Evaluation of a commercial E(rns)-capture ELISA for detection of BVDV in routine diagnostic cattle serum samples

BACKGROUND: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen in cattle. The ability of the virus to cross the placenta during early pregnancy can result in the birth of persistently infected (PI) calves. These calves shed the virus during their entire lifespan and are the key transmitters of infection. Consequently, identification (and subsequent removal) of PI animals is necessary to rapidly clear infected herds from the virus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a commercial E(rns)-capture ELISA, in comparison to the indirect immunoperoxidase test (IPX), for routine diagnostic detection of BVDV within a control programme. In addition, the effect of passive immunity and heat-inactivation of the samples on the performance of the ELISA was studied. METHODS: In the process of virus clearance within the Swedish BVDV control programme, all calves born in infected herds are tested for virus and antibodies. From such samples, sent in for routine diagnostics to SVA, we selected 220 sera collected from 32 beef herds and 29 dairy herds. All sera were tested for BVDV antigen using the E(rns )ELISA, and the results were compared to the results from the IPX used within the routine diagnostics. RESULTS: All 130 samples categorized as virus negative by IPX were tested negative in the ELISA, and all 90 samples categorized as virus positive were tested positive, i.e. the relative sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA was 100% in relation to IPX, and the agreement between the tests was perfect. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the E(rns )ELISA is a valid alternative that has several advantages compared to IPX. Our results clearly demonstrate that it performs well under Swedish conditions, and that its performance is comparable with the IPX test. It is highly sensitive and specific, can be used for testing of heat-inactivated samples, precolostral testing, and probably to detect PI animals at an earlier age than the IPX

Industrial actors and their rationales for engaging in STEM education

In science education, critical discussions on the engagement of industrial actors in STEM education are scarce. In this study, we take the perspective that industrial STEM education initiatives are an arena for governing STEM education. The aim is to contribute to a critical discussion on the involvement of industrial actors in STEM education by scrutinizing how they describe their engagement. More specifically, we look at the discursive repertoires industrial actors put forward as rationales for engaging in STEM education initiatives. The data consist of web materials wherein industrial actors describe and justify their engagements. We identify the following interpretative repertoires used by industrial actors when justifying their engagement in said initiatives: a) Securing competent labour, b) Securing economic growth, c) Improving the public image-marketing, d) Contributing to a bright future, e) Increasing interest in STEM, f) Increasing knowledge in and of STEM and g) Empowering young people. The repertoires are discussed in light of potential tensions between public and private good. The notion of 'boundary repertoires' is introduced to discuss repertoires which can be adapted across discursive practices and which afford industrial actors possibilities for speaking to a varied audience-shareholders as well as teachers

Developing technologically enhanced mathematics pedagogical content knowledge in initial teacher education

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019. Nowadays perspectives on mathematics education argue for student-centred maths teaching that enables students to engage into learning activities and to play an active role in learning. Information and communication technological evolution provides teachers with an ever-increasing diversity of digital and smart tools that may successfully promote students’ deep engagement with the learning tasks. However, mathematics teachers need to learn how to integrate mathematics pedagogical content knowledge with technological knowledge so that they can develop technologically enhanced mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (TEMPCK). TEMPCK is required for teachers to select the best technological tool to teach a given content in the best way to a certain group of students in a specific social and cultural context. Initial mathematics teacher education has a key responsibility on this issue as it is expected to form updated teachers, able to effectively cope with the technological challenges of the moment as well as with the unanticipated challenges of future technology advancements. This chapter presents a few attempts of prospective mathematics teachers to use digital tools to teach different mathematics topics to secondary school students. Suggestions are made to increase the smartness of the learning environments used by the prospective teachers.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio