Helmsdaugaard3499

Soybean production in the Upper Midwest of the United States is affected by Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and genetic resistance is an important management strategy for this disease. However, assessing genetic resistance to S. learn more sclerotiorum is challenging, because a standardized method to examine resistance across genotypes is lacking. Using a panel of nine diverse S. sclerotiorum isolates, four soybean lines were assessed for reproducible responses to S. sclerotiorum infection. Significant differences in SSR severity were found across isolates (P less then 0.01) and soybean lines (P less then 0.01), including one susceptible, two moderately resistant, and one highly resistant line. These four validated lines were used to screen 11 other soybean genotypes to evaluate their resistance levels, and significant differences were found across genotypes (P less then 0.01). Among these 11 genotypes, five commercial and public cultivars displayed high resistance and were assessed in field studies across the Upper Midwest growing region for their response to SSR and yield. These five cultivars resulted in low disease levels (P less then 0.01) in the field which were consistent with greenhouse experiments. Yield was significantly different in fields with disease present (P less then 0.01) and disease absent (P less then 0.01), and the order of cultivar performance was consistent between environments where disease was present or absent suggesting resistance prevented yield loss to disease. This study suggests the use of a soybean check panel can accurately assess SSR resistance in soybean germplasm and aid in breeding and commercial soybean development.Local peer observation of teaching is considered an important mechanism for instructors to improve the quality and effectiveness of their teaching, but there is an absence of uniformity to establish a best practice for this process in veterinary curricula. The Regional Teaching Academy (RTA) of the Consortium of Western Colleges of Veterinary Medicine is comprised of educational advocates from five western veterinary colleges with a common goal of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education in veterinary medical curricula. Members of the RTA recognized this deficit in best practices for local peer observation (LPO) and formed a working group called "Local Peer Observation of Teaching." The goal was to meet a critical need for the enhancement of individual teaching skills by using a scholarly approach to develop robust methods for peer observation of teaching. Two rubric-based instruments were developed one for large-group/didactic settings, and the second for small-group/clinical settings. Each is accompanied by pre- and post-observation worksheets which are considered instrumental to success. Results of a qualitative survey of instrument users' experiences are shared. Both observers and observees view the experiential learning from faculty peer colleagues very positively and the meaningful feedback is appreciated and incorporated by observees. Suggestions for implementation of the peer observation process are discussed, considering strengths and challenges. The purpose of this article is to describe in depth, the development process and output of the efforts of the Local Peer Observation of Teaching working group as a potential best practice guideline for peer observation.Limitations in workforce size and access to resources remain perennial challenges to greater progress in academic veterinary medicine and engagement between human and veterinary medicine (One Health). Ongoing resource constraints occur in part due to limited public understanding of the role veterinarians play in improving human health. One Health interactions, particularly through interdisciplinary collaborations in biomedical research, present constructive opportunities to inform resource policies and advance health care. To this end, inter-institutional partnerships between individual veterinary medical education programs (VMEPs) and several National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural research programs have created synergies beyond those provided by individual programs. In the NIH Comparative Biomedical Scientist Training Program (CBSTP), interdisciplinary cross-training of veterinarians consisting of specialty veterinary medicine coupled with training in human disease research leading to a PhD, occurs collaboratively on both VMEP and NIH campuses. Pre-doctoral veterinary student research opportunities have also been made available. Through the CBSTP, NIH investigators and national biomedical science policy makers gain access to veterinary perspective and expertise, while veterinarians obtain additional opportunities for NIH-funded research training. CBSTP Fellows serve as de facto ambassadors enhancing visibility for the profession while in residence at NIH, and subsequently through a variety of university, industry, and government research appointments, as graduates. Thus, the CBSTP represents an inter-institutional opportunity that not only addresses critical needs for veterinarian-scientists in the biomedical workforce, but also simultaneously exposes national policy makers to veterinarian-scientists' specialized training, leading to more effective realization of One Health goals to benefit human and animal health.Veterinary educators strive to prepare graduates for a variety of career options with the skills and knowledge to use and contribute to research as part of their lifelong practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM). In the veterinary curriculum, students should receive a grounding in research and EBVM, as well as have the opportunity to consider research as a career. Seeing a lack of a cohesive body of information that identified the options and the challenges inherent to embedding such training in veterinary curricula, an international group was formed with the goal of synthesizing evidence to help curriculum designers, course leaders, and teachers implement educational approaches that will inspire future researchers and produce evidence-based practitioners. This article presents a literature review of the rationale, issues, and options for research and EBVM in veterinary curricula. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 key stakeholders across the eight Council for International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) regions.