# 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

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### beefblup

09 Aug 2021
Thomas A. Christensen II

Scripts and spreadsheets for performing single-variate Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (BLUP) to find beef cattle breeding values #KeepEPDsReal

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### Polyoxometalate Incorporation and Effects on Proton Transport in Hydrogel Polymers

07 Aug 2020
Thomas A. Christensen II

Polyoxometalate clusters embedded into hydrogel biobeads may be able to solve the challenges posed by free proton generation during remediation of trichloroethylene by acting as buffers and reducing protons to hydrogen gas. In this thesis, the challenges posed by systems that contain both diffusion and reaction processes for protons are considered mathematically, and a computer simulation to was developed to prove the relationship between diaphragm cell lag period and reactive capabilities of …

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### Metagenomic analysis of rumen populations in week-old calves as altered by maternal late gestational nutrition and mode of delivery

12 Jun 2019
Thomas A. Christensen II
Kathy J. Austin
Kristi M. Cammack
Hannah C. Cunningham-Hollinger

Early colonization of the rumen microbiome is critical to host health and long term performance. Factors that influence early colonization include maternal factors such as gestational nutrition and mode of delivery. Therefore, we hypothesized that late gestational nutrition and mode of delivery would influence the calf rumen microbiome. Our objectives were to determine if nutrient restriction during late gestation alters the calf rumen microbiome and determine if ruminal microbiome composition …

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### The ChemE Car that Cud: AIChE ChemE Car Engineering Design Proposal

14 May 2019
Thomas A. Christensen II

The ChemE Car That Cud showcases Wyoming’s dominant industries of agriculture and mining by utilizing rumen fluid from a cannulated beef cow to generate hydrogen to be used in a hydrogen fuel cell and radioactive cesium, a byproduct of uranium that is often obtained from Wyoming’s mines, to time the car’s stop. The concentration of cesium-137 source is measured using the radioactive decay of cesium shielded by aluminum. The painted aluminum chassis was obtained from a previous …

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### Measuring Diffusion of Trichlorethylene Breakdown Products in Polyvinylalginate

29 Oct 2018
Thomas A. Christensen II
Samuel R. Wolfe
Jonathan Counts
Mark F. Roll
Kristopher v. Waynant
James G. Moberly

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a toxic and carcinogenic contaminant, presents unique challenges for cleanup because of its water solubility, density, and volatility. Bioremediation of TCE is a promising cleanup method; however, metabolism of TCE results in acid generation that inhibits remediating microorganisms. Calcium alginate(CA)-polyvinylalcohol (PVA) hydrogels show promise for protecting remediating microbes, however diffusion of TCE or its byproducts through these polymers is unknown. To …

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