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Porter, IN – Water quality information collected by local officials may provide increased beach access while minimizing swimming-related illnesses from harmful bacteria, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.
The USGS study found that current water quality testing at Great Lakes beaches may be applied too broadly, possibly resulting in as many as 681 more Chicago-area beach closings between 2004 and 2010 than may have occurred if a more localized approach was taken.
"Recent studies have determined that closure of Great Lakes beaches to recreational use represents significant economic losses that are compounded if all beaches in one area are simultaneously closed down," said USGS director Marcia McNutt. "Any time that science can be used to prevent unnecessary closures such that human health is still protected and the economy doesn't needlessly suffer, everyone wins."
The commonly applied federal health study guidelines, set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, were based on studies conducted at beaches directly affected by sewage contamination. Although the EPA criteria provide flexibility for the use of local data, they are currently applied at all beaches when determining whether to close a beach or issue a swimming advisory, regardless of whether there is a sewage source.
"By basing their beach closure decisions on local variations in bacteria concentrations, beach managers likely will be able to keep their beaches open more often, without increasing the presumed health risk or violating the EPA guidelines," said Meredith Nevers, a scientist with the USGS Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station. "Our goal is to make local beach managers fully aware of the flexibility that the EPA is providing in its current guidelines."
The USGS study examined historic monitoring data from 50 Lake Michigan beaches in Illinois and Indiana. New calculations using local monitoring results for the 50 sites indicated that the current applications may be more conservative than necessary for these and most coastal beaches across the country.
The EPA is expected to release new recreational water quality criteria in October 2012 that, like the current guidelines, will apply to all coastal marine and Great Lakes beaches.
This USGS Great Lakes Science Center research was funded by the USGS Ocean Research Priorities Plan and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The article, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, can be downloaded here (PDF).
USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit USGS.gov, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels.
Subscribe to our news releases via e-mail, RSS or Twitter.
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.


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Word on the luxurious streets of Brentwood, CA is that Maria Shriver, soon to be ex-wife of philanderer Arnold Schwarzenegger, recently ponied up $10 million for a fixer-upper in the high-end Westside neighborhood. The purchase of her new mega-mansion, which is in the same vicinity of Arnold's digs, seems to support the fact that Shriver hopes to keep her divorce from the former California governor amicable.
Shriver's new home is still undergoing renovations, but will undoubtedly impress once the house is complete, which is said to happen in about three months, reports TMZ. The mansion features eight bedrooms, seven baths, a three-car garage, a gym, theater, and a wine cellar, all over 11,000 square feet of interior living space. According to the Real Estalker, the ritzy spread was previously owned by movie producer Dylan Sellers (A Cinderella Story and Footloose remake) who unloaded it in 2009 for $4.2 million.
$10 million is a drop in the bucket for the Kennedy descendant. In fact, Shriver could walk away with up to $350 million once the divorce is finalized. For now, the former television host can look forward to kicking up her feet in what will surely be a lavish (and quite deserved) piece of real estate.

subset: commoncrawl


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Search best CBSE, IGCSE, State Board and International E-learning
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Summary Meeting Notes: March 14, 2013 Residential Development and Compatibility PEG meeting
Summary Meeting Notes
Residential Development and Compatibility Policy Expert Group
Date: March 14, 2013
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
PEG Attendees: Tamara DeRidder, John Gibbon, Michael Hayes, Gabe Headrick, Rod Merrick, Erika Palmer, Emily Sandy, Eli Spevak, Irma Valdez
Other Attendees: Linda Nettekoven; BPS staff: Debbie Bischoff, Barry Manning (PEG lead), Chris Scarzello, Deborah Stein
Facilitator: Deb Meihoff, Communitas
View the original agenda, including materials, for this meeting.
Welcome, overview, introductions
Process Updates
Presenter:Barry Manning/ Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and PEG Lead
Summary: The first round of public workshops is nearly complete. Participation ranged from 25-80 Portlanders, with Northeast Portlandseeing the largest turnout last Saturday. BPS staff are also attending meetings of community organizations over the next couple of months in order to gain additional feedback on the policies. At the April PEG meeting, staff will report on the public input gathered to date. [Facilitators note: As part of the outreach efforts, BPS has developed a Policy Survey, administered at the workshops and online. The survey is open until May 1 and PEG members are encouraged to participate and share the survey with other Portlanders - click here to take the online Policy Survey]
BPS staff are expecting an increase in participation for the second round when maps and public improvement projects lists are released for review and comment. In May and June, BPS District Liaisons will be working directly with community members in planning districts in mapping workshops to gather input on development of the urban design framework and comprehensive plan map.
Comments on the working draft of Comprehensive Plan goals and policies are due by May 1, 2013. In addition to the discussions at meetings, PEG members are invited to send individual comments on the policies by emailing Barry Manningor via the online comment feedback form.
As a reminder, the April meeting of the PEG will include (1) Working Draft / consideration of public workshop input; (2) discussion issue topic of economic/commercial activities in residential areas (example: short-term lodging, institutions, home occupations)
PEG DISCUSSION: Comprehensive Plan Working Draft Review
Facilitator: Deb Meihoff
Summary: PEG discussion and feedback on Working Draft Part 1 - review of specific goal and policies for effectiveness at addressing the RDC issues, explore potential outcomes, and consider how they achieve or hinder aspirations for a more equitable city. The PEG provided input on the policy language by RDC issue area, as follows:
Issue 1 / Infill Design and Compatibility
- Some PEG members think 'urban' fabric is not inclusive of all types of neighborhoods in the city (i.e., 'urban' doesn't really describe some of the 'suburban-ish' areas that may never achieve 'urban' levels of development); others believe it describes the interconnectedness of all areas in the city. This terminology creates confusion (policy 5.11). Urban fabric should describe more than just 'neighborhoods' (often interpreted as meaning strictly residential areas). It is about development patterns - especially in multi-dwelling or mixed use areas.
- It is not clear how 'green' development relates to context-sensitive design. Recommend a policy that links the two, if they are in fact linked.
- This policy completely ignores reuse of existing housing stock. Recommend amending policy or crafting new policy to support residential 'refill', not just new infill development. Refill includes accessory dwelling units or reorganization of large homes / other structures into more than one dwelling unit. May help to keep living in large, old homes more affordable into the future.
- Duplexes on corner lots may be appropriate in some areas and/or to some degree. However, duplexes on every corner in everything single dwelling area is excessive and bound to be out of context in many residential areas.
- There needs to be a policy that actively discourages demolishing existing housing stock; it should be more difficult to tear down existing structures than currently allowed.
- Need to consider the economic impacts of infill policy and zoning changes. Most newly-built housing is not affordable for first-time buyers - land prices are based on development potential of a lot, which can distort the equation. Fixing up older structures with sweat equity, is often more attainable for younger and moderate income buyers.
- Policies do not adequately address massing - homes on infill lots often are built to the full building envelope that 'loom over' existing, adjacent houses. Adjust policy language to include issues of massing. For implementation, consider addressing massing through FAR in residential areas or possibly SDC fee structure.
- Does 'character of the neighborhood' include or consider natural hazard areas (especially, but not exclusively, related to 5.14 Western Neighborhoods)?West Portlandhas many slopes, landslide hazards, and creeks that shape the development pattern. Policies seem only to address parks and greenspaces.
- 'Small scale' and 'compatible' (describing infill development) do not always go together (policy 5.11.b) - not all residential areas are built to a small scale. Amend policy language about scale to be more aligned with the context-sensitive approach.
- Address scale through lot / block patterns (policy 5.15)
- The policy language regarding repurposing streets in Inner Neighborhoods (5.13.c) could also be applied to East Neighborhoods (5.15).
- Zoning should match existing conditions - not always the same as the long term vision expressed in the Comprehensive Plan. Link available infrastructure to zoning density / intensity.
Issue 2 / Design Districts
- Design review is not currently reasonable or clear - most developers work to avoid design review. Historic design review can be problematic.
- Administrative section should include language about enforcement of zoning code - level of specificity in approving projects, breadth of review, and guidance on discretionary reviews.
- Still not clear how design district overlays will interact with the pattern area policies (policies 5.10 and 5.11) and zoning implementation. If done well, many of the overlays may no longer be necessary.
Issues 3 and 4 / Transitions
- Scale and form transitions (policy 5.32.b) is headed in the right direction for addressing transitions in density, but mapping will be very important for considering transitions and understanding the policy approach. The PEG would like to have additional discussion of transitions policies once the draft maps are released.
- Is a street right of way a good transition? How will rights of way be used for transitions?
- The PEG discussed light and solar access and did not reach a consensus as to the best approach. Some think a solar access policy is much needed. Others are concerned about unintended consequences - how to balance tree canopy with solar access, how to address solar access for photovoltaic panels, etc. It is a complicated issue. Reducing the impacts infill development can have on light access for neighboring houses is needed, but the policy needs to be constructed in such a way as to avoid unintended consequences. There are also concerns about how such a light access policy would be implemented. The policy does not have to be strict, but possibly framed around allowing sunlight for some period of a day. May be best to address solar / light access issue through other transition elements in height, bulk, and scale.
- Articulate community parking issue in Chapter 5 - specifically on and off street parking for multi-dwelling development. The PEG did not agree to the best approach - some believe development of community garages or parking impact fees is the best way to address parking pressures and help with transitions, while others believe this would more highly impact those who don't own cars (why should they have to pay for parking?). There are affordability concerns with parking requirements. (policy 5.33). Consider policy that encourages and/or allows shared parking.
Issue 5 / Multi-dwelling areas
- Healthful housing policy (2.13) sounds ok, but may drive up costs of housing. Need to consider what is being layered onto housing development and the impacts on housing affordability.
- Should encourage creativity in housing development - 'communal kitchens' could provide solutions for co-housing and housing for elderly or frail community members. However, the PEG suggested that the communal kitchen reference does not belong under the Healthful Housing policy (2.13f) - better fit with the Resource-efficient development and Rehabilitation and adaptive reuse policies (5.37 and 5.38)
- Healthful Housing policy should also address human health issues associated with sound/noise and toxin exposure, as related to adjacencies to large transportation corridors or more intense commercial and industrial land uses.
- [see also discussion regarding light / solar access noted under Issues 3 and 4]
Issue 6 / Building form in multi-dwelling areas
- Current working draft policies do not adequately address Issue 6 - single-dwelling houses in multi-dwelling areas, minimum lot sizes, connectivity requirements. PEG recommends staff draft additional policy language to address these issues.
- Need policy to support a shift in implementation: require building form standards by development type, not by zoning district - a multi-dwelling development should have the same requirements whether in a low-density or medium-density area. With this approach all development types will be treated equally, with the same standards, regardless of which zone a development is in.
- Policy is needed that supports requiring street/pathway connectivity with multi-dwelling development, no matter the zoning district.
- InWest Portlandthere is a concern that the desire to maximize development in multi-dwelling areas may directly conflict with the need to reduce hazards, manage stormwater of impermeable surfaces.
- Civic Corridor concept (policy 5.24) sounds good, but what does it mean? Does civic apply to all corridors? Are these places where civic life takes place with living and socializing? Some are too noisy, busy, frenetic to be considered 'civil' and therefore 'civic'. What is civic about a large, high volume street? The PEG recommends this policy be amended to more clearly describe the intent and desired application.
- Portland's development pattern is predominantly one of linear commercial and mixed use areas ('strips' such asAlberta,Hawthorne,Mississippi, Hillsdale, etc), not nodal/round/circular 'centers'. The policies should be actively steering development toward these mixed use 'strips', not 'centers' and/or more clearly state what is meant by 'centers'. Consider unintended consequences, issues of transition, if defining centers to include these linear strips.
Issue 7 / Density in Single-Dwelling Areas
- Allowing smaller, substandard lot sizes in R5/R7 areas creates issues with compatibility and community expectations. City's goal is to provide a variety of housing options throughoutPortland. However, in many areas it is a bad idea to allow the separation of small lots into individual building sites. PEG recommends considering policy that distinguishes between historic lots of record and minimum size for buildable lots. Not all 'skinny lot' developments in low-density areas are bad - may be appropriate in some situations such as environmental zones. Recommend working on policy language to better address these issues.
- Policies do not adequately address the issues related to historic lots of record - the development potential needs to be clarified with possible rezoning in some areas to align with the potential.
- Comprehensive Plan Map Designation descriptions need updating. Some PEG members suggested use of form-based standards language, rather than number of units per acre, to describe what is allowed in each designation. Use bulk, massing, height, etc. to describe the allowances.
- Recommend changing Comprehensive Plan Map Designation titles to be inclusive of all residential types by density / intensity - example: 'low-density residential' rather than 'low-density multi-dwelling'. This could begin to address some of the Issue 7 concerns
[PEG will review and discuss Issue 8 / Locations for Low and Medium Density Multi-Dwelling Development at the April 11 meeting.]
- RDC Topic and Policy Review form with comments received to date
Public Comment
[There were no public comments]
Next steps and follow up
- April PEG meeting will include continued PEG discussion of working draft: Issue 8, potential recommendations to address feedback from public workshops, equity considerations; policy language regarding economic activity in residential areas
- PEG members are encouraged to continue the conversation about the Working Draft on the Idea Board.
- PEG members are encouraged to participate in the Policy Survey and invited to send additional comments about the policies to Barry Manning and/or through the online comment form.
For more information, please contact either Barry Manning Bureau of Planning and Sustainability at 503-823-7965 or firstname.lastname@example.com or Deb Meihoff, facilitator at 503-358-3404 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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What currency can I pay with?It is possible to pay with Swedish kronor (SEK), Euro and Dollar. For Euro and Dollar only bills are accepted and change is given in Swedish kronor. It is also possible to pay by credit card.
At the Royal Stables you can pay with Swedish kronor and by debit card, but not with Euro and Dollar.
When is the Drottningholm garden open?The garden is open around the clock. There is no entrance fee.
Can I get around by wheelchair/walking frame at the royal palaces?Circumstances differ at the various venues. Please look for more information under the heading "Visit us" for the venue you wish to visit or contact our reservations department on +46 (0)8-402 61 00.
Are audio guides available for the royal palaces?The Royal Palace of Stockholm: An audio guide in Swedish and English is available for the Bernadotte Apartments and Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities.The Chinese Pavilion: An audio guide is available in Swedish and EnglishAudio guides are not available at present for the other palaces.
Welcome to a boutique that is something out of the ordinary. The Royal Gift Shop is a unique present and souvenir shop offering products with a connection to the Royal Collections.
Find the Royal Gift Shops in the menu at Royal Palaces and sites.
Discover the articles and videos about the palace's history and highlights. In the archive you will find images and stories about selected items from the Royal Collections.
Find Articles and Archives in the menu.


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TROY -- The weapon allegedly used in the fatal stabbing of a man at the Corliss Park housing complex Feb. 4 was found Monday under the bed by the resident of the apartment where the murder took place, according to sources. The resident -- who is not considered a suspect in the case and not one of the six arrested, but is the mother of one of the suspects -- immediately contacted police after finding the bloody knife shortly after 8 p.m., a week after the murder. Troy detectives went to apartment 19-6 in the Troy Housing Authority complex and secured the knife, according to sources close to the investigation. Police had taped off the apartment for several days last week with a mobile command center and evidence team to continue their investigation. It's unclear why police didn't find the knife. Capt. John Cooney said the department would not confirm whether the weapon was found or even if one existed related to the murder of 21-year-old Takim Smith. A funeral for Smith was held Tuesday. There were several arrests made in the case including Keith Furgeson, 17, Ahziarh Carter, 16, Eric Aaron Mallard, 19, and Ravenal Gregory Dunbar; 17, all of whom were charged with second-degree murder. Days later, Keyanna Bradley, 18, and Mariyah Ziegler, 16, were arrested and charged with fourth-degree conspiracy in relation to the murder. It is believed the two lured Smith to the apartment so the others could rob him. The resident of the apartment who found the knife is Ziegler's mother. According to District Attorney Richard McNally, Carter has been released as there was not enough evidence to hold him on the murder charge. "Obviously, we believed initially he was involved," McNally said. "However, there was not enough to hold him." McNally would not comment on the murder weapon or if how it was found will impact the case. Attorney Lee Kindlon, who is representing Furgeson, declined to comment on the matter. The murder scene in the Corliss Park apartment, where Smith was found stabbed numerous times due to the robbery set up gone wrong, has been described as grotesque. He was taken to St. Mary's Hospital where he later died of his wounds. Police suspected Smith was targeted due to a $62,000 settlement he had recently received. THA surveillance footage placed the first two suspects in the area of the scene of the murder, leading to their arrests, Deputy Chief Richard McAvoy had previously said. As police conducted their investigation, they had even searched for evidence, including a murder weapon, on the roof of the nearby Family Dollar store. Andrew Beam may also be reached at 270-1294.
Resident finds alleged murder weapon under bed at crime scene
- Andrew Beam
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Powerful Quebec union head Michel Arsenault said seasonal workers in the province's rural areas will be particularly hard hit by the changes.
"We're going to continue to put pressure on the federal government," Arsenault said at a rally in downtown Montreal.
"We want to mobilize the whole Quebec population."
Protests were held in several other cities across the province, including Laval, Quebec City, and Sherbrooke. There were also demonstrations in Ottawa and New Brunswick.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley announced major EI reforms last May that are now being phased in.
The changes include an expectation that claimants accept any job for which they're qualified, within 100 kilometres of their home, as long as the pay is 70 per cent of their previous salary.
They must also prove they're actively seeking work.
Detractors of the plan say it unfairly targets Atlantic Canada and Quebec, where there are a number of seasonal industries such as forestry and fishing.
Finley issued a statement this week downplaying concerns, repeating that nobody will lose any benefits as long as they try to find a job and accept a reasonable offer of employment.
Also on HuffPost


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Roommate charged with murder after argument
Man dies after fight with roommate
A man died after an argument Thursday at an apartment complex in Orlando, police said.
Orlando police said a call came in at 2:30 a.m. from 35-year-old Shameca Brewster, saying that her roommate, Walter Tillman, was unresponsive on the floor after an argument.
Brewster told officials that she and Tillman had been drinking and got into an argument when he urinated on the floor, according to a release.
Authorities said Brewster told them Tillman rushed toward her in an aggressive manner, so she used her leg to sweep his legs out from under him and then used her closed hand to hit him in the face.
Tillman was taken to Orlando Regional Medical center with two perforations to his chest. Police would not say whether he was shot or stabbed, but he died later.
Officials said Brewster denied using any weapon against Tillman, but had no explanation for how he sustained them. She is charged with murder.
Arresting officers have requested that she be held without bond.


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We just approved the 20th Thousand Home Challenge project! Congratulations to Ruth von Goeler and Kelly Slough of Northampton, MA. They participated in National Grid's Deep Energy Retrofit pilot in 2012. Their OPTION B threshold was 13,071 kWh (OPTION B inputs - fossil fuel heat, 4 in household, 3,208 FFA, and 6,208 HDD (base 65). Andrew Webster of Coldham & Hartman Architects was the project manager.
Their annual energy for the post retrofit monitoring period was 8,136 kWh. Their 110-year-old home was previously insulated and had a relatively efficient heating system. As part of the retrofit they substantially increased the finished floor area and still achieved a 61% reduction in energy use from their baseline.
Attached is a spreadsheet with data from our twenty completed projects.
Interesting numbers, ranges, means, and comparisons! I welcome your observations. What is most interesting from the attached spreadsheet? Please provide suggestions for charts and graphs to tell the story of the 1000 Home Challenge projects to date.
6.9 kBtu/ Ft2: Avg Energy Use Index (EUI)[2]; US National avg. 44.8 kBtu/ Ft2 (single family homes)
1.91 kWh/ Ft2: Avg. THC Whole House Energy Use; US National Avg.: 14.27 Ft2
(5) Net Zero or Better
(3) Also charge Electric Vehicles
1,709 kWh/year: Average Energy Use per Occupant
4,554 kWh Average project energy use; 31,389 US National Avg: 31,389 kWh/yr
8,108 kWh Average project Thousand Home Challenge threshold
(17) Homes have PV; (8 of 20) Projects met the Thousand Home Challenge without PV
(93 kW) Total installed PV Capacity (17 homes)
1869 Oldest home; 2008 Newest home
Year Built: (20%) 1850-1899; (25%) 1900-1930; (15%) 1931-1960; (30%) 1961-2000; (10%) 2001-2010
Correlation between indicators of energy performance and age: None
576 Ft2 Smallest home; 3,208 Ft2 Biggest single family home
2,271 Ft2 Average house size (per household)
1.73 Occupants: Average household size
(18) Single-family homes; (2) Duplexes
Views: 1347
The attached bar chart shows EUI (Energy Use Index) of our 20 completed projects.
As stated above the average for the first 20 projects is 6.9 KBtu/ft2; national average for single family homes is 44.8 KBtu/ft2.
This chart also provides an indication of project cost (H - High, M - Medium, and L - Low). You do not necessarily need to do a complete deep energy retrofit of a home to achieve a deep energy reduction in energy costs. However, as with the Sloan/von Gouler project, the value proposition of a deep energy retrofit goes way beyond lower energy costs.
Here is the link to Coldman & Hartman's post regarding the Sloan/von Goeler home on http://www.coldhamandhartman.com/news.php?id=99
Thanks Linda. What I found interesting about the spreadsheet data you've shared is that it shows that achieving DER is possible with any age of house with or without PV with varying amount of investment. This means a homeowner can be creative in their path towards DER as long as there is commitment and focus. Good news!
We are THC candidate and have few more months to billing data to collect to complete the first year of occupancy. The monthly average on our our energy bill has been 279 kWh/month for the past 8 months. We'll see how this passive house performs in the winter months.
You can do it, Chie! What's your yearly kWh THC threshold? Unless it's really low, it sounds like you're on track.
Thanks Chris! Our Option B threshold is 5331. We have solar thermal but no PV (yet) and we would be delighted to meet the THC threshold without PV.
Chie -
What is your gas usage to date? Is the 279 kWh just your electric use, or does it reflect gas and electricity? As I recall, you use electricity for the clothes dryer and cooking, and gas for water and space heating, correct?
I have really enjoyed your blog. Please add the link to it for folks who may want more info about your project.
Hi Linda, the 279 kWh/month average includes both gas and electricity. We've been having a bit of a cold snap here and the sun isn't shining as much, so our backup gas boiler is kicking on every day. We moved into the house in mid-March so we have a few more months of data gathering and I'm curious how much gas we'll end up using.
Here's the link to my blog: http://midorihaus.blogspot.com/
Lastest post is on solar thermal system. Enjoy!
Chie -
Impressively low usage! Thanks for the update, and the link to your blog.
I just spent some time on Chie's midorihaus blog, describing the progress of engaging in a deep energy reduction project of their home. Lots of great, useful info! Check it out and I think you will agree.
Thanks for all that you do. Great to see the THC Home Energy Pros page lively again!
Chris -
I share your concerns about using EUI as a metric. Any metric that is based on square footage of living space favors bigger buildings and penalizes smaller buildings.
I envision that we need a constellation of metrics to tell the story of a home's or an initiative's energy performance. It was only recently that I worked the THC OPTION B allowance backwards to see what the range of EUI would be for different climates, house sizes, and occupancy.
OPTION B of the 1000 Home Challenge generates a threshold that balances a number of inputs, and only uses finished floor area in order to estimate shell surface area (five sides). Below is a graphs that I find interesting. Hopefully, as a result, the OPTION B allowance meets the objective of being difficult to achieve across the full range of North American housing stock - ideally not favoring warm climates, cold climates, big homes, small homes, old homes, new homes, energy hogs or energy misers, homes serviced by low carbon electricity, or homes serviced by hydro.
The Option B criteria themselves do an excellent (heroic, beautiful, gold-standard -- what other superlatives can I think of?) job at controlling for all the factors you cite, normalizing the difficulty for homes having different occupancies, behaviors, climate zones, heating types, etc. But then in the end to subvert all that innovative, clear thinking by comparing performance using EUI -- seems strange. I understand the rationale -- it's a commonly-cited and broadly-understood metric. But then again, hey, whatever it takes; if EUI motivates and engages people and is not used in the certification process itself (but only after the fact), I'm all for it.
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The technology in every industry evolves, but variable-refrigerant-flow (VRF) and inverter motor technology may represent more of a revolution than an evolution in the HVAC industry. As contractor Blaine Aldrich, president and owner, Comfort Service Inc., DeLand, FL, says, "I always thought if they ever made a variable indoor unit with a variable outdoor unit that it would revolutionize our industry."
Well that technology has arrived. ContractingBusiness.com spoke with some of the major players in the VRF and inverter-motor space to find out what this revolutionary technology will mean for HVAC contractors and their customers.
ContractingBusiness.com: VRF has (so far) been a high-end "premium" technology. Is the trend now for it to move into the upper/middle range of "everyday" technology, such as residential split systems?
Meredith Emmerich, general manager, VRF, Carrier Corp.: Yes, the benefits of VRF technology will naturally open the door for the move into "everyday" spaces and buildings. This is not a niche technology; there are many applications and situations for which VRF is a viable solution and those situations occur across all levels of building sophistication. The benefits of inverter-driven energy savings, flexibility in design and installation, and individual-zoned comfort are certainly some of the factors that will be driving the mainstream adoption of this technology.
Marc Zipfel, director of product marketing and planning, LG Electronics USA: VRF is consistently growing more popular as the "everyday" technology. Additionally, inverter compressors are increasingly moving into more upper/middle class equipment that is introducing a higher efficiency in residential systems.
Recent advances in VRF technology deliver ever-increasing efficiency, flexibility of application, quiet operation, and comfort levels that were unavailable just a few short years ago. The multitude of benefits makes VRF systems the preferable choice. VRF systems have a very low lifecycle cost compared to other systems on the market today, and the advanced yet simple design enables improved energy efficiency by matching heating or cooling loads independently in different zones. Furthermore, supporting numerous indoor units allows more zones to be covered on a single system, reducing installed costs. Over time, unit costs will come down as volume increases.
Tim Storm, product manager — heat pump, Trane: Yes, we do anticipate that variable-speed compressor technology may trickle down and could eventually replace some two-stage high efficiency systems if the cost of variable-speed components comes down over time. In fact that is part of our current market strategy with our new Trane TruComfort variable-speed systems: offering variable-speed 18 and 20 SEER alternatives of our two-stage 18 and 20 SEER air conditioners and heat pumps at the most affordable cost possible, then going after the even higher efficiency levels as we continue to build on that platform.
CB: What will this new technology mean for contractors? What advice would you give them on successfully selling/installing/servicing this equipment?
Emmerich: Proper training will be a key to success with VRF products. Not only will it be important to learn about the equipment on the mechanical side, but it will also be paramount to develop a strong understanding of the controls, software tools and best practices necessary to optimize a VRF system.
Zipfel: Today, we're seeing VRF systems not only become the more preferable everyday technology, but also starting to meet higher efficiencies such as Energy Star requirements. With improved products and efficiencies, comes evolved methods used to service and troubleshoot these systems. LG Electronics offers services and classes that we always recommend in order to provide faster and correct installations.
Long-term efficiency, comfort, and reliability start with proper installation of the equipment, and we have a few pieces of advice to share with contractors:
• Three installation steps. Follow the designed system layout, wire per written specifications, and keep the piping clean, dry, and tight. While these three steps sound basic, they are the cornerstone to long-term reliability, efficiency, and comfort.
• System start-up. Once the system is properly installed, the next step is to provide a proper system start up. Nearly all system setup can be accomplished through simple remote programming. Onboard logic at the outdoor unit combined with sensors throughout the piping system allows the majority of the system startup to be accomplished from a central location, with far fewer tools and instruments than needed with conventional systems.
• Servicing. Each major VRF manufacturer provides a service and commissioning tool that is typically PC-based. By connecting the proprietary software program to the outdoor unit, a complete system evaluation can be obtained to include refrigerant pressures, electrical component information, inverter frequency, various temperatures throughout the system, and dozens of other data points.
• Maintenance. The VRF system has built in diagnostics that provide readouts at local controllers and are visible to the homeowner. This allows the homeowner to provide initial information, such as an error code, to the service provider. This unique diagnostic ability allows the service provider to begin troubleshooting the issue before he ever arrives onsite.
Storm: Trane offers two SEER levels (18 and 20 SEER) and price points of fully variable-speed systems that our dealers can offer homeowners before they have to back down to an industry standard two-stage type system. The beauty of variable-speed is that it can precisely match the heat loss or gain load on the home 24 hours a day. The technology allows the compressor speed to vary in increments as small as one-tenth of one percent. This means that Trane dealers can explain to homeowners, "Having a TruComfort variable-speed system is like having 700 units in your back yard" and only the one that is needed at that particular moment to maintain your thermostat setting is going to run. This will allow precise control of the indoor temperature and humidity at the quietest and most economical operating speed while providing unmatched comfort."
We created online sales training and videos for our distributors and dealers to learn how to sell, install, and service TruComfort systems. We launched the product to our Trane Comfort Specialist dealers so that we could focus on getting our premium dealers trained first. All dealers who sell variable-speed technology should be properly trained prior to selling or installing to ensure they can not only support after the sale, but that the customer is getting the installed comfort and efficiency that he or she purchased.
A Contractor's Perspective
Blaine Aldrich, president and owner, Comfort Service Inc., DeLand, FL.
Blaine Aldrich started in the HVAC industry as a helper 28 years ago, and in nearly three decades has seen many new technologies arrive on the scene. Yet, he says, few have been as exciting as variable-refrigerant flow (VRF) and inverter motor technology.
VRF and inverter motor technology is already in the mini-split systems many people are buying for their homes, and I think it won't be long before it's the standard in traditional residential split systems. Stated simply, inverter technology takes a single-speed compressor and makes it function as a variable-speed compressor. For example, you might have a two-ton compressor in a single-speed unit. Inverter technology enables that compressor to ramp down as low as 14%, or as high as 130%. That's a big advantage over a traditional single-speed compressor that is either on or off.
It's like driving a car down the highway. Imagine you're driving 60 mph on a highway and then you come into town, but you can't slow down, you can only shut the car off. And then, when you start it back up it immediately starts going 60 again. That's exactly what we have traditionally done with our air conditioning units. Inverter technology gives us a "gas pedal" to control the compressor's speed.
Units with inverter technology do a better job of maintaining a consistent temperature: if you set your thermostat at 72, your house is going to stay 72 instead of bouncing up and down between 70 and 74. They also have longer run times, which is very effective here in Florida because longer run times remove more humidity. Longer run times also help units last longer, as it's the starting of the units that destroys them. Starting a unit uses most of the power and does most of the damage.
VRF is making a mark in the residential market, but I see huge possibilities for it in the commercial market. Commercial buildings use much more power than homes, so they could really benefit from the energy savings. I look around at municipal buildings and churches and some high-rise buildings, and I think they're foolish not to invest their money in VRF. The units last longer, they get a much better return on their investment, and it helps keep the bills down for their tenants.
We have an assisted living center here in DeLand that has all wall PTACs, and I lay awake at night thinking how much more efficient it would be if they had VRF units. They could take that money that they're putting toward the energy bill and put it to better use for the residents.
Obviously, I'm sold on this technology. When I was a helper many years ago, I always thought if they ever made a variable indoor unit with a variable outdoor unit that it would revolutionize our industry. Now it's here and the word is getting out. We've had more and more people asking us about them. I see the VRF and inverter technology as a win-win for everybody, especially here in Florida.


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The number of active listings in the city remained at 20-year-plus highs, according to the Association of Regina Realtors®. The high inventory carried over from 2014 and has steadily increased in 2015. There were 1,549 homes for sale at the end of the month. This is the highest number of homes for sale at this time of the year in over 20 years.
Close to one-third of active listings in the city are now homes other than single family detached, mostly condominiums. There were 658 new listings in the city placed on the MLS® system during the month, up 2% from 644 in 2014.
There were 331 sales reported in the Regina area, down 21% from 419 sales in May 2014, and below both the 5-year average of 412 and the 10-year average of 396. Single-family detached home sales were down 12%, while sales of other types of single-family housing units, mostly condominiums, were down 43%.
In May, the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI), reported a composite index level of 270.7 and residential price of $285,300 for the city. These are down 3.2% from last years levels of 279.7 and $294,800. This indicates that residential selling prices have fallen in the Regina market over the past year. The HPI also shows selling prices as being down 2.7% over the past 3-year period. The HPI is a much more accurate measure of housing price trends than average price.
If you are considering a move, please contact CENTURY 21 Dome Realty Inc. and we will put you in touch with one of our highly trained sales professionals.
Did you know that when you buy or sell Real Estate with a CENTURY 21 Dome Realty agent in 2015 you are eligible for our monthly AIR MILES® giveaway? Click here for full details.


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Doors: 8:45 PM
Show: 9:00 PM (ends at 10:15 PM)
18 and over
The Loft Theatre-Lounge-Dining opens daily at 5:00p. Magic Fusion performs nightly. Please visit The Loft website for additional information, Special Event dates and to make dining reservations.
Magic After Dark gives our patrons who desire a more adult experience an opportunity to enjoy magic unfiltered. It's an irresistible window into the edgy, sexy, sophisticated and sometime sick mind of award-winning magician-comedian Robert Hall, reserved for those 18 years of age or older. Join Robert, and his beautiful assistant, on this 75-85 minute journey of unique magic, hilarious comedy, and mind-games that will satisfy even the insatiable. The show is for (im)mature audiences only. Come join us for Magic After Dark every Friday night at 9:00pm.
Event has ended.


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Family Dollar Stores posts 8% higher profit
(4:54 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Family Dollar Stores inc. FDO, -1.30% reported late Thursday its fiscal first-quarter 2012 profit rose to $80.4 million, or 68 cents a share, from $74.3 million, or 58 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue for the three months ended Nov. 26 rose 7.5% to $2.15 billion from $2 billion a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 4.1%. Analysts polled by FactSet Research had expected the discount retailer to post earnings of 67 cents a share on $2.17 billion in revenue. Family Dollar shares fell 3.3% to $56.05 in after-hours trade. The stock was up nerly 29% over the past 12 months ahead of this latest quarterly report.
Constellation shares slip on slumping profits
(11:15 AM ET) CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Constellation Brand slipped about 6% Thursday, numbering it among the biggest decliners on the S&P 500, after the wine and spirits company reported slumps in fiscal third quarter profit and revenue. The company's earnings fell 25% on the period while sales were off 27%, largely due to the divestiture of its Australian and U.K. wine businesses. Constellation STZ, +0.41% fell $1.08 to $19.36 in morning action.
Dendreon soars 50% on business update
(10:27 AM ET) BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Shares of biotech group Dendreon Corp. DNDN soared nearly 50% to $11.06 after it reported better-than-expected sales of its prostate cancer therapy Provenge. Dendreon attributed the boost to improved insurance reimbursement for the product, noting that the average reimbursement period for prescribing physicians had dropped to less than 30 days. Dendreon added that approximately 75% of Dendreon users had no or minimal out-of-pocket costs for the product.
Ross Stores same-store sales of 9% beat mark
(8:54 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Ross Stores Inc. ROST, +1.22% said its December same-store sales rose 9%, well ahead of the forecast of 4.2% in a survey by FactSet Research. Sales for the five weeks ended Dec. 31 jumped 14% to $1.15 billion. The Pleasanton, Calif., retailer expects to report fourth-quarter profit of 82 cents to 83 cents a share, ahead of the estimate of 80 cents a share in a survey of analysts by FactSet Research.
Eli Lilly to meet or exceed 2011 profit target
(8:49 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Eli Lilly & Co. LLY, +0.12% said Thursday it expects to meet or exceed its 2011 profit target of $4.30 to $4.35 a share on an adjusted basis. Wall Street analysts are forecasting the drug maker to earn $4.34 a share, according to a survey by FactSet Research. Lilly estimated 2012 earnings of $3.10 to $3.20 a share, compared to the analyst view of $3.60 a share.
Limited same-store holiday sales beat estimates
(7:18 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Limited Brands Inc. LTD, +6.75% said Thursday its December same-store sales increased by 7%. Wall Street analysts expected an increase of 5.7%, according to a survey of Thomson Reuters. Total sales for the five weeks ended Dec. 31 rose to $1.87 billion from $1.79 billion. The Columbus, Ohio, retailer said it expects adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.42 to $1.46 a share, compared to the analyst estimate of $1.42 a share.
Pier 1 December same-store sales rose 11.3%
(6:48 AM ET) TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Pier 1 Imports Inc., PIR, -0.29% the Fort Worth, Texas, home-furnishings retailer, reported that for December, comparable-store sales rose 11.3%. The company didn't specify total sales. The "strong sales trend" in the first half of the month continued through Christmas and the week thereafter, President and CEO Alex Smith said in a Thursday statement.
Stage Stores: sales up; 4th-period margin hurt
(6:21 AM ET) TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Stage Stores Inc., SSI, +52.02% the Houston retailer, reported on Thursday that for December, same-store sales rose 1.2% as total sales advanced 2.9% to $274 million from $266 million. A survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters produced a consensus estimate of same-store sales up 1%. The "promotional business environment" that started on the day after Thanksgiving continued through December, President and CEO Andy Hall said in a statement. Fourth-quarter gross-margin will be pressured by higher costs, he said.
Costco December same-store sales up 7%
(3:14 AM ET) TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Costco Wholesale Corp., COST, -0.10% the Issaquah, Wash., warehouse retailer, reported that for December, same-store sales rose 7% while total sales rose 9% from a year earlier, to $10.05 billion from $9.19 billion. A survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters produced a consensus estimate of same-store sales up 7.6%. The same-store sales reflected increases of 7% in the U.S. and 9% internationally, Costco said in a Thursday statement. Excluding gasoline-price rises and a slightly negative impact of foreign-currency translations, the quarter's same-store sales rose 7%, Costco said.
American Apparel December same-store sales up 12%
(2:09 AM ET) TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- American Apparel Inc., APP, +7.69% the Los Angeles apparel maker and retailer, reported that for December same-store sales rose 12% while net sales advanced 15% from the year-earlier month to $56.3 million. Sales "exceeded plan in all channels," including stores, online and wholesale, Chairman and Chief Executive Dov Charney said in a late Wednesday statement. Retail was notably strong in the U.S., Asia and Australia, he said.
China Vanke shares fall on December sales drop
(1:50 AM ET) HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- The Shenzhen-listed shares in China's largest property developer, China Vanke Co.(CN:000002) CVKEF, traded down 3.8% in afternoon trade Thursday following results showing the company's December property sales fell 30% from a year earlier. Sales for the month fell to 5.82 billion yuan ($924 million), according to reports, though they were up by double digits during the full year. December's result reportedly marked the fifth-straight month of declines. Sales for the full year totaled 121.54 billion yuan, a rise of 12.4% from 2010's 108.2 billion yuan. In terms of floor space, China Vanke sold 10.75 million square meters, a rise of 19.8% rise from year-earlier levels.


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Sacramentals – What Are They and Why Are They
Sacramentals are a deeply-rooted presence in the lives of Catholics – rosaries, holy water, scapulars, medals, devotions. Yet many people do not understand this aspect of the Catholic Faith. To some, sacramentals seem like an array of meaningless trinkets and gestures; to others, they seem like talismans and superstitions. Of course sacramentals are neither of these things, but are in fact "sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments" (Catechism, 1667). This guide will help you to understand the types, significance, and theological basis of sacramentals.
What is a Sacramental?
Sacramentals are associated with or imitate the Church's official rituals. They are sacred signs which remind us of the sacraments. Sacramentals can include physical objects such as rosary beads, chaplets, scapulars, devotional medals, statues, and other objects. They can also be non-physical, including music, gestures such as genuflecting and making the sign of the cross, and novenas and other devotional prayers. Some sacramentals are exclusively part of official Church rituals – such as sacred oils – while others are commonly (but not necessarily exclusively) used in parishioners' private lives – such as candles and rosaries.
The Difference Between Sacramentals and Sacraments
Sacramentals are related to and remind us of the sacraments. The sacraments were instituted by Jesus, while most sacramentals were instituted by the Church.
Sacramentals are not "lucky" rabbits' feet or spiritual "get out of jail free" cards. Sacraments give grace themselves but sacramentals do not. Rather, sacramentals excite and encourage pious dispositions and are made effective through faithful devotion, love of God, prayer, and sorrow for sin.
Theology of Catholic Sacramentals
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the theology of the sacramental in this way:
"Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.
Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).
Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a 'blessing,' and to bless.Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).
Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church's prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. 'For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.'" – (CCC, 1667 – 1670)
You can read more in detail about specific sacramentals, including genuflecting, bowing, rosaries, medals and more in Catholic Customs and Traditions.


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The Sonic Laboratory could best be thought of as a 'cinema for the ear' - a specialist acoustic space designed to provide a unique and immersive listening experience - the auditory equivalent of an IMAX cinema. Forty-eight loudspeakers, strategically located, will project and move sounds throughout the space, including underneath the audience. No other auditorium for sonic art performance and experimentation currently exists with this revolutionary feature. The provision of this facility gives Northern Ireland a unique and pioneering role in a rapidly developing field.
This facility enables research teams to develop and implement cutting edge initiatives in the creation and delivery of music and audio.
The Sonic Laboratory's uniqueness is vested in the degree of flexibility it can provide for experiments in sound diffusion (the relaying of sounds through a large complex of loudspeakers) and for ground-breaking compositional and performance work within a purpose-built, variable acoustic space.
As an engineering research facility, the Sonic Laboratory will provide unparalleled opportunities to develop and test new ideas relating to loudspeaker design, loudspeaker placement, music perception, music interaction, delivery and diffusion.
Click here to see the Sonic Lab Specs
Please note if visiting the Sonic Lab:
|The ground level is a metal grid that allows sound to come from the basement level. It is therefore advised not to wear heels.
|Food and drink is not permitted in the lab
Queen's University Belfast is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
For more information please read our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Queen's University Belfast is registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101788
VAT registration number: GB 254 7995 11


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About Justin B
What really shocks me is the statement that 'Americans don't like it' is a minor obstacle. Are the users reading these manuals not Americans like us? Without their help, questioning what they see as wrong and reporting it, there will not be any true constitutional liberties.
If it was a foreign entity pushing this weak encryption, we would immediately respond and replace all of it as well as ban that country/company from operating in the US. But we forget that by weakening encryption itself, our businesses/people are just as vulnerable to outside attack as they are to domestic ones from the NSA. Therefore, the damage is equal but our lack of courage to address the issue will keep everyone a vulnerable target, including us.


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Just making yet another token entry that, of course, no one will read because because the diary entry rating system more or less censors this post from anyone who doesn't have the patience or technical know-how to go to the address bar of their browser and change the threshold.
So I can look back on this moment in ten years (assuming Advogato will still be around), I think I'll make a post.
There's a time to try to convince someone they are wrong in the stupid and harmful things they are doing.
There's a time to complain (which is what I've done for so long in my rants and posts various places) in the hopes that your criticism might lead them to some introspection that changes their behavior for the better. In the end, that's what a flame really is. A flame is a desperate, last ditch effort to appeal to someone's better sense of judgement. Well, at least for me.
And then there's a time you've got to say that the other side will never, ever change. They will keep on doing the stupid and harmful activity, and they will keep on doing it for as long as they are allowed to do so, because that's their nature and they can't do otherwise. And the longer they are allowed to do it, the more people they will hurt. And it's at that point you either have to stand up and take the bastards on, or you have capitulate and admit that sometimes bad things perpetrated by bad people just happen in the world and it's pointless to try and do anything about it.
If you take the bastards on, both sides will get hurt and one will most likely get decimated. If you're lucky and you've got a few aces up your sleeve, it will be the other side. If you do nothing, you still hurt from lack of self-respect and from the knowledge you did nothing to stop something terrible from happening.
I need to look for the courage to do one or the other.
In other useless and trivial facts about my life at this point that I can look back on a decade from now:
- Woz is coming to NC State. Yes, I'm psyched.
- I'm writing a program that will make course registration at NCSU far easier.
- I'm seriously considering starting a LUG at NCSU to meet needs that the current one doesn't (namely, the needs anyone who isn't a flaming geek who uses linux in a non-server capacity). I've thought up a few interesting initiation rituals, but sad to say none of them involve goats or ointment.
- I'm still writing the content management system I'm using for my blog (the one that isn't censored), and still regretting my stupid idea of using the CMS for to manage my weblog while I'm still writing the damn thing.
- I'm working on an xml format for weblogs. I am debating whether this should be opened up for discussion so I can get input on what needs to go into the format. I do not believe that Dave Winer's "live and let live", "optional everything" philosophy has benefitted RSS, which is now abused in extremely perverse ways and comes in nine different flavors. Providing the end user a consistent and usable user experience is the most important thing for such a format, and I don't want it screwed up by the people who stole the web and created the horror we called XML Schemas.


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Day 2 and into 3…
I'm sitting in the MLB.com workroom at the Dolphin Hotel, killing some time before meeting up with Larry O'Brien, Ted Lilly's agent. A few minutes ago, Cubs manager Lou Piniella held court in the larger media workroom next door, discussing his club and, among other things, Lilly and free agent Gil Meche. As you know, Lilly and Meche are Toronto's top two targets right now.
Piniella was in Seattle when Pete O'Brien, Larry's brother, was a pitcher with the Mariners. That's one small connection that could help sway Lilly to the North Side if Pete is talking Lou up to Larry, who is frequently reporting back to the pitcher. Lilly obviously has more familiarity with Toronto and the American League East — that's one reason why a) the Jays aren't out of the picture, yet, and b) the Yankees could be a bigger player than we've been led to believe at this point.
O'Brien said late Tuesday night that New York hadn't tabled an offer, but rumors have questioned that. The Yankees were thought to be cooling on Lilly after winning the negotiating rights to lefty Kei Igawa, but New York is a place Lilly has pitched before — not to mention a place he enjoyed. If the Andy Pettitte to New York rumblings turn out to be nothing more than rumors, the Yankees might quickly become stronger competition for Lilly.
As far as Meche goes, he pitched for Piniella in Seattle, too. That could make the Cubs a very high priority team for the right-hander. Basically, Lilly and Meche have plenty of big-market suitors who could leave the Jays going 0-for-2. Backup plans? Jeff Suppan and Mark Redman's names have been batted around.
Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said on Tuesday night that he was interested in free agent outfielder Matt Stairs. Stairs could provide a much-needed left-handed bat off the bench and would serve as a fourth outfielder. He could also possibly provide another backup at first base.
There's also rumors that free agent reliever, and former National League Cy Young Award winner, Eric Gagne — a native of Quebec — has listed the Jays as a team he's interested in. On Tuesday, Scott Boras, who represents Gagne, said, "It doesn't hurt to have a hockey town involved." Ricciardi said no one from Gagne's side had contacted the Jays and the Jays hadn't contacted them. Right now, Toronto plans on having Brandon League serve as the setup man and B.J. Ryan is locked in as the closer. There doesn't appear to be room in the bullpen or in the budget for Gagne, so don't get your hopes up.
22 Comments
JP might to overpay for Meche (like Burnett last year) a lot to get him. Since Lilly has said he is not returning, there is a lot of pressure on JP.
I'm not to keen on overpaying for Suppan or Redman.
Wells might have to be used as trade bait for pitching…
Since when has Lilly said he isn't coming back? I'm pretty sure it says that the Jay's arnt out of the picture yet. But I have a feeling Lilly wont be back, sounds like the Cubs are the front runners right now.
Hopefully we can get Meche I think he would be a welcome addition to the rotation. The thing with free agency is if there is more need than there is supply everyone gets overpaid, its the way the market works. If you want a guy your going to have to go get him and throw alot of cash at him, the choice is either pay for him and make your team better, or have nobody, the choice to me is obvious. If we could add a guy through free agencey that would be so much better than trading our best player. We can add without subraction, I would feel very confident with alot of guys coming in just because we have Halladay and Burnette to lead the way. All we need after that are guys who will be consistant and give us a chance to win. With our offence to lead the way I dont think we are going to need the best pitching staff around to compete, just guys who can eat up innings and let our offence do their job.
Lilly said about half an hour before my post that Toronto is not an option anymore.
after blowing his brains out on Frank Thomas, another expensive 'big' right- handed bat with no defensive assets, Riccardi comes up even larger. the Cubs have paid 40 million for Ted Lilly,an outrageous amount of money for a guy who you never know what he has to bring out from one game to another -so he at least won't have to eat crow on Lilly's behalf. A glorious one year deal with a late-30's something shortstop who has already played with 10 other teams, and a hack 39 year old part-time DH from New Brunswick is all he has to show for so far. if the Cubs and Piniella have their way, Riccardi's next messiah, Gil Meche, will end up in Wrigley beside Lilly, and JP will end up leaving Florida with a lukeward bowl of stew between his legs – the next big turn around in T.O.'s baseball community will come when Ted Rogers buys Riccardi his overdue one-way ticket to Massachussets
i dont know what the **** filletjazz is talking about. thomas was a great aquisition and would have led the jays in HR and RBI last year. i have a feeling we will get meche. lilly is off and on and not that big of a loss. meche was pretty consistent last year and is a better pitcher (too bad he isnt left handed). riccardi has done a great job as the jays gm. props to j.p.
So Lilly is gone, so sad, he wasn't going to get us there anyway, if J.P. is serious on playing in Oct. like he says he is, then another 'A' pitcher would be required. Since there are none left in free agent market, let's make a trade, strait up, Wells for…, and spend the money on another good CF. Dont get me wrong, I think Wells is one of the best in the league, but at the same time he likely wont be in a Jays uni in 08. Timing is everything.
So Lilly is gone, so sad, he wasn't going to get us there anyway, if J.P. is serious on playing in Oct. like he says he is, then another 'A' pitcher would be required. Since there are none left in free agent market, let's make a trade, strait up, Wells for…, and spend the money on another good CF. Dont get me wrong, I think Wells is one of the best in the league, but at the same time he likely wont be in a Jays uni in 08. Timing is everything.
I think the roster should stay as it looks to be for now. Keep Wells for this year and hope he takes an extension sometime throughout 2007. Hopefully acquire Meche for the #3, give #4 to Chacin, and let the rest battle it out. With Meche in, we can have a pretty good rotation. Maybe not the absolute best it could be, but at least worthy of contending. The offense (with Wells in it) should produce quite well and keep the Jays in good shape all year.
If we were to trade Wells, then any transactions that JP just made (or is thinking of) would be useless. You want to build on whats there, not take away one of your best producers both offensively and defensively.
Trade Wells for $12M+ in cash and use the money to sign Zito. I don't expect anyone with a pitcher worth the Jays' time (and with more than a year on contract, which would be the key to making any straight trade worthwhile) to trade him for 1 year of Wells, but if you trade him for that much cash then it's like the other team is getting a 1 year deal on a free agent at his market price.
Why don't we try to sing Wells for a 3 year extension, If we can trade a couple prospects, I would much rather trade Adam Lind than Wells. Lind's defence is weak, and would probably be best suited to play first. We wont have a place for him untill Overbay is gone.
If there is a team with surplus of pitching talent, we could probably bring in somone pretty decent for Lind he has proven he can hold is own and is MLB ready.
Riccardi needs to find out if Wells is serious about staying here, if he is sign him, if not trade him the time is now. You do not trade Wells for $12M Dollars, that would probably be the worst desicion this team could make.
Lind won't get Jays an impact pitcher. His defense is no worse than Cat's except he is younger and can be better.
If Jays want an impact pitcher, Wells will be the one.
Unless Wells re-signs, I think Jays will deal him this offseason for pitching because they could not cover the holes with Meche or Lilly.
I think the jays should have focused on one premier arm in the first place ie. Barry Zito. Now that Meche is not an option, they need to either trade or sign VW to an extension before camp. If he doesn't sign, take away the distraction and aquire a high quality pitcher. The offense will be better than average without Wells, the rotation won't cut it unless they add a "qualilty" arm.
Sure trading Vernon for pitching sounds great, but lets look at the bigger picture. Who would the jays use in center. Reed Johnson, Alex Rios, they are no Vernon Wells, and Alex has only had one good year as well as Reed. Also if the Jays trade Vernon away, there will be more than him involved to get a top pitcher, what then happens to the defense?
The Jays are going to have to pay big bucks for Vernon, but he is worth it, but then again can they afford it, more important can they afford not to?
Keeping Wells is good only if they can re-sign him. If not, they should trade him.
Both Reed Johnson and Rios' defense is very good, not Vernon Wells-good but still solid.
I think worrying about having two holes in the rotation comes before defence right now.
I don't think anything is scarier then hearing that Towers will be the #5 starter. Trading Wells for a KO machine like Vasquez from the white sox, would be an asset. If Toronto could afford a 20 mil guy like Wells next year then they would have already have signed him. J.P. needs to get creative.
I for one am glad J.P didn't overpay for a couple of career .500 pitchers.Neither Lilly or Meche have the potential of say a Burnett.It's now time to get down to business with Vernon.I think Towers can be as good as Lilly or Meche if he gets his confidence back.After he got the contract last year,he tried to do to much and it blew up in his face.Ryan Houston could also Prove interesting.Remember,a healthy Haladay,Burnett and Chacin to begin the season is better than last year when they had Halladay,Lilly and whoever can fill in this week.If they are going to break the bank short term to get to the show at least make a run at overpaying Andy Pettite for one year.Otherwise, sign a steady journeyman to eat innings untill the young arms step up.
With two aces to lead the pack and Chacin following them in the rotation, I too, think that Towers and even Houston and Marcum could step up. Obviously we would have spent 20 million this year on both Lilly and Meche and JP offered them both 40 for four years. Why not take some of that and try to sign Pettite? Will leave a bit left over and then have more to offer Wells.
Like I said before, trading Wells away will make evrything that was done so far seem useless, as he's been in the plans the whole way.
Could you imagine if they were to get Pettite? I'd hate to be coming into a series and have to face Halladay, Burnett, Pettite (in any order) and then face that crazy middle of the batting order…Well, Thomas, Glaus, Overbay…..OUCH
why dont the blue jays go after mark mulder or steve tracshel? steve had 15 wins las year with the mets and he is better than lilly and meche. if they resign vernon and have to overpay for steve, then they would have halladay, burnett, tracshel, chacin and marcum. maybe they could get zito to so it could be halladay, zito, burnett, tracshel and chacin/marcum. that would work out. better than halladay, burnett, lilly, chacin and marcum. the blue jays cant really trade vernon because then that would be a big hole in there line up. the blue jays need to get tracshel while they still can and throw money at zito
Now with the money the Jays have left they should sign Vernon to a long term contract like 4-5 years. Petite is back and if possible sign him although the yankees are saying that they are willing to spend $15 million per year. If not petite i think Jeff Suppan is pretty good and if Mark Mulder can go back to his old form sign him. If not then take the chance with Marcum and Towers/Janessen as 4 and 5 starters. If the Jays can't sign Vernon wells to an extention right now then trade him. This is the best time to get something good in return, but i feel that the Jays should try hard to extend his contract first.
The redsox have really improved their line-up with Lugo, Ortiz, Ramirez (for now), J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, Crisp and Jason Varitek (don't know how to spell his last name properly). They also have Papelbon, Schilling and Beckett.
I don't think that we will be able to pitch our way into the play-offs but we will have to blast our way into the playoffs. For that we will need a health thomas, wells and Glaus. Also Rios and Overbay.
They should definitely work on Wells first, that way they can see how serious he is about staying it T.O. I am sure that JP can give him what he wants now, and if Wells turns down a good offer, then JP will know that its time to make the trade. I would hate to see him go, but we could get quite a bit for him.
If Wells, does take an extension, then I would say to sign one of the middle-class pitchers that are still on the market. I agree, A pretty good "proven" starter will be better to have in the rotation than starting a struggling Towers or taking chances with other pitchers. The bullpen should hold up okay, and we obviously don't need a closer.
With all that we have now, I don't want to see anything else happen with the starting lineup…we now have a great defense/offense, if we can find a way to get that pitcher we are looking for without touching the starting lineup, i think we will see the playoffs in 2007.
Wells is a very good player, but is he worth over 20% of a 90-100m payroll? Even if he is worth the 20M a year, the Jays can't afford him, it would be a bad decision to keep him. By keeping him, it would hurt the Jays in the future in term of financial flexability.
The Jays must remember that history repeats itself. The Free Agent market is starting to lose control again & all these GM thinks they are playing with Monolopy money. So what happens if the economy swings downward and the Jays' budget goes back down to 50-60M. If this happens, could you imagine the Jays'lineup..or rotation.
I think this is the best time to trade Wells while his value is up. The Dodgers sounds like a great trading partner. They have the pitching and the prospects, they are not in the same standing/league so that Wells won't come back & haunt them. Besides the Dodgers still need a few more Players before they are qualify as a Championship caliber.
Wells is good & a rare five tools player, but baseball is too much of a team sport. I think they should trade him now and get some good pitching to help the team. The offense is excellent right now even without Wells.
I was hoping that Toronto would be able to lock up one or both of Lilly and Meche. But now, after seeing the type of money it took to get them, I'm glad that the Jays lost out on both. Lets face it, Lilly is a .500 pitcher with injury problems plus he's never pitched 200 innings in a season. Meche is in pretty much the same boat. Locking up Wells should be at the top of the Jays list now. He's one of the most complete players in teh league and he's just hitting his prime. i feel that Toronto does need to address their pitching situation. Barry Zito is out of the pitcher a this point. Riccardi should now focus his attention to a proven commodity like Jeff Suppan and/or trade one of his young arms for a good arm. Dustin McGowan has a ton of potential but his future in Toronto is beginning to dim. He could get alot of attention over the phones as could Shawn Marcum. The Dodgers have a plethora of starting pitchers as do the Cubs, Tigers and Angels. I wouldn't be suprised to see a trade with one of these teams or any other team for that matter.


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Nexo Reveals New Scale Through Modularity (STM) System
This year's ProLight + Sound show in Frankfurt sees a number of new product introductions by NEXO, covering all aspects of sound reinforcement - networking, amplification and system processing, and, most importantly, the first sighting of NEXO's new STM Series of high-specification loudspeaker cabinets.
The STM Series is NEXO's new proposition for the modern touring and rental company, the first scalable modular line array on the market. Its concept combines the best of NEXO Alpha functionality with the technical innovation of NEXO GEO waveguide designs to deliver a system that is both super-powerful, super-flexible and easy to use, and might actually make its owners some money! Scale Through Modularity (STM) is NEXO's strapline, describing the STM's ability to scale up or down to suit event audiences from 1,000 to 100,000.
Why Modularity?
Following extensive market research with some of the world's leading PA providers, NEXO has turned its back on the dominant line-array trends, taking modularity as the central design principle for its new flagship. An STM system can be configured at will from four discrete loudspeaker elements; M46 main, B112 bass, S118 subbass and M28 omni' fill modules. System configurations might comprise arrays of main cabinets only, or main+bass, or bass+main+bass. The ability to add extra bass cabinets to the system in order to increase power and headroom without introducing unwanted phase anomalies makes STM unique, the first system to offer scalable LF. Deploying the dedicated subbass cabinets, either in the arrays or as ground-stacks, further increases the options, and the omni' fill speakers complete the coverage pattern, whatever the scale of the system.
STM Series' target market is anyone who rents out a PA system, anyone who rents in a PA system, and venues with fixed installations for live performance. It will also be of real interest to tour and production managers, festival and other event organisers.
"The modularity of STM makes it truly all-purpose," says NEXO's concert sound specialist Stuart Kerrison, explaining that the badge STM stands for Scale Through Modularity. A rental provider can scale up his system from just 6 cabinets a side for a small event, to whatever is needed to handle an arena or stadium application. Even large flown arrays of main+bass+sub are so low-profile that they comply with sightline restrictions for broadcast concerts and events.
A first for NEXO, the main, bass and omni cabinets are injection-moulded for maximum durability and weather-resistance. Technical Director Francois Deffarges is proud of the system's bass and sub bass provision, this being one of NEXO's traditional strengths. Our extremely powerful Bass cabinet has a frequency response which overlaps that of the Sub and Main modules, providing a valuable increase in LF headroom. With the Sub, we can achieve a similar SPL output to our CD18 unit, using just one 18 driver. And there are advantages in use; two subs can be used back-to-back in cardioid mode, or side-by-side in omnidirectional mode."
Specified by real-world users, the STM system has been designed for the warehouse, the truck, the roadie and the venue. It is as much about how it packs together for transport as it is about how it sounds; using a range of dolly and bumper accessories, the system can be prepped in the warehouse, loaded onto dollies for transport, and simply wheeled into a venue. All aspects of a sound system's use have been re-engineered, and its PistonRig and REDLock rigging technology will allow a single technician to fly an arena system quite easily.
Another first, NEXO is supplying the system road-ready. The STM cabinets are paired with the Nexo Universal Amp Rack, or NUAR, which contains plug-and-play digital patches, real-time system monitoring and control network functionality in addition to two NXAMP4x4s, each of which can power up to 12 speakers, in groups of 3. The NUAR is full of innovation: the first dual-voltage version of the NXAMP, designed specifically for the international touring market: a new Digital Meter Unit (DMU), an intelligent input patch panel providing digital communication with the NXAMP: and a new Digital Patch Unit (DPU), an intelligent output patch panel.
For optional inclusion in the rack, NEXO is offering a choice of network card solutions; the NXES104 is NEXO's long-established route to EtherSound network control, new at PL+S is the NXDT104 DanteTM audio plug-in card for the NXAMP, enabling NEXO loudspeaker systems to exploit the many benefits of a high-performance AVB-ready digital networking solution. The NXDT104 will distribute digital audio plus integrated control data, automatically configuring its network interface and finding other Dante devices on the network.
- 4 audio streams (24 bits/48kHz) can be received in Dante format
- Dual port for redundancy and third port for additional remote control
- Direct connection to PC using via ASIO
And, in a further enhancement of NEXO networking functionality, users will soon be able to download from iTunes the first release of NeMo, an app for the iPad and iPhone which provides remote control over a NXAMP network from anywhere in the venue.
In summary, STM inventory maximizes its opportunities to go out to work. It is suitable for a greater variety of jobs. And more jobs means that the cost of the system is amortized at a faster rate, not to mention a higher potential for profitable use. There are other savings designed into the STM system, such as lower crew costs, reduced by the extraordinary innovative rigging hardware. This enables suppliers to compete better in today's highly price-sensitive rental market.
Specifications of STM Series loudspeaker cabinets
M46 Main Cabinet
Injection-moulded high-power cabinet with innovative components for enhanced performance. Flat-membrane drivers ensure completely even and full-range coverage over entire 90° horizontal dispersion. HF frequency range remains completely linear, using Ketone Polymer diaphragms that enhance tonal response and long throw.
- 4 x 6.5 inch LF/MF Drivers
- 4 x HF Compression Drivers
- 145dB peak SPL
- Frequency response: 85Hz-20kHz
- H350mm/W575mm/D715mm
- 55Kg/121lb
- Dispersion 90° H x 0-10°V
B112 Bass Cabinet
Injection-moulded bass cabinet featuring a Neodymium high excursion 3000W 12" bass driver with 4" voice coil. It has the same format - dimensions, weight, gravity centre - as the M46. The hybrid horn-loaded design maximizes the efficiency of the driver, delivering 6dB more than a standard front-loaded driver in this frequency range.
- 1 x 3000W +/- 3cm excursion 12 inch LF Driver
- 141dB peak SPL
- Frequency response: 63Hz-200Hz
- H350mm/W575mm/D715mm
- 55Kg/121lb
S118 Subbass Cabinet
Subbass cabinet featuring a Neodymium high excursion 3000W 18" driver. A bandpass load ensures SPL output equivalent to conventional dual 18" subbasses. Same width, double the height of M46 main cabinet, double height of main cabinet so the S118 can be flown in the array or ground-stacked in line. Can be run in omnidirectional or cardioid sub mode.
- 1 x 18 inch LF Driver
- 143dB peak SPL
- Frequency response: 25Hz-85Hz
M28 Omni Cabinet
Injection-moulded all-purpose loudspeaker cabinet which fulfils the role of downfill, providing 120° of horizontal dispersion and 0° to 15° splaying angle between modules. Same width as M46, 2/3 height, the M28 can also be used independently from M46 or B112.
- 2 x 8 inch LF Drivers
- 4 x 4 inch MF Drivers
- 1 x HF Compression Driver
- 140dB peak SPL
- Frequency response: 60Hz-20kHz
- H233mm/W575mm/D715mm
- 38Kg/84lb


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The following was issued by WWE today.
STAMFORD, Conn., April 25, 2013 – WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced that WrestleMania 29, held Sunday, April 7 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, grossed in excess of $72 million, the highest grossing event in WWE history. In addition, WrestleMania 29 will once again exceed 1 million global pay-per-view buys and attracted a sold out crowd of 80,676 fans from all 50 states and 34 countries at MetLife Stadium.
New Orleans, Louisiana will be the site of next year's WrestleMania, which will take place Sunday, April 6, 2014 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Ticket information will be announced later this year.
Source: TVbythenumbers.com


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Nov. 18, 2019 -- From Interim President Andy Tompkins: I wanted you to know about the potential for an exciting expansion of our partnership with NetApp. We've been talking for several months with NetApp's leadership about the possibility of having their employees and facilities relocate to Innovation Campus, to work even more closely with WSU students, faculty and other researchers.
Nov. 14, 2019 -- Junior business management major Maribel Sanchez is taking full advantage of the opportunities provided by Wichita State. She is a first-generation student, Gore Scholar, studied abroad in the Netherlands this past summer and was invited to speak at a national conference.
Nov. 5, 2019 – The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Wichita State is hosting the first Pediatric Feeding group to help picky eaters and problem feeders.
Nov. 4, 2019 -- Austin Clift prepared himself as much as possible to teach high school journalism, but nothing could ready him for his first day teaching solo at Wichita East High School. As a part of his preparation, he shadowed his predecessor through Wichita State's Transition to Teaching program.
Oct. 18, 2019 - Achita Muthitacharoen, professor of management information systems, recently won the 2019 Faculty Risk Taker award for her willingness to try new, innovative ideas. She holds a competition in her dynamic programming course that allows students to experience a real-world assignment.
Oct. 17, 2019 - Senior industrial engineering student Sydney Jaeger is making the most of her college experience. It's not always easy, but she finds a way to balance time as an engineering intern, student, member of WSU Cheer and a campus leader.
Oct. 1, 2019 - Jennifer Raymo, a Wichita State student earning her graduate degree in social work, recently became the Wichita Chapter director of The Healing Chair. The non-profit is a Kansas City based organization aimed at helping breast cancer and mastectomy survivors find comfort, hope and healing.
Sept. 23, 2019 - Electrical engineering senior, Austin Nefzger, has been an engineering intern for LK Architecture in Wichita for over a year. He is a part of a team responsible for documenting the new and existing electrical diagrams for projects. He believes his hands-on applied learning experiences have provided a pivotal shift in his college career.
Sept. 9, 2019 -- Aerospace engineering senior Khristian Jones interned at Mojave Air and Space Port in California this summer through the Brooke Owens Fellowship program. Among the many experiences she received in her internship, she flew with a Space Shuttle commander and spoke with the NASA administrator.
Aug. 29, 2019 -- Aliyah Funschelle is a junior studying sport management at Wichita State University. She is the campus representative for the American Athletic Conference and provides stories about WSU student-athletes to the network.
Aug. 28, 2019 - Last spring, Alejandro Arias Esparza worked as an intern at FairVote in Washington, D.C., an internship funded by former Kansas governor Mark and Stacy Parkinson. The internship gave him practical experience in research, writing and meeting people that can help him help others vote and grow active in their communities.
Aug. 27, 2019 - Boats & Bikes, located in the River Vista Apartments, will have its grand opening from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Boats & Bikes, operated by Shocker Rowing, rents boats, paddle boards and bikes for customers to use on the Arkansas River.
Aug. 16, 2019 - Kylie Cameron and Kevin Benavides worked summer internships at KMUW (89.1 FM). They reported and wrote stories for radio and the web on the Sedgwick County Fair, elections, Juneteenth and the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. While they don't perform on-air duties, they are expected to fill all of the other reporting tasks.
Aug. 12, 2019 -- Wichita State University has set a new record for research and development awards, with a total of $136 million in fiscal year 2019, which ended June 30, topping last year's record-breaking total of $104 million.
July 31, 2019 - Fine arts students Haley Ensz, Lily Guillen, Bishop Rice and Celine Sengvilay recently returned from a trip to Peru with Wichita State professor Lori Santos. They spent several days working with children at the Institución Educativa José María Arguedas, an elementary school in Lima.


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How do I reset the car stereo?
The car stereo receivers will need to be reset under the following conditions:
- Before operating the unit for the first time.
- After replacing the car battery.
- After changing connections and/or wiring.
- If you have a malfunction with the car stereo.
WARNING: There is a risk of data loss. Performing the RESET procedure will erase the clock settings and some stored content.
IMPORTANT: If model-specific information is needed to complete these steps, refer to the instructions supplied with the product.
- Remove the faceplate from the front of the car stereo.
- Using a pointed object, such as a ball-point pen, press the RESET button on the front panel of the car stereo.
- These steps are for the in-dash car stereo receivers that have removable faceplates and may vary slightly based on your specific model number.
- For car stereos that have Bluetooth (BT) wireless features, it would be necessary to perform the BT Initialize procedure to completely reset it.


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History of TRINIDAD
Since 1980, the Trinidad Fundadores had been produced exclusively for President Fidel Castro. The only boxes to leave Cuba were gifts to foreign diplomats. In February of 1998, the brand was officially launched as an export in Trinidad, Cuba. The cigars were first made available in Canada and Mexico in April 1998, and later became available to the world market. This line features one size, the Fundadore, which means Founder. It is similar in size to the Cohiba Lancero, measuring at a ring guage of 40 and a length of 7 and 3/4 inches or 195 mm. Named after one of Cuba's most beautiful cities, the Trinidad is produced only in the El Laguito factory, and is packaged in an 'unusual' quantity of 24 cigars as well as in cabinets of 50. Medium tobacco, herbal, floral and hints of bean flavors are what epitomize Trinidad cigars in taste. There is always a certain amount of mystery about any cigars blend, Trinidad cigars are steep in mystery!


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Found 12 resultsAuthor [ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Griffiths, Natalie A. [Clear All Filters]
Dual nitrate isotopes clarify the role of biological processing and hydrologic flow paths on nitrogen cycling in subtropical low-gradient watersheds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 121(2):422-437.. 2016.
Forecasting functional implications of global changes in riparian plant communities. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 11(8):423-432.. 2013.
Global synthesis of the temperature sensitivity of leaf litter breakdown in streams and rivers. Global Change Biology. 23192852231429214283485128141711219056969167178654163075852535509669583588158018341650390434621225829192774827617963364927365487(8):3064-3075.. 2017.
The influence of floodplain restoration on whole-stream metabolism in an agricultural stream: insights from a 5-year continuous data set. Freshwater Science. :000-000.. 2014.
Interactions among hydraulic conductivity distributions, subsurface topography, and transport thresholds revealed by a multitracer hillslope irrigation experiment. Water Resources Research. 52(8):6186-6206.. 2016.
Interflow dynamics on a low relief forested hillslope: Lots of fill, little spill. Journal of Hydrology. 534:648-658.. 2016.
Multimetric spatial optimization of switchgrass plantings across a watershed. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. 6(1):58-72.. 2012.
Nitrogen processing by grazers in a headwater stream: riparian connections. Freshwater Biology. 62(1):17-29.. 2017.
Occurrence, leaching, and degradation of Cry1Ab protein from transgenic maize detritus in agricultural streams. Science of The Total Environment. 592:97-105.. 2017.
Organic-matter decomposition along a temperature gradient in a forested headwater stream. Freshwater Science. :000-000.. 2015.