Market Structure and Conduct of the North Dakota Livestock Marketing Industry

Industrial Organization, Marketing,

FEASIBILITY OF OPERATING A LAMB SLAUGHTER PLANT IN NORTH DAKOTA

A group of North Dakota lamb producers who are members of Valley Wool Growers Association identified several niche markets for high quality North Dakota lambs. The potential availability of a closed, but formerly federally inspected, livestock slaughter and meat processing facility in Steele County heightened their interest in determining the feasibility of a cooperatively owned lamb slaughter and processing facility. The cooperative would be patterned after existing and proposed slaughter cooperatives, whereby cooperative members would own shares to supply lambs to the plant on a year-round basis. The analysis was conducted in several sections corresponding to critical factors which affect feasibility of the plant. The critical factors analyzed included federal inspection requirements, the potential of an adequate supply of lambs, the potential for a viable niche market, plant investment and operating costs, expected return, alternative lamb purchase prices, alternative lamb carcass sales prices, and several investment and expense scenarios. The building and equipment investment was projected to be $1,468,000, which was higher than originally expected due to the extensive refurbishing necessary to meet federal inspection and increased capacity requirements. Plant operating expenses at full capacity were projected to be$3,013,877 per year which included $673,877 in operating expenses and$2,340,000 for lamb purchase. Income from lamb meat sales and pelts was estimated at $2,800,000 per year. The assumptions of purchasing 20,000 lambs per year for$0.90 per pound and selling for $2 per carcass pound resulted in an annual negative margin of$213,877 at full capacity. Therefore, other scenarios were investigated which would enable the plant to operate profitably. The maximum price that could be paid for lambs to pay all investment and operating costs, including a 7.5 percent return to member equity, was $0.8004 per pound. A 25 percent increase in projected costs would reduce the purchase price to$0.7358, or a reduction in the lamb carcass sales price to $1.80 per pound would reduce the lamb purchase price to$0.7004. The range in probable prices that could be paid for lambs is $0.70 to$0.80 per pound with a likely price of $0.75. The proposers of the cooperative will need to decide if prices in this range would be sufficient to lure enough member investors to provide the 20,000 lambs necessary to operate the plant.lambs, slaughter, processing, niche market, lamb prices, lamb carcass prices, feasibility, cooperative, federal meat inspection, plant operating expenses, Agribusiness,

PC1643+4631A,B: The Lyman-Alpha Forest at the Edge of Coherence

This is the first measurement and detection of coherence in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at substantially high redshift (z~3.8) and on large physical scales (~2.5 h^-1 Mpc). We perform the measurement by presenting new observations from Keck LRIS of the high redshift quasar pair PC 1643+4631A, B and their Ly-alpha absorber coincidences. This experiment extends multiple sightline quasar absorber studies to higher redshift, higher opacity, larger transverse separation, and into a regime where coherence across the IGM becomes weak and difficult to detect. We fit 222 discrete Ly-alpha absorbers to sightline A and 211 to sightline B. Relative to a Monte Carlo pairing test (using symmetric, nearest neighbor matching) the data exhibit a 4sigma excess of pairs at low velocity splitting (<150 km/s), thus detecting coherence on transverse scales of ~2.5 h^-1 Mpc. We use spectra extracted from an SPH simulation to analyze symmetric pair matching, transmission distributions as a function of redshift and compute zero-lag cross-correlations to compare with the quasar pair data. The simulations agree with the data with the same strength (~4sigma) at similarly low velocity splitting above random chance pairings. In cross-correlation tests, the simulations agree when the mean flux (as a function of redshift) is assumed to follow the prescription given by Kirkman et al. (2005). While the detection of flux correlation (measured through coincident absorbers and cross-correlation amplitude) is only marginally significant, the agreement between data and simulations is encouraging for future work in which even better quality data will provide the best insight into the overarching structure of the IGM and its understanding as shown by SPH simulations.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomical Journa

Potential Food and Nonfood Utilization of Potatoes and Related Byproducts in North Dakota

Demand and Price Analysis,

Trauma Patterns of Different Types of Ammunition: An Analysis of Skeletal Remains

This research examines the role projectile design plays in skeletal trauma through skeletal analysis and extensive research. Using four specimens, randomly assigned to four different types of projectiles, a skeletal analysis was conducted to determine if any unique patterns were distinguishable between each type of projectile and if the common characteristics of gun-shot trauma were present. The types of projectiles used were the Winchester 230 GR. full metal jacketed bullet, the hand load 185 GR. Lead semi wad cutter target round, the Winchester 230 GR. Jacketed hollow point, and the Hornady 185 GR. FTX hollow point bullet. The research found that with each level of projectile, the skeletal damage done was amplified. While each bullet created a unique signature, all wounds consistently presented the common characteristics of gun-shot trauma. More research must be conducted in order to determine a statistically significant pattern between each type of bullet design

NRC and FDA Regulations Affecting Nuclear Pharmacy Practice

Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive drugs that are used in nuclear medicine practice for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear pharmacy practice is a patient-oriented pharmaceutical service that promotes the safe and efficacious use of radiopharmaceuticals and other drugs used in nuclear medicine, and is regulated jointly by a variety of federal, state, and local agencies. Given that the medical use of radiopharmaceuticals is highly regulated at multiple levels of government, it is not surprising that nuclear pharmacy practice is conducted in a complex regulatory environment. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of this regulatory environment, primarily in terms of two important regulatory agencies involved (Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Food and Drug Administration), their primary authority and activities, and the regulations that must be satisfied in order to assure the safe and efficacious use of radiopharmaceuticals.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69138/2/10.1177_089719008900200509.pd

The Feasibility of a Cooperatively Owned Large-Scale Hog Farrowing System in North Dakota

Interest in the feasibility of a cooperatively owned large-scale hog farrowing system has been shown by hog producers in North Dakota. The producers realize the problems in securing a continuous supply of disease free feeder pigs of uniform quality during fluctuating price periods. Lack of published data concerning large-scale farrowing systems makes decisions regarding the feasibility and negotiation with lending institutions difficult. The research for this report was conducted under North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Projects 1350 and 3337. The research was supported in part by grants from the Business and Industrial Development Department and the Economic Development Administration (Grant Project Number 05-6-01402). Special assistance in conducting the study and preparing the report was provided through the Research and Extension Rural Development Project at North Dakota State University.Agribusiness, Production Economics,

The Economics of Exporting North Dakota Beef to Asian Pacific Markets

International Relations/Trade,