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BMC Medical Research Methodology
© Odueyungbo et al. 200810.1186/1471-2288-8-28
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Research article
Comparison of generalized estimating equations and quadratic inference functions using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) database
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton – a Division of St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Canada
Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
Adefowope Odueyungbo
Email: email@example.com
Dillon Browne
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Noori Akhtar-Danesh
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Lehana Thabane (Corresponding author)
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Received: 18 January 2008Accepted: 09 May 2008Published online: 09 May 2008
The generalized estimating equations (GEE) technique is often used in longitudinal data modeling, where investigators are interested in population-averaged effects of covariates on responses of interest. GEE involves specifying a model relating covariates to outcomes and a plausible correlation structure between responses at different time periods. While GEE parameter estimates are consistent irrespective of the true underlying correlation structure, the method has some limitations that include challenges with model selection due to lack of absolute goodness-of-fit tests to aid comparisons among several plausible models. The quadratic inference functions (QIF) method extends the capabilities of GEE, while also addressing some GEE limitations.
We conducted a comparative study between GEE and QIF via an illustrative example, using data from the "National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)" database. The NLSCY dataset consists of long-term, population based survey data collected since 1994, and is designed to evaluate the determinants of developmental outcomes in Canadian children. We modeled the relationship between hyperactivity-inattention and gender, age, family functioning, maternal depression symptoms, household income adequacy, maternal immigration status and maternal educational level using GEE and QIF. Basis for comparison include: (1) ease of model selection; (2) sensitivity of results to different working correlation matrices; and (3) efficiency of parameter estimates.
The sample included 795, 858 respondents (50.3% male; 12% immigrant; 6% from dysfunctional families). QIF analysis reveals that gender (male) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10 to 2.71), family dysfunctional (OR = 2.84, 95% CI of 1.58 to 5.11), and maternal depression (OR = 2.49, 95% CI of 1.60 to 2.60) are significantly associated with higher odds of hyperactivity-inattention. The results remained robust under GEE modeling. Model selection was facilitated in QIF using a goodness-of-fit statistic. Overall, estimates from QIF were more efficient than those from GEE using AR (1) and Exchangeable working correlation matrices (Relative efficiency = 1.1117; 1.3082 respectively).
QIF is useful for model selection and provides more efficient parameter estimates than GEE. QIF can help investigators obtain more reliable results when used in conjunction with GEE.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-28) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Investigators often encounter situations in which plausible statistical models for observed data require an assumption of correlation between successive measurements on the same subjects (longitudinal data) or related subjects (clustered data) enrolled in clinical studies. Statistical models that fail to account for correlation between repeated measures are likely to produce invalid inferences since parameter estimates may not be consistent and standard error estimates may be wrong [1].
Statistical methods appropriate for analyzing repeated measures include generalized estimating equations (GEE) and multi-level/mixed-linear models [2]. GEE involves specifying a marginal mean model relating the response to the covariates and a plausible correlation structure between responses at different time periods (or within each cluster). Parameter estimates thus obtained are consistent irrespective of the underlying true correlation structure, but may be inefficient when the correlation structure is misspecified [2]. GEE parameter estimates are also sensitive to outliers [2, 3].
Summary statistics derived from the likelihood ratio test can be used to check model adequacy in cross-sectional data analyses [1, 4, 5]. For mixed linear models, the process is often not straightforward due to the complexities involved [6]. Model selection is difficult in GEE due to lack of an absolute goodness-of-fit test to help in choosing the "best" model among several plausible models [4, 5, 7]. For repeated binary responses, Barnhart and Williamson [5] and Horton et al[4] proposed ad-hoc goodness-of-fit statistics which are extensions of the Hosmer and Lemeshow method for cross-sectional logistic regression models [4, 5, 8].
The quadratic inference functions (QIF) – introduced by Qu et al [3] – extends the capabilities of the GEE[3]. QIF provides a direct measure of goodness-of-fit that compares the fitted model to a saturated model, gives efficient and consistent parameter estimates (irrespective of the underlying correlation structure), and yields inferences that are robust to outliers[3, 9]. QIF is a relatively new methodology. A literature search in PUBMED yielded only one study that used QIF for statistical analysis [10].
The aims of this paper are: (1) to illustrate the use of QIF for longitudinal or clustered data analyses; and (2) to compare the results obtained from GEE and QIF using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) database. In these illustrations we model the relationship between a binary response variable (parent's reports of child hyperactivity-inattention) and covariates such as child's age and gender, family functioning, maternal depression symptoms, household income adequacy, maternal immigration status and maternal educational level.
Overview of GEE
Marginal models are often fitted using the GEE methodology, whereby the relationship between the response and covariates is modeled separately from the correlation between repeated measurements on the same individual [2].
The correlation between successive measurements is modeled explicitly by assuming a "correlation structure" or "working correlation matrix". The assumption of a correlation structure facilitates the estimation of model parameters [2]. Examples of working correlation matrices include: exchangeable, auto-regressive of order 1 (AR(1)), unstructured, and independent correlation structures[2]. For binary data, correlation is often measured in terms of odds ratios [11]. A plausible working correlation matrix can be chosen using a visual tool known as the lorelogram [11].
Details of the correlation structure and response-covariate relationship are included in an expression known as the quasi-likelihood function[2], which is iteratively solved to obtain parameter estimates. Estimates obtained from the quasi-likelihood function are efficient when the true correlation matrix is closely approximated '[see Additional file 1]'. In other words, the large-sample variance of the estimator reaches a Cramer-Rao type lower bound[3] '[see Additional file 2]'.
The pros and cons of using GEE are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
Summary of the pros and cons of GEE and QIF
✔ GEE parameter estimates are efficient provided the true correlation structure is closely approximated. Parameter estimates are optimal in this case2;
✔ Modules for GEE are widely available in many statistical software applications;
✔ GEE parameter estimates are consistent irrespective of the covariance structure chosen, as long as the linear predictor and link function are correctly specified1,2
✔ Has all the pros of GEE highlighted in the adjacent column3;
✔ Parameter estimates are efficient irrespective of correlation structure specified3;
✔ Includes a "chi-squared inference function" for testing goodness-of-fit and regression misspecification. The function follows a chi-squared distribution irrespective of the specified correlation structure. P-values less than 0.5 suggests that the specified model may be inadequate to describe the observed data 3;
✔ The goodness-of-fit test is analogous to the LRT, thus model selection criteria such as AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and BIC (Bayes Information Criterion) are natural extensions3;
✔ Gives robust parameter estimates in the presence of outliers/contaminated clusters, by using an "automatic down-weighting strategy" through a weighting matrix3. This property is illustrated in Qu and Song 9;
✔ Existence of a lower bound is guaranteed since the function has a lower bound of 0, thus solving the problem of multiple roots associated with GEE 3;
✔ QIF gives similar results as the GEE when the independent correlation structure is assumed3.
✔ GEE assumes that the chosen model is correctly specified. It is often difficult to assess the goodness-of-fit of models built using GEE due to lack of an inference function like the likelihood ratio test (LRT) 7. The likelihood function for marginal models using GEE is often difficult to evaluate and intractable, especially for data that is not normally distributed 2;
✔ GEE parameter estimates are sensitive to the presence of outliers as illustrated in Diggle et al 2 (page 165) and Qu et al3;
✔ GEE parameter estimates are not efficient if the correlation structure is misspecified. Inefficient estimates may lead to faulty inferences from hypotheses tests3;
✔ Non-convergence of results due to lack of an objective function, and the "multiple roots" problem associated with estimating functions like the quasi-likelihood function 29.
✔ No software implementation available, but SAS macro available for download28;
✔ Is only presently applicable to three working covariance structures: Independent, Exchangeable and AR(1) 28;
Overview of QIF
The QIF methodology overcomes some of the disadvantages of GEE highlighted in Table 1[3]. It is largely based on observing that the inverse of many commonly used working correlation matrices can be expressed as a linear combination of unknown constants and known matrices '[see Additional file 2]'. This linear expression is substituted back into the quasi-likelihood function from which an extended score vector [3] is obtained. Qu et al [3] used the generalized method of moments [12] to obtain an objective function consisting of the extended score vector and its inverse variance matrix. This function is termed the "Quadratic Inference Function", which is minimized through a numerical algorithm to obtain parameter estimates '[see Additional file 2]'.
The estimates obtained from QIF are as efficient as those from the quasi-likelihood function provided the true correlation structure is specified. Further, the estimates obtained from QIF are still efficient, even if the correlation structure is misspecified [3]. This is confirmed from simulation results obtained by Qu et al [3] comparing the simulated relative efficiency (SRE) of parameter estimators from GEE and QIF:
Given a true correlation structure of AR(1) and a correlation of 0.7 between repeated observations, Qu et al [3] obtained an SRE of 1.34 (QIF more efficient) if the working correlation structure is misspecified as "equicorrelated". An SRE of 2.07 (QIF more efficient) was obtained if a true equicorrelated structure is misspecified as AR(1). SRE is in the range 0.97–0.99 if correlation structure is correctly specified, meaning GEE and QIF are similarly efficient [3]. The reliability of these simulation results is assessed in this paper.
The pros and cons of using QIF are listed in Table 1.
The NLSCY dataset
The NLSCY dataset consists of long-term, population-based survey data collected since 1994, and is designed to evaluate the determinants of developmental outcomes of Canadian children and youth. Each two-year period from 1994 constitutes a cycle [13].
For this paper, we selected a sub-sample of children meeting the inclusion criteria outlined below.
Inclusion criteria
Child must be four or five years old in Cycle 1 of the survey. Child must also have complete data (Cycles 1 to 4) on the following variables: hyperactivity-inattention, age, gender, family functioning, maternal (or person most knowledgeable) depression, household income adequacy, maternal immigration status and maternal educational level. The "person most knowledgeable" (PMK) is usually the child's mother [13].
Sample size
From a total of 2,090 (weighted sample of 795,856) four to five year olds in Cycle 1, a sub-sample of 1,052 (weighted sample of 384,306) children met the inclusion criteria outlined above. A flowchart of this process is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Sample selection.
Model variables
a) Response variable
The outcome of interest is hyperactivity-inattention (HI). HI is a factor measured on a 3-point Likert Scale [14] designed to assess different constructs of a child's behavior using information obtained from the PMK (or mother) [15]. The HI scale "identifies children who: cannot sit still, are restless, and easily distracted; have trouble sticking to any activity; fidget; cannot concentrate, cannot pay attention for long; are impulsive; have difficulty waiting their turn in games or groups; and cannot settle to do anything for more than a few moments" [15]. The scale is reliable with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.84 [16]. The variable – having a range of possible values between 0 and 16 – was dichotomized using specifications obtained from Offord and Lipman[17]:
b) Independent variables
Child's gender: Male (1) or Female (0);
Child's age (yr);
Maternal immigration status (MIS): A parent who reported "age at immigration" was considered an immigrant (1 = immigrant, 0 = non-immigrant);
Maternal education level (ME): Maternal education level was categorized as (1 = those having university/college degree, 0 = those without university/college degree);
Maternal depression (MD): Maternal symptoms of depression were measured using a shortened version of the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale [18]. MD score ranges between 0 and 36. Scores higher than 12 were coded as (1 = moderate to severe maternal symptoms of depression), while scores 12 and below were coded as (0 = no maternal symptoms of depression). This dichotomy is consistent with previous work by To et al [19]. Cronbach's alpha value for this scale is 0.82 [13];
Family functioning (FF): Family functioning was measured using the 12-item general functioning sub-scale of the McMaster Family Assessment Device [20, 21]. This scale measures various aspects of family functioning like problem solving, communications, roles, affective involvement, affective responsiveness and behavior control [13]. FF score ranges between 0 and 36. Families with scores greater than 14 were grouped as (1 = dysfunctional) while those with scores 14 and below were grouped as (0 = non dysfunctional), consistent with To et al [19]. Cronbach's alpha value for this scale is 0.88 [13];
vii. Income adequacy (IA): Income adequacy reflects the impact of household size on family income, as defined by Statistics Canada [13]. Using a precedence from To et al [19], IA was dichotomized by combining the lowest and lower income adequacy categories to indicate (0 = low income adequacy), while the middle, upper middle and highest income adequacy groups were combined to indicate (1 = high income adequacy) [19].
c) Adjusted Cycle 4 longitudinal weight
The NLSCY uses a "stratified, multi-stage probability sample" survey design in which each child represents several children in the population, who are not part of the survey [13]. The longitudinal weight reflects the number of children each child represents. It is calculated as the inverse of the child's probability of selection into the survey [13]. The Cycle 4 longitudinal weights are appropriate for this analysis since these weights are adjusted for population changes between Cycle 1 and Cycle 4. We further adjusted the Cycle 4 longitudinal weight for each child in the sub-sample to reflect the approximate population of four to five year olds (i.e. adjusted total weight = 795,856). This was done to enhance the generalizability of results presented in this paper [13].
Statistical analysis
Summary statistics are expressed as count (percent). Hyperactivity-inattention is expressed as a function of time, gender, family functioning, maternal depression, maternal immigration status, household income adequacy and maternal educational level using marginal logistic regression models in GEE and QIF (Equations 8 and 9). The "adjusted Cycle 4 longitudinal weight" is included as a weight variable in the GEE and QIF models to account for study design.Logit(μ ij ) = α + β1 t j + β2 gender + β3 FF + β4 MD + β5 MIS + β6 ME + β7 IA (1)
The goodness-of-fit (GOF) test in QIF is used for model assessment. We compared the fit of different models using the Q statistic [3] and its extensions such as AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and BIC (Bayes Information Criterion). Smaller Qs, AICs and BICs indicate better fits [1, 3].
QIF and GEE are compared with respect to relative efficiency of parameter estimates. We also illustrate how to use the GOF statistic from QIF in selecting an optimal working correlation matrix between AR(1) and exchangeable correlation structures. All statistical tests were conducted at 5% level of significance.
Graphs and analyses results were obtained using SAS© (Version 9.1), SPSS© (Version 14.0) and R (Version 2.5.1).
Demographic characteristics (survey-weighted) and data exploration
Table 2 represents the weighted frequencies of the baseline and follow-up characteristics of the study population. Figure 2 shows the estimated proportion of hyperactive-inattention among the selected cohort between 1994 and 2000. The graph is not linear. Hyperactivity-inattention appeared to diminish as children in this cohort grew older.
Table 2
Weighted frequencies of baseline and follow-up characteristics of the study population
795,858 (*)
400,014 (50.3)
400,014 (50.3)
400,014 (50.3)
400,014 (50.3)
395,844 (49.7)
395,844 (49.7)
395,844 (49.7)
395,844 (49.7)
Family functioning
47,955 (6)
47,768 (6)
52,828 (6.6)
45,862 (5.8)
Not dysfunctional
747,903 (94)
748,090 (94)
743,030 (93.4)
749,996 (94.2)
Maternal depression
Severely depressed
70,451 (8.9)
45,767 (5.8)
56,597 (7.1)
58,500 (7.4)
Not severely depressed
725,407 (91.1)
750,091 (94.2)
739,261 (92.9)
737,358 (92.6)
Maternal immigration status
100,952 (12.7)
100,952 (12.7)
100,952 (12.7)
100,952 (12.7)
Non immigrant
694,906 (87.3)
694,906 (87.3)
694,906 (87.3)
694,906 (87.3)
Maternal education level
College degree
298,839 (37.5)
330,532 (41.5)
339,078 (42.6)
301,324 (37.9)
No college degree
497,019 (62.5)
465,326 (58.5)
456,780 (57.4)
494,534 (62.1)
Income adequacy
Adequate income
138,533 (17.4)
128,659 (16.2)
66,834 (8.4)
47,741 (6)
Inadequate income
657,325 (82.6)
667,199 (83.8)
729,024 (91.6)
748,117 (94)
Figure 2
Estimated proportion of baseline '4–5 year old' cohort with hyperactivity-inattention between 1994 and 2000. Adjusted for "normalized" Cycle 4 longitudinal weights.
Figure 3 is a lorelogram which measures the correlation between repeated binary outcomes using odds ratios [11]. The x-axis (index) is the time-lag between two measurements. From Figure 3, correlation appears to decrease with increasing lag between repeated responses, thus an AR(1) correlation structure may be appropriate for describing the relationship between hyperactivity-inattention scores at different cycles.
Figure 3
Lorelogram of hyperactivity-inattention. The x-axis (index) is the time-lag between two measurements. The y-axis is log odds ratio.
Model selection using QIF
Results in Table 3 were obtained from fitting Model (8) in GEE and QIF, and assuming an AR(1) correlation structure. GEE and QIF produce different conclusions for maternal education level and family functioning, although the odds ratios are of similar magnitudes. Figure 2 shows that a quadratic term may be required to improve model fit, but GEE does not provide a goodness-of-fit test with, for instance, the SAS© implementation.
Table 3
Adjusted odds ratios for hyperactivity-inattention based on GEE and QIF
0.27 (0.08 to 0.96)
0.15 (0.04 to 0.54)
Cycle (t)
0.93 (0.33 to 2.63)
0.92 (0.33 to 2.63)
Age (yr)
0.90 (0.54 to 1.50)
0.88 (0.52 to 1.47)
Gender (Male)
2.08 (1.30 to 3.33)
2.09 (1.30 to 3.36)
Family functioning
2.67 (1.27 to 5.60)
1.32 (0.48 to 3.63)
Maternal depression
2.27 (1.41 to 3.66)
3.05 (1.92 to 4.83)
< 0.0001
Maternal immigration status
0.51 (0.24 to 1.10)
0.66 (0.32 to 1.40)
Income adequacy
0.80 (0.46 to 1.38)
0.95 (0.55 to 1.65)
Maternal education level
0.77 (0.45 to 1.32)
0.50 (0.27 to 0.93)
In addition to the results obtained in Table 3, QIF – in contrast to GEE – provides direct measures of goodness-of-fit (GOF) with SAS© software output to assess model adequacy [3]. QIF facilitates comparison among different plausible models using the Q statistic [3]. The Q statistic is obtained from the asymptotic limiting distribution of the quadratic inference function (QIF). Just like the likelihood ratio test, it enables one to test the null hypothesis that a simpler model is just as predictive as a saturated model. The difference between QIF (for saturated model) and QIF (for simpler model) is asymptotically chi-squared under the null hypothesis irrespective of the underlying true correlation structure. This difference is asymptotically non-central chi-squared under the local alternative hypothesis [3]. The mathematical proof and simulation results are found in Qu et al [3]. The Q statistic has properties similar to the likelihood ratio test used for generalized linear models [3]. Thus, extensions of the Q statistic such as AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and BIC (Bayes Information Criterion) can also be used to compare the fit of different models. In comparison to a saturated model, a fitted model is considered inadequate if the p-value for the goodness-of-fit test is less than 0.05 [3].
From Table 4, GOF tests show that Model (8) is inadequate to describe the observed data (GOF statistic Q = 22.82, p = 0.0066; AIC = 40.82, BIC = 85.45). Considering the non-linearity of Figure 2, a quadratic term was added to Model (8) to obtain Model (9). Model (9) appears to provide a better fit (GOF statistic Q = 11.74; p = 0.3027; AIC = 31.74, 81.33).
Table 4
QIF goodness-of-fit test for model with and without quadratic term
With quadratic Term
Without Quadratic Term
AIC (the smaller the better)
BIC (the smaller the better)
Q (p-value)
11.74 (0.3027)
22.82 (0.0066)
Table 5 shows parameter estimates for GEE and QIF using Model (9). The quadratic term (t2) is statistically significant in both GEE and QIF (p < 0.05). Also, the results from GEE and QIF appear to be in agreement in Model 9, suggesting that the results are robust. Next we provide the clinical implication of the results.
Table 5
Adjusted odds ratios for hyperactivity-inattention based on GEE and QIF using AR(1) (Model 9)
0.07 (0.01 to 0.33)
0.03 (0.01 to 0.15)
Cycle (t)
4.16 (1.21 to 14.28)
3.42 (1.00 to 11.61)
Cycle 2 (t 2 )
0.73 (0.62 to 0.85)
0.74 (0.64 to 0.86)
Age (yr)
0.91 (0.54 to 1.53)
0.96 (0.58 to 1.59)
Gender (Male)
2.08 (1.28 to 3.36)
1.73 (1.10 to 2.71)
Family functioning
2.57 (1.27 to 5.20)
2.84 (1.58 to 5.11)
Maternal depression
2.30 (1.41 to 3.74)
2.49 (1.60 to 2.60)
Maternal immigration status
0.52 (0.23 to 1.17)
0.69 (0.35 to 1.37)
Income adequacy
0.83 (0.50 to 1.38)
0.95 (0.58 to 1.57)
Maternal education level
0.74 (0.43 to 1.28)
0.59 (0.34 to 1.02)
Explanation of results from Table 5 (QIF)
✔ Male children have significantly higher odds of developing hyperactivity-inattention than their female counterparts (OR = 1.73, 95% CI of 1.10 to 2.71).
✔ Children from dysfunctional families have significantly higher odds of developing hyperactivity-inattention than those from non-dysfunctional families (OR = 2.84, 95 CI of 1.58 to 5.11).
✔ Children of moderate to severely depressed mothers have significantly higher odds of developing hyperactivity-inattention than those whose mothers are not depressed (OR = 2.49, 95% CI of 1.60 to 2.60).
✔ Children of immigrants, children with mothers having university/college degree and children in the high income adequacy group have lower estimated odds of developing hyperactivity-inattention (OR = 0.69, 95% CI of 0.35 to 1.37; OR = 0.59, 95% CI of 0.34 to 1.02; and OR = 0.95, 95% CI of 0.58 to 1.57 respectively). The odds ratios in these three situations are not statistically significant.
Choice of correlation structure in QIF
QIF facilitates an optimal choice among the available correlation structures. Assuming Model (9), Table 6 shows the results for AR(1) and exchangeable correlation structures. The results for both correlation structures are similar, but AR(1) is the more appropriate working correlation matrix from the goodness-of-fit tests in Table 7. This is also supported by the lorelogram in Figure 3.
Table 6
Adjusted odds ratios for hyperactivity-inattention using AR(1) and exchangeable working correlation structures in QIF
0.03 (0.01 to 0.15)
0.02 (0.01 to 0.08)
Cycle (t)
3.42 (1.00 to 11.61)
2.97 (0.91 to 9.67)
Cycle 2 (t 2 )
0.74 (0.64 to 0.86)
0.71 (0.61 to 0.82)
Age (yr)
0.96 (0.58 to 1.59)
1.13 (0.72 to 1.77)
Gender (Male)
1.73 (1.10 to 2.71)
1.83 (1.19 to 2.80)
Family functioning
2.84 (1.58 to 5.11)
2.31 (1.27 to 4.21)
Maternal depression
2.49 (1.60 to 2.60)
2.09 (1.27 to 3.46)
Maternal immigration status
0.69 (0.35 to 1.37)
0.58 (0.29 to 1.15)
Income adequacy
0.95 (0.58 to 1.57)
0.99 (0.60 to 1.61)
Maternal education level
0.59 (0.34 to 1.02)
0.68 (0.41 to 1.13)
Table 7
QIF goodness-of-fit test for AR(1) and exchangeable working correlation structures
Correlation structure
Q (p-value)
11.74 (0.3027)
12.89 (0.2298)
AIC (the smaller the better)
BIC (the smaller the better)
GEE Versus QIF (Relative efficiency)
We compared the efficiency of parameter estimates from QIF and GEE using:
provided the estimates are unbiased estimates of the parameters of interest [22]. This definition of RE generalizes to situations in which there are multiple parameters to be estimated. Thus from Table 8 with AR(1) correlation structure, one obtains
Table 8
Adjusted odds ratios and SEs for hyperactivity-inattention using AR(1) in GEE and QIF
Cycle 2 (t 2 )
Age (yr)
Gender (Male)
Family functioning
Maternal depression
Maternal immigration status
Income adequacy
Maternal education level
Using exchangeable working correlation, RE is 1.3082 (see Table 9). This implies that QIF parameter estimates are more efficient than GEE estimates assuming AR(1) or exchangeable correlation structures. This is consistent with the simulation results obtained by Qu et al [3].
Table 9
Adjusted odds ratios and SEs for hyperactivity-inattention assuming exchangeable working correlation structure in GEE and QIF
Cycle 2 (t 2 )
Age (yr)
Gender (Male)
Family functioning
Maternal depression
Maternal immigration status
Income adequacy
Maternal education level
We have illustrated some desirable features of the QIF in modeling longitudinal or clustered data. QIF provides a direct goodness-of-fit statistic that follows a chi-squared distribution irrespective of the underlying true correlation structure [3]. The goodness-of-fit statistic from QIF also facilitates an optimal selection of correlation structure among several plausible choices. It would be interesting to compare the goodness-of-fit tests provided by QIF to those provided by Barnhart and Williamson [5] and Horton et al [4] in GEE. Overall, we obtained similar parameter estimates from GEE and QIF analyses of the NLSCY data. Our results were consistent with the findings by Qu et al [3] showing the greater efficiency of parameter estimates from QIF in comparison to GEE. We could not verify the robustness of QIF to the presence of outliers due to strict ethical guidelines regarding the use of the NLSCY dataset. The risk of disclosure of sensitive data may be higher when outliers are selected for sensitivity analysis.
One of the strengths of this study is the longitudinal nature of the NLSCY dataset. However, we caution the readers in interpreting the results – dichotomizing the primary outcome hyperactivity-inattention score may result in loss of information. Understanding the factors that are predictive of hyperactivity-inattention will help stakeholders develop programs to mitigate the effects of such factors, with the aim of raising children that are healthy members of the society.
The use of "complete case analysis" in the illustrative example is a limitation of this study. QIF – like standard GEE models – requires the assumption that missing values are "missing-completely-at-random" (MCAR) for complete case analysis [30]. There are methods available for assessing this assumption or incorporating missingness into statistical models, but missing value analyses was not the aim of this project.
The QIF methodology is relatively new and not available in any statistical software as a built-in routine. The SAS macro to carry out the procedure is available for download, but users without adequate programming skills may find the process a bit difficult. Also, the QIF macro can only handle three correlation structures at the moment. More research is being done to incorporate other commonly used structures into the methodology [28].
QIF is useful for model selection and provides more efficient parameter estimates than GEE. QIF can help investigators obtain more reliable results when used in conjunction with GEE. The QIF methodology may eventually become a replacement for GEE due to its desirable characteristics as highlighted in this paper.
Dr Lehana Thabane is a clinical trials mentor for the Canadian Institute of Health Research. We are indebted to Statistics Canada for providing access to the NLSCY database. Dr Gina Browne assisted with the application for access to the NLSCY database. The SAS macro for the QIF methodology – without which this project would have been a daunting task – was provided by Dr Peter Song, and is available for online [28]. We thank the reviewers for helpful comments that led to improvements in the manuscript.
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Understanding the Early Years: An Update of Early Childhood Development Results in Four Canadian Communities[http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/nlscy/uey/2005-072005/page05.shtml]
Multi-Level Effects on Behaviour Outcomes in Canadian Children[http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/research/2001-000124/page07.shtml]
Offord DR, Lipman EL: Emotional and behavioural problems. Growing Up in Canada: National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth Ottawa: Statistics Canada and Human Resources Canada 1996, 119–126.
Radloff LS: The CES-D scale: A self report depression scale for research in the general population. App Psychol Meas 1977, 1:385–401.CrossRef
Epstein NB, Baldwin LM, Bishop DS: The McMaster family assessment device. J Marital Fam Ther 1983, 9:171–180.CrossRef
Epstein NB, Bishop DS, Levin S: The McMaster family assessment device. J Marital Fam Ther 1978, 9:19–23.CrossRef
Casella G, Berger RL: Statistical Inference Second Edition California: Duxbury Press 2002.
Kerr D, Beaujot R: Family relations, low income, and child outcomes: A comparison of Canadian children in intact-, step-, and lone-parent families. IJCS 2002, 43:134–152.
Willms JD: Research findings bearing on Canadian social policy. Vulnerable Children: Findings from Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Edited by: Willms JD). Edmonton Alberta: The University of Alberta Press 2002, 331–358.
Mahoney D: Maternal depression predicts ADHD in kids. Clin Psychiatry News 2007, 37:21.
Kaplan BJ, Crawford SG, Fisher GC, Dewey DM: Family dysfunction is more associated with ADHD than with general school problems. J Atten Disord 1998, 2:209–216.CrossRef
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Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/8/28/prepub
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
AO and LT conceived the study. LT, NA–D and DB participated in the design of the study. Data acquisition and cleaning were done by AO and DB. AO conducted data analysis and wrote initial draft of manuscript. Results of data analysis were interpreted by AO and LT. NA–D, LT and DB reviewed and revised the manuscript for important statistical and subject-matter content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


text:
Federer USO 04 final V Nadal USO 10 final - Who wins?
View Single Post
Talk Tennis Guru
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Weak era
Posts: 25,785
Originally Posted by
Fed is out of his prime, obviously. He was out of his prime 2 1/2 years ago. That's why this is the first slam he won in 2 1/2 years, he got lucky (roof, Nadal out, amongst other factors). He played great, don't take me wrong. Sometimes luck makes things a little easier though.
First of all, there are a number of examples of players winning slams past their primes so your effort to back me into a wall here doesn't really work.
Secondly, Fed beat the defending champion and #1 in SF and a home crowd favourite and a talented player many posters here use as a part of a strong era argument in the final.
Regarding roof and Nadal losing out early:
-Novak said he preferred to play under the roof when interviewed at Wimbledon this year and Murray has a bunch of indoor titles.
-Nadal was bound to lose early once after getting into so many scrapes in early Wimbledon rounds, he can't rely on journeymen choking each time.
Originally Posted by
Nadal is out of his peak as well, and has been for almost 2 years. He only got to those finals last year because nobody got in his way before the final.
Disregarding what implications your claim here would have on the strength of this recent era when a past his peak player reaches the personal record # of finals in a row and is more consistent at slams than ever in his career, how long Nadal's peak is really? Middle of 2008, beginning of 2009 and 2nd half of 2010 which makes it for one year overall I guess?
Originally Posted by
You look at the 5 year difference, but if you look at the years on tour and the mileage Nadal has due to his playing style, you easily realize he's very close to being at the same level of Fed as far as "being out of his prime".
Sorry but no, Nadal is nowhere near the same stage of his career Fed is, even factoring in the so called hard playing style argument argument.
Originally Posted by
No double standards.
LOL, but of course not.
Originally Posted by
Alright. But Sampras
past his prime. I mean, he wasn't even in the Top 10 back then, was he? If that's not the definition of being past his prime for a guy who until very recently had the record of Weeks as #1 I don't know what is.
Sampras was all about slams and that only got even more pronounced as he got older, during 2000-2002 period Sampras reached 4 slam finals which is a far better gauge meter than his ranking.
Originally Posted by
Nadal? Nadal is clearly past his prime. For nothing else than his tendonitis. Some players go out of their prime because they become sluggish, they lose their drive to win, or because they lose speed, serve, or whatever. Nadal is past his prime only because of his physical troubles. I suppose that's better than being out of your prime because of natural decline, in the sense that if you manage the tendonitis you still have a chance of playing at or near peak form.
Right, Nadal missed one tourney (which he already won) and all the sudden his prime is over? Wimbledon is far more important than Olympics, Nadal missed in 2009 and bounced back just fine. We'll see how things are come USO, I certainly wouldn't bet on Nadal losing before SF.
Originally Posted by
Fair enough. For me, after 2008, I've always gotten the feeling that Nadal could win against RoFed everywhere. That's the point at which Nadal broke into prime form (second half 08 up to first quarter 09). Then his knees doomed him again. Such a pity.
That's not the answer to my question, 2020 is also after 2008.
Nadal's prime "insert here", Nadal's peak "insert here", go.
Originally Posted by
Again, age is only a factor.
Winning % is also deceiving
because you need to account for other reasons besides playing level (injuries, opponents, luck, etc). Yes, luck also counts (ask Djokovic, because as awesome as he was in 2011 he got lucky a couple of times).
So maybe you shouldn't use it in your argument then? You didn't seem to think it to be deceiving when you tried to use it as proof 31 year old Fed is still in his prime, now did you?
Originally Posted by
Yes, Fed was a beast in Wimbledon, although not as much of a beast as Nadal was/is in Roland Garros..
Never claimed anything of a sort, the comparison was between Nadal and Fed at Wimbledon, during Fed's prime he was never troubled during early Wimbledon rounds as Nadal did his whole career basically.
Originally Posted by
I don't expect Nadal to do well at age 31
in Wimbledon because of many reasons. It's a long time off to engage in any meaningful predictions also..
That's too bad, because Nadal fanboys like yourself are going to have to reap what you've sown.
Originally Posted by
OK, I respect your opinion. I, obviously, respectfully disagree.
Well yes obviously, but it would be helpful if you could elaborate further on what your point actually is, what's the correlation between 26 year old Nadal losing to a journeyman at Wimbledon and a 31 year old Fed "almost" losing to another journeyman (though much better than Rosol) after having 7 years (2003-2009) of reaching the final without having trouble in early rounds whatsoever?
Originally Posted by
I missed zagor's concern somehow.
Let me address it: No, I am very respectful of Federer's success. It's an amazing feat what he has done, and we are lucky to live in this age (not just because of RoFed but also because of Nadal, and Djokovic left his imprint firmly planted in history due to last year).
I am a skeptic though. And I like to approach problems with a creative perspective. Add to that the fact that I consider most Federer radical supporters have unfairly dismissed and disrespected Nadal far too long.
But no, I'm not a hater, far from it.
There's plenty of haters around though.
Unless only "Fed haters" annoy you, you have plenty of them to choose from for you to preach to, if "hating" as an attitude in the abstract, regardless of its object, annoys you so much.
Except that no player but Fed has such dedicated haters that post/make threads almost exclusively about him, he is their object of obsession so to speak.
But hey, not to worry, that I personally suspect you're a double account holds no weight whatsoever, I'm not a mod and I never reported anyone.
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by zagor

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bill Capo / Action Reporter
NEW ORLEANS -- Marguerite Doyle-Johnston says she asked the Sewerage & Water Board to install a meter at her home in July, so she was shocked when a bill for $2500 arrived at the end of October.
'I almost fainted,' she said. 'It was ridiculous. I was wondering was anybody at Sewerage & Water Board, was the light on in their heads for this bill?'
This is why Doyle-Johnston was stunned, because her house is still under construction, with the plumbing only partially installed where the bathrooms and kitchen will be in the future.
'There's no sink, no faucets, no sewage drain, oh, no dish washer either. And here is my bathroom. As you can see there's no faucets, no sink. Here's the toilet. No water, no sewage,' she said. 'This is ridiculous.'
Yet the bill indicates that in two months she used 30,000 gallons of water. There is an outside faucet, and the ones for the washer and dryer are in place inside, but Doyle-Johnston can't figure out how someone could steal that much water, and there's no sign of leaks that should be very visible under the raised structure.
'I've talked to my plumber, and I have a letter where he came back out to inspect my property to see if we had any leaks.'
Now the Sewerage & Water Board has removed the meter, and Doyle-Johnston says she was told she must pay $175 to have it reinstalled and tested.
'I'm, you really want to know? I can't use that word on camera, because I'm just that mad.'
Now if the Sewerage & Water Board can figure out how 30,000 gallons of water went through these pipes, well, I'd certainly like to know, so would Doyle-Johnston.
But in the meantime, I've asked them to do a complete, thorough investigation, and to give her the refund she deserves.
'I want them to take this bill back, especially too, they have on here, sewer volume. I don't have a toilet, not one toilet, $950.41. I don't have a toilet.'
A Sewerage & Water Board spokesman says the agency is investigating, and I'll let you know what they tell Doyle-Johnston.


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Date: 1955-07-29
Description: Millard's Tavern, 504 East Wilson Street with Fauerbach CB beer sign and "Bobby Hodges radio & TV star, Every Friday Night". Also shows Marty's Sandwich S...
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text: Tiësto ft. BT - Love Comes Again (Hardwell 2011 Rework) [OUT NOW] by HARDWELL published on 2011/11/03 11:43:39 +0000 Check out the trailer for "I AM HARDWELL - The Documentary" and subscribe here: http://www.djhardwell.com/docu/ OUT NOW! http://beatport.com/s/r3weGb It has been circling around on the internet for months and can be heard in almost every liveset Tiesto and Hardwell played in 2011! We are talking about the massive Hardwell Rework of Tiësto ft BT 'Love Comes Again'! A true classic reworked; keeping the vibe, vocal and huge melody of the original and giving it a 2011 touch in that distinctive Hardwell sound. BT's vocals are still touching as no other and building towards the climax Hardwell gives the chord progression that big room touch, Check it out as this will be big!! Release 28th of November on Black-Hole Recordings


text:
Tablet. Hotels for Global Nomads
Travel Better.
568 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, California
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Keywords: Bbq See all and suggest more
1 Reviews
First reviewed by Jon
A great casual dining experience, sensational food in combination with a cool and modern environment. Wexler's gives Southern style food a new and modern twist that is fresh without straying too far from what makes this food so great, it's simply delicious.Located in the business district, Sacramento and Montgomery, it's in the flat part of town so an easy walk from Union Square and all the hotels in this area.
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text:
Fernando admits he'll be playing with his midfield idol at Manchester City this season.
City swooped for the former Porto midfielder last month.
He revealed to the Manchester Evening News: "I've always admired Yaya [Toure]. But the team is made up of great players.
"When I was growing up my favourite players were Gilberto Silva and Mauro Silva, but now it is Yaya."
On his preseason, Fernando confessed: "It has been more intense (than in Portugal) and the pace is quicker.
"But I was expecting that having watched the Premier League before I came here. But I'm getting used to it, I'm adapting.
"I knew I was facing great players when I came here, I just need to keep working hard and I'll prove myself.
"I win a lot of balls, like multi-legged, that's where the Octopus nickname came from, and hopefully I can do well."
For the big stories and the banter follow us on Twitter: @tribalfootball


text:
Covers each step of the prepress process, from document planning to choosing output settings.
"I often watch the lynda.com videos on my laptop while working out on a stationary bicycle. The short length of the video segments helps to keep me motivated: "I'll quit at the end of this chapter." So far I have lost 25 pounds!" —Gail P.
more from our members »


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|IBM XIV Storage System Architecture and Implementation
Redbooks, published 12 Nov 2014, last updated 14 May 2015
|DFSMShsm Fast Replication Technical Guide
Redbooks, published 4 May 2015, last updated 12 May 2015
|IBM DS8870 Copy Services for IBM z Systems
Redbooks, published 11 May 2015
|IBM Real-time Compression on the IBM XIV Storage System
Redpapers, published 11 May 2015, Rating: (based on 1 review)
|Cisco MDS 9250i Multiservice Fabric Switch for IBM System Storage
Product Guide, published 19 May 2014, last updated 11 May 2015
The above is a list of IBM Redbooks and Redpapers on Storage, showing most recently published first. Most of these publications are available in Adobe PDF format and may be viewed online or downloaded for offline viewing and printing. Read our How to buy page for details on how to order a bound hardcopy.


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text:
Health News Archive - March 14, 2011
Laser Cliniqúe, San Diego's premier medical spa, introduces TotalFX, the latest non-invasive technology for reducing the signs of aging. San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 12, 2011 Millions of Americans seek relief from the signs of an aging complexion, which includes fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, age spots, sun spots and uneven skin tone and texture.
A small company in Newtown Pa, Media Venom, is reinventing the instore radio Industry, by making it simple and affordable. As a business owner you are always on the look out for the best and easiest to work with for less.
New Public Service Campaign Targets Men to Get Important Screening Tests Bethesda, MD (Vocus/PRWEB) March 12, 2011 Coach Gary Williams of the University of Maryland Terrapins has teamed up to create a new public service campaign on colon cancer screening awareness with the American College of Gastroenterology and the University of Maryland School of Medicine for March.
On Friday, March 11, Sen.
New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (NYSATL) president, Anthony S.
United Security Life and Health (USL&H) will pledge $1 for every insurance policy issued in 2011 to The Fisher House Foundation.
Freeman Schwabe, the global OEM supplier of Hydraulic Presses, launched "FSMview†to provide customers with real time production & machine data for management, operators, maintenance and service personnel 24/7 Batavia, OH (PRWEB) March 12, 2011 Freeman Schwabe Machinery is based in Cincinnati, Ohio and specializes in the Design and Manufacturing of a complete line of Hydraulic Presses and Automatic Die Cutting Systems. Greg DeFisher President & CEO of Freeman Schwabe stated "Freeman Schwabe is leveraging the power of new technology, so our customers have instant access and data control of their Freeman Schwabe hydraulic presses and machines, to remotely maintain and service their machines, from anywhere and at anytime". "Our aim in developing "FSMview" is to help our customers, to maximize the performance of the Freeman Schwabe hydraulic presses, and the contribution of the press or machine to our customers' manufacturing efficiency, by effectively
BuyNoworNever.com carries discount purses, designer-inspired jewelry, luggage and watches St.
Amid speculation of a third bid for the Presidency, Congressman Ron Paul revealed that growing concerns over U.S. monetary policies would drive him into the race.
Drug prevention specialist appears on local program to cover crime and healthcare concerns related to drug addiction. Midwest (Vocus/PRWEB) March 12, 2011 According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) drug abuse costs the United States economy over $600 billion dollars annually in increased health care costs, crime, and lost productivity.
- The horn of a unicorn considered as a medical or pharmacological ingredient.
- A winged horse with a single horn on its head; a winged unicorn.


text:
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
This is a split board - You can return to the Split List for other boards.
Guys, there's something about Villager's Tree Attack you should know...
- Back To:
- Board List
- Topic List
- Topic Archived
- Page 1 of 2
- Last
These following pictures should confirm the Tree's presence as both a special attack (instead of a smash) and some other details.
Here, Pikachu is lying under Villager's tree. This would not be possible if the Villager's full move was planting, growing and cutting down a tree. No, this move must work in two parts:
Press Down (?) B to plant/grow the tree,
and press it again near the tree to cut it down (unless Villager has an axe attack)
But is Villager the only one to be able to cut down his tree?
I doubt it. Take a look at my next pic.
Here, Luigi is standing next to a Villager tree that is falling. But where is Villager? My theory (and this is just a theory, mind you) is that anyone can cut down the tree. I think Olimar cut it down with his side smash. There's his pikmin there.
But why didn't it fall towards Olimar?
This is because the tree must be hit twice to be cut down. We saw this in the Developer Direct.
The tree must've been hit once on the right side of the tree before Olimar fell it. This would assumedly make it so, no matter which way you hit the tree, it would always fall to the right.
Villager is broken
Homosexual Hipster of Smash Bros and Pokemon X and Y boards. G.A.Y = Good At Yugioh
I always thought it was just a taunt sorta like Luigi's, i haven't read your post yet, i will tomorrow, i'm too drunk to the ruight now
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
I say it is side-b
down-b will be his grabby move
bnui_ransder posted...
I say it is side-b
I feel like this should not be the case. The tree is not a directional attack, and it can only be used on the ground. The grabber is a directional attack and the direction you use it in is very important. It's not like a reflector or an oil spill, it only works in one direction.
TheAquaman803 posted...
bnui_ransder posted...So like Lucas's PSI Magnet, which also only works in one direction and is a down B?I say it is side-b
Honorable Caterpie, Deku Knight! | Queen Gohma's #1 Fan
Yay! Officially the Official Lip of the Super Smash Bros 4 Board! :D
Oh, this tree reminds me of Snake's C4. It seems that before it's used, it has to be...
*puts sunglasses on*
My random webcomic with a weird name! www.vinigortonioenglish.weebly.com
The pics mean absolutely nothing.
Sakurai is obviously setting up the images using the game's models and it's not actual gameplay.
He could easily be just using Villager's trees to set up images because he likes the trees to add some environment or whatever. Villager might not even be in the scenes at all, even outside of the pics. He may simply just be using the tree model. It's as simple as that.
In any case, it could be very possible you have to plant the trees first and other players can cut them down. Who knows?
Just don't go reading so much into the images.... Kirbamus is not a confirmed character, ya know? Just an FYI.
U r Brane Splode'd!
I thought Villager's fsmash was confirmed to be the axe? So that means vB is planting / watering the tree, which can then either be used as a sort of wall, or chopped down.
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198023511833
Blulightning posted...
The pics mean absolutely nothing.
With the exception of full stage pics, they're all supposed to be screenshots of Sakurai playing the game, or at least that's what he said they would be.
Clefairy is best Pokemon and should be an alt costume for Jiggs


text:
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon - Jesmond, Newcastle
97-103 Osborne Road Jesmond - Newcastle1-877-662-6988
Ideally located in the the lively area of Jesmond, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the Cairn Hotel is a perfect blend of the very best traditions of a family-run hotel, state-of-the-art facilities offered by larger establishments, and excellent value for money.
The property is an ideal choice for both business and leisure travelers, as it is within easy reach of the city center, the motorway network, and the airport.
The Cairn Hotel offers 43 well-appointed bedrooms, a stylish bar, a fine restaurant, free Wi-Fi in all common areas and guest rooms, a welcoming atmosphere, and friendly service.
The hotel is completely non-smoking.
The hotel rooms were old dated and dirty, or bathroom window did not even close. W...Venere Guest, GB
These reviews have been left by customers who actually stayed at this hotel
Check Availability at Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon
Breakfast at Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon
A continental breakfast is served between 8 AM and 9:30 AM for a fee.
Facilities at Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon
- Bar
- Restaurant/Dining
- Luggage room
- Front desk - safety deposit box
- Free parking
- Internet/Email services
Know before you go
- This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties.
- No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
Check-in: between 2:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
Check-out: before noon.
PolicyExtra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
City tax and/or any other fees charged by the hotel
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for continental breakfast: GBP 5 per person (approximately)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon is also known as
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon Tyne
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon reviews
- July 2013
- Venere Guest
The hotel rooms were old dated and dirty, or bathroom window did not even close. We would not even take our shoes off in the room as the carpet was dirty. The whole hotel is in desperate need of a good clean and upgrade. I can't comment on the breakfast as we did not dare eat there having seen the state of the rooms we did not dare think what the kitchens would look like!
- October 2007
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- United Kingdom
We stayed for 1 night and rated the hotel very good overall and was in a very good location for accessing Newcastle city centre.
- December 2006
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- Italy
L'hotel è situato nel tranquillo quartiere residenziale di Jesmond (abitato principalmente da studenti universitari benestanti). La fermata della metro (west jesmond) necessaria per visitare la città (per lo meno per chi non la conosce) è a 7-8 minuti a piedi. Le camere sono piccole ed essenziali senza grandi finiture, la moquette non troppo pulita ma le biancherie e le lenzuola lo sono e c'è il necessarie per tè/hot chocolate.. L'english breakfast la mattina è ricco e completo ed il personale è gentile. Il rapporto qualità prezzo è buono.
- July 2004
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- United Kingdom
Noisy guests at 3-4 a.m running up and down corridors; rather tawdry rooms and corridors with worn out and dirty carpets; on the plus side the breakfast buffet was very good, However, we will not be staying in this hotel again.
- July 2013
- Venere Guest
- Single traveller
- April 2007
- Venere Guest
- Single traveller
- France
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon reviews by TripAdvisor
Room Details
Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon offers 43 guest rooms with climate control. Flat-screen televisions in each room offer entertainment at the end of a long day. Business travelers will have access to free wireless high-speed Internet access as well as desks and phones during their Newcastle-upon-Tyne visit.
Private bathrooms are outfitted with showers, hair dryers and complimentary toiletries. Refrigerators, coffee/tea makers and complimentary bottled water can be found in each room to accommodate basic traveling needs.
Irons/ironing boards can be provided on request.
Accommodation Services
- Telephone
- Mini fridge
- Coffee and tea maker
- Ironing facilities on request
- Hairdryer in each room
- Desk
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Wireless Internet access
How to reach Cairn Hotel Newcastle UponBy car From Newcastle airport roundabout, take the first exit and after 101 yards (90 metres) take the second exit off the roundabout into A696 towards Newcastle (signposted A696 THE SOUTH and THE SOUTH via A1). Continue straight into the A696. After 1 mile (1.6 km) take the third exit off the roundabout into the A167 (Ponteland Road). Bear left into the A167. Then join the A167 (M) and reach the A1058. After 431 yards (400 metres) take the first exit off the roundabout into the B1600 (Osborne Road). Continue straight into Osborne Road for 0.25 mile (400 metres) until you see the property on your left hand side, next to the Lloyds TSB bank.
Distances from Cairn Hotel Newcastle UponNewcastle-upon-Tyne Civic Centre - 1.5 km / 0.9 mi
Great North Museum-Hancock - 1.6 km / 1 mi
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne - 1.7 km / 1.1 mi
Northumbria University - 1.8 km / 1.1 mi
Eldon Square Shopping Centre - 2 km / 1.2 mi
Blue Carpet - 2 km / 1.2 mi
Laing Art Gallery Materials - 2 km / 1.2 mi
Seven Stories - 2.1 km / 1.3 mi
Grey's Monument - 2.2 km / 1.4 mi
St. James' Park - 2.3 km / 1.4 mi
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Theatre Royal - 2.3 km / 1.4 mi
Alderman Fenwick's House - 2.4 km / 1.5 mi
Central Arcade - 2.4 km / 1.5 mi
The Gate - 2.4 km / 1.5 mi
Quayside - 2.5 km / 1.5 mi
The preferred airport for Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon is Newcastle (NCL-Newcastle Intl.) - 8.4 km / 5.2 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 km and mile.
Transportation services Cairn Hotel Newcastle Upon
- Free parking
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I always wanted to like these diminutive cabbages as a child, but the moment I popped one in my mouth it invariably found its way right back onto the plate (or napkin). Pretty. I'm amazed at how many adults still hold this same aversion. I believe it's because for generations these little guys have just not been prepared properly. However, if done correctly the bitterness will disappear and the result will be healthy, buttery little beauties.
The first time I ventured back into the Brussel sprout world was about 10 years ago when I read an article promising (as I am) to deliver bitterless sprouts. The recipe (sorry, I can no longer recall who was the brave author) simply called for slicing them in half and double blanching. I've adapted through trial and error and here's what I do: blanch in pure water, dump, then finish off in a fresh bath of salted water. Cook until al dente and toss with a little butter and salt and pepper, or a little parmiggiano reggiano.
I've also roasted, braised and deglazed them. Then I found a lovely little recipe on Orangette, one of my new favorite food blogs, that called for hashed Brussel sprouts. Hashed, now why didn't I think of that?! I know it's been done before, and you all are probably thinking, "well, duh" but it just never occured to me to slice them up! I mean, they're so pretty, why would I have ever thought to spoil their beauty? But I think the hashing is just the out-of-the-box thinking that I need to be embracing. And I'm gonna go for it. Just watch me.
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Sieber leads march of PCA favorites
TOP SEED Marc Sieber encountered real competition from 13-year-old Alberto Lim Jr., before prevailing, 6-3, 7-5, yesterday as the heavyweights expectedly barreled into the men's singles quarterfinals of the Philippine Columbian Association Open tennis championships presented by Cebuana Lhuillier at PCA clay-shell courts.
After posting shut-out victories in his first two matches, the 24-year-old Filipino-German ran into a pumped-up Lim, who came into the match still smoking from his three recent ITF junior title runs.
The stocky, 5-foot-6 Lim matched Sieber's speed and power in a surprising show of confidence against the 2010 champion who owns an ATP ranking of 516th in the world.
"It's good to see young players showing their talents and confidence on the court, it would be very exciting playing with them in Davis Cup," said Sieber, who reiterated plans to play for the national team next year.
But Sieber will run against another talented youngster in last year's finalist Jurence Zosimo Mendoza, who outlasted former champ Joseph Victorino, 7-6 (7-2), 1-0 (retired).
Treat Huey, seeded seventh here, repulsed Ronard Joven, 6-3, 6-2, to also roll into the quarterfinals of the meet sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier, Kia, Dunlop, Head, Babolat, Whirlpool, PCSO and PVL Restaurants.
Huey, ranked 39th in the world in doubles, will take on former Cupper and fourth seed Elbert Anasta, who frustrated former Australian Open junior doubles titlist Francis Casey Alcantara, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, on court No. 1.
Six-time champion Johnny Arcilla booted out spunky Filipino-Italian Marc Reyes, 6-2, 6-2, in a battle of 2009 finalists that ended in less than an hour.
Arcilla will square off with doubles teammate, former PH No. 1 and Davis Cupper Patrick John Tierro, who showed Roel Capampangan the door, 6-4, 6-0.
Jeson Patrombon also advanced to the quarters with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over United States-based Kyle Dandan.
Patrombon will go up against second seed Ruben Gonzales, who progressed with an easy 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Ralph Kevin Barte.
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ENERGY STAR products are independently certified to save energy without sacrificing features or functionality. Saving energy helps prevent climate change. Look for the ENERGY STAR label to save money on your energy bills and help protect our environment.
Improving your home's energy efficiency with ENERGY STAR can help to lower high energy bills, improve comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Learn about the many ways to save in your home and track your progress with "My ENERGY STAR" - your new dashboard to savings.
A new home that has earned the ENERGY STAR label has undergone a process of inspections, testing, and verification to meet strict requirements set by the US EPA. ENERGY STAR certified homes use 15-30% less energy than typical new homes while delivering better comfort, quality, and durability.
Improve financial performance and reduce carbon emissions with EPA's strategic energy management approach.
Home > Products > Join our Movement > Search for 2006�2007 Campaign Activities
Organizations across the U.S. and Canada play a key role in bringing the campaign to individuals far and wide, and help mark ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day by organizing activities, events, government proclamations, or store promotions around energy-efficient lighting.
Search the activity database below for ideas on what you could do to get involved in the Campaign or to find partners in your area with whom to collaborate. Register your Campaign Activity to have it added to the database.
Contact our campaign staff to change an activity already listed.


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Here's everything you need to know about the new "Thursday Night Football" partnership between the NFL and CBS:
• The deal announced Tuesday is for the 2014 season with a league option for a second year. CBS will carry eight early-season games, starting in Week 2, that will be simulcast on NFL Network. NFLN will carry eight late-season games through Week 16. The package includes a Week 16 Saturday doubleheader.
• All 16 games will feature CBS production, and the lead announcers will be Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Nantz and Simms will work a lighter Sunday schedule, probably limited to the weeks when CBS has a doubleheader. The pregame, halftime and postgame shows will feature a mix of CBS and NFLN talent, akin to the arrangement between CBS and Turner for the NCAA Tournament.
• The NFL's goal in selling the package to a broadcast network is to expand the reach and elevate the profile of TNF. That would enable the league to maximize the package's value when it negotiates a long-term pact.
• CBS hopes to have the inside track when that time comes. "I would hope so," CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said by phone Thursday. "Our goal is to do such a good job and build the product into such a good franchise that we can continue in the future."
• While the NFL wanted TNF on a broadcast network for at least next season, its future home could be a cable network. CBS Sports Network is among the candidates. "Anything is possible," McManus said. "We're not at that stage in our development yet. In the future, (we) very well might be."
• The setup next season, with the early-season games on CBS, should do wonders for NFLN. The more people who get hooked on the product, the more who are likely to keep watching once the CBS portion of the package ends.
• Given that it paid a reported $250 million for one year's worth of TNF, CBS likely will get more attractive matchups, at least to the extent to which that is controllable. "They want this to succeed. We want this to succeed," McManus said. "So I imagine the schedule will be excellent."
• With 16 games on the slate – plus the season opener and the Thanksgiving tripleheader – some teams will make multiple Thursday appearances. However, no team will have more than one "short week" of preparation – i.e., playing four days after kicking off on a Sunday.
NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics began Thursday night. Navigating all the different viewing options can be daunting.
My advice is to do what makes you feel most comfortable.
If you're technologically savvy, have free time during the day or keep vampire hours, try the streaming options on NBCOlympics.com and/or the NBC Sports Live Extra app.
If you're more interested in the spectacle than the results, watch NBC's traditional, delayed prime-time coverage.
If you're like me and interested in only one sport – hockey! – figure out the best way to streamline your viewing experience. (Searching "Olympic hockey TV schedule" on Google is most helpful.)


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UW Today
This is an archived article.
March 7, 2002
McDermott talks
Dr. Jim McDermott, who represents Washington's seventh district in the U.S. House of Representatives, was on campus Monday, March 4, to speak at the Grand Rounds presentation for the MEDEX physician assistant program. His topic was "Now Is the Time for Universal Health Care in the United States of America."


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Rolling wooded terrain. Fronts on 2 roads, one is a 4 lane road. Seller will not subdivide. Great corner lot. Great access to 4 interstate highways. Beautiful creek through property. Seller is nonnegotiable on price.
Make an Offer for 0 Eastern & NE 100th
Are you a Buyer or an Agent?


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Rochester Amerks goalie David Leggio's future murky
8:03 PM, May 3, 2013
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Rochester Amerks goalie David Leggio's future murky
David Leggio was once again the Amerks most valuable player this season, but his future is clouded and he isn't even sure he'll be back in the Buffalo Sabres' organization next year.
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Anti-tenure advocates' law firm withdraws from case
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- Studio: Factory 25
- Release Date: Dec 10, 2010
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Director Ry Russo-Young, who cowrote the script with Schnabel, is gunning for a big generational statement, but her ordnance is strictly small bore.
An aimlessly wandering DIY-indie that will send viewers retreating to popcorn movies at their local multiplex.
Never amounts to anything more than a rambling, studenty exercise in undergraduate cinema vérité. Some expressive, arty photography and a mildly satiric attitude toward stage poseurs do little to make the picture bearable.
Other than those related to cast and crew, it's difficult to imagine who else would sit through Ry Russo-Young's self-obsessed indie.
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New UDS for 09!
View Single Post
Is lookin for wood to cook with.
Join Date: 12-23-08
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
New UDS for 09!
Hello all!
This is my first post here and I am delighted to part of a humble community!
I came across this site while searching for a drum smoker design. Well I was so intrigued with the UDS that I went ahead a made my own , since I have access to several empty used non-toxic drums.
It took me 2 days I am very proud of my UDS!
I am posting some pics of my version hopefully y'all will like.
My version has a side shelf made from a drum lid and some decorative
shelf brackets.
I also have a 14.5 X 14.5 X 7 charcoal box. This was made
used a steel framed box fixture for stage props (found several on the side of the road 3 years ago) The expanded metal is 3/4"-#9. I purchased a 48" x 48" sheet from Metals Supermarket (most major cities have these stores) for $32, enough to make two boxes. My charcoal box has a couple of built-in features; 1. The top portion can be used as handles for lifting the box in and out of the drum. 2. The box itself can be used as a campsite cooker I have a separate piece of expanded metal that fits perfectly in the recessed grooves around the top of the charcoal box.
The air intakes are 1" and I am using a 1" valve for regulating the air intake. After doing a trial run I found that this smoker maintained 240 degrees for 12 hours using two open inlets.
The exhaust is a 2" muffler tip I purchased from Advanced Auto parts for $4.99 The exhaust is held in place using a 2" conduit fitting which screws inside the 2" threaded bung hole on the lid.
I lucked up and came across a metal dolly which fitted my drum perfectly.
Oh yeah I will post lots of BBQ pron!
I am going to be able to watch the Atlanta Falcons win the super bowl,
while using my new the UDS!
View Public Profile
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Special Correspondent
Narrates how he donned role of turtle saviour
HYDERABAD: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday spoke of how he donned the role of saviour of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles and his dream of creating an experimental turtle rookery on one of the islands off Orissa, the site for a missile launch complex.
After dedicating the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), Mr. Kalam narrated how while working as leader of a missile development team at Wheeler Island, he had received a message from Prof. Padma Hejmadi, a conservationist, saying that the lights in the range created problems in the hatching of the Olive Ridley.
He studied the problem with his team, which took a number of facilitating measures such as controlled lighting whenever needed and reducing the movement of people and vehicles on the beach. On creating a rookery, he suggested such a scientific endeavour could be undertaken as a joint venture among LaCONES, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Defence Research and Development Organisation, ecologists and biologists.


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Hi Everyone!
Just letting all the NJ mamas in the group know that I opened my own home birth practice last year in Central NJ. I am a licensed CPM who does home births, and also has an agreement with my back up doc to take care of VBAC mamas who want MW care, but go to hospital to deliver. My office is in Whitehouse Station. Please look over my website to get to know my philosophy/practice, and feel free to contact me with any questions.
I am in the process of creating a "Testimonials" page for the website, but would be happy to provide references until it is complete.
Happy Healthy birthing to all!!
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Wednesday: The Ride of Silence will not be quiet
At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.Tweet
How to create a bike-friendly workplace
Since today is National Bike to Work Day, it only seems fitting that we share this e-book from commercial bike rack maker Upbeat. Biking to work is on the rise across the country, and beyond adding more bike racks, there are several things you can do to help your employer make riding to work more comfortable and convenient. Doing so doesn't just help you, it helps others who may be interested in trying to ride to work and countless others who will benefit from less congested streets, less pollution and better overall health.Tweet
Get involved – Make a world of difference
In Bike Month in May, communities across the United States are focusing on the benefits of bicycles- economic, health, environmental. Whether someone is bicycling to avoid urban gridlock in the U.S. or trying to reach a distant school in rural Africa, bikes provide a simple solution to some of our world's most complex problems. In this short video World Bicycle Relief showcases the hard work of individual across the country who are showing how they, one person at a time, can make a real difference. Nine-year-old Griffin Donovan, Team WBR Indiana members and Ironman World Champion Jordan Rapp are making a world of difference through the Power of Bicycles. Learn how you can get involved here.Tweet
Short film: 'Havana Bikes'
Cuba underwent a bicycle revolution in the 1990s during its five year 'Special Period'. Oil was scarce as a result of tough economic constraints, and throughout those years of austerity, bicycles where introduced as an alternative mode of transport. Thousands of Cubans used bicycles on a regular basis, as pedaling became the norm on the island.
Years later, the transportation crisis subsided and motorized vehicles returned, and the country's bicycle culture took a hit. Now, new bikes are difficult to come by and parts are not readily available, yet many Cubans still use bicycles daily and, despite the limited resources, a handful of mechanics provide a service to those who rely on their bikes in their everyday lives.
Plenty of cyclists roam the streets of Havana and the rest of Cuba. Ángel, a typical bike riding Habanero, provides a brief insight into Cuban bicycle culture and the importance of bike mechanics in the capital as we come across both riders and repairmen.Tweet
Video: Green Lane Project promotes protected bike lanes in US
"Deep down inside, most folks just want the freedom of choice," says Mayor A. C. Wharton, Jr., of Memphis, one of the most pro-bike mayors in the country. Adding to the choices is the rise of protected bike lanes in Memphis and beyond, which make riding in the city safer and more comfortable.
Promoting that choice is the Green Lane Project, created to help cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets. It focuses on on protected bike lanes, which are on-street lanes separated from traffic by curbs, planters, parked cars, or posts. Protected bike lanes are part of a connected system for biking around town, which is an essential ingredient of a great place to live and work. They are a simple tool to transform city streets into places where more people feel comfortable riding a bike, making it easier to get around, save money, and live an active life.
Click here to watch the video and learn more.Tweet
National Bike to Work Week starts Monday
Pump up those tires and lube the chain, National Bike to Work Week starts Monday.
Just one of several events happening during National Bike Month, the League of American Bicyclists encourages everyone who can to bike to work May 12-16, or at least on Bike to Work Day, May 16.
More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work. With increased interest in healthy, sustainable and economic transportation options, it's not surprising that, from 2000 to 2011, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 47 percent.
And if you're in NYC, you're invited to join the Bike Home From Work Party on Friday!
Click here to see the full-size graphic.Tweet
Join Cyclofemme in the celebration of women in cycling on May 11
Riding with the kids at our 2013 CycloFemme ride.
No matter what type of bike you ride, or how often or far you ride, CycloFemme is a day for all women cyclists. It is also a day for anyone who supports women on bikes to join the rides as well. The goal is to create a unified voice for women's cycling by building a tribe of riders who recognize the need to empower one another and build a supportive community.
Learn more about Cyclofemme here.Tweet
Marin Museum of Bicycling to construct Mt. Tamalpais Legacy Wall
The Marin Museum of Bicycling recently announced it would begin construction on the Mt. Tamalpais Legacy Wall in Fairfax, California, that will be fitted with brick titles funded by museum donors. The public can purchase bricks and help fund the museum, the future home of the Igler Collection and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.Tweet
Ride For Reading Week returns for third year
Ride For Reading is a national non-profit dedicated to promoting literacy in low-income areas. This year from May 5-11 it will celebrate the third annual Ride For Reading week and recruiting bicycle volunteers to help sort and distribute books.Tweet
Gran Fondo organizers chip in to repair roads
Carlos Perez and Greg Fisher are the hands behind Levi's King Ridge Gran Fondo, held on the roads of Sonoma County, California. Each fall since 2009, more than 7,500 cyclists transcend on Santa Rosa, California, and its roads take the toll. That hasn't stopped their events company, Bike Monkey, and a merry band of volunteers from taking care of the roads that take care of the riders, many of whom travel from all four corners of the earth. The event's organizers got permission from the county to hire their own contractors and repair the roads using funds raised from event entry fees, donations and corporate sponsorships. In all, $40,000 has been spent on patching 48 miles of road.
I spoke with Fisher about what prompted them to take action, and what they've done to mitigate road damage, because no one wants to see roads go neglected.Tweet
Google's self-driving car recognizes cyclists
Google has taken its self-driving car to the streets of Mountain View, California, to help it learn to navigate complex urban environments. As this video demonstrates, one of the special considerations it makes is yielding to cyclists. The computer can recognize simple hand gestures and react accordingly. Could this kind of technology ultimately make the streets safer for all users? Sure seems that way.Tweet
League announces new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses
Today, the League of American Bicyclists announced 80 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFB) in 29 states and Washington, D.C. These new awardees join a trendsetting group of almost 700 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in 46 states and D.C. that are transforming the American workplace. Bicycle Friendly Businesses encourage a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere for employees and customers alike. BFBs attract and retain energized, alert and productive employees, while decreasing healthcare costs.Tweet
Donate to create new singletrack and you would win a Moots
Even if you don't live in Colorado or might never have the chance to sample its sweet singletrack, it's hard to pass up an opportunity like this. The Routt Country Riders – a local IMBA chapter – is raising funds to purchase some new trail building equipment, and Moots is pitching in to help.
For every $50 ticket you purchase, you'll get another entry in a raffle to win a Moots Rouge YBB, a 27.5 titanium hardtail with Moots' famous YBB softtail design. That's an $8,000 value we're talking here.
If you're not familiar, the partnership between Moots and the RCR goes way back. Formed in the early 1990s, the club advocates for both mountain bikes and road riders, and has earned a Bronze level certification from IMBA and built the only IMBA Ride Center in Colorado and one of just 17 in the world. They also worked with Moots to create the amazing "chainsaw" trail building bike we saw at NAHBS last year.
Only 250 tickets for this raffle are available now through June 10, and you can grab yours at the Moots online store. Good luck!
Only a few days to go to support Bike Pittsburgh's Drive With Care campaign
Our hometown, Pittsburgh, has been making big strides in the past few years in promoting cycling and making the streets safer. At the forefront of that movement is Bike Pittsburgh, an award-winning advocacy group.
In August 2013, Bike Pittsburgh installed four billboards and 15 bus shelters with its Drive With Care campaign. Featuring real cyclists and real people, it reminded drivers that people on bikes aren't a nascence in the road, they are nurses, students, daughters, sons and star NFL players. Yes, one billboard features Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a football town after all.
Now Bike Pittsburgh is raising funds to expand the program to other neighborhoods, create a web campaign where riders can share their stories, and spread the word to drivers that all road users are people, not impediments.
The Indiegogo campaign is raising $50,000 to fund the following:
- $10,000 – 15 bus shelters for two month
- $14,000 – 45 bus cards (aka "Queens") on the sides of buses divided between four routes, for two months
- $16,000 – Strategically placed billboards around Pittsburgh for two months
- $10,000 – Web development and app creation for people to take their own pictures and make Drive With Care profiles
More than just making streets safer, your donation will earn you a little something too.
Various donation levels will earn you prizes, including T-shirts, cycling caps, water bottles, a spot on one of the billboards or my favorite: Rick Sebak will record the message on your voicemail or answering machine. Pittsburghers are going to especially excited about this one.
The campaign runs through April 20, so don't delay—donate now.
Pittsburgh's first Women and Biking Forum
Bike Pittsburgh has continued to make strides for cycling in its city. It has created an ad campaign that helps drivers make cyclists more relatable, built a growing number of bike lanes and now hosted the very first Women's Biking Forum in Pittsburgh.Tweet
Take the pledge for #30daysofbiking
While May is National Bike Month, there's no reason not to get started early with April's 30 Days of Biking. The idea is simple: Pledge to ride your bike every day in April and share your experience with the hashtag #30daysofbiking. There are also events scheduled all over the country to keep you motivated and having fun. Then visit 30daysofbiking.com to see what others are up to. Plus, for every 30 folks to take the pledge, 30DaysofBiking will donate a bike to Free Bikes 4 Kidz, a group of compassionate cyclists who refurbish used bikes and donate them to folks in need.
U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame accepting nominations through April 1
Since 1987, there has been an annual induction of Americans who have achieved success in racing or who have enhanced the sport of cycling through their lifelong efforts to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. Nominee consideration looks at achievements that have made significant and extraordinary contributions to the sport of competitive bicycle racing.
Inductees can be selected as competitors who have had success at the national and international level, or contributors who have advanced the sport through technology, coaching or promotion. Inductees can have a background in road racing, track, BMX, cyclocross or mountain biking.
There are four categories for 2014:
- Veteran: Road and track – 1980 and prior.
- Modern: Road and track – 1981 to 2009.
- Off Road (including BMX, Cyclocross and Mountain Biking)
- Contributor (any discipline)
Anyone can nominate a candidate, but must provide supporting documentation of the nominee's accomplishments in order for the nominee to be considered for placement on the ballot. Please be as complete as possible and document major accomplishments. A list of what are considered a nominees top 10 accomplishments is a good start. Entries for the 2014 induction are due April 1. Chosen inductees will be notified and invited to attend the induction ceremony in November, in Davis, California, which will be open to the public.
You can download a nomination form here.Tweet
Alliance announces 2014 Advocacy Award winners
Each year at the National Bike Summit the Alliance for Biking and Walking announces its winners for the Alliance Advocacy Awards, a way to recognize exceptional groups and individuals who lead in advancing active transportation in North America.
The Alliance received 210 nominations for the 2014 awards, and the final winners were chosen by a panel of past award winners, leaders in the industry and Alliance staff. The People's Choice Award winner was, of course, chosen by a vote.Tweet
Next in bicycle infrastructure: protected intersections
I was in Amsterdam all last week getting to know Dutch bicycle culture and logistics (more on that soon), and one of the key tenants of what makes cycling so simple there is the cycle paths. More than just bike lanes, the cycle paths are almost always separated from traffic by parked cars, curbs, or other street features.
The practice is catching on in the US, with New York leading the way with protected lanes on some major thoroughfares. But even those lanes leave cyclists vulnerable where they need safety most: in the intersection.
Urban planner and designer Nick Falbo has put together this piece about how intersection design can make cycling safer and more accessible. His video and other collected works are part of a proposal for the George Mason University 2014 Cameron Rian Hays Outside the Box competition, a challenge to find new solutions to transportation policy challenges.
Supreme Court decision may threaten rail-trails
A ruling by the Supreme Court Monday could limit the transformation of railroad right-of-ways into bike and pedestrian corridors. The 8-1 decision ruled that when a railroad had been abandoned, the right-of-way reverts back to the property owner and its future use is at their discretion.
It could derail plans to construct new rail-trails built on former federal land, especially in the West, while the government could also be required to compensate landowners who have converted rail-trails crossing their property.Tweet


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