My name is Thomas Christensen
I am Milliron X
What is a “Milliron X”?
It’s a cattle brand, of course! My cattle brand!
The milliron is the bar with a bend in the middle. It does not represent anything physical or textual per se, and is therefore a rather unique element in cattle brands. Millirons are difficult to modify into another brand, and provide a guarantee of authentic ownership.
X is the letter of mystery and mystique. For nerds, it’s the unknown in any algebra problem. Ranchers and cowboys will associate it with big names like the “Bar X” and the “Double X.” In either case, it lends itself to a sense of withholding, prestige, and power.
Together, these two symbols represent the qualities I strive for in each of my works: authenticity, originality, power, depth, and prestige.
Recent activity
SubscribeBovine papillomavirus (BPV) is a major cause of reproductive failure in cattle.
In bulls, penile papillomas caused by BPV may cause reluctance to breed, and is
always a cause to fail an animal on a breeding soundness exam. Historically, it
has been thought that BPV was transmitted via direct contact and could be
controlled by managing clinically presenting animals in the herd, but more
recent evidence suggests alternative modes of transmission. BPV has been found
repeatably in clinically healthy …
Viral populations within an infected host are composed of viral particles with a
spectrum of genetic mutations rather than a unified genome. This phenomenon is
referred to as viral “quasispecies,” and has been useful for the understanding
of viral transmission and early detection of new viral variants. Next generation
sequencing (NGS) has enabled the study of these quasispecies for many viral
species, notably Influenza A and B, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Foot and
Mouth …
Are you ready for Real Life Real Impact 2024? Because we here at Kansas State University are! Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect in January. More info and signup at https://cvm.org/real-life-real-impact-detail/real-life-real-impact-central
Metagenomic classification tackles the problem of characterising the taxonomic
source of all DNA sequencing reads in a sample. A common approach to address the
differences and biases between the many different taxonomic classification tools
is to run metagenomic data through multiple classification tools and databases.
This, however, is a very time-consuming task when performed manually -
particularly when combined with the appropriate preprocessing of sequencing
reads before the classification. …