bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vibrational Analyses of Di-μ-oxo-Bridged Manganese Dimers Based on Density Functional Theory Calculations. Theoretical Evaluation of Mn–O Vibrations of the Mn-Cluster Core for Photosynthetic Oxygen-Evolving Complex
Authors: Hasegawa Koji , Ono Taka-aki
Published: July 2006

Normal coordinate analyses of di-μ-oxo-bridged [Mn2III,III(μ-O)2(ND3)8]2+, [Mn2III,IV(μ-O)2(ND3)8]3+, and [Mn2IV,IV(μ-O)2(ND3)8]4+ dimers were carried out systematically based on force-constants obtained by B3PW91 hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations on a broken-symmetry electronic state. Calculation results indicated that all Mn–O–Mn/Mn–O stretch vibrations are found at 697–387 cm−1 with the strongest infrared (IR) intensities occurring at 620, 697, and 615 cm−1 for Mn2III,III, Mn2III,IV, and Mn2IV,IV dimers, respectively, which are compatible with experimental data. These strong IR bands were assigned to the Mn–O–Mn asymmetric stretch 1 (B3u vibration) for the equivalent Mn2III,III and Mn2IV,IV dimers with D2h symmetry, and the MnIV–O symmetric stretch (A1 vibration) for the mixed-valence Mn2III,IV dimer with C2v symmetry. Based on the results of calculations, the reported 18O-sensitive IR bands in the low-frequency S2/S1 spectrum in a photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) were assigned to the MnIV–O asymmetric stretch (B2 vibration) in the di-μ-oxo-bridged Mn2III,IV dimer moiety for the S1-state Mn-cluster core and the Mn–O–Mn asymmetric stretch 1 (B3u vibration) in the di-μ-oxo-bridged Mn2IV,IV dimer moiety in the S2-state Mn-cluster core.
pH-Dependent Color-Change Behavior of Bis(o-phenylenediamine)platinum(II) Complex and pH-Dependent Redox of Bis(o-semibenzoquinonediimine)platinum(II) Complex
Authors: Konno Yosuke , Matsushita Nobuyuki
Published: July 2006

pH-Dependent color changes of an innocent diamineplatinum(II) complex, [Pt(H2L)2]Cl2 ([1]Cl2), where H2L is o-phenylenediamine, and the pH-dependent redox of non-innocent diimineplatinum(II) complexes, [Pt(L)2] (2) and [{Pt(L)2}2]Cl2 ([22]Cl2), where L is o-semibenzoquinonediimine monoanion or neutral o-benzoquinonediimine, have been investigated by vis–NIR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry in solutions of various pH. The crystals of [1]Cl2·2H2O and [22]Cl2·6H2O have also been characterized by X-ray crystallography. [1]Cl2 in an aqueous solution changes from colorless either to purple or to yellow-green depending on the pH of the solution. The purple solution gave a neutral complex 2 and the yellow-green solution yielded [22]Cl2·6H2O. In the latter complex, the monocation, [2]+, dimerizes forming a weak Pt–Pt bond [3.0109(4) Å] with no bridging ligands. The spectroscopy of [1]Cl2 in the buffer solutions shows that the complex 2 is formed in the range of pH 4.6–5.8, while the complex [2]+ is generated in the range of pH 2.1–4.5. These results indicate that the one-electron redox process of [2]+/2 depends on the pH of the solution. By adjusting the pH of the solution by adding acid or base, it is possible to reversibly control this redox process. This behavior is a kind of pH-dependent chromism because of their color being different.
Optical Rotation Study on Solvent Dependence of Diastereomeric Salt Discrimination Properties
Authors: Taniguchi Kayoko , Sakurai Rumiko , Sakai Kenichi , Yasutake Mikio , Hirose Takuji
Published: July 2006

The optical rotation properties have been studied for two diastereomeric salts of four kinds of amine–carboxylic acid salt systems, and the results have been compared among them and their chiral salts. The diastereomeric salts of 2-(4-methylphenyl)-1-phenylethylamine/mandelic acid (1-phenyl-2-(4-methylphenyl)ethylamine; PTE/MA) and α-amino-ε-caprolactam/N-tosylphenylalanine (ACL/TPA) exhibited relatively large differences in optical rotation values and solvent dependency. In contrast, the diastereomeric salts of α-methylbenzylamine/MA and piperazine-2-carboxylic acid t-butylamide/TPA possessed similar optical rotation behavior; the values and solvent dependency were almost identical. These results were discussed in relation to the dielectrically controlled resolution phenomenon for the formers, PTE/MA and ACL/TPA, and were also compared with the crystal structures.
Dynamic Idea Maps: A Framework for Linking Ideas with Cases during Brainstorming
Authors: Lai Ih-Cheng
Published: July 2006

This research makes use of a cognitive study to explore a mechanism for associating ideas during brainstorming. First, we propose a linking model that integrates three principles of idea association (similarity, contrast and contiguity) with two processes of case-based reasoning (retrieval and adaptation). Then, a design experiment and its protocol analysis are conducted in order to identify the types and mechanisms of linkages between ideas and cases, and to explore a computational mechanism for this linking model. Finally, a framework for case-based reasoning to support idea association called Dynamic Idea-Maps (DIM) is proposed, and its mechanism is elucidated.
Critical Race Theory: Recognizing the elephant and taking action
Authors: EDWARDS PATRICIA A. , SCHMIDT PATRICIA RUGGIANO
Published: July 2006

Book reviewed in this article:

Making Race Visible: Literacy Research for Cultural Understanding. Stuart Greene and Dawn Abt‐Perkins (Eds.). 2003.
A Market‐Share Approach to the Foreign Demand for U. S. Cotton
Authors: Sirhan Ghazi , Johnson Paul R.
Published: July 2006

Direct estimation of export and import demand elasticities has plagued analysts with statistical problems. Here it is proposed to adopt a market‐share model for the estimation of such elasticities. The share of a market, rather than quantity, is considered to be a function of the prices of competitors in the market. Such elasticities have been estimated for U. S. cotton in the United Kingdom and West Germany. These elasticities are more in accord with a priori reasoning than previous estimates.
Sufficient Conditions for Aggregation of Linear Programming Models
Authors: Paris Quirino , Rausser Gordon C.
Published: July 2006

Three sets of sufficient conditions for exact aggregation of linear programming models are discussed. They provide a relaxation of the proportionality and dimensionality conditions among elements of the micro problems required by R. H. Day's specification. For correct aggregation it is not necessary to classify firms according to “homogeneity” criteria.
Use Rates, Resource Flows, and Efficiency of Public Investment in Range Improvements
Authors: Stevens Joe B. , Godfrey E. Bruce
Published: July 2006

A theoretical model of interactions between use rates and resource flows over space and time is developed, and a static empirical model is derived for ex post analysis of public range investments on the Vale Project (Oregon). Five investment practices varied widely in their marginal productivities. For every Animal Unit Month (AUM) of grazing produced directly by Investment, an additional 0.5 AUM was obtained by manipulation of use rates to allow increased natural regeneration. Overall, the Vale Project was inefficient in terms of an implicit redistributional objective as well as the explicit national income objective.
Tax Loss Agricultural Investments after Tax Reform
Authors: Carman Hoy F.
Published: July 2006

Tax reform had differential effects on tax shelter investments in agriculture. Profits from breeding livestock were reduced, while the tax advantages of citrus and almond orchard establishment were terminated. Other orchard crops which offered tax shelter advantages before reform continue to be profitable.
Assembly and Distribution System Management: An Application of Lockset
Authors: Hallberg M. C.
Published: July 2006

The “lockset” routing technique can be used to answer policy questions concerning assembly or distribution systems as well as to design routes for assembly or distribution systems. The procedure was illustrated utilizing a problem in wholesale food distribution. Routing systems were developed for seven different cases, each designed to evaluate a specific policy question.
Benefits and Costs of a Physician to a Community
Authors: Radtke Hans D.
Published: July 2006

The Pacific Northwest as one planning region does not appear to have a shortage of physicians. However, a serious misallocation of physicians within the region prevails. Construction of hospitals by rural areas as a means of attracting additional physicians may not always be a wise investment.
The Process of an Innovation Cycle
Authors: Yoav Kislev , Shchori‐Bachrach Nira
Published: July 2006

An economic theory of the process of diffusion of innovations is developed and illustrated. In the theory, adoption is determined by comparative advantage considerations. An innovation is first adopted by skilled and experimenting entrepreneurs and then “diffuses” down the skills scale. If the innovation affects supply substantially, prices may decline, profits eliminated, and early, skilled (and high labor opportunity cost) producers may exit from the affected line of production—hence, an “innovation cycle.” The theory implies that technological change is affected by the distribution as well as by the average level of skills.
Supply Analysis for Corn in the United States: The Impact of Changing Government Programs
Authors: Houck J. P. , Ryan M. E.
Published: July 2006

Acreage supply relationships for corn in the United States are analyzed for 1948–70. Emphasis is on the effect of changes in government policies because similar programs for acreage control and price support are the most likely form of future policies. A model for empirical evaluation of loan rates, support and diversion payments, and acreage restrictions is developed and tested. More than 95 percent of the variation in U.S. corn acreage during the study period can be associated with the selected policy variables. The approach suggested in this research appears to be applicable to other crops heavily influenced by government policy.
Asset Indivisibility and Investment Planning: An Application of Linear Programming
Authors: Barry Peter J.
Published: July 2006

A multi‐period linear programming model is used to evaluate the effect of investments in indivisible land units on various measures of firm growth. Complete evaluation is found to depend upon the degree of asset indivisibility, the manager's planning horizon, and on the chosen financial or physical measures of growth.
The Egg Cycle and the Ability of Recursive Models to Explain It
Authors: Hartman David G.
Published: July 2006

The often‐discussed instability of the price of eggs is examined by use of spectral analysis, and the existence of an egg cycle is confirmed. In explaining the cycle, the familiar cobweb model is shown to be inferior to an alternative model. The alternative model, proposed by Nerlove, has producers planning changes in their production levels in response to prices, with the changes being realized only after a lag. Economic justifications are given for such producer behavior to continue, even though it causes instability. Recent destabilizing influences, not related to the cycle, are also discussed.
Optimum Effort and Rent Distribution in the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery
Authors: Griffin Wade L. , Lacewell Ronald D. , Nichols John P.
Published: July 2006

Traditional methods used to estimate fishing effort that maximizes rent to an open access resource have almost universally assumed all costs are directly proportional to effort. When crews receive a fixed share of gross returns, labor costs are proportional to catch; hence, rent accrues to crews as well as vessel owners under limited entry. A model that allowed costs to be proportional to effort and catch was applied to the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery. This study indicates that traditional analysis would result in management schemes that overtax vessels and ignore rent accruing to crews.
The Productive Value of Human Time in U.S. Agriculture
Authors: Huffman Wallace E.
Published: July 2006

The quantity and marginal productivity of farm husband and wife labor services allocated to their own farm work are assessed. A behavioral model of the farm firm is developed and implemented empirically by fitting a production function to county average per farm data for 1964 for Iowa, North Carolina, and Oklahoma counties. A comparison of marginal products of husband's and wife's labor inputs with opportunity costs yields the implication that net rural‐to‐urban human migration and reallocation of working time between own‐farm and off‐farm work by the remaining farm population had succeeded in getting rid of excess labor services in U.S. agricultural production in 1964.
Impact of Alternative Class I Pricing Systems on Fluid Milk Prices
Authors: Riley John B. , Blakley Leo V.
Published: July 2006

Changes occurring in the dairy industry necessitate modification of the pricing system for fluid milk. Alterations in the present federal order pricing system, however, will not only affect the level of producer and consumer prices but also have different regional impacts.
The Capitalization of Real Property Taxes Levied on Farm Real Estate
Authors: Pasour E. C.
Published: July 2006

The capitalization of changes in property taxes levied on farm real estate is investigated. The per acre value of farm real estate in the United States is estimated as a function of the effective tax rate and as a function of three categories of independent variables which are related to agricultural productivity, farm size, and urban influence in a cross‐section study. The effect of anticipated appreciation in farm real estate values is explored in estimating the extent of capitalization. The results of the study are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in property taxes are largely capitalized into farm property values.
An Econometric Analysis of Shrimp Ex‐Vessel Prices, 1950—1968
Authors: Doll John P.
Published: July 2006

A five‐equation demand model of the U.S. shrimp market was estimated using annual data for the period from 1950 to 1968. Prices, consumption, and ending stocks were the jointly determired variables; predetermined variables were shrimp supplies and consumer income. Exvessel price variations resulted largely from variations in domestic landings. Imports reduced the general level of ex‐vessel prices but did not contribute substantially to price variability except in isolated instances. Large price drop occurred during periods of recession when increases in demand were slowed and stock began to build, while landings and imports increased substantially over the previous year.
Benefit‐Cost Analysis of a Nonmetropolitan Prototype for Solid Waste Resource Recovery
Authors: Hitzhusen Fred , Luttner Mark
Published: July 2006

This study focuses on the recovery of energy and materials from solid waste at a coal‐burning steam‐electric plant located in a nonmetropolitan county in Northeast Ohio. The results of the analysis suggest that the resource recovery prototype involving a new solid waste processing facility and modification of the existing steam‐electric plant is an economically feasible investment. This conclusion is substantiated by sensitivity analysis of five key technical and economic parameters under four alternative benefit‐cost and internal rate of return criteria.
A Semi‐Strong Form Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Hog Futures Market
Authors: Leuthold Raymond M. , Hartmann Peter A.
Published: July 2006

Forward pricing is a primary role of livestock futures markets. A semi‐strong form test of efficiency examines whether or not the prices in a market reflect all publicly available information. An econometric forecasting model is constructed to serve as a norm against which to test futures market forward‐pricing abilities. Utilizing alternative methods of evaluation, results demonstrate that the live‐hog futures market cannot be relied upon to reflect accurately and consistently subsequent cash prices; hence, it is inefficient.
Risk Preferences and Flood Insurance
Authors: Attanasi E. D. , Karlinger M. R.
Published: July 2006

A detailed theoretical model characterizing the individual's decision to purchase flood insurance is specified and the magnitude of the risk parameter is estimated using data based on transactions of flood insurance purchases. Empirical results for several samples of this subset of the general population indicated that consumers exhibited a relatively uniform degree of risk aversion across various localities where different hydrologic and economic conditions prevailed. While the estimates presented should not be directly extrapolated to the entire population located in a flood prone area, they provide evidence that parameters determining an individual's and/or community's willingness to pay for flood protection can be measured.
Economic Welfare and Food Safety Regulation: The Case of Mechanically Deboned Meat
Authors: McNiel Douglas W.
Published: July 2006

Mechanical deboning is a technology that allows red meat packers and processors to recover fragments of meat that are left on the bones of carcasses after hand trimming. The economic impact of alternative public policies, ranging from a ban on the use of mechanically deboned meat to a free market approach, is analyzed with a simultaneous equations supply‐demand model of the markets for table and processed beef and pork. The results indicate that the loss in economic welfare to society, as well as the price and quantity effects associated with present restrictions, are not insignificant.
Evaluating the Effects of P.L. 480 Wheat Imports on Brazil's Grain Sector
Authors: Hall Lana L.
Published: July 2006

Econometric analysis of the grain sector of Brazil shows that P.L. 480 wheat imports have had a positive impact on grain production. This was due primarily to government wheat import and domestic price support programs whereby revenues gained from wheat imports may be used to support domestic grain producers. The positive production impact must, however, be balanced against the negative effects of P.L. 480 on commercial wheat imports and the potential disruptions of world wheat markets.
Determinants of Public Services Provision in Rural Communities: Evidence from Voting on Hospital Referenda
Authors: Fort Rodney D. , Christianson Jon B.
Published: July 2006

There has been considerable recent research regarding the determinants of consumer demand for collectively provided goods, but relatively little of this research has focused on rural areas or issues that are particularly important to rural residents. In this paper, a public choice analytical framework is adopted to analyze voting behavior on rural hospital referenda. The results of the analysis aid in understanding support given by rural residents to low occupancy, rural hospitals and in predicting opposition to public sector efforts to close such facilities.
U.S. Agricultural Production Capacity
Authors: Yeh Chung J. , Quance C. Leroy , Tweeten Luther G.
Published: July 2006

This study examines production capacity based on measures of farmers' and consumers' behavioral responses to alternative assumed prices. Impacts of inflation on capacity are also examined. A conceptual framework is outlined, analyzed, and applied to alternative scenarios of projected supply‐demand conditions to 1985. Results indicated that long‐range U.S. farm production capacity is unlikely to be challenged by 1985. Farmers have substantial capacity to respond to challenges posed by unfavorable weather or other disturbances at home and abroad. Because demands are expected to remain less than supply potential, unutilized supply capacity is expected to remain high.
Agricultural Comparative Advantage under International Price Uncertainty: The Case of Senegal
Authors: Jabara Cathy L. , Thompson Robert L.
Published: July 2006

This study draws upon recent theoretical contributions which have introduced uncertainty into trade theory to examine empirically the implications of international price uncertainty for agricultural comparative advantage in a small open economy assuming risk‐adverse policy makers. Utilizing a price endogenous, linear programming model developed for Senegal, it is shown that Senegal's comparative advantage in the production of peanuts and comparative disadvantage in the production of cereals is less clearcut when international price risk is considered. The results suggest a trade strategy of less specialization in peanuts and greater self‐sufficiency in cereals may be superior to free trade.
An Opportunity Cost View of Fixed Asset Theory and the Overproduction Trap
Authors: Johnson Marc A. , Pasour E. C.
Published: July 2006

In fixed asset and exit barrier theories, durable asset valuation is based upon acquisition prices, yielding downwardly biased rate‐of‐return estimates and erroneous implications that excess resources become trapped in production when product price expectations fall. Conventional asset valuation based on opportunity cost shows that excess resource applications are incompatible with rational producer behavior. Market failure conclusions of overproduction trap models are shown to be unfounded. A review of recently published agricultural economics texts illustrates how use of fixed asset theory in the college classroom obscures the concept of choice‐influencing cost and the rule of resource allocative efficiency.
A Pooled Cross‐Section Time Series Model of Coupon Promotions
Authors: Ward Ronald W. , Davis James E.
Published: July 2006

Coupons influence consumption through both a price‐discounting and advertising effect. These effects have been measured using consumer panel data on the retail consumption of frozen orange juice. Two cross‐sectional time series models, estimated with a variance components procedure, show the effectiveness of coupons, assuming habit and nonhabit persistence along with consumer demographics. The response from coupons is shown to be conditioned by the container prices as well as with the characteristics of the redeemer.
Regional Differences in Agricultural Productivity in Selected Areas of India
Authors: Easter K. William , Abel Martin E. , Norton George
Published: July 2006

Production functions are used to measure the contribution to agricultural output of infrastructure and the quantity and quality of traditional inputs. Measuring the contributions of inputs over time together with an assessment of their supply provide insights into the direction that agricultural development efforts should take in two regions of India. In the wheat region, continued increases in the quantity and quality of irrigation and improved crop varieties are promising sources of output growth. For the rice region, the development of rural roads and markets, increases in irrigation quality, and improved rice varieties are important sources of output growth.
Linear Programming versus Positively Estimated Supply Functions: An Empirical and Methodological Critique
Authors: Shumway C. Richard , Chang Anne A.
Published: July 2006

This paper examines whether supply relations derived from a static profit‐maximizing linear programming model can be used as information to explain supply response with at least the same reliability as partial adjustment regression models. Programming estimates of direct supply elasticities of California commodities are compared with estimates from time‐series regressions. Differences on individual crops are considerable, but on average the elasticity estimates are comparable. Programming parameters are combined with time‐series data to test whether imposing such relative parameters on time‐series models need not significantly reduce their predictive ability. This imposition does not reduce predictive ability or significantly improve it.
Water Utilization and Reallocation in Chile: A Study of the Pirque Valley
Authors: Parks Loren L. , Hansen David E.
Published: July 2006

The 1967 Water Code requires equalization of water rights per hectare in each “homogeneous farming area.” Analysis of a typical area using linear programming models of representative farms indicates that equalization of water allocations per unit of land would result in regressive income redistribution, whereas the optimum economic reallocation would result in progressive income redistribution. Aggregate income gains in either case would not exceed 5%. Given the extreme inflexibility of the existing water distribution system, the transactions costs of changing water allocations would probably exceed benefits.
Retail Price Reporting Effects in Local Food Markets
Authors: Boynton Robert D. , Blake Brian F. , Uhl Joe N.
Published: July 2006

An experiment involving weekly newspaper publication of comparative food store prices in four U.S. cities stimulated competitive pricing behavior without reinforcement from consumer patronage shifts. Costs of a fixed, 100‐item market basket fell, relative to control markets, an average of two percent during publication and recovered with termination of the reports. Responses varied among cities, stores, and product categories. Price dispersion was not affected. While consumers judged the information to be useful and accurate, it did not induce changes in their perceptions or shopping patterns. Grocer responses were attributed to the publicity value of the price reports.
Marketing Costs and Instability in the International Grain Trade
Authors: Binkley James K.
Published: July 2006

Fixed factors in the international grain‐marketing system reduce flexibility and make adjustment to variable trade volumes difficult. A theoretical model is used to show how this causes marketing costs with trade instability to exceed those occurring under stability. Also, it is demonstrated that the marketing system increases the adverse effects of price variation on importers and exporters. Supporting empirical evidence, primarily dealing with ocean shipping, is presented. The results suggest that stable trade volumes may reduce marketing costs significantly. Thus, the marketing system should be considered in questions dealing with instability in the international grain trade.
Farm Size Evaluation in the El Paso Valley: A Survival/Success Approach
Authors: Richardson James W. , Condra Gary D.
Published: July 2006

Policy makers and agricultural economists in the United States have long been interested in the effects of size on farm survival and success. Most farm size studies to date have concentrated on economic efficiency and have failed to incorporate the effects of uncertainty, time, income taxes, financial considerations, and variation in year‐to‐year net cash flows on the survival/success of different size farms. A dynamic Monte‐Carlo simulation‐programming model was developed and used to analyze the projected survival/success of four alternative farm sizes for the El Paso Valley. For farms in the El Paso Valley, the projected chances of survival and success increase as farm size increases from 160 to 960 acres and/or beginning equity level increases from 25% to 100%.
A Damage Function to Evaluate Erosion Control Economics
Authors: Walker David J.
Published: July 2006

An erosion damage function is developed to measure on‐site damage from agricultural soil loss. This method compares conventional farming and a conservation practice within a dynamic analysis treating conservation adoption year as a variable. Incremental damage from erosion, or marginal user cost, is evaluated annually and includes any cost to remedy plus lost future revenue from reduced yield. The damage function is applied to evaluate reduced tillage for wheat in the Idaho/Washington Palouse area. On shallower soils erosion damage provides conservation incentive, while on some deep soils erosion is economically rational. Properties of the damage function are explored through sensitivity analysis.
Decomposing the Induced Income Changes in Input‐Output Models
Authors: Boisvert Richard N.
Published: July 2006

This paper demonstrates formally that type I and type II income multipliers are proportional across all sectors and that in any input‐output model, the difference between the multipliers can range from zero to a maximum of the reciprocal of one less the propensity to consume locally. The conditions which lead to these two extreme values are discussed. For intermediate situations, the difference is decomposed into proportions attributable to final payments and imports.
Government Intervention in Poultry Industries: A Cross‐Country Comparison
Authors: Harling Kenneth F. , Thompson Robert L.
Published: July 2006

Government intervention affects agricultural industries both in the prices received for products and the prices paid for inputs. This paper attempts to demonstrate that analysis of the impact of government intervention on these industries should consider both sets of distortions. The concept of effective protection is used to determine the net price distortion. The Canadian, German, and British poultry industries during 1975–77 are analyzed to show the value of such an approach. Results show that consumers have paid higher product prices in each country, but producers have not necessarily benefitted. Moreover, social costs of intervention have been high.
Least‐Cost Subsidization Alternatives
Authors: Chambers Robert G.
Published: July 2006

This paper considers least‐cost subsidy alternatives for agriculture in an optimal tax framework. The goal of farm policy is presumed to be the economic survival of a particular class of farmers. Least‐cost formulas for linear subsidies are derived. It is shown that output subsidization alone will generally not be least cost.
Dominant Enterprise Size in the Swine Production Industry
Authors: Wilson Paul N. , Eidman Vernon R.
Published: July 2006

Dominant swine enterprise size may be determined by the geographic location of the production unit and the risk attitudes of the producer. Distributions of after‐tax net revenues for thirteen swine production units in three subregions of the Corn Belt are generated from empirical data gathered from 1,181 swine enterprises. Stochastic dominance with respect to a function is used to rank these distributions for five Arrow‐Pratt intervals. Western swine production units stochastically dominate units in the eastern and southern subregions. Risk‐averse producers prefer smaller operations, while risk‐loving managers prefer relatively large‐scale swine enterprises.
An Alternative View of Pricing in Retail Food Markets
Authors: Benson Bruce L. , Faminow Merle D.
Published: July 2006

The pricing mechanism of intracity retail food markets has received the attention of agricultural economists who are interested in the competitive nature of food price determination. Attention has focused on the information‐theory paradigm and potential impact of publically available comparative price reports. In this paper, a spatial economic model is developed to describe and analyze consumer choice, seller behavior, and price determination in retail food markets. Empirical evidence is then used to test hypotheses developed from the spatial model. It is concluded that the spatial model offers added explanatory power of observed food market responses to retail price reporting.
Monthly Price Premiums and Discounts between Steer Calves and Yearlings
Authors: Marsh John M.
Published: July 2006

Distributed lags are used to estimate monthly prices and price premiums and discounts between steer calves and steer yearlings. The statistical results show that premiums and discounts are not highly seasonal but are affected by expected changes in fed slaughter prices and cost of gain in the feedlot. The effects of these variables are sensitive to time, thus the latter should be taken into account for future marketing decisions. Also, price flexibility coefficients indicate that profitability risk in cattle finishing is shifted more to price‐weight differences of cattle placed on feed than to changes in the individual prices themselves.
Cross‐Compliance for Erosion Control: Anticipating Efficiency and Distributive Impacts
Authors: Ervin David E. , Heffernan William D. , Green Gary P.
Published: July 2006

Despite increasing attention, the effects of using differential agricultural program benefits to achieve soil conservation are largely unexplored. Viewed in a conventional environmental economics framework, the popularly perceived cross‐compliance program may fall short on efficiency grounds. Analysis suggests that the greatest incentive to practice conservation may occur on land with little or no net social benefits forthcoming from erosion control. A by‐product of cross‐compliance worth consideration is that those likely to benefit most from the program are the highest equity and largest farm operators.
The Effects of Supply and Interest Rate Shocks in Commodity Futures Markets
Authors: Bond Gary E.
Published: July 2006

This paper extends previous studies of futures markets to highlight the role of expectations in the analysis of supply and interest rate shocks. Shocks which are expected to be permanent generally will create larger movements in spot and futures prices than shocks which are regarded as transitory. Further, the reactions of spot and futures prices may differ both qualitatively and quantitatively depending on whether new information refers to events in the current period or to likely developments in some future period. The results demonstrate the potential importance of capturing expectations effects in empirical studies of futures market behavior.
The Acquisition of Information and the Adoption of New Technology
Authors: Feder Gershon , Slade Roger
Published: July 2006

This paper presents a dynamic model of diffusion of a new technology involving a variable input. The model highlights the role of active information accumulation, which entails costs. It generates several hypotheses regarding the likely pattern of adoption and use of the variable input over time by farmers of differing holding sizes and different access to information. It provides a possible explanation to the often observed lag in adoption of innovations by smaller farmers. Analysis of data from India on knowledge and adoption of several practices yields results which are generally consistent with the hypotheses suggested by the theoretical framework.
Hedging Feedlot Cattle: A Canadian Perspective
Authors: Carter C. A. , Loyns R. M. A.
Published: July 2006

Empirical testing of alternative hedging strategies raises doubts about the usefulness of U.S. live cattle futures markets for cattle fed in Canada. Actual data from almost 100,000 head of custom fed cattle over a nine‐year period were analyzed to test profitability and risk reduction associated with fourteen specific hedging routines. Full cost and revenue data from cattle custom fed in the three prairie provinces were used in this paper. The strategies tested were typical of those a custom feeder could use to attempt to reduce output price risk. The results indicate that hedging cattle in Canada is more complex than previous literature suggests.
An Intercountry Comparison of Agricultural Production Efficiency
Authors: Kawagoe Toshihiko , Hayami Yujiro
Published: July 2006

Intercountry cross‐section comparison of total productivity in agriculture showed that differences in production efficiency were small relative to differences in labor productivity among countries at a same stage of economic development but very large among different stages of development. Moreover, the large differences in total productivity between the developed and the less developed countries widened further during the past two decades. The results suggest a hypothesis that agriculture in the less developed countries as a whole has not yet entered the phase of “modern economic growth” à la Kuznets.
Sequential Decision Making in Production Models
Authors: Antle John M.
Published: July 2006

Single equation estimates of production models usually are justified by the assumption that production inputs are chosen as part of a one‐period decision problem. Yet, most production decisions in agriculture are made sequentially. In this paper the farmer's optimal input choices are modeled as optimal controls in a stochastic control problem. A two‐period Cobb‐Douglas example is used to show that sequential solutions to production problems may yield models which require either single equation or simultaneous equation estimators. Functional separability, stochastic specification, and behavior under uncertainty are discussed in the context of dynamic production models.
Land Prices and Farm‐Based Returns
Authors: Phipps Tim T.
Published: July 2006

The theoretical and empirical relationship between farm‐based residual returns, the opportunity cost of farmland, and farmland prices is developed. Temporal hypotheses concerning the source of land price movements are tested using a variant of Granger causality. In the aggregate, farmland prices are found to be unidirectionally “caused” by residual farm‐based returns. The findings support the hypothesis that farmland prices are determined mainly within the farm sector and lend credence to the use of extrapolative expectations processes in structural farmland price models.
Anti‐Hoarding Laws: A Stock Condemnation Reconsidered
Authors: Wright Brian D. , Williams Jeffrey C.
Published: July 2006

Economists have regarded anti‐hoarding laws as irrational reactions to nonexistent monopoly in the storage of grain. This paper shows that anti‐hoarding laws cannot be rationally directed against a monopolistic storer, for he will always store less, not more, than would be stored under competition. But seemingly perverse competitive storage, in the form of excessive stockholding, can arise when a price ceiling distorts the market. Additional public storage exacerbates this perverse private behavior, and may even induce behavior that appears to be active market manipulation. Under such circumstances, anti‐hoarding laws can be desirable second‐best measures.
Basis Risk: Measurement and Analysis of Basis Fluctuations for Selected Livestock Markets
Authors: Garcia Philip , Leuthold Raymond M. , Sarhan Mohamed E.
Published: July 2006

Unanticipated basis changes can reduce the ability of futures markets to transfer risk and can affect income levels of producers and market participants. This study examines short‐term basis risk, defined as the variance of the random component of the basis over time, for several Midwest livestock markets. Basis risk is related to several factors influencing the long‐term pattern in the time series and unexpected changes in price. Little evidence is found that basis risk changed as maturity approached or that risk varied across markets except for the Interior Iowa hog market.
An Economic Analysis of Soybean Integrated Pest Management
Authors: Greene Catherine R. , Kramer Randall A. , Norton George W. , Rajotte Edwin G. , Robert M. McPherson
Published: July 2006

The type ofpest management strategy a farmer chooses is influenced by the amount of risk associated with alternative strategies. This paper examines the attractiveness of alternative pest management strategies used on a representative Virginia soybean farm. Probability distfibutions of net revenue associated with alternative pest control options are simulated and then compared using generalized stochastic dominance criteria. Results suggest risk‐averse and, in some cases, risk‐preferring farmers would prefer strategies which incorporate an integrated pest management approach to pest control rather than one which relies completely on chemical pest control.
Commodity Programs and Control Theory
Authors: Richardson James W. , Ray Daryll E.
Published: July 2006

The decision‐making process for commodity programs in the United States is cast in terms of adaptive control theory, following the control framework outlined by Rausser. It is argued that the actual commodity program decision‐making process can be viewed as a sequential multiperiod control problem and that multiple period, open‐loop feedback control of a disaggregate policy simulation model can be used to assist agricultural policy makers. The empirical results present the first‐round application of a suggested sequential use of control techniques and demonstrate the feasibility of applying control procedures to a multicommodity, agricultural policy simulator.
Estimation of Recreation Benefits from Measured Utility Functions
Authors: Findlater P. A. , Sinden J. A.
Published: July 2006

Indifference maps from two‐attribute utility functions can provide demand curves to value the benefits of the attributes or goods. The Ramsey model is one method to estimate the functions, and an alternative related method is presented in this paper. A comparative estimation of a given recreation benefit indicates that the alternative may be a significant improvement over Ramsey. The alternative is simpler and faster. It is applied, apparently successfully, to estimate a five‐good utility function. This function is then used as the objective function in a linear program to value changes in recreation benefit when substitute activities are introduced.
Common Property Externalities: Isolation, Assurance, and Resource Depletion in a Traditional Grazing Context
Authors: Runge Carlisle Ford
Published: July 2006

Institutional alternatives to common property externalities are wider than argued by private exclusive property rights advocates. The “tragedy of the commons” is not a prisoners' dilemma, characterized by the strict dominance of individual strategies. The nonseparable common property externality is an “assurance problem.” The assurance problem provides striking perspectives in analytical and policy terms. It redefines the problem of the commons as one of decision making under uncertainty. Institutional rules innovated by the group to reduce uncertainty and coordinate expectations can solve the problem of overexploitation. Rules come in many forms, and private property is only one.
A Sector Analysis of Alternative Income Support and Soil Conservation Policies
Authors: Boggess W. G. , Heady E. O.
Published: July 2006

For nearly five decades Congress has attempted to legislate both higher farm incomes and soil conservation. A national, interregional, demand‐endogenous, separable programming model is used to analyze the potential of alternative policies to achieve simultaneously the dual goals of increased farm income and reduced soil erosion. The analysis indicates that a conservation‐oriented land retirement policy can be designed to achieve an increase in net farm income equivalent to a traditional general land retirement policy, while simultaneously achieving significant reductions in gross soil erosion, chemical input use, and direct government program costs.
Testing for Nonnormality in Farm Net Returns
Authors: Buccola Steven T.
Published: July 2006

Cash returns from farming are expected to be nonnormally distributed under a wide range of joint price‐yield distributions. Adequate testing for such nonnormality requires use of proper whitening procedures as well as appropriate statistics. With tests and sample sizes commonly employed, a false imputation of normality often will be made. However, positive correlation between skewness and kurtosis reduces the likelihood of associated decision errors. These results are illustrated with data for irrigated alfalfa and dryland wheat.
Benefits from Price Stabilization to Producers and Processors: The Australian Buffer‐Stock Scheme for Wool
Authors: Hinchy Mike , Fisher Brian S.
Published: July 2006

In much of the stabilization literature emphasis has been placed on the impact of stabilization schemes on producers. However, such schemes may also have significant implications for processors and consumers. In this paper the Newbery and Stiglitz approach is extended to demonstrate the effects of both demand and supply instability using the Australian buffer‐stock scheme for wool as a case study. It is shown that both producers and processors are likely to gain from price stabilization.
Seasonality in the Consumer Response to Milk Advertising with Implications for Milk Promotion Policy
Authors: Kinnucan Henry , Forker Olan D.
Published: July 2006

Permitting seasonal variation in the goodwill effect in measuring the impact of fluid milk advertising on milk sales in New York City improved the statistical significance of the estimating equation. The allocation of generic advertising dollars according to optimization rules during the period 1979–81 would have resulted in a 9 percent increase in returns to dairymen supplying the New York City market. Harmonic variables are used to account for seasonality, a Pascal distribution is used to account for the decay structure, and goodwill elasticities are estimated to indicate the impact of generic advertising on sales.
A Confusion of Agricultural Economists?—A Professional Interest Survey and Essay
Authors: Pope Rulon D. , Hallam Arne
Published: July 2006

A random survey of members of the American Agricultural Economic Association is used to examine basic philosophical issues regarding the discipline of agricultural economics. In comparison to other studies of economists, much more diversity of response is found among agricultural economists.

The data suggests important correlates between the pattern of responses and socioeconomic variables. Some variables which affect responses are: agricultural interests, age, school of graduation, area of specialization, and employment. Self‐interest, information differences, and empathy are among the possible explanations of the patterns of responses.
The Costs of Equal Land Distribution: The Case of the Israeli Moshavim
Authors: Berck Peter , Levy Amnon
Published: July 2006

Equal land distribution achieved by government policy may adversely affect aggregate output. Israeli moshavim (cooperative villages) operate under an equal land allocation rule. This study assesses the production and distributional consequences of three alternative hypothetical allocation rules: a free market allocation, a value‐maximizing policy of distributing land to current farmers, and a policy that maximizes value‐added without discrimination based on nativity or ethnicity. Production and supply functions are estimated using sample data on Israeli family farms. Then the four allocation rules are simulated. The output loss from distributing land equally is found to be modest compared to the income inequality generated by the other rules.
A Note on Qualitative Forecast Evaluation
Authors: Naik Gopal , Leuthold Raymond M.
Published: July 2006

Traditionally, the 2 × 2 contingency table method has been used for qualitative evaluation of forecasts. However, the conclusions drawn based on this method could be misleading because it does not account for the direction of the turning or no turning points. A 4 × 4 contingency table which overcomes this weakness and which gives more information on the qualitative performance of the forecast is suggested.
The Dual Structure of Incomplete Demand Systems
Authors: LaFrance Jeffrey T. , Hanemann W. Michael
Published: July 2006

Integrability of incomplete demand systems is discussed. The concepts of weak integrability, quasi‐expenditure function, quasi‐indirect utility function, and quasi‐utility function are defined. Their relationships to the expenditure function, indirect utility function, and utility function are developed. The dual structure of the quasi‐functions permits exact welfare analysis and reveals the conditional preference structure for the commodities of interest. New results relating the uniqueness and exactness of consumer's surplus to the structure of the expenditure and indirect utility functions are obtained.
Forecasting Halibut Biomass Using System Theoretic Time‐Series Methods
Authors: Criddle Keith R. , Havenner Arthur M.
Published: July 2006

A new procedure introduced by Masanao Aoki uses the ideas of linear systems theory to identify and estimate time‐series models. A slightly modified version of this procedure is used to forecast halibut biomass in total and by regulatory area and subarea, and the out‐of‐sample forecasts are evaluated for eight years. All models produce highly accurate forecasts of biomass, with errors well within the bounds required for setting catch limits in the following year.