Executive Order Number Eighty-Two August 20, 2013

This order has developed a Task Force for the Department of Human Services to schedule trauma-informed care training for staff at the Iowa Juvenile Home within 30 days. Titled Iowa Juvenile Home protection Task Force.

Executive Order Number Eighty-Three October 16, 2013

This order mandates that the State of Iowa, not the federal government or any other organization, shall determine the content of Iowa's state academic standards, which are known as the Iowa Core. The Iowa Department of Education shall develop a regular review cycle for the Iowa Core, including public comment, to determine the contents of and to continually improve state, academic standards.

Optimization Of Promoter Sequences In Order To Mimic Physiological Pde6b Expression

Purpose: Many retinal degenerations result from defective retina-specific gene expressions. Thus, it is important to understand how the expression of a photoreceptor-specific gene is regulated in vivo in order to achieve successful gene therapy. The present study aims to design an AAV2/8 vector that can regulate the transcript level in a physiological manner to replace missing PDE6b in Rd1 and Rd10 mice. In previous studies (Ogieta, et al., 2000), the short 5' flanking sequence of the human PDE6b gene (350 bp) was shown to be photoreceptor-specific in transgenic mice. However, the efficiency and specificity of the 5' flanking region of the human PDE6b was not investigated in the context of gene therapy during retinal degeneration. In this study, two different sequences of the 5' flanking region of the human PDE6b gene were studied as promoter elements and their expression will be tested in wild type and diseased retinas (Rd 10 mice).Methods: Two 5' flanking fragments of the human PDE6b gene: (-93 to +53 (150 bp) and -297 to +53 (350 bp)) were cloned in different plasmids in order to check their expression in vitro and in vivo by constructing an AAV2/8 vector. These elements drove the activity of either luciferase (pGL3 plasmids) or EGFP. jetPEI transfection in Y 79 cells was used to evaluate gene expression through luciferase activity. Constructs encoding EGFP under the control of the two promoters were performed in AAV2.1-93 (or 297)-EGFP plasmids to produce AAV2/8 vectors.Results: When pGL3-93 (150 bp) or pGL3-297 (350 bp) were transfected in the Y-79 cells, the smaller fragment (150 bp) showed higher gene expression compared to the 350 bp element and to the SV40 control, as previously reported. The 350 bp drove similar levels of expression when compared to the SV40 promoter. In view of these results, the fragments (150 bp or 350 bp) were integrated into the AAV2.1-EGFP plasmid to produce AAV2/8 vector, and we are currently evaluating the efficiency and specificity of the produced constructs in vivo in normal and diseased retinas.Conclusions: Comparisons of these vectors with vectors bearing ubiquitous promoters should reveal which construct is the most suitable to drive efficient and specific gene expression in diseased retinas in order to restore a normal function on the long term.

Fifth-order cyclicity and organic matter contents relationship (Lower Eocene, Pyrenees)

The Upper Limestone Member of the Corones Formation of the Spanish Pyrenees consists of various units (Lower and Upper Foraminifera Units, Shale Unit, Cherty-ostracode Unit, Ostracode Unit and Chara-ostracode Unit) and offers strong facies and lateral thickness (20 to 80 m) variations. Detailed facies analyses, fifth-order cycles and organic geochemical determinations in the central domain of the Corones platform carbonates (Cherty-ostracode Unit), lower Eocene in age, were carried out to establish a case of close relationship between variations in organic matter productivity and cyclicity with annual period. The Cherty-ostracode Unit displays a continuous and pervasive fifth-order cyclicity, represented by 5 cycles. Each cycle consists of a lower part (mollusc facies) and an upper part (laminated ostracode facies). The calculated fifth-order cycle period ranges from about 17,000 to 28,000 years, which falls within the Milankovitch Band. Variations in organic matter content related to these carbonate cycles have been established. The lower mollusc facies members show a low organic carbon content and Hydrogen Index (HI) below 0.6% in weight and 261, respectively. By contrast, the upper laminated ostracode facies members show high organic carbon contents (up to 2% in weight) and high HI (between 164 and 373), and are also characterized by important silicification processes (the content in chert is up to 30%). The organic geochemistry resulting from these organic rich levels reflects a contribution of algal marine input.

Executive Order Number Eighty-Four February, 2014

In this order the governor declares that volunteerism is an integral part of Iowa's future and well-being and creates the Governor's Council on National Service in Iowa.

Evaluation de la satisfaction des infirmiers(-ères): développement et validation d'un nouvel outil d'analyse [Evaluation of satisfaction of nurses: development and validation of a new analysis tool]

A new device for the analyses of nurses' satisfaction has been developed and validated on two types of general and intensive treatments at the University Hospital in Vaudois, Switzerland. A questionnaire has been elaborated for identifying the variables linked with characteristics of the nurse's work, as well as personal variables of the employer which could have an influence on the level of satisfaction. In identifying the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, it has been possible to propose recommendations and corrective measures in order to improve the level of global satisfaction of the nursing team.

Executive Order Number Eighty-Five March, 2014

In this order the governor declares that accountability, openness and transparency are essential to the efficient operation of state government and in the best interest of taxpayers as relates to personnel settlement agreements.

"Suddenly I get into the zone": Examining discontinuities and nonlinear changes in flow experiences at work

Work-related flow is defined as a sudden and enjoyable merging of action and awareness that represents a peak experience in the daily lives of workers. Employees" perceptions of challenge and skill and their subjective experiences in terms of enjoyment, interest and absorption were measured using the experience sampling method, yielding a total of 6981 observations from a sample of 60 employees. Linear and nonlinear approaches were applied in order to model both continuous and sudden changes. According to the R2, AICc and BIC indexes, the nonlinear dynamical systems model (i.e. cusp catastrophe model) fit the data better than the linear and logistic regression models. Likewise, the cusp catastrophe model appears to be especially powerful for modelling those cases of high levels of flow. Overall, flow represents a nonequilibrium condition that combines continuous and abrupt changes across time. Research and intervention efforts concerned with this process should focus on the variable of challenge, which, according to our study, appears to play a key role in the abrupt changes observed in work-related flow.

Mating order-dependent female mate choice in the polygynandrous common lizard Lacerta vivipara.

Recent studies indicate that directional female mate choice and order-dependent female mate choice importantly contribute to non-random mating patterns. In species where females prefer larger sized males, disentangling different hypotheses leading to non-random mating patterns is especially difficult, given that male size usually correlates with behaviours that may lead to non-random mating (e.g. size-dependent emergence from hibernation, male fighting ability). Here we investigate female mate choice and order-dependent female mate choice in the polygynandrous common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). By sequentially presenting males in random order to females, we exclude non-random mating patterns potentially arising due to intra-sexual selection (e.g. male-male competition), trait-dependent encounter probabilities, trait-dependent conspicuousness, or trait-dependent emergence from hibernation. To test for order-dependent female mate choice we investigate whether the previous mating history affects female choice. We show that body size and body condition of the male with which a female mated for the first time were bigger and better, respectively, than the average body size and body condition of the rejected males. There was a negative correlation between body sizes of first and second copulating males. This indicates that female mate choice is dependent on the previous mating history and it shows that the female's choice criteria are non-static, i.e. non-directional. Our study therefore suggests that context-dependent female mate choice may not only arise due to genotype-environment interactions, but also due to other female mating strategies, i.e. order-dependent mate choice. Thus context-dependent female mate choice might be more frequent than previously thought.

Executive Order Number One September 3, 1857

In this order the governor declares that the recently elected Constitution of Iowa is the supreme law of the State of Iowa.

The cave (La caverna -1952-1969) by Josep Palau i Fabre: theatre versus philosophical allegory in order both to perform and stop the tragic and dark end of the bright art of thinking

What is the use of representing in performance the image of the cave from book VII of Plato’s Republic? Josep Palau i Fabre considers that in Plato’s dialogues the speakers are mere instruments at the service of his dialectical purpose. The aim of this article is to show how, by turning the myth into a tragedy and relying on Heraclitus’s conflict or war of opposites, the playwright succeeds in favouring a sort of thought which is not one-sided or univocal. On the contrary, in Palau i Fabre’s La Caverna, the tragic hero, the released prisoner transformed by the light of Reality and finally killed by his “cavemates” –after having been imprisoned again and having tried to rescue them from their ignorance or shadows– still leaves them his powerful experience of the agonistikós thought, which might bear fruit in their life to come.

Construcción de un índice de calidad ocupacional (ICO) para el análisis de la inserción profesional de los graduados universitarios = Building an employment quality index (EQI) to analyse graduates’ access to the labour market

En este trabajo se propone la construcción de un índice de calidad ocupacional (ICO) a partir de los datos de la Encuesta de Inserción Laboral de los Graduados de las Universidades Catalanas realizada por la Agencia para la Calidad del Sistema Universitario de Catalunya (AQU), que ha de permitir un mejor análisis de la información que proporciona la encuesta y facilitar su comparación con estudios similares. La encuesta se realiza tres años después de la graduación. En este artículo, se utiliza la segunda encuesta realizada el año 2005 entre 11.456 graduados (52,63%) de la promoción 2001 (AQU, 2005, Serra-Ramoneda, 2007). El índice se ha elaborado a partir de los indicadores objetivos ‘tipo y duración del contrato laboral’, ‘retribución económica’, ‘adecuación entre la formación universitaria y el empleo’ a los que se otorga una puntuación ponderada según las respuestas dadas por los graduados. La suma de las puntuaciones se matiza con un coeficiente derivado del indicador subjetivo ‘satisfacción con el trabajo en general’. A partir de la información proporcionada por el índice, se realiza un análisis comparativo del nivel de calidad ocupacional que han logrado los graduados de áreas de conocimiento, ámbitos de trabajo, ramas de actividad y ubicaciones territoriales del empleo diferentes. Los resultados obtenidos permiten observar que entre los graduados catalanes los siguientes hechos son buenos predictores de la calidad de la ocupación: haber estudiado una carrera que no sea de Humanidades, ser un hombre, haber desempeñado durante la carrera un trabajo relacionado con los estudios, estar ocupado en la construcción, en instituciones financieras o en servicios a empresas, haber tenido algún tipo de movilidad por motivos de trabajo, trabajar fuera de Cataluña y hacerlo en empresas grandes, especialmente con más de 500 trabajadores. Finalmente, se presentan algunas reflexiones y propuestas que pueden resultar de interés para la orientación de los estudiantes y la planificación universitaria

The farmer's lung disease : occupational medicine input

Background: Although there has been an abundant literature in recent years about farmer's lung disease, few addressed occupational measures able to maintain the farmer in his work. Nevertheless we know now that most of the farmers can be kept at the workplace by the way of occupational preventive measures. Methods: This matter is discussed from a case report. A farmer affected by the farmer's lung disease was sent to us by his pneumologist, in order to estimate the possibility of maintaining him in his job and to determine relevant changes at his workplace to minimize risk of exposure to dust antigen. This approach required a visit to the workplace by occupational physician and hygienist. Results: The visit of the workplace pointed out different habits and architectural particularities which were potential sources of exposure. The two main proposed measures to reduce the risk, were to wear respiratory masks while working inside the barn, such as preparing hay, feeding the cattle or sweeping the floor, and to build a direct access from the bathroom (shower and toilet) to the outside, allowing to go out of the barn after taking a shower and changing, without risk of being contaminated again. Although upgrading the shower-toilet is not yet completed to date, the already performed modifications led currently to significant clinical improvements, despite the risk of exposure was high since the animals were in the barn for more than two months. Conclusion: The treatment of the farmer's lung disease must be multidisciplinary involving general practitioner, pneumologist, occupational hygienist and occupational physician.

What can we learn from international comparisons of costs by DRG ?

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare costs data by diagnosis related group (DRG) between Belgium and Switzerland. Our hypotheses were that differences between countries can probably be explained by methodological differences in cost calculations, by differences in medical practices and by differences in cost structures within the two countries. METHODS: Classifications of DRG used in the two countries differ (AP-DRGs version 1.7 in Switzerland and APR-DRGs version 15.0 in Belgium). The first step of this study was to transform Belgian summaries into Swiss AP-DRGs. Belgian and Swiss data were calculated with a clinical costing methodology (full costing). Belgian and Swiss costs were converted into US$ PPP (purchasing power parity) in order to neutralize differences in purchasing power between countries. RESULTS: The results of this study showed higher costs in Switzerland despite standardization of cost data according to PPP. The difference is not explained by the case-mix index because this was similar for inliers between the two countries. The length of stay (LOS) was also quite similar for inliers between the two countries. The case-mix index was, however, higher for high outliers in Belgium, as reflected in a higher LOS for these patients. Higher costs in Switzerland are thus probably explained mainly by the higher number of agency staff by service in this country or because of differences in medical practices. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to make international comparisons but only if there is standardization of the case-mix between countries and only if comparable accountancy methodologies are used. Harmonization of DRGs groups, nomenclature and accountancy is thus required.

The evolution of the thyroid hormone distributor protein transthyretin in the order insectivora, class mammalia.

Thyroid hormones are involved in the regulation of growth and metabolism in all vertebrates. Transthyretin is one of the extracellular proteins with high affinity for thyroid hormones which determine the partitioning of these hormones between extracellular compartments and intracellular lipids. During vertebrate evolution, both the tissue pattern of expression and the structure of the gene for transthyretin underwent characteristic changes. The purpose of this study was to characterize the position of Insectivora in the evolution of transthyretin in eutherians, a subclass of Mammalia. Transthyretin was identified by thyroxine binding and Western analysis in the blood of adult shrews, hedgehogs, and moles. Transthyretin is synthesized in the liver and secreted into the bloodstream, similar to the situation for other adult eutherians, birds, and diprotodont marsupials, but different from that for adult fish, amphibians, reptiles, monotremes, and Australian polyprotodont marsupials. For the characterization of the structure of the gene and the processing of mRNA for transthyretin, cDNA libraries were prepared from RNA from hedgehog and shrew livers, and full-length cDNA clones were isolated and sequenced. Sections of genomic DNA in the regions coding for the splice sites between exons 1 and 2 were synthesized by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The location of splicing was deduced from comparison of genomic with cDNA nucleotide sequences. Changes in the nucleotide sequence of the transthyretin gene during evolution are most pronounced in the region coding for the N-terminal region of the protein. Both the derived overall amino sequences and the N-terminal regions of the transthyretins in Insectivora were found to be very similar to those in other eutherians but differed from those found in marsupials, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Also, the pattern of transthyretin precursor mRNA splicing in Insectivora was more similar to that in other eutherians than to that in marsupials, reptiles, and birds. Thus, in contrast to the marsupials, with a different pattern of transthyretin gene expression in the evolutionarily "older" polyprotodonts compared with the evolutionarily "younger" diprotodonts, no separate lineages of transthyretin evolution could be identified in eutherians. We conclude that transthyretin gene expression in the liver of adult eutherians probably appeared before the branching of the lineages leading to modern eutherian species.