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An 87 year old woman is dead, two others people are in the hospital after a man fleeing police crashed into the car she was in.
St. Louis police say officers were trying to locate an 18 year old man who was wanted by another jurisdiction. Officers found him in a car at Grand and Osage about 3:00 p.m. Police say the man sped away when officers approached.
Witnesses told police that the man's car slammed into the other vehicle, and he took off on foot. Police caught him a short time later.
The 87 year old woman and two other people in the car with her were taken to the hospital. The woman later died. The other two victims are expected to survive.


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With his upcoming fight for the fourth installment in the everlasting series against Juan Manuel Márquez, Manny Pacquiao was the next athlete to stop by ESPN for another episode in their conversation series. In the clip above, ESPN's Jeremy Schaap sits down with Pacman to discuss the upcoming fight, new found religion and the obvious "when do you think you're going to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr." Pac expects the fight to happen in 2013 as he feels 100% ready to fight including now submitting blood work before and after the fight.
The third re-match between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez goes down this Saturday in a Non-title welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

subset: commoncrawl


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transfer credits
your past credit counts.
UMass Amherst has a generous policy on transfer credits, allowing up to 75 credits from other colleges and universities no matter how long ago you took your courses. You may also be able to earn transfer credits from CLEP, DANTES, AP and SAT ll exams, professional trainings and certifications, training received in the military, and credit earned through ACE and UExcel evaluations. All active duty service members and veterans receive 3-4 academic credits for completing basic training.
transfer credits. finish your degree.
After you submit your application materials, the UMass Office of Undergraduate Admissions will review your transcripts and use its generous criteria to decide how many of your courses will be accepted as transfer credits. To get a sense of which of your courses might be accepted as transfer credits, refer to our Quick Tips: A Guide for Selecting Transferrable Courses.


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- Front Page
- The Director's View
- Dr. Christopher Murray previews IHME's innovative research and collaborative initiatives across global regions
- Beneath the Surface
- Working with local teams in Africa, Post-Bachelor Fellows implement health surveys and research cost effectiveness of antiretroviral programs
- Deep Dive
- IHME applies tools for improving health equity and facility-level service in Kenya
- Connections
- IHME consults global partners in burden of disease research, celebrates a landmark anniversary, and congratulates award-winning faculty
- Innovations
- IHME publishes new findings in GDP per capita data and US vaccination coverage and obesity perception
- Ripple Effect
- Afield in Zambia and Botswana, IHME reports on achievements in prevention and treatment for HIV and malaria
@ Copyright IHME 2014
Beneath the Surface
In IHME's Seattle offices, our cohort of young researchers, the Post-Bachelor Fellows (PBFs), spend their days – and sometimes their evenings – writing code, running numbers, and poring over the complex metrics that result. The research is all about global health, but they work locally until their turn comes for a stint of fieldwork abroad.
Deep Dive
To understand what drives health disparities in a country, you have to decide where to begin counting.
IHME researchers in countries around the world that are part of the Access, Bottlenecks, Costs, and Equity (ABCE) project are developing new tools and building new evidence for improving the equity and cost effectiveness of health systems.
Influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing flu virus infection, but many Americans do not receive the vaccine.
All summer long, IHME faculty and staff attended conferences and events, presenting and educating diverse audiences about our recent innovations and findings.
Ripple Effect
The First Lady of Zambia, Dr. Christine Kaseba-Sata, has been working to improve the health of Zambia's women and children for two decades. As an obstetrician and lecturer, she is a tireless advocate for programs in safe motherhood and newborn care.
When the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) was created five years ago, we envisioned an independent research institute rooted in academia while operating as an independent, results-driven organization. Far from working in isolation, we also anticipated growing into collaborative partnerships with colleagues around the world who share our goals of capturing accurate health information to inform strategic decision-making and improve health worldwide.
From the start, our faculty members, researchers, and fellows have been building productive relationships with researchers, policymakers, and health experts in multiple regions. In recent issues of IHME Impact, we told you about our important work with the Salud Mesoamérica 2015 Initiative to lower maternal and neonatal mortality in southern Mexico and Central America. In the spring, we launched an innovative, multiyear collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to monitor the health status of Saudi citizens and to inform health policy priorities.
In this issue, you will learn how IHME faculty, fellows, and staff are bringing effective projects to fruition in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, with plans to ultimately expand to 15 countries. The Access, Bottlenecks, Costs, and Equity (ABCE) project is identifying constraints to cost effective and equitable access to health systems, with a strong focus on delivering antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention services.
In conducting this research, IHME is partnering with local teams and ministries of health, who look forward to having critical data for setting effective policies to improve their health systems' performance. UNICEF has also been an essential collaborator in several countries, both in its contribution to collecting information and in communicating results to local policymakers. The goal of the ABCE project, as for all of IHME's work, is to improve people's health through better information.
This issue of Impact outlines how IHME is carrying out our research in developing countries and communicating the results to stakeholders around the world.
- Beneath the Surface shares the perspectives of IHME fellows and researchers who spent months in Africa assessing the cost effectiveness of health systems and training local teams to continue the research.
- Deep Dive describes the central components of the equity and cost effectiveness research by focusing on the approach taken in Kenya.
- In Connections, we welcome our new Post-Bachelor Fellows and Post-Graduate Fellows and look at how IHME is collaborating at home and abroad with fellow global health proponents.
- Innovations summarizes IHME's recently published research, including studies on GDP per capita data and influenza vaccination coverage and the perception of obesity in the US.
- In Ripple Effect, we visit the First Lady of Zambia, an obstetrician and advocate for maternal and newborn health, who values research IHME conducted in partnership with the University of Zambia.
Thank you for your interest in IHME's mission and work. We look forward to another five years of advancing health measurement worldwide.
To understand what drives health disparities in a country, you have to decide where to begin counting.
IHME researchers working with UNICEF in countries around the world that are part of the Access, Bottlenecks, Costs, and Equity (ABCE) project are developing new tools and building new evidence for improving the equity and cost effectiveness of health systems. ABCE aims to create a framework that addresses these five questions:
- How much does it cost to provide health services?
- Who is receiving these health services?
- What are the largest barriers to accessing care and which populations are most affected?
- What progress is being made in expanding the delivery of health services?
- What are the best tools for real-time monitoring and tracking health sector growth?
For each country, research teams from IHME had to decide where to collect facility-level data. In Kenya, they used three main factors: population density, the level of child malnutrition, and health expenditure per capita. Each factor required data analysis with advanced statistical techniques to make sure the team was picking the right places to survey.
To represent the variation in population density across Kenya, the team picked counties with varying mixes of urban and rural areas. In Kenya, that also meant finding a way to survey the health facilities used by members of nomadic, pastoral tribes located in hard-to-reach parts of the country.
"These are people who don't have a permanent home, so they are difficult populations to track," said Dr. Emelda Okiro, an IHME Post-Graduate Fellow. "Our country partners were keen on making sure our study was representative of all the different facets of Kenya's population, so we needed to think about how to include the pastoralists and everyone else in our analysis."
In addition to population density, the team looked at rates of child malnutrition in choosing sampling sites. There are densely populated urban areas with high rates of malnutrition and others with low rates. The same is true for some rural areas and areas populated mostly by nomadic tribes.
The last factor the team considered was health care expenditure, and this was in some ways the most difficult one to analyze. Kenya has some of the best hospitals in East Africa and also some of the most underfunded.
"Nairobi has among the best hospitals in Kenya, where everything is at a very high level, from the quality of services, to the expertise of the specialists who see the patients, to the equipment," Dr. Okiro said. "And in part because of that, people in Nairobi spend more per capita on health care," she added.
Contrast that situation with facilities where a woman may have to give birth in the pitch black of night because the clinic has no power generators. Where there are no IV drips to administer medication. Where doctors and nurses don't even have access to surgical gloves. Health care expenditure is a fraction of the figure in Nairobi.
With these three filters, the team was able to narrow their focus to counties that, taken as a whole, represented the mix of socioeconomic factors found nationwide. The next step is conducting exit interviews at nearly 300 facilities in Kenya and collecting data on the resources available and the health care these facilities provided. In some counties, the team only surveys one large hospital for the whole county. They call these "referral hospital" counties. In most counties, they sample 10 to 20 facilities.
"We want to capture how many children they vaccinated, how many surgeries they performed, how many babies were born," said IHME Lecturer Michael Hanlon, leader of the ABCE research team. "Then for national and local governments we want to be able to recommend where they would need to invest to get the most for their limited resources."
The team expects to finish the data collection and analysis in the next few months, and plans to publish their findings for Kenya and the other countries in the ABCE project starting in 2013.
In IHME's Seattle offices, our cohort of young researchers, the Post-Bachelor Fellows (PBFs), spend their days – and sometimes their evenings – writing code, running numbers, and poring over the complex metrics that result. The research is all about global health, but they work locally until their turn comes for a stint of fieldwork abroad.
Beginning in early 2011, for the Access, Bottlenecks, Costs, and Equity (ABCE) project, groups of PBFs are spending weeks in cities and rural areas of Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. Partnering with local research teams and collaborators, they are helping to collect data on health facilities and patients from hospitals, clinics, health centers, and pharmacies. In one key collaboration, UNICEF provided critical assistance that ensured success in countries such as Ghana.
The data will contribute to a fuller understanding of what it costs a country to run an effective health system. In another component of the project, these fellows are researching the cost effectiveness of facility-based HIV prevention and antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs to counteract HIV/AIDS infections in developing countries.
The deployed researchers are supported by a full team at IHME, including Project Officers Annie Haakenstad and Kelsey Moore. Both have visited many of the countries currently involved in the project. The research will ultimately be conducted in 15 countries, possibly including Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Georgia, Mozambique, Peru, Philippines, and Turkey.
With IHME faculty members such as research leader Dr. Michael Hanlon, Kelsey helps recruit decision-makers, researchers, and other stakeholders to facilitate data collection or support the discussion of the ABCE project results within their country. "When meeting with representatives from ministries of health, donor organizations, nonprofits, and other health providers," Kelsey said, "ABCE has received widespread support. The value of this information was immediately apparent."
"We ask health policymakers what questions most need to be answered within their system," Kelsey explained. "What are the biggest gaps in information that affect implementing informed policies? Based on these conversations, along with our in-country collaborators, we prepare policy reports, host policy forums, or provide analytical methods workshops. Better data will improve the equitable provision of health care and access to it. But the key to bringing about change is to present what we've learned in an effective way."
PBF Samuel Masters, who carried out ABCE work in Ghana, Uganda, and Zambia, described the initial meetings with the Ghana Health Service and representatives from the Ministry of Health. Before training locally hired research assistants to conduct the ABCE health facility survey, the collaborators tailored the survey to suit Ghana's needs. For example, the questions about facility expenses were adjusted to correspond to the government's standard accounting system.
According to Sam, "Training the research assistants went smoothly because everyone wanted the pilot phase to go well, and we'd established clear priorities in advance." He also pointed out the capacity-building nature of the training. "The Ghana Health Service recruited three-person regional teams of pharmacists, accountants, and health records specialists, who will return to their home regions to collect the ABCE data."
Sam takes away from his in-country experience the assurance that his computer time in Seattle has true value: "Working in the field, you can see the impact of the project on those being trained. You see people's excitement about gaining new skills and knowledge about their country's health system that they can apply to future analysis."
PBF Emily Carnahan, working in Uganda, pointed out the contrast between her two work environments. "At IHME, I've handled vast amounts of data. Seeing the data collection firsthand in Uganda is a great reminder as to how much work goes into capturing and calculating each of those data points. We are in a unique position at IHME because we have access to enormous amounts of data, but here sometimes tracking down a single number can pose a huge challenge."
Analyzing data for the ABCE project back in Seattle, IHME Post-Graduate Fellow Anne Gasasira, a doctor and epidemiologist from Uganda, noted the apt timing of the ART research." For countries like Uganda that have been rapidly scaling up ART programs over the recent past but haven't had a chance to evaluate their performance, the ABCE study will provide critical information on the current status of programs, including areas like staffing levels, availability of services, patient volumes, and patient outcomes. The Uganda AIDS Control Program is following the study's progress with much interest and looking forward to our results."
Anne also observed, "Very importantly, cross -country comparisons will potentially provide the opportunity for countries to learn from each other and form mutually beneficial collaborations." Through their work in multiple countries, IHME's up-and-coming researchers are laying the groundwork for those future collaborations.
All summer long, IHME faculty and staff attended conferences and events, presenting and educating diverse audiences about our recent innovations and findings. We have had many instances of celebration, including the arrival of a new cohort of Post-Bachelor and Post-Graduate Fellows. Here is a collection of key events that took place in these months.
Fellows encourage interactive learning at STEM Explosion Expo
The STEM Explosion Expo in June was a popular component of an education leadership institute that helped Washington State educators implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in their communities. IHME's exhibit introduced visitors to the field of global health research and demonstrated the importance of measuring health. IHME Post-Bachelor Fellows and staff Ian Bolliger, Rebecca Engell, Marissa Iannarone, and Nicole Johns explained IHME's research on county-level life expectancies and how to make measurement methods engaging for students.
Researchers participate in forum of health economists
In June, IHME Lecturer Santosh Kumar, with IHME Post-Graduate Fellow Rouselle Lavado and Research Assistant Joe Dieleman, engaged audiences with their presentations of IHME's work on tracking health financing at the 4th Biennial Conference of the American Society of Health Economists. They spoke on quality of care as a constraint on health services in India, estimating out-of-pocket expenditure from household surveys, and how governments manage development assistance for health.
IHME plays key role in Seattle's Next Fifty Global Health Month
From July to August, IHME cosponsored educational activities to celebrate global health month, showcasing Washington State's efforts to improve the world's health. The Global Health Experience Exhibit featured personal stories of prominent global health challenges – cancer, malaria, diabetes, and threats to maternal and child health. IHME provided visitors with a deeper understanding of these health conditions by exhibiting data-rich maps and offering an interactive tool in the exhibit's activity tent. On a Sunday in July, some 3,000 people gathered at Groundswell: A Night for Global Health to hear noteworthy speakers, including IHME's Director Christopher Murray and philanthropist Melinda Gates, emphasize the importance of maternal and child health improvements.
Research leader joins panel on maternal health
Professor Rafael Lozano, who leads IHME's maternal mortality research, participated in the panel "The Key Challenges of Maternal Mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean" in June as part of a Latin American and Caribbean regional consultation in Mexico City. Dr. Lozano discussed what current maternal mortality numbers tell us about the state of women's reproductive health as part of the planning for the 2013 Women Deliver global conference, dedicated to improving maternal health.
New social research shared at conference on public opinion research
In May, the American Association for Public Opinion Research held a conference focusing on challenges that public opinion and survey researchers face as a result of new technologies and communication media. IHME researchers Dr. Bernardo Hernández Prado, Visiting Fellow Ali Mokdad, Post-Graduate Fellow Gulnoza Usmanova, and former Post-Graduate Fellow Catherine Wetmore presented papers on research methods, study design, and multimode strategies in social research to a wide variety of survey experts, consumers, and funders of social opinion research.
IHME joins USAID in call to lower child deaths
In concurrence with USAID's 5th Birthday campaign, recognizing that most child deaths occur before the age of 5, the USAID Child Survival Call to Action high-level forum, held in June in Washington, DC, explored the most effective ways to allocate resources toward ending preventable child deaths. IHME Director Christopher Murray discussed the drivers behind reducing child mortality, such as maternal education, and innovation, such as new ways of reaching disadvantaged communities. USAID has contracted with IHME to complete an econometric analysis of available health data and public health research, and make recommendations for policy action to lower child mortality rapidly by 2035.
IHME gathers over 30 organizations to discuss the Malaria Control Policy Assessment
In April, IHME held a consultative meeting on the Malaria Control Policy Assessment (MCPA) project in Uganda with the Uganda Malaria Surveillance Project. Associate Professor Stephen Lim, leader of IHME's intervention coverage research, presented an introduction to the MCPA project to local experts in the field, who provided guidance and feedback on the direction of the research and on how to effectively distribute the results.
Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study worldwide consultations
Since September 2011, IHME in coordination with collaborators has been sharing the preliminary results of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010 Study) in a series of worldwide meetings. The study will produce new estimates measuring the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 21 regions around the world. The following meetings are the most recent GBD-related discussions that have taken place.
- In June, IHME Director Christopher Murray and Affiliate Professor of Global Health Alan Lopez, two lead researchers behind the original Global Burden of Disease study, discussed some of the preliminary findings from the GBD 2010 Study at the University of Queensland's Global Leadership Series in Washington, DC.
- Also in June, Dr. Murray and Dr. Lopez attended a debate and discussion focused on the preliminary findings from the GBD 2010 Study. The invitation-only event was hosted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
- To gather feedback from high-level decision-makers, Dr. Murray and IHME Professors Dr. Rafael Lozano and Dr. Ali Mokdad gave a July presentation of the preliminary GBD results relevant to the Middle East region. Held in Amman, Jordan, the session was co-hosted by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
- In a two-day conference in July, organized by PAHO and the government of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Lozano led a panel on analysis and decision-making based on the GBD 2010 Study's preliminary results. Ministers of health from eight countries offered comments and reactions to the GBD global and country-based research.
Happy fifth anniversary, IHME!
On July 1, IHME celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Institute. Since our creation, we set out to measure the world's greatest health challenges and evaluate the solutions being used to address them. As Julio Frenk, IHME Board Chair and Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, noted, "So many initiatives never make it to the fifth birthday. They just disappear. They fail. Not only has IHME made it, but it has done so at this incredible level of accomplishment."
IHME's Abraham Flaxman wins the TR35 award for innovation
Each year 35 innovators under the age of 35 from around the globe receive the prestigious TR35 award to honor how their work is changing our world. For the first time, this highly selective award from Technology Review, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, went to an expert in health measurement: IHME Assistant Professor Abraham Flaxman. Past winners include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
One of Dr. Flaxman's innovations is exemplified in the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study. His new disease modeling system has allowed researchers to combine all of the world's data on the prevalence, incidence, remission, and mortality of a disease and produce consistent estimates of the way the disease progresses through the population.
Other notable innovations include Dr. Flaxman's achievements in verbal autopsy (VA), a method to determine causes of death in settings lacking complete death certification. He spearheaded the development of the most accurate VA estimates to date. His stock-and-flow model is critical in tracking the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria. And Dr. Flaxman's advancements in data-driven data quality audits (D3QA) are widely commended for ensuring that health data and other data gathered from household surveys are accurate. D3QA is being used to estimate mortality from war-related causes in Iraq.
Dr. Flaxman hopes this recognition for his accomplishments in the field of global health "inspires other people to look at the area," adding, "There is so much room for innovation in global health, the challenges are huge, and the stakes couldn't be higher."
IHME welcomes new fellows
This month, IHME welcomes a new cohort to our Post-Bachelor Fellowship (PBF) program. The PBF program brings recent college graduates to IHME for academic research, education, and on-the-job training and mentoring from professors and researchers. We are also pleased to have several new Post-Graduate Fellows join us for self-directed research and interdisciplinary collaboration in health metrics.
Post-Bachelor Fellows
Anthony Bui is from Southern California and has received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Kristen Delwiche is from Portland, OR, and received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Puget Sound.
Joseph Frostad is from Seattle, WA, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Program on the Environment from the University of Washington.
Marielle Gagnier is from Birmingham, MI, and received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Michigan State University.
Kyle Heuton is from Saint Paul, MN, and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Minnesota.
Chelsea Liddell is from Montana, and has received her Bachelor of Arts in Engineering from Dartmouth College.
David Roberts is from Vancouver, WA, and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Stanford University.
Margaret Robinson is from Sunderland, MA, and received her Bachelor of Science in Physics from Williams College.
Austin Schumacher is from Grass Valley, CA, and received his Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of California, San Diego.
Andrea Stewart is from Ipswich, MA, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Tufts University.
Post-Graduate Fellows
Antony Stevens is originally from London, UK, but currently resides in Brazil where he earned his PhD in Epidemiology at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. He also brings a wealth of experience with an MSc in Computer Science and an MPhil in Anthropology from the University of London. He is on the Burden of Disease research team.
Thomas Odeny is from Kenya and earned his MPH in Epidemiology and Global Health from the University of Washington. He was a Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellow in Kisumu, Kenya. Thomas received his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi. He is on the Health Service Delivery Constraints research team.
Caterina Guinovart is from Barcelona, Spain, where she earned a PhD and MD at the Universitat de Barcelona. She received her MSc in Epidemology at the University of London. She is working with our Impact Evaluations research team.
Rates of flu vaccination a success in some populations, but many Americans remain unvaccinated
Influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing flu virus infection, but many Americans do not receive the vaccine. Researchers used results from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a large ongoing nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey designed to monitor the leading risk factors for morbidity and mortality, to estimate the prevalence of Americans receiving the influenza vaccine in the past 12 months. IHME researchers found that the flu vaccination coverage level in 2009 in the United States was 69% in adults 65 years and older but only 32% in adults between the ages of 18 and 64. These results indicate that vaccine rates among US adults fall far short of the Healthy People 2020 targets set by the US government.
Innovation: This study was designed to determine the characteristics most likely to influence Americans' vaccination status, indicating the populations that are most in need of renewed attention to vaccination strategies. Results show that vaccine coverage in the US is related to social position and other health behaviors, with health insurance being the strongest predictor of vaccination in both age groups studied. People reporting older age, white race, higher education, nonsmoking status, being physically active, having poor physical health, or having a personal history of various chronic conditions were also more likely to have received the influenza vaccine.
Takayama M, Wetmore CM, Mokdad AH. Characteristics associated with the uptake of influenza vaccination among adults in the United States. Preventive Medicine, March 2012
New estimates of income per capita overcome gaps in time and other data limitations
Income has been extensively studied as a determinant of health, but while several datasets are commonly used as a source for gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, no time series are complete for the years between 1950 and 2015 for the 210 countries for which data exist. IHME researchers set out to complete these existing datasets across six and a half decades for all countries and to create two new time series (one for US dollars and one for international dollars, adjusted for purchasing power parity) based on the completed source series.
Innovation: Researchers applied several stages of models, including ordinary least-squares regressions and mixed-effects models, to complete each of the seven source series from 1950 to 2015. The three US dollar and four international dollar series were each averaged to produce two new GDP per capita series for all countries from 1950 to 2015. These series are the most comprehensive time series of GDP per capita currently available and offer researchers diverse options to serve different analytical purposes. Extending the existing data to missing countries and years should facilitate population health analyses and reduce biases that arise from using series with missing information.
James SL, Gubbins P, Murrary CJL, Gakidou E. Developing a comprehensive time series of GDP per capita for 210 countries from 1950 to 2015. Population Health Metrics, July 2012
Novel analysis shows that while many Americans report losing weight over time, they are actually gaining weight
Research by IHME shows that while many Americans reported losing weight between 2008 and 2009, the actual prevalence of obesity in the United States increased over this time period. These results indicate that public health and medical professionals should interpret self-reported weight changes with caution when developing, implementing, and evaluating programs designed to prevent and control weight gain.
Innovation: This study was the first to compare calculated and reported changes in body weight in a large state-based surveillance system. The authors used data from the 2008 and 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which asks participants to report their weight and height at the time of the interview, as well as their weight one year prior to the interview.
Wetmore CM, Mokdad AH. In denial: misperceptions of weight change among adults in the United States. Preventive Medicine, August 2012
The First Lady of Zambia, Dr. Christine Kaseba-Sata, has been working to improve the health of Zambia's women and children for two decades. As an obstetrician and lecturer, she is a tireless advocate for programs in safe motherhood and newborn care. But recently, Dr. Kaseba-Sata became concerned that Zambia's increased investment in improved care wasn't adequately tracked, and as a result, there was no way to gauge if recent efforts had made any impact.
"Our main worry was that we are not monitoring the interventions that are being put in and when I came across this document Maternal and Child Health Intervention Coverage in Zambia, I was really taken aback, because this is exactly what policymakers need."
The report Dr. Kaseba-Sata stumbled upon was a collaborative effort between IHME and the University of Zambia, highlighting the preliminary results from a project to track coverage of maternal and child interventions by district as part of IHME's Malaria Control Policy Assessment (MCPA) project.
"The objective of the MCPA study is to look at how malaria interventions helped to reduce child mortality over the last 10 to 20 years," explained Dr. Felix Masiye, co-investigator on the MCPA project and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Zambia. "To achieve that objective, we compiled all available data to analyze trends in coverage of maternal and child health interventions, such as malaria control, skilled birth attendance, antenatal care, and even child immunizations."
The study showed that for the most part, malaria control interventions, such as household ownership of an insecticide-treated bed net, increased across the country. However, coverage of other interventions, such as antenatal care and some childhood vaccinations, was declining – and depending on the district, the patterns of coverage were often dramatically different.
"One of the most shocking findings was that antenatal care coverage of the recommended four visits by a pregnant mother dropped from 80% in 1990 to 40% in 2010," Dr. Masiye said. "That finding has sparked a lot of debate here in Zambia."
According to Zambia's Ministry of Health, this information has already resulted in a reallocation of resources."Your study has in a way influenced resource allocation as far as this comparison of districts is concerned," said Dr. Peter Mwaba, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health. "Now we know which are the worst performing districts and we have put in extra manpower and extra resources in those troubled districts."
Another project that the Zambian government is paying close attention to is the Access, Bottlenecks, Costs, and Equity (ABCE) project. The ABCE project, another collaboration between IHME and the University of Zambia, aims to identify constraints to cost effective, equitable access to health systems and provide policy and strategy options to countries for improving equity in health. In Zambia, the work has concentrated on the costs and constraints to health service delivery, with a major component looking at the delivery of antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention services.
The study covered more than 200 hospitals, clinics, and rural health outposts across the country, including private, public, and church mission-run facilities. The objective is to provide policymakers with reliable cost data when planning, prioritizing, and evaluating access to health systems.
"Really looking into the cost constraints, the actual costs, and challenges to accessing services is going to help governments rethink their social safety net policy and be able to improve services," Dr. Kaseba-Sata said.
While the country's statistics office and health facilities collect an enormous amount of data, the Ministry of Health says they simply don't have the expertise or the capacity to do the kind of analysis the IHME and University of Zambia studies have carried out.
"If you can't measure, you can't quantify. If you can't quantify, you cannot control. It's as simple as that," Dr. Mwaba said. "Yours is one such institution that has helped us a lot."
IHME hopes to mirror the success in Zambia by rolling out similar studies in new collaborations around the world.


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Real Madrid v Malaga: Preview
Gareth Bale has been included in Real Madrid's 21-man squad for Saturday's Primera Division game against Malaga, with coach Carlo Ancelotti insisting the Wales winger does not have a serious injury - ``just a muscle strain''.
The world-record 100million-euros acquisition from Tottenham returned to training on Wednesday after having struggled so far this term following a less-than-full pre-season programme, but looks set to take at least a place on the bench this weekend after Ancelotti vowed to give him ``some minutes'' at the Bernabeu.
``He is available for tomorrow,'' the Italian said on www.realmadrid.com. ``The problem with Bale is that he didn't play during the pre-season.
``I have three disc protrusions and they never gave me problems during my career.
``Tomorrow I want to give him some minutes because he needs to play, and do it with the team. Bale has nothing - just a muscle strain.''
While Bale's prospects of game-time appear good, the same cannot be said of club stalwart Iker Casillas.
The goalkeeper has yet to displace Diego Lopez in the league, and, although he started for Spain in their World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Tuesday, Ancelotti has indicated Lopez will remain first choice.
However, Ancelotti spoke glowingly of the 32-year-old at his pre-match press conference on Friday, saying: ``He's a great goalkeeper, very professional. He's helping if he doesn't play. He's a captain. I hope that Casillas stays here with us.
``I need to speak with Iker. It's just a talk and we'll see what happens.''
Another player who was involved over the international break but may not be called on at the Bernabeu this weekend is France centre-half Raphael Varane.
With just two Real appearances under his belt so far this term, one against Levante and the other in the Champions League win over FC Copenhagen, he looked to be getting the better of his knee problems and represented Les Bleus in their 6-0 win over Australia.
But he was not 100 per cent fit in the aftermath and sat out the following fixture against Finland, as well as two training sessions upon his return to Madrid.
He is not thought to have seriously aggravated anything, but Sergio Ramos and Pepe seem likely to resume their defensive partnership to avoid risking the 20-year-old Varane.
Real lie third heading into the weekend, five points shy of rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Ancelotti's side face a crucial week, following up the Malaga clash with a Champions League game against Juventus and then next Saturday's Clasico against Barca at the Nou Camp, and the 54-year-old urged his players to maintain their concentration.
``The players named for their national sides have returned in good condition.'' he said. ``The team is ready to begin an important week - Malaga, Juventus and Barcelona. The team is focused and we will be trying to win.''
Of 10th-placed Malaga, he added: ``There are no easy matches. After the match against Levante we haven't trained with all the players, but after that match the atmosphere changed. I feel the players are more motivated.
``Malaga is a strong team, with quality, and I expect a good game from Real. This team, with all its quality, has to play better.''
Malaga, meanwhile, have won just once in their last four games - a 2-0 home success over Almeria.
Striker Francisco Portillo knows that their next opponents are hardly the ones a side looking to get back to winning ways would choose, but has called for his team to rise to the challenge.
``Madrid have many players who are global stars but we will not be cowering, let's go to the party,'' the 23-year-old said.
``We look forward to the weekend and we will try to do the right things and get a positive result.
``It's a very difficult place to go and get a result and it is one of the best clubs in the world. We are aware of that but we also know what we have to do and we will give everything in our power to do it.''


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Medina Journal-Register — ALBION - Anchored by a core of returning All-League meet place finishers, Albion is prepping for the Niagara-Orleans boys track opener April 18 at Wilson.
Junior Justyn Haines, who won the pole vault and senior Marquise Riddick who placed second in the 400 hurdles and 4th in the triple jump at the All-League meet, heads that veteran group.
That contingent also includes junior Josh Girvion (3rd in pole vault), senior Brett Rosato (5th in 3200) and senior Colby Baney (6th in 1600).
The trio of Rosato, Baney and senior Shawn Deibel, who all earned All-League cross-country honors last fall, gives the Purple Eagles a strong distance contingent.
The Purple Eagles are also counting on veterans Allen Sanford, a senior in the hurdles; juniors Kollin Reynolds and Mike Eldred in the throws, sophomore Desmond Blackmon in the jumps and sophomore Jacob Squicciarini in the sprints.
"We're hoping to be competitive," said coach Wayne Wadhams. "We should be good in the pole vat, ups and distance events."
Albion, which posted a 4-2 N-O record last spring, is scheduled to open the league campaign at Wilson on April 18.Albion Purple Eagles COACH: Wayne Wadhams LAST YEAR: 4-2 KEY LOSSES: Joe Bedard (1st in shotput at All-Lague meet), Malkolm Taylor (3rd in triple jump), Levi Boyer (6th in shotput and discus). KEY RETURNEES: Marquise Riddick (Sr., hurdles/ middle distance), Brett Rosato (Sr., distance), Colby Baney (Sr., distance), Shawn Deibel (Sr., distance), Allen Sanford (Sr., hurdles), Justyn Haines (Jr., pole vault), Kollin Reynolds (Jr., shotput and discus). SCHEDULE: April 18 - at Wilson, 4:15 p.m. April 23 - Akron, 4:15 p.m. April 25 - at Roy-Hart, 4:15 p.m. May 2 - Medina, 4:15 p.m. May 7 - Newfane, 4:15 p.m. May 9 - at Barker, 4:15 p.m. May 15-16 - All-League meet at Roy-Hart


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Play the role of a pirate and set out to discover the lost treasure of Ikibago in this fascinating puzzle game!
Barrels of different colors move from left to right. Your objective is to align at least three barrels of the same color in one column before it disappears from the screen. Use the stylus to switch the barrels while anticipating different traps! Bonuses are available, so make sure to use them carefully to succeed in the 121 missions of this game!
Everywhere in this amazing Easter Wonderland is crammed full of Easter Eggs, Bunnies and candy.
Hordes of dreadful monsters approached the kingdom and to save their home, brave magicians set out to war. Cast spells against monsters, perform combos and destroy them for good! It will spell-bind you for eternity!
Do you remember the war two years ago?
Working Dawgs: A-Maze-ing Pipes celebrates the classic pipes puzzle game with a fun, new twist.
Can you Spot It?
In the realm of oblivion, an abandoned palace hides many valuable treasures, but those who enter this place have no real hope of ever escaping.


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I stay at this hotel regularly when I am in Paris as I know what to expect (and what not to expect). It is ok for a night or two (especially if you can avoid to have a shower for that time). It is a very basic accommodation, shared toilet in the hall and shared shower (on a different floor... More
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- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release Date: Mar 26, 2013
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 3
Thrust into the year 1912, players take on the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, who has traveled to the flying city of Columbia on a rescue mission. His target is Elizabeth, a young lady imprisoned since her childhood years. During their bold escape, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond -- one which lets Booker enhance his own abilities with her world-altering control over the environment. As a team, they fight from high-speed Sky-Lines, in the streets and houses of Columbia, on giant Zeppelins and in the clouds, while simultaneously learning to harness an growing arsenal of weapons and abilities.
… Expand
- Developer: Irrational Games
- Genre(s): Sci-Fi
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
Positive: 31 out of 33
Mixed: 2 out of 33
Negative: 0 out of 33
Mar 25, 2013Infinite is more than a new setting, story, and characters; those elements are seamlessly integrated with complex themes, a mysterious plot, and entertaining combat to create an amazing experience from beginning to end. Familiar threads run through it – a lighthouse, a strange city, a charismatic antagonist – but they are homages to the past rather than attempts to recycle it. The core of Infinite is unlike anything else on land, sea, or air.
Apr 1, 2013A game you can lose yourself in for hours, only looking away to wonder where the time has gone. It is one of this generations great games, as simple as that.
Apr 8, 2013BioShock Infinite is an excellent game and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Once you finish the game it will make you play the original BioShock all over again, which is truly saying something about this release.
Mar 21, 2013A brilliant shooter that nudges the entire genre forward with innovations in both storytelling and gameplay. It trips over itself in a couple of spots, but not in any way that should keep you from embracing it with your utmost enthusiasm.
Apr 4, 2013It's a well-crafted experience that's certainly more than the sum of its parts, even if those parts are by and large pretty damn good. It's a satisfying and intriguing experience from top to bottom, and something that's well worth checking out.
Mar 29, 2013Elizabeth is easily one of the best characters to come out of gaming this generation, and Irrational Games, and her actress(es) did an excellent job bringing her to the small screen.
Mar 26, 2013Bioshock Infinite attempts an Uncharted style relationship between two characters. It doesn't work as well as it needs to. Booker DeWitt, ably if not unremarkably acted by Troy Baker, would be a fine figure in a novel or a movie. But in a game driven by his relationship with Elizabeth, Bioshock Infinite snags on the issue of a third-person protagonist in a first-person game. What does Booker look like? How does he feel? How is he reacting to what Elizabeth tells him? What does he do when I press X to "comfort Elizabeth"? Is there any subtext when he makes a choice? How do they look at each other? An actor's face belongs here. There isn't one.
Score distribution:
Positive: 316 out of 388
Mixed: 35 out of 388
Negative: 37 out of 388
Mar 30, 2013I loved the original Bioshock when it came out in 2007. That the pace of the plot evaporated after the twist mattered not one jot, the game delivered deep in something sadly missing from many games today atmosphere. Bioshock 2 I also enjoyed in 2010, with the way that it opened up more, and gave a spin on events in Rapture of its own accord, but it never stunned like the original. After seeing the first trailers for Bioshock Infinite 2 years ago, I was hoping for something that would deliver in all key areas of a great game i was not disappointed!! Presentation is generally excellent for the 360, the loads being minimal and fairly fast. The graphics are beautiful in the way that they are executed and the imagination behind them, and if there is the occasional pop-in of objects or textures, and an odd moment of frame rate stutter, it never affects the gameplay. Sound design is on another level though, completely the voice actors do a sterling job, the sound effects are eerie in their delivery, and coupled with the amazing soundtrack which at times evokes memories of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, amongst other things. The soundtrack is a loud, cluttered and often blustering bundle of objects that does what its supposed to it fills in the spaces that the graphics depend on to deliver the whole 'feel' so to speak. And so to the gameplay, which is where I have to state that this latest entry in the Bioshock series truly is the best so far. There are a handful of neat gimmicks put into the game at key points (the skyhooks, the tears in time), which when coupled with some familiar aspects (the vigors you may have seen before, and the weaponry), makes for some compulsive First-Person shooter gameplay however, the final ingredient, the one that makes this game truly great, and probably one of this years' best (and probably the decades I'm going to state right now!!) is the plot thundering through on some riffs from Alan Moore (think sparks of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Watchmen), and some very clear influences from Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys), and many more I could mention, the whole thing moves from scene to scene, and never ever detaches the player from the game I've said this before, but if this were a book (the whole thing certainly feels like a graphic novel) you'd be up until 4 in the morning reading it!! The last time I played a game that truly made me want to get to the end, to see the whole thing, and know what was going on so much, was either Shadow of the Colossus or Half Life 2, so I think you can understand how highly I rate this game. i could write more, but alas, I'm on my second playthrough of the cursed game you see, and I want to get back to it, so I'll finish with this it is the best single-player campaign game I have played in years, it threatens to overflow with the wealth of ideas bursting forth, and even if you don't think you'll enjoy it, you have to give it at least a try. One utterly superb game.… Expand
May 25, 2013This game while a little slow at first was great from beginning to end. Just to put it out of the way I am very impatient but strangely with this game I was ok with the slow intro. I have always loved the Bioshock series and I am happy they didn't stray to far from the series. The campaign confused me at first but the ending tied everything to get and I finally understood the whole idea of Bioshock.… Expand
Apr 13, 2014Anything i say about this game has already been said, with that in mind, this game IS **** FANTASTIC, story, art and characters are astonishing, the first game since Dead Space that has really managed to keep me interested and involved with the game's plot and lore, the only real negative things about BioShock Infinite is the fact that the game was spoiled for me and that its 2 short, therefore not enough plot points are fleshed out, dlc hopefully will fix this problem, also it has some of the worst Boss fights ever put in a shooter, their very goddamn annoying, least theirs not much, and last of all they get rid of important features from the 1st BioShock, this being medpacks that u hold on 2, jeezzz they would have come in handy
WOuld U Kindly buy the **** game… Expand
Apr 7, 2013Strengths: The story is the best of the series. Do yourself a favor and play it through to end. This game really does make me feel like gaming is one of the greatest artistic mediums of our time. The music is absolutely amazing for setting the tone. The variety of music and how it comes into play is amazing, so authentic and immersive to the experience.
Graphically: the game is beautiful. I can't believe how many times I would stop...and just look. So much thought and care has gone into what you are looking at, in every moment of the game.
Gameplay: Yes it is a shooter now. They did tighten the controls though and you can pick people off from afar. The hand cannon rules by the way.
To say its a poor shooter is ridiculous, it is as it has been.
Greatest game of the series? maybe not...but still an absolutely fantastic ride.
Weaknesses: The only flaws I can think of are some of the tedium of the other games, that they left out (like hacking and the way the upgrades worked) but I think this was done for purposes of pacing. Were there a couple frustrating gameplay moments? Yes, but I blame myself for not being creative with my gameplay and instead I would approach the situations with the normal "run and gun" mentality. WARNING: you will have to use your brain in the heat of battle.
Overall: I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to be amazed by an immersive experience. It is not borderlands or call of duty (both of which I own), it is something all to its own and feels that way the entire time. Thank you Irrational games for making something wonderful. I will begin my second play through today:)… Expand
Mar 10, 2014Un excelente juego, casi al climax del primero, una historia impresionate, una calidad grafica sobrecogedora y la ciudad de Columbia, y por supuesto el personaje de Elizabeth, que es de lo mejor del juego, mi punto en contra seria que conforme avanzas el juego se vuelve mas lineal quitando el factor de exploracion que distinguia al Bioshock original, los vigorizadores no son tan espectaculares como los adams.… Expand
Apr 3, 2013There are a lot of positives about this game, particularly when compared with the original Bioshock. The new environment is much more appealing; we all prefer to look at sunny skies and bright pastel colours than dark greens and browns in murky subterranean tunnels, right? The skyhook is a novel gameplay mechanism. Combat is more enjoyable thanks to larger areas for the enemies to seek cover in, more vertical battles and tighter controls alongside dual-wielding (vigour weapon).
However, I can't give this game 9 or 10 as others have, because the gameplay simply isn't _fun_ enough.
The skyhook and skyrail while an interesting idea feel extremely limited. If this were an open world where you could use the skyrail to get anywhere you like, that would be fun. Instead you're stuck with very localised skyrail sections that are designed to aid the player for a big battle in that particular area; they help you travel up and down vertical areas, much like an elevator, but that's all. When you've played games like Just Cause 2 with its grapple hook, or Batman: Arkham City which allows you to glide between locations, you become aware of just how "on rails" you really are in Bioshock Infinite.
There are still too few enemy types. The majority of the game sees you deal with 2 enemy types (civilians/militia, bombadiers) with the occasional handyman appearing. Aside from a couple of one-off encounters with unique enemy types, this is the entirety of opposition you'll encounter.
Ken Levine has been bragging about Elizabeth a lot since the game was announced, stating she had incredible AI that took months to develop, and would always add to the experience rather than require your aid/attention.
I find this statement more than a little overbearing, because (i) she is invulnerable, and (ii) no enemies attack her. These very simple changes to the game logic are what enable you to forget about her in battle. Hardly revolutionary.
Her ability to throw you weapons and other items is undoubtedly useful and again an interesting new mechanic in an FPS but again it just doesn't have the "wow" factor the creators intend it to.
The game ending is excellent, and the dialogue between Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth is well written throughout the story.
If you enjoyed the original Bioshock then I would certainly recommend this game. However, if you're looking for sandbox fun, replayability value or exciting new combat mechanics, I'd have to say: don't bother.… Expand
Jun 10, 2013Esta avaliação contém spoilers, clique em expandir-se para ver. Sim, temos que, o conteúdo artístico bom. Mas em que ponto Bioshock se tornar um atirador sólida? Este jogo necessário muito pouco foco nas habilidades de vigor, e praticamente rapidamente transformou em um run-e-gun com algum conteúdo, tais como voar através de trilhos e quais não. As habilidades de vigor não eram tão útil quanto Bioshocks anteriores, ea personalização de armas foi sem imaginação na melhor das hipóteses. Quanto ao enredo, whoooo menino. Os desenvolvedores decidiram fazer a abordagem de "Inception", que, basicamente, apenas ficava mudando o que estava acontecendo por meio do uso de "lágrimas". Eu gosto de dispositivos do lote que são imaginativos e se prestam a jogos? Sim. Eu gosto de jogos que têm dispositivos de enredo pretensiosos que insistem em si mesmos para fazer um final completamente inócuo? Inferno para o não!… Expand
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Published: December 30, 2013In our annual ranking of the year's best video games, get a list of 2013's best and worst releases by platform, view a comparison of the various game consoles, and find out which title earned Metacritic Game of the Year honors.


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Isaac Cunningham
October 21, 2003
Biodiesel Cooperative at Whitman College
Objectives of the Internship:
A. Help with logistics and set up at Northwest Renewable Energy Festival.
B. Meetings with James Valdez and other Walla Walla community members who are interested in exploring biodiesel resources.
C. Conducting research and producing outreach materials to educate the community
about biodiesel.
D. Developing a budget and materials list for testing and production of biodiesel at Whitman College.
E. Researching a possible site for biodiesel production at the college.
Northwest Renewable Energy Festival
My involvement in the festival was logistical planning. I was in charge of organizing the placement of exhibits on the Cordiner side lawn. I made a map of parcels and a list of exhibitors. I gave numbers to the parcels and then assigned exhibitors to them. Most of this busywork was done on the evening of September 16th.
On September 19th I arrived early to set up tables and actually mark the parcels out in the grass with flags. I was then put in charge of delegating tasks to the student volunteers. Due to Friday class commitments I actually missed most of the festival presentations.
Completion of these objectives meant researching the process of biodiesel production as well as obtaining knowledge of diesel machinery and its extensive use. Before I could really start the process, I had to read up on the current information. The main source of information on the subject of biodiesel is the book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank : the complete guide to using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel by Joshua Tickell.
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank:
In the book, Tickell describes the history of the diesel engine. Diesel engines have been widely used for more than 100 years. They are considered more reliable and long lasting than gasoline engines.
Tickell gives a history of biodiesel. Biodiesel can be refined from any oil through a simple process called transesterification. Oil will react with alcohol to produce biodiesel and glycerin. Biodiesel can be mixed with regular petroleum diesel in any quantity or used independently. Using biodiesel instead of petroleum diesel has been found to significantly reduce emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and sulfates which contribute to air pollution problems and global warming . In addition, the biodiesel smells like French fries or donuts instead of the typical, unpleasant diesel odor.
The book gives directions for making small and large quantities of biodiesel from used vegetable oil.
A small quantity of biodiesel can be made in a household size blender. One simply mixes 200ml of methanol with approximately 6grams of NaOH (lye). Different quantities of NaOH are needed depending on the quality and purity of the vegetable oil. When the lye dissolves in the methanol, the solution is added to 1 liter of oil (canola, soybean, olive, etc). Everything is blended on low for approximately one minute. Then the mixture must sit for about 30-40 minutes. In that time a clear separation will occur as the glycerin settles to the bottom where it can be drained away. Complete separation will take a few hours. The end product is 80 parts biodiesel and 20 parts glycerin.
For larger quantities larger holding tanks are needed. Tickell recommends separate tanks for mixing the methanol with the NaOH and mixing the oil with the methanol NaOH solution. Larger quantities have longer mixing times and longer separation times. Tickell suggests Polyethylene mixing tanks with conical bottoms to allow for easy drainage of the glycerin.
All the guidelines for creating a biodiesel facility of moderate volume are given in this book.
Creating a Biodiesel Production Site at Whitman
The proposed size for this facility will need to be no bigger than a single car garage. It should to be well ventilated. Access to water via sink or hose will ensure safety from spilled methanol or lye. Electricity will be needed to power an electric motor. The equipment once purchased should be kept locked and secure. Whitman College currently owns a number of possible places for the facility. Nearly any garage or storage shed could be converted for this use.
After identifying a couple of storage garages and sheds owned by Whitman, Jaimes and I met with administrators at the physical plant to try and make secure a place for the project. Our meeting with Dan Park presented a problem which must be solved before a site can be granted to us.
Finding a Source of Vegetable Oil
Originally the plan was to use the oil from the dining halls on campus to make biodiesel. Dan Park informed us that there is a company which empties the oil and other waste holding tanks for Bon Appetit. Emptying the other waste tanks is contingent on their access to the oil tanks. The only options remaining are to reimburse the company for the market price of the cooking oil or find local restaurants to support our project.
Making a Small test batch of Biodiesel
On Sunday, October 19, Jaimes, myself, and six chemistry students interested in the project congregated in Jaimes' back yard. Jaimes and I demonstrated the biodiesel refinement process.
Taking the proper safety precautions to protect ourselves from the lye, we agitated the ingredients (Canola oil, methanol, and lye) in a blender designated specifically for making biodiesel. About 45 minutes later, the glycerin had noticeably separated from the biodiesel.
One of the chemistry students volunteered to test the results to see whether it meets the specifications needed to fuel a standard diesel engine.
Getting Funding
On Tuesday, November 4, Jaimes and I met with Peter Harvey, Treasurer of Whitman College. We summarized the details of our project and the possibilities for Whitman's involvement. We presented a budget and materials list for testing and production of biodiesel at Whitman College.
Mr. Harvey's expressed concern on behalf of the college surrounding liability. Mr. Harvey made it clear that Whitman College could not financially support any project which did not take the highest safety precautions.
One specific liability we discussed was fire code. Mr. Harvey speculated that the Walla Walla fire department would disapprove of the facility and even the making of small batches of biodiesel. In fact though, Walla Walla city code does not prohibit the production or storage of biodiesel in any way. Mr. Harvey did not express any interest in exploring possible safety measures which would be supportable by the college.
On top of the fire safety issue, Mr. Harvey posed the question "what will be done with the glycerin byproduct?" Jaimes and I mentioned that glycerin composts easily. However, Mr. Harvey would not support that idea.
Soon after the meeting, I was informed that Whitman College would not support the making of biodiesel even in blender size quantities as part of my internship. We were also forbidden to use Whitman College facilities to test the biodiesel we made.
Middlebury College takes the glycerin produced from biodiesel manufacturing and mixes it with the compost already collected from the dining halls. Glycerin decomposes in a few days.
Other Options
Since the primary objectives for my internship were rebuffed by the college, I explored via the internet similar projects at other colleges.
I e-mailed Joe Thompson, a professor at the University of Idaho. U of I already has a biodiesel facility. I asked him where the university received its oil. His response was that their facility uses rapeseed oil from the rapeseed grown by the agricultural department at the university.
Whitman of course does not have such a source of oil so this information was not helpful in solving the problem.
I contacted some local businesses. A number of restaurants and bars in town are willing to supply used vegetable oil to support the project.
I e-mailed Ron Schildge at Middlebury College in Vermont. Middlebury recently created a biodiesel facility using oil from their dining hall. I asked him about similar liability concerns that Peter Harvey expressed. His reply was that biodiesel has a flash point temperature which is much higher than petroleum diesel, which in turn is higher than regular gasoline. He said that since Middlebury College was already in the practice of storing gasoline, storing biodiesel was not an issue.
After reading From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank : the complete guide to using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel by Joshua Tickell, I was inspired by the tremendous possibilities of alternative fuels. The book gives directions for converting diesel engines to run on straight vegetable oil. This conversion requires the addition of a heating element because the oil must be hot as it enters the engine. Most vehicles of this sort have two fuel tanks: one of vegetable oil and the other diesel or biodiesel.
I purchased the book from the wide selection of books available at the Northwest Renewable Energy Festival. The festival itself was an inspiration. I was particularly interested in the electric car which was modeled. It was clear that the technologies for alternative energy products are already available, but somehow there is an overwhelming nationwide lack of significant demand.
My enthusiasm for the biodiesel project was increased by the NREF because I felt that my internship was part of a larger movement to increase knowledge and awareness about alternative and renewable energy resources. However, this enthusiasm was greatly shaken after my meeting with Dan Park.
Mr. Park presented me with the first significant hurdles in the project. Where can we house the production facility? And what will be our source of oil? The meeting was very disappointing. Nevertheless, I felt this was a challenge to be overcome. I began exploring other options.
After the meeting with Peter Harvey, I lost all hope for establishing a biodiesel facility at Whitman College. Both Mr. Park and Mr. Harvey through their attitudes towards the project were in no way open to the idea. Mr. Harvey addressed the glycerin problem as if it were toxic waste that Whitman would have to address as a liability despite the facts Jaimes and I presented. It was clear from the beginning of each meeting that they were not willing to negotiate or entertain solutions to any of the problems they presented. My impression was that they would find more hurdles if we came close to overcoming the preliminary ones.
It is my belief that the project was dismissed based on speculation and unfounded safety concerns because it was merely a student organized project. Whitman College currently stores gasoline at the Physical Plant. Gasoline is far more flammable and potentially dangerous that biodiesel. Chemistry students currently use gasoline for testing projects similar to the process needed to test the physical specifications of biodiesel. In light of these facts I do not think any of the concerns brought up by Mr. Park or Mr. Harvey would stand in the way if the project was being led by a professor.


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