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REGINA – While one in four Saskatchewan children live in poverty, the rate is significantly higher for First Nations or Metis children: 64 percent of Aboriginal children live below the poverty line.
"Poverty in Saskatchewan is what we would call racialized," explained Jo-Ann Episkenew, Indigenous People's Health Research Centre Director and member of the Advisory Group on Poverty Reduction (a group appointed in 2014 by the Saskatchewan government). The advisory group released recommendations in August to cut Saskatchewan's poverty rate in half.
Episkenew added that certain groups are more likely to be impacted by poverty such as single parent families, recent immigrants, people with disabilities and First Nations and Métis.
Carol Pelletier is a Regina mother of four with an undergraduate degree in Indian Studies. She said working, having kids and going to university while struggling to pay the bills each month is a tough reality.
"I was pregnant with my daughter, and I went on mat leave and E.I. (but) I couldn't afford my rent. So I ended up moving in with my sister and gave up my apartment."
Eventually she went to social services and returned to work early from her maternity leave. Years later after her fourth child was born and she had finished her degree, Pelletier declined a higher paying job because it bumped her into a higher tax bracket.
Her employer was accommodating, but she said, " I never did qualify again for my daycare subsidy because of the fact that it took me that long to get them in a daycare and wait on a list and finally when I lost the spots -" she motioned a gesture of defeat. "So my mom helps out now with my babysitting."
Pelletier works full-time at the North Central Family Centre as a culture coordinator. She also helps individual clients with work preparation and job skills development. Many are women and mothers in similar situations as to what she herself has experienced.
"It's pretty much anybody who walks through the doors, but women tend to be the higher number," she said. "They're more concerned about being stable. A single male, you know, they can bounce from couch to couch, where that's harder for a woman with a child."
Pelletier faults gaps in government systems for ineffectively dealing with poverty, but acknowledges discrimination plays a part as well. In a workshop she offers her Aboriginal clients, she tells them to defy self-stigma.
"Everyday that you put on your pants since you were small, you went into a society that looked down on you, right? So how do you function?"
"'You have a degree? Oh, good for you,'" Pelletier said mockingly when asked if she's ever encountered discrimination for being an Aboriginal woman. "Questions that I get asked? How many dads do you have for your children?"
Pelletier has overcome her own feelings of inferiority by seeking a higher education. She wants her clients to attain the same self-worth.
"When I'm walking into the room, you know I'm walking into the room. You know that I have presence. And it's because I'm sure of myself. I have a good sense of self."


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In the popular Dundarave area of West Vancouver, so far this June we have seen 3 homes sold. There have been 9 new listings in June, with a total of 25 active listings in Dundarave.
Stay tuned for weekly updates on the Listings and Sales in Dundarave, West Vancouver Real Estate!

subset: commoncrawl


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Litigation Attorney Mitchell Herr sat down with Practical Law for a Q&A session where he discusses his current work and key legal developments in the litigation practice area.
"In addition to staying current in their specialty areas of practice, supervising litigation attorneys must stay on top of the latest e-discovery technologies (such as computer-assisted document review tools), explore staffing alternatives (such as using contract or offshore document reviewers), and effectively design and actively manage their e-discovery efforts.
Please note that email communications to the firm through this website do not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the firm. Do not send any privileged or confidential information to the firm through this website. Click "accept" below to confirm that you have read and understand this notice.


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Sunnylife Baking Kit Sweet Tooth
Bake it till you make it and whip up a storm. Cultivate a little cake culture with the Sweet Tooth Baking Kit.
Sunnylife Baking Kit Sweet Tooth
- Set includes x1 cupcake mould, x1 spatula, x1 cookie cutter and x1 chocolate tray.
- Silicone elements are dishwasher, microwave, freezer and oven safe.
- BPA Free
- Suitable for ages 12+


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Vapes are awesome – discreet, easy to carry, kind of futuristic. But they still got a few kinks to work out. Vaping uses cannabis and vegetable glycerine with flavoring in an e-cigarette format. The problem with this method is getting the oil to combine with the glycerine. Glycerine is a water-soluble substance, which is used in all electronic cigarettes, and it is necessary to stimulate the same feel you get when smoking.
Without any additives, cannabis and glycerine will not mix together and the oil will separate. Vape companies have stated that they have found a great way to get these chemicals to bond together, but when you take a look at the substance they are testing, you'll find that it is harmful when it comes into contact with your skin. While many think of vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, these chemicals are also quite dangerous.
Though some industries are using PG or propylene glycol to make the substances bind, this won't work very well, because it is a water bonder and not an oil bonder. Even though there is currently a lot of interest in the cannabis vapour market, it has a long way to go before vapes are as safe and practical as they ought to be.


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The UL Lafayette AmeriCorps motto is "building civic responsibility and leadership skills in college students through service." Members will engage over 100 at-risk students in in-school and after school programming during the school year at JW Faulk and New Hope Tutoring and provide housing services to over 40 low income residents.
Vanessa Adamson, Program Director
Tiffany Segura, Assistant Director
P.O. Box 43689
Lafayette, LA 70504-2611
Phone: (337) 262-1360
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://service.louisiana.edu/americorps
Facebook: AmeriCorps UL Lafayette
Twitter: @ULAmeriCorps


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'customizations'.
Found 1 result
Uniforms, camouflage, patches etc.
Andre98 posted a topic in Design Ideas & SuggestionsThis one is more detail. But it would be nice if the uniforms would look more like the real ones. Multicam, flecktarn, tropemtarn, woodland etc. And more unit patches. German KSM, German, units, polish infantry units, US units etc


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About the Property
Disney on your Doorstep is just a charming, relaxing, and feel at home, kind of home... you know when you're sitting by the pool and the kids are having a ball, that you've picked the right spot.... our, wonderful 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom vacation home with private pool, spa & Game room in the exclusive neighborhood of Indian Creek. Our neighborhood boasts community, sidewalks, play areas, tennis courts, and a jogging/walking track circuit. You will enjoy the open spacious floor plan in our home, and the friendliness of our neighborhood.
We are pet friendly and we welcome pets in our home. We also have a local pet sitters who will come in and take care of your pets during your stay to make your pets vacation as much fun as your families.
With a private, south facing pool and built in spa, our spacious, beautifully decorated home is furnished with quality in mind. We offer high quality home for a truly affordable vacation. We have added a wide range of personal touches to provide you with everything you could possibly need for a completely relaxing, vacation.
Amenities Include:
New AC and Furnace inside and out!!! Stay cool this summer with a great new system!!
New Gas BBQ Grill added as well!!
Ceiling fans in all the rooms!!
Wheel Chair accessible shower and ramps at the front door and to the pool area.
King Master Bedroom with Garden tub and walk in Closet New Pillow top mattress
King Master Bedroom with private full bath New Pillow top mattress
Queen bedroom with bathroom next to the bedroom
1 Mickey/ Dalmatian Themed Twin bedroom
1 Beautifully decorated Twin bedroom
There are New Flat Screen Cable TV 's in most of the bedrooms.
Large Living Room with 50 inch HD TV, Blue Ray DVD
Xbox with Games
Stereo System,
Dining room with ample seating
Fully equipped kitchen plenty of plates, glasses and supplies!
Game room with a pool table and air hockey
Private pool with built in spa oversized pool deck 5 sun loungers and 2 tables and chairs all in comfortable palm casual furniture.
All linens and towels are provided with our home again we have more towels and linens than your average home.
We have tasteful Disney décor throughout the home just to keep the Magic with you.
You wont find a more relaxed and comfy home than this home! Close to everything and so quiet!
Area Info
Using a shortcut to Disney, Disney on your Doorstep is just 4 miles away from all of the Magic of Disney - This will save you a lot of time to enjoy your vacation instead spending it in traffic. We're so close, you can take and afternoon break back at the home and enjoy a nap or a dip in the pool, then return to the parks in the evenings to watch the fireworks.
We want you to enjoy all the fun and extra amenities our home has to offer and believe you will enjoy our home as much as we do. Let Disney on your Doorstep to be your Disney home away from home today
Why FloridaRentals.com?
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No booking or service fees
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Florida's #1 vacation rental site
We're the experts
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
|Min Stay
Jan 01 2020 - Dec 31 2020
|5 nights
Cleaning Fee: $130
Damage Deposit: $400
Pet Fee: $175
Pool and Spa Heat: $210
Tax Rate: 13%
Cancellation Policy
Canceled bookings will not receive a refund
Last updated on September 02, 2020
Owner Info
Speaks: Dutch, English
Calendar last updated: September 02, 2020
Home away from Home
This was our second year staying at this home. The owner and management - Karen - are fantastic to work with. Lots of linens and pool towels, exceptionally clean, a an immediate feeling of home!!! This years trip ended earlier due to being Canadian and the Corona virus and Karen and owners still worked with us and wanted to make sure we had what we needed and wanted to make sure we got home safely. Can't wait to come back soon!!!!
Stayed: March 2020Submitted: March 25, 2020
Contact Owner


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Introduction: Subaru BRZ Footwell Light Controller
I purchased a 2017 Subaru BRZ ...
The Subaru BRZ is a fun and affordable sports car that seems to have a pretty big aftermarket following. Every day it puts a smile on my face, and no, Subaru is not paying me. While underpowered, it hugs the road like superglue and steers with the resolution of an electron microscope. It comfortably earned its keep amongst a bunch of Dodge Vipers at a recent car rally I attended.
I wanted the under-dash footwell illumination option ...
There aren't a lot of options -- these cars are pretty "loaded" with features, especially if you purchase the "Limited" trim. One of them is lighting under the steering wheel and glove box at night -- a blue or red glow.
But it was not available, and for good reason ...
Few if any dealers offer that option. My guess is that there's a good reason for this -- the illumination is always on at 100% intensity whenever the headlights are on. Instead of providing a pleasant and classy touch, this quickly becomes annoying.
So I installed the OEM kit, but with a twist ...
I solved the problem by purchasing the OEM kit myself (turns out it is a dealer-installable option, apparently meaning that it's not installed at the factory) and adding a simple controller box.
About the OEM kit ...
The OEM kit part number from Subaru for the BRZ is H701SCA100 (blue); it's also available in red. The cost is about $130, and includes a wire harness, two LED modules, and some minor hardware. It does not come with instructions; you'll have to download that from the Subaru web site at https://stis.subaru.com/index.html (Subaru Technical Information System). You do not need a subscription to download the PDF.
An alternate (simpler) solution ...
I have heard of other people solving the always-on problem by simply connecting the LEDs to the dome light. That way, they'll follow whatever the dome light does, including a 2-sec dim sequence, coming on when the doors are opened, etc -- pretty much what you want. The other advantage is that it's MUCH EASIER to install that way, because it turns out it's easy to route the wires across the top window edge and then down the A-pillar on the passenger (or both!) side(s). By the time I found out, I was already well into this project, and anyway, I wanted to do something a little bit more customized.
So I made a Delay & Dim controller ...
When the car headlights go from off to on, the controller keeps the floor lights on at 100% for 2 minutes, then takes about 2-3 seconds to dim them to about 10%, and they then stay that way "forever" until the car headlights go off. Whenever the headlights are off, the floor lights are off. The 2-minute delay, the dim rate, and the 10%-dimmed-level can be set as desired before installation but can't be adjusted afterward.
The controller is analog ...
This is a simple 555 timer-based circuit straight from 1975. True, nowadays few would take such a low-tech approach. One would use a microcontroller; I like the Atmel ATtiny10 or ATtiny102 for this kind of application. But I felt like doing this one project all-analog because this way:
- There is no chance of RF interference with the radio, which is very close by.
- No chance of PWM strobing / flicker. This drives me nuts, especially anywhere in an automotive environment. No doubt that would be the way I'd have to control the dimming, and these lights are in your peripheral field of vision, where your eyes have very fast response time. (The D/A output on most micros would probably be the way to go.)
- I'd have to add extra parts to a micro / Basic Stamp / Arduino anyway, to be sure that there wouldn't be a problem with chips wanting less than 12V Vcc and conditioning RESET in the abusive power on-off-on start/ramp environment of a car.
So hold your flames :-) -- If I were making this as a sellable product, of course I would use a microcontroller!
Step 1: Overall Tips for Installation
- Budget an entire day for this if you are relying on daylight.
- It will take 2 people to remove and replace the radio because it's heavy, awkward, has 6-8 connectors, and has a front touch screen that you don't want to damage.
- The hardest part is disconnecting (and reconnecting -- be sure it clicks!) the connector that plugs into the back of the clock/hazard panel; this has to be done backwards in a mirror. All Subaru connectors have a tab to push in to release them (in the clock/hazard case, the tab is facing down), and Subaru loves to make them require about 30 pounds of force.
- Tether your tools so you don't drop them down the hole.
- Follow the instructions -- Disconnect the battery! Do not skip this step. I've heard of people blowing up the body computer, etc. Now, it's possible those are just unlucky ones who short things to ground with metal tools, but why risk it. And who knows what trickle power is going in/out of that radio, which goes to body stuff, the camera, the microphone, active antennas, etc. Just disconnect the battery. About the only thing you'll have tor reset is the clock and one or two cluster indicator prefs. All radio settings are kept. When reconnecting the battery, be very careful you tighten it enough! Try gently to rotate it on its post using its ground bracket as a lever arm -- it should not move.
Step 2: Overall Comments About Construction
- Making the controller board requires an intermediate level of skill with electronics assembly. (If I get around to posting a PC board then it will of course be easier.)
- It look me about 2 evenings to do/debug the design.
- It took me about 6 evenings to build the board (point to point wiring on a perfboard).
- I used digikey.com and mouser.com for parts -- it's a good idea to get several of everything and ranges of adjustables like resistors. Also note that today's electrolytic capacitors, even at 1000uF/16v are quite small (5x10mm-ish); old ones would have been huge.
- Required beyond parts: Soldering iron/solder/[flux]/[solder sucker], electronics wire cutters/pliers/screwdrivers/tweezers, electronics shrink tubing, electronics multimeter, electronics lab power supply, aligator/test clips, electronics white protoboard.
- Scrap acrylic for enclosure box (the box you see in the pictures was constructed by my father -- thanks Dad!) or you can get a box along with getting the electronic parts. But annoyingly, the 2.5"x2.5"x1" size of my board was pretty much impossible get a good-fitting project-box enclosure for.
Step 3: Order the OEM Footwell Light Kit
Order the OEM footwell light kit and download the instructions.
As mentioned above, the OEM kit part number from Subaru for the BRZ is H701SCA100 (blue); it's also available in red.
The cost is about $130, and includes a wire harness, two LED modules, and some minor hardware.
It does not come with instructions; you'll have to download that from the Subaru web site at https://stis.subaru.com/index.html (Subaru Technical Information System); you do not need a subscription to download the PDF.
I just searched for it and there were several aftermarket places (or were they dealers?) that sell them, but it's easier to just go to any local Subaru dealer's parts counter and have them order it for you.
What you get is not that impressive; in fact, you could use your own LEDs and it would be just as good, or better. The thing you need, though, is that harness with those connectors.
Step 4: Prototype / Debug the Controller Circuit
OK, so here is the simple microcontroller-less circuit. Also here is the schematic entered (only entered so far) into Eagle CAD. Disclaimer: I am not a EE; I only play one on Instructables. I have no doubt there are better/cheaper/easier ways to do this. Some stuff like that MOV is simply superfluous -- I just liked the way it looked. Components can be rather pretty sometimes. The (very low amperage) fuse is a hedge against a short by me. Subaru, I have heard, is not aways so great about fusing against damaging computer boxes in the car. For example, apparently it is possible to blow up the body computer (symptom: door lights stay on) by shorting the dome light when it's on, so never use metal tools if you're in there; better yet, disconnect the car battery, overkill as that may seem.
There are 3 main parts to the controller circuit: A timer, a voltage divider, and an amplifier/driver.
The amplifier/driver is not really needed here, because we're feeding LEDs that only take about 20mA between both of them at 100% brightness. But I was trying to solve a problem: The OEM kit's LEDs module manufacturing tolerances must not be great, because one was slightly brighter than the other. That drove me nuts, so I wanted to fix that, which led me to driving them both independently. By the way, with transistors like that, we could drive much brighter lights or even incandescents at, say 60mA each (even more if you use 2N2222 transistors instead) -- so if that's what you want, go ahead and replace the OEM kit LED modules. They're not all that great anyway. While we're on the topic of power budgets: The circuit in the 100% state takes about 22mA total; in the dimmed state (for me 10%), it's about 8mA total.
The timer and voltage divider both feed into the amp, and both have a "say" in how bright the lights are.
A) The voltage divider says "make it very dim, about 10% or so".
B) The timer says "make it 100% bright because I'm giving 100% +12V for a while, until I'll give 0% when the timer runs out" and "I'll run myself (the timer) only once on power-up of the entire circuit".
C) The one little additional trick is that there's a capacitor of 1000uF hanging on the output of (B), so that, when (B) turns OFF (LOW), its input to the mixer doesn't drop immediately, but drains over the course of a few seconds. This causes a GRADUAL dimming for a few seconds, rather than abrupt. It also causes the turn-*on* to ramp up over a time of about 1 second, also a classy touch.
The sum total effect is: It will be 100% for a while and then smoothly dim to 10%.
Part (A) is done with: Simply a 10K potentiometer variable resistor. The 27K resistor before it is just to set the scale a bit better.
Part (B) is done with: A timer, using a 555 timer chip, in its one-shot mode, taken straight from the 555's Wikipedia page or the spec sheets it references, The chip is configured into this mode by the way pins 4, 5, 6, and 7 are wired. The one-shot mode makes the output (pin 3) go logic HIGH (nearly +12V in this case) for a set amount of time, and then will drop to logic LOW (nearly 0V or ground) when the time is up. The timer starts when TRIGGER is brought from HIGH to LOW and back to HIGH again (it's like another reset input). The amount of time is set by resistor/capacitor (RC) network connected to the DIS/THR (discharge/threshold) inputs. The RC combination of the 1000uF capacitor and the 100K potentiometer (variable resistor) is adjusted for 2 minutes or whatever you like; the 555 is stable even at multi-minute lengths of time, regardless of supply voltage and temperature. About 3 minutes seems to be a practical limit with commonly-available capacitors. If you need more, use a microcontroller.
One thing about this -- and this "little" thing is the peskiest part of this -- is how to tell the 555 to "start".
That's what that stuff connected to pin 2 (TRIGGER) is all about. Those few components are to hold pin 2 LOW for about 0.1 second. That's done by that 6.8uF capacitor charging up -- while an electrolytic capacitor is charging, it is a short circuit, until it is charged (e.g. that's what causes that speaker "pop" you often hear when turning on older power audio amplifiers).
Step 5: Build the Controller on a Board
After prototyping/debugging, you'll want to build the controller on a permanent board. I'll see if I can post a better schematic and maybe a PCB layout. I, myself, just used a Schmartboard (which was interesting, as some traces are connected in a pattern).
Step 6: Modify the OEM-Kit Wiring Harness
When you get the OEM kit, you'll have to modify the cable harness. The OEM kit harness is a simple power tap that's an "insert" between the clock/hazard control panel. The harness has two long wires to go to the left and right lights.
Rather than sending power to both sides directly, we want the controller box in between. So the harness needs to be cut so that instead, the "insert" harness feeds our controller box with 12V, and that our box then feeds the two lights.
I put Molex connectors on the modified harness and on my controller box, but that was because I didn't know what to expect during the installation. You can probably just wire everything to your box directly; there is tons of room inside the dash behind the radio.
Step 7: Test on Your Bench
Unfortunately, you will not easily be able to adjust the timing settings, etc, once it's installed into the car, and, anyway, you should have the car battery disconnected as per Subaru's instructions. So you'll want to test the whole setup as closely to the real thing as possible. This means plugging in the actual kit's LEDs and simulating powering on/off/on/off/abuse/that/way with a 12V source on your bench. Bonus points for flipping the power switch on a lab power supply that drops the voltage slowly and comes up slowly, so that you can test to be sure the 555 comes out of reset each time (and you're not stuck with the circuit not working correctly sometimes). Remember that a car when starting is a weird and harsh power environment. On the plus side, it seems that the Subaru's power at the clock panel is pretty good about that.
Step 8: Install in Car: Remove Radio
- Be sure the car battery is disconnected (and wait a few minutes).
- Put tape in places to prevent damage from your prying tools.
- Consider tethering your tools and using magnetized screwdrivers so you can't lose/drop tools or fasteners down any holes. Sometimes a drop of axle grease can hold a fastener in place as it's being guided.
- Remove passenger side pad above glove box. The only reason for this is access to the top right corner of the radio bezel (at top left of the pad) for prying. Put in a safe place; the dashboard is a good place.
- Remove radio bezel. It's only snap clips. Lotta force. Put in safe place; the dashboard or back seat is a good place. It's somewhat fragile.
- Unscrew radio. Two machine screws. Put them somewhere safe -- I always use my back pockets; you can also get little magnetic containers for this purpose at auto stores. Losing them is completely unnecessary, as is dropping your tools down the hole; don't do either one, not with skill, but with preparation.
- The radio won't drop -- it slides out on rails.
- Remove radio with 2 people, disconnecting cables as you go.The connectors won't disengage unless their tabs are pushed in -- IIRC, one of the connectors has 2 tabs. Careful with the fragile RF coax connectors (circular-ish, blue) -- handle by connectors only and don't slip your fingers off onto/don't pull at the cables.
- Put radio somewhere safe. The back seat is a decent place. Protect the screen with something soft.
Step 9: Install in Car: Unplug the Clock/hazard Connector
This is by far the hardest step, and it will take an inordinate amount of time. Or maybe you'll get lucky.
Visualize the connector just behind the clock. I just could not figure out what was going on until I used a mirror (see picture).
The white connector on the end of the cable harness plugs into the panel at the panel's rear side (that is, the side toward the front of the car), and "points" toward you = toward the back of the car. Even though you might think of the connector on the harness as male and the panel as female, the fact is that the connector-with-pins is on the one with the panel. I say this only to alert you to be careful to not foul/bend those pins! They're pretty robust, but be careful anyway.
The connectors won't disengage unless the tab is pushed in. For this connector, the tab is at the BOTTOM (facing down).
I like to tether my tools to be sure I won't drop them down any holes.
Step 10: Install in Car: Install Controller Box
There is tons of room; you'll have no problem finding a place. Remember where the radio will go; remember to dress your cables against rattle; remember to pad your box against rattle.
"Installation is in the reverse order of disassembly." :-)
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4 Discussions
Great work! Want to add foot-well lighting, but don't want to spend $130; I like your customization, but that's way over my head. Do you recall which pins the yellow (pwr) & black (gnd) connect to on the hazard/clock unit?
I don't, unfortunately. But it is very obvious if you get the harness from the kit (which of course doesn't help you as you're not getting it). And the problem is that you can't test it easily, either (e.g. by using a voltmeter and testing the pins), with the battery disconnected. Also, without the kit-supplied harness with its two connectors, how are you gonna tap into the car to get the +12V when the lights are on? Another way would be to probe the various wires in there, but that's hit-and-miss plus you're gonna be somewhat damaging the wires by sticking needles in wires. Really: Just spend $130, it's not worth the headache otherwise, LOL.
Or, why don't you just do this: Buy two red/blue/white/whatever LEDs from wherever, add a series resistor inline for each LED (resistor like 1K-ohm to 10K-ohm to your liking; remember that you need to drop 12V down to much less than 2V else you'll blow up the LED and possibly blow a fuse or even damage something in the car). Also careful about LEDs is that polarity matters. (I could tell you how to hedge your bet against this with a rectifier bridge, but it looks like you want to stay away from too much electronics.)
Then wire both LEDs to your dome light. (CAREFUL: if car battery is connected, do NOT work in the dome light receptacle with metal tools. If you short the the dome light (easy to do), you get to have your dealer install a new body computer for $600-ish. Just disconnect your battery.)
I *think* it's easy to route your wires down the A-pillar on the passenger side. You could then daisy-chain to the driver's side, probably without pulling out the radio or anything.
That way:
You don't have to disassemble anything in your dash
You arguably get a better operational result than even me
You have full choice of what kind of LED
The only con is that you'll have to make a little bracket or something to hold your LEDs pointed straight down. I'm imagining a piece of plexiglass with some holes.
Nice! The thoroughness and detail is something I'd like to see in many other Instructables.
Great first Instructable. You should enter this into the First Time Authors contest.


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Cristina has worked in the nonprofit sector for the past 25 years. She spent 15 years with 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and 10 years with 501(c)(6) trade associations. A native Floridian, she attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned her master's in Nonprofit Management and bachelor's in Advertising and Public Relations. She is a Certified Association Executive with the American Society of Association Executives.
She recently relocated to Tigard, OR with her husband and fur babies. A tree enthusiast, she loves being outside to hike and just spend quiet time in nature. She is excited to be joining Team PNW-ISA and looks forward to learning more about the amazing trees that inhabit the Pacific Northwest region.
Contact Information
Phone: (470) 241-8192
To email Cristina, click on this link.


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Words. They fail me these days. My "scheduled blog post" folder is empty and I'm struggling to write new content, to post on social media, to be involved with any sort of online work. Every time I sit down to write, I find myself pushing the computer away. I don't want to be there. I just don't.
Instead, I find myself longing for open spaces in the great outdoors. I want to sit in the sunlight and watch daisies be blown about by the summer breeze. I want to feel the exhilaration that comes from standing on a mountaintop I've just conquered. I want to sprawl out on a blanket underneath the evening sky and count the stars, to wake up beside my man and have no where to go, nothing to do.
The past year was intense, has been both extremely rewarding and exhausting. And now something inside of me is crying out for refreshment. I realized its time to heed that cry. So if you're wondering where I am or why the blog is silent for a time, just know that I'm out there somewhere, recharging and refreshing my soul.
I might be harvesting cherries until my fingers are stained redder still, or I may have disappeared on the lakes and rivers, with no intent of returning until I feel ready to return. I may be rock climbing, camping or fishing. Perhaps I'll be snug-like in my internet free home, baking, putting things in order, watching a movie or simply sitting and gazing out a window.
I'll be back.
But right now, I need change and life is urging me to recharge. Recharge, I shall.
You may not see me posting on FB or the blog, but I promise I'll keep sending out my bi-weekly "letters." If you're not signed up to get these emails, you can do so on the form below. Sharing photos and writing newsy letters is easy, so keep it up, I shall.
See you later!


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OBJECTIVES: Study objectives included addressing overuse of Clostridium difficile laboratory testing by decreasing submission rates of nondiarrheal stool specimens and specimens from children ≤12 months of age and determining resultant patient and laboratory cost savings associated with decreased testing.
METHODS: A multifaceted initiative was developed, and components included multiple provider education methods, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic declination from laboratory on testing stool specimens of nondiarrheal consistency and from children ≤12 months old. A run chart, demonstrating numbers of nondiarrheal plus infant stool specimens submitted over time, was developed to analyze the initiative's impact on clinicians' test-ordering practices. A p-chart was generated to evaluate the percentage of these submitted specimens tested biweekly over a 12-month period. Cost savings for patients and the laboratory were assessed at the study period's conclusion.
RESULTS: Run chart analysis revealed an initial shift after the interventions, suggesting a temporary decrease in testing submission; however, no sustained differences in numbers of specimens submitted biweekly were observed over time. On the p-chart, the mean percentage of specimens tested before the intervention was 100%. After the intervention, the average percentage of specimens tested dropped to 53.8%. Resultant laboratory cost savings totaled nearly $3600, and patient savings on testing charges were ∼$32 000.
CONCLUSIONS: Automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stools submitted for CDI testing resulted in a sustained decrease in the number of specimens tested, resulting in significant laboratory and patient cost savings. Despite multiple educational efforts, no sustained changes in physician ordering practices were observed.
The diagnosis of pediatric Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased over the past 10 to 20 years and has been associated with increased health care costs.1–3 Despite a recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement outlining appropriate indications for pediatric CDI testing, a significant number of institutions have few restrictions on testing.4,5 The American Academy of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines recommend against CDI testing of nondiarrheal stool (formed or soft stool consistency, per visual inspection) specimens.4,6
This recommendation is based in part on the statistical principle of a positive test result (in this situation, a positive test result for CDI) demonstrating poor predictive utility in the presence of a low pretest probability.7 For diagnosis of pediatric CDI, low prevalence rates of disease in children, when combined with the known sensitivities and specificities of testing methods such as stool enzyme immunoassay, lead to a poor positive predictive value for this testing method.4 Newer testing techniques, such as nucleic acid–based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for C. difficile strains that harbor toxin-producing genes, are highly sensitive and specific yet are plagued by the inability to differentiate asymptomatic colonization from symptomatic CDI.8,9 For the pediatric population, in whom rates of asymptomatic C. difficile colonization (particularly in infants ≤12 months of age) can be elevated4 and in whom gastroenteritis caused by etiologies other than C. difficile (eg, adenoviruses, noroviruses, and rotaviruses10) is exceedingly more common, close adherence to published recommendations for appropriate testing is therefore extremely important.
Before development of this quality improvement (QI) initiative, the Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH) microbiology laboratory began recording the consistency of stool specimens submitted for CDI testing in November 2010. This study was initiated after microbiology laboratory personnel data review revealed that nondiarrheal stools (soft or formed) were frequently being submitted for CDI testing. In this study, we sought to work closely with the microbiology laboratory to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of a multifaceted QI initiative, designed to reduce overuse of pediatric CDI testing at CMH. Reduction of testing overuse was facilitated by accomplishment of our primary aim: reducing rates of nondiarrheal specimens and those from infants ≤12 months old both submitted and tested for CDI (from both inpatients and outpatients, although baseline data review revealed that a majority of specimens were submitted from inpatients). Our secondary aim included calculation of cost savings resulting from the intervention. Before the implementation of the initiative, there was no routine process to notify the ordering physician that a nondiarrheal stool had been submitted for testing, and the study aimed to address this problem as well.
Study Design
The CMH system, located in Kansas City, Missouri, includes a 302-bed tertiary hospital, a 53-bed satellite facility, and outpatient primary and subspecialty clinics. The system's main hospital campus serves as the primary training site for 72 categorical pediatrics resident physicians and 24 combined internal medicine and pediatrics residents. The multidisciplinary team included members of the Infectious Diseases Division, the microbiology laboratory director, the director of the Gastroenterology Division, members of the Quality and Safety Department, and the CMH Medical Informatics Committee. Laboratory testing for CDI at CMH throughout the study period entailed testing stool specimens for the presence of both glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen (Ag), an enzyme produced by both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of C. difficile, and C. difficile toxin antigen (toxin Ag). Reflex PCR testing for C. difficile toxin–producing gene was performed on specimens testing positive for GDH Ag but negative for toxin Ag, to optimize testing sensitivity.8
Planning the Intervention
Multiple formative discussions were held between the microbiology laboratory director and members of the Infectious Diseases Division. Active input was subsequently sought from the director of the Gastroenterology Division, after analysis of preexisting laboratory data, which revealed that a majority of specimens submitted for CDI testing were directly ordered either by gastroenterology or by hospital medicine physicians at the behest of consulting gastroenterology physicians. Review of the existing literature on indications for pediatric CDI testing and additional collaboration between the aforementioned parties resulted in development of the intervention's educational components and the proposed plan for modification of computerized order entry for CDI and automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stool specimens submitted for testing.
Multidisciplinary team attendance at monthly meetings of the CMH Quality and Safety Department, as well as the CMH Medical Informatics Committee, allowed widespread dissemination of educational materials and formulation of computerized order entry changes according to team specifications.
Tested nondiarrheal stool specimens obtained from patients >12 months old, in whom concern existed for toxic megacolon or severe ileus, were not included in the study analysis (as per review of medical record documentation before the intervention, n = 2, and as indicated by computerized order entry documentation after the intervention, n = 2). All other specimens tested during the study that were either nondiarrheal in consistency or from patients ≤12 months old were also stratified by testing result (positive or negative). After the intervention, ordering clinicians could choose to override the automatic declination by contacting the clinical microbiology laboratory within 24 hours of test declination. In certain circumstances as deemed necessary by laboratory personnel, subsequent clinical microbiology discussion with the Infectious Diseases Division (regarding the appropriateness of testing) occurred before an order of automatic declination could be overridden.
The initiative involved development and simultaneous implementation of several intervention components. Educational facets included teaching pediatric residents through a didactic lecture, because review of baseline data revealed that ∼30% of all nondiarrheal specimens testing positive for CDI were ordered by resident physicians. Education of CMH-affiliated providers was facilitated by publication of an article in a monthly hospital-based newsletter that outlined clinical features, risk factors, and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of CDI. Most importantly, an evidence-based algorithm was developed to optimize CDI test ordering. The algorithm was made available on the hospital's clinical practice guidelines Web site (https://www.childrensmercy.org/Health_Care_Professionals/Medical_Resources/Clinical_Practice_Guidelines/Clostridium_Difficile/Clostridium_Difficile/).
The second component involved development of computerized order entry modifications for CDI testing, including mandatory completion of 2 additional fields before submission that included whether the patient age was ≤12 months and whether the clinician suspected toxic megacolon or the patient had evidence of severe ileus. The requirement of having the ordering clinician enter the patient's age as part of the order entry process was instituted to facilitate automatic laboratory declination of specimens submitted from patients ≤12 months old, given the increased prevalence of asymptomatic C. difficile colonization in this age group.4 Because the clinician was prompted to indicate whether toxic megacolon or severe ileus was suspected, the laboratory was notified that a submitted specimen needed to be tested, even if it was of a nonliquid consistency (because toxic megacolon and severe ileus, which occur in <2% of children with CDI, are the only clinical scenarios for which testing of nonliquid specimens should be performed).1,6
Finally, automatic laboratory declination was implemented for nondiarrheal stools submitted for testing, unless severe ileus was present or toxic megacolon was suspected. Automatic declination was communicated to submitting providers by laboratory posting of a comment in the patient's electronic medical record, which stated, "Test not performed. Non-liquid stool is not acceptable for testing. Notify lab within 24 hours if testing is clinically warranted."
The evidence-based algorithm, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stool submissions were all implemented on April 15, 2013. The educational lecture and the newsletter article occurred on April 10, 2013 and upon publication of the March/April newsletter issue, respectively.
Submitted specimens were stratified according to patient age at the time of specimen submission (ie, ≤12 months vs >12 months). Specimens submitted from infants ≤12 months of age were automatically declined throughout the study period, unless the ordering clinician contacted the clinical microbiology laboratory.
Project Measures
This study's primary process measure was the percentage of stool specimens submitted for CDI testing over time that were either nondiarrheal or from children ≤12 months old, while the primary outcome measure was the number of these stool specimens tested for C. difficile.
Data Collection
Data were collected and recorded in 2-week time periods over a 12-month duration (October 15, 2012 to October 15, 2013) and included specimen numbers submitted for testing and numbers of specimens actually tested.
By using QI Macros for Excel software (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA), we created a run chart to track the number of specimens submitted on a biweekly basis over the study period. A p-chart was also generated, to demonstrate the percentage of tests performed on a biweekly basis (relative to those submitted for testing) during the study period.
Laboratory cost savings were calculated from costs incurred for both materials and labor needed to perform testing in 2013. GDH Ag plus toxin Ag cost per test was $12.46, whereas the cost of performing 1 C. difficile toxin gene PCR test at the reference laboratory was $45.00 per test. Cost of PCR testing was not included in the analysis, because this reflex step was avoided by automatic nondiarrheal stool testing declination after the intervention. Laboratory technician time cost was determined to be $4.00 per test, based on time needed to perform 1 test (estimated to be 10 minutes).
Patient savings on testing charges were calculated from unadjusted (ie, before insurance authorization) 2013 CMH charge data and included a GDH Ag plus toxin Ag charge of $147.00 per test. Toxin gene PCR charges (not included in the analysis) were $137.00 per test.
During the baseline period of the study (October 15, 2012–April 14, 2013), 534 specimens were submitted, including 21 (4%) from children ≤12 months old. Of the 513 specimens obtained from children >12 months old, 318 (62%) were nondiarrheal. A total of 47 out of 318 (15%) tested positive (ie, either GDH Ag positivity plus toxin Ag positivity or GDH Ag positivity with toxin Ag negativity, plus a positive toxin gene PCR test result). Of 21 specimens submitted from children ≤12 months old, 16 (76%) were tested, with 1 specimen yielding a positive result. With respect to antibiotic therapy receipt, 94% (45 out of 48; 47 nondiarrheal positives plus 1 positive test from a child ≤12 months old) of patients received antibiotic therapy directed against CDI after return of positive testing results.
During the postintervention period (April 15, 2013–October 15, 2013), 485 specimens were submitted, including 11 (2%) from those ≤12 months old and 474 from children >12 months old (Fig 1). A total of 257 out of 474 (54%) tests were performed on specimens obtained from children >12 months old, after automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stool specimens (n = 217; 46%). Of the 257 specimens tested, 62 (24%) were determined to be inappropriate but were tested after ordering clinician discussion with the laboratory. Fifteen (24%) of 62 specimens tested positive. Of the 11 specimens submitted from individuals ≤12 months old, 4 (36%) were tested after clinician discussion with the laboratory, and 1 (9%) specimen tested positive. With respect to antibiotic therapy, 81% (13 out of 16; 15 nondiarrheal positives plus 1 positive test from a child ≤12 months old) of patients received antibiotic therapy directed against CDI after return of positive testing results.
From the date of implementation of the intervention's major components on April 15, 2013 through completion of week 42 of the study period on August 4, 2013, an initial shift, reflecting a decrease in the numbers of specimens submitted on a biweekly basis over time, was detected via run chart analysis. However, subsequent data collected pertaining to nondiarrheal and infant stool specimen submission failed to show a continued shift (Fig 2).
The percentage of tests performed on a biweekly basis (relative to the total numbers of specimens submitted for testing) declined sharply after the intervention (Fig 3).
Between October 15, 2012 and April 14, 2013, a total of 334 tests (318 nondiarrheal specimens and 16 specimens from children ≤12 months old) accounted for $5497.64 in laboratory costs. Corresponding unadjusted patient charges for these tests totaled $49 098.00. From April 15, 2013 to October 15, 2013, a total of 66 tests (performed on 62 nondiarrheal specimens and 4 specimens from children ≤12 months old) accounted for $1086.36 in laboratory costs, with corresponding unadjusted patient charges of $9702.00.
The 217 nondiarrheal specimens automatically declined by the laboratory after the intervention represent laboratory cost savings of $3571.82 and unadjusted patient charge savings totaling $31 899.
Diagnostic guidelines to optimize identification of those with CDI specifically recommend against testing nondiarrheal stools in the absence of toxic megacolon and from infants <12 months of age.4,6 Yet this is a common practice that results in excessive expense and potential exposure to unnecessary antibiotics. For instance, 1 previous study evaluating optimization of CDI testing in adults found that 39% of all CDI testing at the study institution could have been avoided if clinicians had only submitted specimens from patients with both diarrhea and a history of antibiotic use.11 After our intervention, we observed a 45% decrease in the number of specimens tested (217 out of 485 submitted nondiarrheal stool specimens automatically declined by the laboratory and subsequently not tested). Development of an initiative that eliminated testing of nondiarrheal stool specimens resulted in a substantial decline in inappropriate CDI testing, accounting for >$35 000 in overall savings, thus demonstrating a clear financial benefit to optimizing CDI testing. Additionally, laboratory testing costs and patient charge savings are probably underestimated, because automatic declination negated the need for any potential reflex PCR testing in the postintervention period.
This study is limited by the fact that we did not correlate the number of inpatient tests ordered to the inpatient census at the time of testing, which impeded our ability to determine whether the rate of inpatient test ordering changed over time. However, our average patient census was fairly stable throughout the study period and thus is unlikely to have introduced much bias.
Although it appears that there may have been an initial decrease in the frequency of nondiarrheal stool specimens submitted for testing in the postintervention period, a sustained decline in submission of such specimens was not confirmed over time. This observation suggests the need for provision of additional and ongoing feedback and education, rooted in evidence-based practice, and targeted toward the specialties and individual clinicians continuing to consistently demonstrate inappropriate ordering tendencies.
Among the most common reasons given by clinicians for overriding an automatic laboratory declination was that the patient being tested had a concurrent diagnosis ofinflammatory bowel disease and therefore was more likely to have symptomatic CDI, regardless of the submitted stool specimen consistency. Although the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in and of itself has been shown to be a risk factor for development of CDI, rates of colonization with toxigenic strains of C. difficile in this pediatric patient subpopulation may be up to 14% greater than in otherwise healthy children; therefore, application of judicious testing according to published guidelines also applies to this patient population.12,13
Another common indication given by clinicians for overriding an automatic laboratory testing declination was that "it [the stool specimen] was liquid, but it had to be scraped out of a diaper . . . so that's why it appears to be non-liquid." Additional measures to reduce these types of inappropriate specimen submissions might also include timely nursing-to-ordering provider notification, in the event that a diarrheal stool specimen cannot be obtained for CDI testing.
Still other measures that could be undertaken to reduce submission of nondiarrheal specimens could include instructing ordering clinicians to advise parents of pediatric outpatients that if stools subsequently develop a formed consistency, then specimen submission for CDI testing is longer indicated.
Our study highlights the need for judicious pediatric CDI testing and thus treatment according to published guidelines and standards.4,6 Reducing overuse of CDI testing has the potential to improve patient care by reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure in patients with a positive test who do not have symptoms consistent with CDI. Furthermore, this is a good example of financial stewardship in this era in which reduction of unnecessary costs and patient charges are becoming increasingly important. Finally, this study also underscores the importance of active, ongoing collaboration between physicians and microbiology laboratory professionals and the necessity of this partnership for timely institution of hospital policies pertaining to infectious diseases. Development of a hospital-specific, best practice model for appropriate CDI diagnosis and testing is a primary step toward development of a CDI stewardship initiative.14
Several core components of this initiative, including automatic laboratory declination of nondiarrheal stool specimens submitted for testing, computerized order entry modifications, and access to the evidence-based algorithm, have remained in place after the conclusion of this study. A recent increase in clinicians' requesting of testing on automatically rejected specimens has been observed, and the multidisciplinary team is planning additional interventions to address this issue.
We acknowledge Dr Jason Newland for his assistance with development of the figures for this manuscript.
Dr Klatte gathered and analyzed data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; Drs Selvarangan and Jackson contributed to manuscript review and edits; Dr Myers analyzed data, developed figures, and contributed to manuscript review and edits; and all authors contributed to the conceptualization and design of this study and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
FUNDING: No external funding.
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
- Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics


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Tram Ski Bag
If your Dakine luggage gets dirty, we recommend spot cleaning with mild soap (like Nikwax Tech Wash), cold water and a soft bristle brush. Never attempt to put your Dakine luggage in a washing machine. Always ensure your Dakine luggage is dry (inside and out) before storing.
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Holds 1pr skis and 1pr boots, poles and outerwear
- 360° padded ski protection
- Removable padded shoulder strap
- End handle
- #10 YKK lockable main zipper
- Exterior zippered pocket
- Packs down tight for easy storage
Tested & Trusted
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Dakine Tram Ski Bag
Review by Alan C. on 10 Mar 2020 review stating Dakine Tram Ski Bag
I was preparing for a trip to British Columbia in February 2020 when I realized my old bag was at the end of its useful life. Too late to order on line, and no Tram Bags available at nearby ski shops, so I ordered my Tram Ski Bag in anticipation of a 2021 trip. So far the bag looks well made and will meet all my needs for transporting skis and gear. I'll let you know how it is in action in 2021!
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text:
Springburn parkrun, Glasgow
Event number 175
14th October 2017
This week 100 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 11 were first timers and 22 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 15 different clubs took part.
The event was made possible by 11 volunteers:
Clem CLEMENT • Gary SHAW • Graham MCCABE • Bobby GEMMELL • Iain BOYCE • Stacy ROBERTSON • Des HIGHAM • Catherine HIGHAM • Nicola BOYLE • Donna KERR • Craig ROBERTSON
Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Springburn parkrun, Glasgow Results Page.
Male placings:
Robert SIMPSON (SM30-34) of Shettleston Harriers, was first over the line in 15:57 - first appearance.
David MURRAY (SM30-34) of Kirkintilloch Olympians, was second over the line in 16:41.
Graham MCCABE (VM45-49) of Kirkintilloch Olympians, was third over the line in 16:52 - has been first to finish on 61 previous occasions.
Female placings:
Suzanne SHAW (VW40-44) of Kirkintilloch Olympians, was first (14th overall) over the line in 20:42 - 25th time in 45 appearances.
Pauline DOHERTY (VW45-49) of Springburn Harriers, was second (20th overall) over the line in 22:20 - has been first to finish on 9 previous occasions.
Michelle CALLAGHAN (VW45-49) (Unattached) was third (21st overall) over the line in 22:24.
The three highest age grades were recorded by:
Alexander CHISHOLM (VM60-64) – 85.48% for the time 18:56 (6th overall).
Graham MCCABE (VM45-49) – 84.68% for the time 16:52 (third overall).
Robert SIMPSON (SM30-34) – 81.50% for the time 15:57 (first overall).
The female record is held by Michelle SANDISON who recorded a time of 17:58 on 18th February 2017 (event number 141).
The male record is held by Jack HEATHWOOD who recorded a time of 15:49 on 15th July 2017 (event number 162).
The Age Grade course record is held by Jeanette C. CRAIG who recorded 94.93% (22:01) on 28th May 2016 (event number 105).
Springburn parkrun, Glasgow started on 10th May 2014. Since then 2,392 participants have completed 13,399 parkruns covering a total distance of 66,995 km, including 2,626 new Personal Bests.


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However much you try to prepare yourself for it, the weight of a MacBook Air will always surprise you when you pick one up. Even the larger 13.3 inch model is extremely lightweight, and this makes it one of the most portable laptops in the world. Despite the super thin design, Apple have managed to pack in a powerful computer, complete with Intel processors, flash storage up to 256GB, and an almost unbelievable all day battery life.
The 13.3 inch MacBook Air is your perfect companion for work and play on the move. Take it to the office, on vaction, on your business trips, or give it your kids to play with. In any situation, the MacBook Air shines though as the all day, portable solution for your computing needs.


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Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are expected to return to work on Wednesday after the union and the Universities UK (UUK) group reached an agreement over pensions.
Despite over 35 meetings of the Joint Negotiating Committee since the start of 2017, no agreement had been reached before fourteen days of strike action, over four weeks , began on February 22.
The dispute, which has caused ten days of strike thus far, looks to have been finally concluded with a settlement announced on Monday evening, after a week of negotiations.
The two sides have agreed a three-year transitional arrangement, commencing next April, during which both will make higher contributions to pensions.
They will also seek a new valuation of the pension scheme, to inform options once the transitional period ends in 2022.
This is what has come out of the Acas talks between UCU and UUK – https://t.co/fbiRLgoqoN
It is going to members this evening. Our higher education committee and branch representatives are meeting tomorrow to consider it. #USSstrike
— UCU (@ucu) March 12, 2018
The agreement will still have to be ratified at a key meeting of workers in London on Tuesday, however.
If the deal is rejected, strikes are likely to continue.
The Vice-Chancellor receives a formidable reception prior to a meeting with students regarding changes to staff pensions
Posted by The Gryphon on Friday, March 9, 2018
A number of commentators on Twitter have criticised the agreement, with many calling for the UCU to reject it.
I refuse to: pay more for the next 3 years, for a lower salary cap, with 4.5% of contributions used to pay down a deficit which doesn't exist, to reschedule teaching with no pay, in exchange for weaker DBs and just kicking the can down the road. @ucu @ucustandrews Clear enough?
— Natasha Saunders (@NEGSaunders) March 12, 2018
Over 64 institutions have taken part in the strike over UUK's plans to end the defined benefit element of the UCU members' pension scheme. UUK had stated that is was necessary to eliminate a £6.1bn deficit in the Universities Superannuation Scheme, one of the UK's largest pension funds.
The change would mean that final pensions would depend on investment performance, rather than contributions. This had been described by Students Union UCL as staff's financial security depending "entirely on stock market gambling by fund managers".
Analysis by independent experts First Actuarial has suggested that this switch could leave staff £200,000 worse off over the course of their pension.
The University of Leeds also threatened a 25% dock in pay for UCU members observing Action Short of a Strike, which includes staff failing to rearrange lectures missed during strike action. This comes on top of expected strike deductions.
UCU have encouraged members to reschedule classes missed by the industrial action. Assuming academics return to work on Wednesday, 11 days of work will have been lost.
Both sides have not commented, apart from an official statement regarding the agreement.
Both the UCU and UUK been contacted for comment.
More to follow.
Jonny Chard
(Images: Silvia Blanco Tejerina)


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Welcome to the Inner Wheel Club of Edgbaston Convention
About the Club:
We were chartered in 1985 and at present there are 13 members
Club Officers for 2019/20:
President Chris Pile
Vice-President Daphne Fowler
Treasurer Janet Tomlinson
Secretary Daphne Fowler
Club Correspondent Gay Bligh
Club Int. Serv. Anita Tippin
Club voting delegates Chris Pile and Diane Aspinall
Club Meeting Date:
The Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month, except in August
Club Meeting Time:
7.00pm for 7.30pm start
Club Meeting Place:
The Eaton Hotel, Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 9NB
Programme 2019/20
14 August - Club meeting:
Speaker, Louise Tomlinson. Volunteer with St. John's Ambulance
01 September Extravaganza – Botanical Gardens, Birmingham – cakes, vegetables, fruit, preserves, etc.
11 September - Club Business Meeting:
Visit of District Chairman Claire Mangan
20-22 September Visit by Edgbaston Rotary Club to Hanau Rotary Club, Germany
09 October - Club meeting:
Speaker, Debbie Douglas from Breast Friends (Chris's Charity)
04 October District 6 Rally at Henley in Arden Golf Club, Birmingham Road, B95 5QA.
13 November - Club meeting:
Speaker from Wicks of Water Orton, candle makers. Bring a friend who might be a potential new member.
20 November - Margarette Golding's Birthday
21 November - 10.30am District 6 Committee Meeting with lunch
04 December
Club Christmas Meeting:
Go out for visit/lunch, to be decided where.
08 January - Club business meeting:
Donations for Crisis Centre to be collected to mark Inner Wheel Day
12 February - Club meeting:
International Service Speaker
08 March - International Women's Day
11 March - Club 'Mini' business meeting with elections for club officers
19 March - District 6 Committee Meeting with dinner
08 April - Club meeting
27-29 April - Association Conference, Belfast
13 May - Club meeting
14 May - District 6 International Service Rally at Henley-in-Arden Golf Club
10 June - Club AGM and Handover
11 June - District 6 Committee Meeting and AGM
18 June - Alternative Ascot Day at Nailcote Hall
Club President's Charity: Breast Friends Solihull
Club Community Service: Central Food Bank
More Information If you would like to come to one of our meetings we would give you a very warm welcome – please get in touch with us via the Contact Page
The District 6 International Charity is the International Aid Trust - find out more on our International page.
The National President, Enid Law, has chosen Riding for the Disabled for her charity.
The International President, Dr Bina Vyas has chosen 'Lead the Change' as her theme for 2020-21


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In an initiative, WWF found 211 exciting species including waking blue fish, a frog with blue eyes and a monkey that sneezes as part of its 6-year-long survey of the Eastern Himalayas covering the Northeast region as well.
The WWF Living Himalayas Initiative in its final report "Hidden Himalayas: Asia's Wonderland" said there are 133 plants, 39 invertebrates, 26 fish, 10 amphibians, one reptile, one bird, and one mammal out of which 15 were found in Bhutan and 60 in Nepal.
Since 2000, 550 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas including Bhutan, north Myanmar, Nepal, southern Tibet and north-eastern Indian states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and North Bengal.
"Endowed with exceptionally rich flora and fauna, the region (Eastern Himalayas) is truly a conservation jewel," said Yeshey Dorji, Minister of Agriculture and Forests of Bhutan.
The report released on the eve of World Habitat Day on Monday showed among other a new snub-nosed money called 'Snubby' in Myanmar that sneezes during the rainy season when rain water enters their upturned noses, said the report.
The top of the list is a 'walking' snakehead fish because that can survive on land for four days and 'walk' or wriggle for over a quarter mile on the ground . The National Geographic says the snakehead fish is "Fishzilla" and suggested further exploration in remote areas of the Indian, Nepalese, and Myanmar mountain ranges may yield more such species, said the report.
Another interesting find was a unicorn of sorts with the protruding "column" found underneath the species. "With discovery, comes the important responsibility to continue protecting and caring for these precious gift that this world has been blessed with," said Dechen Dorji, Country Representative, WWF Bhutan.
India alone has about 12 percent of the world's endangered plant species, noted the report though the threats to natural habitats in Eastern Himalayas, climate change, mining, oil and gas projects, road construction, dams and illegal hunting have remained a daunting task for ecologists.


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In The Heart Of Nashua
Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire. It's known for Mine Falls Park, that stretches along the Nashua River. A few minutes away is Library Walk. It's a trail that leads to a bridge overlooking the Nashua River. It's a popular area that connects the downtown area to the city's public library.
Families and residents use the trail to take brisk walks, run, jog, and ride their bikes.On the morning of November 5, 2017, more than a dozen volunteers came to show some TLC to Library Walk. Over the years, broken glass, plastic bottles and trash plagued the trail. It has created a hazardous environment for those who use this trail, especially children.
The Solution
The members came to help after noticing the community's growing concern. They contacted the City of Nashua to organize a cleanup with the hope to create a cleaner and safer environment. The volunteers worked together to clear the trail's pathways from litter. In a few hours, they collected 1,500 lbs. of debris, filling more than thirty trash bags.
John, the Parks and Recreation Associate, joined the event, too. He explained the community will greatly appreciate their community service. Seeing the results, he said he looks forward to work with the WeLoveU Foundation again.The WeLoveU volunteers renewed their commitment to serve their community. They hope to organize similar cleanups like Library Walk. Together, we can make a cleaner world—one volunteer service at a time.
The WeLoveU Foundation conducts environmental cleanups to show concern and support for neighbors. This effort is part of the Clean World Movement initiative. It's a worldwide effort to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection in the face of climate change. The organization also carries out blood drives, social welfare projects, disaster relief, and international aid.


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The Good, the Bad and Data Space
When you are becoming more common you can support open up the room and bring on the important products. At specifically the same time, the digital bedrooms are extremely cozy for every employees and companions, since its use does not need an intricate learning way. Frequently the electronic digital info rooms prospect to be the online websites on line. Making use of an across the internet data place can offer you more room for storage area as well as the further reliability in the protected info space. The digital safe-keeping of information is certainly thought to be even more advantageous as compared with the analog procedures, it's remarkable and hence it has been displayed to be most common amidst the consumers, it detects its applications in the a large number of industrial operations. You don't have good enough storage area space. Advertising server space for the function of hosting websites, blogs, or web established applications is normally a very long term and established corporation. At the time you start your bedroom for homework it shouldn't show that the platform puts a stop to performing the rest of their functions. The details room can make it rather straight forward to talk about essential information. A protected info area allows you to shield the information once sharing that with those who require this. Chances are to be a interest whenever the require is found to transmit information from one particular business to another. It gives you the ability to give and receive information when safeguarding the privateness of the info. Protect info bedrooms give you the benefit of writing the data along with safe-keeping and indication. In truth, you should set up a data space, such because Dropbox.
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Tag Archives: Report
Communications Monitoring Report 2014: Telecommunications Sector
Communications Monitoring Report 2014: Telecommunications Sector. This section of the CRTC's Report provides an overview of the telecommunications service industry and market sectors, and examines some of their characteristics such as revenues, ownership requirements, number, size and type of companies, and profitability and annual investment in plant and equipment.
UK : Ofcom has published its Infrastructure Report update
UK : Ofcom has published its Infrastructure Report update In particular, it considers the need to migrate from IPv4 – the established internet addressing protocol, for which the availability of unique addresses is increasingly limited – to IPv6. Ofcom is today also publishing two pieces of research in this area, which it commissioned from InterConnect […]


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For a list of games, see games with surround sound support.
Key points
Related articles
More information
Most modern games are capable of delivering discrete 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound to the listener's receiver without the need for any post processing.
Also referred to as Dolby Surround (not to be confused with Dolby Surround Upmixer), Dolby Pro Logic II-compatible, Dolby Stereo, or 4-channel surround sound (not to be confused with 4.0 quadraphonic sound). This was first used in theaters in the 1970s, and was introduced to the home alongside VHS and Betamax in 1982, predating discrete surround sound. It was used in many venues and mediums until discrete surround sound became viable. One notable benefit of surround-compatible stereo is that it can be played back on any stereo speakers and still sound normal.
Content mixed in surround-compatible stereo will have a surround effect when listened to over earphones or headphones.
This requires a Dolby TrueHD capable sound card, a Dolby Atmos capable receiver and speaker setup (with at least 2 in-ceiling or upward-firing speakers), as well as Windows v1703 or later and the Dolby Access app.
HRTF (Head Related Transfer Functions) refers to the way that the curvature of one's ears are used to localize sound in 3D space. Algorithms exist that can simulate this action, allowing for full 3D surround sound with just a normal pair of earphones or headphones. The resulting audio is refered to as binaural. While some games, such as CS:GO and Quake Champions include built-in HRTF options, many other games do not; requires external wrappers to enable. As such, it is not recommended for online usage. Listed are methods for adding HRTF using various APIs.
A pre-configured version of DSOAL that includes compiled HRTF tables can be found on NexusMods and ModDB. Note that while listed as being for Fallout New Vegas, it can work with most DirectSound3D games.
HRTF data (2)
makehrtf.exe -r RATE -d sphere -i YOURDEF -o YOURMHR
makehrtf.exe -m -r=RATE -d=sphere -i=YOURDEF -o=YOURMHR
X3DAudio HRTF is a third-party injector for games using X3DAudio that converts the original spatial sound of the game into binaural sound instead. The tool works for Arma 3, Skyrim, and Fallout 4, but should also potentially work for other titles, including ones based on Unreal Engine 4 or developed using the Unreal Development Kit (such as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter).
Custom quality wrapper for OpenAL games. Among various 3D techniques, provides also its own HRTF tables.
Some games do not support true binaural audio mixing. For these games, it may be beneficial to use a virtual surround sound solution.
Use the receiver's speaker layout configuration settings to disable the side speakers. Note that this is different from simply muting said speakers.
See DirectSound 3D restoration software.


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- Rockville, MD 20854
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For most citizens, the easiest method to obtain accurate and timely sex offender information for their local area is to visit their state sex offender registry website. States are required to provide this information for free. You do not need to pay for this information.
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According which account for 13.4% of the
According to the data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Nicaragua ranks the 110th out of 221 in the world in terms of exports. The total export for Nicaragua in 2015 was $5.12 billion. The most product Nicaragua exports is the insulated wire, which account for 13.4% of the total exports, the next one is knit T-shirts, which represent 9.4%, following is coffee, which stands for 8.3%.
There are 55% products exported to the United States, 10% went to Mexico and 5.7% transported to Venezuela (Exhibit 8).The territory of Nicaragua can be divided into three major geographical areas: the lower Pacific region, the relatively wet and cool central region, and the lower Caribbean region. Nicaragua's transportation system mainly consists of roads network, air transportation, canal transportation and ocean shipping. Because of Nicaragua's interior is plateaus and mountains, there is no railway. The inland logistics work operated by truck mainly. However, Nicaragua has institution void on poor infrastructure, there are 15,000 kilometers of roads are dirt-roads, and half of them are inaccessible during rainy season (Doing Business in Nicaragua, 2016). Nicaragua has 2,299 kilometers roads are paved, and there is only one 370 kilometers highway in good condition-Pan-American Highway (Doing Business in Nicaragua, 2016).
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This highway connects the north and south along western coast, which not only benefit Nicaragua's exporting to neighboring countries, but also convenient the access to Honduras's port of Cortés and Costa Rica's port of Limón. The roads connect west and east in Nicaragua are unpaved, so the connection between Pacific and the Atlantic coasts relies on a road from Managua to El Rama, and the water transport from the river port of El Rama to port of Bluefields on the Atlantic coast. The Nicaragua Canal benefits the exporting by connecting the exporting activity from the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast to the Panama Canal. Due to the geographical factors, Nicaragua's exporting to non-border countries relies on ocean shipping. There are six international seaports, three in the Pacific coast and three in the Atlantic coast (Exhibit 9). On the Atlantic Coast, Nicaragua has two international seaports-Port of Bluff/Bluefields and Port of Cabezas, and a river port-Port of El Rama. All these ports serve small volumes of international cargo shipments.
On the Pacific coast, the three ports are Port of San Juan del Sur, Port of Sandino and Port of Corinto. Port of San Juan del Sur used for cruise. Port of Sandino is Nicaragua's second most important port, which mainly operate the import of crude oil and solid bulk cargo. Port of Corinto, the largest port in Nicaragua, and the only port in Nicaragua can handle tankers and large ships. The reason is it is, which consist of two warehouses, several storage tanks, special equipment for bulk freight, a crane to handle containers, and power outlets for refrigerated containers.
In addition, Sandino International Airport offers basic cargo handling, refrigerated storage, and exporting service to major cities in Central America and the United States. There are also two small commercial airport in city Bluefields and Cabezas.No matter the transportation method for exporting is road transportation, air transportation, canal transportation, or ocean transportation, they all need to make contact with customs. In Nicaragua, there are four border posts-El Guasaule, El Espino, Las Manos and Peñas Blancas (Exhibit 9) . General Directorate of Customs (DGA), authorize a mobile inspection team operated by the company Alvimer International Co. to inspect if merchandise leaves Nicaragua complies with the established parameters.
On ports exporting, Nicaragua's government port management authority-the National Port Enterprise (EPN) takes in charge of the security and shipping. All shipping agency representatives need to help those exporters process pre-ship care administrative proceedings. Firstly, agency need to inform the port 72 hours earlier than the vessel arrive and make confirmation with the port 24 hours before the arrival formally (Jessica Cochran, 2016). Also, the agency need to prepare the copy of stowage plan or flat fee, bill of lading, list of export cargo, copy of certificate of compliance with the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code), list of the last 10 ports where the ship has made stops, crew list to the EPN (Jessica Cochran, 2016).
After submit documents to EPN, the exporting process progress enter into port operating. The port offer FANTUZZI machine to move containers, and use cranes and many rigging equipments to help crews load merchandise on vessels (Exhibit 10). Also, the port offer service like transporting equipment loading dock from warehouse to yard. After finishing the loading, the shipping agent should hand in documents like manifest of export cargo, exit permit, crew list to DGA. As mentioned before, Nicaragua export most merchandise to the United States.
Normally, it takes 6 days at sea if the speed is 16 knots since the merchandise export from Port of Corinto to Port of Miami (Ports.com).