Japanese Yew (Taxus) poisoning of wild ungulates in Utah during the winter of 2022-2023.

Taxus is a genus of coniferous shrubs and trees, commonly known as the yews, in the family Taxaceae. All species of yew contain taxine alkaloids, which are ascribed as the toxic principles. Anecdotally, free ranging ruminants such as antelope, deer, elk, and moose have been regarded as tolerant to yew.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer of the Fusarium graminearum Tri6 gene into barley using mature seed-derived shoot tips as explants.

We transferred the Tri6 gene into the elite barley GemCraft via new transformation method through shoot organogenesis and identified the rearrangements of transgenes and phenotypic variations in the transgenic plants. Despite its agronomic and economic importance, barley transformation is still very challenging for many elite varieties. In this study, we used direct shoot organogenesis to transform the elite barley cultivar GemCraft with the RNAi constructs containing Tri6 gene of Fusarium graminearum, which causes fusarium head blight (FHB).

Incidence and Predictors of Subsidence Using Modular, Tapered, Fluted Titanium Femoral Stems in Aseptic Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Background: Tapered, fluted titanium (TFT) femoral stems have become the gold standard in revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA). However, there is a paucity of data on TFT stem subsidence rates following aseptic rTHA. Subsidence can lead to instability, mechanical failure, leg-length discrepancy, and may require revision surgery.

Fungal biotechnology: From yesterday to tomorrow.

Fungi have been used to better the lives of everyday people and unravel the mysteries of higher eukaryotic organisms for decades. However, comparing progress and development stemming from fungal research to that of human, plant, and bacterial research, fungi remain largely understudied and underutilized. Recent commercial ventures have begun to gain popularity in society, providing a new surge of interest in fungi, mycelia, and potential new applications of these organisms to various aspects of research.

DNA Markers, Pathogenicity Test, and Multilocus Sequence Analysis to Differentiate and Characterize Cereal-Specific Strains.

contains a group of bacterial pathogens that are closely related and have been divided into several pathovars based on their host range. pv. (Xtu) and pv.

Genetic and physical localization of a major susceptibility gene to Pyrenophora teres f. maculata in barley.

Genetic characterization of a major spot form net blotch susceptibility locus to using linkage mapping to identify a candidate gene and user-friendly markers in barley. Spot form net blotch (SFNB), caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. maculata (Ptm), is an economically important foliar diseases in barley.

Comparative early histologic healing quality of magnetic versus stapled small bowel anastomosis.

Background: Successful anastomotic healing is critical to preventing complications after intestinal surgery. We aimed to compare the early healing of end-to-end small bowel anastomosis by self-forming magnets with surgical stapling in a porcine model.

Method: Six Yorkshire pigs underwent 2 simultaneous small bowel anastomoses using a circular stapler and self-forming magnet technique.

Why Do Plant-Pathogenic Fungi Produce Mycotoxins? Potential Roles for Mycotoxins in the Plant Ecosystem.

For many plant-pathogenic or endophytic fungi, production of mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans, may present a fitness gain. However, associations between mycotoxin production and plant pathogenicity or virulence is inconsistent and difficult due to the complexity of these host-pathogen interactions and the influences of environmental and insect factors. Aflatoxin receives a lot of attention due to its potent toxicity and carcinogenicity but the connection between aflatoxin production and pathogenicity is complicated by the pathogenic ability and prevalence of nonaflatoxigenic isolates in crops.

Complete Genomes of Two Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens Strains Isolated from Barley in North Dakota.

Xanthomonas translucens causes the disease bacterial leaf streak in several cereal crops and grasses. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of two isolates of X. translucens pv.

Evaluation of sutureless anastomosis after ileostomy takedown using the self-forming magnet anastomosis system in a porcine model.

Background: Current standard of care for creation of small bowel anastomoses after a loop ileostomy reversal includes the use of stapler devices and sutures. Compression anastomosis devices have been used for decades, aimed toward improved outcomes with a "staple free" & "suture free" anastomosis. The self-forming magnet (SFM) device is a type of compression anastomosis device used to safely and effectively create an end-to-end small bowel anastomosis without the localized inflammatory response seen with sutures or staples, as no foreign bodies are left behind.

An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 with high mortality in mink (Neovison vison) on multiple Utah farms.

The breadth of animal hosts that are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and may serve as reservoirs for continued viral transmission are not known entirely. In August 2020, an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 occurred on five mink farms in Utah and was associated with high mink mortality (35-55% of adult mink) and rapid viral transmission between animals. The premise and clinical disease information, pathology, molecular characterization, and tissue distribution of virus within infected mink during the early phase of the outbreak are provided.

Detection of asinine gammaherpesviruses in association with pulmonary fibrosis in free-ranging donkeys.

A mortality event among recently captured feral donkeys () occurred in south-central Utah in 2016. The deaths were sporadic, and clinical signs were indicative of respiratory disease, likely associated with an infectious etiology. Ten of 13 donkeys autopsied had moderate-to-severe interstitial fibrosing pneumonia, and one had pyogranulomatous pneumonia.

Genetic mapping of host resistance to the Pyrenophora teres f. maculata isolate 13IM8.3.

Spot form net blotch (SFNB), caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. maculata (Ptm), is a foliar disease of barley that results in significant yield losses in major growing regions worldwide. Understanding the host-parasite interactions between pathogen virulence/avirulence genes and the corresponding host susceptibility/resistance genes is important for the deployment of genetic resistance against SFNB.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a Free-Ranging American Black Bear (Ursus americanus).

We necropsied an American black bear (Ursus americanus) from central Utah, US and found several liters of cloudy fluid and multiple white nodules in the peritoneal cavity. Histopathologic examination and staining with pancytokeratin and vimentin markers identified a peritoneal mesothelioma. Mesothelioma has not been reported previously in black bears.

Deletion of the benzoxazinoid detoxification gene NAT1 in Fusarium graminearum reduces deoxynivalenol in spring wheat.

Benzoxazinoid (Bx) metabolites produced by wheat and other members of the Poaceae have activity against Fusarium sp. that cause cereal diseases including Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat and barley. Certain Bx metabolites can be detoxified by Fusarium sp.

Silencing efficiency of dsRNA fragments targeting Fusarium graminearum TRI6 and patterns of small interfering RNA associated with reduced virulence and mycotoxin production.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of cereal grains caused by Fusarium head blight may be addressed by future RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene silencing approaches. However, utilizing these approaches will require a greater understanding of the principles that govern RNAi effectiveness in the pathogen Fusarium graminearum. RNAi in higher eukaryotes, including fungi, involves processing double stranded RNA (dsRNA) into small interfering RNA (siRNA) that silence gene expression based on base pair complementarity.

The Art of Science Communication-A Novel Approach to Science Communication Training.

Effective communication is a requisite skill for scientists. However, formalized training in this area is often unavailable for members of the scientific community. As one approach to combat this problem, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) developed The Art of Science Communication, an eight-week-long online course that provides facilitated instruction on how to communicate science in an oral format.

HAEMOPROTEUS ( PARAHAEMOPROTEUS) SPP. IN CAPTIVE-BRED BOBWHITE QUAIL ( COLINUS VIRGINIANUS) IN SOUTHERN UTAH, USA.

A captive-bred Bobwhite Quail ( Colinus virginianus) ranch in southern Utah, US experienced high mortality rates in the late summer and fall of 2012. Nine juvenile birds were necropsied at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Gross lesions included pale skeletal muscle with multifocal hemorrhages and petechiae in the air sacs and serosal surfaces of most organs.

Sharing mutants and experimental information prepublication using FgMutantDb (https://scabusa.org/FgMutantDb).

There is no comprehensive storage for generated mutants of Fusarium graminearum or data associated with these mutants. Instead, researchers relied on several independent and non-integrated databases. FgMutantDb was designed as a simple spreadsheet that is accessible globally on the web that will function as a centralized source of information on F.

Healing comparison of porcine cutaneous incisions made with cold steel scalpel, standard electrosurgical blade, and a novel tissue dissector.

Background: Standard electrosurgery provides superior hemostasis compared to a cold steel scalpel, but inferior tissue healing. A novel electrosurgical blade with an advanced waveform, the MEGADYNE ACE BLADE™ 700 Soft Tissue Dissector (ACE), was designed to provide both excellent hemostasis and wound healing. This study compared ACE to scalpel and standard electrosurgery in a porcine model of wound healing.

Association of prospective lower extremity musculoskeletal injury and musculoskeletal, balance, and physiological characteristics in Special Operations Forces.

Objectives: Previous research has examined lower extremity (LE) musculoskeletal injury (MSI) patterns and risk factors in Special Operations Forces (SOF) trainees, conventional military personnel, and athletes; however, it is unclear if SOF have the same patterns/risk factors. This study aimed to determine the association of musculoskeletal, balance, and physiological characteristics with LE MSI in SOF.

Design: Cohort study.

Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries sustained by Naval Special Forces Operators and students.

Objectives: The aim of this analysis was to describe the incidence and common types of medical chart-reviewed musculoskeletal injuries, among four distinct groups of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) personnel: Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Operators, SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) students, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) Operators, and Crewman Qualification Training (CQT) students.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for 920 NSW personnel.

A High-Throughput RNA Extraction for Sprouted Single-Seed Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Rich in Polysaccharides.

Germinated seed from cereal crops including barley ( L.) is an important tissue to extract RNA and analyze expression levels of genes that control aspects of germination. These tissues are rich in polysaccharides and most methods for RNA extraction are not suitable to handle the excess polysaccharides.