Faculty perceptions regarding the infusion of global perspectives into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences curriculum: A comparative study

A comparative study was conducted to explore faculty perceptions regarding the infusion of global perspectives into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) curriculum at Iowa State University. King (1991) provided the original base for the study which enabled a comparison with data recently collected. This study may fill a void in the literature published in the context of the CALS faculty members’ perceptions in infusing a global perspective into the curriculum over the periods covered. The gap between the original and current study may reveal a possible new mindset and trend in the perceived benefits and barriers of infusing global perspectives into the curriculum. An online survey using Qualtrics was used to collect data. The survey material was comprised of five parts: perception statements, critical content/topics, activities used to add global perspectives, opinions on the infusion of global perspectives and demographic information. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to compare the data collected. Significant differences were found in the demographic and occupational information of gender, age and primary workload. There were also significant differences in students’ activities used to add international perspectives, comparative reasons for the departmental curriculum problems, and activities for curriculum improvement. Four of the 16 identified perception statements and 10 of the 48 identified critical content/topics were found to be statistically different in the two years that were compared. ANOVA results for both perception statements and the critical content/topics were significantly different on the identified races in the 1991 study but not on the 2016 study. Even after 25 years, the perceptions of CALS faculty members regarding the infusion of global perspectives has remained the same on majority of the statements for internationalization and perceived critical topics to be taught from a global perspectives

Lawsonia intracellularis ELISA: A New Test at the ISU-VDL

Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy (PPE) is a common disease of swine which is caused by the intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis. The performance of a recently available commercial ELISA for L. intracellularis was evaluated by comparison with an immuno-peroxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) and found to have at least 97% correlation. The same assay when conducted at different laboratories showed 100% agreement in results. Examination of serum samples from various cases submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory indicated that 87% of the herds examined were sero-positive for L. intracellularis. Therefore, the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Lawsonia intracellularis is a useful and reliable test which allows veterinary practitioners and producers to obtain same day results on swine serum samples submitted

Evaluation and use of a serological assay for the detection of antibodies to Lawsonia intracellularis in swine

Porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE) is a common and economically important gastro-intestinal disease of swine caused by the intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis. Conventional tests to detect antibody responses to L. intracellularisinclude the immuno-peroxidase monolayer assay (IPMA), immuno-fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and a lipopolysaccharide ELISA (LPS-ELISA). These tests are not commercially available. Therefore, objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a commercial L. intracellularis blocking ELISA. Performance of the commercial ELISA was compared to the IPMA and LPS-ELISA using serum from experimentally infected animals (N = 40). The prevalence of L. intracellularis sero-positive animals was assessed by comparing suspect and randomly selected sera (N = 394). The commercial ELISA, IPMA and a non-commercial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) LPS-ELISA showed a 95% correlation when tested using experimentally derived known status samples. When compared to the IPMA the sensitivity of the commercial ELISA was 91% while the specificity was 100%. Therefore, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the commercial L. intracellularis ELISA was comparable to the LPS-ELISA and IPMA. A comparison of suspect and randomly selected field samples with the commercial ELISA indicated that L. intracellularis sero-positivity is widespread and does not correlate with possible disease status

Pro-opiomelanocortin co-localizes with corticotropin-releasing factor in axon terminals of the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus

We previously demonstrated that the opioid peptide, enkephalin, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) are occasionally co-localized in individual axon terminals but more frequently converge on common dendrites in the locus coeruleus (LC). To further examine potential opioid co-transmitters in CRF afferents, we investigated the distribution of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), the precursor that yields the potent bioactive peptide, ß-endorphin, with respect to CRF immunoreactivity using immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopic analyses of the LC. Coronal sections were collected through the dorsal pontine tegmentum of rat brain and processed for immunocytochemical detection of POMC and CRF or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). POMC-immunoreactive processes exhibited a distinct distribution within the LC as compared to the enkephalin family of opioid peptides. Specifically, POMC fibers were enriched in the ventromedial aspect of the LC with fewer fibers present dorsolaterally. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed frequent co-existence of POMC and CRF in varicose processes that overlapped TH-containing somatodendritic processes in the LC. Ultrastructural analysis showed POMC immunoreactivity in unmyelinated axons and axon terminals. Axon terminals containing POMC were filled with numerous large dense core vesicles. In sections processed for POMC and TH, approximately 29% of POMC-containing axon terminals (n = 405) targeted dendrites that exhibited immunogold-silver labeling for TH. Whereas, sections processed for POMC and CRF showed that 27% of POMC-labeled axon terminals (n = 657) also exhibited CRF immunoreactivity. Taken together, these data indicate that a subset of CRF afferents targeting the LC contain POMC and may be positioned to dually impact LC activity

Detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-specific IgM-IgA in oral fluid samples reveals PRRSV infection in the presence of maternal antibody

The ontogeny of PRRSV antibody in oral fluids has been described using isotype-specific ELISAs. Mirroring the serum response, IgM appears in oral fluid by 7 days post inoculation (DPI), IgA after 7 DPI, and IgG by 9 to 10 DPI. Commercial PRRSV ELISAs target the detection of IgG because the higher concentration of IgG relative to other isotypes provides the best diagnostic discrimination. Oral fluids are increasingly used for PRRSV surveillance in commercial herds, but in younger pigs, a positive ELISA result may be due either to maternal antibody or to antibody produced by the pigs in response to infection. To address this issue, a combined IgM-IgA PRRSV oral fluid ELISA was developed and evaluated for its capacity to detect pig-derived PRRSV antibody in the presence of maternal antibody. Two longitudinal studies were conducted. In Study 1 (modified-live PRRS vaccinated pigs), testing of individual pig oral fluid samples by isotype-specific ELISAs demonstrated that the combined IgM-IgA PRRSV ELISA provided better discrimination than individual IgM or IgA ELISAs. In Study 2 (field data), testing of pen-based oral fluid samples confirmed the findings in Study 1 and established that the IgM-IgA ELISA was able to detect antibody produced by pigs in response to wild-type PRRSV infection, despite the presence of maternal IgG. Overall, the combined PRRSV IgM-IgA oral fluid ELISA described in this study is a potential tool for PRRSV surveillance, particularly in populations of growing pigs originating from PRRSV-positive or vaccinated breeding herds

Does Circulating Antibody Play a Role in the Protection of Piglets against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus?

The contribution of circulating antibody to the protection of naïve piglets against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was evaluated using a passive antibody transfer model. Piglets (n = 62) derived from 6 sows were assigned to one of 6 different treatments using a randomized block design which provided for allocation of all treatments to all sows\u27 litters. Each treatment was designed to achieve a different level of circulating anti-PEDV antibody via intraperitoneally administration of concentrated serum antibody. Piglets were orally inoculated with PEDV (USA/IN/2013/19338E, 1 x 103 TCID50 per piglet) 24 hours later and then monitored for 14 days. Piglets remained with their dam throughout the experiment. Sow milk samples, piglet fecal samples, and data on piglet clinical signs, body weight, and body temperature were collected daily. Fecal samples were tested by PEDV real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Serum, colostrum, and milk were tested for PEDV IgG, IgA, and virus-neutralizing antibody. The data were evaluated for the effects of systemic PEDV antibody levels on growth, body temperature, fecal shedding, survival, and antibody response. The analysis showed that circulating antibody partially ameliorated the effect of PEDV infection. Specifically, antibody-positive groups returned to normal body temperature faster and demonstrated a higher rate of survivability than piglets without PEDV antibody. When combined with previous literature on PEDV, it can be concluded that both systemic antibodies and maternal secretory IgA in milk contribute to the protection of the neonatal pig against PEDV infections. Overall, the results of this experiment suggested that passively administered circulating antibodies contributed to the protection of neonatal piglets against PEDV infection

Faculty perceptions regarding the infusion of global perspectives into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences curriculum: A comparative study

A comparative study was conducted to explore faculty perceptions regarding the infusion of global perspectives into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) curriculum at Iowa State University. King (1991) provided the original base for the study which enabled a comparison with data recently collected. This study may fill a void in the literature published in the context of the CALS faculty members’ perceptions in infusing a global perspective into the curriculum over the periods covered. The gap between the original and current study may reveal a possible new mindset and trend in the perceived benefits and barriers of infusing global perspectives into the curriculum. An online survey using Qualtrics was used to collect data. The survey material was comprised of five parts: perception statements, critical content/topics, activities used to add global perspectives, opinions on the infusion of global perspectives and demographic information. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to compare the data collected. Significant differences were found in the demographic and occupational information of gender, age and primary workload. There were also significant differences in students’ activities used to add international perspectives, comparative reasons for the departmental curriculum problems, and activities for curriculum improvement. Four of the 16 identified perception statements and 10 of the 48 identified critical content/topics were found to be statistically different in the two years that were compared. ANOVA results for both perception statements and the critical content/topics were significantly different on the identified races in the 1991 study but not on the 2016 study. Even after 25 years, the perceptions of CALS faculty members regarding the infusion of global perspectives has remained the same on majority of the statements for internationalization and perceived critical topics to be taught from a global perspectives.</p

Lawsonia intracellularis ELISA: A New Test at the ISU-VDL

Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy (PPE) is a common disease of swine which is caused by the intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis. The performance of a recently available commercial ELISA for L. intracellularis was evaluated by comparison with an immuno-peroxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) and found to have at least 97% correlation. The same assay when conducted at different laboratories showed 100% agreement in results. Examination of serum samples from various cases submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory indicated that 87% of the herds examined were sero-positive for L. intracellularis. Therefore, the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Lawsonia intracellularis is a useful and reliable test which allows veterinary practitioners and producers to obtain same day results on swine serum samples submitted.</p

Evaluation and use of a serological assay for the detection of antibodies to Lawsonia intracellularis in swine

Porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE) is a common and economically important gastro-intestinal disease of swine caused by the intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis. Conventional tests to detect antibody responses to L. intracellularisinclude the immuno-peroxidase monolayer assay (IPMA), immuno-fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and a lipopolysaccharide ELISA (LPS-ELISA). These tests are not commercially available. Therefore, objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a commercial L. intracellularis blocking ELISA. Performance of the commercial ELISA was compared to the IPMA and LPS-ELISA using serum from experimentally infected animals (N = 40). The prevalence of L. intracellularis sero-positive animals was assessed by comparing suspect and randomly selected sera (N = 394). The commercial ELISA, IPMA and a non-commercial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) LPS-ELISA showed a 95% correlation when tested using experimentally derived known status samples. When compared to the IPMA the sensitivity of the commercial ELISA was 91% while the specificity was 100%. Therefore, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the commercial L. intracellularis ELISA was comparable to the LPS-ELISA and IPMA. A comparison of suspect and randomly selected field samples with the commercial ELISA indicated that L. intracellularis sero-positivity is widespread and does not correlate with possible disease status.This article is from International Journal of Veterinary Science and Medicine 2 (2014); 109, doi: 10.1016/j.ijvsm.2014.08.001. Posted with permission.</p

Evaluation of three commercial porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) oral fluid antibody ELISAs using samples of known status

Oral fluid (n = 564) samples collected longitudinally from twelve 14-week-old pigs vaccinated with a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) modified live vaccine were used to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of three commercial PRRSV oral fluid (OF) ELISAs (ELISAs 1, 2, 3). Serum samples (n = 132) tested by a PRRSV serum ELISA (ELISA ‘S') provided an antibody response baseline for comparison. The initial analysis comparing the rate of positivity between each OF ELISA versus ELISA ‘S' and then pairwise among the three OF ELISAs determined that ELISA 2 (143 false negative results) was significantly different from ELISAs 1 and 3, and from ELISA ‘S' (Cochran's Q test, p  ELISA 2.This article is published as Henao-Diaz, Alexandra, Luis Giménez-Lirola, Ronaldo Magtoto, Ju Ji, and Jeffrey Zimmerman. "Evaluation of three commercial porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) oral fluid antibody ELISAs using samples of known status." Research in Veterinary Science 125 (2019): 113-118. DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.05.019. Copyright 2019 The Authors. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Posted with permission