Subject-based steroid profiling and the determination of novel biomarkers for DHT and DHEA misuse in sports.

Doping with natural steroids can be detected by evaluating the urinary concentrations and ratios of several endogenous steroids. Since these biomarkers of steroid doping are known to present large inter-individual variations, monitoring of individual steroid profiles over time allows switching from population-based towards subject-based reference ranges for improved detection. In an Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), biomarkers data are collated throughout the athlete's sporting career and individual thresholds defined adaptively. For now, this approach has been validated on a limited number of markers of steroid doping, such as the testosterone (T) over epitestosterone (E) ratio to detect T misuse in athletes. Additional markers are required for other endogenous steroids like dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). By combining comprehensive steroid profiles composed of 24 steroid concentrations with Bayesian inference techniques for longitudinal profiling, a selection was made for the detection of DHT and DHEA misuse. The biomarkers found were rated according to relative response, parameter stability, discriminative power, and maximal detection time. This analysis revealed DHT/E, DHT/5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol/5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol as best biomarkers for DHT administration and DHEA/E, 16α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone/E, 7β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone/E and 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol/5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol for DHEA. The selected biomarkers were found suitable for individual referencing. A drastic overall increase in sensitivity was obtained.The use of multiple markers as formalized in an Athlete Steroidal Passport (ASP) can provide firm evidence of doping with endogenous steroids. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Field Testing of Abrasive Delivery Systems in Winter Maintenance, TR-458, 2009

The key goals in winter maintenance operations are preserving the safety and mobility of the traveling public. To do this, it is in general necessary to try to increase the friction of the road surface above the typical friction levels found on a snow or ice covered roadway. Because of prior work on the performance of abrasives (discussed in greater detail in chapter 2) a key concern when using abrasives has become how to ensure the greatest increase in pavement friction when using abrasives for the longest period of time. There are a number of ways in which the usage of abrasives can be optimized, and these methods are discussed and compared in this report. In addition, results of an Iowa DOT test of zero-velocity spreaders are presented. Additionally in this study the results of field studies conducted in Johnson County Iowa on the road surface friction of pavements treated with abrasive applications using different modes of delivery are presented. The experiments were not able to determine any significant difference in material placement performance between a standard delivery system and a chute based delivery system. The report makes a number of recommendations based upon the reviews and the experiments.

Performance Measurement for Highway Winter Maintenance Operations, TR-491, 2009

The goal of this research project was to develop a method to measure the performance of a winter maintenance program with respect to the task of providing safety and mobility to the travelling public. Developing these measures required a number of steps, each of which was accomplished. First, the impact of winter weather on safety (crash rates) and mobility (average vehicle speeds were measured by a combination of literature reviews and analysis of Iowa Department of Transportation traffic and Road Weather Information System data. Second, because not all winter storms are the same in their effects on safety and mobility, a method had to be developed to determine how much the various factors that describe a winter storm actually change safety and mobility. As part of this effort a storm severity index was developed, which ranks each winter storm on a scale between 0 (a very benign storm) and 1 (the worst imaginable storm). Additionally a number of methods of modeling the relationships between weather, winter maintenance actions and road surface conditions were developed and tested. The end result of this study was a performance measure based on average vehicle speed. For a given class of road, a maximum expected average speed reduction has been identified. For a given storm, this maximum expected average speed reduction is modified by the storm severity index to give a target average speed reduction. Thus, if for a given road the maximum expected average speed reduction is 20 mph, and the storm severity for a particular storm is 0.6, then the target average speed reduction for that road in that storm is 0.6 x 20 mph or 12 mph. If the average speed on that road during and after the storm is only 12 mph or less than the average speed on that road in good weather conditions, then the winter maintenance performance goal has been met.

Diffusion of influenza during the winter of 1889-90 in Switzerland

The influenza of the winter of 1889-90 was one of the first epidemics to spread all over the world. At the time, several people hypothesized that the railway was one of the main vectors of diffusion of this influenza. This hypothesis was defended in Switzerland especially by Schmid, Chief of the Swiss Office of Health, who collected an impressive body of material about the spread of the epidemic in that country. These data on influenza combined with data about the structure of the railway are used in this paper in order to test the hypothesis of a mixed diffusion process, first between communes interconnected by the railway, and secondly, between those communes and neighbouring communes. An event history analysis model taking into account diffusion effects is proposed and estimated. Results show that the hypothesis is supported if the railway network in Switzerland is not taken as a whole but if a distinction between railway companies is made.

Community College Leader Bulletin, Winter 2013, Vol. 3, Issue 1

Newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Education, Community College unit. This report has information about staff, grants, statistical data, requirements and more.

Community College Leader Bulletin, Winter 2015, Vol. 5, Issue 1

Newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Education, Community College unit. This report has information about staff, grants, statistical data, requirements and more.

Community College Leader Bulletin, Winter 2009, Vol. 2, Issue 1

Newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Education, Community College unit. This report has information about staff, grants, statistical data, requirements and more.

CIRAS News, Winter 2007, Vol. 42, no. 2

CIRAS is to enhance the performance of Iowa industry, and associated entities, through education and technology-based services. This newsletter holds information regarding these services.

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter 2010

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter 2011

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter 2012

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter 2013

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter/Early Spring 2014

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, Winter 2015

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Newsletter

Community College Leader Bulletin, Winter 2016, Vol. 5, Issue 4

Newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Education, Community College unit. This report has information about staff, grants, statistical data, requirements and more.