Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 46 Years of Working Toward a State Free of Discrimination Through Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws, Annual Report FY2011

The mission of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission is to end discrimination within the state of Iowa. To achieve this goal, the ICRC must effectively enforce the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The ICRA will be as effective as the Commission is in processing complaints of discrimination. The ICRC undertook significant steps forward in improving the timeliness and competency by which complaints of discrimination are processed. The screening unit was increased with special emphasis on improving the quality and quantity of the analysis of the initial screening decisions. The investigative process for nonhousing cases was completely overhauled. The improved process builds on the screening decision and focuses on the issues raised in that decision. The new process will help the ICRC reduce a significant backlog for non-housing cases. Additionally, we revamped the mediation program by moving to an allvolunteer mediation program. Over 20 Iowa lawyers volunteered to help the ICRC resolve complaints through alternative dispute resolution.

Generation of uncorrelated random scale-free networks

Uncorrelated random scale-free networks are useful null models to check the accuracy and the analytical solutions of dynamical processes defined on complex networks. We propose and analyze a model capable of generating random uncorrelated scale-free networks with no multiple and self-connections. The model is based on the classical configuration model, with an additional restriction on the maximum possible degree of the vertices. We check numerically that the proposed model indeed generates scale-free networks with no two- and three-vertex correlations, as measured by the average degree of the nearest neighbors and the clustering coefficient of the vertices of degree k, respectively.

Exact solution to the exit-time problem for an undamped free particle driven by Gaussian white noise

In a recent paper [Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 189 (1995)] we have presented the exact analytical expression for the mean exit time, T(x,v), of a free inertial process driven by Gaussian white noise out of a region (0,L) in space. In this paper we give a detailed account of the method employed and present results on asymptotic properties and averages of T(x,v).

Winner's curse in toll road concessions

We empirically assess the effect of the winner's curse in auctions for toll road concessions, taking into account, to our knowledge for the first time, problems of commitment and enforcement, using a unique dataset of 49 worldwide road concessions.

Preparation, maintenance, and use of serum-free aggregating brain cell cultures.

Serum-free aggregating brain cell cultures are free-floating three-dimensional primary cell cultures able to reconstitute spontaneously a histotypic brain architecture to reproduce critical steps of brain development and to reach a high level of structural and functional maturity. This culture system offers, therefore, a unique model for neurotoxicity testing both during the development and at advanced cellular differentiation, and the high number of aggregates available combined with the excellent reproducibility of the cultures facilitates routine test procedures. This chapter presents a detailed description of the preparation, maintenance, and use of these cultures for neurotoxicity studies and a comparison of the developmental characteristics between cultures derived from the telencephalon and cultures derived from the whole brain. For culture preparation, mechanically dissociated embryonic brain tissue is used. The initial cell suspension, composed of neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells, immature postmitotic neurons, glioblasts, and microglial cells, is kept in a serum-free, chemically defined medium under continuous gyratory agitation. Spherical aggregates form spontaneously and are maintained in suspension culture for several weeks. Within the aggregates, the cells rearrange and mature, reproducing critical morphogenic events, such as migration, proliferation, differentiation, synaptogenesis, and myelination. For experimentation, replicate cultures are prepared by the randomization of aggregates from several original flasks. The high yield and reproducibility of the cultures enable multiparametric endpoint analyses, including "omics" approaches.

Bio-electrical impedance analysis for estimation of fat-free mass and muscle mass in cystic fibrosis patients.

The nutritional status of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has to be regularly evaluated and alimentary support instituted when indicated. Bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a recent method for determining body composition. The present study evaluates its use in CF patients without any clinical sign of malnutrition. Thirty-nine patients with CF and 39 healthy subjects aged 6-24 years were studied. Body density and mid-arm muscle circumference were determined by anthropometry and skinfold measurements. Fat-free mass was calculated taking into account the body density. Muscle mass was obtained from the urinary creatinine excretion rate. The resistance index was calculated by dividing the square of the subject's height by the body impedance. We show that fat-free mass, mid-arm muscle circumference and muscle mass are each linearly correlated to the resistance index and that the regression equations are similar for both CF patients and healthy subjects.

Iowa Civil Rights Commission 46 Years of Working Toward a State Free of Discrimination Through Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011

Annual Report for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission

Non-constant discounting in finite horizon: The free terminal time case

This paper derives the HJB (Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman) equation for sophisticated agents in a finite horizon dynamic optimization problem with non-constant discounting in a continuous setting, by using a dynamic programming approach. A simple example is used in order to illustrate the applicability of this HJB equation, by suggesting a method for constructing the subgame perfect equilibrium solution to the problem.Conditions for the observational equivalence with an associated problem with constantdiscounting are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the case of free terminal time. Strotz¿s model (an eating cake problem of a nonrenewable resource with non-constant discounting) is revisited.

Mediation Fast, Free, Confidental, Everyone Wins

Booklet produced by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission

Automated scoring of AFLPs using RawGeno v 2.0, a free R CRAN library.

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) are a cheap and efficient protocol for generating large sets of genetic markers. This technique has become increasingly used during the last decade in various fields of biology, including population genomics, phylogeography, and genome mapping. Here, we present RawGeno, an R library dedicated to the automated scoring of AFLPs (i.e., the coding of electropherogram signals into ready-to-use datasets). Our program includes a complete suite of tools for binning, editing, visualizing, and exporting results obtained from AFLP experiments. RawGeno can either be used with command lines and program analysis routines or through a user-friendly graphical user interface. We describe the whole RawGeno pipeline along with recommendations for (a) setting the analysis of electropherograms in combination with PeakScanner, a program freely distributed by Applied Biosystems; (b) performing quality checks; (c) defining bins and proceeding to scoring; (d) filtering nonoptimal bins; and (e) exporting results in different formats.

Serum-free aggregate cultures of rat CNS glial cells: biochemical, immunocytochemical and morphological characterization.

Aggregate cultures of mixed glial cells, as well as of enriched astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were prepared, and maintained in serum-free medium for up to 25 days. Biochemical measurements of both neuron-specific and glia-specific enzyme activities showed that these three types of aggregate cultures were virtually devoid of neurons. Astrocyte-enriched cultures were greater than 95% pure, with oligodendrocytes as the only apparent contaminant, whereas oligodendrocyte-enriched cultures still contained a considerable proportion of astrocytes. In all these neuron-free aggregate cultures both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes attained a high degree of maturation. These findings were confirmed by morphological examinations, and by immunofluorescence studies. Furthermore, ultrastructural as well as immunocytochemical investigations using antibodies to myelin basic protein revealed that all three types of glial cell aggregate cultures contained myelin membranes, indicating that the presence of axons is not a prerequisite for the formation of myelin.