Opportunities and Challenges in a Changing Beef Industry: Results of a Statewide Needs Assessment in Iowa

The U.S. beef industry is poised for growth following increased contraction over the past decade that has resulted in the lowest cattle inventory in over 60 years. However, sustainable, long term growth of the industry is dependent upon early identification of issues that may inhibit profitability. A series of seven listening sessions conducted across Iowa in November and December of 2013 by the Iowa Beef Center identified land access, farm transition, production efficiency, marketing, genetics, data management, feedstuffs, and animal health as “mega-issues” facing producers. Specific issues under each of these overarching categories will guide future extension programming efforts within the Iowa Beef Center

Evaluation of in vivo Hemocyte Phagocytosis of Microsphere Beads in Litopenaeus vannamei Utilizing Flow Cytometry Following Administration of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides

Carboxylate modified microspheres were injected into shrimp and phagocytosis of these particles was measured using flow cytometry following treatment with microbial lipopolysaccharides. This is the first time these methods have been used to assess innate immune responses in shrim

Experimental Transmission of Necrotizing Hepatopancreatitis Bacteria to Post-Larval Litopeneaus Vannamei

Day 15 specific pathogen free Post-Larval Pacific White Shrimp, Litopeneaus vannamei, were infected with Necrotizing Hepatopancreatitis bacteria (NHPB) by per os exposure. This is the first documented report of controlled post larval (PL) infection and mortality with NHPB

Sequence-optimized and targeted double-stranded RNA as a therapeutic antiviral treatment against infectious myonecrosis virus in \u3ci\u3eLitopenaeus vannamei\u3c/i\u3e

Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) is a significant and emerging pathogen that has a tremendous impact on the culture of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. IMNV first emerged in Brazil in 2002 and subsequently spread to Indonesia, causing large economic losses in both countries. No existing therapeutic treatments or effective interventions currently exist for IMNV. RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective technique for preventing viral disease in shrimp. Here, we describe the efficacy of a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) applied as an antiviral therapeutic following virus challenge. The antiviral molecule is an optimized dsRNA construct that targets an IMNV sequence at the 5’ end of the genome and that showed outstanding antiviral protection previously when administered prior to infection. At least 50% survival is observed with a low dose of dsRNA administered 48 h post-infection with a lethal dose of IMNV; this degree of protection was not observed when dsRNA was administered 72 h post-infection. Additionally, administration of the dsRNA antiviral resulted in a significant reduction of the viral load in the muscle of shrimp that died from disease or survived until termination of the present study, as assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. These data indicate that this optimized RNAi antiviral molecule holds promise for use as an antiviral therapeutic against IMNV

Prostate-specific antigen: An unfamiliar protein in the human salivary glands

Objectives: The presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in saliva and salivary glands has been reported. Nevertheless, its release pathway in these glands remains to be elucidated. Here, we showed PSA subcellular distribution focusing on its plausible route in human salivary parenchyma. Materials and Methods: Sections of parotid and submandibular glands were subjected to the immunohistochemical demonstration of PSA by the streptavidin–biotin method revealed by alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, ultrathin sections were collected on nickel grids and processed for immunocytochemical analysis, to visualize the intracellular distribution pattern of PSA through the observation by transmission electron microscopy. Results: By immunohistochemistry, in both parotid and submandibular glands PSA expression was detected in serous secretory acini and striated ducts. By immunocytochemistry, immunoreactivity was retrieved in the cytoplasmic compartment of acinar and ductal cells, often associated with small cytoplasmic vesicles. PSA labeling appeared also on rough endoplasmic reticulum and in the acini's lumen. A negligible PSA labeling appeared in most of the secretory granules of both glands. Conclusions: Our findings clearly support that human parotid and submandibular glands are involved in PSA secretion. Moreover, based on the immunoreactivity pattern, its release in oral cavity would probably occur by minor regulated secretory or constitutive-like secretory pathways

Evaluation of in vivo Hemocyte Phagocytosis of Microsphere Beads in Litopenaeus vannamei Utilizing Flow Cytometry Following Administration of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides

Carboxylate modified microspheres were injected into shrimp and phagocytosis of these particles was measured using flow cytometry following treatment with microbial lipopolysaccharides. This is the first time these methods have been used to assess innate immune responses in shrimp</p

Characterization of designed, synthetically accessible bryostatin analog HIV latency reversing agents.

HIV latency in resting CD4+ T cell represents a key barrier preventing cure of the infection with antiretroviral drugs alone. Latency reversing agents (LRAs) can activate HIV expression in latently infected cells, potentially leading to their elimination through virus-mediated cytopathic effects, host immune responses, and/or therapeutic strategies targeting cells actively expressing virus. We have recently described several structurally simplified analogs of the PKC modulator LRA bryostatin (termed bryologs) designed to improve synthetic accessibility, tolerability in vivo, and efficacy in inducing HIV latency reversal. Here we report the comparative performance of lead bryologs, including their effects in reducing cell surface expression of HIV entry receptors, inducing proinflammatory cytokines, inhibiting short-term HIV replication, and synergizing with histone deacetylase inhibitors to reverse HIV latency. These data provide unique insights into structure-function relationships between A- and B-ring bryolog modifications and activities in primary cells, and suggest that bryologs represent promising leads for preclinical advancement

Maternal Inflammation at Mid-gestation in Pregnant Rats Impairs Fetal Muscle Growth and Development at Term

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Low birth weight resulting from preterm birth and/or IUGR is an underlying factor in 60–80% of perinatal death worldwide, and is particularly common in developing countries (UNICEF, 2008). Furthermore, studies have linked IUGR and the associated fetal malnutrition to increased incidence of metabolic syndrome in adult life (Barker et al., 1993; Godfrey and Barker, 2000). The “thrifty phenotype hypothesis” developed by David Barker (Hales et al., 1991) states that IUGR-associated fetal malnutrition forces the fetus to spare nutrients by altering tissue-specific metabolism in order to survive. In utero, adaptive changes disproportionately impact skeletal muscle development, growth, and metabolism (Yates et al., 2016). Skeletal muscle is responsible for the majority of insulin-stimulated glucose utilization, and adaptive restriction in muscle growth capacity helps to spare glucose in the IUGR fetus but result in lifelong deficits in muscle mass and metabolic homeostasis (Brown and Hay, 2016). Skeletal muscle growth requires proliferation, differentiation, and fusion of myoblast into new muscle fibers early in gestation and fusion with existing fibers in the third trimester of pregnancy (Zhu et al., 2004). This process can be impaired by inflammation from resident macrophages within skeletal muscle. Classically activated M1 macrophages are pro-inflammatory but can polarize to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype that inhibits cytokine production and stimulates tissue repair by producing growth factors (Mantovani et al., 2004; Kharraz et al., 2013). The acute effects of inflammatory factors on myoblast function have been investigated in vitro (Frost et al., 1997; Guttridge et al., 2000), and we postulate that inflammatory stress may have similar effects on fetal myoblasts in utero. Impaired myoblast function and the resulting decrease in muscle growth capacity affect long-term metabolic health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of sustained maternal inflammation at mid-gestation on fetal mortality, muscle growth, and metabolic parameters at term