Effectiveness of vergence/accommodative therapy for accommodative dysfunction in children with convergence insufficiency.

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of office-based vergence/accommodative therapy for improving accommodative amplitude and accommodative facility in children with symptomatic convergence insufficiency and accommodative dysfunction. METHODS: We report changes in accommodative function following therapy among participants in the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial - Attention and Reading Trial with decreased accommodative amplitude (115 participants in vergence/accommodative therapy; 65 in placebo therapy) or decreased accommodative facility (71 participants in vergence/accommodative therapy; 37 in placebo therapy) at baseline. The primary analysis compared mean change in amplitude and facility between the vergence/accommodative and placebo therapy groups using analyses of variance models after 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of treatment. The proportions of participants with normal amplitude and facility at each time point were calculated. The average rate of change in amplitude and facility from baseline to week 4, and from weeks 4 to 16, were determined in the vergence/accommodative therapy group. RESULTS: From baseline to 16 weeks, the mean improvement in amplitude was 8.6 dioptres (D) and 5.2 D in the vergence/accommodative and placebo therapy groups, respectively (mean difference = 3.5 D, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5 to 5.5 D; p = 0.01). The mean improvement in facility was 13.5 cycles per minute (cpm) and 7.6 cpm in the vergence/accommodative and placebo therapy groups, respectively (mean difference = 5.8 cpm, 95% CI: 3.8 to 7.9 cpm; p < 0.0001). Significantly greater proportions of participants treated with vergence/accommodative therapy achieved a normal amplitude (69% vs. 32%, difference = 37%, 95% CI: 22 to 51%; p < 0.0001) and facility (85% vs. 49%, difference = 36%, 95% CI: 18 to 55%; p < 0.0001) than those who received placebo therapy. In the vergence/accommodative therapy group, amplitude increased at an average rate of 1.5 D per week during the first 4 weeks (p < 0.0001), then slowed to 0.2 D per week (p = 0.002) from weeks 4 to 16. Similarly, facility increased at an average rate of 1.5 cpm per week during the first 4 weeks (p < 0.0001), then slowed to 0.6 cpm per week from weeks 4 to 16 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Office-based vergence/accommodative therapy is effective for improving accommodative function in children with symptomatic convergence insufficiency and coexisting accommodative dysfunction.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus compromises Neutrophil's functions in strain dependent manner.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection is a major problem that results in economically important diseases of the cattle industry worldwide. The two major consequences of this disease are persistent infection and immune dysfunction. A number of studies have been done to determine the underline mechanisms of BVDV-induced immune dysfunction, in particular targeting antigen-presenting cells, T- and B- cells and cytokine gene expression. However, little research has focused Eon the effect of BVDV on neutrophils. Neutrophils are one of the predominant leukocytes circulating in blood and are considered the first line of defense in the innate immune system along with macrophages. Neutrophils not only eliminate the invading bacteria but also activate innate as well as adaptive immune responses. Therefore, compromised neutrophil function would affect both arms of immune system and caused immune suppression. In the current study, we used virus strains from both BVDV-1 and BVDV-2 species. Including a highly virulent non-cytopathic type 2a BVDV (ncp BVDV2a-1373), moderately virulent non-cytopathic type 2a (ncp BVDV2a 28508-5), and a pair of non-cytopathic type 1b BVDV (ncp BVDV1b TGAN) and cytopathic type 1b BVDV (cp BVDV1b TGAC) strain isolated from a case of mucosal disease. The highly virulent ncp BVDV2a-1373 significantly increased neutrophil apoptosis. However, none of the other BVDV strains affected neutrophil viability. All BVDV strains used significantly reduced CD18 and L-selectin expression on neutrophils as well as their oxidative burst and neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) activity. Cp BVDV significantly reduced neutrophil's phagocytic activity but ncp BVDV did not have any effect on it. On the other hand, ncp BVDV significantly increased neutrophil's CD14 expression and chemotactic activity while cp BVDV did not show any effect either on neutrophil's CD14 expression or on chemotactic activity. In conclusion, BVDV affected neutrophils variability and functional activity in strain dependent manner. Results of the current study will further help in understanding the pathophysiology of different BVDV strains.

Evaluation of 2012 US EHDV-2 outbreak isolates for genetic determinants of cattle infection.

Following a summer of severe drought and abnormally high temperatures, a major outbreak of EHDV occurred during 2012 in the USA. Although EHDV-1, -2 and -6 were isolated, EHDV-2 was the predominant virus serotype detected during the outbreak. In addition to large losses of white-tailed deer, the Midwest and northern Plains saw a significant amount of clinical disease in cattle. Phylogenetic analyses and sequence comparisons of newly sequenced whole genomes of 2012 EHDV-2 cattle isolates demonstrated that eight of ten EHDV-2 genomic segments show no genetic changes that separate the cattle outbreak sequences from other EHDV-2 isolates. Two segments, VP2 and VP6, did show several unique genetic changes specific to the 2012 cattle outbreak isolates, although the impact of the genetic changes on viral fitness is unknown. The placement of isolates from 2007 and 2011 as sister group to the outbreak isolates, and the similarity between cattle and deer isolates, point to environmental variables as having a greater influence on the severity of the 2012 EHDV outbreak than viral genetic changes.

Complete genome sequence of bovine herpesvirus type 1.1 (BoHV-1.1) Los Angeles (LA) strain and its genotypic relationship to BoHV-1.1 Cooper and more recently isolated wild-type field strains.

The Cooper and Los Angeles (LA) strains were the two original respiratory strains of bovine herpesvirus type 1.1 (BoHV-1.1) isolated in the 1950s from cattle with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis. We report the complete genome sequence for the BoHV-1.1 LA strain and compare it to the prototype Cooper strain and six wild-type BoHV-1.1 isolates. A nucleotide sequence divergence of 0.74% was noted across the two complete genomes, caused by 19 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involving 12 genes and insertions/deletions that primarily affected the number of repeats within reiterated repeat regions of the genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Cooper and LA strains are genetically the most ancient strains from which all of the more-recently isolated field strains of BoHV-1.1 evolved.

Crowdfunding pharmacy- and medication-related products: How successful is it?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether crowdfunding of pharmacy-related products through popular online platforms is a viable means to attain funding and what factors influence success. METHODS: Kickstarter and Indiegogo were searched for projects related to pharmacy using select key words. Projects were included for analysis if they were a device or system relevant to pharmacy care and excluded if found to be nonrelevant to medication management purposes or were of an artistic nature. Projects were assessed for their success in reaching their primary funding goals and also whether they were still in business following completion of their crowdfunding phase. RESULTS: Subsequent to the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the dataset, 40 projects were identified, of which 13 reached their desired crowdfunding funding amounts. The most commonly created crowdfunded projects were those involving medication adherence or storage tools. Anecdotal evidence points to media attention leading to continued success beyond the initial crowdfunding phase of the business. The presence of a medical professional on the project team or the inclusion of a product demonstration did not lead to a different rate of success. CONCLUSION: The crowdfunding of pharmacy care-related products appear to have a low success rate, although Indiegogo might offer a higher success rate compared with Kickstarter in this niche product area. The products' ability to garner media attention seems to be a primary driver in the business surviving past the crowdfunding stage and becoming a lasting success.

BVDV Npro protein mediates the BVDV induced immunosuppression through interaction with cellular S100A9 protein.

The innate immune response is a vital part of the body's antiviral defense system. The innate immune response is initiated by various receptor interactions, including danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The S100A9 is a member of the DAMPs protein family and, is released by activated phagocytic cells such as neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages or endothelial cells, and S100A9 induces its effect through TLR4/MyD88 pathway. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the major devastating disease in the cattle industry worldwide. It shows its effect through immunosuppression and develops persistent infection in calves born from infected cows. The current study revealed that BVDV potentially induced immunosuppression by the interaction of BVDV Npro protein with cellular S100A9 protein. The Inhibition of S100A9 protein expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) enhanced the virus replication in infected cells. Overexpression of bovine S100A9 enhanced the ncpBVDV2a 1373 mediated Type-I interferon production. A co-immunoprecipitation experiment demonstrated a strong interaction between ncp BVDV2a 1373 Npro protein and cellular S100A9 protein. This suggested that BVDV Npro reduced the S100A9 protein availability/activity in infected cells, resulting in reduced Type-I interferon production. A further study of S100A9-BVDV interaction will be need for better understanding of BVDV pathophysiology.

A novel bovine papillomavirus type in the genus Dyokappapapillomavirus.

Papillomaviruses are a diverse group of viruses that are known to infect a wide range of animal species. Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) are divided into at least 21 genotypes (BPV1 to BPV21),  with most BPV isolates/strains described to date belonging to one of four genera, including Deltapapillomavirus, Xipapillomavirus, Epsilonpapillomavirus and Dyoxipapillomavirus. Here, we describe the identification and genetic characterization of a new BPV type in the genus Dyokappapapillomavirus. A farm in the state of New York, USA, reported chronic cases of vulvovaginitis in Holstein cows in 2016. Biopsies and/or swab samples collected from the vaginal mucosa were subjected to diagnostic investigation. Conventional diagnostic assays yielded negative results, and vaginal swab samples were subjected to viral metagenomic sequencing. Notably, BLAST searches revealed a papillomavirus genome with 7480 bp in length (67% nt sequence identity to BPV16). Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of the L1 gene of the papillomavirus identified here (tentatively named BPV22) revealed that it clusters with members of the genus Dyokappapapillomavirus. Interestingly, the recently identified BPV16, which was detected in fibropapilloma lesions in cattle also clusters within the Dyokappapapillomavirus group. Each virus, however, forms a separate branch in the phylogenetic tree. These results indicate that the putative BPV22 represents the second BPV within the genus Dyokappapapillomavirus.

Hypothermia-induced Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: A 29-year-old man was lost in the bush with minimal clothing for almost 2 days. CASE REPORT: The patient in this case developed rhabdomyolysis with subsequent acute kidney injury. He was treated with passive warming and intravenous fluids, with resolution of the kidney injury. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Patients who present with hypothermia may develop rhabdomyolysis with subsequent acute kidney injury. If not identified, renal failure may develop. This is easily preventable if the practitioner is aware of the possible consequences of cold exposure, orders the appropriate test, and administers corrective treatment.

The effect of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) strains on bovine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DC) phenotype and capacity to produce BVDV.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DC) are important antigen presentation cells that monitor, process, and present antigen to T cells. Viruses that infect DC can have a devastating impact on the immune system. In this study, the ability of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) to replicate and produce infectious virus in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DC) and monocytes was studied. The study also examined the effect of BVDV infection on Mo-DC expression of cell surface markers, including MHCI, MHCII, and CD86, which are critical for DC function in immune response. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from bovine blood through gradient centrifugation. The adherent monocytes were isolated from PBMCs and differentiated into Mo-DC using bovine recombinant interleukin-4 (IL-4) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF). To determine the effect of BVDV on Mo-DC, four strains of BVDV were used including the severe acute non-cytopathic (ncp) BVDV2a-1373; moderate acute ncp BVDV2a 28508-5; and a homologous virus pair [i.e., cytopathic (cp) BVDV1b TGAC and ncp BVDV1b TGAN]. The Cooper strain of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) was used as the control virus. Mo-DC were infected with one of the BVDV strains or BHV-1 and were subsequently examined for virus replication, virus production, and the effect on MHCI, MHCII, and CD86 expression. RESULTS: The ability of monocytes to produce infectious virus reduced as monocytes differentiated to Mo-DC, and was completely lost at 120 hours of maturation. Interestingly, viral RNA increased throughout the course of infection in Mo-DC, and the viral non-structural (NS5A) and envelope (E2) proteins were expressed. The ncp strains of BVDV down-regulated while cp strain up-regulated the expression of the MHCI, MHCII, and CD86 on Mo-DC. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the ability of Mo-DC to produce infectious virus was reduced with its differentiation from monocytes to Mo-DC. The inability to produce infectious virus may be due to a hindrance of virus packaging or release mechanisms. Additionally, the study demonstrated that ncp BVDV down-regulated and cp BVDV up-regulated the expression of Mo-DC cell surface markers MHCI, MHCII, and CD86, which are important in the mounting of immune responses.

The Detection of Vaccine Virus and Protection of a Modified Live, Intranasal, Trivalent Vaccine in Neonatal, Colostrum-Fed Calves with an Experimental Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Challenge.

The efficacy of an intranasal (IN) bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) vaccine administered in the presence of passive immunity was assessed. Pooled colostrum was administered by intubation to 50 beef-dairy crossbred calves the day they were born. The calves were transported to a research facility and were blocked by age and sex, and randomly assigned into two groups: sham-vaccinated intranasally with a placebo (sterile water) or vaccinated with a trivalent (BRSV, bovine herpesvirus 1 and bovine parainfluenza 3) modified live viral (MLV) vaccine. The calves were 9 ± 2 days old when vaccinated (day 0). The calves were challenged by aerosolized BRSV on days 80 and 81 as a respiratory challenge. The study was terminated on day 88. Lung lesion scores (LLS) were significantly lower for calves vaccinated with trivalent MLV vaccine than those for calves that were sham-vaccinated. Serum neutralization (SN) antibody against BRSV in calves vaccinated with the trivalent MLV vaccine demonstrated an anamnestic response on day 88. After challenge, the calves sham-vaccinated with the placebo lost weight, while those vaccinated with the trivalent MLV vaccine gained weight. In this study, colostrum-derived antibodies did not interfere with the immune response or protection provided by one dose of the trivalent MLV vaccine.

The impact of BVDV infection on adaptive immunity.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) causes immunosuppression of the adaptive immune response. The level of suppression of the adaptive immune response is strain dependent. The early events of antigen presentation require activation of toll-like receptors that results in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Non-cytopathic (ncp) BVDV infection stimulates cytokines from macrophages in vitro but the effect of BVDV infection in vivo on macrophages or in vitro with monocytes is not clear. Antigen presentation is decreased and co-stimulatory molecules are down regulated. T-lymphocytes numbers are reduced following BVDV infection in a strain dependent manner. There is recruitment of lymphocytes to the bronchial alveolar space following cytopathic (cp) BVDV infection. Depletion of T-lymphocytes occurs in the lymphoid tissue and is strain dependent. BVDV cp T-lymphocyte responses appear to be primarily a T helper 1 response while the response following ncp BVDV induces a T helper 2 response. Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL), an important BVDV defense mechanism are compromised. The major neutralizing antigens are well characterized but cross-protection between strains is variable. PI animals have normal adaptive immune responses with the exception of the PI strain immunotolerance and mucosal disease may be a function of the level of gamma delta T cells.

The Involvement of Neutrophil in the Immune Dysfunction Associated with BVDV Infection.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) induces immune dysfunction that often results in a secondary bacterial infection in the infected animals. The underlying mechanism of BVDV-induced immune dysfunction is not well understood. The role of BVDV-infected macrophage-secreted factors was investigated. BVDV-infected monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) supernatants down-regulated the expression of neutrophil L-selectin and CD18. Regardless of the biotype, phagocytic activity and oxidative burst were downregulated by BVDV-infected MDM supernatants. However, only supernatants from cytopathic (cp) BVDV down-regulated nitric oxide production and neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) induction. Our data suggested that BVDV-induced macrophage-secreted factors caused immune dysfunction in neutrophils. Unlike lymphocyte depletion, the negative impact on neutrophils seems to be specific to cp BVDV biotype. Interestingly the majority of modified live BVDV vaccines are based on cp strain of BVDV.

The effect of neonatal vaccination for bovine respiratory disease in the face of a dual challenge with bovine viral diarrhea virus and Mannheimia hemolytica.

Bovine respiratory disease is the greatest threat to calf health. In this study, colostrum-fed dairy X beef calves were vaccinated at ∼30 days of age with an adjuvanted parenteral vaccine containing modified live bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type 1 and type 2, bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus (PI3V) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) andM. haemolyticatoxoid (Group 1), or intranasal temperature-sensitive BHV-1, BRSV and PI3V concurrently witha parenteral vaccine containing modified live BVDV type 1 and type 2 andM. haemolyticatoxoid (Group 2) or a placebo (Group 3). The calves were challenged ∼150 days post vaccination intranasally with BVDV 1b and then 7 days later intratracheally withM. haemolytica. The calves wereeuthanized 6 days after theM. haemolyticachallenge. Clinical signs following BVDV infection were similar in all groups. There was increased rectal temperatures in the Groups 2 and 3 on day 3 and in Group 3 on days 8-13. Group 1 animals had a slight leukopenia following BVDV infection while Groups 2 and 3 had greater leukopenia. BVDV type 1 and 2 serum titers increased in Group 1 following vaccination while these titers waned in Groups 2 and 3. There were higher levels of BVDV in the buffy coats and nasal samples in Group 2 and Group 3 versus Group 1 (p < 0.01). Interferon-gamma response was higher (p < 0.01) in Group 1 animals than Groups 2 and 3. Group 1 had the lowest percent pneumonic tissue (1.6%) while Group 2 vaccinates had 3.7% and the control Group 3 was 5.3%. Vaccination in the face of maternal antibody with a parenteral adjuvanted vaccine resulted in better protection than the regimen of an intranasal vaccine anda parenteral adjuvanted BVDV andM haemolyticacombination vaccine in a BVDV-M. haemolyticadual challenge.

Immune phenotype is differentially affected by changing the type of bovine respiratory disease vaccine administered at revaccination in beef heifers.

During preconditioning, modified-live vaccines are frequently administered to beef calves before weaning. In this study, we began to characterize the immune phenotype of calves that received a modified-live vaccination at 3-4 months of age and then either received the same modified-live or an inactivated vaccine upon arrival at the feedlot (weaning) and 28 days post-arrival (booster). Innate and adaptive immune measures were assessed before revaccination and 14 and 28 days post. Heifers that received three doses of the modified-live vaccine exhibited a relatively balanced immune response based on increases in mean cytokine concentrations (IL-17, IL-21) and total immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and subsets IgG1 and IgG2, which are related to both arms of the adaptive immune system. Conversely, heifers that received one dose of modified live and two doses of the inactivated vaccine had a more robust neutrophil chemotactic response and greater serum-neutralizing antibody titers, resulting in an enhanced innate immune and a skewed proinflammatory response. These results indicate that the revaccination protocol used after initial vaccination with a modified-live vaccine differentially influences the immune phenotype of beef calves, with three doses of modified live inducing potentially immune homeostasis and a combination of modified live and inactivated vaccines inducing a skewed immune phenotype. However, more research is needed to determine the protective efficacy of these vaccination protocols against disease.

Acceptable Young Calf Vaccination Strategies-What, When, and How?

Vaccination is an important component for the prevention and control of disease in calves. Too often vaccines are viewed as a catch-all solution for management and nutrition errors; the "best" vaccine can never overcome these deficiencies. Proper vaccination in the young calf and developing heifer is the key to long-term development of a productive dairy cow. To actually immunize animals, animals must be able to respond to vaccines, which is dependent on the level of animal husbandry. Each vaccine program needs to be designed based on animal flow, actual "disease" threats, and labor on the farm.

Efficacy of oleandrin and PBI-05204 against bovine viruses of importance to commercial cattle health.

BACKGROUND: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). and bovine coronavirus (BCV) threaten the productivity of cattle worldwide. Development of therapeutics that can control the spread of these viruses is an unmet need. The present research was designed to explore the in vitro antiviral activity of the Nerium oleander derived cardiac glycoside oleandrin and a defined N. oleander plant extract (PBI-05204) containing oleandrin. METHODS: Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cells, Bovine Turbinate (BT) cells, and Human Rectal Tumor-18 (HRT-18) cells were used as in vitro culture systems for BVDV, BRSV and BCV, respectively. Cytotoxicity was established using serial dilutions of oleandrin or PBI-05204. Noncytotoxic concentrations of each drug were used either prior to or at 12 h and 24 h following virus exposure to corresponding viruses. Infectious virus titers were determined following each treatment. RESULTS: Both oleandrin as well as PBI-05204 demonstrated strong antiviral activity against BVDV, BRSV, and BCV, in a dose-dependent manner, when added prior to or following infection of host cells. Determination of viral loads by PCR demonstrated a concentration dependent decline in virus replication. Importantly, the relative ability of virus produced from treated cultures to infect new host cells was reduced by as much as 10,000-fold at noncytotoxic concentrations of oleandrin or PBI-05204. CONCLUSIONS: The research demonstrates the potency of oleandrin and PBI-05204 to inhibit infectivity of three important enveloped bovine viruses in vitro. These data showing non-toxic concentrations of oleandrin inhibiting infectivity of three bovine viruses support further investigation of in vivo antiviral efficacy.

Matrix Fabry-Perot resonance mechanism in high-contrast gratings.

We present a simple analytic formalism to explain the unique resonance phenomenon in subwavelength high-contrast gratings (HCG). We show that the resonances are due to strong coupling between two surface-normal waveguide array modes resulting from abrupt and large index contrast. Simple expression for HCG quality factor is derived that agrees with spectral-fitting approaches reported in literature.

Persistent infection of American bison (Bison bison) with bovine viral diarrhea virus and bosavirus.

Bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) are significant pathogens of cattle, leading to losses associated with reproductive failure, respiratory disease and immune dysregulation. While cattle are the reservoir for BVDV, a wide range of domestic and wild ruminants are susceptible to infection and disease caused by BVDV. Samples from four American bison (Bison bison) from a captive herd were submitted for diagnostic testing due to their general unthriftiness. Metagenomic sequencing on pooled nasal swabs and serum identified co-infection with a BVDV and a bovine bosavirus. The BVDV genome was more similar to the vaccine strain Oregon C24 V than to other BVDV sequences in GenBank, with 92.7 % nucleotide identity in the open reading frame. The conserved 5'-untranslated region was 96.3 % identical to Oregon C24 V. Bosavirus has been previously identified in pooled fetal bovine serum but its clinical significance is unknown. Sequencing results were confirmed by virus isolation and PCR detection of both viruses in serum and nasal swab samples from two of the four bison. One animal was co-infected with both BVDV and bosavirus while separate individuals were positive solely for BVDV or bosavirus. Serum and nasal swabs from these same animals collected 51 days later remained positive for BVDV and bosavirus. These results suggest that both viruses can persistently infect bison. While the etiological significance of bosavirus infection is unknown, the ability of BVDV to persistently infect bison has implications for BVDV control and eradication programs. Possible synergy between BVDV and bosavirus persistent infection warrants further study.

Characterization of bovine ileal epithelial cell line for lectin binding, susceptibility to enteric pathogens, and TLR mediated immune responses.

In this study, primary and immortalized bovine intestinal epithelial cells (BIECs) were characterized for the expression of surface carbohydrate moieties. Primary BIEC-c4 cells showed staining greater than 90 % for 16 lectins but less than 50 % staining for four lectins. Immortalized BIECs showed significantly different lectin binding profile for few lectins compared to BIEC-c4 cells. BIEC-c4 cells were studied for infectivity to E. coli, Salmonella enterica, bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, and bovine viral diarrhea virus. Bovine strain E. coli B41 adhered to BIEC-c4 cells and Salmonella strains S. Dublin and S. Mbandaka showed strong cell invasion. BIEC-c4 cells were susceptible to bovine rotavirus. LPS stimulation upregulated IL-10, IL-8, and IL-6 expression and Poly I:C upregulated TLR 8 and TLR 9 expression. This study provides important knowledge on the glycoconjugate expression profile of primary and immortalized BIECs and infectivity and immune responses of primary BIECs to bacterial and viral pathogens or ligands.

1550 nm high contrast grating VCSEL.

We demonstrate an electrically pumped high contrast grating (HCG) VCSEL operating at 1550 nm incorporating a proton implant-defined aperture. Output powers of >1 mW are obtained at room temperature under continuous wave operation. Devices operate continuous wave at temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C. The novel device design, which is grown in a single epitaxy step, may enable lower cost long wavelength VCSELs.