Iowa Technology Governance Board Annual Report, January 2, 2008

This Technology Governance Board Annual Report provides information on the FY05 – FY09 Information Technology Personnel Spending; FY05 – FY09 Technology Equipment and Services Spending; and FY05 – FY09 Internal IT Expenditures with the Iowa Communications Network and Department of Administrative Services - Information Technology Enterprise. The report also contains a projection of technology cost savings. This report was produced in compliance with Iowa Code §8A.204(3a) and was submitted to the Governor, the Department of Management, and the General Assembly on January 2, 2008.

The ins and outs of unemployment: An analysis conditional on technology shocks

We analyze how unemployment, job finding and job separation rates reactto neutral and investment-specific technology shocks. Neutral shocks increaseunemployment and explain a substantial portion of it volatility; investment-specificshocks expand employment and hours worked and contribute to hoursworked volatility. Movements in the job separation rates are responsible for theimpact response of unemployment while job finding rates for movements alongits adjustment path. The evidence warns against using models with exogenousseparation rates and challenges the conventional way of modelling technologyshocks in search and sticky price models.

Audit report on the Iowa State Center Business Office of Iowa State University of Science and Technology for the year ended June 30, 2007

Audit report on the Iowa State Center Business Office of Iowa State University of Science and Technology for the year ended June 30, 2007

Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2007

Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2007

Technology diffusion and the spatial distribution of wages in the US

What explains the spatial distribution of wages across US counties? I find that two of the most important factors are spatial technology diffusion and externalities due to the aggregate scale of production. One empirical finding supporting the importance of spatial technology diffusion is that average wages in a county decrease with the average level of schooling in neighboring counties when employment in the county and average wages in neighboring counties are held constant. All empirical results are obtained using anovel instrument for (endogenous) employment at the county-leveland take into account other factors (e.g. productivity-differencesacross states, climate) that may determine wages.

Assessment of human skin penetration of two irritant herbicides

Two common herbicides; isoproturon and bentazon, are strong skin irritants and cross the skin barrier easily. Assessment of percutaneous absorption of these substances is a very important step in the evaluation of any dermal or transdermal dose, especially among agricultural workers who frequently have dermal exposures during crop treatment. The aims of the study were to determine the permeation rate of human skin for both herbicides in vitro, and histologically evaluate skin damage due to irritation at different concentrations. Skin penetration was assessed using a dynamic flow-through in vitro penetration system and analysis were performed with ion trap LC-MS (acidified water: acetronitile, C18 column). Two concentrations of bentazon (75 and 150 μg/mL) and isoproturon (125 and 250 μg/mL) in saline solution were applied on excised human skin from several donors. Saline water was used as receptor fluid. Collection times were: 4, 8, and 24 hours. After the experiments, the skin was removed and examined by histopathology for apoptosis, acanthosis, acantholysis and epidermolysis. The skin permeation rate, J, was calculated from the slope of the cumulative amount permeated as a function of time. The lag time, tL, was assigned from the time-axis intercept of the extrapolation of this linearity. Our results showed that tL for bentazon and isoproturon for both concentrations tested were similar; 2, 1.5 hours, respectively. Bentazon had a lowerer J compared to isoproturon; 350, 600 ng/cm2/h, respectively. Some acanthosis was observed after 8 hours of exposure to either of the two substances. In conclusion, our in vitro experiments demonstrate that bentazon and isoproturon cross the skin barrier within 2 hours even at very low concentrations, and showed some signs of skin damage. Future tests involve concentrations found in commercial products.

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa State University of Science and Technology payroll system for the period March 27 through May 11, 2007

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa State University of Science and Technology payroll system for the period March 27 through May 11, 2007

Schumpeterian technology shocks

We analyze the labor market effects of neutral and investment-specific technologyshocks along the intensive margin (hours worked) and the extensive margin(unemployment). We characterize the dynamic response of unemploymentin terms of the job separation and the job finding rate. Labor market adjustmentsoccur along the extensive margin in response to neutral shocks, along theintensive margin in response to investment specific shocks. The job separationrate accounts for a major portion of the impact response of unemployment. Neutralshocks prompt a contemporaneous increase in unemployment because of asharp rise in the separation rate. This is prolonged by a persistent fall in thejob finding rate. Investment specific shocks rise employment and hours worked.Neutral shocks explain a substantial portion of the volatility of unemploymentand output; investment specific shocks mainly explain hours worked volatility.This suggests that neutral progress is consistent with Schumpeterian creative destruction,while investment-specific progress operates as in a neoclassical growthmodel.

Trade liberalization, exports and technology upgrading: Evidence on the impact of MERCOSUR on Argentinean firms

This paper studies the impact of a regional free trade agreement, MERCOSUR, on technologyupgrading by Argentinean firms. To guide empirical work, I introduce technology choice inMelitz s (2003) model of trade with heterogeneous firms. The joint treatment of the technologyadoption and exporting choices shows that the increase in revenues produced by trade integrationcan induce exporters to upgrade technology. An empirical test of the model reveals that firms inindustries facing higher reductions in Brazil s tariffs increase their investment in technologyfaster. The effect of tariffs on entry in the export market and technology adoption is highest inthe upper-middle range of the firm size distribution, as predicted by the model.

Report of Recommendations to Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2007

Report on Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2007

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa State University of Science and Technology tuition and fees system for the period of April 11 through May 2, 2008

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the Iowa State University of Science and Technology tuition and fees system for the period of April 11 through May 2, 2008

On the robust effects of technology shocks on hours worked and output

We analyze the effects of neutral and investment-specific technology shockson hours and output. Long cycles in hours are captured in a variety of ways.Hours robustly fall in response to neutral shocks and robustly increase inresponse to investment specific shocks. The percentage of the variance ofhours (output) explained by neutral shocks is small (large); the opposite istrue for investment specific shocks. News shocks are uncorrelated with theestimated technology shocks.

Report of the Academic Building Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Academic Building Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Dormitory and Dining Services Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Dormitory and Dining Services Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Recreational Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Recreational Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008