Can Iowa have better public library service?

Iowans are proud of the fact that the Hawkeye State leads the nation in the proportion of citizens able to read and write. Iowa boasts several outstanding institutions of higher education. So it only would be logical to assume that Iowans are well served by public libraries. But that is far from the case. The state’s public library services are so limited that nearly all the farm population is without free library service. And among the many persons living in small rural towns and villages the situation is little better

War came to the Iowa community

On April 6, 1917, the United States of America declared war. Throughout the country communities marshalled forces to meet the situation. Today the United States is engaged in another war, which is creating problems of social and economic war planning on dimensions greater than those of the war in 1917-18. As the defense effort expands each community will face a notable increase in organized group activities, in new integrating organizations, heightened enthusiasm expressed in rallies and campaigns, new regulations of private lives. Everyone today recognizes that war involves readjustments in our society. Economic and political adjustments are obviously serious. Equally drastic are the necessary modifications in family life, in churches, in recreation, in education, in the innumerable activities which in peacetime follow so normal a routine that we accept them as a matter of course. These problems are no less vital to the welfare of our people than the effects of war upon land values and prices of farm products. The preservation of a democratic way of life depends upon the actions and attitude of all members of the nation in their local communities. The successful adjustment of individuals to these changes, and the organization of our energies for effective prosecution of the war require an understanding of the problems which will be involved

Deep Woodchip Litter: Hygiene, Feeding, and Behavioral Enhancement in Eight Primate Species

Sixty-seven animals from eight primate species were used to assess improved husbandry techniques. The presence of woodchips as a direct-contact litter decreased inactivity and fighting and increased time spent on the ground. Placing food in the deep litter led to further behavioral improvement. Frozen foods improved distribution and reduced fighting in most situations, especially when buried in the litter. With time, the litter became increasingly inhibitory to bacteria. The results suggest that inexpensive ways of increasing environmental complexity are effective in improving housing for primates

Meta-analysis of the incidence and patterns of second neoplasms after photon craniospinal irradiation in children with medulloblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Second neoplasms (SNs) are a well-established long-term adverse effect of radiation therapy (RT), but there are limited data regarding their incidence and location relative to the radiation field, specific to medulloblastoma (MB) survivors after craniospinal irradiation (CSI). METHODS: A systematic literature review, per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, identified six studies reporting the incidence and locations of SNs for 1,114 patients with MB, after CSI, with a median follow-up of ∼9 years (7.6-15.4 years). The study-specific cumulative incidence (CI) of SNs, second benign neoplasms (SBNs), and second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) were standardized to a 10-year time frame. Meta-analysis was performed using random effects models, with pooled data from selected studies and an institutional cohort of 55 patients. RESULTS: The 10-year CI was 6.1% for all SNs (excluding skin cancer and leukemia), 3.1% for SBNs, and 3.7% for SMNs. Fifty-eight percent of SNs were malignant; high-grade glioma was the most common SMN (15/33; 45%) and meningioma, the most common SBN (16/24; 67%). Forty percent of SNs occurred outside the target central nervous system (CNS) field, with a majority in areas of exit RT dose. Seventy-four percent of extra-CNS tumors (17/23) were malignant, most commonly thyroid carcinoma (7/17; 41%) and bone and soft-tissue tumors (6/17, 35%). CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of MB are at risk of SNs both within and outside the CNS. A significant proportion of SNs occur in areas of exit RT dose. Studies are needed to determine whether the use of proton therapy, which has no exit RT dose, is associated with a lower incidence of SNs