Mort des voyageurs: risques réels, risques virtuels [True and virtual risks of travellers].

Evidence-based information on travel associated mortality is scarce. Perception, intuition and the availability of interventions such as vaccinations and chemoprophylaxis often guide pre-travel advice. Important risks including accidents and cardiovascular events are not routinely included in pre-travel consultations although they cause more fatalities and costs than infectious diseases. The increased risk of sustaining a road accident in poor economy countries should always be mentioned. The general practitioner is further best placed to discuss possible problems of travellers with chronic diseases before travel.

Persuasion, binary choice, and the costs of dishonesty

We study the strategic interaction between a decision maker who needs to take a binary decision but is uncertain about relevant facts and an informed expert who can send a message to the decision maker but has a preference over the decision.We show that the probability that the expert can persuade the decision maker to take the expert's preferred decision is a hump-shaped function of his costs of sending dishonest messages.

Applicability of a distributed watershed pollution model in a data-poor environment in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Intensification of agricultural production without a sound management and regulations can lead to severe environmental problems, as in Western Santa Catarina State, Brazil, where intensive swine production has caused large accumulations of manure and consequently water pollution. Natural resource scientists are asked by decision-makers for advice on management and regulatory decisions. Distributed environmental models are useful tools, since they can be used to explore consequences of various management practices. However, in many areas of the world, quantitative data for model calibration and validation are lacking. The data-intensive distributed environmental model AgNPS was applied in a data-poor environment, the upper catchment (2,520 ha) of the Ariranhazinho River, near the city of Seara, in Santa Catarina State. Steps included data preparation, cell size selection, sensitivity analysis, model calibration and application to different management scenarios. The model was calibrated based on a best guess for model parameters and on a pragmatic sensitivity analysis. The parameters were adjusted to match model outputs (runoff volume, peak runoff rate and sediment concentration) closely with the sparse observed data. A modelling grid cell resolution of 150 m adduced appropriate and computer-fit results. The rainfall runoff response of the AgNPS model was calibrated using three separate rainfall ranges (< 25, 25-60, > 60 mm). Predicted sediment concentrations were consistently six to ten times higher than observed, probably due to sediment trapping along vegetated channel banks. Predicted N and P concentrations in stream water ranged from just below to well above regulatory norms. Expert knowledge of the area, in addition to experience reported in the literature, was able to compensate in part for limited calibration data. Several scenarios (actual, recommended and excessive manure applications, and point source pollution from swine operations) could be compared by the model, using a relative ranking rather than quantitative predictions.

Do brief alcohol motivational interventions work like we think they do?

BACKGROUND: Questions remain about how brief motivational interventions (BMIs) for unhealthy alcohol use work, and addressing these questions may be important for improving their efficacy. Therefore, we assessed the effects of various characteristics of BMIs on drinking outcomes across 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Audio recordings of 314 BMIs were coded. We used the global rating scales of the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code (MISC) 2.1: counselor's acceptance, empathy, and motivational interviewing (MI) spirit, and patient's self-exploration were rated. MI proficiency was defined as counselor's rating scale scores ≥5. We also used the structure, confrontation, and advice subscale scores of the Therapy Process Rating Scale and the Working Alliance Inventory. We examined these process characteristics in interventions across 1 U.S. RCT of middle-aged medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use (n = 124) and 2 Swiss RCTs of young men with binge drinking in a nonclinical setting: Swiss-one (n = 62) and Swiss-two (n = 128). We assessed the associations between these characteristics and drinks/d reported by participants 3 to 6 months after study entry. RESULTS: In all 3 RCTs, mean MISC counselor's rating scales scores were consistent with MI proficiency. In overdispersed Poisson regression models, most BMI characteristics were not significantly associated with drinks/d in follow-up. In the U.S. RCT, confrontation and self-exploration were associated with more drinking. Giving advice was significantly associated with less drinking in the Swiss-one RCT. Contrary to expectations, MI spirit was not consistently associated with drinking across studies. CONCLUSIONS: Across different populations and settings, intervention characteristics viewed as central to efficacious BMIs were neither robust nor consistent predictors of drinking outcome. Although there may be alternative reasons why the level of MI processes was not predictive of outcomes in these studies (limited variability in scores), efforts to understand what makes BMIs efficacious may require attention to factors beyond intervention process characteristics typically examined.

EGASP: the human ENCODE Genome Annotation Assessment Project.

BACKGROUND: We present the results of EGASP, a community experiment to assess the state-of-the-art in genome annotation within the ENCODE regions, which span 1% of the human genome sequence. The experiment had two major goals: the assessment of the accuracy of computational methods to predict protein coding genes; and the overall assessment of the completeness of the current human genome annotations as represented in the ENCODE regions. For the computational prediction assessment, eighteen groups contributed gene predictions. We evaluated these submissions against each other based on a 'reference set' of annotations generated as part of the GENCODE project. These annotations were not available to the prediction groups prior to the submission deadline, so that their predictions were blind and an external advisory committee could perform a fair assessment. RESULTS: The best methods had at least one gene transcript correctly predicted for close to 70% of the annotated genes. Nevertheless, the multiple transcript accuracy, taking into account alternative splicing, reached only approximately 40% to 50% accuracy. At the coding nucleotide level, the best programs reached an accuracy of 90% in both sensitivity and specificity. Programs relying on mRNA and protein sequences were the most accurate in reproducing the manually curated annotations. Experimental validation shows that only a very small percentage (3.2%) of the selected 221 computationally predicted exons outside of the existing annotation could be verified. CONCLUSION: This is the first such experiment in human DNA, and we have followed the standards established in a similar experiment, GASP1, in Drosophila melanogaster. We believe the results presented here contribute to the value of ongoing large-scale annotation projects and should guide further experimental methods when being scaled up to the entire human genome sequence.

Effects of domain morphology in phase-separation dynamics at low temperature

We present numerical results of the deterministic Ginzburg-Landau equation with a concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient, for different values of the volume fraction phi of the minority component. The morphology of the domains affects the dynamics of phase separation. The effective growth exponents, but not the scaled functions, are found to be temperature dependent.

The Reliability of Pre-travel History to Decide on Appropriate Counseling and Vaccinations: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Although medical and travel plans gathered from pre-travel interviews are used to decide the provision of specific pre-travel health advice and vaccinations, there has been no evaluation of the relevance of this strategy. In a prospective study, we assessed the agreement between pre-travel plans and post-travel history and the effect on advice regarding the administration of vaccines and recommendations for malaria prevention. METHODS: We included prospectively all consenting adults who had not planned an organized tour. Pre- and post-travel information included questions on destination, itineraries, departure and return dates, access to bottled water, plan of bicycle ride, stays in a rural zone, and close contact with animals. The outcomes measured included: agreement between pre- and post-travel itineraries and activities; and the effect of these differences on pre-travel health recommendations, had the traveler gone to the actual versus intended destinations for actual versus intended duration and activities. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-five travelers were included in the survey, where 188 (52%) were males (median age 38 years). In 81(23%) travelers, there was no difference between pre- and post-travel history. Disagreement between pre- and post-travel history were the highest for stays in rural zones or with local people (66% of travelers), close contact with animals (33%), and bicycle riding (21%). According to post-travel history, 125 (35%) travelers would have needed rabies vaccine and 9 (3%) typhoid fever vaccine. Potential overprovision of vaccine was found in <2% of travelers. A change in the malaria prescription would have been recommended in 18 (5%) travelers. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-travel history does not adequately reflect what travelers do. However, difference between recommendations for the actual versus intended travel plans was only clinically significant for the need for rabies vaccine. Particular attention during pre-travel health counseling should focus on the risk of rabies, the need to avoid close contact with animals and to seek care for post-exposure prophylaxis following an animal bite.

Integer filling facfor phases and isospin in vertical diatomic artificial molecules

Integer filling factor phases of many-electron vertically coupled diatomic artificial quantum dot molecules are investigated for different values of the interdot coupling. The experimental results are analyzed within local-spin density functional theory for which we have determined a simple lateral confining potential law that can be scaled for the different coupling regimes, and Hartree-Fock theory. Maximum density droplets composed of electrons in both bonding and antibonding or just bonding states are revealed, and interesting isospin-flip physics appears for weak interdot coupling when the systematic depopulation of antibonding states leads to changes in isospin.

Overweight and eating disorders in primary care: a sentinella reporting in 2-20 years old patients

Aims: To describe overweight or eating disorders in primary care consultations of Swiss children or adolescents and analyze responses by physicians. Methods: 150 to 200 primary care physicians participating in the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health register their consultations over one year for selected health conditions. We describe reports of consultations where overweight or eating disorders were identified in subjects aged 2-20 years by physicians, patients or their relatives, or referring professionals, between 29.12.2007 and 15.2.2008. Results: 189 consultations were registered in the first 7 weeks of declaration. A short majority concerned female (58%) and 12-20 years old (53%) patients. Half were reported by pediatricians, one third by general practitioners and the remaining minority by internists. The sample included two thirds of Swiss-German and one third of Swiss-French cases. In the male subgroup aged 2-20 and in female children aged 2-11, almost all reported consultations were characterized by overweight. Among female teenagers, underweight was reported in 29% whilst overweight was recorded in 60%. Anorexia was noted in 68% of reported consultations of underweight female teenagers. In underweight patients, advice given by physicians frequently covered both nutrition and physical activity (38%) or nutrition only (29%), while no specific recommendations were recorded for the remaining third. In case of overweight, for one half of consultations patients received both nutritional and physical activity recommendations, for 12% nutritional only, and for one quarter patients were not advised in these domains. No specific treatment was usually proposed to overweight patients (65%), except when bulimia was diagnosed; in such case, one third of patients were proposed a psychological/psychiatric treatment, whereas both psychological and pharmacological treatments were frequently offered for underweight teenagers. Therapy was most often motivated by physicians (50%) or by relatives (44%), more rarely by patients themselves (7%). Conclusions: These preliminary data indicate that in some primary care consultations of young patients with overweight or eating disorders, advice was not given on nutrition and physical activity. This observation needs to be later confirmed with the totality of the consultations registered in 2008 and reasons will be further investigated.

2011 Annual Report Capitol Planning Commission, December 6, 2011

This 2011 Annual Report further summarizes the work of the Commission during the last year and provides planning recommendations for the future of the Capitol Complex. Please note that Iowa Code Chapter 8A.373 provides that before any physical changes are made to the state capitol complex "it shall be the duty of the officers, commissions, and councils charged by law with the duty of determining such questions to call upon" the Capitol Planning Commission for advice. The Capitol Planning Commission members, as well as DAS Staff, welcome the opportunity to discuss future projects at the request of any legislator.

Report and Recommendations of the Iowa Vertical Infrastructure Advisory Committee, December 15, 2006

This report summaries the work of the committee over the last year and its vision for the future. The committee is followed with interest the work of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Veterans Affairs in evaluating the needs of their facilities and recommends similar evaluations of facilities around the state by other agencies. The committee members are ready to offer advice on the needs of the state's again infrastructure and steps that could be taken to evaluate vacant and underutilized buildings and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

Report and Recommendations of the Iowa Vertical Infrastructure Advisory Committee, December 15, 2009

This report summaries the work of the committee over the last year and its vision for the future. The committee is followed with interest the work of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Veterans Affairs in evaluating the needs of their facilities and recommends similar evaluations of facilities around the state by other agencies. The committee members are ready to offer advice on the needs of the state's again infrastructure and steps that could be taken to evaluate vacant and underutilized buildings and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

Report and Recommendations of the Iowa Vertical Infrastructure Advisory Committee, December 13, 2011

This report summaries the work of the committee over the last year and its vision for the future. The committee is followed with interest the work of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Veterans Affairs in evaluating the needs of their facilities and recommends similar evaluations of facilities around the state by other agencies. The committee members are ready to offer advice on the needs of the state's again infrastructure and steps that could be taken to evaluate vacant and underutilized buildings and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

Report and Recommendations of the Iowa Vertical Infrastructure Advisory Committee, December 15, 2010

This report summaries the work of the committee over the last year and its vision for the future. The committee is followed with interest the work of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Veterans Affairs in evaluating the needs of their facilities and recommends similar evaluations of facilities around the state by other agencies. The committee members are ready to offer advice on the needs of the state's again infrastructure and steps that could be taken to evaluate vacant and underutilized buildings and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

Highways and Your Land, January 2011

For most people, highway engineering, design and right of way acquisition are not of immediate concern. However, when you own or rent property that will be affected by highway construction, you begin to consider road building from a different and personal viewpoint. Right of way is the land on which highways are built. The amount of land needed depends on the engineering standards that must be met for the type of highway that will be built or improved. This booklet will acquaint property owners, tenants and the public with the procedures the Iowa Department of Transportation follows in acquiring right of way for a highway. It is not a source of technical definitions or legal advice. Further, it is not intended to establish a legal standard.