Odor Discrimination by Lipid Membranes.

Odor detection and discrimination in mammals is known to be initiated by membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The role that the lipid membrane may play in odor discrimination, however, is less well understood. Here, we used model membrane systems to test the hypothesis that phospholipid bilayer membranes may be capable of odor discrimination.

Modulating the Excitability of Olfactory Output Neurons Affects Whole-Body Metabolism.

Metabolic state can alter olfactory sensitivity, but it is unknown whether the activity of the olfactory bulb (OB) may fine tune metabolic homeostasis. Our objective was to use CRISPR gene editing in male and female mice to enhance the excitability of mitral/tufted projection neurons (M/TCs) of the OB to test for improved metabolic health. slice recordings of MCs in CRISPR mice confirmed increased excitability due the targeted loss of Kv1.

Aptamer Functionalized Lipid Multilayer Gratings for Label-Free Analyte Detection.

Lipid multilayer gratings are promising optical biosensor elements that are capable of transducing analyte binding events into changes in an optical signal. Unlike solid state transducers, reagents related to molecular recognition and signal amplification can be incorporated into the lipid grating ink volume prior to fabrication. Here we describe a strategy for functionalizing lipid multilayer gratings with a DNA aptamer for the protein thrombin that allows label-free analyte detection.

The development of a cognitive rehabilitation task for mice.

Obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and injury can all lead to cognitive deficits, which can be improved clinically with the implementation of cognitive rehabilitation. Due to a lack of effective cognitive rehabilitation tools in mice, we re-designed a cognitive task utilized to detect problem-solving deficits, to develop a cognitive rehabilitation paradigm for mice. In this study, we developed a modified the Puzzle Box task by exposing B6 mice to a variety of obstacles and assessing the escape latencies.

Treating the untreatable? The biopsychosocial treatment of delusional disorder: a case study.

Objective: Delusional disorder (DD) is well recognised, but its treatment is controversial. This article presents a case study that highlights the therapeutic benefits associated with assertive biopsychosocial treatment of DD.

Method: The literature on pharmacological and psychological treatments for DD is briefly reviewed, and a case example from the Queensland Fixated Threat Assessment Centre is given to illustrate a comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment framework.