Designing Cost Effective Auctions as Instruments to Reduce Nutrients Run-off from Agriculture into the Baltic Sea - An Experimental Study

This research studies the use of auctions for reducing leaching of phosphorus and nitrogen into the Baltic Sea. Auctions are introduced as a tool for creating environmental contracts in agriculture for the first time in Finland. A controlled laboratory experiment is used to analyze the effect of introducing a bundle mechanism in the auction. Landholders submit sealed bids on multiple parcels in a one shot reverse auction. Each parcel is assigned an environmental quality and varies in size. In one treatment landholders can offer bids on environmental contracts for their parcels individually. In the other treatment landholders are given the opportunity to bundle parcels of land together when submitting bids as well as submitting bids for individual parcels. The results suggest that the bundle mechanism increase environmental efficiency of the auction compared to the individual parcel auction. In the treatment with individual parcel bids environmental value significantly affects over half of landholders’ offers. The bundle treatment however shows sign of a cognitive bias where landholders use the hectare size to determine their offers.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Karen Larsen to Mr. James Meredith (4 October 1962)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1936/thumbnail.jp

Teachers\u27 Perceived Influences on Technology Integration Decisions: A Grounded Theory on Instructional Decisions after Professional Development

This qualitative grounded theory study explored teachers\u27 instructional decisions around planning and practice for technology integration after participation in professional development. The purpose of this study was to determine how a long-term hybrid professional development experience influenced, if at all, math teachers\u27 instructional decisions to integrate The Geometer\u27s Sketchpad into their planning and classroom practice. There are several components for effective professional development suggested in the research literature. Professional development that is sustained over long periods of time, connected to teachers\u27 practice, and provides active engagement in learning by participating teachers\u27 is more likely to result in effective implementation of new skills and pedagogical practices (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995; Polly & Hannafin, 2010). The seven participants in this study all experienced a seven-month hybrid professional development that was designed using these research-recommended components. The study took place ten months after the professional development. Sources of data included classroom observations, one-on-one interviews, and written lesson plans. Data generation occurred over a three-month span of time. Data were analyzed using constant-comparative methods. A theory grounded in the data found four perceived influences on teachers\u27 instructional decisions around planning and practice for technology integration: curriculum and district expectations; professional development; teaching practices; and internal and external factors. These four influences work together, with curriculum and district expectations being the central influence. The findings from this study have implications for educational leaders around their decisions for technology acquisitions, use expectations and design of technology-focused professional development

Hematology, Biochemistry and Serum Protein Analyses of Antarctic and non-Antarctic Skuas

Determination of hematological and biochemical parameters provides important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds. Therefore, to carry out ecophysiology or conservation studies it is essential to establish baseline physiological parameters and how these change with age and life history events. Hematological (hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte sedimentation) and biochemical (glucose, total lipids and proteins, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities and electrolyte concentration) reference values were determined in two Antarctic migratory bird species, the Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) and South Polar Skua (S. maccormicki), from South Shetland Island during breeding season. Also, hematological data (hematocrit) were determined for non-Antarctic skuas, with Chilean (S. chilensis) and Falkland (S. antarcticus antarcticus) skuas sampled in the Beagle Channel islands (Tierra del Fuego Province) and Viana Island (Chubut Province), Argentina, respectively. Differences between adult Antarctic skua species were observed in hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation, total lipids and aspartate aminotransferase activity. In addition, age-related differences in Antarctic skuas in hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose and total protein values were observed. Serum reference protein fractions (Albumin, α1, α2, and globulins) were assessed by electrophoresis for Antarctic and non-Antarctic skuas. Similar protein patterns were observed between South Polar and Chilean skuas as well between Falkland Skua and Brown Skua. The differences between adult sympatric Antarctic skuas may be related to their nutritional status and species-specific migrations, feeding habits and the differential use of the breeding niches, while the age variation may be related to physiological development processes in chicks or to the energy expenditure in adults during breeding.Fil: Ibañez, Andres Esteban. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Ornitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Najle, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larsen, Karen Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Montalti, Diego. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Content of fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids in milk and herbage as affected by sward composition and period of grazing

The quality of organic milk is affected by feed composition, and especially the high use of legumes has been identified as the reason for high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids and tocopherols in organic milk. Four different pastures composed of mainly white clover (WCL), red clover (RCL), lucerne (LUC) or chicory (CIK), respectively, were established to investigate the influence of sward composition on the milk quality of grazing cows. On three occasions during the grazing period (May, June and August), groups of 12 Holstein cows were grazing the pastures for two weeks. About 70% of the daily dry matter intake was pasture, and the remaining dry matter intake was a mixture of oats, hay and minerals (82%, 16%, 2%, respectively). The swards were sampled, and their feed quality as well as their composition of carotenoids, tocopherols and fatty acids was analysed. On each occasion, milk was sampled after two weeks of grazing, and the content of tocopherols and carotenoids as well as the composition of fatty acids was analysed. The overall feed quality expressed as IVOMD (in vitro organic matter disappearance) and NDF (neutral detergent fibre) was affected by period and to a lesser extent by forage type. The content of carotenoids was higher in RCL compared to the other forages, while no effect of period was observed. Alpha-tocopherol was neither affected by period nor by forage type. Fatty acid content, in particular content of linolenic acid, decreased during the grazing period, and it was highest in RCL, intermediate in CIK and lowest in WCL and LUC. Milk yield was neither affected by period nor by forage type. Milk fatty acid composition and content of alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids showed minor differences between forage types and sampling occasions. However, multivariate analysis of these data showed grouping according to sampling occasion, but no clear grouping according to forage types. Despite the differences in composition of forage and in composition of milk, it was not possible to predict milk content of specific fatty acids, carotenoids or tocopherols from the feed content of these compounds. This was partly explained by differences in feed digestibility. Comparison of the milk with previous studies showed higher concentrations of beneficiary compounds such as linolenic acid (12 mg/g fatty acids), conjugated linoleic acid (13 mg/g fatty acids), carotenoids (6 µg/g milk fat) and alpha-tocopherol (21 µg/g milk fat), and it was concluded that all the forages tested could be used in production of a milk with such properties

Observations on the Expansion of a Relict Population of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in a Maine Estuary: Implications for Climate Change and Restoration

The Gulf of Maine has undergone dramatic physiographic and oceanographic changes over the last several millenia resulting in some unusual biogeographic consequences. One is that there are pockets of Virginian species, including Crassostra virginica (Eastern Oyster), that survive in isolated warm water pockets, usually at the heads of estuaries. These small and vulnerable populations need documentation, protection, and restoration in order to preserve their genetic characteristics and ecological services. In this contribution, we describe the circumstances whereby tidal restoration made available 2.5 linear km of new habitat area to the relict oyster population of the Marsh River, ME, the northernmost documented native oyster population in the United States. Oysters recruited to the new habitat quickly, demonstrating the restoration potential of isolated, relict populations. The resultant larger population size and areal extent should provide increased stability and survivability of the oyster and its associated community. These observations have implications for both the restoration potential of relict oyster populations and the consequences of climate change

Exploring the Economics of Sustainable Energy : A Comparative Analysis of LCOE and System Costs for Nuclear and Offshore Wind Projects in Norway

This study explores the impact of input factor variability and the scope of analysis on profitability calculations for nuclear and offshore wind power in the Norwegian power market. The research employs several data sources and combines LCOE calculations and Monte Carlo simulations to assess the impact of uncertain factors on profitability estimations. Additionally, regression analyses assess the relationship between the share of the different power technologies and balancing volumes in a system. Additionally, a comprehensive discussion on system costs is included to encompass the system cost concept fully. The study's main findings include that the LCOE of offshore wind projects primarily relies on the discount rate and capacity factor. On the other hand, a potential SMR project would be impacted mainly by CAPEX and OPEX. Additionally, we find that LCOE has two significant limitations. First, the metric fails to account for the value of longevity in power production, which contradicts long-term supply and environmental objectives. Secondly, it does not count for system costs occurring beyond the scope of the project. This makes the validity and significance of the LCOE metric vary among different stakeholder groups. Another important finding is a significant but low correlation between the penetration of the different power sources and balancing volumes. While an increase in wind power penetration level is associated with an increase in imbalance volumes, the opposite effect is observed when studying the relationship with nuclear power. This could have important implications for the total costs of electricity production and suggests that a holistic approach is essential for informed decision-making regarding the future Norwegian energy mix.nhhma

MANUFACTURER AND RETAILER BRANDS IN FOOD RETAIL ASSORTMENTS Notes from a shopping trip across Europe

Food retailers present consumers with a complex market offering. They offer consumers an assortment of products sourced from numerous suppliers, along with various services within a retailer-controlled environment (Burt & Sparks 2002). Food retailers aim to offer an assortment of products and perform a variety of activities and services, which provide added value in the eyes of consumers (Burt 2000). In this connection, branding is becoming increasingly important, as food retailers develop their own brands within and across product categories. Many retailers are attempting to cultivate an overall brand identity in order to protect and identify their market offering (Burt & Sparks 2002). The assortment of products food retailers offer typically includes manufacturer brands, re-tailer brands and generic or unbranded products. In recent years, increasing competition in food retailing has made food retailers focus on whether they offer the "right" assort-ment to consumers. Under headings such as efficient consumer response (ECR) and cate-gory management (CM), retailers have been readjusting their assortments, delisting many brands that were deemed to be under-performing and including retailer branded products in an attempt to differentiate themselves by offering goods only available in their stores. Despite the importance of branding to retailers, the branding literature has focused on how manufacturers develop and maintain strong brands. Relatively little work has been done in the area of retail brands and even less about the interaction between retailer brands and manufacturer brands. In contrast, this paper develops a concept of retailer brand architecture, which captures that retailers typically offer an assortment of manu-facturer brands, retailer brands and generic products. In doing so we adapt the concept of brand architecture to a retail context. The concept of 'brand architecture', as originally developed by (Aaker & Joachimsthaler 2002), describes how the different brands used to market a range of products from the same manufacturer are related. The concept of brand architecture is based on the assumption that brands are not evaluated in isolation, but are placed in and evaluated within a broader context. This assumption is also important in a retail context. Consumers do not look at an isolated product or brand on the shelf. Their evaluation of the individual brand depends on the context; for instance, what other products are offered in the product category and in the retail outlet, previous experiences with the product or other products from the same manufacturer, as well as previous experiences with the retailer in question. In this paper, we take the concept of brand architecture and apply it to food retailers, con-ceptualising the brand architectures of food retailers as the portfolio of brands (gene-ric, retailer and manufacturer brands), which are included in the assortment of a retail concept (ie, a retail chain). In addition to developing a concept of 'retailer brand archi-tecture', we use this concept to investigate the brand architecture of a number of European food retailers in order to determine similarities and differences in brand architecture strategies. The paper is structured as follows: firstly, the concept of brand archi-tecture is presented. Secondly, the concept of brand architecture is applied to a retail setting and a number of other concepts important for understanding the brand architecture strategies of food retailers are introduced and discussed. Thirdly, the methodology used to investigate the brand architectures of European food retailers is discussed. Then, the findings from a shopping trip across Europe are presented. Finally, a discussion of the findings is provided and it is briefly considered how the findings of this study were used as input for a study of consumer perceptions of the brand architectures of food retailers. This subsequent study investigated whether consumers notice differences between the brand architectures of food retailers and how these are evaluatedNo keywords;

The association between perceived stress and mortality among people with multimorbidity: a prospective population-based cohort study

Multimorbidity is common and is associated with poor mental health and high mortality. Nevertheless, no studies have evaluated whether mental health may affect the survival of people with multimorbidity. We investigated the association between perceived stress and mortality in people with multimorbidity by following a population-based cohort of 118,410 participants from the Danish National Health Survey 2010 for up to 4 years. Information on perceived stress and lifestyle was obtained from the survey. We assessed multimorbidity using nationwide register data on 39 conditions and identified 4,229 deaths for the 453,648 person-years at risk. Mortality rates rose with increasing levels of stress in a dose-response relationship (P-trend < 0.0001), independently of multimorbidity status. Mortality hazard ratios (highest stress quintile vs. lowest) were 1.51 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 1.84) among persons without multimorbidity, 1.39 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.64) among those with 2 or 3 conditions, and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.73) among those with 4 or more conditions, when adjusted for disease severities, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. The numbers of excess deaths associated with high stress were 69 among persons without multimorbidity, 128 among those with 2 or 3 conditions, and 255 among those with 4 or more conditions. Our findings suggested that perceived stress contributes significantly to higher mortality rates in a dose-response pattern, and more stress-associated deaths occurred in people with multimorbidity