Breast self examination: a healthy approach: teaching manual

The theme of this health teaching package is breast care with an emphasis on step-by-step instruction f0r breast self examination. The package has been designed to guide health professionals in the facilitation of workshops and discussion groups promoting breast care for women. Materials included in the manual may be adapted to suit audience requirements..

Midtown Greenway Zoning Overlay District Evaluation.

Conducted on behalf of the Midtown Greenway Coalition. Supported by the Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization (NPCR) program at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota

Forensic science in Ghana: A review

The use of forensic science continues to grow across the world. In Ghana, major advancements took off in2011, including the introduction of modern DNA profiling and the establishment of an automated fingerprint identification system. These developments have led to some positive impacts on the delivery of justice, including the exoneration of a wrongly incarcerated individual. However, a review of the policy-related aspects of forensic science shows gaps in legislation, governance, service provision, quality assurance and accreditation, education and research. An important recommendation to improve forensic science in Ghana is the creation of a “national policy strategy”, a blueprint informed by relevant stakeholders, best practice from other countries and the status of the field. Resolutions to the policy issues identified in this review will ensure a more robust application of forensic science in delivering safe justice and enhancing public security

How to Build a Community GIS - The MNIS Handbook

Conducted on behalf of Minneapolis Neighborhood Information Systems. Supported by Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota

Responsible biosecurity and risk mitigation for laboratory research on emerging pathogens of amphibians

The increasing study of emerging wildlife pathogens and a lack of policy or legislation regulating their translocation and use has heightened concerns about laboratory escape, species spillover, and subsequent epizootics among animal populations. Responsible self-regulation by research laboratories, in conjunction with institutional-level safeguards, has an important role in mitigating pathogen transmission and spillover, as well as potential interspecies pathogenesis. A model system in disease ecology that highlights these concerns and related amelioration efforts is research focused on amphibian emerging infectious diseases. Whereas laboratory escape of amphibian pathogens has not been reported and may be rare compared with introduction events from trade or human globalization, the threat that novel disease outbreaks with mass mortality effects pose to wild populations warrants thorough biosecurity measures to ensure containment and prevent spillover. Here, we present a case study of the laboratory biosecurity concerns for the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. We conclude that proactive biosecurity strategies are needed to integrate researcher and institutional oversight of aquatic wildlife pathogens generally, and we call for increased national and international policy and legislative enforcement. Furthermore, taking professional responsibility beyond current regulations is needed as development of legal guidance can be slow at national and international levels. We outline the need for annual laboratory risk assessments, comprehensive training for all laboratory personnel, and appropriate safeguards specific to pathogens under study. These strategies are critical for upholding the integrity and credibility of the scientific community and maintaining public support for research on wildlife diseases

PCR-DGGE-based quantification of stability of the microbial community in a simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Investigating the role of intestinal microbial populations significantly relies on the assumption of stability. Therefore, the microbial community composition of the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem was qualitatively, quantitatively and functionally characterised during reactor start-up to evaluate its capacity to produce a stable bacterial community, representative for the human intestinal tract. Using moving window correlation, a stability criterion was introduced to analyse the stability over time of the PCR-DGGE, plate counts, short chain fatty acids and ammonium results. A community was regarded stable when minimum 80% correlation was measured over at least one cell residence time. Species composition stability was reached after about 2 weeks, while it took some 3 weeks to reach functional stability. The combination of PCR-DGGE with moving window correlation proved to be an efficient approach to quantitatively evaluate the stability of the in vitro cultured intestinal microbial community