Governor's Youth Race and Detention Task Force; Full Force, May 2009

This report, the Full Report, is the culmination of the Task Force’s responsibilities as set out in Executive Order 5, dated October 30, 2007. The Executive Order specifies a number of goals and report requirements.There is a commonly held perception that the use of detention may serve as a deterrent to future delinquency. Data in this report reflect that approximately 40% of youth detained in 2006 were re-detained in 2006. Research conducted by national experts indicates that, particularly for low risk/low level offenders, that the use of detention is not neutral, and may increase the likelihood of recidivism. Comparable data for Iowa are not available (national data studied for this report provide level of risk, but risk level related to detention is not presently available for Iowa). The Task Force finds no evidence suggesting that recidivism levels (as related to detention risk) in Iowa should be different than found in other states. Data in this report also suggest that detention is one of the juvenile justice system’s more costly sanctions ($257 - $340 per day). Other sites and local jurisdictions have been able to redirect savings from the reduced use of juvenile detention to support less costly, community-based detention alternatives without compromising public safety.

Iowa Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force Report to the Iowa General Assembly, January 22, 2009

The Sex Offender Research Council was formed as a successor to the Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force, established to provide assistance to the General Assembly. It will respond to legislative direction to adjust its future plans as laid out in this report. Its plans could be modified to broaden or narrow its scope or to assign different priority levels of effort to its current areas of study. Also, further Council considerations of the recommendations it has already submitted could be called for. In the meantime, it is hoped that the information and recommendations submitted through this report prove helpful.

Iowa Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force Report to the Iowa General Assembly, January, 2010

The Sex Offender Research Council was formed as a successor to the Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force, established to provide assistance to the General Assembly. It will respond to legislative direction to adjust its future plans as laid out in this report. Its plans could be modified to broaden or narrow its scope or to assign different priority levels of effort to its current areas of study. Also, further Council considerations of the recommendations it has already submitted could be called for. In the meantime, it is hoped that the information and recommendations submitted through this report prove helpful.

Iowa Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force Report to the Iowa General Assembly, January, 2011

The Sex Offender Research Council was formed as a successor to the Sex Offender Treatment and Supervision Task Force, established to provide assistance to the General Assembly. It will respond to legislative direction to adjust its future plans as laid out in this report. Its plans could be modified to broaden or narrow its scope or to assign different priority levels of effort to its current areas of study. Also, further Council considerations of the recommendations it has already submitted could be called for. In the meantime, it is hoped that the information and recommendations submitted through this report prove helpful.

FRAX(®) Bone Mineral Density Task Force of the 2010 Joint International Society for Clinical Densitometry International Osteoporosis Foundation Position Development Conference.

FRAX(®) is a fracture risk assessment algorithm developed by the World Health Organization in cooperation with other medical organizations and societies. Using easily available clinical information and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), when available, FRAX(®) is used to predict the 10-year probability of hip fracture and major osteoporotic fracture. These values may be included in country specific guidelines to aid clinicians in determining when fracture risk is sufficiently high that the patient is likely to benefit from pharmacological therapy to reduce that risk. Since the introduction of FRAX(®) into clinical practice, many practical clinical questions have arisen regarding its use. To address such questions, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) and International Osteoporosis Foundations (IOF) assigned task forces to review the best available medical evidence and make recommendations for optimal use of FRAX(®) in clinical practice. Questions were identified and divided into three general categories. A task force was assigned to investigating the medical evidence in each category and developing clinically useful recommendations. The BMD Task Force addressed issues that included the potential use of skeletal sites other than the femoral neck, the use of technologies other than DXA, and the deletion or addition of clinical data for FRAX(®) input. The evidence and recommendations were presented to a panel of experts at the ISCD-IOF FRAX(®) Position Development Conference, resulting in the development of ISCD-IOF Official Positions addressing FRAX(®)-related issues.

Whole-body vibration training: metabolic cost of synchronous, side-alternating or no vibrations.

Whole-body vibration training improves strength and can increase maximal oxygen consumption ([·V]O(2max)). No study has compared the metabolic demand of synchronous and side-alternating whole-body vibration. We measured [·V]O₂ and heart rate during a typical synchronous or side-alternating whole-body vibration session in 10 young female sedentary participants. The 20-min session consisted of three sets of six 45-s exercises, with 15 s recovery between exercises. Three conditions were randomly tested on separate days: synchronous at 35 Hz and 4 mm amplitude, side-alternating at 26 Hz and 7.5 mm amplitude (peak acceleration matched at 20 g in both vibration conditions), and no vibrations. Mean [·V]O₂ (expressed as %[·V]O(2max)) did not differ between conditions: 29.7 ± 4.2%, 32.4 ± 6.5%, and 28.7 ± 6.7% for synchronous, side-alternating, and no vibrations respectively (P = 0.103). Mean heart rate (% maximal heart rate) was 65.6 ± 7.3%, 69.8 ± 7.9%, and 64.7 ± 5.6% for synchronous, side-alternating, and no vibrations respectively, with the side-alternating vibrations being significantly higher (P = 0.019). When analysing changes over exercise sessions, mean [·V]O₂ was higher for side-alternating (P < 0.001) than for synchronous and no vibrations. In conclusion, side-alternating whole-body vibration elicits higher heart rate responses than synchronous or no vibrations, and could elevate [·V]O₂, provided the session lasts more than 20 min.

Atomic force microscopy of nucleoprotein complexes.

Recent data on the AFM studies of nucleoprotein complexes of different types are reviewed in this paper. The first section describes the progress in the sample preparation methods for AFM studies of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes. The second part of this paper reviews AFM data on studies of complexes of DNA with regulatory proteins. These studies include two different types of DNA distortion induced by proteins binding: local bending of DNA at sites of protein binding and formation of large loops due to protein-protein interactions between molecules bound to distant sites along the DNA molecules (DNA looping). The prospects for use of AFM for physical mapping of genomes are discussed in this section as well. The third part of the paper reviews data on studies of complexes of DNA with non-sequence specific binding proteins. Special emphasis is given to studies of chromatin which have resulted in progress in the understanding of structure of native chromatin fiber. In this section, novel data on AFM studies of RecA-DNA filaments and complexes of dsRNA with the dsRNA-specific protein p25 are also presented. Discussion of the substrate preparation procedures in relation to the AFM studies of nucleoprotein complexes is given in the final section.

Free-breathing 3D steady-state free precession coronary MR angiography with radial k-space sampling: comparison with cartesian k-space sampling and cartesian gradient-echo coronary MR angiography--pilot study.

The authors compared radial steady-state free precession (SSFP) coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, cartesian k-space sampling SSFP coronary MR angiography, and gradient-echo coronary MR angiography in 16 healthy adults and four pilot study patients. Standard gradient-echo MR imaging with a T2 preparatory pulse and cartesian k-space sampling was the reference technique. Image quality was compared by using subjective motion artifact level and objective contrast-to-noise ratio and vessel sharpness. Radial SSFP, compared with cartesian SSFP and gradient-echo MR angiography, resulted in reduced motion artifacts and superior vessel sharpness. Cartesian SSFP resulted in increased motion artifacts (P <.05). Contrast-to-noise ratio with radial SSFP was lower than that with cartesian SSFP and similar to that with the reference technique. Radial SSFP coronary MR angiography appears preferable because of improved definition of vessel borders.

2013 Elder Abuse Task Force Final Report Pursuant to Senate File 446, Section 50, December 13, 2013

Per the guidance of the Legislative Elder Abuse Prevention and Intervention Interim Committee, a prioritization of the implementation recommendations and proposed legislation are below listed in the order determined in the 2012 Elder Abuse Task Force Report.

A new technique to improve tissue grip and contact force in arthroscopic capsulolabral repair: the MIBA stitch.

The success of anatomic repair of Bankart lesion diminishes in the presence of a capsule stretching and/or attenuation is reported in a variable percentage of patients with a chronic gleno-humeral instability. We introduce a new arthroscopic stitch, the MIBA stitch, designed with a twofold aim: to improve tissue grip to reduce the risk of soft tissue tear, particularly cutting through capsular-labral tissue, to and address capsule-labral detachment and capsular attenuation using a double loaded suture anchor. This stitch is a combination of horizontal mattress stitch passing through the capsular-labral complex in a "south-to-north" direction and an overlapping single vertical suture passing through the capsule and labrum in a "east-to-west" direction. The mattress stitch is tied before the vertical stitch in order to reinforce the simple vertical stitch, improving grip and contact force between capsular-labral tissue and glenoid bone.

L'hôpital public sous l'ère de la nouvelle gouvernance : une "camisole de force" pour le personnel soignant ?

Les réformes du système de la santé, introduisant des objectifs d'efficience et de rentabilité inspirés de la doctrine de la Nouvelle gouvernance publique (NGOP), impactent l'organisation des hôpitaux et ses acteurs. Cette recherche étudie les conséquences de l'implémentation de la logique et des outils managériaux sur la profession d'infirmière en termes de contenu du travail et d'identité professionnelle. La reconfiguration des tâches au sein des structures hospitalières semble réduire l'autonomie de ces acteurs de terrain et affecter le sens que les infirmières donnent à leur travail. Par le prisme du pouvoir discrétionnaire, l'étude montre comment le personnel infirmier, principalement selon ses critères moraux, use de stratégies d'ajustement pour faire coïncider ses valeurs avec l'environnement professionnel. Toutefois, la disjonction entre les impératifs managériaux et les valeurs des infirmières engendre de la souffrance au travail. Dans une approche psychosociale, ce mémoire relie le mal-être des infirmières au concept de la « qualité empêchée » qui dévoile le mécanisme par lequel l'action des infirmières est privée en partie de son contenu.

Atomic Force Microscopy Stiffness Tomography on Living Arabidopsis thaliana Cells Reveals the Mechanical Properties of Surface and Deep Cell-Wall Layers during Growth.

Cell-wall mechanical properties play a key role in the growth and the protection of plants. However, little is known about genuine wall mechanical properties and their growth-related dynamics at subcellular resolution and in living cells. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) stiffness tomography to explore stiffness distribution in the cell wall of suspension-cultured Arabidopsis thaliana as a model of primary, growing cell wall. For the first time that we know of, this new imaging technique was performed on living single cells of a higher plant, permitting monitoring of the stiffness distribution in cell-wall layers as a function of the depth and its evolution during the different growth phases. The mechanical measurements were correlated with changes in the composition of the cell wall, which were revealed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In the beginning and end of cell growth, the average stiffness of the cell wall was low and the wall was mechanically homogenous, whereas in the exponential growth phase, the average wall stiffness increased, with increasing heterogeneity. In this phase, the difference between the superficial and deep wall stiffness was highest. FTIR spectra revealed a relative increase in the polysaccharide/lignin content.