Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2011

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2011

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2012

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2012

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch for the year ended June 30, 2012

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch for the year ended June 30, 2012

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2012

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2012

Comparing the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism scale and the Auckland individualism and collectivism scale in two cultures: Switzerland and South Africa

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (HVIC) and the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale (AICS). The sample consisted of 1,403 working individuals from Switzerland (N = 585) and from South Africa (N = 818). Principal component factor analyses indicated that a two-factor structure replicated well across the two countries for both scales. In addition, the HVIC four-factor structure replicated well across countries, whereas the responsibility dimension of individualism of the AICS replicated poorly. Confirmatory factor analyses provided satisfactory support to the original theoretical models for both the HVIC and the AICS. Equivalence measurement indices indicated that the cross-cultural replicability properties of both instruments are generally acceptable. However, canonical correlations and correlations between the HVIC and AICS dimensions confirm that these two instruments differ in their underlying meaning of the individualism and collectivism constructs, suggesting that these two instruments assess individualism and collectivism differently.

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2013

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2013

The Escherichia coli RuvB branch migration protein forms double hexameric rings around DNA.

The RuvB protein is induced in Escherichia coli as part of the SOS response to DNA damage. It is required for genetic recombination and the postreplication repair of DNA. In vitro, the RuvB protein promotes the branch migration of Holliday junctions and has a DNA helicase activity in reactions that require ATP hydrolysis. We have used electron microscopy, image analysis, and three-dimensional reconstruction to show that the RuvB protein, in the presence of ATP, forms a dodecamer on double-stranded DNA in which two stacked hexameric rings encircle the DNA and are oriented in opposite directions with D6 symmetry. Although helicases are ubiquitous and essential for many aspects of DNA repair, replication, and transcription, three-dimensional reconstruction of a helicase has not yet been reported, to our knowledge. The structural arrangement that is seen may be common to other helicases, such as the simian virus 40 large tumor antigen.

Audit report on the Iowa Judicial Branch for the year ended June 30, 2013

Audit report on the Iowa Judicial Branch for the year ended June 30, 2013

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2013

Report on the Iowa Judicial Branch – County Clerks of District Courts, a part of the State of Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2013

Issue review : fiscal year 2011 Judicial Branch budget impact.

This issue review analyzes recent activity related to the Judicial Branch budget. The Judicial Branch budget is 3 percent of the total state general fund budget and consists of 95 percent personnel costs and 5 percent non-personnel costs. As of August 31, 2010, 29 clerks-of-court offices are operating on a part-time basis with reduced public hours. The remaining 70 offices are closed for two hours a day, two days a week. From February 2009 through June 2010, there were 15 court closure days.

Issue review : executive branch employees, January 2011 and August 2012.

This issue review examines the change in the number of executive branch employees, supervisors and payroll between January 2011 and August 2012. In recent years, a variety of factors have encouraged a reduction in the number of state employees, salary adjustment that pays for contract-related salary and benefits increases has not been funded, limited departments' ability to pay increasing personnel costs. Early retirement packages have been offered, encouraging higher-paid employees to retire. Beginning in January 2011, the Governor set a goal of reducing the cost of state government by 15 percent, which could impact the number of employees.

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2014

Audit report on the City of West Branch, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2014