Increase In Net Revenue Research Articles

Dollars and Sense: The Financial Argument for Dedicated Posttrauma Center Care.

To demonstrate that the creation of a Center for Trauma Survivorship (CTS) is not cost-prohibitive but is a revenue generator for the institution. A dedicated CTS has been demonstrated to increase adherence with follow-up visits and improve overall aftercare in severely injured patients discharged from the trauma center. A potential impediment to the creation of similar centers is its assumed prohibitive cost. This pre and post-cohort study examines the financial impact of patients treated by the CTS. Patients in the PRE cohort were those treated in the year before CTS inception. Eligibility criteria are trauma patients admitted who are ≥18 years of age and have a New Injury Severity Score ≥16 or intensive care unit stay ≥2 days. Financial data were obtained from the hospital's billing and cost accounting systems for a 1-year time period after discharge. There were 176 patients in the PRE and 256 in the CTS cohort. The CTS cohort generated 1623 subsequent visits versus 748 in the PRE cohort. CTS patients underwent more follow-up surgery in their first year of recovery as compared with the PRE cohort (98 vs 26 procedures). Each CTS patient was responsible for a $7752 increase in net revenue with a positive contribution margin of $4558 compared with those in the PRE group. A dedicated CTS increases subsequent visits and necessary procedures and is a positive revenue source for the trauma center. The presumptive financial burden of a CTS is incorrect and the creation of dedicated centers will improve patients' outcomes and the institution's bottom line.

Sustainable intensification technologies and farm performance: evidence from smallholder sorghum farmers in Nigeria

ABSTRACTThe empirical literature on plot-level adoption of sustainable intensification technologies (SITs), as a package comprising improved crop varieties and good agronomic management practices is thin for dryland crops, such as sorghum. In this paper, we analyze the adoption and impacts of SITs on sorghum yield and net revenue using data from a sample of 1680 households and 3310 plots in the sorghum belt of Nigeria. Our estimates are based on a multinomial endogenous switching regression, which accounts for observable and unobservable sources of selection bias. We find a relatively low joint adoption of both improved sorghum varieties and good agronomic practices. In addition, we find that the adoption of only improved sorghum varieties and the joint adoption of both improved sorghum varieties and good agronomic practices led to a 56 and 102% increase in sorghum yield, respectively, and an 88 and 82% increase in net revenue, respectively. The yield and net revenue effects indicate that there are considerable missing opportunities that sorghum-producing households can harness through the adoption of SITs. Our findings reveal that policies tailored towards promoting the widespread adoption of SITs can lead to considerable productivity gains and economic returns for smallholder sorghum farmers towards improving their welfare.

Peak shaving auxiliary service analysis for the photovoltaic and concentrating solar power hybrid system under the planning-dispatch optimization framework

Concentrating solar power (CSP), being one of the key stakeholders in the peak shaving auxiliary service (AS) market, possesses distinct advantages due to its characteristics of energy storage, sustainability, and adjustability. Nevertheless, the market mechanism for CSP in the peak shaving AS is still in its nascent stage, particularly in the northwest region of China where thermal power dominates and there are bundled large-scale photovoltaic developments. Exploring strategies to capitalize on the peak shaving benefits of CSP, mitigate system operation costs, and enhance the revenue generation of CSP entities has emerged as a prominent area of research. This study establishes a planning-dispatch double-layer optimization model. Two mechanisms respectively based on the unit load rate (ULR) and peak shaving contribution (PSC) are proposed and examined, and the bidding range and quotation range for peak shaving of CSP under the two mechanisms are suggested according to the cost of the peak shaving capacity of CSP. The proposed model is analyzed using the improved IEEE 30-bus system. The results show that the capacity ratio of photovoltaic and CSP determines the functional position of CSP. Optimizing TES capacity and installed capacity of PV power can maximize the peak shaving capacity of CSP, while simultaneously reducing the peak shaving demand on thermal power plants, power system dispatching costs, and the LCOE of the CSP–PV hybrid system. The comprehensive economic benefit of the hybrid system increases by 2.93% under the PSC-based mechanism than that under the ULR-based mechanism. In comparison to the nonpeak shaving case under the ULR-based mechanism, the CSP–PV hybrid system exhibited a 3.74% increase in net revenue in the high peak shaving demand scenario. Furthermore, the comprehensive economic benefit of the CSP–PV hybrid system improved by 3.80% over the full life cycle, while the PV curtailment experienced a 2.50% decrease.

The Effect of In-State Tuition on International Student Enrollment: Evidence from the Heartland

In 2008, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MSCU) system modified residency criteria for tuition determinations and allowed institutions to charge international students in-state tuition. We use IPEDS data and a difference-in-differences design to determine the impact of the policy change on new international student enrollment in MSCU public four-year colleges relative to those in neighboring states, the Heartland, and all other states. We also derive a synthetic control group and compare the results. The findings indicate the MSCU policy allowing international students to pay in-state tuition drew 385 new international students to the state in the policy’s first year. Domestic student enrollment did not change, so we infer the policy resulted in an increase in net revenues. We discuss the benefits of expanding in-state tuition to international students, including how it can attract international students to less selective and regional college and universities, increase the cultural diversity of campus and local communities, and expand access to higher education to a more socioeconomically diverse population of students seeking to study in the United States.

Figures of Consolidated Income Statement of the World's Leading Publicly Traded Oil and Gas Corporations

Subject. The article considers the main figures of consolidated income statements of twenty five leading listed oil and gas companies from 2006 through 2018. Objectives. The purpose is to determine the current values of the main components of consolidated income statements of leading publicly traded oil and gas companies, to identify key trends in their change during the studied period, and to establish the factors that led to changes. Methods. The study draws on methods of comparative and financial-economic analysis, as well as generalization of materials of consolidated income statements. Results. The paper determines dynamics of changes in the value of key indicators and their correlation in the structure of income statements in the stock market sector of the industry, establishes the main factors that contributed to this transformation, based on the results of a comprehensive analysis of annual reports of 25 oil and gas companies. It shows a decrease in the sectoral level of net income of shareholders within the framework of the studied period, which occurred against the background of an increase in net revenue from core activities. The main factor behind such changes in the structure of the income statement was the increase in operating expenses outpacing revenue, primarily due to depreciation, depletion and amortization of assets. The strengthening of the role of interest expenses occurred in the stock market sector after the sectoral crisis. The overall reduction in income tax burden is a positive development. A return to the previous structure is possible only with a significant increase in oil prices, a reduction in operating costs, and a decrease in excises, duties and all other taxes not related to income tax. Conclusions. Net income of companies in the stock market sector of the oil and gas industry is decreasing due to an increase in expenses for core activities, which are faster than the growth of the corresponding revenue.

Can Reducing Implant Costs Increase Revenue for Surgically Treated Ankle Fractures: Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing for 1-Year Episode of Care.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether decision-making regarding implant selection affects the reimbursement margins for the surgical fixation of ankle fractures. All ankle fractures treated between 2010 and 2017 within a single-insurer database were identified via Current Procedural Terminology codes by review of electronic medical record. Implant cost was determined via the implant record cross-referenced with the single contract institutional charge master database. The Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) technique was used to determine the costs of care during all activities throughout the 1-year episode of care. Statistical analysis consisted of multiple linear regression and goodness-of-fit analyses. In all, 249 patients met inclusion criteria. Implant costs ranged from $173 to $3944, averaging $1342 ± $751. The TDABC-estimated cost of care ranged from $1416 to $9185, averaging $3869 ± $1384. Finally, the total reimbursed cost of care ranged between $1335 and $65 645, averaging $13 954 ± $9445. The implant costs occupied an estimated 34.7% of the TDABC-estimated cost of care per surgical encounter. Implant cost, as a percentage of the overall TDABC, was estimated as 36.2% in the inpatient setting and 33% in the outpatient setting, which was the second highest percentage behind surgical costs in both settings. We found a significant increase in net revenue of $1.93 for each dollar saved on implants in the outpatient setting, whereas the increase in net revenue per dollar saved of $1.03 approached significance in the inpatient setting. There is a direct relationship between intraoperative decision-making, as evidenced by implant choices, and the revenue generated by surgical fixation of ankle fractures. Intraoperative decision-making that is cognitive of implant cost can facilitate adoption of institutional cost containment measures and prompt increased healthcare value. Level III: Retrospective cohort study.

Management practices and their relation to success of Polish SMEs: The empirical verification.

The aim of the paper is to identify management practices that are characteristic for SMEs that achieve market success measured by their business performance in last their years of their operation analyze the relationships between management practices applied in small and medium-sized enterprises and their success measured by their business performance drawing on the data from 2710 SMEs operating on the Polish market. A cluster analysis was used to distinguish homogenous SME groups in view of their management practices. We examined differences between groups in terms of their business performance. The HINoV algorithm allowed six variables to be selected out of 32 management practices chosen initially for testing, with these variables providing the basis for grouping. Modal values and medians were calculated for 17 business performance measures in the three clusters produced. The subsequent analysis of those findings was focused on capturing significant differences. In the group of 2710 Polish SMEs, it was possible to verify that there existed an association between management practices in the field of modern HRM, computer systems supporting management and the company's economic performance, as measured by an increase in net revenue and number of customers over the last three years. In clusters where the above mentioned practices were appreciated, modal and median values of the increase reported in net revenue and number of customers were significantly higher. The research has shown that at a time marked by a shortage of highly skilled personnel one should pay particular attention to building an integrated and committed team of workers and to employee empowerment. The research has also shown that SME managers monitor only a fraction of basic business performance measures, which may prove to be a major risk to SMEs. Previous studies have been largely conducted in a fragmentary manner, i.e. they were concerned with the relationships between the application of some practices (strategic management, BPR, entrepreneurial orientation, monitoring, etc.) and selected business effectiveness measures. In this paper, the research covered SME management practices from a variety of areas which were then compared with the entrepreneurs' assessment as to whether the company's economic condition changed over the last three years. It is also the first attempt in post-socialist economies to identify those SME management practices that are related to better economic results.

Simulation-optimization for station capacities, fleet size, and trip pricing of one-way electric carsharing systems

This study presents an event-driven discrete-event simulation (EDDES) approach based on an O2DES framework for a one-way electric carsharing system (OECS). The developed model mainly consists of three modules: station, electric vehicle (EV), and link. The system carefully considers the impact of road congestion on travel speed and designs a detailed charging process for EVs to approximate the real world. Based on the high speed of EDDES, a simulation-optimization framework that jointly determines station capacities, fleet size, and trip pricing to maximize the net revenue of operators is proposed. A simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm is adopted to solve this problem. A case of EVCard in Chengdu is conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed framework. Several control experiments focusing on various pricing schemes are introduced to verify the advantage of optimization results further. Moreover, a one-way gasoline carsharing system (OGCS) is optimized to contrast with optimal OECS. These comparisons reveal some interesting findings: (1) from the perspective of operators, employing dynamic pricing achieves at least a 57.03% increase in net revenue compared to fixed pricing strategies; (2) from service, the optimal configurations and trip pricing of OECS effectively avoids vehicle overstock at stations; and (3) in terms of greener production, the optimal OECS could sustain a larger fleet size and a higher degree of cleaner production, and its profit generated by per CO2 emission is over six times higher than that of the optimal OGCS.

Income Tax Credits for Consumer Services: A Tool for Tackling VAT Evasion?

This paper analyzes the effects of an income tax credit on evasion of the value-added tax (VAT). Based on the individual tax returns of the universe of VAT payers in Germany our analysis shows that harnessing incentives of consumers as third-parties in the last VAT stage through tax credits fosters firms' compliance with VAT. Our results point at strong stimulating effects of the introduction of the tax credit on reported sales as well as on the ratio of output to input taxes. However, only about half of the increase in reported sales can be ascribed to a decline in tax evasion. Based on our results, the response at the VAT evasion margin alone is not fully sufficient to recover the revenue losses associated with the tax credit. But when taking into account the formalization effects in social security contributions, the increase in net-revenues is likely.

The Impacts of GM Foods: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Bt Eggplant in Bangladesh

We implemented a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of genetically modified eggplant (Bt brinjal) in Bangladesh. Our two primary outcomes were changes in yield and in pesticide costs. Cultivation of Bt brinjal raises yields by 3,564 kg/ha. This statistically significant impact is equivalent to a 51% increase relative to the control group. There is a statistically significant fall in pesticide costs, 7,175 Taka per hectare (85 USD per ha), a 37.5% reduction. Yield increases arise because Bt farmers harvest more eggplant and because fewer fruits are discarded because they are damaged. Bt brinjal farmers sell more eggplant and receive a higher price for the output they sell while incurring lower input costs, resulting in a 128% increase in net revenues. Bt brinjal farmers used smaller quantities of pesticides and sprayed less frequently. Bt brinjal reduced the toxicity of pesticides as much as 76%. Farmers growing Bt brinjal and who had pre‐existing chronic conditions consistent with pesticide poisoning were 11.5% points less likely to report a symptom of pesticide poisoning and were less likely to incur cash medical expenses to treat these symptoms. Our results are robust to changes in model specification and adjustment for multiple hypothesis testing. We did not find evidence of heterogeneous effects by farmer age, schooling, or land cultivated. Bt brinjal is a publicly developed genetically modified organism that conveys significant productivity and income benefits while reducing the use of pesticides damaging to human and ecological health.

Boron and zinc fertilizer applications are essential in emerging vegetable‐based crop rotations in Nepal

AbstractBackground: Since recently, the traditional rice–wheat rotation systems in Nepal are subject to drastic changes. Progressing urbanisation and shifting consumer preferences drive a replacement of wheat by high‐value vegetables during the cold dry season, particularly in the peri‐urban fringes, while emerging water shortages prevent permanent soil flooding during the monsoon season, leading to partial substitution of lowland rice by less water‐consuming upland crops. Associated changes in soil aeration status affect soil nutrient availability while particularly vegetables enhance the demand for the critically limiting micronutrients boron (B) and zinc (Zn).Aim: In both rice‐ (anaerobic) and maize‐based (aerobic) systems we assessed the differential response of traditional winter wheat in comparison to cauliflower and tomato to applied B and Zn fertilizers.Methods: Experiments were conducted (1) in a pot trial with two contrasting soil types (Acrisol vs. Fluvisol) and (2) in field validation trials at two contrasting sites (representing lowland vs. mid‐hills) in Nepal.Results: The on‐going shift from flooded rice to aerobic maize during the wet season negatively affected dry matter accumulation and grain yield of the dry season wheat, but not of cauliflower and tomato. While Zn application tended to increase wheat yields under field conditions, B application induced no significant effect, irrespective of the soil or production site. However, low to moderate applications of B (2.0–4.4 kg ha−1) and Zn (3.3–4.4 kg ha−1) nearly doubled biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake of vegetables and increased the economic yields of cauliflower and tomato between 8 and > 100%. These responses were generally more pronounced in the Fluvisol than the Acrisol. While overall yields of wheat and temperate vegetables were higher in the cool mid‐hills the relative yield responses to applied B were more pronounced in the lowland than the mid‐hill sites. On average, the partial factor productivities of applied fertilizer were low to moderate in wheat, with 1 and 8 € increase in net revenue per € of investment in B and Zn, respectively. In the vegetables, this partial factor productivity increased to about 4 € €−1 investment with Zn, and reached about 43 € €−1 investment in B, irrespective of the production site.Conclusions: While the application of Zn fertilizers can moderately improve the performance of traditional rice–wheat rotations, B and to a lesser extent Zn application become essential and highly profitable when shifting towards vegetable cropping. The demand for B and Zn fertilizers is foreseen to dramatically increase with progressing urbanisation and the associated shifts in production systems of Nepal.

Evaluation of Innovation Expenditures and Patents in the Polish Industry

The aim of the research has been to identify the elasticity of process and product innovation expenditures, the number of inventions as well as the number of patents in terms of net revenues generated from the sales of new and significantly improved products in the Polish industry over the years 2015-2017. Furthermore, a focus was also placed on the determination of the marginal and average productivity of innovation expenditures, as well as that of inventions and patents as observed in the Polish industry within the above-indicated period. The calculated marginal and average productivity values of independent variables allow for an indication of the areas of their rational management in the Polish industry. The research shows that the elasticity of inventions is greater (0.403) than the process and product innovation expenditures (0.333). On the other hand, the second power regression performed points to the fact that the elasticity of process and product innovation expenditures is higher (0.420) than the patent expenditure (0.251) within the relative increase in net revenues generated from sales of new and significantly improved products in the industry in Poland. A hypothesis has been confirmed claiming that the elasticity of patents – be it at its lowest – does increase the level of flexibility of process and product innovation expenditures in the Polish industry. A quality verification of inventions and their distinction as intellectual and legal property in the category of patents leads to the effective use of process and product innovation outlays within the relative increase in the net revenues obtained from the sale of new and significantly improved products in the industry in Poland. The conducted research reveals a new perspective on inventions and patents. Although the number of patents may show less elasticity, patents were significant in increasing the efficiency of process and product innovation expenditures effectuated within the industry in Poland over the years 2015-2017

Welfare analysis of increased interconnection between France and Ireland

The all-island electricity market in Ireland has been in operation since 2007. Existing electricity interconnection between the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom is small but plays an important role in current electricity market operation in the region. A 700 MW Electricity interconnector between Ireland and France was proposed in 2009. In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union and this has refocused political attention on Ireland’s limited interconnection capacity and the need for geographic diversification of interconnector options. We provide the first publically available detailed welfare impact of a new interconnector from Ireland to France and use an EU wide power system model (PLEXOS-EU) to simulate one vision of the 2030 EU electricity market based on European Commission analysis under varying fuel price assumptions. We demonstrate, that varying fuel prices has limited impact on welfare for the scenarios examined and the project has the potential for a positive impact on welfare in Ireland if low project interest rates are achieved. Our results show that the investment in interconnection reduces wholesale electricity prices in France and Ireland as well as the net revenues of thermal generators. The owners of the new interconnector between France and Ireland see positive net revenues. France is only marginally affected by the new interconnector. Renewable generators see a modest increase in net revenues. Great Britain may see welfare losses associated with the additional interconnection primarily driven by lower net revenues from existing Irish-British transmission line and higher costs of electricity generation.

Optimizing dispatch for a concentrated solar power tower

Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems employ a sophisticated thermal receiver, power cycle, and a heliostat field, comprised of thousands of mirrors spread over hundreds of acres of land, and are most cost-effective with relatively large quantities of energy storage which can be scheduled for dispatch. We exercise an existing optimization model that maximizes revenue over a year-long time horizon, solved using a standard 48-h look-ahead policy at hourly fidelity on a CSP system under development in California. The system employs molten salt power tower technology with a 150 MWe (net) turbine, eight hours of thermal storage at full load, and a solar field that provides 1.75 times the rated turbine thermal power. The model considers system configuration and interoperability aspects, such as storage tank size, production capacities, and ramp rates, and determines decisions that expedite financing, permitting, and plant design. Relative to results achieved via industry practice, the existing optimization model reduces the number of power cycle (i.e., turbine) start-up events by 86.4%, thereby improving net revenue by more than 8.5% annually; this corresponds to an approximately $140 M increase in net revenue over the lifetime of the plant, taking a step towards advancing the long-term economic viability of large-scale renewable energy systems. Sensitivity analysis on uncertain parameter values provides insight regarding those values that influence profit most significantly.

Rootstock Improves High-tunnel Tomato Water Use Efficiency

The following study was conducted to address water use efficiency in grafted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in an on-farm environment. The commercial rootstock cultivars Beaufort (BE) and Shield (S) were chosen as these two have different root system morphologies that may benefit water use efficiency. The heirloom cultivar Cherokee Purple (CP) was grafted onto both rootstocks and used as the nongrafted control. The study was conducted in 2016 and 2017 on a 5-acre vegetable and cut flower farm in North Carolina’s Piedmont region. Plants were grown under protected, high-tunnel culture where they received either 100% (3 hours every other day) or 50% (1.5 hours every other day) of the grower’s normal irrigation regime. At 50% irrigation, ‘Beaufort’-grafted plants yielded significantly more than nongrafted ‘Cherokee Purple’ and ‘Shield’-grafted plants. Furthermore, ‘Beaufort’-grafted plants at 50% irrigation yielded more than nongrafted ‘Cherokee Purple’ receiving the 100% irrigation treatment. The ‘Beaufort’-grafted plants significantly improved irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) at the 50% irrigation treatment compared with the other graft treatments. Yield and iWUE of ‘Shield’-grafted plants were comparable with the nongrafted ‘Cherokee Purple’ at both irrigation treatments. Regardless of irrigation treatment, grafting onto ‘Beaufort’ improved the quality of total fruit harvested. An economic assessment was conducted to determine the feasibility of using grafted plants in conditions lacking significant disease pressure. Purchasing grafted transplants would increase the initial investment by $5227.2 per acre. However, the increased yield obtained when using ‘Beaufort’ rootstock at 50% irrigation increased net revenue by $35,900.41 per acre compared with nongrafted ‘Cherokee Purple’ receiving 100% irrigation, amounting to a 44.6% increase in net revenue while saving ≈383,242 gal/acre of water per growing season. These results indicate that growers can select rootstocks to better manage water use in an environmentally friendly manner without limiting economic gains.

Farmer Preferences for Agricultural Soil Carbon Sequestration Schemes

AbstractThe sizable technical potential to sequester atmospheric carbon in soils to mitigate climate change will only be realized where and when there is also economic potential. A choice experiment conducted with a random sample of farmers in the State of Indiana, United States, revealed that farmers who have not previously adopted reduced tillage practices on any of their land require a $40 per acre increase in net revenue to switch from conventional tillage to no‐till. We estimate that farmers have a $10.57/acre option value of not signing a multi‐year sequestration contract, and find that government payments are preferred to carbon markets.

The Effect of Increased Transmission and Storage in an Interconnected Europe: An Application to France and Ireland

A longstanding goal of the European Union (EU) is to promote efficient trading between price zones via electricity interconnection to achieve a single electricity market between the EU countries. This paper uses a power system model (PLEXOS-EU) to simulate one vision of the 2030 EU electricity market based on European Commission studies to determine the effects of a new interconnector between France and the Single Electricity Market of Ireland and Northern Ireland (SEM). We use the same tool to understand the effects of investment in storage, and the effects of the interaction between storage and additional interconnection. Our results show that both investments in interconnection and storage reduce wholesale electricity prices in France and Ireland as well as reduce net revenues of thermal generators in most scenarios in both countries. However, France is only marginally affected by the new interconnector. Renewable generators see a modest increase in net revenues. The project has the potential for a positive impact on welfare in Ireland if costs are shared between countries and remain below 45 million €/year for the scenarios examined. The owners of the new interconnector between France and SEM see increased net revenues in the scenarios without storage. When storage is included in the system, the new interconnector becomes less profitable.

Growth and Economic Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed on Graded Levels of Canola Meal with or without Multi-Enzyme Supplementation

Canola meal (CM) is commonly used in poultry diets; however, its use is limited due to anti-nutritive factors. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding various levels of canola meal (CM) with or without multi-enzyme supplement on broiler chickens. Four levels of CM (0, 5, 10 and 20%) were used with or without multi-enzyme (0 or 300 g/ton of diet) in a factorial design 4 × 2 in 8 dietary combinations. During the experimental period (0-42 d of age), inclusion of CM at a level of 5 and 10% without multi-enzyme and at a level of 20% with or without multi-enzyme decreased body weight gain and gain:feed ratio compared to control (CON; P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the final body weight at day 42 of age between the groups. No differences were found in carcass characteristics between treatments. Inclusion of CM in broiler diet decreased serum antibody titer at 42 d of age compared to the control and enzyme-supplemented CM groups (P < 0.05). Inclusion of CM with multi-enzyme supplement decreased serum total cholesterol, total triglyceride and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase compared to CON and enzyme-unsupplemented groups (P < 0.05). Diets supplemented with CM had higher serum creatinine than CON and enzyme-supplemented CM groups (P < 0.05). Lower serum triiodothyronine in broilers fed diet supplemented with 10 or 20% CM was noticed (P < 0.05). CM with multi-enzyme supplementation to broiler ration showed a slight increase in net revenue.

Corn Residue Supply in the Irrigated Corn Belt

The present study quantifies the profit-maximizing supply of corn stover per unit of land under alternative crop rotations in irrigated cropland with and without limits to irrigation. The model is parameterized based on growing conditions in Nebraska, USA. Our analysis quantifies a trilemma between stover supply, groundwater consumption, and food/feed supply per unit of land. In the absence of water conservation policies, higher stover prices are associated with higher supply and increased irrigation application. If an upper limit is imposed on irrigation at the baseline level (for groundwater conservation purposes), an increase in net revenue from stover sale from $15 to $25/metric ton is associated with an increase in stover supply of 5 metric tons/ha and a 2-metric ton reduction in corn yield under continuous corn. Under corn/soybean rotation, such an increase in net revenue is associated with an increase in stover supply of 10 metric tons/ha, and reductions of 0.5 metric tons in corn yield and 0.7 metric tons in soybean yield.

Economic Evaluation of Capture-Based Bluefin Tuna Aquaculture on the US East Coast

This article assesses the economic feasibility of capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture on the US East Coast and examines the potential of this hybrid form of aquaculture production to increase the net economic value generated in the US East Coast bluefin tuna fishery. A bioeconomic model of an offshore capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture facility is used to evaluate the economic feasibility of this form of production on the US East Coast under a variety of economic, biological, and regulatory assumptions. The results suggest that of the three proposed farming sites along the US East Coast, the expected net present value (NPV) of the operation over a 10-year operating horizon is highest at the Gray’s Reef, GA, site. The second part of this article assesses the extent to which the opportunity to engage in capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture production could improve the net economic value generated in the US East Coast bluefin tuna fishery. The results suggest that if the fishery had the opportunity to engage in capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture production, there would be an increase in the net revenue generated in the fishery. Depending on how the seasonal quota was enforced, economic improvement in the fishery ranged from a 52–142% improvement in net revenue. Even when the cost per fish associated with capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture production was doubled, the results still indicated that the opportunity to engage in capture-based bluefin tuna aquaculture production would lead to a 12% increase in net revenue in the fishery.