Business Recovery Status Report #15: Presidential Disaster #1763, October 17, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Business Recovery Status Report #16: Presidential Disaster #1763, October 24, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Business Recovery Status Report #17: Presidential Disaster #1763, October 31, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Business Recovery Status Report #18: Presidential Disaster #1763, November 7, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Business Recovery Status Report #19: Presidential Disaster #1763, November 14, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Business Recovery Status Report #20: Presidential Disaster #1763, November 21, 2008

Safeguard Iowa Partnership launched a survey to the business community to capture the impact from the 2008 disasters. Five hundred eighty surveys were completed and compiled for the report submitted to the Rebuild Iowa Office Economic and Workforce Development Task Force on August 20, 2008.

Animal Tissue Response To Mid-Term Electronic Modular Artificial Sphincter Implantation

Introduction and objectives: The AMS 800TM is considered the gold standard for sphincter replacement. However, the one-ring design can erode the urethra and lead to severe complications. A mechanism that could alternatively compress successive segments of the urethra would limit such deleterious outcome. We report 12 weeks animal urethral tissue analysis following implantation of a new modular artificial sphincter. METHODS: The device is composed by three parts: the contractile unit, two rings and an integrated microprocessor. The contractile unit is made of Nitinol fibers. The rings are placed around the urethra to control the flow of urine by squeezing the urethra. They work in a sequential alternative mode and are controlled by a microprocessor connected to an external computer. The computer can reveal specific failure of device components. The device was impkanted in eight male sheep. The rings were positioned around the urethra and the control unit was placed 5cm away. The device was working twenty hours per day; it was open 10min. per hour to allow urination. The animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks. The urethra and the tissues surrounding the control unit were macroscopically and microscopically examined. Two transversal sections crossing the sphincter and two transversal sections crossing the urethra alone were obtained and stained with modified Paragon after resin embedding. Urethra was also embedded in paraffin. The first section was stained with safranin-hematoxylin-eosin, the second section was stained with Masson's Trichrome and the remaining eight sections were available for immunolabelling of the macrophages.Results: The chronic study went uneventful. No clinical infection or pain was observed. The computer registered no specific failure in ring function, Nitinol wires and tube connectors. At explantation, except for a slight grade of lymphocytes in two out of eight specimens, no urethral stricture or atrophy could be observed. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the absence of macrophages. Tissue structure and organization of the urethra with and without artificial sphincter were similar. No migration of the device was observed.Conclusions: The study clearly showed no tissue damage or inflammation of the urethra. Electronic design, preservation of urethral vascularisation and adjustability after implantation are the key ideas to improve the actual AUS. Further studies will be carried out to evaluate this potential.

Agreed-upon procedures report on the Iowa State Center Business Office of Iowa State University of Science and Technology for the year ended June 30, 2009

Agreed-upon procedures report on the Iowa State Center Business Office of Iowa State University of Science and Technology for the year ended June 30, 2009

Business Sphere, Vol. 17, no.3

Through networking, Iowa’s manufacturers share expertise in lean manufacturing, supply chain efficiency and rapid prototyping, strengthening the powerful environment for success. The Iowa Department of Economic Development builds on these strengths with a focus on advanced manufacturing, extending financial and tax benefits to companies making substantial investments and creating higher skill, higher paying jobs. Many companies these days are finding that it pays to explore options in Iowa as they plan manufacturing expansions. You can get in touch with us at www.iowalifechanging.com.

Business Sphere, Vol. 17, no.2

Anadvanced foods economy is under development in the state of Iowa that builds on Iowa’s established strengths in plant and animal sciences,production agriculture, food science, nutrition, and processing technology. This new pathway was identified when Battelle Institute studied Iowa’s strengths in the biosciences and recommended six technology platforms as opportunities to use these strengths for growing the economy. One of those technology platforms is functional foods, sometimes called nutraceuticals.

Business Sphere, Vol. 17, no.1

Iowa first in ethanol Iowa is now the largest ethanol-producing state in America, according to the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, with 864 million gallons of production capacity. Fourteen facilities now produce ethanol in Iowa, and nine more plants are planned or under construction. This burgeoning renewable fuels industry continues to spread through the state of Iowa.

Business Sphere, Vol. 18, no.2

The biosciences industry significantly impacts Iowa’s economy. Kemin, Integrated DNA Technologies, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Roquette America, Cargill, Monsanto and DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred International are only a few of Iowa’s 1,800 bioscience companies employing more than 83,000 people. Everyday, Kemin and other Iowa life sciences companies seek to commercialize new bioscience innovations. Together with Iowa’s outstanding business climate, a skilled, well educated and adaptable workforce, and an enviable quality of life, Iowa is providing bioscience companies with an exciting new resource to assist us in our endeavors: The Biosciences Alliance of Iowa.

Business Sphere, Vol. 21, no.4

Iowans have long been proud of our educational heritage. With I-VREP, business and educational leaders are taking steps to enhance its world-class education for Iowans, while ensuring the qualified workforce needed by Iowa’s businesses competing in a global economy. For more information on the Iowa Virtual Reality Education Pathfinder, or a confidential consultation on how Iowa innovation can fuel your company’s growth, contact IDED at 800.245.IOWA or visit iowalifechanging.com

Business Sphere, Vol. 18, no.4

As the nation’s leading producer of ethanol and biodiesel, Iowa is building upon its national reputation as an innovative renewable fuel and energy leader by aggressively pursuing more wind energy production. We invite you to take a closer look at Iowa as we harness the winds of renewable energy

Business Sphere, Vol. 19, no.4

We keep in touch with insurance leaders throughout the nation, as well as in our state, to promote Iowa as one of the most competitive locations for insurance operations. These ongoing efforts have produced strong growth that is the envy of other states. The insurance industry in the state of Iowa is expanding for all the right reasons. With the support of the State of Iowa, domestic insurers and the insurance division, the environment is favorable for companies looking for a competitive location in the U.S. insurance market.