Compliance Monitoring Report Technical Assistance Tool, 2009

This form requests the minimum information required to demonstrate the extent of compliance with section 223(a)(11), 223(a)(12), 223(a)(13), 223(a)(14) of the JJDP Act of 2002. Many of these reporting requirements may be found in 28 C.F.R. 31.303(f)(5).

Recidivism of State FY96 Prison Releases in Iowa, May 2001

Expanding on research first presented in the Iowa Board of Parole FY99 Annual Report, this report presents recidivism data on offenders released from Iowa prisons during State FY1996 (July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1996). The figures presented here differ from those included in last year’s report due to four changes in the study. First, this year’s research includes data on those released from work release facilities, who were inadvertently omitted last year. In addition, the current figures include an additional year of tracking, as a second round of “rapsheets” was obtained to detect recidivism occurring within the last year.2 Also enhancing this year’s report is the availability of national recidivism data through the Interstate Identification Index (III). Further, while last year’s data looked only at the first new offense following release, this year’s study examines the most serious new conviction, resulting in higher felony recidivism rates. One note of caution should be voiced concerning the use of out-of-state records. A review of these records suggests very incomplete disposition reporting in III from some other states. In examining these records, it was not unusual to find a string of serious arrests with no dispositions noted. It was tempting in these situations to conclude that there must have been a conviction at some point, but we have resisted that urge when presenting figures on new convictions. This report is not intended to be an all-encompassing review of recidivism. Rather, it is meant to provide an illustration of the types of recidivism data available on prison releases in Iowa. Readers interested in other analyses of the data are urged to contact CJJP with suggestions and requests.

Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia, Recessive.

Disease characteristics. Recessive multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (EDM4/rMED) is characterized by joint pain (usually in the hips or knees); malformations of hands, feet, and knees; and scoliosis. Approximately 50% of affected individuals have some abnormal finding at birth, e.g., clubfoot, clinodactyly, or (rarely) cystic ear swelling. Onset of articular pain is variable but usually occurs in late childhood. Stature is usually within the normal range prior to puberty; in adulthood, stature is only slightly diminished and ranges from 150 to 180 cm. Functional disability is mild. Diagnosis/testing. Diagnosis of EDM4/rMED is based on clinical and radiographic findings. SLC26A2 is the only gene known to be associated with EDM4/rMED. Molecular genetic testing is available on a clinical basis. Management. Treatment of manifestations: physiotherapy for muscular strengthening; cautious use of analgesic medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); orthopedic surgery as indicated. Surveillance: radiographs as indicated. Agents/circumstances to avoid: sports involving joint overload. Genetic counseling. EDM4/rMED is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. At conception, each sib of a proband with EDM4/rMED has a 25% chance of being affected, a 50% chance of being an asymptomatic carrier, and a 25% chance of being unaffected and not a carrier. Once an at-risk sib is known to be unaffected, the risk of his/her being a carrier is 2/3. Carrier testing for at-risk relatives and prenatal testing for pregnancies at increased risk is possible if both disease-causing alleles in the family are known and the carrier status of the parents has been confirmed. Requests for prenatal testing for mild conditions such as EDM4/rMED are not common.

The evolution of unicoloniality in ant societies : recognition, dispersal and population genetic structure

Introduction Societies of ants, bees, wasps and termites dominate many terrestrial ecosystems (Wilson 1971). Their evolutionary and ecological success is based upon the regulation of internal conflicts (e.g. Ratnieks et al. 2006), control of diseases (e.g. Schmid-Hempel 1998) and individual skills and collective intelligence in resource acquisition, nest building and defence (e.g. Camazine 2001). Individuals in social species can pass on their genes not only directly trough their own offspring, but also indirectly by favouring the reproduction of relatives. The inclusive fitness theory of Hamilton (1963; 1964) provides a powerful explanation for the evolution of reproductive altruism and cooperation in groups with related individuals. The same theory also led to the realization that insect societies are subject to internal conflicts over reproduction. Relatedness of less-than-one is not sufficient to eliminate all incentive for individual selfishness. This would indeed require a relatedness of one, as found among cells of an organism (Hardin 1968; Keller 1999). The challenge for evolutionary biology is to understand how groups can prevent or reduce the selfish exploitation of resources by group members, and how societies with low relatedness are maintained. In social insects the evolutionary shift from single- to multiple queens colonies modified the relatedness structure, the dispersal, and the mode of colony founding (e.g. (Crozier & Pamilo 1996). In ants, the most common, and presumably ancestral mode of reproduction is the emission of winged males and females, which found a new colony independently after mating and dispersal flights (Hölldobler & Wilson 1990). The alternative reproductive tactic for ant queens in multiple-queen colonies (polygyne) is to seek to be re-accepted in their natal colonies, where they may remain as additional reproductives or subsequently disperse on foot with part of the colony (budding) (Bourke & Franks 1995; Crozier & Pamilo 1996; Hölldobler & Wilson 1990). Such ant colonies can contain up to several hundred reproductive queens with an even more numerous workforce (Cherix 1980; Cherix 1983). As a consequence in polygynous ants the relatedness among nestmates is very low, and workers raise brood of queens to which they are only distantly related (Crozier & Pamilo 1996; Queller & Strassmann 1998). Therefore workers could increase their inclusive fitness by preferentially caring for their closest relatives and discriminate against less related or foreign individuals (Keller 1997; Queller & Strassmann 2002; Tarpy et al. 2004). However, the bulk of the evidence suggests that social insects do not behave nepotistically, probably because of the costs entailed by decreased colony efficiency or discrimination errors (Keller 1997). Recently, the consensus that nepotistic behaviour does not occur in insect colonies was challenged by a study in the ant Formica fusca (Hannonen & Sundström 2003b) showing that the reproductive share of queens more closely related to workers increases during brood development. However, this pattern can be explained either by nepotism with workers preferentially rearing the brood of more closely related queens or intrinsic differences in the viability of eggs laid by queens. In the first chapter, we designed an experiment to disentangle nepotism and differences in brood viability. We tested if workers prefer to rear their kin when given the choice between highly related and unrelated brood in the ant F. exsecta. We also looked for differences in egg viability among queens and simulated if such differences in egg viability may mistakenly lead to the conclusion that workers behave nepotistically. The acceptance of queens in polygnous ants raises the question whether the varying degree of relatedness affects their share in reproduction. In such colonies workers should favour nestmate queens over foreign queens. Numerous studies have investigated reproductive skew and partitioning of reproduction among queens (Bourke et al. 1997; Fournier et al. 2004; Fournier & Keller 2001; Hammond et al. 2006; Hannonen & Sundström 2003a; Heinze et al. 2001; Kümmerli & Keller 2007; Langer et al. 2004; Pamilo & Seppä 1994; Ross 1988; Ross 1993; Rüppell et al. 2002), yet almost no information is available on whether differences among queens in their relatedness to other colony members affects their share in reproduction. Such data are necessary to compare the relative reproductive success of dispersing and non-dispersing individuals. Moreover, information on whether there is a difference in reproductive success between resident and dispersing queens is also important for our understanding of the genetic structure of ant colonies and the dynamics of within group conflicts. In chapter two, we created single-queen colonies and then introduced a foreign queens originating from another colony kept under similar conditions in order to estimate the rate of queen acceptance into foreign established colonies, and to quantify the reproductive share of resident and introduced queens. An increasing number of studies have investigated the discrimination ability between ant workers (e.g. Holzer et al. 2006; Pedersen et al. 2006), but few have addressed the recognition and discrimination behaviour of workers towards reproductive individuals entering colonies (Bennett 1988; Brown et al. 2003; Evans 1996; Fortelius et al. 1993; Kikuchi et al. 2007; Rosengren & Pamilo 1986; Stuart et al. 1993; Sundström 1997; Vásquez & Silverman in press). These studies are important, because accepting new queens will generally have a large impact on colony kin structure and inclusive fitness of workers (Heinze & Keller 2000). In chapter three, we examined whether resident workers reject young foreign queens that enter into their nest. We introduced mated queens into their natal nest, a foreign-female producing nest, or a foreign male-producing nest and measured their survival. In addition, we also introduced young virgin and mated queens into their natal nest to examine whether the mating status of the queens influences their survival and acceptance by workers. On top of polgyny, some ant species have evolved an extraordinary social organization called 'unicoloniality' (Hölldobler & Wilson 1977; Pedersen et al. 2006). In unicolonial ants, intercolony borders are absent and workers and queens mix among the physically separated nests, such that nests form one large supercolony. Super-colonies can become very large, so that direct cooperative interactions are impossible between individuals of distant nests. Unicoloniality is an evolutionary paradox and a potential problem for kin selection theory because the mixing of queens and workers between nests leads to extremely low relatedness among nestmates (Bourke & Franks 1995; Crozier & Pamilo 1996; Keller 1995). A better understanding of the evolution and maintenance of unicoloniality requests detailed information on the discrimination behavior, dispersal, population structure, and the scale of competition. Cryptic genetic population structure may provide important information on the relevant scale to be considered when measuring relatedness and the role of kin selection. Theoretical studies have shown that relatedness should be measured at the level of the `economic neighborhood', which is the scale at which intraspecific competition generally takes place (Griffin & West 2002; Kelly 1994; Queller 1994; Taylor 1992). In chapter four, we conducted alarge-scale study to determine whether the unicolonial ant Formica paralugubris forms populations that are organised in discrete supercolonies or whether there is a continuous gradation in the level of aggression that may correlate with genetic isolation by distance and/or spatial distance between nests. In chapter five, we investigated the fine-scale population structure in three populations of F. paralugubris. We have developed mitochondria) markers, which together with the nuclear markers allowed us to detect cryptic genetic clusters of nests, to obtain more precise information on the genetic differentiation within populations, and to separate male and female gene flow. These new data provide important information on the scale to be considered when measuring relatedness in native unicolonial populations.

Awareness of HIV Testing Guidelines Is Low among Swiss Emergency Doctors: A Survey of Five Teaching Hospitals in French-Speaking Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, 30% of HIV-infected individuals are diagnosed late. To optimize HIV testing, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) updated 'Provider Induced Counseling and Testing' (PICT) recommendations in 2010. These permit doctors to test patients if HIV infection is suspected, without explicit consent or pre-test counseling; patients should nonetheless be informed that testing will be performed. We examined awareness of these updated recommendations among emergency department (ED) doctors. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey among 167 ED doctors at five teaching hospitals in French-Speaking Switzerland between 1(st) May and 31(st) July 2011. For 25 clinical scenarios, participants had to state whether HIV testing was indicated or whether patient consent or pre-test counseling was required. We asked how many HIV tests participants had requested in the previous month, and whether they were aware of the FOPH testing recommendations. RESULTS: 144/167 doctors (88%) returned the questionnaire. Median postgraduate experience was 6.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] 3; 12). Mean percentage of correct answers was 59 ± 11%, senior doctors scoring higher (P=0.001). Lowest-scoring questions pertained to acute HIV infection and scenarios where patient consent was not required. Median number of test requests was 1 (IQR 0-2, range 0-10). Only 26/144 (18%) of participants were aware of the updated FOPH recommendations. Those aware had higher scores (P=0.001) but did not perform more HIV tests. CONCLUSIONS: Swiss ED doctors are not aware of the national HIV testing recommendations and rarely perform HIV tests. Improved recommendation dissemination and adherence is required if ED doctors are to contribute to earlier HIV diagnoses.

Electronic Construction Collaboration - Phase 1, 2009

Bridge construction projects are becoming increasingly complex as the demand for context-sensitive solutions, aesthetic designs, and accelerated bridge construction becomes more prevalent. In addition, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is entering a phase of design and construction of large border bridges, such as the I-80 (let 2008 for $56 million) and US 34 bridges over the Missouri River and I-74 over the Mississippi River. Compared to typical construction projects, these bridges generate more contractor Requests for Information (RFIs), Value Engineering (VE) proposals, Requests for Changes (RFCs), and shop drawings. Management of these submittals is a significant challenge for Resident Construction Engineers (RCEs) and other Iowa DOT staff. In addition, some submittals require cross-departmental and project consultant reviews. Commercially available software exists for managing submittals and project collaboration teams; in-house solutions may also be possible. Implementation is intended to speed construction submittal review time, reduce incidence of delay claims, and free up Iowa DOT staff from project management administrative tasks. Researchers from Iowa State University working with the Iowa DOT conducted a multi-pronged approach to indentify a web-based collaboration solution for Iowa DOT bridge projects. An investigation was launched to determine the functional needs of the Iowa DOT. Commercially available software programs were also evaluated to find what functionality is currently available. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was written to select a commercial web-based collaboration solution for pilot testing. In the second phase of research, a solution will be selected and implemented on two pilot projects. Lessons learned from these pilot projects will assist the Iowa DOT in developing and implementing a long-term solution to improve the management of Iowa DOT bridge projects.

Sharing data between LSDBs and central repositories.

Several Locus-Specific DataBases (LSDBs) have recently been approached by larger, more general data repositories (including NCBI and UCSC) with the request to share the DNA variant data they have collected. Within the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS) a document was generated summarizing the issues related to these requests. The document has been circulated in the HGVS/LSDB community and was discussed extensively. Here we summarize these discussions and present the concluded recommendations for LSDB data sharing with central repositories.

Nonoccupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: a 10-year retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective analysis of administration of nonoccupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) in a single centre where tracing and testing of the source of exposure were carried out systematically over a 10-year period. METHODS: Files of all nPEP requests between 1998 and 2007 were reviewed. Characteristics of the exposed and source patients, the type of exposure, and clinical and serological outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: nPEP requests increased by 850% over 10 years. Among 910 events, 58% were heterosexual exposures, 15% homosexual exposures, 6% sexual assaults and 20% nonsexual exposures. In 208 events (23%), the source was reported to be HIV positive. In the remaining cases, active source tracing enabled 298 HIV tests to be performed (42%) and identified 11 HIV infections (3.7%). nPEP was able to be avoided or interrupted in 31% of 910 events when the source tested negative. Of 710 patients who started nPEP, 396 (56%) reported side effects, among whom 39 (5%) had to interrupt treatment. There were two HIV seroconversions, and neither was attributed to nPEP failure. CONCLUSIONS: nPEP requests increased over time. HIV testing of the source person avoided nPEP in 31% of events and was therefore paramount in the management of potential HIV exposures. Furthermore, it allowed active screening of populations potentially at risk for undiagnosed HIV infection, as shown by the increased HIV prevalence in these groups (3.7%) compared with a prevalence of 0.3% in Switzerland as a whole.

Causes and implications of overdiagnosis

Background: Overdiagnosis is defined as the diagnosis of a condition not associated with a substantial risk for health in an asymptomatic person. There are several causes of overdiagnosis. Clinical and public health implications of overdiagnosis are underappreciated. Objective: To review the causes of overdiagnosis, and its clinical and public health implications Method: Narrative review Results: Overdiagnosis results from some screening activities, increasingly sensitive diagnostic test procedures, incidental findings on routine exams, and widening diagnostic criteria to define a condition requiring an intervention. The fear of missing a diagnosis and the patients' requests for reassurance are further causes of overdiagnosis. Examples of overdiagnosis include some cases of breast and prostate cancers found by screening, pulmonary emboli identified on highly sensitive CT-scans, and kidney cancers found incidentally following abdominal CTscans. Lowering the critical levels of blood pressure, glycemia, and cholesterol to define hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, respectively, is also the causes of overdiagnosis. An overdiagnosed condition implies unnecessary procedures to confirm or exclude the presence of the disease and unnecessary treatments, both having potential adverse effects. Overdiagnosis also diverts health professionals from caring about other health issues and generates costs without any benefit. Measures to prevent overdiagnosis are notably 1) to increase awareness of health professionals and the population about its occurrence, 2) to account systematically for the risks and benefits of screening and diagnostic procedures using an evidence-based framework, and 3) to decide at which risk level to intervene based on the absolute risk of health events and the absolute risk reduction expected from an intervention. Conclusion: Overdiagnosis has major clinical and public health implications. Increasing awareness of its causes and implications is a step toward its prevention.

Termination of pregnancy among teenagers - why more surgical terminations?

Introduction: In 2012, a study by K. Chatziioannidou and S-C. Renteria showed that teenagers chose to undergo a surgical termination of pregnancy (TOP) more often than a medical TOP (mifepristone followed by misoprostol) when they decided to terminate a pregnancy. It also showed that the teenagers' choice for a medical versus surgical method is inversely proportional to the adults' choice although the efficiency of the medical method showed even better results for teenagers than for adults. According to the hypothesis made, the reasons for this choice might be influenced by the following facts: (i) the belated call to make an appointment, the medical procedure not being available after 9 weeks of gestation; (ii) the imperative request for confidentiality; (iii) the beliefs and subjective appreciation of the medical staff. Objectives: The aim of this retrospective and qualitative study is to analyse the reasons why, in case of a TOP, teenagers chose the surgical method more often than their adult counterparts. Material: (i) All teenagers who were admitted for an abortive procedure during 2011 in the in- or outpatient ward. (ii) The professional team (midwives and sexual and reproductive counsellors) in charge in the case of a TOP request. Methods: The information about the patient's history and the biopsycho- social data was retrieved from the patient files filled out by midwives and sexual and reproductive health counsellors during the first appointment for a TOP request or during its process. The professionals' appreciation was evaluated by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Concerning the choice of the method for a pregnancy termination, the results of our research show that: (i) Out of 47 teenagers, 27 chose the surgical method and 17 the medical method. (ii) Three had a second trimester abortion (which includes use of the medical method). (iii) Fifteen teenagers out of the 27 who chose a surgical method consulted between the 9th and 14th weeks of amenorrhoea and therefore did not have any other choice. The reasons for their 'late arrival' will be explained in detail. The 12 teenagers who arrived before the 8th week of amenorrhoea and chose to undertake abortion by suction & curettage under general anaesthesia did it for the following reasons: (i) Four were afraid of bleeding and pain. (ii) Five thought that the organisation of the surgical procedure was easier. (iii) Two did not trust the abortion pill. (iv) One was taken to her mother's gynaecologist where she had a D&C. Confidentiality was requested nine times out of 27 when choosing the surgical method, and six times out of 17 when choosing the medical method. Therefore, although confidentiality concerns a third of the teenagers' pregnancy termination requests, it does not seem to be a significant element for the choice of the method. As for the subjective appreciation of the professionals, the first results of the discussions seem to show that teenagers were reluctant or resistant towards the medical method. Conclusion: This study shows that the reasons why teenagers still prefer the use of the surgical over the medical method compared to adults, seem to include the late request for an appointment, fear of pain and bleeding and organisational issues. Confidentiality does not seem to greatly influence the teenagers' choice. Nonetheless, medical professionals seem to favour the suction curettage procedure performed under anesthesia because they associate young age with vulnerability and psychological frailty and consequently diminished ability to cope with pain and emotional distress during the medical procedures.

Awareness of human immunodeficiency virus screening guidelines is low in emergency departments of western Switzerland.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in Switzerland is 0.4% and 30% of HIV patients are diagnosed with CD4 counts <200 cells/microliter. In 2010, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOP) published updated guidelines regarding Physician- Initiated Counseling and Testing (PICT) for HIV. In the new guidelines, when acute HIV infection is suspected or HIV is among the differential diagnoses, an HIV test is performed without risk assessment nor prior counseling, unless the patient specifically refuses it. Counseling and verbal consent are still required when the patient asks for an HIV test or belongs to a high risk group. Whist HIV testing in the emergency departments (ED) is recommended, only 1% of patients are currently screened. Lack of awareness among physicians has been cited in the literature as the first barrier to guideline implementation. Objectives: To test if physicians working in EDs of 5 large teaching hospitals in western Switzerland, admitting 175,000 patients / year, were aware of the updated SFOP guidelines. Methods: A survey was delivered to 167 ED physicians in the summer of 2011. The survey consisted of 26 vignettes designed to test whether physicians would request an HIV test according to the new guidelines and if they knew when the PICT strategy was allowed or counseling required. Finally, physicians were asked the number of HIV tests they had requested in the previous 4 weeks, and if they were aware of the new HIV guidelines. Results are presented as mean and standard deviation, median and interquartile range (IQR), or as proportions; Student's t test was used to compare continuous variables; Results: 143 physicians returned the survey (86%); mean age was 32 ± 8 years, and median postgraduate experience of 6 years (IQR 3-12); 52% were male and 17% were attendings. The percentage of correct responses was 60 ± 13% with no difference between attendings and residents (p = 0.31); 2 of the 3 questions with the lowest scores were failure to recognize situations in which HIV testing was indicated, and the third one a failure to recognize acute HIV infection. 82% of physicians were not aware of the new guidelines. The median number of test requests was 1 (IQR 0-2, range 1-10). Conclusion: ED physicians are not aware of current HIV screening guidelines published by the SFOP, and rarely perform HIV tests. An information campaign is required if ED physicians are expected to play a significant role in the reduction of undiagnosed HIV patients.

Ympäristöraportointimallinkehittäminen vesihuoltolaitokselle

Diplomityössä tarkastellaan ympäristöraportointia yrityksen ympäristöviestinnässä.Työn kirjallisuusosuudessa syvennytään ympäristöraporttien toteutukseen, tavoitteisiin, mahdollisuuksiin sekä raportointiohjeisiin ja -periaatteisiin. Työn kirjallisuusosassa käsitellään myös ympäristöjohtamista ja yrityksen sidosryhmiä. Diplomityön kirjallisuusosan ja yrityksen ohjauksen perusteella Joensuun Vedelle on kehitetty ympäristöraportointimalli, jota käyttäen yritys voi tehdä vuosittaista ympäristöraportointiaan. Ympäristöraportointimallin laadinta perustui erilaisiin raportointimalleihin, raportointiperiaatteisiin ja raportointiohjeisiin, kuten muiden muassa Global Reporting Initiativen (GRI) vapaaehtoiseen yhteiskuntavastuun raportointiohjeistoon ja Kirjanpitolautakunnan (KILA) yleisohjeeseen ympäristöasioiden kirjaamisesta, laskennasta ja esittämisestä tilinpäätöksessä. Joensuun Vedelle laaditunympäristöraportointimallin tavoitteena oli luoda laitokselle ympäristöraportti,joka sisältää merkittävimmät ympäristönäkökohdat, taloudellista vastuuta käsittelevän ympäristötilinpäätöksen sekä tietoa tärkeistä sosiaalisen vastuun asioista. Ympäristöraportin sisältämän tiedon kokoamisella haluttiin myös saada kokonaisvaltaista näkemystä, vuoden 2005 Joensuun, Kiihtelysvaaran ja Tuupovaaran kuntaliitoksen takia laajentuneen, Joensuun Veden toiminnan ympäristövaikutuksista. Diplomityössä on esitetty Joensuun Veden vuoden 2005 ympäristöraportin kokoamisenvaiheet sekä tulokset. Ympäristöraportointimalli täytti sille asetetut tavoitteet. Ympäristöraportin sisältöä tulee kuitenkin jatkossa kehittää sekä raportoitavan aineiston alkuperäisen dokumentoinnin osalta että sidosryhmien mielipiteidenja vaatimusten mukaisesti.

Suunnittelu- ja toimeenpanojärjestelmän määrittely ja valinta Junttan Oy:lle

Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää, millainen suunnittelu- ja toimeenpanojärjestelmä tukee Junttanin liiketoimintatavoitteiden saavuttamista ja valita tarjolla olevista vaihtoehdoistasopivin kokonaisuus. Työn teoriaosassa selvitetään toiminnanohjausjärjestelmien toiminnallisuuksien jako suunnittelu- ja toimeenpanojärjestelmiin ja miten suunnittelu- ja toimeenpa-nojärjestelmien käyttötarkoitus ja käyttöönotto poikkeavat toisistaan. Teoriaosas-sa käsitellään myös päätöksentekoon liittyviä asioita sillä tämän työn lopputulok-sena Junttanille valittiin PDM- ja ERP-järjestelmä. Työssä toteutettiin aluksi liiketoimintatavoitteiden selvitys. Liiketoimintatavoitteet ohjasivat, millaisen suunnittelu- ja toimeenpanojärjestelmän Junttan tarvitsi. Ny-kytilan kartoituksen yhteydessä kerättiin kehitysideoita uutta järjestelmäkokonai-suutta varten. Liiketoimintatavoitteiden ja kehitysideoiden pohjalta laadittiin tavoi-tetila, jonka pohjalta määritettiin vaatimukset PDM- ja ERP-järjestelmille. Yrityksen toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän valinta on iso päätös. Sen vuoksi päätök-sentekoon panostettiin niin, että ennakkoasenteet ja henkilökohtaiset mieltymyk-set eivät ohjanneet valintaa. Toiminnallinen määrittely jätettiin tehtäväksi järjestelmien käyttöönoton yhteydes-sä. Junttanilla päätettiin hyödyntää uusien toimintatapojen määrittämisessä toi-mittajien alakohtaista osaamista ja järjestelmiin kuvattuja ja järjestelmissä tuettuja prosesseja.

Análisis de necesidades en formación intercultural en la Administración Pública

The multicultural nature of our society requests new professional requirements at the Public Administration. There are news users that present specifics needs and conditions provoked by the legal situation and cultural origin. The research has two aims: 1) The assessment of Intercultural Competencies of the public employees of el Servicio de Empleo de Cataluña and 2) The design of a training program for the development of this competencies. The scope where are more needed this competencies are the capacity to solve intercultural problems, the intercultural communication, the knowledge of cultures and the migratory phenomena, and the role played by thestereotypes and the bias

Análisis y creación de un sistema informático de soporte a entidades sanitarias para la detección precoz de brotes de gripe en épocas de máximo riesgo.

Hoy en día, las posibilidades del Big Data son incontables. Existe gran cantidad de información generada por la población general y disponible de forma pública.El reto consiste en poder trabajar con esta información y extraer conclusiones útiles y que generen valor.En este proyecto, queremos analizar en el tiempo el interés general de la población respecto a una enfermedad común como la gripe, y poder relacionarlos con brotes de gripe existentes en el pasado, para de esta manera, poder extrapolar y predecir futuros brotes.Esta información, en manos de las autoridades sanitarias, puede ser de gran ayuda para poder prevenir picos de solicitudes en los servicios de urgencias, anticipándose para gestionar de manera más eficaz los recursos disponibles, consiguiendo, de esta manera, un mejor servicio a la población en general.De esta manera, son los propios usuarios los que, sin saberlo, posibilitan una mayor y mejor respuesta en los servicios sanitarios mediante la información que ellos mismos distribuyen libremente, consiguiéndose de esta manera valiosos beneficios para la población general.