The ear as a biometric

It is more than 10 years since the first tentative experiments in ear biometrics were conducted and it has now reached the “adolescence” of its development towards a mature biometric. Here we present a timely retrospective of the ensuing research since those early days. Whilst its detailed structure may not be as complex as the iris, we show that the ear has unique security advantages over other biometrics. It is most unusual, even unique, in that it supports not only visual and forensic recognition, but also acoustic recognition at the same time. This, together with its deep three-dimensional structure and its robust resistance to change with age will make it very difficult to counterfeit thus ensuring that the ear will occupy a special place in situations requiring a high degree of protection

The Effects of Oral Antibiotic Therapy on Productivity and Immune Function Following Challenge with E. coli and Rotavirus

Early weaning programs have been aimed at the control and elimination of respiratory infections in the young pig. Segregation from their dams at less than 21 days, batch rearing with all-in and all-out by room, building, or site, and proper biosecurity (cleaning, disinfecting, and quarantine) are mandatory to implement early weaning programs1. Early weaning with all its components gives a tremendous economic advantage to those who use this technology. This technology however does not come without a cost. This requires necessary building sites, scheduling and a high level of management. Enteric infections such as neonatal coccidiosis and post weaning diarrhea problems have not been prevented by early wean programs. Although the Pork Quality Assurance Program has been developed to achieve the highly desirable goal of reduced antibiotic use, there are feed and water medication is needed for prevention and control of enteric infections. We are interested in the effects of low levels of conventional water and feed grade antibiotic treatments on performance and immunological parameters of the young pig infected with the common enteric pathogens, E. coli and rotavirus. Previously, we had tested this treatment at both a research facility and a commercial operation and had shown increased production and decreased immunological response in the treated animals23. We have established that the use of such a program would be a benefit to those producers who do not have the production facilities that would allow early weaning (7-10 days) and/or multi-site production. However the effect of these oral treatments on minimizing production losses and activation of the immune system following infection with enteric infections has not been established. The purpose of this study was to measure production and immunological parameters in orally medicated and control animals following a post weaning E. coli and rotavirus challenge

A Dense Packing of Regular Tetrahedra

We construct a dense packing of regular tetrahedra, with packing density $D > >.7786157$.Comment: full color versio

The Effect of Diet and Oral Antibiotic Therapy on Immune Function and Productivity in Young Pigs

Medicated early weaning programs have been shown to be an excellent method to control disease incidence in the young pig. Additional research by Dritz, et al1, showed that early weaning at 7-10 days without medication resulted in significant weight gains over conventional weaning at 14-17 days. We were interested in the effects of low levels of conventional water and feed grade antibiotic tratments on performance and immunological parameters of the young pig in a commercial operation. Previously, we had tested this treatment at a research facility and had shown increased production and a decreased polyclonal immunological response in the reated animals23. The use of such a program would be a benefit to producers who do not have the production facilities that allowing for early weaning (7-10 days) and/or multisite production. A study was conducted to determine the effect of AureomycinTM and Aureo-SulmetTM on production. The study was a 2X2 factorial experiment to determine the effect of weaning treatment and nutrition level on immune response

Thermal Environmental Effects and Group Size on Growing Swine Immune Status

The effects of environmental conditions on the immune system of growing pigs (30-50 kg) were studied using T and B cell proliferation counts. Pigs were exposed to a constant 32°C ambient temperature versus a naturally occurring diurnal temperature variation during hot weather and a constant 10°C vs 21°C ambient temperature during cold weather. In addition, T and B cell proliferation counts were compared for pigs in single, 9 and 18 pigs/pen group sizes. Concancavalin A (ConA), Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) mitogens were used to determine T cell activation over time. Pokeweed (PWM), Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Salmonella typhimurium mitogen (STM) mitogens were used to determine B cell proliferation over time. ConA tests revealed significant (P\u3c0.01) increases in T cell proliferation over time for both temperature treatments during hot weather. No significant differences in B cell proliferation were noted during the hot weather trials. A general decline in T cell activation over time was noted in both temperature treatments during cold weather. Significant (P\u3c0.01) reductions in B cell activation were noted for all pigs in the cold weather trials. T and B cell proliferation comparisons for group size at all temperature treatments were non-significant. The objective of this experiment was to find what effects temperature and group size have on the capacity and function of a growing pig\u27s immune system

Long-Term Protection from Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Feedlot Cattle

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) causes respiratory and reproductive disease. The duration of immunity of an inactivated vaccine (Virashield 5: Grand Laboratories, Freeman, SD) was measured in two challenge studies. In both studies the vaccinated animals demonstrated fewer clinical signs when challenged with Type II BVDV at 11 or 13 months post vaccination. These results indicate that an inactivated vaccine administered properly can protect animals against disease up to at least a year post vaccination

"Author! Author!" : Shakespeare and biography

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t714579626~db=all Copyright Informa / Taylor & Francis Group. DOI: 10.1080/17450910902764454Since 1996, not a year has passed without the publication of at least one Shakespeare biography. Yet for many years the place of the author in the practice of understanding literary works has been problematized, and even on occasions eliminated. Criticism reads the “works”, and may or may not refer to an author whose “life” contributed to their meaning. Biography seeks the author in the works, the personality that precedes the works and gives them their characteristic shape and meaning. But the form of literary biography addresses the unusual kind of “life” that puts itself into “works”, and this is particularly challenging where the “works” predominate massively over the salient facts of the “life”. This essay surveys the current terrain of Shakespeare biography, and considers the key questions raised by the medium: can we know anything of Shakespeare's “personality” from the facts of his life and the survival of his works? What is the status of the kind of speculation that inevitably plays a part in biographical reconstruction? Are biographers in the end telling us as much about themselves as they tell us about Shakespeare?Peer reviewe

VERITAS: the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) represents an important step forward in the study of extreme astrophysical processes in the universe. It combines the power of the atmospheric Cherenkov imaging technique using a large optical reflector with the power of stereoscopic observatories using arrays of separated telescopes looking at the same shower. The seven identical telescopes in VERITAS, each of aperture 10 m, will be deployed in a filled hexagonal pattern of side 80 m; each telescope will have a camera consisting of 499 pixels with a field of view of 3.5 deg VERITAS will substantially increase the catalog of very high energy (E > 100GeV) gamma-ray sources and greatly improve measurements of established sources.Comment: 44 pages, 16 figure

Academic freedom: in justification of a universal ideal

This paper examines the justification for, and benefits of, academic freedom to academics, students, universities and the world at large. The paper surveys the development of the concept of academic freedom within Europe, more especially the impact of the reforms at the University of Berlin instigated by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons why the various facets of academic freedom are important and why the principle should continue to be supported