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B.S. Forensic Science

Students are engaged in an intensive, interdisciplinary program combining courses in Justice Studies, Biology and Chemistry departments that are all required for national education standards in the area of undergraduate forensic science.  The program strives to provide a foundation of core scientific knowledge and to promote an understanding of key criminal and legal issues along with respect for racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity.   This multidisciplinary approach provides three important benefits for the student.   First, it encourages the development of knowledge of the connections among the endeavors of crime prevention, law enforcement, adjudication, and punishment.  Secondly, effective analytical and problem-solving skills are developed that will equip professionals with the intellectual capacity necessary for a variety of positions in criminal justice.  Thirdly, students have opportunities to conduct internships for elective credit that will provide them practical experience in the field.

What is Forensic Science?

Forensic science is defined as the application of the sciences as it pertains to legal matters or problems.  Forensic science includes anthropology, botany, criminalistics, entomology, engineering, genetics, information technology, medicine/pathology, molecular biology, odontology, serology, toxicology and many other disciplines. All of these are specialized sections in forensic science.

What is Criminalistics and What do Criminalists do?

Criminalistics is one of many divisions in the field of forensic science.  Criminalistics is “the profession and scientific discipline directed toward the recognition, identification, individualization and evaluation of physical evidence by application of the natural sciences to law-science matters.”    Criminalists draw from a wide spectrum of knowledge learned in chemistry, biology, genetics, molecular biology, geology, physics, statistics, a working knowledge of civil and criminal law and other disciplines to investigate and solve crimes.

Criminalists may also be required to investigate and process crime scenes.  Crime scene investigation involves the recognition, documentation, collection, preservation and interpretation of physical evidence.  Criminalists bring evidence back to the laboratory where analysis may be conducted.  Interpretations are made about the relevance of items from crime scenes by associating evidence to specific sources and reconstructing the crime scene.   A criminalist will associate and identify evidence, interpret results, reconstruct the crime scene and write a report summarizing the findings.  Finally, criminalists testify in a court of law, teaching the judge and jury about the conclusions reached in the laboratory.

B.S. Forensic Science, Concentration in Biology

See the SJSU catalog for current degree requirements
Emphasis in Biology Major Form to apply for graduation
4-year Biology roadmap for incoming majors

B.S. Forensic Science, Concentration in Chemistry

See the SJSU catalog for current degree requirements
Emphasis in Chemistry major form to apply for graduation
4-year Chemistry roadmap for incoming majors

If you are interested in becoming a Forensic Science Major, please see the section on declaring our major.  Also, if you have any questions, feel free to contact the Forensic Science Director, Dr. Steven Lee.

For  more about our major, department and potential career options, download the FS Fact Sheet 2012, and the JS Fact Sheet 2012 (pdf).


Accounting & Financial Glossary – R

Return on equity: Financial factor which indicates the profit which the company has realized with the capital of the shareholders. This index can be calculated with the following formula: net profit/ average own capital. It is presented in percentages.

Recovery: A phase in the economic cycle, which is characterized by a weak and relatively slow increase in the GNP after the depression.

Real exchange rate: The price of a certain currency, presented in the price of another currency, but with regard to the inflation index. When the nominal currency rate is corrected with the inflation pace, then its real value can be estimated.

Real interest rate: The nominal (market) interest rate, corrected with the inflation pace.

Reinvestment: Investing the profit of the shareholder(s), the dividends, into the business, for example buying new equipment, machinery, or technology, etc.

Restrictive fiscal policy: Increasing the income taxes and reduction of the budget costs with the purpose of reaching financial stability of the economy. Usually it applies when the economy is embraced by inflation.

Revenue: Total income before expenses.

Restructuring: Planned and controlled by the company’s management program which considerably modifies the range of the company’s scope of activity and the means by which the company’s activity is being accomplished.

Retrospective application: Application of new accounting policy regarding the operations and other events and conditions as there has been always only the new policy applicable.

Retrospective recalculation: Correction of the confirmation, evaluation and announcement of the parts of the financial statements as there has been no mistakes for past periods.

Residual value: Approximate amount which the company would currently receive by the release of a certain asset after the deduction of the approximate expenses related to the release.

Remissible loans: Loans for which the creditor has agreed not to request payment if certain conditions are met.

Related person: One person is related when:
- Directly or indirectly controls or is controlled by the company;
- Has shares in the company which gives him the opportunity to considerably influence the company;
- Exercises general control over the company;
- Is associated company;

Restructuring: A program which is planned and controlled by the management of the company and which is going to lead to considerable changes in the scope of activity of the company or the way that the activity is handled. For example, selling or terminating a part of the activities, closing the production in a country or region or redirecting of the business from one country to another; changes in the management body structure; other fundamental re-organisations which have extensive effect over the character and the focus of the company’s activity.

Return on the assets: An assessment indicator of the assets which represents a relation between the profit after taxation and all of the assets.

Return on the general capital: An indicator which assesses the capital invested by the shareholders and which is measured as a relation between the profit after taxation and the amount of the general capital.

Resident: One who resides in a particular place permanently or for an extended period and who is a treated as a local person by the tax authorities and legislation.

Risk capital: Financial long-term assets, which are being invested in companies exposed to a considerable risk, as well as invested in little new risky undertakings.

Reversal: An accounting procedure for removing encountered mistakes in the accounting recordings.

Resistance level: A price level which has been tested by the price and which cannot by passed. The resistance levels are usually met when having ascending movement – these are the levels at which a lot of sellers can appear.

Reference income: The income on which base the social securities are paid.

Risk: The possibility the return on investments to be different than the expected one. This includes a possibility for partial or full loss of the invested resources.

Risk capital: The amount which a certain investor distributes in investments in highly risky tools.

Return on investments (ROI): It represents the relation between the net profit and the investments made. It demonstrates to what extend the investments generate profit. It is calculated with the following formula: ROI = Net profit/Investments

Return on sales (ROS): It represents the relation between the operational profit and the income from sales. It indicates the operational profit which responds to one monetary unit of sales and it is calculated with the following formula: ROS = Operational profit/Income from sales.

Return on equity (ROE): Coefficient which demonstrates the relation between the net profit and the own capital. It measures the return on the capital of the shareholders. The own capital is the difference between the total value of the assets and the liabilities of the company.

Real asset: An asset which is tangible: buildings, land, machinery, equipment, materials, etc.

Regressive tax: A tax system in which the higher income is being taxed with lower tax rates.

Regulated market: The market activity is being controlled and regulated by the country through a certain institution pointed out by it.

Recession: A period of decrease in the total production. Usually this period is for more than 6 months.

Reimbursable costs: Also called Out of Pocket expenses. Cash payments that an individual or company incurs on behalf of the company, and that will be refunded sometime in the future. While some of these costs may have personally benefited the employees, companies are willing to repay employees for incurring these expenses, because they come about as a result of performing their job.


Truman National Security Project

Activists, congressmen, and a Second Lieutenant: Day 1-2 at the DNC

By Truman Project Staff | 9.5.12

Editor’s note: This post is by Josh Altman, a friend of the Truman Project and a Georgia State Delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

What does a Washington state labor activist, a living legend who marched with Dr. King, and a young Army lieutenant from Georgia have in common? As those three individuals and thousands of others have gathered for the first two days of the Democratic National Convention, that has emerged as perhaps the most revealing of questions for a young delegate to answer.

It is a question whose answer strikes deep at what is means to be a Democrat today. It is a question whose answer highlights the true diversity of the Democratic Party—a diversity rooted in something far deeper than skin color. It is a diversity of experience. It is the experience of Congressman John Lewis, who marched alongside Martin Luther King for human dignity. It is the experience of the farm and labor activist from Washington, who has knocked on doors on reservations and in the Rio Grande Valley, helping others overcome the strains of poverty and inequality. It is the experience of the Army Lieutenant, fresh out of OCS,  who believes so strongly in the future of our country that he could not just ask others to defend it.

I don’t know where else such different people find themselves together, people from walks of life with virtually nothing in common. Yet, these different people have found that though their experience differ, they share the values that make all of us here in Charlotte believe so passionately in President Obama and his vision for our country. Their stories form single strands of the collective Democratic story, and the collective American story, a story whose next chapter will be written by this election.

So what does a labor activist from Washington state, a living legend who marched with Dr. King, a young Army lieutenant, AND this young Georgia delegate have in common? It’s not that we showed up in Charlotte, it is why we showed up. It is a common belief that we can always be better, that we can always reach higher, that the diverse experiences make us strong, and that the next step towards perfecting our union is the reelection of President Barack Obama.


Why Ag-Gag Laws Are Dangerous

Pig Ag-gag laws pose a threat to a wide spectrum of values and issues Americans care about. Because of this, many highly respected national organizations representing a range of public interests, including the ASPCA, have signed a statement in opposition to ag-gag bills. Read the statement of opposition to proposed ag-gag legislation.

Social issues potentially impacted by ag-gag laws include, but are not limited to:

Animal Welfare. Ag-gag laws are a direct threat to animal welfare. We know that animals are often cruelly treated in factory farms and slaughterhouses. Documentation of this treatment not only helps educate the public about farm animal abuse, but also influences industry and government entities to make real changes for farm animals.

Food Safety. Ag-gag laws threaten our food supply: Various exposés of factory farms and slaughterhouses have revealed the extent to which our meat, eggs and milk are mishandled. Mishandling animal products, including mishandling farm animals while they are alive, invites health risks including salmonella, mad cow disease and other potentially fatal illnesses that may be transmitted to consumers.

Control over Food Choices. Ag-gag laws are a direct threat to marketplace transparency. At a time when Americans are increasingly invested in knowing more about where their food comes from and how it is made, these laws threaten our ability to control what we bring into our homes and the food we put in our bodies. All Americans should have the right to know the basic conditions under which their food is produced.

Workers' Rights. This legislation often seeks to criminalize the recording of sounds or images in animal facilities, no matter the content. Factory farms, slaughterhouses and meatpacking facilities are physically and emotionally difficult places to work. Farm investigations have the potential to expose serious worker abuse and other illegal or unethical conduct on the part of employees or supervisors.

Free Speech. Some ag-gag bills seek not just to criminalize recording, but even the possession and distribution of images recorded on animal facilities—and some seek to criminalize misrepresenting oneself on job applications (which, while possibly an act warranting termination of employment, should generally not be a crime). These provisions pose serious First Amendment threats.

Environmental Damage. In the United States, 99 percent of food animals are raised in factory farms, where large numbers of animals are housed together, generally in close confinement. Huge amounts of waste are generated, the improper storage and disposal of which threatens our soil and water. While state and federal laws require large farms to minimize their environmental damage, farms have been found flagrantly violating these requirements. Undercover investigations offer an effective way to expose such violations.

Ag-gag laws are also troublesome because they do not reflect the public's will. Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans favor humane treatment of farm animals. A 2012 poll conducted for ASPCA by Lake Research revealed that 94 percent of the general American public agrees that "from every step of their lives on a farm—from birth to slaughter—farm animals should be treated in a way that inflicts the least amount of pain and suffering possible." The same poll also revealed that 71 percent of American adults support undercover investigative efforts to expose farm animal abuse on industrial farms, and that 64 percent oppose making such investigations illegal.

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Del Rubio triplets The Del Rubio Triplets were a variety/musical act who rose to notoriety in the 1980s due mostly to their campy style of dress and their goofy interpretations of standards and songs of the era. Their biggest "hit" was an acoustic-guitar cover version of the song "Whip It" by Devo.
Del Shannon Del Shannon (December 30, 1934 â€“ February 8, 1990) (born Charles Weedon Westover in Coopersville, Michigan) was an American rock and roller who launched into fame with the No. 1 hit "Runaway" (1961).
Del Shofner Delbert Martin Shofner (born December 11, 1934) is a former American Football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants from 1957 to 1967 in the National Football League. Shofner was a five time Pro Bowler in 1958, 1959, and from 1961 to 1963.
Del Sol Quartet The Del Sol Quartet is a string quartet based in San Francisco, California. Del Sol is known for actively working with living composers from a wide range of cultural perspectives, and recording and performing exclusively 20th and 21st century music.
Del Unser Delbert Bernard Unser (born December 9, 1944 in Decatur, Illinois) is a former starting center fielder and later a utility player with a 15-year major league baseball career from 1968 to 1982. His father was MLB catcher Al Unser.
Del Webb Delbert E. Webb (May 17 1899 - July 4 1974) was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner who is significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.
Del West Del West is the leading high-performance valvetrain supplier in the world. Their most well known product is the Titanium Valve but they produce many other parts in the engine including the air spring for Formula 1 and MotoGP as well as finger followers and tappets.
Del's Lemonade Del's Lemonade is a refreshment company located in Cranston, Rhode Island. Its most famous product is frozen lemonade, but it also produces and sells blueberry, cherry,watermelon and formerly mocha flavored iced beverages.
Del-Heads The Del-Heads are bluegrass musician Del McCoury's fan base, one of the most enthusiastic in the genre. The name is derived from the Dead Heads, fans of the Grateful DeadBluegrass Reign interview with Del McCoury, accessed February 11, 2006, because there is a large cross-over; Del-Heads are known to be "tie-dyed clad".
Delage The Delage Automobile company was established in 1905 in Levallois, a northwesterly suburb of Paris, France. It was founded by Louis DelĂ˘ge (1874-1947), an ambitious young engineer who had been working for the Peugeot car company.
Delakota Delakota were an English indie dance band from the late 1990s. The band mixed elements of Baggy, retro rock music, indie pop and modern dance music to produce an interesting sound which was often compared to Primal Scream.
Delalande's Coua Delalande's Coua (Coua delalandei), also known as Snail-eating Coua, is an extinct species of non-parasitic cuckoo. It only was known to science as an extant bird for a very short time in the early 19th century.
Delamain Delamain is an independent producer of Cognac based in Jarnac, France. Delamain was founded by James Delamain who was born in Dublin Ireland and has been married to Marie Ranson of the French Roullet family since 1763.
Delamar, Nevada Delamar Ghost Town, nicknamed The Widowmaker, is a small abandoned city in a very remote central eastern corner of Nevada, USA. It was once a thriving gold operation, but was ruined by its own dry-mining process which killed its residents and caused the mine to close forever.
Delamater-Bevin Mansion The Delamater-Bevin Mansion, also known as The Bevin House, is a historic 22-room Victorian mansion located on the north shore of Long Island, at 77 Bevin Road, Asharoken, New York. The home was built by Cornelius H.
Delambre (crater) Delambre is a lunar impact crater that lies to the southwest of Mare Tranquillitatis, in the central highland region. To the west are the crater pair of Theon Junior and Theon Senior, the later being more distant and located to the northwest.
Delamere railway station Delamere railway station serves both the town of Delamere and Delamere Forest in Cheshire. The station is a request stop and thus the train will only stop here is flagged down on the platform or a passenger informs the guard beforehand.
Delamere Vineyard Delamere Vineyard is one of the longest established vineyards of Tasmania being first planted in 1982. Richard and Dallas Richardson identified the suitability of land in Pipers Brook and chose the grape varieties pinot noir and chardonnay to plant.
Delancey Streetâ€“Essex Street (New York City Subway) Delancey-Essex Streets is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the BMT Nassau Street Line and the IND Sixth Avenue Line. Located at Essex and Delancey Streets on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, it is served by
Delaney, Bonnie & Friends Delaney and Bonnie & Friends was a group started by Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, which featured the elite session artists of the day, such as Carl Radle, Jim Price, Bobby Keys, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and revolving guest lead guitarists which would include Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Duane Allman and even some appearances with Jimi Hendrix.
Delano Ames Delano Ames (1906-1987) was an American writer of detective stories. Born in Ohio, he was the author of some 20 books, many of them featuring a husband and wife detective team of amateurs named 'Dagobert and Jane Brown'.
Delano Township, Pennsylvania Delano Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. Formed in 1882 from part of Rush Township, it is named for Warren Delano II, maternal grandfather of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, 1933-1945.
DelasĂłnica DelasĂłnica is a latin rock group from Colima, Mexico. The group consists of five men who are according to themselves, "influenced by contemporary music, the pop culture, graphic design, the city, the beach, with a little brain damage from the damn injustice of life, unrequited love and the excessive volume of their guitars.
Delaunay triangulation In mathematics, and computational geometry, the Delaunay triangulation or Delone triangularization for a set P of points in the plane is the triangulation DT(P) of P such that no point in P is inside the circumcircle of any triangle in DT(P). Delaunay triangulations maximize the minimum angle of all the angles of the triangles in the triangulation; they tend to avoid "sliver" triangles.
Delavirdine Delavirdine (DLV) (brand name RescriptorÂ®) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) marketed by Pfizer. It is used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1.
Delawanna (NJT station) Delawanna Station is a New Jersey Transit train station located on the rail service's Main Line. The station is located in the Delawanna section of Clifton, New Jersey at the intersection of Delawanna Avenue and Oak Street.
Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company Gravity Railroad (D&H Gravity Railroad) was a gravity railroad which carried coal from Carbondale over the Moosic Mountains to the D&H Canal in Honesdale. This railroad used separate loaded and light tracks.
Delaware and Northern Railroad The Delaware and Northern Railroad Company was a small railroad in Delaware County that was founded in 1905, and was planned to go from East Branch, where it would make a connection with the New York, Ontario and Western Railway, to Arkville, where it would connect with the Ulster and Delaware. This line followed close to the banks of the East Branch of the Delaware River, and had plans of expansion, but never made it far, only getting to Arkville.
Delaware Academy Delaware Academy is a K-12 school in Delhi, New York, the county seat of Delaware County, situated 160 miles northwest of New York City. Founded in 1819, the school is of historical significance, and plays a major educational role in the Catskill region.
Delaware Art Museum Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum holds a world-renowned collection of more than 12,000 works focusing on American art and illustration from the 19th to the 21st century as well as the English Pre-Raphaelite movement of the mid-19th century.
Delaware Bank The Delaware Bank is an area of shallow water 20 miles off Galera Point on the east coast of Trinidad to the south of Tobago. The seafloor comes to within six fathoms (11 meters) of the surface, making the bank a hazard for shipping.
Delaware Basin The Delaware Basin in West Texas and southern New Mexico is famous for holding large oil fields and for exposing a fossilized reef. Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park protect part of the basin.
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is a large esturarial inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Delaware River along the coast of the United States. It is bordered by the state of New Jersey on the north, and the state of Delaware in the south.
Delaware class battleship The Delaware-class battleships of the United States Navy were its first true "Dreadnoughts", carrying a battery of ten 12-inch guns in five turrets, and capable of exceeding 20 knots. The two ships of the class were launched in 1908 and 1909:
Delaware Canal State Park Delaware Canal State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Bucks and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The main attraction of the park is the 60Â mile (97Â km) Delaware Canal, the only canal remaining continuously intact from the towpath canal-building days of the nineteenth century.
Delaware Center for Horticulture The Delaware Center for Horticulture is a non-profit horticultural organization dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of gardening, horticulture and conservation. It is located at 1810 North Dupont Street in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
Delaware Compensation Commission The Delaware Compensation Commission submits recommendations regarding the base salaries of judges, lawmakers and other top government officials to the Delaware General Assembly every four years. The General Assembly subsequently accepts or rejects these recommendations.
Delaware Constitution of 1831 The Delaware Constitution of 1831 was the third governing document for Delaware state government and was in effect from its adoption in December 2, 1831 until replaced on June 4, 1897 by the present state Constitution.
Delaware County Community College Delaware County Community College, also known as DCCC or Delco, is a 2-year community college in the Philadelphia area. While it is based in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, it has two campuses, three centers, and several locations throughout Delaware and Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Delaware County Courthouse and Park Police Department The Delaware County Courthouse & Park Police Department (Commonly known as â€śThe Delaware County Park Policeâ€ť) is a county-wide police department, responsible for providing security and protection for all parks, physical property, and government buildings of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. This is the only police department in Delaware County that has county-wide jurisdiction, as every municipality has either its own police department or is patrolled by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Delaware County Daily and Sunday Times The Delaware County Daily and Sunday Times is a daily newspaper, published in Primos, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is one of the only major newspapers in the state to be branded with a county name rather than a city.
Delaware County Christian School The Delaware County Christian School is a private, principally Protestant K-12 school residing in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Having been established in the year of our Lord 1950, it has since grown into the institution it is today, harboring almost 950 students of various sizes, shapes, and colors.
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) of the state of Delaware is the primary body concerned with the governance of public land, natural resources, and environmental regulations for the state. DNREC is composed of several Divisions that have correlates in other U.
Delaware Dynasty Delaware Dynasty are an American soccer team, founded in 2006. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, and plays in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference against teams from Charleston, Fredericksburg, Ocean City, Reading, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and Woodbridge.
Delaware gubernatorial election, 2004 The 2004 election for Governor of Delaware was held on November 2, coinciding with the Presidential election. Incumbent Governor Ruth Ann Minner faced a serious challenge from retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee, but managed a 5-point victory on Election Day.
Delaware Christian School Delaware Christian School is a K-12 parochial school located in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1973 and has been a member of the Association of Christian Schools International since 1985 and in 1995 was recognized by the Ohio Department of Education.
Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) oversees and regulates interscholastic athletics in the US State of Delaware. Membership is voluntary and as of spring 2006 includes 50 high schools and 23 middle schools.
Delaware Military Academy The Delaware Military Academy is a publicly funded charter high school in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. It is considered a Military High School because all students, or cadets as they are called, are required to participate in the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps â€”the first such school in the United States.
Delaware North Companies Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, operating in the food service, retail and hospitality industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It currently has over 40,000 employees worldwide.
Delaware Otsego Corporation The Delaware Otsego Corporation is an American railway holding company which owns the subsidiary New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway as well as other, smaller branch line railroads, collectively known as the DO System. It is headquartered in Cooperstown, New York.
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) was created in 1934 to build and operate toll bridges across the Delaware River, which is the boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, from Trenton, New Jersey north to the New York border. The Commission is a private agency and currently operates seven toll bridges and 13 free toll-supported bridges (2 of which are pedestrian-only).
Delaware River Region The Delaware River Region refers to an area in Western New Jersey along the Delaware River border with Pennsylvania. The area encompasses Mercer County (Mercer County is the only Delaware River Region county in the New York Metropolitan Area), Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Salem County.
Delaware River Viaduct The Delaware River Viaduct is the sister bridge of the Paulinskill Viaduct on the Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line in northwestern New Jersey. Built in 1908-11, this reinforced concrete bridge crosses the Delaware River about two miles south of the Delaware Water Gap.
Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge The Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge is a four-lane steel arch bridge that connects the Pennsylvania Turnpike's East-West Mainline with the main trunk of the New Jersey Turnpike, via its "Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension" (formerly known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Connector). The bridge crosses the Delaware River, connecting Bristol Township, Pennsylvania and Burlington Township, New Jersey.
Delaware Route 1 Delaware Route 1 is a 177 km (110-mile) long, four-to-six lane highway going from the Maryland-Delaware State line on the eastern Atlantic shoreline to the Delaware Turnpike (Interstate 95) just outside of Wilmington.
Delaware Route 2 Delaware Route 2 is a 16 mile long east-west 4 to 6 lane highway located in northern New Castle County, Delaware. It begins at the junction of Delaware Route 52 in Wilmington, and terminates at the Maryland state line near Elkton, Maryland.
Delaware Route 404 Delaware Route 404 is a major state highway in Delaware that spans the width of the state. DE 404's eastern terminus is in Five Points near Rehoboth Beach, and in the west it enters Maryland as Maryland Route 404.
Delaware Route 9 Delaware Route 9 is a 65-mile state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base (only just less than a mile south of the southern terminus of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.
Delaware State Police The Delaware State Police (DSP) is a division of the Delaware Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security and is responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Delaware, especially in areas underserved by local police departments. The DSP is headquartered in the capital Dover, Delaware.
Delaware Superior Court The Delaware Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in the state of Delaware. It has original jurisdiction over most criminal and civil cases (except for suits at equity, which are handled by the Delaware Court of Chancery).
Delaware Technical & Community College Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC or Delaware Tech) is the community college system in the state of Delaware with locations in four cities. It was created by the Delaware General Assembly in 1966 by House Bill 529.
Delaware Township School District The Delaware Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in grades kindergarten through grade eight from Delaware Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.
Delaware Township, Camden County, New Jersey Delaware Township was the name of present-day Cherry Hill Township in Camden County, New Jersey from 1844 to 1961. At its territorial peak, Delaware Township was composed of modern-day North Camden, Cherry Hill, Merchantville, and Pennsauken (including Petty's Island in the Delaware River).
Delaware Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Delaware Township is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The borough ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.
Delaware Valley Regional High School Delaware Valley Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and school district, that serves nearly 1,000 students in western Hunterdon County. The high school is located in Alexandria Township.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost 70,000 acres (283 kmÂ˛) of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores. Middle Delaware National Scenic River is a designated 40 mile (64 km) section of the river entirely within the recreation area.
Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge The Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge (also known as the Interstate 80 Toll Bridge) is a toll bridge that carries Interstate 80 across the Delaware River at the Delaware Water Gap, connecting Hardwick Township, New Jersey and Delaware Water Gap Pennsylvania. The bridge was built by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
Delaware's 2nd congressional district The Delaware 2nd at-large district of the United States House of Representatives was a Congressional district that included the entire state of Delaware. This district has been obsolete since the reapportionment after the 1820 census.
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad The Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad began service August, 1993, as designated operator of over 85 miles of Lackawanna County trackage north, east and south from the Scranton, Pennsylvania, terminus in Northeastern Pennsylvania as a part of the Genesee Valley Transportation Company, Inc.
Delaware-Maryland Synod The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the geographical synod consisting of the entire state of Delaware and most of the state of Maryland, with the exception of the counties surrounding Washington, D.C.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 1151 class The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's 1151 class comprised five 4-6-4 steam locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1937. They were the last steam locomotives ordered by the railroad.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company (DL&W or Lackawanna) was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to New York City, Buffalo and Oswego, New York. It merged with the Erie Railroad in 1960, forming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, and was absorbed into Conrail in 1976.
Delaware, Michigan The town of Delaware, Michigan, was established in 1846 as a copper mining town. It is located in Michiganâ€™s Keweenaw Peninsula ten miles south of Copper Harbor and around twenty five miles north of Calumet.
Delaware, Ohio The City of Delaware is located near the center of the state of Ohio, about 20 miles north of Columbus, Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808, incorporated in 1816, and is the county seat of Delaware County, Ohio.
Delay 1968 Delay 1968, or just Delay (as the SACD version is titled), is a compilation album of early outtakes of Can's work with singer Malcolm Mooney, including some of the band's earliest material. It contains the song "Thief", which was later covered live by Radiohead.
Delay box Delay box is a device used in drag racing, allowing a racer to launch the vehicle with the same reaction time on every pass. This device requires a transbrake in order to function, and sometimes a two-step rev limiter is also used.
Delay calculation Delay calculation is the term used in integrated circuit design for the calculation of the gate delay of a single logic gate and the wires attached to it. By contrast, static timing analysis computes the delays of entire paths, using delay calculation to determine the delay of each gate and wire.
Delay differential equation In mathematics, delay differential equations (DDEs) are a type of differential equation, in which the derivative of the unknown function at a certain time is given in terms of the values of the function at previous times.
Delay encoding In telecommunications, delay encoding is the encoding of binary data to form a two-level signal such that (a) a "0" causes no change of signal level unless it is followed by another "0" in which case a transition to the other level takes place at the end of the first bit period; and (b) a "1" causes a transition from one level to the other in the middle of the bit period.
Delay insensitive circuit A delay insensitive circuit is a type of asynchronous circuit which performs a logic operation often within a computing processor chip. Instead of using clock signals or other global control signals, the sequencing of computation in delay insensitive circuit is determined by the data flow.
Delay reduction hypothesis In classical conditioning (learning), the Delay-Reduction Hypothesis states that certain discriminative stimuli (DS) are more effective as conditioned reinforcers (CR) if they signal a decrease in time to a positive reinforcer or an increase in time to an aversive stimulus or punishment. This is often applied in chain link schedules, with the final link being the aversive stimulus or positive (unconditioned) reinforcer.
Delay Tolerant Networking Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is an approach to computer network architecture that seeks to address the technical issues in mobile or extreme environments that lack continuous network connectivity. In a DTN, asynchronous variable-length messages (called bundles) are routed in a store and forward manner between participating nodes over varied network transport technologies (including both IP and non-IP based transports).
Delay-action bomb A delay-action bomb is an aerial bomb designed to explode some time after impact with the ground, with the bomb's fuses set to delay the explosion for times ranging from a few seconds to several weeks. Such bombs were used widely by British aviators during World War II.
Delay-locked loop In electronics, a delay-locked loop (DLL) is a digital circuit similar to a phase-locked loop (PLL), with the main difference being the absence of an internal oscillator. A DLL can be used to change the phase of a clock signal (a signal with a periodic waveform), usually to enhance the clock rise-to-data output valid timing characteristics of integrated circuits (such as DRAM devices).
Delayed binding Also called "TCP splicing" it is the postponement of the connection between the client and the server in order to obtain sufficient information to make a routing decision. Some application switches and routers delay binding the client session to the server until the proper handshakes are complete so as to prevent Denial of Service attacks.
Delayed differentiation Delayed differentiation or Postponement is a concept in supply chain management where the manufacturing process starts by making a generic or family product that is later differentiated into a specific end-product. This is a widely used method, especially in industries with high demand uncertainty, and can be effectively used to address the final demand even if forecasts cannot be improved.
Delayed ejaculation Delayed ejaculation also known as retarded ejaculation and ejaculation incompetence means complete inability to ejaculate or persistent difficulty in achieving orgasm despite the presence of normal sexual desire and sexual stimulation. Normally a man achieves orgasm within 2-8 minutes after the beginning of sexual intercourse, whereas a man with delayed ejaculation either does not orgasm at all or orgasms after prolonged intercourse which might last 30-45 minutes or more.
Delayed Entry Program The Delayed Entry Program, also called the Delayed Enlistment Program, is a program where individuals going into active duty enlist first into DEP before they ship out to Basic Combat Training (BCT). In actuality, this is an enlistment into the inactive reserves, with an agreement to report for active duty (to ship out to BCT) at a specific time in the future.
Delayed onset muscle soreness Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days. Once thought to be caused by lactic acid buildup, a more recent theory is that it is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibres caused by eccentric contraction, or unaccustomed training levels.
Delayed open access journal Delayed open accessjournals are journals in which the free availability of the content is available, but only after several months, with the immediate availability being limited to subscribers. By its nature, it applies only to electronic versions of journals.
Delayering Delayering is a process for principles-based corporate restructuring and cost cutting trademarked by the Boston Consulting Group. It is a cascading organization redesign that proceeds from the CEO (Layer 1) to the CEO's direct reports (Layer 2), and so on through all employees.
DelbĂˇeth In Irish mythology DelbĂˇeth (or Dealbhaeth) was the son of either Aengus or Ogma of the Tuatha DĂ© Danann, and Ethniu of the Fomorians. He succeeded his grandfather Eochaid Ollathair, aka the Dagda, as High King of Ireland.
Delbert Cowsette Delbert Ray Cowsette (born September 3, 1977 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a free agent American football defensive tackle in the NFL. He was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland, College Park by the Washington Redskins.
Delbert Fowler Delbert "Treetop" Fowler (May 4, 1958â€”) is a former American football player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Fowler was born in Cleveland, Ohio where he played high school football for Glenville High School in East Cleveland, Ohio.
Delbert Grady Delbert Grady is a fictional character in the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King and in the 1980 film of the same name directed by Stanley Kubrick. In the film, Delbert Grady was portrayed by British actor Philip Stone (1924-2003).
Delbert Lee Scott Delbert Lee Scott (born September 9, 1949) is a businessman and politician from Missouri. He has served as a city councilman for Lowry City, Missouri, as a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and as a member of the Missouri State Senate.
Delbert McClinton Delbert McClinton is a blues musician born 4 November, 1940, in Lubbock, Texas. He honed his craft working in a bar band, The Straitjackets, backing visiting blues giants such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed.
Delbhna Tir Dha Locha Dealbhne ThĂre DhĂˇ Loch(a) ("The Dealbhne of the Two Lochs") was a tuath (a tribal kingdom) of medieval Ireland, located in Iar Connacht in the west of Co. Galway in the province of Connacht, Ireland.

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best tourism in the USA tag - Best Tourism best destinations

3 Miami Miami

3 Disneyland in Orlando Disneyland in Orlando

1 Bush Gardens Bush Gardens

Imagine that you were in Africa and you have seen birds and animals of indescribable beauty. You will be able to go on safari in this magnificent tropical park and ride the thrilling roller coaster, watch inspiring theater presentation in the park. The park is located in Tampa Bay. Busch Gardens - this park is owned by the brewer Anheuser-Busch. It combines African Safari, a roller coaster and the reproduction of architectural monuments of Egypt and North Africa. The Park is represented by the African fau...


Consulting Services

BPM's consulting division works with businesses to help them get more clarity and control over their decision making processes, often as a part of their regular business planning cycle.

In most cases, the ultimate outcome of what we do is a set of dynamic historical and forecast financial statements which show how a business has performed historically, and will perform in the future based on a set of assumptions. These assumptions can then be changed in order to understand how the business will perform under different scenarios.

The competitive advantage of BPM's consulting division lies in the strict application of the Best Practice Spreadsheet Modelling Standards combined with the use of best practice modelling software to ensure that the services we provide are the highest quality, lowest risk and best value in the market.

Our example models and case studies showcase why BPM has become one of the top spreadsheet modelling companies in the world.

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Licensing Requirements for K-12 Education: Considerations

Thinking about becoming a teacher? Then think about the specific career path you plan to take, and carefully research the requirements you’ll need to complete in order to be qualified to teach in your state.

What Degree Will You Need?

Generally to begin teaching, a qualified, licensed teacher needs a 4 year degree.  For teachers considering special education or k-5 teaching exclusively, a degree in education may be their best bet. For secondary schools, or for special subjects, potential educators may instead to choose to major in their topic of interest.  If so, additional research should be undertaken to see if there are specific credit requirements teachers must fulfill in order to teach.  Even if one’s major is in the topic one plans to teach, there may be requirements for recent classes in computer technology, for example, to ensure that all new teachers are up to date.

Beyond the Degree

Teaching certification isn’t completed with a 4 year degree.  Many states require competency testing.  This testing is similar to the testing required for college admission, for example.  Basic skills will be assessed, such as mathematics and reading comprehension; there may be a writing portion as well.

On-The-Job Training

Once you’ve completed your degree and passed your certification tests, you may be required to complete an on-the-job training.  This may consist of an unpaid training program, like an internship, or a paid position, like a teaching assistant.

While the process to become a teacher requires commitment, and may pose challenges, many people feel fulfilled once they have completed their certifications.


freely falling bodies

A golfer imparts a speed of 34.9 m/sto a ball, and it travels the maximum possible distance beforelanding on the green. The tee and the green are at the sameelevation.
What is the longest "hole in one" that the golfer can make, if theball does not roll when it hits the green?

Answers (1)

     range of projectile
                                    r = v^2 sin(2θ) / g
     θ = angle of projection
      r = range of projectile
     v =velocity of projection
     g = accleration due to gravity .
                    from the above relation it is clear that the maximum range ispossible for a fixed velocity is when
                                sin(2θ) = 1
                θ = 45.
       taking  θ = 45 degrees as the angle ofporjection
          the time of projectile
                                      t = 2v sinθ / g .
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Background Sommerbutikken

Experience Norway

Norway is a wild and beautiful country with magnificent fjords, majestic mountains and dramatic landscapes.

It's a country where the summer days are long and the experiences you’ll have will warm your soul.

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You can search for any detail regarding thousands of unique travel destinations and tourist attractions on All this in a simple, user-friendly, and exciting way.


"Bestest. Ramadan. Ever." by Medeia Sharif and published by Flux is a tale about a teenage girl named Almira trying to figure out the complexities of adolescence. As if this weren't difficult enough, Almira also has to find balance in her life between the strict culture of her Islamic family and the exciting lifestyle as an American teenager.

Almira chooses to participate in Ramadan, the Islamic celebration that involves fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month.

Like many young teens in America, Almira is insecure about her appearance and often compares herself to her peers. I found her insecurity somewhat tedious, but younger girls might find it reassuring. Prior to this book, I had very little knowledge of the Islamic religion. Although Almira does obtain a better outlook on her religion, she often drones on about how difficult her religion is and what a hindrance it is for her. While these are issues Islamic teenagers might face, it consequently gives the reader a negative outlook on the religion.

Almira is a relatable teen because like many adolescents, her actions are constantly under the scrutiny of her family. Yet she still manages to work her way through the typical trials of adolescence. The story is somewhat predictable, but one can appreciate how Almira matures as the novel progresses. She discovers how to celebrate her heritage while enjoying all that American life has to offer. Almira successfully moves forward while keeping her religion a priority in her life, which seems to be the overall theme for which Sharif was aiming.


Bombed-out Sirte is a humanitarian disaster zone

Thousands of civilians are fleeing the Libyan city of Sirte en masse, as fighting between Gaddafi loyalists and the former rebel forces reaches a climax.

The two-week siege has given rise to an serious humanitarian situation in the city of 100,000 people. The number of casualties and wounded among the civilians is unknown, but those who have escaped the city report of thousands of deaths.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF - Doctors Without Borders) reported this week that they have been in touch with medical personnel in Sirte and they say hospitals in the city are overflowing with the wounded. They also confirmed that medical supplies are scarce.

Reports say most of the refugees are heading for the comparative safety of the desert, leaving behind their belongings and livelihoods. Hundreds of families are streaming out of the city through its western entrance.

As they pass through, NTC troops are cross-checking them at block-posts in an attempt to eliminate all possible Gaddafi supporters.

According to NATO's own figures, the bombing of Sirte resulted in 427 "key hits" from August 25 to September 29, so it can be said that at least that number of buildings have been destroyed within the city.

On top of that, anti-Gaddafi forces are shelling the city with everything they have at their disposal - tanks, artillery and Grad rockets - causing more death and destruction.

There are reports on Twitter that yesterday alone, more than 20 civilians - men, women and children - died in NATO bombings in Sirte and its defenders say they have video footage to prove it.

The refugees say Sirte is critically short of water, food and medicine, and there is now a very real threat of a new humanitarian disaster emerging.

Aid workers are rushing to the area, but continued fighting is preventing access.

"The information we get from people getting out of Sirte is the food supply is very low, there is no water and no electricity and access to healthcare is very difficult," said Dibeh Sakhr, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is close to the area.

Sakhr confirmed that Red Cross personnel have been trying to get to Sirte since last week. The organization does have all the humanitarian assistance that might be needed but so far they do not have the necessary security guarantees.

In the meantime, NTC commanders claim Gaddafi's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, has been captured in Sirte. It is not clear how this was achieved since NTC forces have failed to capture the city. Despite repeated attempts, they have so far only managed to secure control of Sirte's airport and have suffered large casualties from sniper fire.

[Source: RT Novosti, Moscow, 30Sep11]

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Libya War


In this section, the concepts of a streamline, streakline and pathline will be introduced.

    Streamline, Streakline and Pathline

Click to view movie (21k)

In the study of fluid mechanics, streamlines are often drawn to visualize the flow field. At every point in the flow field, a streamline is tangent to the velocity vector. That is, for 2D flow in Cartesian coordinates,

The above equation can be integrated to give the equation of a streamline once the velocity field (i.e., u and v) is known. For every streamline, there is a stream function (Ψ) associated with it. The definition of the stream function will be covered in differential Conservation of Mass section.

Click to view movie (9k)

A streakline consists of all fluid particles that have previously passed through a specified point. This is essentially the same as injecting dye or smoke continuosly at a given location and observing how the dye or smoke moves along with the fluid motion. This is a technique that is often used in experiments to visualize the flow field.

On the other hand, the actual path that a single fluid particle takes is referred to as the pathline, i.e., it is the trajectory of a particular fluid particle. This is referred to as the Lagrangian viewpoint of the flow field. Experimentally, it can be achieved by tagging a fluid particle and tracing its motion throughout the flow field.

In general, a streamline, streakline and pathline are not the same; however, they coincide when the flow is steady.


Farmhouse Cheese Trolley

Hard Cheese
Isle of Mull Cheddar
is considered by many as the daddy of Scottish cheddars. Strong, fruity and brooding, made from unpasteurised cow’s milk on Sgriob-ruadh (pronounced ‘Ski-brooah’) farm on the tranquil Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides.

Mahon is produced on the island of Menorca, Spain using unpasteurised cow’s milk. Salty, tangy and grassy - a flavour that evokes the Mediterranean hillsides and salty, sea-kissed air.

Comte is an ancient cheese produced since the time of Charlemagne. Produced in Jura France, Comte has an ivory-coloured paste scattered with holes the size of a hazelnut with a complex, nutty and caramelised flavour. Made from unpasteurised cow’s milk.

Soft Cheese
was first made by monks in the Abbaye de Citeaux in the heart of Burgundy, France. It is one of the last cheeses involving milk coagulation (cows, unpasteurised) in France. It has a powerful rich flavour, salty and creamy with a pungent smell.

Smoked Lochaber is a full-fat oak smoked cheese, coated in oatmeal and is truly a unique soft smoked cheese, winner of the coveted award for “Best International Cheese In France”. Produced by the Macdonald’s Smoked Produce in Glenuig (West Coast of Scotland) and made from pasteurised cow’s milk.

Langres is a cheese made in the high plains of Champagne, France and can be traced back to the 18th century. Coming from the same family as Espoisse and Munster, Langres has a strong smell, the firm pate melts in the mouth and a complex taste unfolds. Made from unpasteurised cow’s milk.

Goat's Cheese
Golden Cross
is a log-shaped goats cheese made in Lewes, East Sussex. It has a white mould rind over an ash coating and has a dense, silky but firm texture. The ash adds a slight crunch to the texture and the rind, giving the cheese another dimension to its sweet, pleasant and subtle taste. Made from unpasteurised goat’s milk.

Chabichou du Poitou is made in a very limited geographic area above the chalky soils of the threshold of Poitou, south of the Loire Valley. It has a rich goaty flavour, dense and smooth with a distinct layer next to the rind. Although sweet and delicate, the taste is slightly acidic and salty at the finish.  Made from unpasteurised goat’s milk.

Ailsa Craig is attractively shaped and named after the landmark island in the Firth of Clyde, this is an individual, fresh, fragile goat’s cheese with a bloomy rind and a light and ﬂuffy texture. Made by Ann Dorward in Dunlop, it’s one of the very few goat’s cheeses made in Scotland, and still only made in limited quantities.

Blue Cheese
Lanark Blue has been produced in Ogcastle (Scotland) near the village of Carnwath by Humphrey Errington since 1985. It is a rich blue-veined artisan cheese made from the cheese maker’s own flock’s produce (ewe). Using Penicillium Roqueforti to create the veining, it has a strong flavour that varies according to the time of year that it is produced.

Blue Stilton is produced in Colston Bassett in Nottinghamshire and can be traced back to the early 18th century. Made using traditional rennet, Stilton has a delightful spicy blue tang which is nutty and rich with a slightly open and creamy texture. Made from pasteurised cow’s milk.

Roquefort is made in the Aveyron region in the south of France. The cheese is white, tangy, crumbly and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of green mould. It has characteristic odour and flavour with a notable taste of butyric acid. The overall flavour sensation begins slightly mild, then waxes sweet, then smoky, and fades to a salty finish. Made from unpasteurised ewe’s milk.

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A Natural life style; I have a dream (Video)

What exactly do we mean by a natural life style? Natural is a term that has come to mean so many things as well as becoming a term abused and bastardized by mainstream media and marketing. Big corporate marketing uses the term so loosely to sell products that are so far from the meaning of natural that only the simplest of minds can believe them. So, we are going to take a leap back in time, to a period that may stir some fond memories for some of us and may also cause some of us to remorse over what they have given away to compromise over the years.

To dream the impossible dream

Once upon a time there was a generation that sought out a new expression for human kind. The elders (the establishment) at the time believed them to be deluded dreamers, and “unreal”, but this generation had a dream, they had an ideology and affinity for nature and a more natural lifestyle. This generation wanted world peace, they wanted freedom and love, and they became known as and referred to as the “Love generation”, “Hippies”, “Flower people” and other such names. Communes sprang up where many could “return to nature” in an experiment of life. At the time they had a dream for humanity, a dream for themselves, alas time changed them and coming out of that change we have the world we see today.

Some have held onto the ideals and dreams that started back in the late 1960’s to mid 1970’s and have built their lives around these high aspirations. The majority grew up and conformed to the social pressures and norms, while some expanded on the very ideals and ideas that they were so against in their youth. The outcome is the world we see today and a loss from the ideas of a more natural world order that was once dreamed.

As many of us age and look around us at what we allowed to happen, hints of the once dreamed world begin to nip at our heels and pop into our minds and we find ourselves once again daring to dream. To dream of a more natural world order once again. To bring back nature into our world, not the corporate or media forms of nature but true, down to earth nature, one based on a respect for the natural world and the planet earth. This also does not mean a retreat from technology or the amazing advances we have made, it does mean a disposal of the corruption and abuse that we have heaped upon ourselves and the planet. In small steps, and in small but growing numbers, our once bright and enthusiastic eyes have begun to open and sparkle once more.

New World Order

We are currently being inundated with an image of this supposed new world order painted on a canvass of doom and gloom. There is no doubt that a “new world order” is in the minds of powerful people such as the last few presidents of the USA, but is it a doom and gloom scenario? No hope is given under the image many hold of the “New World Order”, with so many believing that there is no hope, they hold that we are certainly doomed by our past and especially current actions. What eventually plays out in our lives and those of our children will certainly be the result of what we have allowed to take place. Forgotten by many of these people, are four words that were once projected out into the world with such force and belief behind them that the world was changed.

These four words have become immortalized in not only a generation but in history itself, “I have a dream” and from that society changed, laws changed, the world was changed for the better. Was the world made perfect, no, but did it get a little bit better, yes, change took place. Once again we have the opportunity to awaken a dream that started long ago.

A new Dream

You may wonder what this new dream is, what it involves, will it come about and a score of additional questions and wonders. The truth be told, the dream has just begun to reawaken and form, it will be a dream of our making, it will be a dream of our choosing. Article two on this subject will look at “A new dream”.

, Toronto Holistic Health Examiner

Clayton Caverley is a consummate writer and has been involved in Holistic Health practices for almost 40 years. Clayton has gained expertise in; Herbalism, QiGong, Tai Chi, various Martial Arts, various forms of Meditation, and bio-energy therapies. Clayton is/was a qualified teacher of...

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Choosing a System for Managing your Image Collection

It can be a daunting task choosing a system for managing an image collection - especially if you intend to use it to share your collection with colleagues or the wider world via the Web. As the companion paper to this indicates, there are a very wide variety of options (see Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections). You will probably find it useful to read that paper before you read this one.

  1. Introduction
  2. Common functionality
  3. Questions to ask when choosing a system
  4. Conclusion

Your choice of a system must be driven by your requirements and shaped by your own particular circumstances and constraints. While the perfect system may not exist, some will be much more suitable than others, so it's important that you choose well and that any compromises are made knowingly rather than through ignorance.

It can be difficult to know what to look for unless you've seen a few systems in action and understand what might be possible. Section 2 (below) describes functionality that is commonly (but by no means universally) provided by systems for managing images. As you read through this section, think about whether the functionality being described is essential, desirable, or not required for your particular collection. This might form the beginning of a checklist you could use when evaluating systems, or a more formal list of requirements in an Invitation To Tender (ITT). Section 3 of this paper raises several questions to think about when you're choosing a system.

JISC Digital Media has surveyed a range of image management software developers to gather specific information about their systems. Those who have responded so far are listed on our Image Management Software page.

2. Common functionality

This section describes some of the features you might look for in a system for managing images. This is grouped into features relating to: images (2.1); metadata (2.2); and delivery to users (2.3).

2.1. Handling of images

Basic image orientation

As we said in Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections, it can be useful to distinguish between systems that are image-centric (where a metadata record is attached to each and every image) or object-centric (where one or more images can be attached to an object record). Ideally you should choose a system whose orientation fits well with your purpose, although it can sometimes be useful or necessary to choose a different kind of system.

To give an example - although your images might be of pages from atlases, and so suit an object-centric approach, you might choose a system designed for handling separate images because it offers good zoom functionality, digital rights management technology, or perhaps e-commerce features. Or, to take another example, you might choose to use an image-centric system to help you manage some aspects of a digitisation project (e.g. digital capture and extraction of technical metadata) and then transfer the data into a collection management system which has object-related metadata and is more suited for delivery.

Image acquisition

There are several different ways in which systems 'acquire' or 'ingest' digital images. Some systems - especially those distributed with digital cameras - will enable you to import images directly from a camera. A few systems take this a step further, enabling you to actually capture images from a scanner or a tethered camera from within the system itself.

More commonly, however, systems will assume you already have the digital images in folders on your computer, server or memory device. These can then be either copied into the system's preferred image folder or (much better) you can tell the system where to look and it will catalogue the images where they are. Sometimes systems don't even require you to actively point to files or folders - they will automatically scan specified folders and catalogue anything new they find there.

Of course, the approaches described above will only be relevant when the image management system takes the form of a program sitting on your computer. If you're using a system that is Web-based and hosted elsewhere, then you'll almost certainly have to actively up-load new images to the collection - and often individually rather than in batches.

File format support

Systems differ in their support for file formats, so if you're using anything beyond the common Web formats, GIF and JPEG, you'll need to make sure that the system you choose supports it.

TIFF is often used as a master image format because it does not compromise the data in the way the JPEG's compression does. However, as this comes at the expense of a much larger filesize, the TIFF is not always supported by systems - especially those systems that are Web-based. You might expect systems designed for the photographic market to have good support for TIFF, camera formats (RAW and DNG) and the Photoshop format (PSD), but other kinds of systems may not support these consistently.

You need to be aware that even if the system says it supports a particular format, some aspects of that format might not be well supported, such as higher bit-depth (i.e. more than 8-bits per channel), ICC colour profiles, or embedded metadata. If you are making use of any of these, you should check that the system supports them.

Support can be a particular issue for some of the newer file formats, such as PNG or JPEG2000. Although these formats have a lot to commend them, they are not always completely or consistently implemented. So if a system does support them (many will not), this support might not extend to all of their features (e.g. PNG transparency or JPEG2000 zooming).

Image management

Some systems provide much more image management functionality than simply recording a location, generating a thumbnail and storing some associated metadata. They might enable you to move, copy, or delete original files from within the system itself. They may provide the option of creating virtual folders for organising the images and then enable you to convert these into 'real' folders on your server or a disc. Or they might provide tools for automatically renaming your images. For some people these kind of features will be unnecessary or even confusing; for others they will offer useful support for an image workflow.

Image editing

Many systems designed for managing images include image editing features (e.g. cropping, rotating, resizing, colour correction). Whether these are useful to you will depend on the nature and purpose of your collection and other software you have to hand. If you need to do sophisticated image correction, it will probably be preferable to use a dedicated programme like Photoshop or Gimp (indeed some systems enable you to automatically open an image within a separate editing program). But if you only need to make simple and occasional adjustments you may find that the editing tools provided by an image management system are more than sufficient.

One thing to check out is how any editing is applied to the image. Some systems will apply edits directly to the image as you make them - which makes it impossible to recover an earlier version if you change your mind. Some systems will create a copy, providing you with a level of version control. Other systems store details of the edits you make and only actually apply them to the image when it is exported or saved into a different size or format. These last two approaches (versioning or storing edits) can be very useful where the master is a JPEG image, since each time you resave a JPEG you are re-compressing (and further compromising) the image.

If you're using a system to manage your workflow, then versioning and auditing features (e.g. who edited the image) are worth looking out for. These can support your quality assurance (QA) processes, helping you to pick out where any errors may be being introduced.

2.2 Handling of metadata

Data entry/cataloguing

One of the main reasons for using software to manage your images is to enable you to associate some metadata (catalogue information) to assist you and other users in the tasks of finding, understanding, managing, and using your images.

This is most commonly achieved through some sort of database. The database might take a relatively simple and 'flat' form (e.g. a single record per image). Or it could be much more complex, using, for example, a number of different tables of information which are related to form a kind of 'virtual' record for each image or object. There are also some other, less common, alternatives, such as storing the metadata in an XML encoding (similar to HTML Web encoding) or embedding the metadata within the image file itself. Although we cannot go into detail here about the various different database structures, this may be something to investigate or to talk with your IT support staff about.

Apart from the basic underlying database, you might also want to consider whether you need the cataloguing interface to be client-based (i.e. a separate program on your computer) or Web-browser-based. A client-based system typically offers more functionality and more control over the interface, but it must be loaded onto every machine and you will probably have to pay a fee for each copy installed. A browser-based cataloguing interface is typically not as efficient or flexible, but might enable you to add images to the collection from any location in the world.

Whatever 'system architecture' you settle for, you will need to think about how well it supports your data entry needs. Does it, for example, enable you to add, delete, hide, re-order, or rename catalogue fields? Can you create drop-down lists (or separate tables) to manage your keywords and other controlled vocabularies? Does it offer features that will speed-up the time-consuming task of adding metadata, such as templates, batch-editing, or global 'find and replace' options? Does it provide features that will support your workflow and quality assurance, such as auditing, a moderation process, spell-checking or data validation? Such features are often worth paying extra for.

Support for relevant metadata standards

If you intend your collection to 'interoperate' with other collections then you'll need to pay some attention to how well it supports appropriate metadata standards. Some systems will come out of their box with such support (especially collection management systems); others will often require a lot of customisation. For more information on metadata standards, see Metadata and Digital Images.

Getting your metadata in and out again

It's vital to pay special attention to the ease with which you can get your metadata in and out of the system. You may already have some metadata that you want to import, perhaps some records held in an earlier database or some metadata embedded within the image file itself. If this is the case, you'll need to investigate how easy it will be to bring this data into your new system (e.g. by importing comma-separated data or extracting metadata from the image files). Ideally your new system should support any imports or metadata extractions directly, but it is sometimes necessary to make use of additional software as an intermediary - especially where you are extracting metadata from the images themselves.

Once there is data in your system, you also need some means of exporting it. You will almost certainly need to move the images and metadata into another system within a few years time. But you may have cause to export your metadata well before then: perhaps to share it with other collections, or to embed it within your images for security or identification purposes. Many systems are now moving towards XML as a format for exchanging (importing and exporting) metadata. This is not yet standard, but it may be something to look out for when you're choosing a system.

Closely related to the ability to export metadata is the ability to generate useful reports and statistics. Do the systems you're looking at enable you to construct new reports easily yourself, or are you limited to standard forms and templates that come with the system?

2.3 Delivery to users

Nature of the user interface

We mentioned the data-entry/cataloguing interface above, but systems for managing and sharing images will often provide a separate interface for the "end-user". As with the cataloguing interface, this might take the form of a client-based program installed on the user's machine or a Web-browser-based interface accessed via an intranet or the Internet. It is not uncommon for systems to use a client interface for data entry and a browser interface for delivery to end users. Such an arrangement can offer the best of both worlds - a higher level of functionality and efficiency for the cataloguing and easier, more familiar access for the end user.

Whatever the configuration or technology is chosen, the user interface must effectively meet your users' requirements. It should offer flexibility and customisability, and conform to good usability and accessibility practices. For more information on interface design, usability and accessibility, please see: Graphical User Interface Design: Developing Usable and Accessible Collections.

Search and retrieval

You will need to pay particular attention to the search and retrieval features offered by the systems you're looking at. Can you search on all or most of the fields in your database? Is advanced searching possible (e.g. Boolean logic, "wildcards", "sounds-like" fuzzy searching or date range searching)? Are there any special search features offered, such as content based retrieval (based on colour and shape, etc). Can you browse the collection as well as search?

Sometimes the search functionality differs considerably between the cataloguing interface and the end-user interface - especially where a system uses client software for cataloguing and provides end-user delivery via a Web browser. It may be that the cataloguing interface enables you to conduct sophisticated searches, while the user interface simply presents Web galleries that can be browsed but not searched. You will need to make sure that both interfaces are going to meet your needs.

Display of images and metadata

It will also be important to consider how well the images and metadata are displayed. Ideally you should able to customise the look and feel of the interface, choose the sizes of the images, and decide which metadata is displayed to cataloguers and users. Some systems will provide further functionality, enabling individual cataloguers or end users to personalise the way they view the data and enabling them to interact with it in certain ways (e.g. bookmark or annotate images). This level of interactivity is not common, but some readers may wish to look for it or include it in their brief to a system developer.

If you want to provide user access to larger images or master files, you will need to check how this is dealt with by the systems you're investigating. There may be a zoom facility, or an option to download the original image. If you're providing access to large images or files you may also need to think about the security implications and whether there are any network issues in delivering large amounts of data.

Security is often a concern for those who are building image collections and sharing them with others. Ideally, the system you choose should enable you to provide different levels of access and different views of the data according to particular user roles or profiles. It is common to have at least three roles (administrator, editor/moderator, user). Some systems are more sophisticated, enabling you to set different permissions at the level of an individual user or image, or connecting with institutional authentication systems.

If you are concerned about people misusing larger images you may also want to look out for digital rights management (DRM) technology, such as watermarking or the delivery of images via a protected interface. These technologies cannot guarantee that no one will take your images, but they can provide a deterrent and will minimise your risk.

Interoperability with other systems

Finally, if you want to share your data with other systems, you'll need to see how easily this can be done. It can be a real challenge to join up different systems in a seamless way, but some will enable their databases to be searched by other applications.

Another way to share data is to take advantage of a system's export facilities (as discussed above) or publishing options. Many systems will enable you to easily create CD-ROMs, slide shows, or Web galleries, or to dispatch images to an email address.

3. Questions to ask when choosing a system

The remainder of this paper poses some questions to think about when you are choosing a system for managing an image collection.

3.1 Some questions to ask yourself

Before you get too far in your search for a system, you will need to have answers to some of these questions:

  • Do I actually need to choose a system?
    For most of us the answer will be an unequivocal "Yes!" While there are alternatives (careful file and folder naming, folder viewing options provided by operating systems, or embedded metadata), there are many advantages to employing a specialist system - as the features described in section 2 above indicate. However, in some cases the answer might be "No" or at least "Not yet". It may also be that someone else within your department or institution already has a suitable system or is about to buy one. Make some enquiries - you might save yourself a task and some money. You might also find there are some opportunities to share images as well as software.
  • What do I require from a system?
    It is vital that you determine your requirements and always keep them in mind when you evaluate systems or talk to developers. The features in section 2 above and the different systems described in Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections should give you some idea of what to look for. But you will undoubtedly need to see a few systems before you finalise your list. In drawing up your list of requirements, try to avoid the extremes of overstating your needs (and so failing to find anything suitable), or understating them (and ending up with a system that just isn't up to the task). One useful way to do this is to divide the items on your list into features that you "absolutely must have" (essentials) and those that would be "nice to have but could be lived without" (desirables). Try to be as realistic as you can, but be prepared to shuffle the items between these categories when you get down to looking.
  • What are others in similar situations using?
    Although everyone's situation is different, others will have made similar choices to yours. Try to identify these people - ask colleagues; post requests on relevant email lists. When you find them, phone, email, or better still visit them. Find out what system they're using and what features they like or dislike about the system. If they've had their system for some time they may also be aware of other products that could now do a better job. It's worth doing this sort of research for any sized system, but it's particularly important if you're looking for a large system requiring a lot of investment.
  • Who do I need to involve in this choice?
    Unless you're buying or downloading a system to manage a personal collection of images there will usually be others who have a stake in your choice, such as users, cataloguers, funders, or IT support staff. Even with a personal system it might be wise to check out the security or systems implications with those who support your IT. Once you've identified any key stakeholders, it's important that you involve them in your research and decision-making. Consult with them over your list of requirements; invite them to system demos; give them evaluation copies to look at. If you're going to need them to contribute to your collection or you want to ensure they use it once it's in place, then it's crucial they feel a sense of ownership of the system.
  • What resources do I have?
    Stakeholders are not just people you bring onside for political reasons - they may have considerable expertise that will help you in making your choice. Or there may be others within your institution or networks that can provide you with some help. JISC Digital Media can provide further help via its Helpdesk and Training programme. Other important resources you will obviously need to find are time and money - both of these are likely to be limited and so will constrain or direct your choice of a system.
  • How formal does the process need to be?
    If you're looking for a large system - or you want to commission someone to develop one - you will probably need to prepare a formal 'Invitation To Tender' (ITT) or 'Request For Proposals' (RFP). You may also need to undertake European tendering if the system is going to be very large and expensive. JISC InfoNet has produced a useful InfoKit on procuring larger systems. However, even if it's a small system you're choosing for yourself or a small team it is important to formalise the process in some way. At the very least, jot down your key requirements and keep a record of the systems you've looked at and the functionality they offer - once you've seen several systems it can be surprisingly difficult to remember exactly which system offered which features.

3.2 Some questions to ask about specific systems

Having established your needs and specific requirements, identified your stakeholders and resources, and considered your methodology, you are now ready to bring in those systems vendors or download those evaluation copies. Here are some questions you should ask about each of the systems you look at:

  • Does this system meet my requirements?
    One of the first things to determine is how well the system fits with the requirements you've identified (essentials and desirables). Document your findings, but don't be too quick to dismiss anything that doesn't come up to scratch. You may discover that: (a) no system can meet your exact specification and you'll need to reconsider the essentials; (b) it might actually be fairly easy to customise a system to meet your requirements; (c) you might be able to complement the system with another system to address a particular need; or (d) the requirements you want might be on the list for the next upgrade - or you might be able to get them put onto that list!
  • How flexible is this system?
    Your needs from a system are likely to change over time, so it's worth looking for a system that can accommodate some change. Can the system expand from a standalone version to a workgroup version if you decide later on to share the task of collection-building with others? Can you introduce security settings if you find you need tighter control over your resources or how people are accessing them? Can the system handle hundreds of users searching it at once if it becomes a runaway success? While it's impossible to anticipate all of your future needs, it's useful to have a system that will provide you with some flexibility and growth. Try not to limit yourself at the outset.
  • How future-proof is this system?
    You will not only need to think about how your needs might change, but how the system you're looking at might change. This is difficult to predict without the aid of a crystal ball, but past performance may be some guide. Has the software company been around for some time and is it still growing? Is there a strong community contributing to the development of an open source system you're looking at? Is there a history of regular upgrades? Does the system seem to be keeping up with new standards as they come along? Is there a strong user group (composed of people like you) who are influencing the development of the system? It might be worth choosing a product with slightly less functionality than a competitor if it seems likely to have a more promising future.
  • How much will this system cost me?
    As we've said above (in section 3.1) cost will be an important factor in your decision. However it's important that you don't just base this on the initial price tag. Many of the larger commercial systems come with support and upgrade packages, and it's often worthwhile taking these up. You may also need to take into account the costs of importing any existing data into the system and of training. All of these costs are reasonably easy to determine or estimate but are sometimes overlooked.
  • How much will this system really cost me?
    However, there are also some less tangible costs you may want to consider. One of these might be delay. For example, if you need something quickly, you will probably not be able to afford a twelve-month delay while waiting for a bespoke system to be developed. Another important cost is the impact on workflow. If a cheap (or free) system requires you to spend a minute or two longer per record than another system, you may find it actually proves to be much more expensive over the longer term! An open source system might be free to download, but prove expensive to install and customise. An expensive bespoke system may prove even more costly when you need to employ someone to rewrite parts of it in five years time (as you probably will) or to move your data out of it in the future - as you almost certainly will for any system you currently choose!
  • Does this system compromise my data in any way?
    You will be making a significant investment in creating digital images and metadata to accompany them. Over time this investment is likely to be worth much more than the system you've bought to deliver the data (in a very short time for some systems). You can reasonably expect to have to move to another delivery system within 5-10 years, but you're unlikely to want to re-create your images or metadata within this timeframe - you will want them to last much longer. So it's important that the system you choose doesn't force you to make too many compromises in terms of the quality of your images or your metadata. It's also vital that the system enables you to pull out your data again when you're ready to move on to the next system!

4. Conclusion

Your choice of a system for managing and delivering your collection is very important, so you need to take the time to carefully determine your needs and evaluate the options.

Bear in mind, though, that even with the best of care you will probably not find the "perfect" fit for your needs. You will need to make some informed compromises. However, if you make your choice without paying any attention, you run a real risk of being locked into something that is not only less than perfect, but will actually compromise your data and will fail your users.

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Heat hanging around

SUMMER is officially over, but it's not time to pack away the sunscreen just yet.

The Weather Bureau is predicting up to 10 days of temperatures over 30 degrees, starting from last Sunday.

"Even thought we go by the calendar, the weather doesn't and so this week we've got probably the longest stretch of days over 30 that we've had all summer," Mount Gambier Weather Station manager Craig Marsh said.

Skies are mostly clear over SA due to stable east to north-easterly winds. A change is expected next Tuesday.

Across the State it was a hot and dry summer, with rainfall widely below average.

In fact it was the driest summer since 1985-86, and it came on the back of the third driest spring on record for SA.

Just 20.2mm of rain fell in Naracoorte over summer.

Coonawarra recorded 26.2mm; the lowest summer rainfall in the 27 years it's been recorded, and just 31 per cent of the wine region's 85.4mm summer average.

Naracoorte's average maximum temperature over summer was 29.2 degrees and minimum average 11.3 - the coldest nights on average in the State.

The town's coldest night was 2.1 degrees on December 10, while the highest temperature was 44.6 on January 4.

The average maximum for Coonawarrra was 28.2 degrees, and minimum 11.4.

January saw some extreme temperatures across the State, but the cooler days brought the average down to 29.6 for Naracoorte.

February was the hottest summer month, with consistent warmer days leading to an average of 30.3 degrees.

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