Energy and resource consumption of land-based Atlantic salmon smolt hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest (USA)

This paper evaluates the resource and energy requirements of six different types of land-based, hatchery production systems located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: flow-through with a gravity water supply, flow-through with a pumped water supply, flow-through with pure oxygen, partial reuse system, partial reuse with heating, and a reuse system for the production of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts. Key parameters used in the evaluation include direct energy, indirect energy, transportation energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollutant discharges.Power (electricity and natural gas) and feed energy accounted for the majority of the required energy for all the rearing option evaluated. The sum of the fixed capital and chemicals components accounted for less than 2–12% of the total energy budget for any rearing option. The energy efficiency (energy output/energy input) of the six options ranges from 0.97% for flow-through with pumped supply to 3.49% for the flow-through with gravity supply. The rearing options with the three highest energy efficiencies were flow-through with gravity supply (3.49%), partial reuse (2.75%), and reuse (2.64%).On a kg of smolt produced basis, the six rearing options showed a wide range in performance. The reuse system had the lowest water (2 m³ kg^− 1) and land (0.13 m² kg^− 1) requirements and the third lowest total energy requirement (288 MJ kg^− 1). The partial reuse system had the second lowest total power requirement (276 MJ kg^− 1), a low land requirement (0.21 m² kg^− 1), and moderate water requirements (33 m³ kg^− 1). The partial reuse with temperature control had the second highest total power requirement (657 MJ kg^− 1) and land and water requirements similar to the partial reuse system without temperature control. The flow-through system with pumped water supply had the highest water (289 m³ kg^− 1), land (2.19 m² kg^− 1), and energy requirements (786 MJ kg^− 1) of any of the rearing options. By comparison, the flow-through system with gravity water supply had the lowest energy requirement (218 MJ kg^− 1), a moderate land requirement (0.78 m² kg^− 1), and a high water requirement (214 m³ kg^− 1). The ranking of the six rearing options based capital and operating costs are likely to be quite different from those based on energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions.     

Effect of Breeding Activity on the Microflora of the External Genitalia and in the Semen of Stallions,and the Relationship Between Micro‐organisms on the Skin and on the External Genitalia

A possible role of breeding activities in the composition of the microbial population in stallions' external genitalia (EG) and the relationship between micro‐organisms colonizing the skin of the abdomen and the ones colonizing the EG have not been studied. In experiment 1, EG microbiological samples were collected from 41 stallions used for both natural cover and semen collection (BST) and from 18 non‐breeding stallions (NBST). A higher (p < 0.05) frequency of isolation of potentially pathogenic species was found for BST. Age did not influence number of micro‐organism species isolated both in BST and NBST. In experiment 2, the microbial content of the EG and semen was compared in 23 BST. Most micro‐organisms isolated from the EG were present in semen, albeit with a numerically lower prevalence. In 7 stallions, six microbial species isolated from semen were absent from the EG cultures, suggesting contamination by the operator. In experiment 3, a numerically higher number of micro‐organism species was isolated from the EG of 31 stallions, than from their skin of the ventral abdomen in contact with the penis or from the skin of the thorax. With the sole exception of Escherichia coli, potentially pathogenic bacteria were only isolated from the EG but not from the skin. Results suggest that breeding activity increased the number of species colonizing the EG; most species isolated from the EG were also found in semen even if with a lower frequency, and additional semen contamination seemed to occur during its manipulation. Many micro‐organism species of the skin were also isolated from the penis, but independently of being or not in contact with the penis, skin did not seem to provide an adequate environment for the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria that were isolated from EG, with the sole exception for E. coli.     

Osteochondrosis of the elbow: a review of the pathogenesis and a new approach to treatment

SUMMARY To test the hypothesis that joint incongruity contributes to the pathogenesis of elbow osteochondrosis, the left and right radius and ulna of 20 young large breed dogs were measured to determine any variation in length and to observe any incongruity of the elbow joint. Both lame and normal dogs were included in the study. Nine of the 20 dogs had marked disparity in radial and ulnar lengths yet only one had obvious elbow joint incongruity. The use of a sliding osteotomy for the treatment of fragmented coronoid process and a lengthening osteotomy for the treatment of an ununited anconeal process is also discussed. All four dogs treated with a sliding osteotomy showed a marked clinical improvement, and two of the three dogs treated with a lengthening osteotomy showed radiographic fusion of the anconeal process.     

Bioencapsulation of five forms of erythromycin by adult Artemia salina (L.)

Uptake of five chemical forms of erythromycin by adult Artemia salina (L.) (erythromycin phosphate – EP, erythromycin stearate – ES, erythromycin estolate – EE, erythromycin hydrate – EH and crystalline erythromycin – CE) was investigated in two trials. In each trial, final erythromycin concentration in Artemia tissue and survival after a 12‐h bioencapsulation period were determined. In the first trial, Artemia tissue concentration after a 12‐h bioencapsulation period was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by erythromycin form with ES (68.5 ± 3.3 μg mL^?1, mean ± SEM) ≈ EH (61.2 ± 3.4 μg mL^?1) > CE (37.1 ± 10.7 μg mL^?1) > EP (16.4 ± 7.7 μg mL^?1) > control. In trial 2, Artemia tissue concentration was also significantly (P < 0.05) affected by erythromycin form with EE (111.4 ± 9.6 μg mL^?1) > CE (89.1 ± 1.7 μg mL^?1) > ES (78.9 ± 1.6 μg mL^?1) > EP (33.4 ± 5.2 μg mL^?1) > control. Survival was significantly affected by erythromycin form in trial 1 with EP=control (100 ± 0.0%) > ES (74.4 ± 2.0%) > CE (32.2 ± 0.3%) > EH (8.8 ± 4.4%). In trial 2, survival was also significantly affected by erythromycin form with EP=control (100 ± 0.0%) > ES (67.1 ±3.7%) > CE (52.5 ± 7.7%) > EE (5.0 ± 2.5%). Based on both uptake and survival, EP and ES appear to be appropriate compounds for bioencapsulation of erythromycin using live adult Artemia.