Management of major accidents with on-site 144 dispatcher

Introduction: An excellent coordination between firefighters, policemen and medical rescue is the key to success in the management of major accidents. In order to improve and assist the medical teams engaged on site, the Swiss "medical command and control system" for rescue operations is based on a binomial set up involving one head emergency doctor and one head rescue paramedic, both trained in disaster medicine. We have recently experimented an innovative on-site "medical command and control system", based on the binomial team, supported by a dedicated 144 dispatcher. Methods: A major road traffic accident took place on the highway between Lausanne and Vevey on April 9th 2008. We have retrospectively collected all data concerning the victims as well as the logistics and dedicated structures, reported by the 144, the Hospitals, the Authority of the State and the Police and Fire Departments. Results: The 72-car pileup caused one death and 26 slightly injured patients. The management on the accident site was organized around a tripartite system, gathering together the medical command and control team with the police and fire departments. On the medical side, 16 ambulances, 2 medical response teams (SMUR), the Rega crew and the medical command and control team were dispatched by the 144. On that occasion an advanced medical command car equipped with communication devices and staffed with a 144 dispatcher was also engaged, allowing efficient medical regulation directly from the site. Discussion: The specific skills of one doctor and one paramedic both trained for disaster's management proved to be perfectly complementary. The presence of a dispatcher on site with a medical command car also proved to be useful, improving orders transmission from the medical command team to all other on- and off-site partners. It relieved the need of repeated back-and-forth communication with the 144, allowing both paramedic and doctor to focus on strategy and tactics rather than communication and logistics.

Why do the ithomiines (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) aggregate? Notes on a butterfly pocket in central Brazil

This study provides information on the species composition and the number of butterflies in different phases of an ithomiine aggregation during the 2004 dry season in central Brazil, and tests some hypotheses concerning the pocket formation. The results obtained suggest that ithomiine pockets constitute primarily an adaptation of butterflies to the adverse climatic conditions of the dry season, such as high temperatures and low air relative humidity, rather than the occurrence of large concentrations of adult food resources (flowers visited for nectar were not found in the pocket site) or defense against visually hunting predators (contrary to the prediction tested, the frequency of butterflies bearing birds beak marks on the wings significantly increased along the period of pocket formation, especially in the case of Mechanitis polymnia, the most abundant species in the pocket). Other hypotheses concerning the pocket formation are also discussed.

Note on predation of the brood of Mischocyttarus injucundus (de Saussure) by another social wasp in Caxiuanã, Pará, Brazil, with new records of species for the Ferreira Penna Research Station (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

ABSTRACT Predation of the brood of Mischocyttarus injucundus by another polistine social wasp is reported from an Amazonian rainforest locality. This is the first report for the American tropics of naturally occurring predation by one social wasp on the brood of another. Three species are added to the list of the Ferreira Penna Research Station, raising known local richness to 81 species: Mischocyttarus filiformis (de Saussure, 1854), Mischocyttarus vaqueroi Zikán, 1949, and Parachartergus griseus (Fox, 1898).

Managing Soybean Cyst Nematode, 2007

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) causes the greatest yield loss of any single pathogen of soybean in Iowa. An estimated 50 million bushels were lost in Iowa to SCN in 2004. Damage from SCN is not limited to yield loss from root feeding; SCN also makes other diseases like sudden death syndrome, iron deficiency chlorosis, Pythium, Phytophthora root and stem rot and brown stem rot worse. Once established in a field, SCN cannot be eradicated. However, the use of multiple management tactics can help minimize yield loss.

Iowa Trophy Deer Records, 1953-1991

This document lists trophy white-tail deer taken by "fair chase" in Iowa from 1953-1991. A deer qualifies as a trophy by the score of the conformation of its antlers and and by type of weapon that was used.

Predatory cannibalism in Drosophila melanogaster larvae.

Hunting live prey is risky and thought to require specialized adaptations. Therefore, observations of predatory cannibalism in otherwise non-carnivorous animals raise questions about its function, adaptive significance and evolutionary potential. Here we document predatory cannibalism on larger conspecifics in Drosophila melanogaster larvae and address its evolutionary significance. We found that under crowded laboratory conditions younger larvae regularly attack and consume 'wandering-stage' conspecifics, forming aggregations mediated by chemical cues from the attacked victim. Nutrition gained this way can be significant: an exclusively cannibalistic diet was sufficient for normal development from eggs to fertile adults. Cannibalistic diet also induced plasticity of larval mouth parts. Finally, during 118 generations of experimental evolution, replicated populations maintained under larval malnutrition evolved enhanced propensity towards cannibalism. These results suggest that, at least under laboratory conditions, predation on conspecifics in Drosophila is a functional, adaptive behaviour, which can rapidly evolve in response to nutritional conditions.

List of Iowa Trophy Deer, Last Updated: January 2011

This document lists trophy white-tail deer taken by "fair chase", Last Updated: January 2011. A deer qualifies as a trophy by the score of the conformation of its antlers and and by type of weapon that was used.

Iowa Lake Fishing Guide, 2009

This document lists Iowa lakes and provides their locations, major fish species found in the lake, information on shoreline access, boat rental, boat motor requirements, ramp type, camping availability and map availability. It also indicates if the lake has restrooms and playgrounds.

Physiological traits affecting the distribution and wintering strategy of the bat Tadarida teniotis

The ability to enter torpor at low ambient temperature, which enables insectivorous bats to survive seasonal food shortage, is often seen as a prerequisite for colonizing cold environments. Free-tailed bats (Molossidae) show a distribution with a maximum latitudinal extension that appears to be intermediate between truly tropical and temperate-zone bat families. We therefore tested the hypothesis that Tadarida teniotis, the molossid species reaching the highest latitude worldwide (46 degrees N), lacks the extreme physiological adaptations to cold that enable other sympatric bats to enter further into the temperate zone. We studied the metabolism of individuals subjected to various ambient temperatures in the laboratory by respirometry, and we monitored the body temperature of free-ranging individuals in winter and early spring in the Swiss Alps using temperature-sensitive radio-tags. For comparison, metabolic data were obtained from Nyctalus noctula, a typically hibernating vespertilionid bat of similar body size and convergent foraging tactics. The metabolic data support the hypothesis that T. teniotis cannot experience such low ambient temperatures as sympatric temperate-zone vespertilionid bats without incurring much higher energetic costs for thermogenesis. The minimum rate of metabolism in torpor was obtained at 7.5 degrees-10 degrees C in T. teniotis, as compared to 2.5 degrees-5 degrees C in N. noctula. Field data showed that T. teniotis behaves as a classic thermo-conforming hibernator in the Alps, with torpor bouts lasting up to 8 d. This contradicts the widely accepted opinion that Molossidae are nonhibernating bars. However, average body temperature (10 degrees-13 degrees C) and mean arousal frequency (3.4 d in one bat in January) appear to be markedly higher than in other temperate-zone bat species. At the northern border of its range T. teniotis selects relatively warm roosts (crevices in tall, south-exposed limestone cliffs) in winter where temperatures oscillate around 10 degrees C. By this means, T. teniotis apparently avoids the risk of prolonged exposure to energetically critical ambient temperatures in torpor (<6.5 degrees-7.5 degrees C) during cold spells. Possibly shared by other Molossidae, the physiological pattern observed in T. teniotis may clearly be linked to the intermediate latitudinal extension of this bat family.

European Corn Borer: Development and Management, 1989

Contains information on the European Corn Borer, an introduced species that came to North America during the early 1900's from central Europe. The insect damages corn plants, as well as peppers, beans, potatoes and other plants, by feeding on leaves, stalk tunneling and ear damage. This brochure gives summaries of management tactics. This is North central regional extension publication no. 327 sponsored by Iowa State University Extension.

Executive Order Number Seventy Seven, May 11, 2012

This order rescinds the Natural Resource Commission's (NRC) rule banning the use of traditional shot used in hunting.

Effect of Wildlife Highway Warning Reflectors on Deer-Vehicle Accident, December 1984

he number of deer-vehicle accidents in Iowa and around the country has steadily increased during the past 30 years. This i s basically due to: ( 1 ) increased volume of traffic; 12) an expanding network of hard surface roads, especially 4 lane interstates; and (3) a general increase in deer populations. Initidtion of a 55 MPH speed limit in 1974 and gasoline shortages in 1975 reduced deer-vehicle accident rates briefly, but since 1975, rates have continued to climb. Various methods of reducinq these accidents have been attempted in other states. These include: instal lation of rc?flective devlres, deer crossing signs, fencing, underpasses, clearing right--of--waysa,n d controlled hunting to reduce deer population s i z e . These methods have met with varying degrees of success, depending on animal behavior, deet- population fluctuations, method used, topoyr-aphy, road-side vegetation, traffic patterns, and highway configuration. This project was designed to evaluate a new ntethod of reducing deer-vehicle accidents. There are qenerally 4 important aspects of deer-vehicle accidents: danger to human l i f e , vehicle damage, loss of a valuable wildlife resource, and cost of processing accident reports. In !owe, during 1983, there were over 15,OOC) reported deer--vehicle accidents and probably many more that were not reported (Gladfelter 1984). The extent of human injury or death in Iowa i s not known, but studies in southern Michigan show that human injur ies occurred in about 4% of the deer-vehicle accidents (A1 lcn and MrCullough 1976). T h i s would indicate that in Iowa there could have been 200 human injury cases from deer-vehicle accidents i n 1983. These injuries usual 1 occur from secondary collisions when motorists try to avoid a deer on the highway, and hit some other object Vehicle darnaye from these accidents can into thousands of dollars because of the high speed involved and the size of the animal. The total amount of vehicle damage occurring in Iowa is unknown, but if the average vehicle damage was between $500-$800 per accident, estimated property damage would be between $2 1/2--$4 million annually. The value of deer lost in these accidents cannot be estimated, but recreational potential of this natural resource is surely diminished for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. Also, there ir a great deal of money spent by governmental agencies for manpower to process accident reports and remove dead animals from highways.

Sperm velocity in an Alpine whitefish: effects of age, size, condition, fluctuating asymmetry and gonad abnormalities

The relationship between sperm velocity and individual age, size, body condition and fluctuating asymmetry was investigated in Alpine whitefish Coregonus fatioi. The fish analysed belonged to one among several sympatric whitefish populations of Lake Thun, Switzerland, which are characterized by a high prevalence of gonad alterations. Therefore, sperm velocity data were also tested for a link between gonad deformation and sperm swimming speed. Sperm velocity was significantly lower in larger-grown individuals and in individuals of higher body condition. As expected, sperm velocity was higher in males with higher levels of fluctuating asymmetry, but it did not significantly vary with male age. Moreover, variation in sperm velocity was found to be significantly higher in individuals showing some types of gonad alterations but it did not significantly correlate with the presence of other types of alterations. (C) 2007 The Authors Journal compilation (C) 2007 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Homo faber, el fin de un mito. Etología y Prehistoria, una aproximación al Presente para reconstruir el Pasado del útil

En este artículo presentamos una nueva definición de "útil" para uso interdisciplinar: el útil es aquel objeto, modificado o no y de un material cualquiera, que ayuda o permite a un ser vivo el conseguir una finalidad deseada. Cuatro puntos son desarrollados: 1) el útil no tiene que estar necesariamente modificado, 2) el útil no sólo responde a una materia prima determinada, 3) el empleo de útiles no es exclusivo del hombre y 4) la función del útil varía según la finalidad deseada. Los datos procedentes de la Etnología comparada, la Arqueología experimental, y, sobre todo, de la Etoprimatología nos ayudarán en nuestro objetivo de reconstruir el Pasado, tanto del "útil" como de la conducta instrumental de los primeros homínidos. El estudio de la cultura material del chimpancé será un factor decisivo.

Some Common Iowa Fishes, May 1936

This booklet contains information on the fish industry in Iowa and how to manage and improve it. It also shows drawings of the anatomy of a fish and various breeds that are found in Iowa. It concludes with a list of native fishes known from Iowa.