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Abstract Elastic S-wave scattering of a charm meson with a light pseudoscalar meson in J P = 0+ is investigated in the flavour 3 ¯ $$ \overline{\textbf{3}} $$ , 6 and 15 ¯ $$ \overline{\textbf{15}} $$ sectors at the SU(3) f flavour point using lattice QCD, working on three volumes with m π ≈ 700 MeV. Large bases of interpolating operators are employed to extract finite-volume spectra, which are subsequently used with the Lüscher method to provide constraints on infinite-volume scattering amplitudes. Examining the singularities of the amplitudes, the S-wave amplitude in the flavour 3 ¯ $$ \overline{\textbf{3}} $$ sector is found to contain a deeply bound state, strongly coupled to elastic threshold, corresponding to the J P = 0 + D s 0 ∗ 2317 $$ {J}^P={0}^{+}\ {D}_{s0}^{\ast }(2317) $$ . In the exotic flavour 6 sector a virtual bound state is found at s pole $$ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{pole}}} $$ = 2510 – 2610 MeV, roughly 40 – 140 MeV below threshold, whereas the 15 ¯ $$ \overline{\textbf{15}} $$ channel shows weak repulsion.

Abstract Deciphering past climate variability in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP), the Earth’s largest heat and moisture centre, is vital for understanding the global climate system. Nevertheless, its long-term evolution remains controversial, largely due to ambiguities in existing proxy interpretations and discrepancies between records. Here, we present a weathering and erosion reconstruction from the WPWP spanning the last 140,000 years, based on the mineralogy and geochemistry of a sediment core from offshore of northern New Guinea. The paleo-weathering reconstruction is consistent with the simulated precipitation evolution on nearby islands, thereby suggesting a close coupling between climate variability and island weathering in a tropical setting. In addition, our combined data-model interpretation of WPWP climate history shows many similarities to the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) variability over orbital timescales. Overall, our study highlights the critical role of precession-paced interhemispheric energy redistribution, via the West Pacific meridional sea-surface pressure gradient, in linking orbital-scale WPWP climate and EASM variability.

Purpose: To assess whether the combination of en face OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) can capture observable, but subtle, structural changes that precede clinically evident retinal neovascularization (RNV) in eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Design: Retrospective, longitudinal study. Participants: Patients with DR that had at least 2 visits. Methods: We obtained wide-field OCTA scans of 1 eye from each participant and generated en face OCT, en face OCTA, and cross-sectional OCTA. We identified eyes with RNV sprouts, defined as epiretinal hyperreflective materials on en face OCT with flow signals breaching the internal limiting membrane on the cross-sectional OCTA without recognizable RNV on en face OCTA and RNV fronds, defined as recognizable abnormal vascular structures on the en face OCTA. We examined the corresponding location from follow-up or previous visits for the presence or progression of the RNV. Main Outcome Measures: The characteristics and longitudinal observation of early signs of RNV. Results: From 71 eyes, we identified RNV in 20 eyes with the combination of OCT and OCTA, of which 13 (65%) were photographically graded as proliferative DR, 6 (30%) severe nonproliferative DR, and 1 (5%) moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. From these eyes, we identified 38 RNV sprouts and 26 RNV fronds at the baseline. Thirty-four RNVs (53%) originated from veins, 24 (38%) were from intraretinal microabnormalities, and 6 (9%) were from a nondilated capillary bed. At the final visit, 53 RNV sprouts and 30 RNV fronds were detected. Ten eyes (50%) showed progression, defined as having a new RNV lesion or the development of an RNV frond from an RNV sprout. Four (11%) RNV sprouts developed into RNV fronds with a mean interval of 7.0 months. Nineteen new RNV sprouts developed during the follow-up, whereas no new RNV frond was observed outside an identified RNV sprout. The eyes with progression were of younger age (P = 0.014) and tended to be treatment naive (P = 0.07) compared with eyes without progression. Conclusions: Longitudinal observation demonstrated that a combination of en face OCT and cross-sectional OCTA can identify an earlier form of RNV before it can be recognized on en face OCTA. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Abstract Airborne mineral dust is sensitive to climatic changes, but its response to orbital forcing is still not fully understood. Here, we present a reconstruction of dust input to the Subarctic Pacific Ocean covering the past 190 kyr. The dust composition record is indicative of source moisture conditions, which were dominated by precessional variations. In contrast, the dust flux record is dominated by obliquity variations and displays an out‐of‐phase relationship with a dust record from the mid‐latitude North Pacific Ocean. Climate model simulations suggest precession likely drove changes in the aridity and extent of dust source regions. Additionally, the obliquity variations in dust flux can be explained by meridional shifts in the North Pacific westerly jet, driven by changes in the meridional atmospheric temperature gradient. Overall, our findings suggest that North Pacific dust input was primarily modulated by orbital‐controlled source aridity and the strength and position of the westerly winds.

Abstract The Last Interglacial (LIG: 130,000–115,000 years ago) was a period of warmer global mean temperatures and higher and more variable sea levels than the Holocene (11,700–0 years ago). Therefore, a better understanding of Antarctic ice-sheet dynamics during this interval would provide valuable insights for projecting sea-level change in future warming scenarios. Here we present a high-resolution record constraining ice-sheet changes in the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) of East Antarctica during the LIG, based on analysis of sediment provenance and an ice melt proxy in a marine sediment core retrieved from the Wilkes Land margin. Our sedimentary records, together with existing ice-core records, reveal dynamic fluctuations of the ice sheet in the WSB, with thinning, melting, and potentially retreat leading to ice loss during both early and late stages of the LIG. We suggest that such changes along the East Antarctic Ice Sheet margin may have contributed to fluctuating global sea levels during the LIG.

A shift in Central Asian dust supply with a reduced dominance of the Gobi Desert occurred during Pliocene global cooling, according to a combination of multi-proxy records from a Pacific ferromanganese crust and climate simulations.

Crotti et al. reconstructed the dynamics of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (Antarctica) during the past 350,000 years. Their study reveals that a portion of the East Antarctic ice sheet experienced an extensive retreat 330,000 years ago.

Using cold-water corals, this work identifies a deep outflow of Pacific waters via the Tasman Sea during the last ice age, thus highlighting the role of this area for the interoceanic exchange of water masses on climatic time scales.

We present 5–1 × 10 ^7 Å spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 12 M dwarf stars covering spectral types M0–M8. Our SEDs are provided for community use as a sequel to the Measurements of the Ultraviolet Spectral Characteristics of Low-mass Exoplanetary Systems (MUSCLES) survey. The 12 stars include eight known exoplanet hosts and four stars chosen to fill out key parameter space in spectral type and rotation period. The SEDs are constructed from Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopy and XMM Newton, Chandra, and/or Swift X-ray observations, and completed with various model data, including Ly α reconstructions, PHOENIX optical models, APEC coronal models, and differential emission measure models in the currently-unobservable extreme ultraviolet. We provide a complete overview of the Mega-MUSCLES program, including a description of the observations, models, and SED construction. The SEDs are available as MAST high-level science products and we describe the various data products here. We also present ensemble measurements from our sample that are of particular relevance to exoplanet science, including the high-energy fluxes in the habitable zone and the far-ultraviolet to near-ultraviolet ratio. Combined with MUSCLES, Mega-MUSCLES provides SEDs covering a wide range of M dwarf spectral types and ages such that suitable proxies for any M dwarf planet host of interest may be found in our sample. However, we find that ultraviolet and X-ray fluxes can vary even between stars with similar parameters, such that observations of each exoplanet host star will remain the gold standard for interpreting exoplanet atmosphere observations.

The characterization of young planets (

High- and low-latitude climatic processes in the North Pacific Ocean are important components of the global climate system. For example, the interplay among North Pacific atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, and biological productivity affects atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and marine oxygen concentrations. Here we review recent research on the North Pacific paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolution during the late Quaternary and its response to external forcings such as orbital insolation, ice-sheet extent, and greenhouse gas concentrations. First, we summarize the principles and application of relative paleointensity as a critical chronological tool in North Pacific paleoclimate research. Second, we illustrate the latest discoveries on the interaction between North Pacific Intermediate Water formation and high-to-low latitude teleconnection processes. Third, recent progress in linking dust fluxes and marine productivity and their global significance for the carbon cycle are presented. Finally, several key scientific problems are highlighted for future research on ocean-atmosphere-climate interactions in the North Pacific, pointing to the importance of combining paleo-records and modeling simulations. Overall, this review also aims to provide a broad insight into possible future changes of ocean-atmosphere circulation in the North Pacific region under a rapidly warming climate.

Abstract Deep atmospheric convection in the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) represents a major source of heat and moisture, thereby affecting the global climate, but its past changes remain debated. Here, we present sub‐millennial clay mineralogy and elemental records spanning the last 40 Kyr from within the IPWP. From these data, we infer millennial‐scale fluctuations in precipitation, with generally lower precipitation during Heinrich Stadials 1–4, corresponding to El Niño‐like conditions. Higher precipitation coincided with the warm interstadials, accompanied by La Niña‐like conditions. Moreover, our record indicates the lowest precipitation occurred during the late Holocene, supporting the hypothesis of a stronger‐than‐modern Walker circulation during the Last Glacial Maximum. In combination with other proxy records and TraCE‐21 modeling results, we recognize a distinct spatial heterogeneity of precipitation within the IPWP, resulting from the dominant influences of the ENSO‐like system and migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the eastern and western IPWP, respectively.

Purpose: To report a case of recurrent malignant melanoma suspected to have arisen from intrascleral melanocytic cells. Observations: En bloc removal of melanoma was performed with iridocyclectomy in a 46-year-old Caucasian male. Histopathologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of malignant melanoma in the subconjunctival space, which was presumed to have arisen from the sclera and extended both intraocularly and subconjunctivally. 15 years later, a pigmented limbal lesion near the site of the previous iridocyclectomy was excised by lamellar sclerectomy. Histopathology showed a proliferation of pigment-containing cells with atypical nuclei consistent with recurrent melanoma. Conclusions and Importance: We report a case of recurrent melanoma that we suspect arose from intrascleral melanocytes, extended both intraocularly and subconjunctivally, and recurred 15 years following initial excision.

Abstract Evidence on West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) instability through Pleistocene glacial/interglacial cycles can provide fundamental constraints on interactions between the climate system and cryosphere. To explore such ice sheet‐ocean‐climate processes on orbital timescales over the last ∼770 ka, we provide continuous records of iceberg‐rafted debris (IRD) content and clay mineralogy, supported by detrital Sr‐Nd isotopes from the pronounced IRD peaks, in gravity core ANT34/A2‐10 from the Amundsen abyssal plain. The IRD record reveals interglacial WAIS instability since ∼770 ka, while comparison to the clay mineralogy record and published records of regional oceanic and atmospheric forcing suggests a temporal link with a strengthened Antarctic Circumpolar Current, enhanced deepwater ventilation, and poleward‐shifted southern westerly winds. In addition, the Sr‐Nd isotope signature of the detrital sediments indicates a shift in provenance around Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 16, potentially linked to regional oceanic circulation changes. We suggest that an expanded Ross Gyre was important for controlling iceberg trajectories and sediment transport to the site before MIS 16, whereas modern‐like iceberg trajectories were established after MIS 16, probably related to a poleward shift of the Amundsen Sea Low after the end of the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition. This reorganization of the ocean and atmospheric circulation was followed by an interval of enhanced WAIS variability during MIS 15 to 13, which was linked to strong orbital and ocean forcing. These insights into the role of ocean‐atmosphere forcing on the past behavior of the WAIS may improve our framework for understanding future changes in this region.

Abstract Isospin-1/2 Dπ scattering amplitudes are computed using lattice QCD, working in a single volume of approximately (3.6 fm)3 and with a light quark mass corresponding to m π ≈ 239 MeV. The spectrum of the elastic Dπ energy region is computed yielding 20 energy levels. Using the Lüscher finite-volume quantisation condition, these energies are translated into constraints on the infinite-volume scattering amplitudes and hence enable us to map out the energy dependence of elastic Dπ scattering. By analytically continuing a range of scattering amplitudes, a D 0 ∗ $$ {D}_0^{\ast } $$ resonance pole is consistently found strongly coupled to the S-wave Dπ channel, with a mass m ≈ 2200 MeV and a width Γ ≈ 400 MeV. Combined with earlier work investigating the D s 0 ∗ $$ {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$ , and D 0 ∗ $$ {D}_0^{\ast } $$ with heavier light quarks, similar couplings between each of these scalar states and their relevant meson-meson scattering channels are determined. The mass of the D 0 ∗ $$ {D}_0^{\ast } $$ is consistently found well below that of the D s 0 ∗ $$ {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$ , in contrast to the currently reported experimental result.

Abstract Elastic scattering amplitudes for I = 0 DK and I = 0, 1 D K ¯ $$ D\overline{K} $$ are computed in S, P and D partial waves using lattice QCD with light-quark masses corresponding to m π = 239 MeV and m π = 391 MeV. The S-waves contain interesting features including a near-threshold J P = 0+ bound state in I = 0 DK, corresponding to the D s 0 ∗ $$ {D}_{s0}^{\ast } $$ (2317), with an effect that is clearly visible above threshold, and suggestions of a 0+ virtual bound state in I = 0 D K ¯ $$ D\overline{K} $$ . The S-wave I = 1 D K ¯ $$ D\overline{K} $$ amplitude is found to be weakly repulsive. The computed finite-volume spectra also contain a deeply-bound D * vector resonance, but negligibly small P -wave DK interactions are observed in the energy region considered; the P and D-wave D K ¯ $$ D\overline{K} $$ amplitudes are also small. There is some evidence of 1+ and 2+ resonances in I = 0 DK at higher energies.

The high-energy X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields of exoplanet host stars play a crucial role in controlling the atmospheric conditions and the potential habitability of exoplanets. Major surveys of the X-ray/UV emissions from late-type (K and M spectral types) exoplanet hosts have been conducted by the Measurements of the Ultraviolet Spectral Characteristics of Low-mass Exoplanetary systems (MUSCLES) and Mega-MUSCLES Hubble Space Telescope Treasury programs. These samples primarily consist of relatively old, “inactive,” low-mass stars. In this paper we present results from X-ray observations of the coronal emission from these stars obtained using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the XMM-Newton Observatory, and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The stars effectively sample the coronal activity of low-mass stars over a wide range of masses and ages. The vast majority (21 of 23) of the stars are detected and their X-ray luminosities measured. Short-term flaring variability is detected for most of the fully convective ( M ≤ 0.35 M _⊙ ) stars but not for the more massive M dwarfs during these observations. Despite this difference, the mean X-ray luminosities for these two sets of M dwarfs are similar, with more massive (0.35 M _⊙ ≤ M ≤ 0.6 M _⊙ ) M dwarfs at ∼5 × 10 ^26 erg s ^−1 compared to ∼2 × 10 ^26 erg s ^−1 for fully convective stars older than 1 Gyr. Younger, fully convective M dwarfs have X-ray luminosities between 3 and 6 × 10 ^27 erg s ^−1 . The coronal X-ray spectra have been characterized and provide important information that is vital for the modeling of the stellar EUV spectra.

X-ray through infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are essential for understanding a star’s effect on exoplanet atmospheric composition and evolution. We present a catalog of panchromatic SEDs, hosted on the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, for 11 exoplanet-hosting stars that have guaranteed JWST observation time as part of the ERS or GTO programs but have no previous UV characterization. The stars in this survey range from spectral type F4-M6 (0.14–1.57 M _☉ ), rotation periods of 4–132 days, and ages of approximately 0.5–11.4 Gyr. The SEDs are composite spectra using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton, the Hubble Space Telescope, BT-Settl stellar atmosphere models, and scaled spectra of proxy stars of similar spectral type and activity. From our observations, we have measured a set of UV and X-ray fluxes as indicators of stellar activity level. We compare the chromospheric and coronal activity indicators of our exoplanet-hosting stars to the broader population of field stars and find that a majority of our targets have activity levels lower than the average population of cool stars in the solar neighborhood. This suggests that using SEDs of stars selected from exoplanet surveys to compute generic exoplanet atmosphere models may underestimate the typical host star’s UV flux by an order of magnitude or more, and consequently, that the observed population of exoplanetary atmospheres receive lower high-energy flux levels than the typical planet in the solar neighborhood.

Purpose: To report 3 cases of corneal protein deposition occurring in association with systemic disease, with one case demonstrating a novel technique for clearing corneal deposits. Observations: Three patients presented with corneal deposits associated with systemic disease. Corneal involvement was noted prior to diagnosis of systemic disease in two patients, leading to subsequent diagnosis of multiple myeloma or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. OCT revealed protein deposition at various corneal levels, including at different stromal depths in the two cases of multiple myeloma. A novel technique of posterior endothelial scraping was performed in one case with deep stromal deposits, leading to significant corneal clearing. Conclusions and Importance: This case series demonstrates that recognition of corneal deposits may precede the diagnosis of systemic disease. It incorporates the use of anterior segment OCT to characterize corneal deposits, and demonstrates a novel surgical technique for clearing certain types corneal deposits. Keywords: Crystalline keratopathy, Deposition keratopathy, Paraproteinemia, Corneal pathology, Anterior segment optical coherence tomography, Multiple myeloma

This retrospective case series summarized the primary causes of death in 857 dairy cattle necropsied from 2008 to 2019 at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, from dairy farms in Utah (76%), Idaho (16%) or other states (8%), primarily in the U.S. Intermountain West. Of cattle with age provided, 74% matched with body weight based estimates for those with no age stated. Cattle ranged from fetuses at 60 days of gestation to 9 years old. Primary cause of mortality was diagnosed in 833 cattle (97%); no cause was evident in 24 cattle (3%). Sexes were female 620 (72%), male 214 (25%), not recorded 23 (3%). Seven diseases killed 80% of the animals: gastrointestinal disease (most enteritis/colitis) 318 (37%); pneumonia 166 (19%); abortion 96 (11%), peritonitis 30 (4%), omphalophlebitis (navel ill) 27 (3%), abomasitis 23 (3%), and metritis 23 (3%). Etiologic agents and specific causes varied with age categories of the animals. Young calves that died from dystocia, omphalophlebitis, or congenital abnormality often presented with no suspicion of those causes by the owners because of no external signs. Some important fatal diseases of adult dairy cows that are often diagnosed ante-mortem were diagnosed at necropsy with no suspicion by those submitting the carcasses: metritis, hardware disease, and displaced abomasum. Multicentric lymphoma was a relatively important cause of death in cows more than 4 years old. Despite use of a toxicology laboratory, toxicity was only diagnosed as causing 1% of the deaths across all ages of dairy cattle. There were numerous other causes of mortality diagnosed as well. Necropsy is a vital tool to diagnose causes of death in dairy cattle and can guide changes in management or preventive practices to reduce the rate of deaths in dairy herds.

Abstract The ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio derived from X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning holds potential as a high‐resolution tracer for grain‐size variations of glaciomarine sediments, and hence current strength. To evaluate this approach, we conducted high‐resolution grain‐size measurements, together with Rb and Zr measurements by XRF core scanning and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), on a series of sediment cores from different regions of the Southern Ocean. Downcore changes of the ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio from XRF core scanning are consistent with Zr/Rb concentration ratios derived from ICP‐MS analyses, even though Rb and Zr counts deviate significantly from concentrations due to specimen and matrix effects. The ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio displays discrepancies with the bulk mean grain‐size, but correlates well with the mean grain‐size of the sediment fractions that do not include unsorted sand delivered by ice‐rafting. These observations are supported by evidence from a grain‐size separation experiment, which indicates that Zr and Rb are concentrated in different grain‐size fractions. Consistent with its lack of sensitivity to coarse grain‐size fractions derived from ice‐rafting, the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio records similar trends to the sortable silt percent (SS%) and sortable silt mean (SS¯) grain‐size. Universal gradients exist in plots of SS% versus ln(Zr/Rb), and SS¯ versus ln(Zr/Rb), such that the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio provides a convenient way to estimate the magnitude of changes in SS% and SS¯. Overall, our results support the use of the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio as an indicator of bottom current strength in cases where the sediment is current‐sorted.

Abstract We present the first determination of ρπ scattering, incorporating dynamically-coupled partial-waves, using lattice QCD, a first-principles numerical approach to QCD. Considering the case of isospin-2 ρπ, we calculate partial-wave amplitudes with J ≤ 3 and determine the degree of dynamical mixing between the coupled S and D-wave channels with J P = 1+. The analysis makes use of the relationship between scattering amplitudes and the discrete spectrum of states in the finite volume lattice. Constraints on the scattering amplitudes are provided by over one hundred energy levels computed on two lattice volumes at various overall momenta and in several irreducible representations of the relevant symmetry groups. The spectra follow from variational analyses of matrices of correlations functions computed with large bases of meson-meson operators. Calculations are performed with degenerate light and strange quarks tuned to the physical strange quark mass so that m π ∼ 700 MeV, ensuring that the ρ is stable against strong decay. This work demonstrates the successful application of techniques, opening the door to calculations of scattering processes that incorporate the effects of dynamically-coupled partial-waves, including those involving resonances or bound states.

Purpose: We report a case of ophthalmomyiasis interna successfully removed in toto with pars plana vitrectomy. Observations: An 84-year-old woman with recent close contact with lambs presented with a new floater. Examination revealed subretinal tracks pathognomonic for ophthalmomyiasis and a larva suspended in the vitreous. The larva was successfully removed in toto with pars plana vitrectomy by aspiration through the vitreous cutter. Conclusions and importance: Aspiration with pars plana vitrectomy can be considered a primary therapeutic modality for botfly larvae suspended in the vitreous. In our case, in toto removal of the larvae reduced the risk of inflammatory reaction.

Purpose: To report a case of age-related hypertrophy of the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (ARH-NPCE) clinically resembling a ciliary body melanoma and report the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings associated with this lesion. Observations: A 51-year-old male was referred for evaluation of a deeply pigmented ciliary body mass with extension through the iris root. Iridocyclectomy was performed due to concern for ciliary body melanoma. Histopathologic analysis was instead consistent with ARH-NPCE, also known as Fuchs' adenoma. Prior to surgery, OCTA images revealed abnormal vasculature in the area of the lesion. Vessels in the peripheral iris approaching the lesion appeared more tortuous and were non-radial as compared with normal iris vessels. The ciliary body mass itself could not be penetrated using an OCTA system operating at 1050 nm. Conclusions and importance: ARH-NPCE may clinically resemble a pigmented ciliary body melanoma. This is the second case describing this clinical scenario, which may be more common than previously thought. Non-invasive imaging with OCTA revealed an abnormal peripheral iris vasculature pattern in the area of the iridociliary mass characterized by disorganized, tortuous, and non-radial vessels. Despite advances in longer wavelength OCTA systems, poor penetration of the ciliary body lesion precluded imaging of the intratumoral vessels in this location.

Alternatives to routine antibiotic treatment of dairy cattle during the dry period before their next calving are of interest. This was a preliminary study of whether intramammary infusion of casein hydrolysate, administered alone or combined with standard dry treatment, accelerated the rate of mammary involution early in the dry period. Four treatments were studied in a split udder design. One udder half was assigned a treatment, and the contralateral half was administered dry cow treatment + internal teat sealant as a control. Treatments were casein hydrolysate, casein hydrolysate + dry cow treatment, casein hydrolysate + teat sealant and casein hydrolysate + dry cow treatment + teat sealant. Cows (n = 16) were blocked by a number of intramammary infections per udder half (0 or 1+) and randomized to treatments. Milk production was not different between control or treated udder halves post-calving. A generalized linear mixed model tested for differences between the treatment groups in the concentration of mammary involution indicators in milk: somatic cell count, bovine lactoferrin and bovine serum albumin. At 7 days, dry udder halves treated with casein hydrolysate had higher milk concentrations of lactoferrin than those treated with casein hydrolysate + dry cow treatment, casein hydrolysate + teat sealant and control. At 10 days dry, bovine serum albumin was higher in udder halves treated with casein hydrolysate than in those treated with casein hydrolysate + dry cow treatment, casein hydrolysate + dry cow treatment + teat sealant and control. Post-calving, casein hydrolysate-treated udder halves produced 51% of total milk, unchanged from before dry-off. There were seven total intramammary infections entering the dry period, all caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Cure rates (3/7, 43%) were not different among all treatments and control, partly because of the small sample size. Intramammary infusion of casein hydrolysate at the end of lactation may be an alternative or possible adjunct to antibiotic dry cow therapy.

Cervical region lymph nodes collected by hunters from 43 wild hunter-harvested elk (Cervus elaphus) in Utah were submitted to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory during fall 2009. We evaluated these lymph nodes as specimens for identification of bacterial pathogens using 16S rRNA genetic sequencing. Thirty-seven bacterial species were identified; each was found in 2 to 30 individual elk. Many common ruminant livestock pathogens were identified in elk; pathogens previously reported in elk were Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus spp. Cervical region lymph nodes harvested from wild ruminants appear to be acceptable samples for genetic sequencing of bacteria.

In December 2008, near Flaming Gorge Reservoir in northeastern Utah, a 2 ½-year-old male Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) was reported in poor body condition with bloody lesions covering the muzzle area. The sheep was euthanized, and samples were submitted to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The gross and microscopic lesions confirmed the diagnosis of contagious ecthyma (CE). This is the first documented report of CE in bighorn sheep from Utah.

Letter to the Editor