Unique Batch Research Articles

Using Dry Dispersion Laser Diffraction to Assess Dispersibility in Spheronized Agglomerate Formulations.

In this study, dry dispersion laser diffraction was used to study the dispersibility of spheronized agglomerate formulations and identify geometric particle size metrics that correlated well with aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD). Eleven unique batches of agglomerates were prepared for both laser diffraction and cascade impaction testing. Correlations between the particle size distribution (PSD) and aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) metrics for the eleven agglomerate batches were determined in a semi-empirical manner. The strongest correlation between APSD and PSD was observed between the impactor-sized mass (%ISM) and the cumulative PSD fraction <14.5 µm. The strongest correlation with fine particle fraction (FPF) was observed with the cumulative PSD fraction <0.99 micron (R-squared = 0.974). In contrast to the other APSD metrics, good correlations were not found between the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) and the cumulative PSD fractions. Overall, the implementation of laser diffraction as a surrogate for cascade impaction has the potential to streamline product development. Laser diffraction measurements offer savings in labor and turnaround time compared to cascade impaction.

Computer-aided process planning system for laser forming: from CAD to part

Laser forming is a highly flexible and iterative contactless thermomechanical forming process that utilises a defocused laser beam to induce material shortening and bending. There is a high potential for the use of laser forming in rapid prototyping, small and unique batch production; however, to achieve that potential a certain level of automation is required. The presented work seeks to address this need of automation by proposing an end-to-end sheet-metal manufacturing system utilising laser forming and cutting, where the input for the system is a 3D CAD model and the output is a manufactured product. The contribution of the presented work is interconnected laser forming and cutting framework. The presented framework consists of subsystems for automatic extraction of geometrical information from a CAD model, process planning and generation of manufacturing information, scheduling of tasks and a feedback control loop for laser forming. The framework is experimentally validated and has shown consistent forming and cutting behaviour on two types of parts with variation in cutting features, bend angle and lengths of the bend's free edge.

Comparison of marine and rushton impeller in high solid loading of two-step pretreated oil palm trunk using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation for ethanol production

Substrate loading enhancement in fermenter generates difficulty in mixing that results in low ethanol yield owing to insufficient mass transfer. Thus, this study evaluated the efficiency of a six-blade Rushton turbine and a three-blade marine type propeller in a 3 L stirred tank bioreactor (STBR) by using steam exploded and alkaline pretreated oil palm trunk (OPT) fibers in a unique batch and fed-batch strategy. The fed-batch began with 5% (w/v) solid loading and after 12 h of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) reaction, 2.5% (w/v) solid was added in the bioreactor with 6 h interval. The marine and Rushton impellers were compared at 5% (w/v) batch and 20% (w/v) fed-batch SSF, using agitation rate of 100 rpm. At 5% (w/v) solid loading, the highest ethanol concentration and theoretical yield were 15.66 ± 1.71 g/L and 61.69 ± 2.34%, and 12.10 ± 0.98 g/L and 54.01 ± 3.52%, respectively for marine and Rushton impeller. At high solid loading (20% w/v), the marine impeller achieved maximum ethanol concentration of 41.33 ± 2.02 g/L at 72 h of fermentation, with a low power consumption of 54.73 kW. The Rushton impeller resulted in ethanol concentration of 39.08 ± 1.47 g/L at 96 h of fermentation with relatively higher power consumption of 83.62 kW. The marine impeller is therefore efficient with the fed-batch strategy.

Introducing Mobile Collaborative Robots into Bioprocessing Environments: Personalised Drug Manufacturing and Environmental Monitoring

Personalised therapeutic drugs are the future of the medical drug sector. For manufacturers, this will require the flexibility to produce many different unique batches within a given facility. This research paper aims to demonstrate the potential of mobile collaborative robots for improving current manufacturing practices in personalised therapeutics. The benefits and challenges of introducing robots in biologics are explored, including current practices, limitations, likely future practices, and the market outlook. Experiments demonstrating the application of a mobile collaborative robot to perform three different routine tasks is presented. These experiments include the transport of centrifugal tubes, manipulation of infusion bags, and scanning of Petri dishes for environmental monitoring. The investigations highlight the potential of collaborative mobile robotic platforms for automating the routine tasks carried out within the biomanufacturing sector.

Optimization of closed-cycle oil recovery: a non-thermal process for bitumen and extra heavy oil recovery.

Energy from unconventional resources includes bitumen and extra-heavy oil that represent two-thirds of the known resources in the world. Extra-heavy oil and bitumen are currently recovered using thermal processes having a large carbon footprint and significant environmental impacts on water resources. A novel process is proposed: closed-cycle oil recovery (C-COR). C-COR is a greener alternative to provide energy from these unconventional resources with minimal water consumption. C-COR relies on recovering oil solubilized within a single-phase microemulsion, eliminating the need for viscosity reduction to both mobilize heavy oil or to transport it. Proof-of-concept work was conducted using conventional phase behavior experiments with extracted oil and surfactant formulations to develop a surfactant formulation for oil recovery using C-COR. As a part of process development and scale-up, we conducted flow experiments presented in this paper. We learned that a high degree of surfactant adsorption, which negatively impacted the C-COR process, resulted at low pH levels. These findings required modifying traditional static batch tests (phase behavior studies) using actual oil sand instead of the extracted oil. These unorthodox tests revealed that surfactant adsorption caused low oil solubilization and that alkali can be used to reduce adsorption, improving oil solubilization. In addition, unique flow experiments were designed to optimize the delivery and recovery process and are presented in this paper. The unique batch tests and flow experiments were conducted using oil sands from Canada to optimize the process. The proposed optimized approach would employ intermittent flow (soaking) that would result in the fastest recovery of about one-third of the OOIP, followed by continuous injection to recover an additional 10% OOIP, ending with thermal enhancement to recover another 25% OOIP for a total of 61%.

Northwest Africa 8694, a ferroan chassignite: Bridging the gap between nakhlites and chassignites

The origin(s) of the chassignites and nakhlites, closely related martian olivine and augite cumulates, respectively, are much debated. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8694 is the third chassignite to be discovered and the most ferroan, containing 85% olivine (Fo54). Its O-isotope compositions (δ18O ∼ 4.4‰, Δ17O ∼ 0.30‰) are typical of other martian meteorites. It has adcumulate texture and contains cumulus chromite, poikilitic pigeonite (En56Fs37Wo7) and mesostasis (trapped interstitial liquid). The latter contains pyroxene and plagioclase (An23 Ab70 Or8) plus rare K- feldspar (Or74), and has a trachyandesitic to trachytic bulk composition. Melt inclusions in olivine contain a variety of phases including biotite and rare amphibole. Olivine, chromite, and pigeonite compositions are intermediate between those of the other chassignites and those of the nakhlites. Augite, which appears to mantle pigeonite, has a composition overlapping that in nakhlite NWA 998 and some other nakhlites at (En41-40Wo38-39). The augite lamellae in pigeonite 1–2 μm in apparent width, and the survival of Ca zoning in olivine, suggest a near-surface cooling environment. The bulk-rock REE concentrations in the three chassignites do not correlate with Mg# but depend on the abundance of trapped liquid. The form of REE patterns calculated for olivine subtraction is very like those of nakhlite mesostases, but the observed concentrations of LREE in NWA 8694 trapped liquid have a very steep slope. This is explained by undersampling of baddeleyite and zirconolite that occur near olivine contacts with mesostasis. Though pyroxene is unzoned, its trace element variations indicate fractional crystallization. The range of olivine compositions in the three chassignites (Fo79-54) is too large to result from the crystallization sequential growth of olivine from a single magma undergoing fractional crystallization. The Ge/Si ratios show degassing of NWA 8694 which sets this chassignite apart from other chassignites and nakhlites, implying a unique batch of magma for its genesis. Many potential parent liquids are capable of generating the NWA 8694 olivine composition, though not its alkaline mesostasis. We calculated that Nakhla parent liquid NA01a (Stockstill et al., 2005) with 10% Nakhla core olivine added would produce both olivine crystals and alkaline daughter liquids with compositions matching those of NWA 8694. This meteorite is a chassignite cumulate containing nakhlitic mesostasis, a direct link between the chassignites and the nakhlites and the association of dunitic to trachytic compositions is reminiscent of terrestrial shield volcanoes. Chassignites and nakhlites were possibly formed when solidification fronts on chamber walls were disrupted, mainly as side eruptions of olivine-charged magmas from the deeper zones, and augite-charged fractionated magmas from nearer the summit of a volcano resembling Piton de la Fournaise on Earth.

Effect of different heating times of high-, medium-, and low-quality colostrum on immunoglobulin G absorption in dairy calves

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different durations of heat treatment on passive transfer of IgG from high-, medium- and low-quality colostrum. Colostrum was collected from The Pennsylvania State University dairy herd and divided by quality (high, medium, or low) based on colostrometer measurements. Colostrum was pooled by quality to create 3 unique batches. Each batch was further divided in thirds as follows: frozen to be fed without heat treatment, heated at 60°C for 30 min, or heated at 60°C for 60 min. Colostrum samples from each treatment were collected and analyzed for standard plate count, gram-negative noncoliforms, coliforms, and total IgG concentration. Serum samples were collected from 108 Holstein calves before feeding colostrum and 24 h after birth. Blood samples were analyzed for total protein, total IgG, and hematocrit. Colostrum quality (high, medium, or low), heat treatment (unheated, 60°C for 30 min or, 60°C for 60 min), and their interaction were analyzed as fixed effects, with calf sex included as a random block effect. Colostrum IgG was different between quality groups (92.5, 59.4, and 48.1 mg/mL of IgG). Heating colostrum reduced IgG concentration compared with the control by 9% when heated for 30 min and by 12% when heated for 60 min. Colostrum heated for 60 min had a lower standard plate count than colostrum heated for 30 min or not heated (1.8, 2.0, and 3.6 log cfu/mL, respectively). Serum IgG concentration at 24 h increased as colostrum quality increased (18.0, 22.2, and 24.8 mg/mL) and tended to increase as heat treatment time increased (19.7, 20.3, and 25.0 mg/mL of IgG). Apparent efficiency of IgG absorption was greater in calves that received medium-quality colostrum compared with calves fed high-quality colostrum (38.1 and 25.0%, respectively). These results suggest an upper limit may exist to the amount of IgG absorption in a given time period and that medium- or high-quality colostrum yields similar blood IgG concentration given the same volume of intake.

Electroless Under Bump Metallurgy Deposition on Batches of Singulated Semiconductor Die

Multi project-wafers (MPWs) offer cost-effective options for fabrication of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) produced for entities not requiring a large volume of die from a dedicated full wafer run at an advanced semiconductor foundry. MPWs consist of a mixture of different devices shared on a single wafer; thereby reducing cost of processing by allowing the purchase of real estate allotted to each device. This practice is advantageous for those in academia or government that often only require small quantities of devices for research or niche applications. With many teams investing in a single wafer run, strict design rules must be followed on these microelectronic chips. In particular, the metal used in the final routing layer must be AlCu. This AlCu metallization is not compatible with solder connections for flip chip bonding applications because solder is unable to wet AlCu. To allow MPW die integration with flip chip bonding applications, a solder compatible under bump metallization (UBM) must be deposited on top of the AlCu. This UBM deposition can be achieved through physical vapor deposition and subsequent electrolytic plating into a photolithography defined plating mold. Unfortunately, photolithographic processes are only compatible with full wafers and not with singulated die. This leaves electroless deposition methods such as immersion tin or zinc followed by electroless nickel, electroless palladium, immersion gold (ENEPIG) or electroless nickel and immersion gold (ENIG) as the only options for depositing a wettable UBM on MPW die. Electroless deposition can be performed with a single die at a time, however this process is not well suited for manufacturing. In this work, we have developed a scheme for batch level UBM deposition on singulated semiconductor die by coupling temporary bonding with electroless deposition. A unique batch approach is proposed to electrolessly deposit UBM to terminal AlCu on MPW die. Preliminary Si sidewall passivation is used to eliminate metallization of unintended surfaces in subsequent steps. Temporary custom fixturing onto a carrier substrate is leveraged allowing a variety of devices to be processed like a full wafer, establishing feasibility for industrial scaling. The bulk aluminum oxide is then solubilized by chemical etching and replaced by reduction of Sn as a base layer for ENIG and ENEPIG processes as seen in Figure 1. After metal deposition, devices are liberated from the temporary mounting substrate making them ready for flip chip bonding. Due to creating an UBM through electroless processes, options for interposer bumps are limited and outlined in Figure 2. Solder bonds from Cu pillars topped with SnAg or electroplated with either AuSn or SnAg allow a reflow solder attachment to complete electrical contact between the two chips. Electroplated Au bumps allow for a thermocompression bond to be made between the two chips. Both methods have benefits based on circumstance. Reflow solder is advantageous for fragile chips that cannot withstand the high pressure associated with thermocompression. Cu pillars are also attractive for RF devices in that Cu offers reduced electrical parisitics. Thermocompression is advantageous because it does not require high level of uniformity in the final Au bump. In this presentation, we will provide details on the passivation, batch level handling process, uniformity, and yield statistics for the electroless deposition. Supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Sandia National Laboratories, a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. Figure 1

The effect of finish rolling temperature and tempering on the microstructure, mechanical properties and dislocation density of direct-quenched steel

A unique batch tempering treatment for industrial scale direct-quenched steel coils has been studied using laboratory simulations. The tempering treatment was non-isothermal with slow heating to 570 °C and slow cooling to simulate the tempering of large steel coils. The paper presents the effect of finishing rolling temperature (FRT) relative to the non-recrystallization temperature (TNR) and the effect of long time tempering on the microstructure, dislocation density and mechanical properties of direct-quenched coiled strips. Conditioning austenite below the recrystallization stop temperature resulted in a finer effective grain size distribution, which correlated strongly with the impact toughness of the final product. Furthermore low finish rolling temperature resulted in partially ferritic microstructures while higher finishing rolling temperatures led to mixtures of bainite and martensite. Dislocation densities determined with TEM and XRD showed somewhat different trends regarding the effect of tempering: intra-lath dislocation density, as measured with TEM, showed a statistically significant drop in only one case, while XRD analysis indicated a drop in all cases. Furthermore, no significant correlation between finishing rolling temperature and dislocation density existed in XRD studies. The XRD results indicate that the decrease in dislocation density corresponds to about 100 MPa lower dislocation strengthening. However, precipitation hardening and potential internal micro stress relief compensates this as yield strength remains unchanged or even increases during tempering.

On the Potential of Bulk Metallic Glasses for Dental Implantology: Case Study on Ti40Zr10Cu36Pd14.

Ti40Zr10Cu36Pd14 Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) appears very attractive for future biomedical applications thanks to its high glass forming ability, the absence of toxic elements such as Ni, Al or Be and its good mechanical properties. For the first time, a complete and exhaustive characterization of a unique batch of this glassy alloy was performed, together with ISO standard mechanical tests on machined implant-abutment assemblies. The results were compared to the benchmark Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra-Low-Interstitial) to assess its potential in dental implantology. The thermal stability, corrosion and sterilization resistance, cytocompatibility and mechanical properties were measured on samples with a simple geometry, but also on implant-abutment assemblies’ prototypes. Results show that the glassy alloy exhibits a quite high thermal stability, with a temperature range of 38 °C between the glass transition and crystallization, a compressive strength of 2 GPa, a certain plastic deformation (0.7%), a hardness of 5.5 GPa and a toughness of 56 MPa.√m. Moreover, the alloy shows a relatively lower Young’s modulus (96 GPa) than the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (110–115 GPa), which is beneficial to limit bone stress shielding. The BMG shows a satisfactory cytocompatibility, a high resistance to sterilization and a good corrosion resistance (corrosion potential of −0.07 V/SCE and corrosion current density of 6.0 nA/cm2), which may ensure its use as a biomaterial. Tests on dental implants reveal a load to failure 1.5-times higher than that of Ti-6Al-4V and a comparable fatigue limit. Moreover, implants could be machined and sandblasted by methods usually conducted for titanium implants, without significant degradation of their amorphous nature. All these properties place this metallic glass among a promising class of materials for mechanically-challenging applications such as dental implants.

Study on the Effect of Variation of Flow in Sequencing Batch Reactor Using PCA and ANOVA

Wastewater treatment using Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) technology is one of the state-of-the art wastewater management systems. In this technology equalization, biological treatment and secondary clarification are performed in a single reactor in a time control sequence. SBR system is idler for the areas where the available land is limited, since it operates in less space and very cost effective even on small scales. The control of the operational parameters during the process of biological wastewater treatment is often complicated due to the dynamic change in the composition and characteristics of the raw wastewater, flow rates and other parameters influencing the complex nature of the treatment process and the process in SBR has a unique cyclic batch operation. The performance of the SBR was studied using pilot and real plant at Puducherry. The parameters considered in this study are flow, Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS), pH, temperature, influent and effluent of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). As a part of the study, the effect of constant flow and varying flow on the organic loading of the influent TSS, BOD and COD and their influence on the organic load of the effluent parameters were examined to identify the level of significance of the parameters in relation to the flow. The impact of flow on other parameters was also examined. The experimental data obtained from pilot and real plants were analyzed using multi variate statistical analyses like correlation analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical analysis revealed that constant flow had no significant role and the influent parameters alone had the critical role, whereas varying flow as well as the influent parameters had the significant role on the performance of SBR.

Argonaute-1 Machinery Silent Cancer Noises

Small non-coding RNA mediated that is micromanaging of global gene regulation was well established as fundamental principle in cell or tissue functions. To carry out, biological role small RNA needs a unique batch of protein family named Argonaute (AGO). The Argonaute proteins carry sophisticated and highly delicate interacting modules common for three specialized small RNAs, microRNA (miRNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA) and Piwi interacting RNA (piRNA). These RNA-proteins complexes are unique to coordinate silencing events in the genome. Recent works have made a novel role of AGO1 protein by extending its tentacle towards cancer monitoring pathways. It makes a constructive bridge between a direct and constructive link between cancer and RNAi (RNA interference) machinery. Apart from multifarious classical functions such as disruption of mRNA translation, decay, transcriptional regulation and splicing, we demonstrate a new concept to narrate the role of AGO1 proteins in different cancer regulatory pathways via microRNA- Argonaute circuit specifically.

Heat-treated (in single aliquot or batch) colostrum outperforms non-heat-treated colostrum in terms of quality and transfer of immunoglobulin G in neonatal Jersey calves

The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to describe the effect on colostrum characteristics and passive transfer of IgG in neonatal calves when using the Perfect Udder colostrum management system (single-aliquot treatment; Dairy Tech Inc., Greeley, CO) compared with a negative control (fresh refrigerated or fresh frozen colostrum) and a positive control (batch heat-treated colostrum). First-milking Jersey colostrum was pooled to achieve 31 unique batches with a minimum of 22.8L per batch. The batch was then divided into 4 with 3.8L allocated to each treatment group: (1) heat-treated in Perfect Udder bag at 60°C for 60min and then stored at −20°C (PU); (2) heat-treated in a batch pasteurizer (Dairy Tech Inc.) at 60°C for 60min and then stored at −20°C in Perfect Udder bag (DTB; positive control); (3) fresh frozen colostrum stored at −20°C in Perfect Udder bag (FF; negative control); and (4) fresh refrigerated colostrum stored at 4°C in Perfect Udder bag (FR; negative control). Colostrum from all treatments was sampled for analysis of IgG concentration and bacterial culture immediately after batch assembly, after processing, and before feeding. Newborn Jersey calves were randomly assigned to be fed 3.8L of colostrum from 1 of the 4 treatment groups. A prefeeding, 0-h blood sample was collected, calves were fed by esophageal tube within 2h of birth, and then a 24-h postfeeding blood sample was collected. Paired serum samples from 0- and 24-h blood samples were analyzed for IgG concentration (mg/mL) using radial immunodiffusion analysis. The overall mean IgG concentration in colostrum was 77.9g/L and was not affected by treatment. Prefeeding total plate counts (log10 cfu/mL) were significantly different for all 4 treatments and were lower for heat-treated colostrum (PU=4.23, DTB=3.63) compared with fresh colostrum (FF=5.68, FR=6.53). Total coliform counts (log10 cfu/mL) were also significantly different for all 4 treatments and were lower for heat-treated colostrum (PU=0.45, DTB=1.08) compared with fresh colostrum (FF=3.82, FR=4.80). Mean 24-h serum IgG concentrations were significantly higher for calves in the PU (41.0mg/mL) and DTB (40.6mg/mL) groups compared with FF (35.1mg/mL) and FR (35.5mg/mL) groups. Mean apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG was significantly higher for the PU (37%) and DTB (37%) groups compared with the FF (32%) and FR (32%) groups. Calves fed heat-treated colostrum (PU or DTB) experienced significantly improved AEA and serum IgG concentrations.

Evaluation of Microwave Vacuum Drying Combined with Hot-Air Drying and Compared with Freeze- and Hot-Air Drying by the Quality of the Dried Apple Product

In this study, combined microwave vacuum drying (MVD) with hot-air drying was evaluated, and then compared with hot-air drying and freeze drying, by the quality of the created product. The aim was to show that MVD is a strong quality competitor with the conventional hot-air drying and the widely used, but expensive freeze drying. For raw material, Jonathan apple was used. The combined microwave vacuum drying consists of two steps, the hot-air pre-drying, and then the microwave vacuum drying. The MVD was made with a unique batch drying system. Chemical, (total phenolic compounds, free radical-scavenging activity, aromatic content) physical (hardness) and consumer-related (organoleptic, and microbiological) properties were measured as quality parameters. The results show that quality of the product made by MVD combined with hot-air pre-drying is higher than hot-air dried ones. By most of the measured quality parameters, microwave vacuum drying also provided higher quality product than freeze drying.

Effect of polyethylene addition to coal on hydrogasification enhancement

Hydrogasification of a coal/polyethylene mixture was carried out using a low concentration of polyethylene in the samples with the aim of industrial application. Coal/polyethylene mixtures in the ratio of 90:10 and 75:25 were used in this study. A hydrogasification experiment was conducted using a unique batch reactor at 1073 K under a 7.1 MPa hydrogen atmosphere. The reaction time varied from 1 to 80 s. The results revealed a methane yield from the mixtures that was noticeably greater than the values calculated from experimental results obtained from coal and polyethylene respectively, assuming no mutual influences. A significant synergistic effect was observed even when the polyethylene content was as low as 10 %. It is suggested that there might be an advantage in hydrogasification processes if waste plastics are mixed with coal, such content being practically assumed.

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Unique Batch Authentication Protocol for Vehicle-to-Grid Communications

The concept of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is that electric vehicles (EVs) communicate with the smart grid to sell demand response services by delivering electricity into the grid. By letting EVs discharge during peak hours and charge during off-peak hours, V2G networks could bring numerous social and technical benefits to the smart grid. Due to the scale of the network, the speed of the vehicles, their geographic positions, and the very sporadic connectivity between them, V2G communications have the crucial requirements of fast authentication. In 2011, Guo et al. proposed a unique batch authentication protocol for V2G communications. There are three parties in V2G communications, including an aggregator, a smart grid control centre, and individual EVs. The proposed idea is that instead of verifying each packet for each vehicle, the aggregator verifies the received batch of packets with only one signature verification. They used DSA signature for the batch authentication and claimed their protocol is strong enough to defend against security attacks. In this paper, we investigate the security of Guo et al.’s protocol. More precisely, we show that any attackers can easily forge signatures satisfying the batch verification criterion without the knowledge of the signer’s private key. To remedy the security flaw of Guo et al.’s protocol, we proposed a simple and secure improvement of Guo et al.’s protocol. The key point of the improved protocol is that we make multiple signatures in order. The attacker or the dishonest signer cannot transpose these digital signatures such that the aggregator passes the validation of the batch verifying multiple digital signatures. Based on Guo et al.’s protocol, the security of our proposed protocol is the same as that of their protocol except that our improved protocol has no security flaw of their protocol. Therefore, the improved protocol is secure to detect forged multiple signatures.

Heat treatment of colostrum on commercial dairy farms decreases colostrum microbial counts while maintaining colostrum immunoglobulin G concentrations

This study was conducted on 6 commercial dairy farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin to describe the effect of heat treatment (at 60°C for 60min) on colostrum, on colostrum bacteria counts, and immunoglobulin G concentrations. First-milking colostrum was collected each day, pooled, divided into 2 aliquots, and then 1 aliquot was heat treated in a commercial batch pasteurizer at 60°C for 60min. Frozen samples of pre- and post- heat-treated colostrum were submitted for standard microbial culture (total plate count and total coliform count, cfu/mL) and testing for immunoglobulin G concentrations (mg/mL). Data were analyzed from 266 unique batches of colostrum. Linear regression showed that heat treatment decreased colostrum total plate counts (−2.25 log10) and coliform counts (−2.49 log10), but, overall, did not affect colostrum IgG concentration. Though higher-quality batches of colostrum did experience a greater magnitude of loss of IgG as a result of heat treatment as compared with lower- or intermediate-quality batches of colostrum, the colostral IgG concentrations in these batches remained high overall, and within acceptable limits for feeding. This study demonstrates that batch heat treatment of colostrum at 60°C for 60min can be successfully conducted on commercial dairy farms by farm staff to decrease colostrum microbial counts while maintaining colostrum IgG concentrations.

UBAPV2G: A Unique Batch Authentication Protocol for Vehicle-to-Grid Communications

“Vehicle-to-grid” (V2G) power will be a new green energy scheme in which electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles communicate with the smart grid to sell demand response services by either delivering electricity into the grid or by throttling their charging rate. Due to high vehicular speed, sporadic connection, limited communication range, and large volume of data that need to be transmitted, V2G communications have the crucial requirements of fast authentication and encryption/decryption. This paper proposes a unique batch authentication protocol UBAPV2G that takes into account the characteristics of vehicle communication. The performance analysis shows that UBAPV2G can achieve less authentication delay, less computational cost, and less communication traffic, and security analysis shows that UBAPV2G is strong enough to defend against security attacks. The experimental results also demonstrate that UBAPV2G can achieve less authentication delay for large number of packets. Thus, UBAPV2G protocol is suitable for the stringent requirement of real time V2G communications.

Determining Mark Success of 15 Combinations of Enriched Stable Isotopes for the Batch Marking of Larval Otoliths

AbstractChemical marking of otoliths via immersion in solutions of enriched stable isotopes provides a means of distinctively marking large batches of hatchery‐produced fish. Four enriched stable isotopes (barium: 137Ba and 138Ba; strontium: 88Sr; magnesium: 24Mg) were used individually and in combination to determine mark success and the ability to correctly classify 15 unique batch marks in the otoliths of larval Murray cod Maccullochella peelii. Marking with the enriched stable isotopes 137Ba, 138Ba, and 88Sr (individually or in combination) produced clear and distinctive marks (98% mark success) with 93% of fish correctly classified to their respective isotope mark. Despite exposure of the fish to an altered Mg isotope ratio in the water, a corresponding shift in the otoliths was not observed (8% mark success), and many 24Mg‐enriched fish were misclassified. Due to the low cost and minimal effects on hatchery protocols, the use of Sr and Ba isotopes to mark hatchery‐reared fish at the larval stage has the potential to be a powerful tool in the production and management of a wide range of fish species.Received February 25, 2011; accepted May 22, 2011

Regulation of Blood Components - a Help or Hindrance to Good Clinical Practice?

The application of formal regulatory structures to the field of blood component and blood product manufacture is an understandable response to public and governmental concern over the safety of such products. Internationally the trend is to greater central control of blood service provision and regulation is one of several tools used to achieve this. In both Australia and New Zealand, blood components are treated as medicinal products for the purposes of regulation. The imminent creation of a TransTasman Regulatory Authority provides an opportunity to review systems used for the regulation of these products within Australasia and to ensure that an appropriate balance between clinical need and quality conformance is achieved. The control of human derived medicinal products presents a number of specific challenges. This is particularly the case in relation to blood components where biological variation will impact on the ‘formulation’ of any given product. Essentially each component becomes a unique batch. Efforts at control and regulation should recognise this. Two broad approaches can be used for regulation. In the first control is achieved through the application of standard processes. In the second the necessary outcome is defined but the process not formally defined. Increasingly regulatory control of blood component manufacture favours control of the process. Control through process can however ultimately restrict clinical flexibility and responsiveness. Care must be taken to ensure that this is recognised and addressed in the development of systems utilised to assure the quality and safety of blood components.