Iowa Surveillance of Notifiable and Other Diseases Annual Report, 2013

Promoting and protecting the health of Iowans is the mission of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). Surveillance of notifiable health conditions is essential in establishing what, how, and when events impact the public’s health. Multiple divisions and bureaus are dedicated to accomplishing the goals of surveillance. In 2012, in addition to 850 cases reported with no lab results, there were more than 79,000 laboratory results of infectious diseases and conditions submitted to IDPH disease surveillance programs. IDPH also investigates non-infectious conditions related to lead, occupational, and environmental hazards like carbon monoxide. Approximately 100,000 blood lead test results were reported to IDPH in 2012. UPDATE: An amended annual report is also attached with this document, the amended report was produced on October 29, 201

Iowa Surveillance of Notifiable and Other Diseases Annual Report, 2011

Promoting and protecting the health of Iowans is the mission of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). Surveillance of notifiable health conditions is essential in establishing what, how, and when events impact the public’s health. Multiple divisions and bureaus are dedicated to accomplishing the goals of surveillance. In 2012, in addition to 850 cases reported with no lab results, there were more than 79,000 laboratory results of infectious diseases and conditions submitted to IDPH disease surveillance programs. IDPH also investigates non-infectious conditions related to lead, occupational, and environmental hazards like carbon monoxide. Approximately 100,000 blood lead test results were reported to IDPH in 2012

Iowa Surveillance of Notifiable and Other Diseases Annual Report, 2010

Promoting and protecting the health of Iowans is the mission of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). Surveillance of notifiable health conditions is essential in establishing what, how, and when events impact the public’s health. Multiple divisions and bureaus are dedicated to accomplishing the goals of surveillance. In 2012, in addition to 850 cases reported with no lab results, there were more than 79,000 laboratory results of infectious diseases and conditions submitted to IDPH disease surveillance programs. IDPH also investigates non-infectious conditions related to lead, occupational, and environmental hazards like carbon monoxide. Approximately 100,000 blood lead test results were reported to IDPH in 2012

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective

This Report has a number of inter-related general purposes. One is to explore the extent to which food, nutrition, physical activity, and body composition modify the risk of cancer, and to specify which factors are most important. To the extent that environmental factors such as food, nutrition, and physical activity influence the risk of cancer, it is a preventable disease. The Report specifies recommendations based on solid evidence which, when followed, will be expected to reduce the incidence of cancer

Utilization of data below the analytical limit of quantitation in pharmacokinetic analysis and modeling: promoting interdisciplinary debate

Traditionally, bioanalytical laboratories do not report actual concentrations for samples with results below the LOQ (BLQ) in pharmacokinetic studies. BLQ values are outside the method calibration range established during validation and no data are available to support the reliability of these values. However, ignoring BLQ data can contribute to bias and imprecision in model-based pharmacokinetic analyses. From this perspective, routine use of BLQ data would be advantageous. We would like to initiate an interdisciplinary debate on this important topic by summarizing the current concepts and use of BLQ data by regulators, pharmacometricians and bioanalysts. Through introducing the limit of detection and evaluating its variability, BLQ data could be released and utilized appropriately for pharmacokinetic research

Systematic significance of leaf epidermal characterictics in Shorea Roxb. (Dipterocarpaceae) in Malaysia

The taxonomic problems in Shorea mostly involve identification and classification. The investigation presented in this study aims to prove that leaf epidermal characteristics have taxonomic value in Shorea. Epidermal peels were prepared using Jeffrey’s solution. The underside of the leaf surface was scraped with a razor blade to remove lose cells and soaked for several days in Jeffrey’s solution or bleaching agent Vortex. The cleared leaf was washed, stained with Safranin, dehydrated, mounted, photographed and observed as described. For observation under scanning electron microscope, 3 to 5 mm2 leaf sections were washed in water, dehydrated through an alcohol series, were then placed between two glass slides, undergone critical point drying process, coated with gold palladium and were examined in a 2.7Å field emission of Cambridge Instruments Stereoscan 360 scanning electron microscope. Results have shown that the epidermis of the leaf surface under LM is useful for distinguishing S. isoptera, and S. maxwelliana, from the others and also between these two species themselves, so that it could be a diagnostic character. The study of the epidermal surfaces revealed a number of important micromorphological characters, and these characters exhibit interesting interspecific variations that are of significance for species identification and authentification. The presence of crustose wax with an abundance of flakes on the leaf surface may be characteristic of S. parviflora. The epidermal sculpturing has considerable diagnostic value, and may characterize some species and could serve as a criterion of distinguishing S. bracteolata. Results have shown that leaf epidermal features could be useful for authentification and identification purposes especially at species level, thus this study have shown taxonomic value of leaf epidermal characteristics in Shorea