On Secure Workflow Decentralisation on the Internet

Decentralised workflow management systems are a new research area, where most work to-date has focused on the system's overall architecture. As little attention has been given to the security aspects in such systems, we follow a security driven approach, and consider, from the perspective of available security building blocks, how security can be implemented and what new opportunities are presented when empowering the decentralised environment with modern distributed security protocols. Our research is motivated by a more general question of how to combine the positive enablers that email exchange enjoys, with the general benefits of workflow systems, and more specifically with the benefits that can be introduced in a decentralised environment. This aims to equip email users with a set of tools to manage the semantics of a message exchange, contents, participants and their roles in the exchange in an environment that provides inherent assurances of security and privacy. This work is based on a survey of contemporary distributed security protocols, and considers how these protocols could be used in implementing a distributed workflow management system with decentralised control . We review a set of these protocols, focusing on the required message sequences in reviewing the protocols, and discuss how these security protocols provide the foundations for implementing core control-flow, data, and resource patterns in a distributed workflow environment

Effects of dam prepartum supplement level on performance and reproduction of heifer progeny

Objectives were to determine the effect of dam prepartum supplement level on growth performance, feed efficiency and reproductive performance of female progeny (127 heifers in year 1, 138 heifers in year 2). Mature, multiparous, fall-calving, Angus × Simmental cows (initial age = 5.6 ± 1.9 years, BW = 623 ± 70 kg, BCS = 5.7 ± 0.7) were used in a completely randomised design that included three supplement levels: no supplement (NS), low supplement, 2.16 kg·cow−1·d−1 (LS), or high supplement, 8.61 kg·cow−1·d−1 (HS). Cows grazed endophyte-infected tall fescue/red clover pastures and were bunk-fed supplement (70% dried distiller’s grains plus solubles [DDGS] and 30% soybean hulls) 103 ± 11 d prepartum to 2 ± 11 d postpartum. Dam prepartum supplementation did not affect (p ≥ .60) heifer progeny BW at weaning, breeding, nor at pregnancy verification. Dam prepartum supplementation did not affect (p ≥ .18) heifer progeny AI conception rate, overall pregnancy rate, nor calving rate. Calving date, calf birth BW, percentage of unassisted births, milk production and calf BW at 73 ± 16 d of age were not different (p ≥ .24) among heifer progeny, regardless of dam supplement level. In conclusion, these data suggest within a fall-calving, fescue-based production system, supplementing dams with 2.16 or 8.61 kg·cow−1·d−1 of a DDGS-based supplement does not affect growth performance and reproductive performance of subsequent female progeny

Maternal Plane of Nutrition during Late Gestation and Weaning Age Alter Angus × Simmental Offspring Longissimus Muscle Transcriptome and Intramuscular Fat.

In model organisms both the nutrition of the mother and the young offspring could induce long-lasting transcriptional changes in tissues. In livestock, such changes could have important roles in determining nutrient use and meat quality. The main objective was to evaluate if plane of maternal nutrition during late-gestation and weaning age alter the offspring's Longissimus muscle (LM) transcriptome, animal performance, and metabolic hormones. Whole-transcriptome microarray analysis was performed on LM samples of early (EW) and normal weaned (NW) Angus × Simmental calves born to grazing cows receiving no supplement [low plane of nutrition (LPN)] or 2.3 kg high-grain mix/day [medium plane of nutrition (MPN)] during the last 105 days of gestation. Biopsies of LM were harvested at 78 (EW), 187 (NW) and 354 (before slaughter) days of age. Despite greater feed intake in MPN offspring, blood insulin was greater in LPN offspring. Carcass intramuscular fat content was greater in EW offspring. Bioinformatics analysis of the transcriptome highlighted a modest overall response to maternal plane of nutrition, resulting in only 35 differentially expressed genes (DEG). However, weaning age and a high-grain diet (EW) strongly impacted the transcriptome (DEG = 167), especially causing a lipogenic program activation. In addition, between 78 and 187 days of age, EW steers had an activation of the innate immune system due presumably to macrophage infiltration of intramuscular fat. Between 187 and 354 days of age (the "finishing" phase), NW steers had an activation of the lipogenic transcriptome machinery, while EW steers had a clear inhibition through the epigenetic control of histone acetylases. Results underscored the need to conduct further studies to understand better the functional outcome of transcriptome changes induced in the offspring by pre- and post-natal nutrition. Additional knowledge on molecular and functional outcomes would help produce more efficient beef cattle

Altered distribution, aggregation, and protease resistance of cellular prion protein following intracranial inoculation.

Prion protein (PrPC) is a protease-sensitive and soluble cell surface glycoprotein expressed in almost all mammalian cell types. PrPSc, a protease-resistant and insoluble form of PrPC, is the causative agent of prion diseases, fatal and transmissible neurogenerative diseases of mammals. Prion infection is initiated via either ingestion or inoculation of PrPSc or when host PrPC stochastically refolds into PrPSc. In either instance, the early events that occur during prion infection remain poorly understood. We have used transgenic mice expressing mouse PrPC tagged with a unique antibody epitope to monitor the response of host PrPC to prion inoculation. Following intracranial inoculation of either prion-infected or uninfected brain homogenate, we show that host PrPC can accumulate both intra-axonally and within the myelin membrane of axons suggesting that it may play a role in axonal loss following brain injury. Moreover, in response to the inoculation host PrPC exhibits an increased insolubility and protease resistance similar to that of PrPSc, even in the absence of infectious prions. Thus, our results raise the possibility that damage to the brain may be one trigger by which PrPC stochastically refolds into pathogenic PrPSc leading to productive prion infection

Glucose, adiponectin and insulin serum concentrations in Angus × Simmental steers from cows that received a low (LPN) or medium (MPN) plane of nutrition during the late gestation period.

<p>Weaning times are early wean (EW) and normal wean (NW). * Weaning, ** Diet, *** Time, # weaning × diet, ## weaning × time, ### diet × time and $ time × weaning × diet interaction effects (<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p

Composition of diet (DM basis) fed to early wean (EW) steers upon arrival to feedlot and prior to normal weaning¹ and feedlot diet fed to EW and normal wean (NW) steers after normal weaning.

<p>¹Age at weaning: EW = 78 ± 11 days of age; NW = 186 ± 11 days of age.</p><p>²MWDGS = Modified Wet Distillers Grains with Solubles.</p><p>³Trace Mineral Salt = 8.5% Ca (as CaCO3), 5% Mg (as MgO and MgSO4), 7.6% K (as KCl2), 6.7% Cl (as KCl2) 10% S (as S8, prilled), 0.5% Cu (as CuSO4 and Availa-4 (Zinpro Performance Minerals; Zinpro Corp, Eden Prairie, MN)), 2% Fe (as FeSO4), 3% Mn (as MnSO4 and Availa-4), 3% Zn (as ZnSO4 and Availa-4), 278 ppm Co (as Availa-4), 250 ppm I (as Ca(IO3)2), 150 Se (Na2SeO3), 2,205 KIU/kg Vit A(as retinyl acetate), 662.5 KIU/kg Vit D (as cholecalciferol), 22,047.5 IU/kg Vit E (as DL-α-tocopheryl acetate), and less than 1% CP, fat, crude fiber, salt.</p><p>⁴Rumensin 90 (198 g monensin/kg Rumensin 90; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN, USA).</p><p>⁵Tylosin 40 (88 g tylan/kg Tylosin 40; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN, USA).</p><p>Composition of diet (DM basis) fed to early wean (EW) steers upon arrival to feedlot and prior to normal weaning<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0131478#t001fn001" target="_blank">¹</a> and feedlot diet fed to EW and normal wean (NW) steers after normal weaning.</p

Symbol, entrez gene ID, log ratio expression value [low plane of nutrition (LPN) vs. medium plane of nutrition (MPN], type of molecule and localization in the cell for the 35 differentially expressed genes affected by cow plane of nutrition.

<p>¹Extracell. Space = extracellular space; Plasma Memb. = plasma membrane; G receptor = G protein coupled receptor.</p><p>²TR = transcription regulator; LDNR—ligand-dependent nuclear receptor; Transm. Receptor = transmembrane receptor.</p><p>Symbol, entrez gene ID, log ratio expression value [low plane of nutrition (LPN) vs. medium plane of nutrition (MPN], type of molecule and localization in the cell for the 35 differentially expressed genes affected by cow plane of nutrition.</p