2014 Calendar Year Annual Report of the Watershed Improvement Review Board

The Watershed Improvement Review Board is an independent, self-governing body which awards grants for water quality improvement in the state. Eligible applicants include soil and water conservation districts, local watershed improvement committees, public water supply utilities, counties, county conservation boards and cities. These grants are funded by the Watershed Improvement Fund. Funding for these grants comes from annual appropriations and funds from the Animal Agriculture Compliance Fund Penalties. The Board awarded six grants totalling $1,406,178 this year. In addition to providing environmental benefits, these implementation projects help stimulate economic activity and create jobs through the purchase of local goods and services. Additional grants will be awarded this spring.

2012 Annual Report for Appropriations from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund and Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund to the Watershed Improvement Fund

The Watershed Improvement Fund and the Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) were created in 2005. This statute is now codified in Iowa Code Chapter 466A. The purpose of the Watershed Improvement Fund is to enlmnce the water quality and flood prevention efforts in the state through a variety of impairment-based, locally­ directed watershed improvement projects. These projects are awarded grants through a competitive application process directed by the WIRB. Appropriations to the Fund do not revert except for the Capital Revenue Bonds II (RCB2) appropriation. Interest eamed on the moneys on the Fund are also retained in the Fund and are used to fund projects or pay per diem and expenses of the WIRB members. Starting July 1, 2012, the Fund is also receiving Animal Agriculture Compliance Fund Penalties. In state fiscal years 2009 (SFY2009) and 2010 (SFY2010), the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $5,000,000 from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF). In SFY2011, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $2,000,000 from the Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund (RBC2). No appropriation was received in fiscal year 2012. In SFY 2013, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $1,000,000 from the RIIF.

2013 Annual Report for Appropriations from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund and Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund to the Watershed Improvement Fund

The Watershed Improvement Fund and the Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) were created in 2005. This statute is now codified in Iowa Code Chapter 466A. The purpose of the Watershed Improvement Fund is to enhance the water quality in the state through a variety of impairment-based, locally-directed watershed improvement projects. These projects are awarded grants through a competitive application process directed by the WIRB. Appropriations to the Fund do not revert except for the Capital Revenue Bonds II (RCB2) appropriation. Interest earned on the moneys on the Fund are also retained in the Fund and are used to fund projects or pay per diem and expenses of the WIRB members. Starting July 1, 2012, the Fund is also receiving Animal Agriculture Compliance Fund Penalties. In state fiscal years 2009 (SFY2009) and 2010 (SFY2010), the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $5,000,000 from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF). In SFY2011, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $2,000,000 from the Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund (RBC2). No appropriation was received in fiscal year 2012. In SFY 2013, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $1,000,000 from the RIIF.

2014 Annual Report for Appropriations from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund and Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund to the Watershed Improvement Fund

The Watershed Improvement Fund and the Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) were created in 2005. This statute is now codified in Iowa Code Chapter 466A. The purpose of the Watershed Improvement Fund is to enhance the water quality in the state through a variety of impairment-based, locally-directed watershed improvement projects. These projects are awarded grants through a competitive application process directed by the WIRB. Appropriations to the Fund do not revert except for the Capital Revenue Bonds II (RCB2) appropriation. Interest earned on the moneys on the Fund are also retained in the Fund and are used to fund projects or pay per diem and expenses of the WIRB members. Starting July 1, 2012, the Fund is also receiving Animal Agriculture Compliance Fund Penalties. In state fiscal years 2009 (SFY2009) and 2010 (SFY2010), the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $5,000,000 from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF). In SFY2011, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $2,000,000 from the Revenue Bonds Capitals II Fund (RBC2). No appropriation was received in fiscal year 2012. In SFY 2013, the Watershed Improvement Fund was appropriated $1,000,000 from the RIIF.

Avalanche-like vortex penetration driven by pulsed microwave fields in an epitaxial LaSrCuO thin film

Different vortex penetration regimes have been registered in the output voltage signal of a magnetometer when single microwave pulses are applied to an epitaxial overdoped La2− x Sr x CuO4 thin film in a perpendicular dc magnetic field. The onset of a significant variation in the sample magnetization which exists below threshold values of temperature, dc magnetic field, and pulse duration is interpreted as an avalanche-type flux penetration. The microwave contribution to the background electric field suggests that the nucleation of this fast vortex motion is of electric origin, which also guarantees the occurrence of vortex instabilities under adiabatic conditions via the enhancement of the flux flow resistivity. Flux creep phenomena and heat transfer effects act as stabilizing factors against the microwave-pulse-induced fast flux diffusion.

Communicating Highway Safety: What Works, 2002

Few topics in transportation are of greater significance, now and in the future, than making today’s roads safe for those who use them. This study aims to assist the formulation of policy by examining the empirical evidence currently available on the ability of several forms of communication efforts and activities to increase knowledge about and affect attitudes and behavior toward highway safety practices. The objective of this effort is to provide a comparative synthesis of what works and what does not in highway safety campaigns across a large number of topical areas that have a mass media component. This was accomplished by conducting an extensive literature review to determine the current state of knowledge concerning what works and what has significant potential for wide use in future highway safety campaigns. An analytic framework for investigating highway safety campaigns was created. The framework includes (1) the types of media components, (2) the types of collaborations, (3) the context in which the campaign is intended to have impact, (4) the structure or procedural steps into which campaigns are organized, (5) the principles for what works in a campaign, and (6) the desired impact of a campaign on its target audience. The report reveals 25 characteristics of successful communication campaigns, strategies that stand a chance of achieving changes in knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The actual impact of mass communication remains unproven because of a perceived lag in the development of adequate evaluation techniques. Education by itself has not generally resulted in significant changes in the behaviors targeted, but education of the public and advocacy groups has often helped enact necessary legislation, transmit knowledge about the provisions and penalties of laws in ways that increase their deterrent effect, and generate public support for law enforcement programs. Even in such cases, however, when enforcement is inconsistent, public compliance frequently decreases with time. Approaches to traffic safety that emphasize the need for long-term individual- and community-based measures are found to be especially crucial for addressing complex problems like drinking and driving that are determined by a myriad of lifestyle and psychosocial factors.

La metodología del caso: un poco de Historia

La revisión de la bibliografía sobre la metodología del caso nos revelaque es frecuente la imprecisión en el uso de términos similares como:análisis de casos, estudios de caso, método de casos, etc. Estaconstatación ha de permitir, en adelante, evitar la ambigüedad y confusiónpermitiendo un uso preciso de los conceptos.La metodología del caso puede ser utilizada con distintas finalidades:contextualizar, explorar, ilustrar, demostrar, hacer comprobaciones ytomar decisiones, tanto con fines didácticos como de investigación...

Sidebranching induced by external noise in solutal dendritic growth

We have studied sidebranching induced by fluctuations in dendritic growth. The amplitude of sidebranching induced by internal (equilibrium) concentration fluctuations in the case of solidification with solutal diffusion is computed. This amplitude turns out to be significantly smaller than values reported in previous experiments. The effects of other possible sources of fluctuations (of an external origin) are examined by introducing nonconserved noise in a phase-field model. This reproduces the characteristics of sidebranching found in experiments. Results also show that sidebranching induced by external noise is qualitatively similar to that of internal noise, and it is only distinguished by its amplitude.

Cement Stabilization of Embankment Materials, 2015

Embankment subgrade soils in Iowa are generally rated as fair to poor as construction materials. These soils can exhibit low bearing strength, high volumetric instability, and freeze/thaw or wet/dry durability problems. Cement stabilization offers opportunities to improve these soils conditions. The objective of this study was to develop relationships between soil index properties, unconfined compressive strength and cement content. To achieve this objective, a laboratory study was conducted on 28 granular and non-granular materials obtained from 9 active construction sites in Iowa. The materials consisted of glacial till, loess, and alluvium sand. Type I/II portland cement was used for stabilization. Stabilized and unstabilized specimens were prepared using Iowa State University 2 in. by 2 in. compaction apparatus. Specimens were prepared, cured, and tested for unconfined compressive strength (UCS) with and without vacuum saturation. Percent fines content (F200), AASHTO group index (GI), and Atterberg limits were tested before and after stabilization. The results were analyzed using multi-variate statistical analysis to assess influence of the various soil index properties on post-stabilization material properties. Results indicated that F200, liquid limit, plasticity index, and GI of the materials generally decreased with increasing cement content. The UCS of the stabilized specimens increased with increasing cement content, as expected. The average saturated UCS of the unstabilized materials varied between 0 and 57 psi. The average saturated UCS of stabilized materials varied between 44 and 287 psi at 4% cement content, 108 and 528 psi at t 8% cement content, and 162 and 709 psi at 12% cement content. The UCS of the vacuum saturated specimens was on average 1.5 times lower than that of the unsaturated specimens. Multi-variate statistical regression models are provided in this report to predict F200, plasticity index, GI, and UCS after treatment, as a function of cement content and soil index properties.

Reduced microwave losses of YBa2Cu3O7_thin films on electro-optic LiNbO3 crystals

We report on the growth of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 thin films on X-cut LiNbO3 single crystals. The use of double CeO2/YSZ buffer layers allows a single in-plane orientation of YBa2Cu3O7, and results in superior superconducting properties. In particular, surface resistance Rs values of 1.4 m¿ have been measured at 8 GHz and 65 K. The attainment of such low values of Rs constitutes a key step toward the incorporation of high Tc materials as electrodes in photonic and acoustic devices.

Los eventos como herramientas de comunicación. Su efectividad como transmisores de los mensajes organizacionales. Estudio de caso: Eventos de la Fundació Fòrum Ambiental

El presente proyecto de investigación se presenta como trabajo final del Máster en Estudis Avançats en Comunicació Social. El objetivo de este proyecto es sentar las bases de la futura tesis doctoral, planteando una investigación cuyo objetivo es determinar la efectividad que tienen los eventos para transmitir mensajes de una organización hacia sus públicos, con miras a que este mensaje sea aprendido y aplicado, para así lograr los fines definitivos queproyecta lograr la organización. La investigación en primer término busca aclarar conceptos sobre lo que envuelve al evento, para después mediante un estudio de caso aplicar una metodología cuantitativa y cualitativa, que ayude a develar la efectividad que guardan los eventos del objeto de estudio en relación a los objetivos para los que fueron diseñados.

Nonequilibrium phase transition in a model for the propagation of innovations among economic agents

We characterize the different morphological phases that occur in a simple one-dimensional model of propagation of innovations among economic agents [X. Guardiola et al., Phys. Rev E 66, 026121 (2002)]. We show that the model can be regarded as a nonequilibrium surface growth model. This allows us to demonstrate the presence of a continuous roughening transition between a flat (system size independent fluctuations) and a rough phase (system size dependent fluctuations). Finite-size scaling studies at the transition strongly suggest that the dynamic critical transition does not belong to directed percolation and, in fact, critical exponents do not seem to fit in any of the known universality classes of nonequilibrium phase transitions. Finally, we present an explanation for the occurrence of the roughening transition and argue that avalanche driven dynamics is responsible for the novel critical behavior.

Ammonium Phosphate/Fly Ash Road Base Construction, HR-294, Construction Report, 1987

The objective of this research project was to evaluate the construction and service performance of ammonium phosphate/fly ash (APFA) treated base courses of crushed fines and/or unprocessed sand. Specific test results related to construction of the test sections were included in the 1987 construction report by Iowa State University. The performance of the experimental sections is dealt with in this final report. This 1986 project demonstrated that in all cases the control sections utilizing a Type B base experienced dramatically less cracking in the surface than the APFA treated base sections. The cost per mix and subsequent surface maintenance costs for the APFA base sections, especially those having a substantial amount of limestone, were higher than the Type B base control sections. This type of construction may prove to be economical only when petroleum product costs escalate.

Spectrum Sharing Models in Cognitive Radio

Spectrum scarcity demands thinking new ways tomanage the distribution of radio frequency bands so that its use is more effective. The emerging technology that can enable this paradigm shift is the cognitive radio. Different models fororganizing and managing cognitive radios have emerged, all with specific strategic purposes. In this article we review the allocation spectrum patterns of cognitive radio networks andanalyse which are the common basis of each model.We expose the vulnerabilities and open challenges that still threaten the adoptionand exploitation of cognitive radios for open civil networks.

Contracting with free software communities

Industry and large Agencies needs ¿agile¿ programming resources, to reinforce their own development staff and take advantage of innovative approaches produced by ¿fresh minds¿ all over the world. At the same time they may be reluctant to engage in classical software development call for tenders and contracts. Such contracts are often ¿trusted¿ by large ICT firms, which will deliver according to their own rigid frameworks (often based on alliances with proprietary software vendors), may propose comfortable quality assurances, but will cover their (real) risks and liability with high contingency costs and will charge for any change request in case the original specifications have not fixed all possible issues. Introducing FLOSS in business implies a new contracting philosophy, based on incentives rather than penalties and liability. Based on 2011 experience with a large Space Agency, Patrice-Emmanuel Schmitz pictures the needed legal instruments for a novel approach.