Feeding strategies with total mixed ration and concentrate may improve feed intake and carcass quality of Hanwoo steers

This study examined the impact of using total mixed ration (TMR) and concentrate on feed intake, daily gain, carcass yield grade, and carcass quality grade of Hanwoo steers and its subsequent economic efficiency. Thirty six 7-month-old Hanwoo steers were assigned to one of the four treatment groups, and each group was divided into three repeated pens, with each repeated pen comprising three steers. The treatment groups were: 1) separate feeding with commercial concentrate and forage (namely, SCF) for the entire experimental period; 2) TMR feeding for a growing period followed by SCF for the early and late fattening period (namely, TMRGSCF); 3) TMR feeding for growing and an early fattening period followed by SCF for the late fattening period (namely, TMREFSCF); and 4) TMR feeding for the entire experimental period (namely, TMRW). The results showed that the SCF treatment had significantly (p < 0.05) higher feed intake during the growing period than other treatments. In contrast, the total feed intake had little difference during early and late fattening as well as the whole period regardless of feeding strategies. Daily gain showed no difference during the growing period. However, it was significantly higher in SCF and TMREFSCF treatments for the early and late fattening period, respectively (p < 0.05). The daily gain during the total raising period is in the order of TMREFSCF > TMRGSCF > SCF > TMRW. Carcass characteristics, including carcass weight, loin eye muscle area, and carcass yield grade, did not significantly differ among different treatments. However, TMRW treatment, wherein TMR was fed for a long time, showed that the cold carcass weight was less compared with other treatments, but carcass yield grade was higher with thinner backfat. Backfat thickness was in the order of SCF > TMRGSCF > TMREFSCF > TMRW, showing that the thickness reduced with longer TMR feeding (p < 0.05). TMRGSCF, which numerically had a higher carcass quality grade, showed higher economic efficiency, whereas SCF showed low economic efficiency. In conclusion, it was more feasible to apply TMR strategy in the growing and early fattening period and then SCF for the early or late fattening period to improve carcass yield, quality grade, and economic efficiency.

Efficiency and profitability in US not-for-profit hospitals

This article examines the relationship between hospital profitability and efficiency. A cross-section of 1317 U.S. metropolitan, acute care, not-for-profit hospitals for the year 2015 was employed. We use a frontier method, stochastic frontier analysis, to estimate hospital efficiency. Total margin and operating margin were used as profit variables in OLS regressions that were corrected for heteroskedacity. In addition to estimated efficiency, control variables for internal and external correlates of profitability were included in the regression models. We found that more efficient hospitals were also more profitable. The results show a positive relationship between profitability and size, concentration of output, occupancy rate and membership in a multi-hospital system. An inverse relationship was found between profits and academic medical centers, average length of stay, location in a Medicaid expansion state, Medicaid and Medicare share of admissions, and unemployment rate. The results of a Hausman test indicates that efficiency is exogenous in the profit equations. The findings suggest that not-for-profit hospitals will be responsive to incentives for increasing efficiency and use market power to increase surplus to pursue their objectives.

Ecological-economic sustainability of the Baltic cod fisheries under ocean warming and acidification

Human-induced climate change such as ocean warming and acidification, threatens marine ecosystems and associated fisheries. In the Western Baltic cod stock socio-ecological links are particularly important, with many relying on cod for their livelihoods. A series of recent experiments revealed that cod populations are negatively affected by climate change, but an ecological-economic assessment of the combined effects, and advice on optimal adaptive management are still missing. For Western Baltic cod, the increase in larval mortality due to ocean acidification has experimentally been quantified. Time-series analysis allows calculating the temperature effect on recruitment. Here, we include both processes in a stock-recruitment relationship, which is part of an ecological-economic optimization model. The goal was to quantify the effects of climate change on the triple bottom line (ecological, economic, social) of the Western Baltic cod fishery. Ocean warming has an overall negative effect on cod recruitment in the Baltic. Optimal management would react by lowering fishing mortality with increasing temperature, to create a buffer against climate change impacts. The negative effects cannot be fully compensated, but even at 3 °C warming above the 2014 level, a reduced but viable fishery would be possible. However, when accounting for combined effects of ocean warming and acidification, even optimal fisheries management cannot adapt to changes beyond a warming of +1.5° above the current level. Our results highlight the need for multi-factorial climate change research, in order to provide the best available, most realistic, and precautionary advice for conservation of exploited species as well as their connected socio-economic systems.

Why is it so difficult to determine the yield of indoor cannabis plantations? A case study from the Netherlands

Together, the Netherlands and Belgium are the largest indoor cannabis producing countries in Europe. In both countries, legal prosecution procedure of convicted illicit cannabis growers usually includes recovery of the profits gained. However, it is not easy to make a reliable estimation of the latter profits, due to the wide range of factors that determine indoor cannabis yields and eventual selling prices. In the Netherlands, since 2005, a reference model is used that assumes a constant yield (g) per plant for a given indoor cannabis plant density. Later, in 2011, a new model was developed in Belgium for yield estimation of Belgian indoor cannabis plantations that assumes a constant yield per m² of growth surface, provided that a number of growth conditions are met. Indoor cannabis plantations in the Netherlands and Belgium share similar technical characteristics. As a result, for indoor cannabis plantations in both countries, both aforementioned yield estimation models should yield similar yield estimations. By means of a real-case study from the Netherlands, we show that the reliability of both models is hampered by a number of flaws and unmet preconditions. The Dutch model is based on a regression equation that makes use of ill-defined plant development stages, assumes a linear plant growth, does not discriminate between different plantation size categories and does not include other important yield determining factors (such as fertilization). The Belgian model addresses some of the latter shortcomings, but its applicability is constrained by a number of pre-conditions including plantation size between 50 and 1000 plants; cultivation in individual pots with peat soil; 600W (electrical power) assimilation lamps; constant temperature between 20°C and 30°C; adequate fertilizer application and plants unaffected by pests and diseases. Judiciary in both the Netherlands and Belgium require robust indoor cannabis yield models for adequate legal prosecution of illicit indoor cannabis growth operations. To that aim, the current models should be optimized whereas the validity of their application should be examined case by case.

When can a green entrepreneur manage the local environment?

How do we deal with environmental management issues at the local level? Traditionally, the approach proposed from an environmental management perspective has involved various kinds of "top-down" regulatory measures, such as defining a standard that must be satisfied or a tax on pollution. Conversely, there has been less focus on the analysis of local, bottom-up approaches, as for example the effectiveness of various ways of organizing a local environmental transition process. Our focus is on analyzing of under what conditions it is possible for a "green entrepreneur" (GE) to manage a transition from brown to green energy? Theoretically, we consider four entrepreneurial skills, at least two of which must be present for the GE to succeed. In the case of the Danish island of Samsø and its rapid introduction of renewable energy, three of these skills are found to be present: profits, communication, and trustworthiness. The GE, however, failed to activate the fourth skill concerning the ability to persuade local non-green actors regarding the value of the green component. Thus, a main result is that it is crucial to convince non-green locals about the profitability of local environmental management rather than its potentially green components.

An estimation of illicit cannabis growers' profits in Belgium

BACKGROUND

As a result of increased pressure on cannabis cultivation in The Netherlands, the number of confiscated indoor cannabis plantations in Belgium is rising. Although increases are reported for all plantations sizes, half of the seized plantations contain less than 50 plants. In this study, factors and variables that influence costs and benefits of indoor cannabis cultivation are investigated as well as how these costs and benefits vary between different cannabis grower types.

METHODS

Real-situation data of four growers were used to perform financial analyses. Costs included fixed and variable material costs, as well as opportunity costs. Gross revenue per grow cycle was calculated based on most recent forensic findings for illicit Belgian cannabis plantations and was adjusted for the risk of getting caught. Finally, gross revenues and return on costs (ROC) were calculated over 1 year (4 cycles).

FINDINGS

Financial analysis shows that in all cases gross revenues as well as ROC are considerable, even after a single growth cycle. Highest profitability was found for large-scale (600 plants, ROC=6.8) and mid-scale plantations (150 plants, ROC=6.0). However, industrial plantations (23,000 plants, ROC=1.4) and micro-scale plantations (5 plants, ROC=2.8) are also highly remunerative. Shift of police focus away from micro-scale growers, least likely to be involved in criminal gangs, to large-scale and industrial scale plantations would influence costs as a result of changing risks of getting caught. However, sensitivity analysis shows that this does not significantly influence the conclusions on profitability of different types of indoor cannabis growers.

CONCLUSION

Seizure and confiscation of profits are important elements in the integral and integrated policy approach required for tackling illicit indoor cannabis plantations. The large return of costs evidenced in the present study, underpin the policy relevance of confiscating those illicit profits as part of enforcement.