Sustaining a Collegewide Teaching Academy as a Community: 10 Years of Experience With the Master Teacher Program at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

On the basis of strategic initiatives and an evolving focus on educational program enhancement, faculty and staff members designed a structured program to provide leadership and resources for improving instruction and disseminating educational scholarship in a veterinary college. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine Master Teacher Program was conceptualized in the teaching academy model as a forum for professional development and dialogue. A small leadership team worked with other faculty to develop the program proposal, including its mission, vision, values, and initial goals. Programming includes monthly meetings to discuss a range of policy, theoretical, and practical topics, as well as periodic workshops focused on current strategic initiatives or hot topics. Ten years later, the program continues to successfully connect educators and have an impact on the college and profession. Attendance has grown steadily; feedback has been positive. Participants rate the program's overall value highly, particularly its impact on their teaching, the opportunity to stay current in educational topics, and the opportunity to learn from colleagues. Discussions within the program have provided valuable input for college policy and practices. Keys to sustained success have included a historical culture emphasizing the teaching mission, alignment with college goals, consistency in leadership and programming, periodic revisions and rebranding, and attention to new faculty and staff needs. This article describes the development, growth, and perceived impact of the program and emphasizes lessons learned and actions taken to sustain its success without additional personnel and at minimal cost.

Adaptable Crosslinks in Polymeric Materials: Resolving the Intersection of Thermoplastics and Thermosets.

The classical division of polymeric materials into thermoplastics and thermosets based on covalent network structure often implies that these categories are distinct and irreconcilable. Yet, the past two decades have seen extensive development of materials that bridge this gap through incorporation of dynamic crosslinks, enabling them to behave as both robust networks and moldable plastics. Although their potential utility is significant, the growth of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) has obscured the line between "thermoplastic" and "thermoset" and erected a conceptual barrier to the growing number of new researchers entering this discipline. This Perspective aims to both outline the fundamental theory of CANs and provide a critical assessment of their current status. We emphasize throughout that the unique properties of CANs emerge from the network chemistry, and particularly highlight the role that the crosslink exchange mechanism (i.e., dissociative exchange or associative exchange) plays in the resultant material properties under processing conditions. Predominant focus will be on thermally induced dynamic behavior, as the majority of presently employed exchange chemistries rely on thermal stimulus, and it is simple to apply to bulk materials. Lastly, this Perspective aims to identify current issues and address possible solutions for better fundamental understanding within this field.

Investigation of Medium Chain Fatty Acid Feed Supplementation for Reducing Salmonella Typhimurium Colonization in Turkey Poults.

Studies indicate that persistent Salmonella colonization occurs in poultry that are infected early in life, leading to both food safety and public health concerns. Development of improved preharvest Salmonella management strategies is needed to reduce poultry product contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a product containing medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) for reducing early Salmonella colonization in turkey poults. Day-of-hatch turkeys were provided a standard starter diet supplemented with MCFA at 0 (negative and positive controls), 1.5, 3, 4.5, or 6 lbs/ton of feed. Positive control and MCFA treated birds were also crop-gavaged with 108 colony forming units (CFU) of bioluminescent Salmonella Typhimurium. Gastrointestinal tissue samples were collected at 3 days postinoculation for bioluminescence imaging (Meckel's diverticulum to the cloaca) and selective enumeration (cecal contents). Quantification of bioluminescence indicated that the 4.5 and 6 lbs/ton MCFA groups had significantly less colonization than the positive control group (p = 0.0412 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Similarly, significantly lower numbers (1-log10 CFU/g reduction) of Salmonella were observed in the ceca of the 6 lbs/ton MCFA group compared to the positive control group (p = 0.0153). These findings indicate that incorporation of MCFA in turkey diets can significantly reduce early Salmonella colonization. In addition, this study highlights the utility of bioluminescence imaging as a screening methodology for assessing the efficacy of treatments that may reduce Salmonella in poultry.

Surfactant dysfunction and lung inflammation in the female mouse model of lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease caused by mutations of the tumor suppressor genes, tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 1 or TSC2. LAM affects women almost exclusively, and it is characterized by neoplastic growth of atypical smooth muscle-like TSC2-null LAM cells in the pulmonary interstitium, cystic destruction of lung parenchyma, and progressive decline in lung function. In this study, we hypothesized that TSC2-null lesions promote a proinflammatory environment, which contributes to lung parenchyma destruction. Using a TSC2-null female murine LAM model, we demonstrate that TSC2-null lesions promote alveolar macrophage accumulation, recruitment of immature multinucleated cells, an increased induction of proinflammatory genes, nitric oxide (NO) synthase 2, IL-6, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2)/monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1)/keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), and up-regulation of IL-6, KC, MCP-1, and transforming growth factor-ß1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid also contained an increased level of surfactant protein (SP)-D, but not SP-A, significant reduction of SP-B levels, and a resultant increase in alveolar surface tension. Consistent with the growth of TSC2-null lesions, NO levels were also increased and, in turn, modified SP-D through S-nitrosylation, forming S-nitrosylated SP-D, a known consequence of lung inflammation. Progressive growth of TSC2-null lesions was accompanied by elevated levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 and -9. This report demonstrates a link between growth of TSC2-null lesions and inflammation-induced surfactant dysfunction that might contribute to lung destruction in LAM.

Flash electroretinography in the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

Photopic and scotopic flash electroretinograms (fERGs) were done on 12 adult captive anesthetized bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) following a complete ophthalmic exam. The b-wave amplitude in the bald eagle exceeds that seen in other species when using a similar protocol. This data may be used clinically as a reference for bald eagles undergoing fERG evaluation for retinal disease or as a preoperative screening tool before phacoemulsification.

Course goals, competencies, and instructional objectives.

This article describes how to compose instructional objectives for use in veterinary curricula, and describes the differences between course goals, competencies, and instructional objectives. The essential components of instructional objectives are described in detail, and guidance in choosing appropriate wording is provided. The paper concludes with a suggested framework for evaluating an instructional objective.

Association of maternal temperament and offspring disposition on growth performance.

Animal behavior is complex and varies in definition, depending upon specific traits under observation. Temperament is one component of behavior, that in cattle, is described as the level of fearfulness to a novel or threatening environment. Temperament is a heritable trait which is important since aggressiveness and docility contribute to reproductive success, growth, and carcass quality. We observed maternal temperament at calving and the subsequent influence, if any, on offspring disposition at weaning and their effects collectively on growth performance and carcass traits. Maternal behaviors at calving were observed at four locations within the University of Arkansas system. Cows were assigned a maternal disposition score (MDS) at calving; a scale from 1 to 5 in which aggression decreases. At weaning, calves were assigned a chute score (CS); a scale from 1 to 6 in which aggression increases. Both scoring systems have been previously established. Blood was collected during the 56-d backgrounding period postweaning for blood glucose analysis. Data were analyzed using GLIMMIX procedures of SAS (α = 0.05). The relationship between the two scoring systems was determined with a Pearson correlation (P = 0.22). Animal was the experimental unit and blocked by location for all dependent variables. Location, sex, diet, and MDS were included in the class as covariables for all growth performance and carcass data related to CS. Cows that were more aggressive birthed heavier calves (P < 0.01) compared to indifferent cows. Calves born to cows with either very aggressive or very attentive (MDS of 2 or 3, respectively) scores were heavier upon feedlot entry (P = 0.03) compared to those from indifferent or apathetic cows (MDS of 4 or 5, respectively). Calves defined as nervous and restless (CS of 3 and 2, respectively) were heavier at weaning compared to docile calves (P < 0.01). Restless calves were heavier compared to nervous calves upon arrival and exiting the feedlot (P ≤ 0.01). Calves that were docile at weaning had greater marbling compared to calves that were restless (P ≤ 0.01). Calves that were restless at weaning had greater lean muscle area compared to calves that were nervous (P = 0.05). No definitive relationship was determined between dam and calf temperament. However, the results suggest temperament does impact growth performance and carcass traits but whether the influence comes from the dam or calf temperament, specifically, remains unanswered.

Photocrosslinkable Polymeric Bicontinuous Microemulsions.

We present an approach to photocrosslink bicontinuous microemulsions derived from ternary blends of poly(methoxyethyl acrylate) (PM, Mn = 4200 g/mol), poly(hexyl methacrylate-co-coumarin methacrylate) (PHC, Mn = 6800 g/mol), and PM-b-PHC diblock polymer (Mn = 19,400 g/mol) in a phase-selective manner, enabling structural characterization at an unprecedented level of detail. This strategy utilizes the [2 + 2] photodimerization reaction of coumarin derivatives to covalently crosslink blends without the use of harsh reagents or disruptive thermal treatment, thus preserving the intricate network structure throughout curing. The resulting crosslinked bicontinuous microemulsions exhibited rubbery behavior at elevated temperatures, achieving an elastic shear modulus of nearly 1 MPa at 70 °C, owing to the presence of the three-dimensional co-continuous network morphology. The dimensional stabilization afforded by crosslinking further allowed the microstructure to be directly imaged by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Contrary to recent theoretical findings, the BµE appears in a wide temperature and compositional window, suggesting that it is a robust feature of these blends. As a proof of concept demonstrating both the utility of bicontinuous microemulsion-derived materials and versatility of this strategy toward broader applications in energy storage and transport, the uncrosslinked portion of a cured blend was extracted by washing and replaced with an ionic liquid; the resultant heterogeneous solid electrolyte exhibited a room-temperature conductivity of 2 mS/cm, approximately one-quarter that of the pure ionic liquid.

Bilateral Charcot Arthropathy Treated with Bolt-Beam Constructs in the Setting of Unilateral Foot Ulcers: A Report of 2 Cases.

CASE: Two type-2 diabetic patients presented with bilateral Charcot arthropathy with midfoot collapse and presence of foot ulcerations on one side. The ulcerated extremity in each patient was treated surgically with fusion bolt, beam, and plate constructs in the setting of open ulceration. Bilateral extremities were treated surgically and went on to bony union and wound healing. CONCLUSION: Charcot arthropathy with open ulcers can be managed acutely with debridement, resection of bone, and arthrodesis. Waiting for ulcers to heal before internal fixation is performed may not be necessary in all situations.

Early Failure of the Paragon28 Phantom Hindfoot Fusion Nail: A Case Report.

CASE: Tibio-talar-calaneal fusion nails can be used to treat acute ankle fractures in patients with diabetes, Charcot arthropathy, or other comorbidities. Recently, Paragon28 released the Phantom Hindfoot Fusion Nail (Phantom nail) with a unique design feature-a proximal coil. We present a case of an ankle fracture-dislocation in a diabetic patient treated with the Paragon28 nail who experienced early implant failure. CONCLUSION: It is important for surgeons to understand that the proximal coil in the Phantom nail should not be considered part of the working length of the nail and may introduce a stress riser that may lead to early implant failure.

Influence of Charge Fraction on the Phase Behavior of Symmetric Single-Ion Conducting Diblock Copolymers.

A series of symmetric poly[(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-oligo(ethylene glycol) propyl sodium sulfonate methacrylate)]-block-polystyrene (PsOEGMA-PS) diblock copolymers were synthesized as a model system to probe the effect of charge fraction on the phase behavior of charged-neutral single-ion conducting diblock copolymers. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments showed that increasing the charge fraction does not alter the ordered phase morphology (lamellar) but increases the order-disorder transition temperature (TODT) significantly. Additionally, the effective Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χeff) was found to increase linearly with the charge fraction, similar to the case of conventional salt-doped diblock copolymers. This indicates that the effect of counterion solvation, attributed to the significant mismatch between the dielectric constant of each block, provides the dominant effect in tuning the phase behavior of this charged diblock copolymer. We therefore infer that electrostatic cohesion (local charge ordering induced by Coulombic interactions), which is predicted to suppress microphase separation and lead to asymmetric phase diagrams, only plays a minor role in this model system.

Development and validation of a prediction model for actionable aspects of frailty in the text of clinicians' encounter notes.

OBJECTIVE: Frailty is a prevalent risk factor for adverse outcomes among patients with chronic lung disease. However, identifying frail patients who may benefit from interventions is challenging using standard data sources. We therefore sought to identify phrases in clinical notes in the electronic health record (EHR) that describe actionable frailty syndromes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used an active learning strategy to select notes from the EHR and annotated each sentence for 4 actionable aspects of frailty: respiratory impairment, musculoskeletal problems, fall risk, and nutritional deficiencies. We compared the performance of regression, tree-based, and neural network models to predict the labels for each sentence. We evaluated performance with the scaled Brier score (SBS), where 1 is perfect and 0 is uninformative, and the positive predictive value (PPV). RESULTS: We manually annotated 155 952 sentences from 326 patients. Elastic net regression had the best performance across all 4 frailty aspects (SBS 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-0.54) followed by random forests (SBS 0.49, 95% CI 0.47-0.51), and multi-task neural networks (SBS 0.39, 95% CI 0.37-0.42). For the elastic net model, the PPV for identifying the presence of respiratory impairment was 54.8% (95% CI 53.3%-56.6%) at a sensitivity of 80%. DISCUSSION: Classification models using EHR notes can effectively identify actionable aspects of frailty among patients living with chronic lung disease. Regression performed better than random forest and neural network models. CONCLUSIONS: NLP-based models offer promising support to population health management programs that seek to identify and refer community-dwelling patients with frailty for evidence-based interventions.

Expression and activation of the oxytocin receptor in airway smooth muscle cells: Regulation by TNFalpha and IL-13.

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy asthma may remain stable, improve or worsen. The factors underlying the deleterious effect of pregnancy on asthma remain unknown. Oxytocin is a neurohypophyseal protein that regulates a number of central and peripheral responses such as uterine contractions and milk ejection. Additional evidence suggests that oxytocin regulates inflammatory processes in other tissues given the ubiquitous expression of the oxytocin receptor. The purpose of this study was to define the role of oxytocin in modulating human airway smooth muscle (HASMCs) function in the presence and absence of IL-13 and TNFalpha, cytokines known to be important in asthma. METHOD: Expression of oxytocin receptor in cultured HASMCs was performed by real time PCR and flow cytomery assays. Responses to oxytocin was assessed by fluorimetry to detect calcium signals while isolated tracheal rings and precision cut lung slices (PCLS) were used to measure contractile responses. Finally, ELISA was used to compare oxytocin levels in the bronchoalveloar lavage (BAL) samples from healthy subjects and those with asthma. RESULTS: PCR analysis demonstrates that OXTR is expressed in HASMCs under basal conditions and that both interleukin (IL)-13 and tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) stimulate a time-dependent increase in OXTR expression at 6 and 18 hr. Additionally, oxytocin increases cytosolic calcium levels in fura-2-loaded HASMCs that were enhanced in cells treated for 24 hr with IL-13. Interestingly, TNFalpha had little effect on oxytocin-induced calcium response despite increasing receptor expression. Using isolated murine tracheal rings and PCLS, oxytocin also promoted force generation and airway narrowing. Further, oxytocin levels are detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid derived from healthy subjects as well as from those with asthma. CONCLUSION: Taken together, we show that cytokines modulate the expression of functional oxytocin receptors in HASMCs suggesting a potential role for inflammation-induced changes in oxytocin receptor signaling in the regulation of airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma.

Histopathological confirmation of polyneuropathy in 11 dogs with laryngeal paralysis.

Acquired laryngeal paralysis (LP) is an important cause of upper airway obstruction in dogs. We hypothesize that LP may be part of a generalized polyneuropathy complex. Electro-diagnostic studies were performed in six dogs, and histopathological studies of muscle and nerve biopsies were obtained from 11 dogs diagnosed with acquired LP. Abnormalities in electrodiagnostic procedures were consistent with a generalized polyneuropathy. Loss of large-caliber nerve fibers and axonal degeneration were identified in nerve biopsies, and neurogenic atrophy was observed in muscle specimens. Abnormalities in electrodiagnostic studies and histopathology provide evidence that LP may be part of a generalized polyneuropathy. Establishing a diagnosis of a more involved disease process is relevant for long-term prognosis.

Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Hydrophobic Acrylic and Styrenic Polymers through Organic-Phase Photoiniferter-Mediated Polymerization.

As many physical properties of polymers scale with molecular weight, the ability to achieve polymers of nearly inaccessibly high molecular weight provides an opportunity to probe the upper size limit of macromolecular phenomena. Yet many of the most stimulating macromolecular designs remain out of reach of current ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polymer synthetic approaches. Herein, we show that UHMW polymers of diverse composition can be achieved by irradiation of thiocarbonylthio photoiniferters with long-wave ultraviolet or visible light in concentrated organic solution. This facile photopolymerization strategy is general to acrylic-, acrylamido-, methacrylic-, and styrenic-based monomers, enabling the synthesis of well-defined macromolecules with molecular weights in excess of 106 g/mol. The high chain-end fidelity afforded by photoiniferter polymerization conditions facilitated the design of UHMW amphiphilic block copolymers, which were found to self-assemble into micellar morphologies up to 200 nm in diameter.

Salmonella Enteritidis reduction in layer ceca with a Bacillus probiotic.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a significant foodborne pathogen that can often be traced to poultry and poultry products. This study aims to evaluate the ability of three commonly used non-antimicrobial feed additives in reducing the amount of SE in the ceca of laying type pullets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: On day 0, 60 Hy-Line Brown pullets aged 9 weeks were allocated to individual cages in 15 replicate blocks of four pens. Pullets were administered a mash feed provided ad libitum without supplementation (control) or with dietary supplementation of 454 g/ton yeast cell wall (YCW), or 454 g/ton Bacillus spp. probiotic, or 1133 g/ton yeast culture (YC). On day 3 of the trial, all birds were orally administered 3×107 CFU of a nalidixic acid-resistant SE. On day 10, 7 days after inoculation, all birds were humanely euthanized, and the ceca were aseptically removed for analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of SE among treatments. The mean quantity of SE detected in the ceca expressed in log10 most probable number/g was 2.52 in the control, 2.49 in the YCW treatment, 1.73 in the probiotic treatment, and 1.66 in the YC treatment. The reduction between control and probiotic and control and YC was significant (p=0.021). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the ability of the novel probiotic and the YC to reduce the load of SE in layer ceca.

Influence of an immune-modulatory feed supplement on performance and immune function of beef cows and calves preweaning.

The ability to positively alter immune and stress response with nutritional compounds is of great interest and importance to the beef industry. There is a proprietary product (OmniGen-AF [OG]; Phibro Animal Health, Quincy, IL) reported to have performance-enhancing benefits by altering animal response to stress and immune challenges. The objective of this 2-yr research project was to study the effect of supplementing OG to beef cows and their calves on breeding and growth performance. One hundred and twelve multiparous beef cows and 48 primiparous cows were randomly assigned to treatment in year 1; control (CON, no OG; n = 56 multiparous and 24 primiparous) or treatment (OG fed at 8.8 g/100 kg body weight [BW]; n = 56 multiparous and 24 primiparous). Multiparous cows (mean ± SD = 6.4 ± 0.4 yr; BW = 589 ± 9.2 kg; body condition score [BCS] 6.2 ± 0.07) were used in both years of the experiment and primiparous cows (mean ± SD = 2.1 ± 0.04 yr of age, weighed 400 ± 7.5 kg, and BSC of 5.6 ± 0.06) were only used in the first year of the experiment. CON and OG supplements were offered over two production cycles beginning in December approximately 60 d prior to projected calving through pre-breeding in May of each year. Calves from treatment cows were offered treatments in a creep supplement limited to a daily rate of 1% as-fed of BW prorated for 3-d/wk feeding from mid-July through weaning with OG offered at 8.8 g/100 kg BW. Primiparous cow's BW, BCS, and calf performance were not affected by treatment (P ≥ 0.15) in year 1. BW of multiparous OG cows tended (P = 0.10) to be heavier at weaning in year 1 and was greater (P = 0.05) at the onset of the experiment in year 2. Body condition of OG cows was greater (P ≤ 0.02) at weaning in both years 1 and 2, as well as at the onset of the experiment in year 2. Calves fed OG from the mature cows gained more (P = 0.05) BW during the creep feeding period than CON. Core body temperatures of OG heifers measured during the late summer with intravaginal temperature data loggers tended (P ≤ 0.10) to be less at 1400 and 1700 hours and were less (P = 0.05) at 1800 hours than CON heifers. Feeding OG did not result in changes (P = 0.25) in serum titer response to the BVD virus of calves during year 2. The results of the current experiment indicate feeding OG to beef cows and calves can result in improvement in BCS of cows, enhance weight gain of calves preweaning, and reduce heat loads in heifer calves during the late summer.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and inhaled steroids alter surfactant protein D (SP-D) levels: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Surfactant protein D (SP-D), an innate immune molecule, plays an important protective role during airway inflammation. Deficiency of this molecule induces emphysematous changes in murine lungs, but its significance in human COPD remains unclear. METHODS: We collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 20 subjects with varying degrees of COPD (8 former smokers and 12 current smokers) and 15 asymptomatic healthy control subjects (5 never smokers, 3 remote former smokers, and 7 current smokers). All subjects underwent a complete medical history and pulmonary function testing. SP-D was measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric methods and multivariable linear regression for control of confounding. The effect of corticosteroid treatment on SP-D synthesis was studied in vitro using an established model of isolated type II alveolar epithelial cell culture. RESULTS: Among former smokers, those with COPD had significantly lower SP-D levels than healthy subjects (median 502 and 1067 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.01). In a multivariable linear regression model controlling for age, sex, race, and pack-years of tobacco, COPD was independently associated with lower SP-D levels (model coefficient -539, p = 0.04) and inhaled corticosteroid use was independently associated with higher SP-D levels (398, p = 0.046). To support the hypothesis that corticosteroids increase SP-D production we used type II alveolar epithelial cells isolated from adult rat lungs. These cells responded to dexamethasone treatment by a significant increase of SP-D mRNA (p = 0.041) and protein (p = 0.037) production after 4 days of culture. CONCLUSION: Among former smokers, COPD is associated with lower levels of SP-D and inhaled corticosteroid use is associated with higher levels of SP-D in the lung. Dexamethasone induced SP-D mRNA and protein expression in isolated epithelial cells in vitro. Given the importance of this molecule as a modulator of innate immunity and inflammation in the lung, low levels may play a role in the pathogenesis and/or progression of COPD. Further, we speculate that inhaled steroids may induce SP-D expression and that this mechanism may contribute to their beneficial effects in COPD. Larger, prospective studies are warranted to further elucidate the role of surfactant protein D in modulating pulmonary inflammation and COPD pathogenesis.

Videoconferencing in a veterinary curriculum.

Videoconferencing is a powerful and versatile method for distance learning. Videoconferencing incorporates real-time video and audio into connections with distant sites and, when combined with simultaneous Internet transmission of high-resolution images, enables veterinary educators to expand the classroom to include students and faculty from remote sites. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) has used videoconferencing to deliver and receive entire courses, virtual rounds, seminars, journal clubs, and small meetings and for in-house transmission from one area of the campus to another. Responses from faculty and students at UTCVM indicate that videoconferencing technology will be a permanent part of the academic mission of the college for years to come. This article describes a number of veterinary school applications using distance-learning approaches that the authors hope will serve as examples upon which others can build.