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Infection of pregnant cattle with both species of Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) can result in reproductive disease that includes fetal reabsorption, mummification, abortion, stillbirths, congenital defects affecting structural, neural, reproductive, and immune systems, and the birth of calves persistently infected with BVDV. Accurate diagnosis of BVDV-associated reproductive disease is important to control BVDV at the production unit level and assessment of the cost of BVDV infections in support of BVDV control programs. The purpose of the current study was to examine the stability of viral nucleic acid in fetal tissues exposed to different conditions, as measured by detection by polymerase chain reaction. Five different types of fetal tissue, including brain, skin and muscle, ear, and 2 different pooled organ samples, were subjected to conditions that mimicked those that might exist for samples collected after abortions in production settings or possible storage conditions after collection and prior to testing. In addition, tissues were archived for 36 months at −20°C and then retested, to mimic conditions that might occur in the case of retrospective surveillance studies. Brain tissue showed the highest stability under the conditions tested. The impact of fecal contamination was increased following archiving in all tissue types suggesting that, for long-term storage, effort should be made to reduce environmental contaminants before archiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric properties of ferroelectric BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films with ZrO2 insulating buffer on Si substrates fabricated by chemical solution deposition were investigated. ZrO2 demonstrates excellent insulating properties on Si substrates. The metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structure exhibits clockwise capacitance-voltage hysteresis loops due to the ferroelectric polarization of BFO. The maximum memory windows are 0.66 and 0.78 V, respectively, for BFO deposited on postannealed ZrO2 and on unannealed ZrO2 insulating layers. The small memory window of the BFO/ZrO2 (postannealed) MFIS is caused by significant interface trap states on the BFO/ZrO2 interface; this is supported by C-V measurements under varying frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naja atra , the Chinese cobra, is a major cause of snake envenomation in Asia, causing hundreds of thousands of clinical incidents annually. The current treatment, horse serum-derived antivenom, has unpredictable side effects and presents manufacturing challenges. This study focused on developing new-generation snake venom antidotes by using microbial phage display technology to derive nanobodies from an alpaca immunized with attenuated N. atra venom. Following confirmation of the immune response in the alpaca, we amplified V H H genes from isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and constructed a phage display V H H library of 1.0 × 10 7 transformants. After four rounds of biopanning, the enriched phages exhibited increased binding activity to N. atra venom. Four nanobody clones with high binding affinities were selected: aNAH1, aNAH6, aNAH7, and aNAH9. Specificity testing against venom from various snake species, including two Southeast Asian cobra species, revealed nanobodies specific to the genus Naja . An in vivo mouse venom neutralization assay demonstrated that all nanobodies prolonged mouse survival and aNAH6 protected 66.6% of the mice from the lethal dosage. These findings highlight the potential of phage display-derived nanobodies as valuable antidotes for N. atra venom, laying the groundwork for future applications in snakebite treatment.IMPORTANCEChinese cobra venom bites present a formidable medical challenge, and current serum treatments face unresolved issues. Our research applied microbial phage display technology to obtain a new, effective, and cost-efficient treatment approach. Despite interest among scientists in utilizing this technology to screen alpaca antibodies against toxins, the available literature is limited. This study makes a significant contribution by introducing neutralizing antibodies that are specifically tailored to Chinese cobra venom. We provide a comprehensive and unbiased account of the antibody construction process, accompanied by thorough testing of various nanobodies and an assessment of cross-reactivity with diverse snake venoms. These nanobodies represent a promising avenue for targeted antivenom development that bridges microbiology and biotechnology to address critical health needs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Clinically normal horses developed cellular immunity to Sarcocystis neurona following IM vaccination with a commercial killed S. neurona vaccine, as indicated by the development of measurable anti-S. neurona IgG antibodies and additional intradermal skin testing. Large-scale independent assessments of the vaccine's performance and safety are in progress under field conditions. The next step in the evaluation of this vaccine would be to attempt experimental challenge after a reproducible reliable equine model of S. neurona encephalitis has been established that allows for reisolation of the pathogen after challenge.