Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2008

Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2008

Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2009

Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2009

E-learning initiatives in forensic interpretation: report on experiences from current projects and outlook

This paper reports on the purpose, design, methodology and target audience of E-learning courses in forensic interpretation offered by the authors since 2010, including practical experiences made throughout the implementation period of this project. This initiative was motivated by the fact that reporting results of forensic examinations in a logically correct and scientifically rigorous way is a daily challenge for any forensic practitioner. Indeed, interpretation of raw data and communication of findings in both written and oral statements are topics where knowledge and applied skills are needed. Although most forensic scientists hold educational records in traditional sciences, only few actually followed full courses that focussed on interpretation issues. Such courses should include foundational principles and methodology - including elements of forensic statistics - for the evaluation of forensic data in a way that is tailored to meet the needs of the criminal justice system. In order to help bridge this gap, the authors' initiative seeks to offer educational opportunities that allow practitioners to acquire knowledge and competence in the current approaches to the evaluation and interpretation of forensic findings. These cover, among other aspects, probabilistic reasoning (including Bayesian networks and other methods of forensic statistics, tools and software), case pre-assessment, skills in the oral and written communication of uncertainty, and the development of independence and self-confidence to solve practical inference problems. E-learning was chosen as a general format because it helps to form a trans-institutional online-community of practitioners from varying forensic disciplines and workfield experience such as reporting officers, (chief) scientists, forensic coordinators, but also lawyers who all can interact directly from their personal workplaces without consideration of distances, travel expenses or time schedules. In the authors' experience, the proposed learning initiative supports participants in developing their expertise and skills in forensic interpretation, but also offers an opportunity for the associated institutions and the forensic community to reinforce the development of a harmonized view with regard to interpretation across forensic disciplines, laboratories and judicial systems.

Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2010

Audit report on Highway Safety Projects administered by The Integer Group Midwest for the year ended September 30, 2010

A clinical pattern-based etiological diagnostic strategy for sensory neuronopathies: a French collaborative study.

Sensory neuronopathies (SNNs) encompass paraneoplastic, infectious, dysimmune, toxic, inherited, and idiopathic disorders. Recently described diagnostic criteria allow SNN to be differentiated from other forms of sensory neuropathy, but there is no validated strategy based on routine clinical investigations for the etiological diagnosis of SNN. In a multicenter study, the clinical, biological, and electrophysiological characteristics of 148 patients with SNN were analyzed. Multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression were used to identify patterns differentiating between forms of SNNs with different etiologies. Models were constructed using a study population of 88 patients and checked using a test population of 60 cases. Four patterns were identified. Pattern A, with an acute or subacute onset in the four limbs or arms, early pain, and frequently affecting males over 60 years of age, identified mainly paraneoplastic, toxic, and infectious SNN. Pattern B identified patients with progressive SNN and was divided into patterns C and D, the former corresponding to patients with inherited or slowly progressive idiopathic SNN with severe ataxia and electrophysiological abnormalities and the latter to patients with idiopathic, dysimmune, and sometimes paraneoplastic SNN with a more rapid course than in pattern C. The diagnostic strategy based on these patterns correctly identified 84/88 and 58/60 patients in the study and test populations, respectively.

RNA/DNA co-analysis from blood stains--results of a second collaborative EDNAP exercise.

A second collaborative exercise on RNA/DNA co-analysis for body fluid identification and STR profiling was organized by the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP). Six human blood stains, two blood dilution series (5-0.001 μl blood) and, optionally, bona fide or mock casework samples of human or non-human origin were analyzed by the participating laboratories using a RNA/DNA co-extraction or solely RNA extraction method. Two novel mRNA multiplexes were used for the identification of blood: a highly sensitive duplex (HBA, HBB) and a moderately sensitive pentaplex (ALAS2, CD3G, ANK1, SPTB and PBGD). The laboratories used different chemistries and instrumentation. All of the 18 participating laboratories were able to successfully isolate and detect mRNA in dried blood stains. Thirteen laboratories simultaneously extracted RNA and DNA from individual stains and were able to utilize mRNA profiling to confirm the presence of blood and to obtain autosomal STR profiles from the blood stain donors. The positive identification of blood and good quality DNA profiles were also obtained from old and compromised casework samples. The method proved to be reproducible and sensitive using different analysis strategies. The results of this collaborative exercise involving a RNA/DNA co-extraction strategy support the potential use of an mRNA based system for the identification of blood in forensic casework that is compatible with current DNA analysis methodology.

2011 Annual Employment Report on All Projects Let by the Iowa DOT Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Females, September 15, 2011

The following data was derived from 1391 reports of participating contractors for the annual 2002 through 2011 reporting periods. The workforce data is reflective of one peak work week for highway contractors during the most active time of the season, the last full week of July. The summary data on pages 4 and 5 was compiled by Iowa DOT staff from the 1391 reports received. Interesting changes and trends have been addressed in the written analysis.

Decision Support Model for Assessing Archaeological Survey Needs for Bridge Replacement Projects in Iowa, 2006

The Bridges Decision Support Model is a geographic information system (GIS) that assembles existing data on archaeological sites, surveys, and their geologic contexts to assess the risk of bridge replacement projects encountering 13,000- to 150-year-old Native American sites. This project identifies critical variables for assessing prehistoric sites potential, examines the quality of available data about the variables, and applies the data to creating a decision support framework for use by the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and others. An analysis of previous archaeological surveys indicates that subsurface testing to discover buried sites became increasingly common after 1980, but did not become routine until after the adoption of guidelines recommending such testing, in 1993. Even then, the average depth of testing has been relatively shallow. Alluvial deposits of sufficient age, deposited in depositional environments conducive to human habitation, are considerably thicker than archaeologists have routinely tested.

Collaboration entre médecin de famille et psychiatre pour les problèmes de santé mentale [Family physicians and psychiatrists' collaborative care for mental health problems].

The burden of disease linked to mental disorders represents more than one-fifth of years lived with disability in the world. Less than half of people suffering from mental disorders are adequately treated. Three quarter of those who receive treatment are followed by primary care. Collaborative care aims to increase the efficiency of direct general practitioner's treatment. Main components are sustainable and individualized consultation-liaison relationship (1/2 day of psychiatrist by 15 days for 10-15 general practitioners), and support of a clinical case manager for complex situations. Collaboration is bidirectional: early or crisis access to specialist care and long-term followup by general practitioner. This model is a challenge for the doctor-patient dual relationship and requires incentives in a public health perspective.

Iowa Elder Abuse Initiative Demonstration Projects Fiscal Year 2001-2011

In 2001, the Iowa Legislature approved approximately $475,000 to fund strategies for elder abuse detection, training and services in an effort to evaluate Iowa’s adult abuse system. This endeavor became known as Iowa’s Elder Abuse Initiative (EAI) demonstration projects. These projects were located in 4 of the 13 Area Agencies on Aging and available in 22 of Iowa’s 99 counties. The EAI focused on the prevention, intervention, detection, and reporting of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation by presenting elders with options to enhance their lifestyle choices.

Compendium of projects in the European nanosafety cluster

This is the second edition of the compendium. Since the first edition a number of important initiatives have been launched in the shape of large projects targeting integration of research infrastructure and new technology for toxicity studies and exposure monitoring.The demand for research in the area of human health and environmental safety management of nanotechnologies is present since a decade and identified by several landmark reports and studies. Several guidance documents have been published. It is not the intention of this compendium to report on these as they are widely available.It is also not the intention to publish scientific papers and research results as this task is covered by scientific conferences and the peer reviewed press.The intention of the compendium is to bring together researchers, create synergy in their work, and establish links and communication between them mainly during the actual research phase before publication of results. Towards this purpose we find useful to give emphasis to communication of projects strategic aims, extensive coverage of specific work objectives and of methods used in research, strengthening human capacities and laboratories infrastructure, supporting collaboration for common goals and joint elaboration of future plans, without compromising scientific publication potential or IP Rights.These targets are far from being achieved with the publication in its present shape. We shall continue working, though, and hope with the assistance of the research community to make significant progress. The publication will take the shape of a dynamic, frequently updated, web-based document available free of charge to all interested parties. Researchers in this domain are invited to join the effort, communicating the work being done. [Auteurs]

Osage-Mitchell County RISE projects dedication, September 27, 1989.

Program from the dedication of the Osage-Mitchell County RISE (Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy) paving project on Sept. 27, 1989.