FARM REAL ESTATE DISINVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Land Economics/Use,

Underlying causes of commercial bank failures in the 1980s

An examination of the contributions of economic and managerial factors to commercial bank failures in the 1980s.Bank failures

The Acidic Domains of the Toc159 Chloroplast Preprotein Receptor Family are Instrinsically Disordered Protein Domains

Background: The Toc159 family of proteins serve as receptors for chloroplast-destined preproteins. They directly bind to transit peptides, and exhibit preprotein substrate selectivity conferred by an unknown mechanism. The Toc159 receptors each include three domains: C-terminal membrane, central GTPase, and N-terminal acidic (A-) domains. Although the function(s) of the A-domain remains largely unknown, the amino acid sequences are most variable within these domains, suggesting they may contribute to the functional specificity of the receptors. Results: The physicochemical properties of the A-domains are characteristic of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Using CD spectroscopy we show that the A-domains of two Arabidopsis Toc159 family members (atToc132 and atToc159) are disordered at physiological pH and temperature and undergo conformational changes at temperature and pH extremes that are characteristic of IDPs. Conclusions: Identification of the A-domains as IDPs will be important for determining their precise function(s), and suggests a role in protein-protein interactions, which may explain how these proteins serve as receptors for such a wide variety of preprotein substrates

UPDATING CORN PROGRAM PAYMENT YIELDS: ARE FARM OPERATORS DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECTED?

Crop yields which determine farm income deficiency payments have been frozen at 1981-1985 levels since 1986. Data from a longitudinal survey of Ohio farm operators are analyzed to evaluate whether updating payment yields will differentially affect farm operators. Results of the analysis imply that farm operators who operate larger farms, live in counties with higher yields, and have higher fertilizer and pesticide expenses per acre of corn will benefit more. In addition, low (high) existing payment yields are understated (overstated) relative to updated payment yields.Agricultural Finance,

SPATIAL DEPENDENCE AMONG COUNTY-LEVEL LAND USE CHANGES

Spatial econometric methods are used to investigate whether land use changes in one county are affected by changes in surrounding counties. Spatial dependence is hypothesized to arise from land substitution effects among neighboring counties. The estimation uses data on land use change for 1,055 counties of 12 Midwest states.Land Economics/Use,