Growth of Corynebacterium bovis in mammary secretions during physiological transitions of the bovine mammary gland

An in vitro microassay was used to evaluate growth of five strains of Corynebacterium bovis in mammary secretions collected from quarters of five Holstein cows at 0, 14, and 28 d of involution, at parturition, and 14 d after parturition. Variation in growth among different strains of Corynebacterium bovis was observed. Corynebacterium bovis grew well in mammary secretions obtained at the last milking of lactation, at parturition, and 14 d after parturition. However, growth of four strains of Corynebacterium bovis in mammary secretions obtained at 14 and 28 d of involution was reduced significantly. In contrast, a streptomycin-resistant strain of Corynebacterium bovis grew well in mammary secretions obtained during involution. These data suggest that mammary secretions support growth of Corynebacterium bovis during lactation but inhibit growth during the nonlactating period. Inhibition of growth in secretions collected during the nonlactating period may be associated with the high rate of spontaneous elimination of Corynebacterium bovis intramammary infection from cessation of milking to parturition. Conversely, enhanced growth in milk may be related to persistent Corynebacterium bovis intramammary infections during lactation.     

Giant Anomalous Hall and Nernst Conductivities in Magnetic All-d Metal Heusler Alloys

All-d Heuslers are a category of novel compounds combining versatile functionalities such as caloric responses and spintronics with enhanced mechanical properties. Despite the promising transport properties (anomalous Hall (AHC) and anomalous Nernst (ANC) conductivities) shown in the conventional Co₂XY Heuslers with p-d hybridization, the all-d Heuslers with only d-d hybridization open a new horizon to search for new candidates with outstanding transport properties. In this work, the AHC and ANC are evaluated for thermodynamically stable ferro/ferri-magnetic all-d-metal regular Heusler compounds based on high-throughput first-principles calculations. It is observed that quite a few materials exhibit giant AHCs and ANCs, such as cubic Re₂TaMn with an AHC of 2011 S cm^-1, and tetragonal Pt₂CrRh with an AHC of 1966 S cm^-1 and an ANC of 7.50 A m^-1K^-1. Comprehensive analysis on the electronic structure reveals that the high AHC can be attributed to the occurrence of the Weyl nodes or gapped nodal lines in the neighborhood of the Fermi level. The correlations between such transport properties and the number of valence electrons are also thoroughly investigated, which provides a practical guidance to tailor AHC and ANC via chemical doping for transverse thermoelectric applications.     

HIST: A hierarchical self test methodology for chips,boards, and systems

This article presents the HIST approach, which allows the automated insertion of self test hardware into hierarchically designed circuits and systems to implement the RUNBIST instruction of the IEEE 1149.1 standard. To achieve an optimal and throughout self testable system, the inherent design hierarchy is fully exploited. All chips and boards are provided with appropriate test controllers at each hierarchy level. The approach is able to detect all those faults, which are in the scope of the underlying self test algorithms. In this paper the hierarchical test architecture, the test controllers as well as all necessary synthesis procedures are presented. Finally a successful application of the HIST approach to a cryptography processor is described.     

An integrated 8-12 GHz fractional-N frequency synthesizer in SiGe BiCMOS for satellite communications

We present an integrated fractional-N low-noise frequency synthesizer for satellite applications. By using two integrated VCOs and combining digital and analog tuning techniques, a PLL lock range from 8 to 12 GHz is achieved. Due to a small VCO fine tuning gain and optimized charge pump output biasing, the phase noise is low and almost constant over the tuning range. All 16 sub-bands show a tuning range above 900 MHz each, allowing temperature compensation without sub-band switching. This makes the synthesizer robust against variations of the device parameters with process, supply voltage, temperature and aging. The measured phase noise is ?87 dBc/Hz and ?106 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and 1 MHz offset, respectively. In integer-N mode, phase noise values down to ?98 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and ?111 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, respectively, were measured.     

An improved BEM model for the power curve prediction of stall‐regulated wind turbines

Blade element momentum (BEM) theory is the standard computational technique for the prediction of power curves of wind turbines; it is based on the two‐dimensional aerodynamic properties of aerofoil blade elements and some corrections accounting for three‐dimensional wing aerodynamics. Although most BEM models yield acceptable results for low‐wind and pitch‐controlled regimes where the local angles of attack are small, no generally accepted model exists up to date that consistently predicts the power curve in the stall regime for a variety of blade properties and operating conditions. In this article we present a modified BEM model which satisfactorily reproduces the power curves of four experimental wind turbines reported in the literature, using no free fit parameters. Since these four experimental cases comprehend a great variety of conditions (wind tunnel vs field experiments, different air densities) and blade parameters (no twist and no taper, no taper but twist, both twist and taper, different aerofoil families), it is believed that our model represents a useful working tool for the aerodynamic design of stall‐regulated wind turbines. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The social costs of emotional suppression: A prospective study of the transition to college.

There is growing interest in understanding how emotion regulation affects adaptation. The present study examined expressive suppression (which involves inhibiting the overt expression of emotion) and how it affects a critical domain of adaptation, social functioning. This investigation focused on the transition to college, a time that presents a variety of emotional and social challenges. Analyses focused on 2 components of suppression: a stable component, representing individual differences expressed both before and after the transition, and a dynamic component, representing variance specific to the new college context. Both components of suppression predicted lower social support, less closeness to others, and lower social satisfaction. These findings were robustly corroborated across weekly experience reports, self-reports, and peer reports and are consistent with a theoretical framework that defines emotion regulation as a dynamic process shaped by both stable person factors and environmental demands. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characterization of GPVI- or GPVI-CD39-Coated Nanoparticles and Their Impact on In Vitro Thrombus Formation

Traditional antithrombotic agents commonly share a therapy-limiting side effect, as they increase the overall systemic bleeding risk. A novel approach for targeted antithrombotic therapy is nanoparticles. In other therapeutic fields, nanoparticles have enabled site-specific delivery with low levels of toxicity and side effects. Here, we paired nanotechnology with an established dimeric glycoprotein VI-Fc (GPVI-Fc) and a GPVI-CD39 fusion protein, thereby combining site-specific delivery and new antithrombotic drugs. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, NP-BSA, NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 were characterized through electron microscopy, atomic force measurements and flow cytometry. Light transmission aggregometry enabled analysis of platelet aggregation. Thrombus formation was observed through flow chamber experiments. NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 displayed a characteristic surface coating pattern. Fluorescence properties were identical amongst all samples. NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 significantly impaired platelet aggregation. Thrombus formation was significantly impaired by NP-GPVI and was particularly impaired by NP-GPVI-CD39. The receptor-coated nanoparticles NP-GPVI and the bifunctional molecule NP-GPVI-CD39 demonstrated significant inhibition of in vitro thrombus formation. Consequently, the nanoparticle-mediated antithrombotic effect of GPVI-Fc, as well as GPVI-CD39, and an additive impact of CD39 was confirmed. In conclusion, NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 may serve as a promising foundation for a novel therapeutic approach regarding targeted antithrombotic therapy.