Rubella virus infection in endothelial cells reduces angiogenesis via interferon beta-induced CXCL10.

Rubella virus (RuV) infection during pregnancy can lead to abortion, stillbirth, and embryonic defects, resulting in congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). It is estimated that there are still 100,000 cases of CRS per year in developing regions with a mortality rate of over 30%. The molecular pathomechanisms remain largely unexplored.

Effect of Single and Combined Monochromatic Light on the Human Pupillary Light Response.

The pupillary light reflex (PLR) is a neurological reflex driven by rods, cones, and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells. Our aim was to achieve a more precise picture of the effects of 5-min duration monochromatic light stimuli, alone or in combination, on the human PLR, to determine its spectral sensitivity and to assess the importance of photon flux. Using pupillometry, the PLR was assessed in 13 participants (6 women) aged 27.

GaAsBi/GaNAs type-II quantum wells: novel strain-balanced heterostructures for GaAs-based near- and mid-infrared photonics.

The potential to extend the emission wavelength of photonic devices further into the near- and mid-infrared via pseudomorphic growth on conventional GaAs substrates is appealing for a number of communications and sensing applications. We present a new class of GaAs-based quantum well (QW) heterostructure that exploits the unusual impact of Bi and N on the GaAs band structure to produce type-II QWs having long emission wavelengths with little or no net strain relative to GaAs, while also providing control over important laser loss processes. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the potential of GaAsBi/GaNAs type-II QWs on GaAs and show that this approach offers optical emission and absorption at wavelengths up to ~3 µm utilising strain-balanced structures, a first for GaAs-based QWs.

Relationship between Human Pupillary Light Reflex and Circadian System Status.

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), whose photopigment melanopsin has a peak of sensitivity in the short wavelength range of the spectrum, constitute a common light input pathway to the olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN), the pupillary light reflex (PLR) regulatory centre, and to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the major pacemaker of the circadian system. Thus, evaluating PLR under short wavelength light (λmax ≤ 500 nm) and creating an integrated PLR parameter, as a possible tool to indirectly assess the status of the circadian system, becomes of interest. Nine monochromatic, photon-matched light stimuli (300 s), in 10 nm increments from λmax 420 to 500 nm were administered to 15 healthy young participants (8 females), analyzing: i) the PLR; ii) wrist temperature (WT) and motor activity rhythms (WA), iii) light exposure (L) pattern and iv) diurnal preference (Horne-Östberg), sleep quality (Pittsburgh) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth).