Iowa Leading Indicators Index, November 2009

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index, December 2009

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index January 2010

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index February 2010

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index March 2010

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index April 2010

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) is a tool for monitoring the future direction of the Iowa economy and State revenues. Its eight components include an agricultural futures price index, an Iowa stock market index, average weekly manufacturing hours in Iowa, initial unemployment claims in Iowa, an Iowa new orders index, diesel fuel consumption in Iowa, residential building permits in Iowa, and the national yield spread.

Native Grassland Conversion: the Roles of Risk Intervention and Switching Costs

We develop a real option model of the irreversible native grassland conversion decision. Upon plowing, native grassland can be followed by either a permanent cropping system or a system in which land is put under cropping (respectively, grazing) whenever crop prices are high (respectively, low). Switching costs are incurred upon alternating between cropping and grazing. The effects of risk intervention in the form of crop insurance subsidies are studied, as are the effects of cropping innovations that reduce switching costs. We calibrate the model by using cropping return data for South Central North Dakota from 1989 to 2012. Simulations show that a risk intervention that offsets 20% of a cropping return shortfall increases the sod-busting cost threshold, below which native sod will be busted, by 41% (or $43.7/acre). Omitting cropping return risk across time underestimates this sod-busting cost threshold by 23% (or $24.35/acre), and hence underestimates the native sod conversion caused by crop production.

Iowa Wetland Management District: Environmental Assessment and Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan

This Environmental Assessment documents the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Iowa Wetland Management District (WMD, district). In general, scoping reveals issues that drive alternative ways of managing the district. Implementation of each of those alternative management styles (including the No Action Alternative) may have different effects on the physical, biological, and socio-economic environment. Analysis of these effects reveals the “preferred” alternative, which constitutes the CCP. The CCP includes goals, objectives, and strategies for the district to guide overall management for the next 15 years. The Iowa WMD consists of scattered tracts of habitat (both wetland and upland grassland) known as Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). As of 2011, there are 75 WPAs in 18 counties in north-central Iowa totaling 24,712 acres in fee title primarily managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Even though district acquisition has only occurred in 18 counties to date, a larger 35-county boundary is approved. This boundary follows the historic range of the poorly drained Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in Iowa, an area known for its waterfowl production. The district also includes 575 WPA acres and approximately 434 Farm Service Agency acres in conservation easements on private land. This plan was prepared with the intent that the strong partnership with the Iowa DNR will continue over the next 15 years.

The Iowa Perinatal Letter Index

This newsletter has a index from The Department of Public Health about perinatal health care and statistics.

Iowa Pore Index Test, MLR-80-2, 1980

The objective of the investigation was the development of a test that would readily identify the potential of an aggregate to cause D-cracking because of its susceptivity to critical saturation. A Press-Ur-Meter was modified by replacing the air chamber with a one-inch diameter plastic tube calibrated in milli-. It was concluded that the pore index was sufficiently reliable to determine the D-cracking potential of limestone aggregates in all but a few cases where marginal results were obtained. Consistently poor or good results were always in agreement with established service records or concrete durability testing. In those instances where marginal results are obtained, the results of concrete durability testing should be considered when making the final determination of the D-cracking susceptibility of the aggregate in question. The following applications for the pore index test have been recommended for consideration: concrete durability testing be discontinued in the evaluation process of new aggregate sources with pore index results between 0-20 (Class 2 durability) and over 35 (Class 1) durability; composite aggregates with intermediate pore index results of 20-35 be tested on each stone type to facilitate the possible removal of low durability stone from the production process; and additional investigation should be made to evaluate the possibility of using the test to monitor and upgrade the acceptance of aggregate from sources associated with D-cracking.

Correlation of the IJK Roadmeter to the International Roughness Index, MLR-91-5, 1992

The Iowa Department of Transportation has been determining a present serviceability index (PSI) on the primary highway system since 1968. A CHLOE profilometer has been used as the standard for calibrating the Roadmeters that do the system survey. The current Roadmeter, an IJK Iowa DOT developed unit, is not considered an acceptable Roadmeter for determining the FHWA required International Roughness Index (IRI). Iowa purchased a commercial version of the South Dakota type profile (SD Unit) to obtain IRI. This study was undertaken to correlate the IRI to the IJK Roadmeter and retire the Roadmeter. One hundred forty-seven pavement management sections (IPMS) were tested in June and July 1991 with both units. Correlation coefficients and standard error of estimates were: r' Std. Error PCC pavements 0.81 0.15 Composite pavements 0.71 0.18 ACC pavements 0.77 0.17 The correlation equations developed from this work will allow use of the IRI to predict the IJK Roadmeter response with sufficient accuracy. Trend analysis should also not be affected.

Woodland Wildlife Habitat Improvement Guide, February 4, 2010

Most non-grazed Iowa woodlands and surrounding openings are excellent habitat for a variety of birds and animals if there is a diversity of over story tree species and understory vegetation. As vegetative structures of woodlands change over time, the diversity of the woodland will change, and some species of birds and animals will benefit more then others. To optimize habitat development for the wildest range of bird and animal species, concentrate on maintaining as much vegetative diversity in the woodland as possible. To make improvement for individual species, the special needs of those species will have to be met by targeting precise woodland activities in specific areas.

Carbonate Rock Pore Size Distribution Determination through Iowa Pore Index Testing, MLR-15-01, 2015

The Iowa Pore Index (IPI) measures the pore system of carbonate (limestone and dolomite) rocks using pressurized water to infiltrate the pore system. This technique provides quantitative results for the primary and capillary (secondary) pores in carbonate rocks. These results are used in conjunction with chemical and mineralogical test results to calculate a quality number, which is used as a predictor of aggregate performance in Portland cement concrete (PCC) leading to the durability classification of the aggregate. This study had two main objectives: to determine the effect different aggregate size has on IPI test results and to establish the precision of IPI test and test apparatus. It was found that smaller aggregate size fractions could be correlated to the standard 1/2”-3/4” size sample. Generally, a particle size decrease was accompanied by a slight decrease in IPI values. The IPI testing also showed fairly good agreement of the secondary pore index number between the 1/2”-3/4”and the 3/8”-1/2” fraction. The #4-3/8” showed a greater difference of the secondary number from the 1/2”-3/4” fraction. The precision of the IPI test was established as a standard deviation (Sr) of 2.85 (Primary) and 0.87 (Secondary) with a repeatability limit (%r) of 8.5% and 14.9% for the primary and secondary values, respectively.