The present invention provides a marker set for evaluating the development of an infant's communication ability. The marker set is composed of the following fatty acids: C18:3n6, C18:2n6t, C20:3n3, C18:3n3, C18:2n6c, C20:4n6, C20:3n6, C22:6n3, and C20:5n3. The present invention further provides a method for evaluating the development of an infant's communication ability using the marker set. The present invention achieves the evaluation on the development of an infant's communication ability by extracting and detecting the contents of particular fatty acids in a breast milk or dairy product sample fed to an infant, and the development level of the infant among the peers can be inferred based on the evaluation result, so as to give suggestions relevant to diet and nutrition for the mother timely. The method is low in cost, simple and effective, and suitable for large-scale evaluation.

5-D-fructose dehydrogenase, optionally in combination with invertase and/or maltase and/or glucose isomerase, may be used to treat fructose intolerance. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

In certain embodiments, the invention stems from the discovery that analysis of population distribution curves of metabolite levels in blood can be used to facilitate predicting risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or to differentiate between ASD and non-ASD developmental delay (DD) in a subject. In certain aspects, information from assessment of the presence, absence, and/or direction (upper or lower) of a tail effect in a metabolite distribution curve is utilized to predict risk of ASD and/or to differentiate between ASD and DD.

A method, system, and computer program product for producing an organism specific diagnosis of septicemia in infants is disclosed. The method involves measuring the levels of one or more biomarkers against predefined threshold values and interpreting these levels to arrive at the diagnosis. Other techniques may introduce a preliminary step of identifying higher risk subjects, as well as the integration of such methods into the final diagnostic methodology. One aspect of a technique of this method may involve measuring one more cytokines to detect specific classes of infective organisms, such as Gram-negative bacteria.

Kits for stratifying a subject having or at risk for developing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) into diagnostically or clinically useful subclasses are provided. The stratification is based on the subject's Gi protein serine phosphorylation profile and/or the degree of imbalance in G-protein coupled receptor responses to Gi and Gs protein stimulation. In some embodiments, the methods involve detecting or determining the level of serine phosphorylated Gi1 and/or Gi3 proteins in the cell sample, and/or determining a ratio between the response to Gi protein stimulation and the response to Gs protein stimulation from a biological sample from the subject. Kits for predicting the risk of an AIS subject for developing a severe scoliosis, for predicting the subject's responsiveness to bracing treatment, and for identifying therapeutically useful compounds are also provided.

The present invention includes methods for the detection of neurotransmission or developmental disorders, including, but not limited to, myasthenia gravis that is seronegative for autoantibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and/or muscle specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK), the method including detecting autoantibodies that bind to LRP4, or an epitope thereof. Also included are methods for the treatment of an individual suffering from a neurotransmission disorder, the method including detecting in a bodily fluid of the individual autoantibodies that bind to LRP4, or an epitope thereof, and administering to the patient an effective amount an immunosuppressant and/or another appropriate therapeutic modality. Also included are antibodies that bind to autoantibodies to LRP4 and kits for the detection of neurotransmission or developmental disorders.

In certain embodiments, the invention stems from the discovery that analysis of population distribution curves of metabolite levels in blood can be used to facilitate predicting risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or to differentiate between ASD and non-ASD developmental delay (DD) in a subject. In certain aspects, information from assessment of the presence, absence, and/or direction (upper or lower) of a tail effect in a metabolite distribution curve is utilized to predict risk of ASD and/or to differentiate between ASD and DD.

Disclosed herein are protocols, isolation means, and compositions of matter useful for identifying mesenchymal stem cells possessing enhanced clinical activity in treatment of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Additionally, markers associated with said enhanced mesenchymal stem cell activity against autoimmunity can be utilized to identify donors whose mesenchymal stem cells possess superior efficacy compared to mesenchymal stem cells from donors who lack said markers associated with said enhanced efficacy in treatment of autoimmunity, such as RA.

The present invention provides a method for the diagnosis of disorders caused by foetal alcohol syndrome, said method comprising the assaying of PLGF (placental growth factor).

The present invention relates to a method for assessing the infection status of a subject and in particular to a method for assessing the infection status of a subject by analysing the cellular and/or humoral composition of breastmilk from said subject. The invention has been developed primarily for use as a method for detecting infection in a breastfeeding mother and/or infant.