary exposure to these compounds, there is uncertainty with respect to the effect of cooking on PFC concentrations in these foods. Eighteen fish species purchased from markets in Toronto, Mississauga, and Ottawa, Canada were analyzed for perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSAs)-based fluorochemicals and perfluorinated acids (PFAs) in raw and cooked (baked, boiled, fried) samples.

In vivo biosafety model to assess the risk of adverse events from retroviral and lentiviral vectors.

Serious adverse events in some human gene therapy clinical trials have raised safety concerns when retroviral or lentiviral vectors are used for gene transfer. We evaluated the potential for generating replication-competent retrovirus (RCR) and assessed the risk of occurrence of adverse events in an in vivo system. Human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transduced with two different Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV)-based vectors were cotransplanted into a total of 481 immune-deficient mice (that are unable to reject cells that become transformed), and the animals were monitored for 18 months.

Development of lentiviral vectors with regulated respiratory epithelial expression in vivo.

Development of gene transfer vectors with regulated, lung-specific expression will be a useful tool for studying lung biology and developing gene therapies. In this study we constructed a series of lentiviral vectors with regulatory elements predicted to produce lung-specific transgene expression: the surfactant protein C promoter (SPC) for alveolar epithelial type II cell (AECII) expression, the Clara cell 10-kD protein (CC10) for Clara cell expression in the airway, and the Jaagskiete sheep retrovirus (JSRV) promoter for expression in both cell types. Transgene expression from the SPC and CC10 vectors was restricted to AECII and Clara cell lines, respectively, while expression from the JSRV vector was observed in multiple respiratory and nonrespiratory cell types.

Dietary exposure of Canadians to perfluorinated carboxylates and perfluorooctane sulfonate via consumption of meat, fish, fast foods, and food items prepared in their packaging.

Human exposure to perfluorinated compounds is a worldwide phenomenon; however, routes of human exposure to these compounds have not been well-characterized. Fifty-four solid food composite samples collected as part of the Canadian Total Diet Study (TDS) were analyzed for perfluorocarboxylates and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) using a methanol extraction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Foods analyzed included fish and seafood, meat, poultry, frozen entrées, fast food, and microwave popcorn collected from 1992 to 2004 and prepared as for consumption.