Evaluation of Virtual Reality Snowplow Simulator Training: A Literature Review, September 2006

Each winter, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) maintenance operators are primarily responsible for plowing snow off federal and state roads. Drivers typically work long shifts under treacherous conditions. In addition to properly navigating the vehicle, drivers are required to operate several plowing mechanisms simultaneously, such as plow controls and salt sprayers. However, operators have few opportunities during the year to practice and refine their skills. An ideal training program would provide operators with the opportunity to practice these skills under realistic yet safe conditions, as well as provide basic training to novice or less-experienced operators. Recent technological advancements have made driving simulators a desirable training and research tool. This literature review discusses much of the recent research establishing simulator fidelity and espousing its applicability. Additionally, this report provides a summary of behavioral and eye tracking research involving driving simulators. Other research topics include comparisons between novice and expert drivers’ behavioral patterns, methods for avoiding cybersickness in virtual environments, and a synopsis of current personality measures with respect to job performance and driving performance. This literature review coincides with a study designed to examine the effectiveness of virtual reality snowplow simulator training for current maintenance operators, using the TranSim VS III truck and snowplow simulator recently purchased by the Iowa DOT.

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Snowplow Simulator Training, January 2007

Each winter, Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) maintenance operators are responsible for plowing snow off federal and state roads in Iowa. Drivers typically work long shifts under treacherous conditions. In addition to properly navigating the vehicle, drivers are required to operate several plowing mechanisms simultaneously, such as plow controls and salt spreaders. There is little opportunity for practicing these skills in real-world situations. A virtual reality training program would provide operators with the opportunity to practice these skills under realistic yet safe conditions, as well as provide basic training to novice or less-experienced operators. In order to provide such training to snowplow operators in Iowa, the Iowa DOT purchased a snowplow simulator. The Iowa DOT commissioned a study through Iowa State University designed to (1) assess the use of this simulator as a training tool and (2) examine personality and other characteristics associated with being an experienced snowplow operator. The results of this study suggest that Iowa DOT operators of all ages and levels of experience enjoyed and seemed to benefit from virtual reality snowplow simulator training. Simulator sickness ratings were relatively low, implying that the simulator is appropriate for training a wide range of Iowa DOT operators. Many reported that simulator training was the most useful aspect of training for them.

Understanding Insurance Company Financial Stability Ratings, January 2007

Choosing a financially strong insurance company is important when buying health insurance. You want the company to still be in business when you have claims, which can be 20 to 30 years from now. Insurance companies selling insurance in Iowa have met the minimum legal standards to be licensed by the State of Iowa Insurance Division. This licensure doesn’t mean the company has a high financial stability rating. Several independent rating agencies evaluate the financial stability of insurance companies. The rating for an individual insurance company is an opinion as to its financial strength and ability to pay claims in the future. When evaluating a company, a rating agency may consider a company's balance sheet strength, operating performance and business management and strategies.

July 2009 Rail Company Abandonment Plans Map, 2009

This is a map of railroad lines in Iowa under study to be abandoned.

Iowa Historic Property Study: Iowana Farms Milk Company, 1416 State Street, City of Bettendorf, Scott County, Iowa, 2012

The Iowana Farms Milk Company factory building was considered to retain sufficient integrity and possess sufficient significance to be considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C for its historical and architectural significance in the Bettendorf community. The Iowana Farms Milk Company was an important early to mid-twentieth-century business in Bettendorf, and was among the few that was not owned or operated by the Bettendorf Company. It was a strong and thriving business for many years, and its products were well known in the Quad Cities region. The importance of this property becomes even more significant when one considers that most of the buildings once associated with the actual Bettendorf Company, which was undeniably the most important business and industry in town, are now gone. As a result, the Iowana Farms Milk Company factory building was a physical vestige of the once-thriving commercial industries that made Bettendorf into a city in the twentieth century. This property was further significant for its representation of the evolution of the dairy industry in the twentieth century from farm to factory production. It also reflected the changes to the industry based on scientific discoveries, mechanical innovations, and governmental regulations related to improved sanitation and the pure milk movement. The Iowana Farms Milk Company represented a model plant for the time, and the marketing strategies it employed followed the trends of the industry. The Iowana Farms Milk Company plant had to be removed to make room for a new I-74 bridge over the Mississippi River at Bettendorf. The construction of the new bridge also required removal of the historic Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge. The documentation reported herein and for that of the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge fulfills the requirements of the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the removal of these historic properties.

Letter health consultation : Manganese emissions from Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Griffin Wheel Facility) Keokuk, Iowa (2010)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to evaluate human health impacts from manganese emissions from the Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Griffin Wheel) facility located in Keokuk, Iowa. We understand your concern and the concern of the Keokuk community, and want you to know that the Iowa Department of Public Health’s priority is to ensure that you have the best information possible to safeguard the health of the citizens of Keokuk. That information is included in the following discussion.

Letter health consultation : Northwest States Portland Cement Company site, site, Mason City, Iowa EPA facility ID: IAD98053431 (2008)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to EPA regarding the third five year review of the Northwestern States Portland Cement Company Site, located North of Mason City, Iowa in Cerro Gordo County to provide an evaluation of the public health status of the site.

Health consultation : Mid-America Tanning Company, Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Iowa EPA facility ID: IAD085824688 (2005)

On June 23, 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intention to remove the Mid-American Tanning Company site from the National Priorities List (NPL). The EPA is inviting public comment on the proposed de-listing of the site from the NPL. The Iowa Department of Public Health in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepared this health consultation to review the current status of the Mid-America Tanning Company site and to provide an evaluation of any public health consequences of de-listing the site. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.