Daily Bulletin

Phone help is at hand

Biomechanics Congress convenes on campus

As "the application of physics and mechanics to biological systems," biomechanics explores such diverse areas as reconstruction of accidents, planning of surgery, and falls in the elderly. Keynote lectures will address forensic biomechanics, Richard C. Nelson, professor emeritus, The Pennsylvania State University; cancellous bone biomechanics, Dr. David Fyhrie, Bone and Joint Centre, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit; and motor coordination, Emory University physiology professor T. Richard Nichols.

At the congress, biomechanists will debate two questions: "Calculating joint torques: Is there a best way?" and "Is biomechanics relevant to the reporting of occupationally related pain?" Panel discussions will examine computer visualization, mechanical stimulation for cell adaption, consideration of muscle properties in making surgical reconstruction decisions, and determining tissue injury tolerance.

Chaired by UW kinesiology professor Stuart McGill, the congress -- held once every six years -- continues through Tuesday, and combines meetings of the American and Canadian societies for biomechanics.

Pension/RRSP changes perplexing

Pensions coordinator Linda Bluhm (ext. 2046) and pensions advisor Wanda Speek (ext. 3573) have been fielding calls from some UW pension plan members who were surprised to receive a form in the mail telling them of a reduction in their maximum allowable RRSP contribution for 1998.

Everyone who became a member of the pension plan prior to this year is receiving such a form at their home address, says Bluhm. "If they haven't seen the newsletter, they may not understand why." Human resources has extra copies of the newsletter for anyone who might have misplaced theirs, she adds.

According to the HR News article, "Effective May 1, 1998, members' pensions were improved and since the pension benefit is now higher, RRSP room for all members will be lowered.... Each pension member will receive a written notification by early August to indicate how much RRSP room has been lowered."

This may cause complications for people who have already made their full RRSP contributions for 1998. In some situations, explains Bluhm, members may have to withdraw money from their RRSP in 1998. However, a one-time over-contribution of $2,000 is allowed without being required to withdraw.

Those who contributed more than the allowable amount to their 1998 RRSP are invited to contact Bluhm or Speek to discuss the alternatives.

UW dragon boat team makes debut

Sponsored by the Faculty of Science Foundation, as well as individual students, the team has been preparing for this event for over a year, reports David Vu, general manager and director. Crewmembers have been practising "the special dragon boat stroke" in the PAC pool and doing in-boat training on the Credit River at the Mississauga Canoe Club, and in London with the boat the team will be renting for the competition.

Florence Chow, the team's founder and chair, describes the event: "The 22 rowers sit two abreast and power the boat. A captain, who keeps the rowers perfectly synchronized, and a coxman who basically steers the boat, round out the crew. The race course is 500 meters --that's a really long way to bring a five-ton boat." Since a dragon boat costs some $16,000 and presents certain logistical challenges in transporting to and from race sites, most teams just rent a boat at the competition, says Vu.

The idea of forming a dragon boat team grew from a desire to bring together students in the science and business program in an activity that would embody the concepts of team work, productivity and synergy emphasized in their courses, Vu explains.

Anyone interested in heading to London this weekend to cheer on the team can contact Vu (dhlvu@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca) or Chow (fchow@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca) for directions.

As the last finals are written

Extended library hours also end today. On Saturday, Dana Porter will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Davis Centre from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Both libraries will be closed on Sunday, and for the next two weekends. On August weekdays, they will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The University Map and Design Library will be closed weekends, as well, and open weekdays from 8:30 to 4:30 for the rest of the month.

From The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Nearly 300,000 faculty members at state universities across India went on strike Tuesday to demand higher salaries and to pressure the central government to cover the cost of their wage increases."

And a last word from Linda Bluhm on cigarette debris at the entrances to buildings: "With the grounds crew staff smaller since SERP, it is even more important that everyone pick up their own litter, including cigarette butts; in fact, we should always pick up after ourselves. Let's keep this campus looking as good as it has in the past --both for visitors and ourselves!"

UW web site of the day

"This page deals with the 1st and 2nd year courses offered by the Computer Science Department," the first paragraph begins, and that seems straightforward enough. "The Computer Science Department offers two streams of courses: one for Computer Science majors, and one for Computer Science minors and other non-specialists." So the heart of the page is its pointers to information about the various courses -- 120, 130, 134 and so on for CS majors, a different half-dozen courses, including the famous CS 100, for the rest of the world.

"The main audience is students who are taking any 1st or 2nd year CS course, either as a major or just for fun," instructor Dave Switzer explains. "Secondary audiences are students interested in taking those courses, and instructors of the courses....

"We're trying to keep our 1st and 2nd year CS web pages somewhat consistent, and there's a template for a web page here. We're currently in the process of revising it. The site isn't flashy -- the emphasis is on content. But it provides links to various sites that deal with programming and other computer topics, sites that tell you how to use HTML, and other starting points on the web."

So a "Useful Resources" page points users to the Online Dictionary of Computing, a "biased collection of links" called "Fascinating Places on the Web", and various web portals. (That page, by the way, identifies the location of UW as "Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Earth".) Another page connected to the main one provides links to HTML references, backgrounds, icons and other useful things for people creating their own web presence.

Barbara Elve
bmelve@nh4.adm.uwaterloo.ca

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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