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Lound Infant School
Sherburn Gate
South Yorkshire
Phone:0114 2463412
Headteacher: Mrs Dawn Cheryl Bartecz
177 pupils, Mixed
|Unique Reference Number
|Local Authority
|Inspection number
|Inspection dates
|10–11 February 2009
|Reporting inspector
|Ronald Cohen
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.
|Type of school
|School category
|Age range of pupils
|Gender of pupils
|Number on roll
|School (total)
|Appropriate authority
|The governing body
|Mr A Williams
|Mrs Cheryl Barteczko
|Date of previous school inspection
|5 July 2006
Date of previous funded early education
|Not previously inspected
|Date of previous childcare inspection
|Not previously inspected
|School address
|Sherburn Gate
|Chapeltown, Sheffield
|South Yorkshire S35 2EU
|Telephone number
|0114 2463412
|Fax number
|0114 2463412
|Age group
|Inspection dates
|10–11 February 2009
|Inspection number
© Crown copyright 2009
Website: ofsted.gov.uk
The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.
This is a small school in the north of Sheffield. Pupils come from mixed backgrounds but the socio-economic characteristics of the community are a little above average. The proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals are below those usually found. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also below average. However, since the time of the previous inspection the number of such children in the school has doubled. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school has achieved Basic Skills and Activemark awards and is working towards the Healthy Schools Award.
|Grade 1
|Grade 2
|Grade 3
|Grade 4
Overall effectiveness of the school
Grade: 2
This is a good school, in which pupils make good progress. Some aspects of its work are outstanding. These are the excellent care, guidance and support and a very positive school climate, which lead to outstanding personal development and well-being for pupils. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of parents hold very positive views about the school and most are extremely pleased with both the care and education provided for their children. Typical comments from the parents' questionnaires included: 'My son has made a wonderful start to school life. He has made lots of friends; he thoroughly enjoys all aspects of school, and can't wait to go to school every day.'
Pupils achieve well throughout school because of the good teaching and a well-planned curriculum. Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage of their education in Reception, which they enter with a range of skills and abilities that are broadly as expected, except in writing and linking sounds and letters, which are below expectations. The introduction of a phonics programme is beginning to accelerate children's progress in this area. Overall, children make good progress across the areas of learning so that by the end of Year 2 standards are well above the national average in mathematics, are above average in reading, and average in writing, which remains the weakest of the subjects studied. Nevertheless, overall, this represents good progress in relation to pupils' starting points. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well, given their capabilities. This is due to effective tracking, good teaching and good support, which fully engage them in their learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge, plan and organise lessons well, and give good attention to pupils' differing learning needs so that they are motivated and keen to learn.
Curricular enrichment is good. After-school clubs, extensive use of the school grounds, visitors and special events enhance the school's good curriculum and make a positive contribution to pupils' outstanding personal development. In addition, pupils benefit from opportunities to collaborate with others and help and support each other through, for example, being playtime buddies. The school's strong links with schools in the Gambia increase pupils' knowledge of the global community. Pupils' knowledge of the local and United Kingdom (UK) communities is not so strongly developed. The school does not yet fully benefit from a strategy which would underpin the good aspects of community cohesion it provides.
The school is well led and managed. The school has a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses, and works hard to address them. The headteacher sets the pace of change, and is well supported by her senior team and staff. Governance is good. Governors ask the right questions to ensure continued progress. A positive school climate has been created for pupils to learn and staff to work. A shared mission provides good direction for the future. The school gives good value for money and demonstrates a good capacity to continue to improve.
Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage
Grade: 2
Children join Reception with skills broadly in line with national expectations. However, because they come from a variety of pre-school providers, or straight from home, these skills vary. Children make good progress in their Reception classes because of the strong emphasis on speaking and listening skills and on encouraging social aspects, such as teamwork in the daily activity of making toast. Parents are happy with the arrangements for children to settle in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children echo this; as one child said, 'On your first day you are a bit worried and want your mum, but on the second, you are OK.' Parents like the school's encouragement to them to participate in their children's learning. The school is waiting for staff to receive approved paediatric first aid training. Nevertheless, children are well cared for. Their social development is outstanding and they form strong relationships with staff and each other. They learn to share, take pride in their successes, and play together. They develop a good understanding of the wider world through the creative use of play both in and outside the classrooms. Children's learning is tracked and assessed well in order that the school can pick up where there are areas of underachievement. Teamwork is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the provision is well led and managed. The curriculum is adapted flexibly according to children's interests and in response to gaps which children have identified themselves in their own learning. The curriculum is continuously under review to make sure that it prioritises child-initiated activities.
Achievement and standards
Grade: 2
Children enter the school with skills expected for their age. By the time they leave at the end of Year 2 their standards, though having declined slightly since 2006, remain above average overall. They are significantly above average in mathematics, above average in reading, and average in writing. This shows that pupils made good progress overall given their starting points and capabilities. Pupils' progress is further underlined when the changes in the cohorts of pupils at the school is looked at. Between 2006 and 2008, the numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities doubled. These pupils make good progress in line with their peers because of the excellent additional support, both in and outside the classroom, which the school provides. In the current Year 2 cohort, over a quarter of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Nevertheless, the school is on track to meet the high targets it has set, which is to maintain above average standards overall. The school recognises that writing remains comparatively weaker than other subjects, and has introduced programmes to increase standards.
Personal development and well-being
Grade: 1
Pupils display exceptionally strong personal development. They respond well to messages delivered in their assemblies over personal safety and working together. They know the differences between right and wrong and mostly make appropriate choices in their actions. They have a great capacity to enjoy the different learning opportunities offered to them. To see pupils dancing at the start of the school day or spontaneously gasping in wonder at slides of snow sculptures created for the winter Olympics, and laughing at rather less elegant structures of snowmen, is testimony to their joy of childhood and of school. Visitors are immediately struck by the enthusiasm for learning that pupils show in the school. A stream of pupils constantly want to share their skill in stacking cups, or talk about the instructions they have sent for games to children in the Gambia. Pupils feel safe in school. Some pupils do display challenging behaviour, but this is never allowed to disrupt learning for others and overall behaviour is outstanding, because, 'You have to work hard and behave well to get a sticker.'
Pupils enjoy taking responsibility in the school. 'Light monitors' and 'the recycling gang' contribute to pupils' awareness of environmental issues. School councillors lead strong moral initiatives such as anti-bullying campaigns and encourage their friends to join in national initiatives such as the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Big Bird Watch. Pupils have a very good understanding of healthy lifestyles and exercise. They enjoy keeping fit. Attendance is exemplary and reflects pupils' enjoyment in coming to school. Pupils have good skills, which will stand them in good stead for their future economic well-being.
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
Grade: 2
Good teaching has a positive impact on pupils' progress. Teachers successfully create a positive classroom atmosphere and this gives rise to strong relationships and good learning. Pupils know what they are expected to learn because teachers effectively share the purpose of the lesson with the class at the start. Pupils are attentive and respond well to their teachers' clear instructions and explanations. Activities and tasks are generally well matched to pupils' abilities and needs. As a result, pupils are suitably challenged and their interest is maintained. They make good gains in their learning. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed and make a valuable contribution to learning, particularly for pupils who need additional help with literacy and numeracy. The marking of pupils' work is constructive and helpful. Good work is praised and comments help them to improve. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that time slots are adequate to allow for in-depth checking of pupils' learning. In some classes, however, such time slots were not always sufficient.
Curriculum and other activities
Grade: 2
The curriculum is good. It is highly successful in promoting pupils' personal, social, health and citizenship needs. It provides for the pupils' good progress, both socially and academically. The curriculum promotes a creative approach to thinking and writing through the 'Talk for Writing' programme and planning performances, such as Snow White, where all aspects of the curriculum are drawn together. Use of information and communication technology (ICT) to raise the achievement of pupils is successful and the school is exploring ways of ensuring that ICT is accessible in all lessons for every subject. The outside environment of the school supports a good range of physical activities among pupils and offers them opportunities, for example through planting flowers for Sheffield in Bloom, to gain a greater understanding of sustainable developments and the natural world. Pupils' cultural development and self-expression benefit from the school's close link to a school in the Gambia. There is a constant drive to extend these aspects, through fundraising and communicating by post and email. Individual education plans accurately reflect how the curriculum needs to meet the needs of each child. Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular activities that strengthen their cultural, academic, and physical skills, for example in choir, and in Taekwondo, dance, film, and gardening clubs.
Care, guidance and support
Grade: 1
Arrangements to safeguard pupils, and ensure their welfare and health and safety, are outstanding. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and any aspect identified as putting pupils in danger is remedied. The school makes very special efforts to care for its most vulnerable pupils and their families and these efforts more than meet current requirements. The school has very close links with outside agencies to ensure pupils' well-being. This frequently allows the school to identify specialist training needs for its staff, and ensures that pupils with identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities have the benefit of the most up-to-date guidance. The setting up of a 'nurture group' is a good example of how far the school is prepared to go to meet the needs of individual pupils. Pupils are very motivated to learn because of the excellent academic guidance they receive and because they enjoy having targets and assessing their own and their peers' work. Their work is tracked carefully and provision matched to help pupils seen to be faltering in their progress. Standards of marking are high and commentary gives pupils clear direction as to what they need to do to improve their learning.
Leadership and management
Grade: 2
The long-term rather than a quick-fix approach established by the headteacher is proving to be very effective. The result is a happy school with good overall standards. An understanding of how pupils, especially boys, learn underpins the school's approach to raising achievement. The school has an accurate picture of its strengths and areas for development. It sets its sights high. It has not yet reached its goal of 'excellence for all'. Subject leaders share fully in the process of monitoring the work of the school and taking responsibility for raising standards. This has enabled strong, long-lasting improvements to be made in mathematics and is beginning to have an effect on writing. The school promotes equal opportunities extremely well, and uses its resources, particularly its human resources, very effectively to promote pupils' learning and well-being. Governors take an active role in meeting their responsibilities. They provide an appropriate level of challenge and fully support the work of the school. School leaders recognise that the promotion of all aspects of community cohesion would benefit from an underpinning strategy.
|Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: ofsted.gov.uk.
|Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate.
|School Overall
|How effective,efficient and inclusive is the provision of education,integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?
|Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection
|How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?
|The capacity to make any necessary improvements
|How effective is the provision in meeting the needs of children in the EYFS?
|How well do children in the EYFS achieve?
|How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the children?
|How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop?
|How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted?
|How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?
|How well do learners achieve?
|The standards¹ reached by learners
|How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners
|How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress
|How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?
|The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
|The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles
|The extent to which learners adopt safe practices
|The extent to which learners enjoy their education
|The attendance of learners
|The behaviour of learners
|The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community
|How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being
|How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of learners' needs?
|How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?
|How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?
|How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?
|How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education
|How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards
|The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation
|How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated
|How well does the school contribute to community cohesion?
|How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money
|The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities
|Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?
|Does this school require special measures?
|Does this school require a notice to improve?
Inspection of Lound Infant School, Sheffield, S35 2EU
Thank you all for the lovely welcome you gave to us when we visited your school. We found you all to be very helpful and friendly. Your school is a good school and you make good progress here.
What we liked most about your school.
What we have asked your school to do now.
We believe that these things will make your school even better than it is now. Of course you can help by continuing to come to school every day and to do your best in class.


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Hollywood liberal film director Kathryn Bigelow and screen writer Mark Boal have been given unprecedented access to intelligence information and Seal Team leaders who killed Osama bin Laden. Bigelow is producing a film on the killing of bin Laden – just in time to help Obama's re-election bid.
The meeting between the filmmakers and the Department of Defense and CIA was arranged by The Glover Park Group, a Democrat-leaning advocacy firm headed up by a former Al Gore advisor.
Sony Pictures, which will produce the film and has distribution rights, recently held a fundraiser for Obama on its lot and raised $4 million for Obama's re-election.
In short, Obama has provided liberals in Hollywood with sensitive information on the killing of bin Laden so Sony can produce a film that will help him get back into the White House for another four devastating years.
The film is an Obama re-election campaign video that will make him look like a strong Commander-in-Chief. Hopefully, most Americans will refuse to go see it – and will avoid being part of this thinly-disguised campaign donation to Obama's coffers.
Where was Hollywood during the eight years of the Bush Administration, when our military was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Where's the Hollywood film on the courageous Seal Team 10 that was decimated in Afghanistan because the SEAL team leader made a decision not to kill an Afghan civilian who had discovered them? Marcus Luttrell tells this story in "Lone Survivor."
When it's a war that Hollywood disapproves of (most of them), the film makers will usually crank out films that only portray soldiers in combat as vicious killers who enjoy murdering children – or mentally disturbed crazies when they return home after serving a tour of duty.
The most recent film on the SEALS was "Act of Valor." It had to be produced outside of the Hollywood liberal bubble by two former stunt men. Hollywood would not produce it.
Read more on Obama's Hollywood campaign video at The Heritage Foundation.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Windows XP PST Repair Download
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Free Downloads > Utilities > File Management > Windows XP PST Repair 3.2
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text:
Made a random surprise for @tjnepomuceno ❤😊
at Vigan Ilocos Sur
The beauty of Ilocos is almost surreal. Truly looks like paradise #nofilter #paradise #breathtaking
This is happiness! ❤❤❤
Wanna stay here forever 😍
Looks too cute to eaaat 💙
I'm with a goddess ❤😊 @superclauuu
The evil girl, warrior & princess 💗
True love is about committing to another person over time, through the happy moments as well as the hardships ❤
So in looove with this place 😍❤
Pancakes + nutella + hot choco ❤ @tjnepomuceno


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O.o uuuhhhh, what?
And I thought my dreams were strange…
Reblogging for comments.
damn right you won that shit.
I just cackled in public like The Joker.
I am slain. XD
Honestly this .gif is exactly perfect to what I was thinking and my facial expression as I read this. Well played...
oh my god! asdkfjldfkghkfdlsdfsf!!! *dies*


text:
E-mail this story
U.Va., VCU set to begin 'natural' basketball series
During his college playing days at Green Bay more than 20 years ago, Tony Bennett craved games against state basketball heavyweights Wisconsin and Marquette. After all, what better way for a so-called mid-major program to measure itself than against neighbors with pedigree, resources and talent?
David Teel
November 12, 2013


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Please Register as a New User or Login as Existing User to gain full access to all the photos on this site. Registration is quick and completely free.
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Penninis Head Full Moon
© Mark Collins
Route: Fear of the Furnace
Camera used: Nikon D70S


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Botsford News Release
Farmington Hills, Mich. (May 22, 2009)---May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month and according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and can break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, from a simple action such as a sneeze.
Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can help prevent osteoporosis later in life. Inocencio Cuesta, M.D., a Rheumatologist at Botsford Hospital, says, "People cannot feel their bones getting weaker. They may not know that they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. That's why it is so important to start building your bone mass when you are a child."
Dr. Cuesta recommends that adults and children optimize their bone health and help prevent osteoporosis by getting the daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D, exercising, avoiding smoking, staying on top of their bone health with a physician and having a bone density test when appropriate.
If you would like to be referred to a Botsford doctor about your bone health, please contact Botsford's HealthMatch at (877) 442-7900.
A bone density scan measures the mass of your bones and assesses your risk of developing osteoporosis. You should schedule your first test by age 65 and repeat every five years. If you are underweight, have smoked, have a recent history of broken bones or if a family member has osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent testing. The test is effective in evaluating a person's risk for osteoporosis and detecting the disease in the early stages. It is safe, non-invasive and painless.
Botsford Hospital is a multi-specialty 330 bed hospital and verified trauma center located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The campus also houses an imaging center and a comprehensive care cancer center. Botsford Hospital is also home to an extensive medical education program and is part of Michigan State University's statewide campus system. Botsford Hospital each year cares for approximately 16,000 inpatients and more than 60,000 emergency and trauma patients with a team of 2,500 employees, 300 volunteers and more than 600 physicians. A not-for-profit hospital, Botsford provided almost $10.5 million in community benefit during its 2011 fiscal year.
botsford.org, twitter.com/botsfordnews, facebook.com/botsfordhospital, botsford.org/blog
MEDIA CONTACT: Lynn C. Anderson, Director, Marketing & Public Relations or Beth Montalvo, Publications & Media Relations Coordinator


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Party in your PJ's and join our #Bklynbabyexpo A Child grows in Brooklyn Twitter Party
Is it possible to attend a party in your pj's without causing embarrassment to those who call you family and friends! Yes! Join our first Twitter party on Friday night May 31st from 8-9pm EST. Learn about Brooklyn's best resources and all the goodies that will be in store for you when you attend the Brooklyn Baby Expo ! You can also win great prizes by answering some of the most frequently asked questions by Brooklyn parents – and the best part….we'll be giving away PishPosh Diaper Clutches, a Britax Stroller, and a SkipHop Diaper Bag!
No RSVP necessary, just follow
#BklynBabyExpo and start tweeting with us on Friday from 8-9pm! Hosted by @achildgrows and @melissaschapman And don't forget to register for the Brooklyn Baby Expo!!
It is going to be fun and educational event filled with activities for parents and children! If you haven't bought your ticket yet, you still can! Purchase your tickets here and enter code SIF-bbe2013 for a discount for our readers!
The seminar line-up is incredible! Experts speaking on family sleep 101, birth and post-natal care, green family living, best baby gear, survival guide for all Brooklyn parents, best tech resources for parents.
There will be demonstrations on baby wearing and fist foods, concerts, book signings and some special events just for kids!
The list sponsors and exhibitors is amazing! They are our neighborhood and parent experts, resources, business and best products all brought together in one place.
And the amount of children's gear and gift certificates we are giving away is too much to name…but so many of you will leave with awesome new gifts!
And the expo is just for babies – see our top 10 reason why you should be there!
Bring your family, stay for a free lunch in our Fairway Cafe and enjoy the day with us!
Tickets start at $15 - Get them here: http://brooklynbabyexpo2013.eventbrite.com/
Event details and directions:
Where: International School of Brooklyn in Carroll Gardens – 477 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
When: Sunday June 2nd – 10am-4pm


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The Weekend Agenda
Every Friday we'll get you hooked up with some solid weekend plans. These are the things we think you should watch, read or do over the next few days.
1 LOOK AT THIS: Christophe Kutner Photography – Free York
2 READ THIS: How the Founding Fathers Made Their Beer – Popular Mechanics
3 MAKE THIS: Outdoor Bar Cart – This Old House
4 EAT THIS: Mini Maple Bacon Sandwich with Frisée & Date Mayo – Larks and Japes
5 SEE THIS: A Band Called Death – Draft House Films
6 DRINK THIS: Stone RuinTen IPA – Stone Brewing
7 WATCH THIS: Ray Donovan – Showtime
8 LISTEN TO THIS: Duck Sauce: It's You – Pitchfork
9 WEAR THIS: Anderson's Woven Belt – SHARP


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Erie's Wayne Gaynor was 2-4, with a two-run homer in the sixth inning Monday night, as the SeaWolves notched a come-from-behind, 7-4 victory over the Akron Aeros at Canal Park.
Gaynor's home run, his third of the season, came during a four-run rally in the top of the sixth, and gave the SeaWolves a 5-3 lead.
The loss snapped the Aeros win streak at two games, and extended the SeaWolves win streak to six games. It was the first meeting of the season with Erie, currently the first-place club in the EL West. Following Monday's action, Erie leads Richmond by three games and the Aeros by four.
Akron took a 2-0 lead in the first against Erie starter Victor Larez (5-0). Chun Chen belted a two-run home run, his fifth, but Larez stranded two runners aboard. Over the next four innings, Larez only gave up three more hits, but one of them was a solo homer by Quincy Latimore to make it 3-0, Akron.
Then came the sixth, when the SeaWolves came to life against Akron starter Will Roberts (1-1). After a double and single put runners on the corners, Tyler Collins lifted a shallow fly ball to left that disappeared in the twilight sky and fell in behind Latimore in left for an RBI single to make it 3-2. James McCann came up next and delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3. One out later, Gaynor's shot to left put the SeaWolves (18-11) ahead to stay.
The Aeros (15-16) threatened in the seventh, putting a pair of runners on base with two outs against reliever Will Startup. Chen smoked a pitch up the middle, deflecting off Startup and rolling to second baseman Hernan Perez, who threw to first to nip Chen for the third out. Feeling he was safe, Chen argued with first base umpire Roberto Ortiz and was ejected from the game.
Erie extended the lead to 7-3, with a pair of runs in the ninth off Cole Cook, including a solo homer by Eugenio Suarez. Akron made it 7-4 in the ninth on an RBI double by Giovanny Urshela.
Carlos Moncrief was 1-4, for Akron, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Moncrief's is the longest hitting streak on the team this season.
The Aeros and SeaWolves will play the second game of the series on Tuesday evening at 7:05. LHP Kyle Lobstein (3-2, 2.89) will start for Erie, while RHP Danny Salazar (2-3, 2.83) will make the start for Akron.
1717 East 12th Street
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If you find any songs that no longer work please send a message to my ask box informing me about what song is broken so i can fix it.
Thank you :)
Artists & Songs
Crazy Critters Spliffy Roadhog
For optimum view use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
Human League - Don't you Want me Baby
remember?????? ;)
getting my groove on
I think I turned into him a long time ago…
I think I am slowly but surely turning into Rick from The Young Ones. Oh dear. :S


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Delaware Emerging Markets Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer — Emerging Markets and Healthcare
Start date on the Fund: September 2006
Years of industry experience: 18
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Liu-Er Chen heads the firm's global Emerging Markets team, and he is also the portfolio manager for Delaware Healthcare Fund, which launched in September 2007. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in September 2006 in his current position, he spent nearly 11 years at Evergreen Investment Management Company, where he most recently worked as managing director and senior portfolio manager. He co-managed the Evergreen Emerging Markets Growth Fund from 1999 to 2001, and became the Fund's sole manager in 2001. He was also the sole manager of the Evergreen Health Care Fund since its inception in 1999. Chen began his career at Evergreen in 1995 as an analyst covering Asian and global healthcare stocks, before being promoted to portfolio manager in 1998. Prior to his career in asset management, Chen worked for three years in sales, marketing, and business development for major American and European pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He is licensed to practice medicine in China and has experience in medical research at both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Cornell Medical School. He holds an MBA with a concentration in management from Columbia Business School.
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For the second quarter of 2014, Delaware Emerging Markets Fund (Class A shares at net asset value) posted a positive return and outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Among countries, Brazil and South Korea contributed the most to performance. In Brazil, the Fund's overweight position benefited from rising hopes for a change in government, while stock selection was also positive. Shares of mobile telecommunications operator Tim Participacoes rose on the back of continued speculation about industry consolidation. In the consumer sector, Hypermarcas and BRF performed well as both companies showed improvement in operating performance during the first quarter, while B2W Cia Digital benefited from positive sentiment toward the e-commerce sector.
In Korea, the Fund's overweight positions in KCC, SK Telecom, and Lotte Chilsung Beverage contributed to performance. Shares of KCC rose as the company's paint and building materials businesses are benefiting from a domestic housing recovery. In addition, KCC owns a stake in Samsung Everland, which announced its intention to become a listed company. In the mobile telecommunications sector, shares of SK Telecom recovered from underperformance in the first quarter as subscribers continue to upgrade to 4G LTE services, which generate higher revenue. In the consumer sector, Lotte Chilsung benefited from currency appreciation.
On the negative side, Israel and China detracted the most from performance. In Israel, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries underperformed. The U.S. Supreme Court in April rejected a request to block generic versions of Copaxone while the court hears an appeal over Teva's patent, leaving the company exposed to competition from generics. In China, shares of internet companies Sohu.com and SINA declined. The Chinese government has become increasingly vigilant about content distributed on the internet, and both Sohu.com and Sina have had some of their online video content banned in recent months. The government has revoked some of Sina's internet licenses as well. The effect of these actions on potential advertising revenue has caused these stocks to underperform, although we believe that the share prices already reflect these concerns. Underperformance from Sohu.com and Sina was partially mitigated by our position in Baidu, which performed well as the company gains traction in mobile search.
In Chile, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile underperformed due to depressed iodine and potash pricing.
Among sectors, financials contributed the most to performance. Our underweight stance in this sector was favorable in terms of asset allocation, while our Argentine holdings Cresud and IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones both outperformed due to hopes for a resolution between the government and its creditors. In the consumer staples sector, Lotte Chilsung, Hypermarcas, and BRF supported performance. In contrast, the technology sector detracted the most from performance primarily due to share price declines in Sohu.com and SINA. In the materials sector, in addition to the underperformance of Sociedad Quimica Y Minera de Chile, shares of Fibria Celulose declined on concerns about capacity additions in the pulp industry. The healthcare sector detracted from relative performance due to our holding in Teva Pharmaceutical.
Portfolio transactions
In the second quarter of 2014:
We initiated positions in Vallourec, Reliance Communications, QIWI, Qunar Cayman Islands, and Daum Communications. We believe that Vallourec, which manufactures steel tubes, is well-positioned for long-term growth in the oil and gas sector and that current valuations are attractive. We expect Reliance Communications, a mobile telecom provider in India, to benefit from balance sheet deleveraging and structural demand growth for mobile data services. For Qiwi, which provides payment services in Russia, and Qunar, which provides online travel services in China, we see strong competitive positioning combined with robust growth opportunities. For Daum Communications in Korea, we believe that the company's acquisition of Kakao will unlock revenue potential in mobile search and advertising.
We added to several of our Russian positions including Sberbank, Rosneft, and Lukoil, as the market's broad selloff provided favorable buying opportunities. We also added to Samsung Electronics, Reliance Industries, and SINA, among others, due to attractive valuations.
On the back of easing geopolitical tensions, stabilizing economic growth, and accommodative monetary policy, liquidity conditions for emerging market equities appear likely to remain favorable in the near term. We continue to be mindful of potential risks, however, such as high debt levels and the slowing property market in China. In addition, geopolitics in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia remain unsettled. We continue to invest based on our bottom-up stock selection process, identifying companies with, in our view, long-term sustainable franchises that trade at significant discounts to our estimates of their intrinsic value. Among countries, the Fund's largest overweight position is in Brazil. The Fund is also overweight in Israel, Mexico, South Korea, and Russia. Among sectors, the Fund is overweight in technology, telecommunications, and energy.
The views expressed represent the Manager's assessment of the Fund and market environment as of the date indicated, and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security, and should not be relied on as research or investment advice. Information is as of the date indicated and subject to change.
Document must be used in its entirety.
Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus and its summary prospectus, which may be obtained by clicking the prospectus link located in the right-hand sidebar or calling 800 523-1918. Investors should read the prospectus and the summary prospectus carefully before investing.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.
International investments entail risks not ordinarily associated with U.S. investments including fluctuation in currency values, differences in accounting principles, or economic or political instability in other nations.
Investing in emerging markets can be riskier than investing in established foreign markets due to increased volatility and lower trading volume.
Diversification may not protect against market risk.
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The top 10% of funds in each category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. (Each share class is counted as a fraction of one fund within this scale and rated separately, which may cause slight variations in the distribution percentages.) The Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and ten-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics.
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Lipper fund data for all time periods shown are as of the date shown. Although a Fund may outperform peers when compared to Lipper peer groups, the returns for that period may still be negative. Rankings shown are provided by Lipper, Inc., a leading independent analysis service. Rankings and performance for other time periods are available from Lipper.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
The Fund offers other share classes, and their performance and rankings may be lower than those of the class shown.
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In The Works: Comp Air
Comp Air continues to fly the Comp Air 12 proof-of-concept prototype while the company works with "potential investor groups and experienced engineering and production resource teams to execute the 36-month certification and production startup." The large single-engine turboprop, powered by a 1,650-shp Honeywell TPE331-14GR, has undergone systems and handling characteristics tests and performance validations, according to Comp Air CEO Ron Lueck. Results of this testing will be used "to help optimize the final configuration for the first conforming/certifiable aircraft," he said. While Comp Air is seeking investors to help finance the Comp Air 12 program, the airplane will begin the formal FAA certification program when the process of finalizing equipment standards and conforming aircraft specifications is completed.
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Heart disease is the number one killer in this country. Coronary heart disease causes nearly half a million deaths annually in the United States. Some cases of heart disease are genetic, or simply happen without warning. However, a significant number of them are caused by obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated levels of cholesterol. Billions of dollars are spent every year on doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions to treat heart disease. Chia seeds might well provide a way to lower some of these numbers and help more people live longer and healthier lives.
One of the ways that chia can help with heart disease is by reducing the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. When LDL cholesterol levels are too high, the cholesterol will start being deposited on the walls of your arteries and veins. As this continues, it will become known as hardening of the arteries. Just as a pipe can become clogged with mineral deposits, so can your arteries become clogged with hardened cholesterol, known as plaque. Because the arteries become filled with plaque, the heart can be deprived of the blood it needs, and a heart attack can result. Chia can help to lower your bad LDL levels while elevating your good HDL levels. This will ensure that no more plaque will be deposited and that what is there will be gradually dissolved.
The Omega-3 oils in chia have also proven to be effective in lowering high blood pressure, especially that caused by hardening of the arteries or high cholesterol. As high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attacks, as well as kidney disease, lowering your high blood pressure can only benefit you. Besides helping to reduce high blood pressure, chia seeds are also useful in preventing blood clots from forming. These clots are often caused by plaque breaking off, and can then travel to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke. Chia's ability to keep the blood flowing freely will often help prevent clots from forming at all.
Heart attacks can occur not only as a result of high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but also because of an irregular heart beat. Sometimes, the heart will just miss a beat. In most cases, it just starts up again without a problem, but an irregular heartbeat can also cause a fatal heart attack. Once again, the miracle seed, chia can help to prevent this from happening. The omega 3 triglycerides can keep the heart beat regular, avoiding the potentially dangerous arrhythmia that can kill without warning.


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angel »
Terrace Martin x 9th Wonder – Angel
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Strawberry wine
2 Attachment(s)
I'm about to rack this Strawberry for the 2nd time. The attached pics are before and after the 1st racking. I am going to add campden this time around. I was considering topping off with some mead i made 2 years ago. Any thoughts?
honestly I do not like adding other wines to my wine because then it becomes something else.....but then again I also do not age in carboys so I usually just rack a couple times then bottle, On my last rack the head space is a bit more then id like but i figure sense its only going to be like that for a week it probably wont hurt it..Ive done it both ways and the wine usually turns out fine either way but I guess its your call.
I wouldn't rack yet, unless you have lees 1/4" thick or so and it's been at least 45 days since the last racking.
The wine looks great! I always top up with a "similar" wine. Since nothing is really similar to strawberry wine, another wine that you think would work well is absolutely fine. I've used pinot grigio for dandelion, as an example.
Take a gravity reading. My strawberry came out with a bit too high an alcohol content. You may want to top up with water depending on your gravity. Not sure what you used for a recipe, but depending on the sugar content of the strawberries, and the sugar you added, you could have rocket fuel.
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Sign up for Yardbarker's daily Top 10 newsletter, the Morning Bark! Customize to get news on your favorite sports and teams.
Found January 23, 2013 on Fox Sports Detroit:
PLAYERS: Ian White, Jimmy Howard, Ken Holland, Jonathan Ericsson, Jakub Kindl, Carlo Colaiacovo, Kent Huskins
TEAMS: Detroit Red Wings
TEAMS: Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ian White is expected to miss two or three weeks following surgery to repair a severe cut just above his left knee. White, who plays the point on the power play, was injured during the third period of Tuesday night's 2-1 loss to Dallas when he was struck by the skate blade of Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. "He had surgery this morning," general manager Ken Holland said Wednesday. "Some muscle had to be reattached." The Wings (1-2) were already without three other defensemen -- Jonathan Ericsson (hip), Jakub Kindl (groin) and Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder) -- for their home opener. After finding out that Colaiacovo might miss up to a month, the club signed free agent Kent Huskins to a one-year contract Tuesday to try to help bolster the depleted defensive corps. Hours later, Huskins was in the lineup. General manager Ken Holland probably won't have to make another roster move at this time because Kindl is likely to return for Fri...
Original Story: http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/01/23...
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Blog Archives
Using Snow Print Wax
It's Winter in Colorado which means that criminals will be leaving plenty of boot impressions in the snow. CSIs face certain challenges when dealing with snow impressions. Snow is not a forgiving medium. It is difficult to photograph due to its reflective qualities and it is even more difficult to cast in. Snow comes in as many varieties as criminals I suspect. Some methods, like sulfur casting, may work well with certain snow packs while others do not. Sulfur casting presents it's own challenges and many agencies seek a simpler solution to snow casting. One such method is casting with an aerosol wax commonly referred to as snow print wax. This wax is designed to be used with dental stone. Dental stone is an excellent casting material but it can not be poured directly into the snow. It is much too heavy and as dental stone sets it generates heat. This heat will melt the snow impression detail before the dental stone has a chance to set.
In order to use dental stone in snow you have to build a protective base layer. This base layer will capture the detail of the impression and serve to protect it during the curing process of the dental stone. Snow print wax creates such a barrier. The wax comes in a can and is propelled by an aerosol in the same way spray paint works. Once the snow impression is photographed the reddish wax is sprayed above the impression in short sweeping motions so that the wax drifts down onto the impression. Spraying the wax directly into the impression can damage the fragile features from the force of the propellent.
Snow print wax is not perfect though…far from it. The wax can not be allowed to freeze which means you can't leave it in your crime scene vehicle for weeks on end. Most CSIs will keep it in the lab and even lay it on the dash over the heating vents on the way to the crime scene to ensure it works properly. Even in the best of circumstances the wax may clump together and sputter larger elements onto the impression instead of a finer mist. When that happens you run the risk of damaging or obscuring details in the crime scene impression. One might wonder then, why use it at all? The simple answer is ease of use. Add to that the fact that many CSIs are not accustomed to casting in snow and it's easy to understand why they may choose snow print wax. It's as easy to use as spray paint.
The wax is applied to the impression one shallow layer at a time until all of the impression is covered to a depth of about an eighth of an inch. You have to spray from multiple angles to ensure that all of the snow is coated (vertical and horizontal planes). The wax is allowed to dry about five minutes between coatings and I find that four or five coatings is enough in most cases. After the final coat is allowed to dry the dental stone can be mixed (with very cold water) and gently poured into the impression. In freezing temperatures it may take an hour or two for the dental stone to fully set. Once it has, the cast can be lifted from the snow pack and booked into evidence.
RAM Fingerprint Reagent
Today I thought I'd cover a interesting fingerprint reagent called R.A.M. RAM is a mixture of three fairly common fingerprint reagents; Rhodamine 6G (R6G), Ardrox, and MBD 7-(P-Methoxybenzlamino-4Notrobenz-2-Oxa-1,3-Diazole). To my knowledge this reagent gained popularity in the early 1990's and continues to see use today in many crime labs. These reagents are used to enhance fingerprints developed through superglue fuming (cyanoacrylate) followed by inspection under ultra-violet light. All three of the above reagents comprising this mixture are used in fingerprint development so one might wonder; why mix them? Simply put, the mixture can create a broader range and intensity of reactions making photography much easier. Of course, that was more of a concern when lasers and light sources had weaker light output (100w) compared to the units today putting out 500w. Fluorescent dye stains are very practical when processing fingerprints on multicolored non-porous surfaces because the colors of the background surface are muted under ultra-violet light and the fingerprint reagent stands out under fluorescence.
Once the evidence is fumed, the RAM can be sprayed or applied with a squirt bottle. The item can also be dipped in a tray of reagent. There is no need to rinse the item after processing with RAM. The RAM reagent is a yellow color and a little thicker than water in viscosity. Once the item is dried it is examined under ultra-violet light between 415nm and 485nm with the best results usually found at 460nm with an orange colored barrier filter. The shelf life of RAM is approximately thirty days or until certain components like petroleum ether begin to separate and will not reconstitute.
Elevated Photography
I've written before about the three types of crime scene photographs. Well, those photos are the ones taken at ground level. Photography is all about perspective and sometimes you need to get off the ground. Most of you are probably aware of aerial photographs taken from rotary or fixed wing aircraft. I'll post something on historic and modern aerial photography soon but there is a simpler and more widely used practice to obtain a heightened perspective. We call it elevated photography. There are a number of ways to obtain an elevated perspective. All of them are dependent on the conditions on scene and the available equipment. Of course, these techniques can also be used in the crime lab to photograph large items like bedsheets or large areas of carpet. Here are a few examples.
The Boom:
This is a simple product marketed for crime scene investigators. Basically it's a pole with an attachment for the camera. Fancier models also include a shutter release cable to trip the camera and take a picture. The best results require the operator to manually focus the camera lens. Since the operator can't see through the view finder you usually have to make several test shots to achieve the one you want. These booms are typically employed in places like bathrooms or bedrooms where there is limited space or height to elevate the photographer. They can also be used to photograph objects in elevated positions like bird nests or tree limbs.
The Ladder:
The simplest is a six foot bi-fold ladder. A CSI may also use scaffolding or a taller ladder. In the extreme you might use a fire truck ladder extended out over a body or vehicle in a field. Of course, the higher you go the more risk you're exposed to. I remember the first time I went up on a fire truck ladder. I was taking pictures of a woman's body that was dumped in a field. There was no harness and pretty strong winds. I was pretty scared. It seemed to take hours and I couldn't bring myself to get more than forty or fifty feet in the air. These days, safety is taken more seriously and after a few trips up you get used to it. Of course, if you hate heights you may have to call in a favor from a co-worker to take your place.
An Elevated Platform:
Any elevated position can work as well as a ladder. It may be the landing above a living room or the rooftop of an adjacent building. Some larger crime lab vans also have special roof platforms designed to accommodate a photographer. Fixed locations obviously limit the options for the photographer but they may be better than nothing.
Is There A Perfect Crime?
In case you missed our live chat last Friday night with the guys and gals of the Crime Writer's Panel I thought it might be interesting to expand a little on the topic I chose to cover. Don't worry, the panel's discussion will be posted to YouTube soon and I'll tweet the link or update this page. The panel was comprised of a bunch of really talented and experienced crime writers and former law enforcement and it would be worth it to watch. There's a good chance we'll get together for another chat session and I'll let you all know when that is. We spent the hour talking to fans about the inside scoop on a variety of topics in law enforcement and forensics. The topic I chose to cover comes from one of the most frequent questions I get from crime writers; what is the perfect crime? The question always gives me a moment of pause because I take care not to reveal sensitive information publicly. It's a great question but, the answer may surprise you a little.
Some authors spend a lot of time trying to design the "perfect crime". They develop intricate plots carried out by sophisticated criminals weaving plot twists and turns throughout each chapter. Real life works differently and understanding why some crimes go unsolved may help you develop a more realistic story. I've investigated thousands of crimes and I have yet to encounter a "sophisticated" criminal. It's really hard to plan for every contingency, anticipate every step taken by the police. Most detectives and CSIs spend much more time studying the aspects of crime than the criminals committing them. It's our job. To me, a perfect crime is one for which there is no evidence of it ever having happened. No evidence, no missing person, no motive, nothing. That makes for a really short book! So instead of trying to come up with your version of a "perfect crime" it may be more worthwhile to understand why some crimes go unsolved. There are basically three reasons.
Lack of Probative Evidence:
Most judicial systems require evidence to prosecute a criminal. In the United States we have a very high legal standard to meet in order to obtain a conviction. All of the burdens are placed on the prosecution. That said, it's kind of nice to have a little evidence to work with. The less evidence we have the harder it is to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. There are two conditions that contribute to a lack of evidence. The first is limited activity. Activity creates actions and actions create evidence. Take a drive by shooting with a revolver for example. If there are no witnesses (cooperative or otherwise) then all you may have is the fired bullet. Depending on the terminal ballistics the bullet may be too mangled to retain usable rifling characteristics. Even if you were to retrieve an identifiable bullet you have to still find the gun, and from there, the shooter. This leads us to the second reason; the passage of time. Most evidence degrades to some degree with the passage of time. You may have a female victim raped and strangled in the woods but if decomposition reduces those remains to skeletal elements then you won't likely recover DNA or other trace evidence to help identify the killer. Evidence can also be missed but, this rarely happens with seasoned investigators.
Over-abundance of Evidence:
This may sound counter-intuitive but there are times when you can have too much evidence. Consider the murder of a prostitute who was also selling drugs and stealing from her pimp. Then you find her dead. Was it one of her Johns? Her pimp? A rival drug runner or prostitute? This scenario creates multiple suspects, motives, and possible opportunities depending on the known timeline. Even if the police develop what they consider a "solid" suspect, the existence of other "possibilities" may complicate the prosecution. In other cases you may find trace DNA that is not associated with any plausible associates. Even if you have suspect DNA in a suspicious location; the presence of "stranger" DNA may stall the prosecution. It's not a given, just a possibility.
Misinterpretation of Evidence:
Despite what you see on television this is the least likely of reasons why crimes go unsolved. It happens. We are all human and humans are subject to making mistakes or misunderstanding evidence of an event. It may be a lack of training or maybe the detective is operating on very little sleep. A suicide looks like an accident or a murder is staged to look like a suicide. Staged crimes are very popular in fiction. For one reason or another I've had the opportunity to investigate a number of staged crime scenes. Everything from burglaries to kidnappings, to suicides, and more. You may find this interesting but staged crimes are usually not difficult to detect. The reason is simple. Most stagers don't understand crime the way we do but, it is always a concern.
So there you have it. Three reasons why crimes may go unsolved and therefore could be considered "perfect" crimes. These categories are very broad and may overlap. Of course, I didn't even touch on issues like backlog, training, or time constraints but I'll save those for another day. The bottom line is that the universe dances to its own tune. We can practice and study for that big recital but in the end we can't control every outcome. Such is the nature of life and so too is the nature of death. Despite our very best efforts the deck may have been stacked against us from the beginning.
Crime Lab Tour: The Forensic Garage
Vehicle examination bays are a relatively new feature of the modern crime lab in the United States. Now there have always been garages that vehicles could be sequestered in but that was not their primary purpose. Large agencies may have used parking structures (for patrol vehicles) or impound lots but they lacked certain amenities for the forensic scientist. When I first got into forensics we used to process vehicles at the tow yard. Some had indoor garages but others did not. In some cases they would back the cars into a kind of shipping container where you couldn't even open the doors! Another problem is the potential for unauthorized access. Even if you lock the vehicle it's possible for damage to occur from the normal operations of the tow yard. Workers may brush against the car wiping off fingerprints or they can accidentally hit the vehicle as they move other vehicles around. I've even seen cases where the suspect (owner) climbs the fence after hours and literally steals their car back from the tow yard.
A forensic garage offers certain qualities that are hard to find in other facilities such as,
- Security from all persons not affiliated with the investigation (including other officers and detectives)
- Environmental control (weather, lighting, temperature, etc.)
- Access to specialized tools and processing systems.
Most vehicles can be processed in the field. Fingerprinting a recovered stolen vehicle with no damage may not necessitate it being towed back to the crime lab. If the car was used to kidnap and rape a woman however, it's going to take time to process. Some vehicles can take hours to properly search and document. It's nice to have a safe and secure area to work in where you don't have to worry about approaching snow storms, security, limitations of your equipment, or even the prying eyes of the media. You may have to wait hours for a search warrant to look for various kinds of trace evidence, documenting damage like impacts or bullet holes, or even restoring obliterated VIN numbers so it nice to know the vehicle is protected. A forensic garage allows the investigator to control the environment which is critical for things like an ALS examination (light control) or the application of blood reagents like Luminol.
In addition to the controlled environment the garage can provide very specialized equipment such as chemical fume hoods, vehicle lifts, pneumatic tools, even a winch. Vehicle lifts are handy for getting under a vehicle to recover fired bullets, remove tires or bumpers, or even document things like damage to brake or fuel lines. It's also nice to get under vehicles to look for blood, tissue, or clothing strips in cases of hit and run or homicide where the victim is intentionally run over. You may even find vegetation from the crime scene wedged in the undercarriage. Most garages are designed to be over sized. Large enough to house a city bus or several vehicles at once. Further, the garages are alarmed, can be easily locked down, and may even have video surveillance. I was recently at a large garage that even had a huge tent structure that allowed the entire vehicle to be fumed with cyanoacrylate! Most forensic garages have room for two to six vehicles although some agencies may have more if they can demonstrate a need (like a regional or state crime lab).
Bottom line is that a forensic garage is a unique feature of the modern forensic laboratory. They are nothing like the automotive garages you may be used to. They are over sized to ensure there is enough room for a photographer to be able to get the whole car in a single photograph and some even have cat walks above so elevated pictures can be taken. If you ever get a chance to tour a crime lab call ahead and see if they have a garage you can visit. Some may be off site from the main crime lab so it doesn't hurt to ask in advance.
Common Acronyms in Forensics
As authors, using acronyms gives a little realism to your character dialog and shows that you've done some basic research into the forensics profession. So I thought I would define a few of the more common acronyms used by CSIs. Don't be shy about using these in your novel.
- SLR = Single Lens Reflex. The SLR is a type of camera most CSIs use. These cameras have a detachable lens that can be separated from the body. This is different than the small point and shoot cameras popular with most people.
- ABFO = American Board of Forensic Odontology. A very common photographic scale (ruler) is called an ABFO scale. It is "L" shaped with 6″ arms.
- UV = Ultraviolet. Many body fluids like semen, saliva, and urine will fluoresce under UV light and photographed even if they are invisible to the naked eye.
- IR = Infra-red. Infra-red light is used to detect and photograph various forms of secret writing, different inks used on the same document (like a check where someone adds extra zeros to the cash out amount), and even drugs.
- ALS = Alternate Light Source is a device using both ultra-violet and infrared light to discover evidence.
- UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. UAVs (also called drones) are becoming more popular with law enforcement agencies as a platform for taking aerial photographs and video. Basically they are sophisticated remote controlled aircraft with camera equipment that can be controlled from a ground based pilot.
- ACE-V = Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification. This is the methodology used by fingerprint examiners to compare latent crime scene fingerprints to inked fingerprints on an arrest card.
- AFIS = Automated Fingerprint Identification System. This is a ubiquitous term used to describe a variety of computer databases that store and search fingerprint images. Don't confuse with AFIX Tracker which is a specific brand of AFIS type computer system.
- I-AFIS = Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. This is the national fingerprint database operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that can be accessed by state and local law enforcement agencies.
Crime Scenes:
- CSI = Crime Scene Investigator
- SOCO = Scenes of Crime Officer is the term for a CSI in England
- FMJ = Full metal jacket
- HP = Hollow Point
Blood Evidence:
- DNA = Deoxyribonucleic Acid; our genetic building blocks
- STR = Short Tandem Repeat is a type of modern forensic DNA testing of specific loci on two or more samples.
- RFLP = Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism refers to differences between homologous DNA sequences and is an older testing procedure.
- CODIS = Combined DNA Index System is a computerized database of DNA profiles used in criminal investigations (similar to AFIS).
- BAC = Blood alcohol content.
- LMG = Leucomalachite green is a blood reagent with a strong odor that turns the latent bloodstain a green color. It is not commonly used today.
- LCV = Lueco-crystal Violet is a blood reagent that turns bloodstains a dark blue/purple color.
Drug Chemistry:
- GCMS = Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer is a device used to identify chemical compounds in unknown samples like illicit drugs. It is a great instrument to use with mixed samples or for general screening but it will totally consume the sample.
- LCMS = Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry is another method of drug testing that is useful in complex mixtures of samples.
- FTIR = Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy is a devices used to test a liquid, gas, or solid substance to identify it. It is the preferred method if you want to save the sample or if you need to identify an isomer.
- GHB = Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid is a common date rape drug that is both colorless and odorless. It is commonly slipped into victim's drinks.
- SEM = Scanning Electron Microscope is a device using electrons rather than light to visualize very small evidence about 250 times greater than the typical light microscope.
Professional Forensic Organizations:
- IAI = International Association for Identification
- AAFS = American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- ACSR = Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction
- IABPA = International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
- RMABPA = Rocky Mountain Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
- SWG = Scientific working group (several groups based on field of study like SWGTREAD, SWGSTAIN, SWGGUN, and SWGFAST)
Don't forget that a lot of agencies have acronyms like the FBI, DEA, BATFE, etc. Also, I have left out a number of acronyms that deal with accreditation and safety as I can't imagine you wanting to use them in dialog (unless you want your readers to fall asleep in which case let me know!)
Crime Scene Response: The Call Out
This will be the first in a series of posts on how CSIs respond to and investigate crime scenes. I hope that these posts will give you a little insight to the process which may help you in developing scenes and dialog in your novel. I'll be speaking exclusively about CSIs who are on-call as opposed to those working in shifts. Obviously, if your character works a shift (like graves) they are already in uniform or in their vehicle or office and can respond accordingly. But, what about the CSIs who get called out after hours? This is where it can get a little interesting. During my career I worked banker hours during the day and was on-call at night and on weekends. Depending on the size of the lab you may be on-call as much as every other week or once every six or eight weeks. Usually you're on call one week at a time. In some labs you may also be on "back up" the week before you go on-call which means you're the number two person called if something major happens or the primary criminalist is already on a call out.
Most agencies will give you an on-call vehicle and some even supply your phone. You are required to drive this vehicle everywhere you go while on-call, even on personal errands like grocery shopping or going out to eat. Of course, when the call comes you have to finish up what you're doing and respond to the crime scene. This adds a little inconvenience to your life in that you usually have to driver separately from your family. So if you and your spouse go out for dinner you need to drive separately. Same thing with going to the kids soccer game, Thanksgiving dinner, or anything else you might do. You can't take your spouse or kids to a crime scene because you don't know how long you'll be tied up (days in extreme cases). Obviously, you have to stay somewhat close to home when on call. You can't go camping for the weekend or do anything that would prevent you from responding in a reasonable amount of time. Most agencies I know of require you to be en route to a scene within thirty minutes of a call and on scene in about an hour.
Different agencies have different policies on who actually can call out a CSI. Most of the time this is restricted to the Sergeant rank or above. Since CSIs are a finite resource agencies don't want them called out on every little thing so a higher ranked individual will evaluate the request to see if a CSI is really needed. In some agencies only the investigations supervisors can call out the lab and patrol officers must make their request through them. Either way, the CSI usually gets the call from either the ranking officer, detective, or in most cases dispatch. Regardless, when the call comes in you have to take down pertinent information about the crime. Every CSI will have a notebook and their phone on the nightstand or in their vehicle. Here are some of the basic things we might have to note as the call comes in.
- Time and date of the call out
- Who notified you
- The crime scene location (address)
- Initial details about the crime including secondary scenes (this information may be incomplete or incorrect depending on the source)
- Time and place of your departure to the crime scene (this could be your residence, restaurant, or some other location)
- Finally, time of arrival on scene.
Your departures and arrivals are usually done via police radio so there is a record. Every criminalist will be assigned a call sign number. Sometimes this is an arbitrary employee number, vehicle number, or just your name. Here is a hypothetical radio exchange between a CSI and dispatch. When you talk to dispatch you typically only reference yourself; you don't have to say "dispatch". There are some websites that actually let you listen in to live police radio traffic in your area so you may want to do a web search for your local police or sheriff followed by "police radio" and see what comes up.
Dispatch: "651 go ahead"
CSI: "Show me en route to 1234 4th street from my residence"
Dispatch: "Copy 2147″ (2147 would be 9:47 pm in military time)
Then when you arrive on scene you might say…
CSI: "651 on scene"
Dispatch: "2231" (meaning your arrival is acknowledged at 10:31pm)
There is no need to acknowledge what scene you are arriving at because you already made that clear in the initial call. If you needed to talk to an officer or detective while en route you would contact them on the radio using their call sign followed by yours. For example you might say "Charlie 23, 651″. This means "hey guy named Charlie 23 this is me (651) and I want to talk to you.
Forged or Fabricated Fingerprints: What's the Difference?
Fingerprints have played a major role in crime scene investigation for over a century. Fingerprints prove that a certain person touched a certain object and that link may have profound implications for a person's guilt or innocence. Fingerprints are valuable to investigators because they are unique and can easily be compared by law enforcement or other investigators. These examiners use a variety of powders or chemical reagents to develop fingerprint patterns on items of evidence or at the crime scene. Although fingerprints have become the gold standard of identification it is possible (in theory at least) to falsify this evidence and writers can use forgery or fabrication events to throw a major curve-ball to the storyline.
The terms "forged" and "fabricated" are commonly interchanged but they are not synonymous. Let's start with the most impractical and difficult of the two; a forgery. A forged fingerprint is created by "planting" the fingerprint of an innocent person at the crime scene or on the evidence in order to implicate them. The easiest way to do this is to leave some moveable object containing the person's fingerprints at the crime scene. This could include anything from a beer bottle or receipt to a weapon. It sounds simple but it is anything but. First, a criminal has no way of knowing whether the item in question actually contains an identifiable print. Second, CSIs are used to finding prints from multiple person's at crime scenes, especially public access scenes. Unless the fingerprint is in the victim's blood it's value may be somewhere between insignificant to proof of contact. For example, just because we find a fingerprint on a gun doesn't necessarily mean that person fired the gun and likely won't prove they fired a particular cartridge at a particular time (homicide). Simply put, a good CSI doesn't jump to conclusions. I have heard concerns about another type of forgery but I have never seen it happen and don't know anyone else who has either. It involves making a "cast" of the innocent person's finger and then using that prop to plant prints. This idea is filled with challenges not the least of which is making a cast of a person's finger without their knowledge or consent. Another major challenge is that a cast won't react to a surface in the dame way that pliable skin does and those differences can be detected when looking at a print under magnification. It sounds neat for a novel though.
"Fabrication" unfortunately have occurred in criminal investigations. Usually this is done by one of the investigators (patrol, CSI, or detective). A "fabrication" occurs when the suspect's fingerprint is falsely associated with a crime scene or item of evidence. For example, a crooked detective might give a suspect a soda during an interview and then lift his prints from that can. They could then put that tape lift on a card and say they lifted it from the crime scene or some other item it didn't come from. Another method used has been to lift an inked print from a suspect fingerprint arrest card. This too is very rare but it has happened so CSIs look for a number of things to detect such fabrications.
We look at things like surface texture, quality of print, how the tape lifted from the object in question and a number of other things I won't reveal. Simply put, if you lifted a print from a flat hard surface but claimed it came from an uneven surface on a gun we could see that. We also may look at the actual item. For example, if you said the print was from a gun and we pull the gun out of evidence we should not only see that the gun was treated with some kind of powder but there should be an obvious spot where the lift tape removed the powder. Everything should match up in the background including the width of the tape.
CSIs also tend to mark evidence with their initials and latent lift number. For example, I may write "L2 TA" on my second latent lift on a particular item. You could then tell exactly where I lifted a particular print from on a given item of evidence. We also sometimes photograph the latents in place before we make any attempt to lift or cast them. All of these steps help to ensure that the integrity of the fingerprint evidence is solid.
Like I said, these events are extremely rare in forensics. We take a lot of steps to ensure we have good people doing good work but it isn't fool proof. I'm sure there are a variety of reasons why someone may choose to commit this type of crime and there may be other evidence of dishonesty in their case work. As you are writing scenes you might consider using forged or fabricated evidence to implicate certain characters. Even the suspicion of fabrication can add some tension until it is resolved. Criminals are probably the most common perpetrators of these acts as they try to frame others for their crimes. Ask yourself, what other characters might have a motive, means, or opportunity for the crime and how your criminal might exploit that.
Finding Blood Under Wallpaper
Although I am no longer in law enforcement and I don't work on cases I still conduct research in the forensic sciences. I thought some of you might find this latest article interesting. Criminals may employ a variety of tactics to conceal forensic evidence from CSIs. Some of these efforts can be very effective while others are not. As CSIs we continually push ourselves to discover new techniques to thwart criminal efforts to conceal evidence. As authors, it pays to keep abreast of some of these techniques in your writing. In the article linked above one of the major discoveries was the false-positive reaction with one type of wall paper. This finding supports the idea that wallpapers should be removed to test for neat or latent blood staining underneath. Enjoy.
The FBI and Crime Scene Response
Anyone who knows me knows that I never pass up an opportunity to make fun of the FBI. Those same folks also know that I have a tremendous amount of respect for the agency. One of my best friends is a Special Agent and despite the fact that he is a genius, I relentlessly poke fun at him anyway. The FBI is prominently featured in many novels, movies, and television news segments. That's not too surprising given the agency has a well known reputation and it's hard to miss them on the evening news (thanks to their snazzy windbreakers emblazoned with their initials). But I have encountered a number of authors who don't fully understand the role of the FBI in criminal investigations. Recently, an author friend had me read a scene they were working on in which the FBI was investigating an officer involved shooting. They were under the impression that the FBI investigated all officer involved shootings. So I thought it might be helpful to discuss when the FBI is actually involved in a case. Keep in mind that just because the FBI has jurisdiction in a crime doesn't necessarily mean they will work the investigation. More on that in a bit.
To understand when the FBI is called in you need to understand a little about jurisdiction. Keep in mind that this issue can get very complicated so I'll try to keep this as simple as possible. The FBI is a Federal agency within the United States of America. I find it easiest to think of jurisdiction in two broad categories; property (location) and statutes (laws). The FBI has jurisdiction on federal properties like buildings, federal public lands (BLM, forrest, National Parks), and Indian Reservations (more on Indian Reservations in a later post). Also included are "special" jurisdictions that don't fit into a "normal" definition. These include places like airplanes crossing over various states (you don't have to prove which state airspace the crime occurred in), cruise ships, and potentially even the Space Shuttle (before the program was eliminated that is). In theory, any felony and many misdemeanors on these properties could (would) be investigated by the FBI. There are two big exceptions however. If another Federal law enforcement agency has primary jurisdiction or mission mandates over the crime. For example, the post office has its own branch that investigates mail fraud. Customs investigates smuggling and the Secret Service investigates counterfeiting and major fraud. Then there are certain crimes that may involve multiple agencies like the Drug Enforcement Agency or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Other federal reservations that are unique are military bases. See my interviews with an ARMY CID agent or NCIS Agent to get a better idea of those jurisdictions.
The second category to consider is the statute. The United States is a Federalist system comprised of Federal, state, and local laws. The FBI is a federal agency and primarily concerns itself with crimes defined under federal statutes. They won't be responding to the average stolen vehicle. So some of the more common crimes you may be familiar with are bank robbery (FDIC insured banks), kidnapping, public corruption, racketeering and organized crime, etc. Additionally, the FBI also deals with acts of terrorism, counter-terrorism, and a few other things I won't mention.These activities have risen dramatically since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York City. As more and more agents are preoccupied with those important tasks, local agencies are picking up the slack by handling a larger portion of things like bank robberies and kidnappings (these crimes are also against state and local law).
As if that wasn't complicated enough the FBI can be called for assistance on any major crime. Usually these are mass murders or serial murders that may or may not cross state boundaries. It is important to recognize however that the FBI must be invited into the case by the local agency unless there is a clear violation of federal law (such as an act of terrorism). The FBI can't just storm onto any old homicide and take over just because they want to. More importantly, the FBI doesn't have a dispatch center like you might find in a police department. 911 calls don't go to the FBI switchboard and FBI agents aren't driving around "on patrol" waiting for a radio call. Every agent I know is backlogged with major cases and doesn't have time to investigate local crimes even if they wanted to (and they don't). Besides, that's what the local police are for.
So if you plan to have the FBI investigating crimes in your novel you need to make sure that one of the following occurs. They are invited in on something major, the crime is covered under federal statutes, and that it occurs on some kind of federal property. Now, the FBI does provide a tremendous amount of mutual aid to state and local authorities via units like their crime lab, Behavioral Analysis, and Hostage Rescue to name a few but, they don't "take over" the investigation in the process. If you are writing a typical crime novel then the FBI characters will probably be acting in these capacities (like profiling a serial killer) and not as the lead agency. Don't be afraid to insert FBI characters, just know it may be a supporting role. Keep in mind that this is a very basic explanation of when the FBI may respond to investigations. In reality, circumstances may dictate exceptions to the rule. If you are working on a specific scene post a question and I'll try to clarify based on your specifics.


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Gaiam 3-in-1 Strap & Sling
Product Information:
You'll get a lot of mileage out of this clever little multi-tasker: the Gaiam ® 3-in-1 Strap & Sling. This fantastic piece can be thrown over one shoulder to tote your yoga mat to class, then used in class as a yoga strap to help hold poses in place, and finally used during your impromptu resistance cord workout later. The interior elastic band is covered with fabric for a comfortable grip, no matter which function you choose.
- Three pieces in one
- Covered in fabric for grip
- Durable elastic band
- Gaiam
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 11972723
Customer Reviews:
Rated 2.8 out of 5�by 10 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by JackieB Multi use strap! It is perfect for carrying my mat to and from class, useful in class for assisting poses and for at home in resistance work! Love that you get more use for your money and it is a great color, plus well made. Definitely recommend! September 30, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by hikerb Keeps my mat tight Elastic seems to be holding up well. The tightness reminds me to roll my mat tight (which is good for the mat, too!). Easy to use and carry. September 9, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by DG Good looking strap I love the look of the strap and it works well for both exercise and to hold the mat secure. The end separated about the 3rd time I stretched it around my mat. Annoying, but I returned it to Dick's and they graciously replaced it with no hassle!! July 7, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5�by Smellycat It's ok It leaves marks in your yoga mat but the marks don't last forever. March 5, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5�by ovega95 It literally ripped the first day of use. I put it on my yoga mat to take it to my yoga session and it already started ripping from the ends. February 5, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5�by ScorpionYogi Broke after 1 month Strap unraveled after one month. I even tried tying a new know in it to hold my mat, that broke too. Definitely not strong enough for strap replacement. do not recommend. January 14, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Bamawirl Perfect Multi-tasker Yoga Carrier that is easy to use! I have been searching for a Yoga Mat carrier and previously considered the more expensive "tote" style. After a long yoga session, the last thing I want to worry about is rolling up my mat perfectly and stuffing it into a bag. This strap is super easy! Once it's rolled up, you just attach the 2 "looped" ends around your mat and VOILA!, just sling it over your back. The best part is it's multi-functional use...it can be used as a resistance band for workouts (which btw, it's much easier on the hands than the traditional ones) and it's also a sling for stretching. I highly recommend this even if its just for one of it's three uses. Great Value! May 21, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5�by hiitsmaria One time use... I was only able to use this once, and when I went to grab my yoga mat a few days later (which was bundled up with this), the end of one of the bands was undone. I already threw away the packing or I'd have just returned it for a refund. A little frustrating to wrap your mat with, but after this a total waste of money for me. April 5, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5�by I love Pilates Not enough tension I use this to stretch and do in home Pilates between classes. Just not enough tension, IMO, but a decent price. October 22, 2012
Rated 2 out of 5�by iCindy Unnecessary I suppose if your mat didn't come with a strap and you need to transport this may be of some use. Otherwise, just buy a six dollar strap with a buckle for the yoga poses. April 9, 2012
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