Resource efficiency and economic implications of alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia

This paper presents an analysis of the economic implications of alternative methods to surgical castration without anaesthesia. Detailed research results on the economic implications of four different alternatives are reported. castration with local anaesthesia, castration with general anaesthesia, immunocastration and raising entire males. The first three alternatives have been assessed for their impact on pig production costs in the most important pig-producing Member States of the EU. The findings on castration with anaesthesia show that cost differences among farms increase if the anaesthesia cannot be administered by farmers and when the veterinarian has to be called to perform it. The cost of veterinarian service largely affects the total average costs, making this solution economically less feasible in small-scale pig farms. In all other farms, the impact on production costs of local anaesthesia is however limited and does not exceed 1 (sic)ct per kg. General anaesthesia administered by inhalation or injection of Ketamin in combination with a sedative (Azaperone, Midazolan) is more expensive. These costs depend heavily on farm size, as the inhalation equipment has to be depreciated on the largest number of pigs possible. The overall costs of immunocastration - including the cost of the work load for the farmer - has to be evaluated against the potential benefits derived from higher daily weight gain and feed efficiency in comparison with surgical castrates. The economic feasibility of this practice will finally depend on the price of the vaccine and on consumer acceptance of immunocastration, The improvement in feed efficiency may compensate almost entirely for the cost of vaccination. The main advantages linked to raising entire males are due to the higher efficiency of feed conversion, to the better growth rate and to the higher leanness of carcass. A higher risk of boar taint on the slaughter line has to be accounted for Raising entire males should not generate more than 2.5% of boar taint among slaughter pigs, in order to maintain the considerable economic benefits of better feed efficiency of entire males with respect to castrates

Comparative Microbial Dynamics in Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea ariakensis

Considerations to introduce the Suminoe or Asian oyster Crassostrea ariakensis along the East Coast have raised many questions regarding ecology, economics, and human health. To date, research has focused primarily on the ecological and socioeconomic implications of this initiative, yet few studies have assessed its potential impact on public health. Our work compares the rates of bioaccumulation, depuration and post harvest decay of indicator organisms (such as E. coli) and Vibrio sp. between Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea ariakensis in the laboratory. Preliminary results suggest that the rates of bioaccumulation of E. coli in Crassostrea ariakensis were significantly lower than those for Crassostrea virginica, depuration of E. coli was variable between the two species, and Crassostrea ariakensis post harvest decay rates of Vibrio sp. were significantly lower than Crassostrea virginica. This research provides coastal managers with insight into the response of Crassostrea ariakensis to bacteria, an important consideration for determining appropriate management strategies for this species. Further field-based studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the differences in rates of bioaccumulation and depuration. (PDF contains 40 pages

Time-lapse embryo imaging and morphokinetic profiling: towards a general characterisation of embryogenesis

In vitro fertilisation is an effective method of assisted reproductive technology in both humans and certain non-human animal species. In most species, specifically, in humans and livestock, high in vitro fertilisation success rates are achieved via the transfer of embryos with the highest implantation and subsequent developmental potential. In order to reduce the risk of multiple gestation, which could be a result of the transfer of several embryos per cycle, restrictive transfer policies and methods to improve single embryo selection have been implemented. A non-invasive alternative to standard microscopic observation of post-fertilisation embryo morphology and development is time-lapse technology; this enables continuous, uninterrupted observation of embryo development from fertilisation to transfer. Today, there are several time-lapse devices that are commercially available for clinical use, and methods in which time-lapse could be used to improve embryology are continually being assessed. Here we review the use of time-lapse technology in the characterisation of embryogenesis and its role in embryo selection. Furthermore, the prospect of using this technology to identify aneuploidy in human embryos, as well as the use of time-lapse to improve embryological procedures in agriculturally important species such as the pig and cow are discussed

Mating-induced reduction in accessory reproductive organ size in the stalk-eyed fly Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni - art. no. 36

Background: Internal reproductive organ size is an important determinant of male reproductive success. While the response of testis length to variation in the intensity of sperm competition is well documented across many taxa, few studies address the importance of testis size in determining other components of male reproductive success ( such as mating frequency) or the significance of size variation in accessory reproductive organs. Accessory gland length, but not testis length, is both phenotypically and genetically correlated with male mating frequency in the stalk-eyed fly Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni. Here we directly manipulate male mating status to investigate the effect of copulation on the size of both the testes and the accessory glands of C. dalmanni.Results: Accessory gland length was positively correlated with male mating frequency. Copulation induced a significant decrease in accessory gland size. The size of the accessory glands then recovered slowly over the next 8 - 48 hours. Neither testis length nor testis area was altered by copulation.Conclusion: These results reveal that the time course of accessory gland recovery corresponds to field observations of mating behaviour and suggest that accessory gland size may limit male mating frequency in C. dalmanni

Variability Flagging in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Preliminary Data Release

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Preliminary Data Release Source Catalog contains over 257 million objects. We describe the method used to flag variable source candidates in the Catalog. Using a method based on the chi-square of single-exposure flux measurements, we generated a variability flag for each object, and have identified almost 460,000 candidate sources that exhibit significant flux variability with greater than ~7σ confidence. We discuss the flagging method in detail and describe its benefits and limitations. We also present results from the flagging method, including example light curves of several types of variable sources including Algol-type eclipsing binaries, RR Lyr, W UMa, and a blazar candidate

Heat Loss by Helicity Injection II

Arguments are reviewed showing that helicity transport always flattens the temperature profile, yielding unit current amplification in SSPX and flat temperature profiles in RFP's whenever the dynamo is active. The argument is based on transport theory yielding a hyper-resistivity {Lambda} {approx} (c{sup 2}/{omega}{sub pc}{sup 2}){chi}{sub c} with electron thermal diffusivity {chi}{sub c}, valid for any process producing a random-walk in electron constants of motion in the unperturbed field. The theory could be tested by deriving {Lambda} from helicity transport in SSPX, by analogy with recent analysis yielding {chi}{sub c} from heat transport. If the predicted ratio {Lambda}/{chi}{sub c} is confirmed, efforts to increase current amplification in SSPX must be based on scenario scenarios consistent with slow helicity transport compared to heat s transport (pulsed reactor, multipulse, neutral beam injection)

Gun requirements to achieve high field spheromaks

It is shown that a gun similar to that in the SSPX could demonstrate the high fields required for Pulsed Spheromak reactors merely by prolonging the pulse. Important considerations are choosing the voltage to exceed ohmic losses; designing the gun to avoid wasteful short-circuiting of current within the gun; and the injection efficiency factor, f, determined by the ''sag'' in the profile of {lambda} = {mu}{sub o}j/B. Typically f = 0.75 in experiments, giving an overall efficiency > 50 % if short-circuiting is avoided. Theoretical transport models agree qualitatively with the need for a finite gradient in h to pump in helicity by current-driven tearing modes and suggest that pressure-driven resistive modes would not compete with current-driven modes during a buildup to ohmic ignition

SSPX simulation model

An analytical approximation to an R-L-C circuit representing SSPX is shown to reproduce the observed capacitor bank efficiency and gun optimization data. As in the SPICE code, the spheromak gun is represented by a fixed resistance chosen to balance energy transfer to the gun. A revised estimate of the magnetic decay time in SSPX Shot 1822 then brings our estimate of the gun efficiency itself in line with the observed spheromak magnetic field for this shot. Prompted by these successes, we present a turbulence-based theoretical model for the spheromak resistance that can be implemented in the SPICE code, of the form: R{sub s} = {kappa}I (1-I{sub 0}/I){sup 2} where I is the gun current, I{sub 0} = ({Lambda}{sub 0}/{mu}{sub 0}){Phi} with bias flux and Taylor eigenvalue {lambda}{sub 0}, and {kappa} is a coefficient based on the magnetic turbulence model employed in Dan Hua's spheromak simulation code. The value of {kappa} giving a good energy balance (around 0.1 m{Omega}/KA) implies substantial turbulence levels. Implementing our model in SPICE would provide a calibration for theoretical calculations of the turbulence. Our analytic approximation to the SPICE code provides guidance to optimize future performance in SSPX, the greatest benefit appearing to come from reducing or eliminating the protective resistor to increase bank efficiency. Eliminating the resistor altogether doubles the bank efficiency and the spheromak magnetic energy

PLASMA STABILITY ANALYSIS EMPLOYING EQUILIBRIUM CONSTANTS OF MOTION

A first step in analyzing the stability of solutions of the Vlasov equation governing hot plasmas of low density is to solve the linearized equation for the perturbed space and velccity distribution function in terms of the perturbed electric and magnetic fields. An explicit Green's function solution for the distribution is presented and two examples of its use are given. The Green's function is found by first transforming to equilibrium constants of motion as variables. (auth

A Development Path for the Stabilized Spheromak

In Refs. [1] - [3], I suggest a concerted computational effort to study profile control of spheromaks, in anticipation that it is timely to incorporate the q < 1 regime of RFP's and spheromaks into an integrated advanced toroidal confinement program, together with improvements in tokamaks and stellarators now being pursued. For profile control of spheromaks by neutral beam injection, with care to avoid super-Alfvenic beam instability the main issue is excitation of tearing modes that can be studied using the NIMROD code already calibrated to MST and SSPX. In this note, I show that profile control on spheromaks could be demonstrated in a device the size of SSPX, leading ultimately to a very compact ignition facility, and possibly modular fusion reactors with a shorter development path