Abstract
This paper explores various aspects of user satisfaction for three online bookstores in the United Kingdom using metrics measurements. In particular, the paper examines the ease with which a customer is able to find a particular item on the site. The paper further highlights the concept of user ease as an indicator that a consumer will use one website over that of a competitor. Next, the paper describes the methodology it used for the study, which was self-reported by the consumer. The paper also describes the evaluation process it used and summarizes its findings. The paper concludes by stating that the most satisfactory experience, from the user's perspective was with the Border's website.

Outline:
Element 2 - Methodology
Element 3 - Evaluation
Element 4 - Recommendations

From the Paper
"There were several conditions that may have accounted for the results obtained. For instance, it is not known if the users were using high-speed connections, or were on dial up. There is no information about which browsers, or which versions users were utilizing for their searches. Some users may have been on older browsers, which may have accounted for the problems with the "Winston Churchill" search on the Foyles site. It is not known whether they were private, or networked computers. In addition, some users may be more experienced than others with the Internet, online bookseller websites, or with computers in general. These factors may have had an impact on the results obtained, but were not taken into account in the research design."

Tags:e-commerce, Web Usability, metrics measurements, Borders, websites

Abstract
The paper examines how the Department of Defense has started work on a biological agent detection and identification program as part of efforts to develop a national early warning system for urban areas pertaining to biological warfare. It also describes the Biological Defense Homeland Security Support Program to achieve early detection and characterization of a biological-related incident in an urban area in order to reduce casualties, minimize disruption to infrastructures and support consequence management efforts. It looks at how the Postal Service has also set into motion work toward the development of bio-terrorism identification equipment due to anthrax scares and the work of biotechnology companies in the development of pulmonary drug delivery in order to combat air-borne bio-terrorist threats .

From the Paper
"Another developer of bio-terrorism identification equipment is NanoVia, LP, an innovative leader in the development of next generation high-speed microvia drilling technology. The company recently announced that it intends to further develop its patented drilling process for pulmonary drug delivery in order to combat air-borne bio-terrorist threats (prweb.com). While currently applicable for conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, fast-moving allergic reactions, seizures and cardiovascular conditions, NanoVia, LP believes that inhaled physical threats, such as Anthrax, can also be combated with this technology (prweb.com)."

Tags:department, of, defense, casualties, anthrax, combat, air-borne, bio-terrorist, threats

Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at Toronto's burgeoning bio-tech industry. In particular, the writer focuses on where these companies are located, what they are and what they look like and where they rank internationally. Further, the writer concentrates on Affinium Pharmaceuticals due to its work in the field of medicine.

From the Paper
"The paper will also focus particular attention upon Affinium Pharmaceuticals because of its path-breaking work in developing anti-infective medicines and because of its close ties to the University of Toronto. Ultimately, the paper will reveal a great deal about Toronto's bio-tech sector as well as illustrating Toronto's growing profile among the bio-technology centers of North America.

Tags:bio, tech, Toronto, geography

Abstract
The paper looks at France and at its changing demography, growing economy, and steadily-growing energy needs. The paper focuses upon France's massive consumption of bio-fuels and what the future holds for this country as its demand appears to be out-stripping domestic supplies.

From the Paper
"Before delving too deeply into the matter of bio-fuels and their relationship to France, it is vital to present an overview of the country in question. As most people are well-aware, France is located in Western Europe, bordering the Pacific Ocean, with Germany to its immediate East and Spain to the West (a map outlining France's location can be found in the appendix to this paper). The population of France, according to one online source was, as of late 2006, 60,742,000 ("Population of France" 2006). France's GDP (as of 2006) stood at around US$1.9 trillion and its per-capita GDP stood at US$31,200 (Central Intelligence Agency 2007,...)"

Tags:france, bio, fuels, europe

Abstract
This paper examines various complexity metrics software such as McCabe's Cyclomatic Metrics and Halstead Complexity Measures.The author points out that there are many opinions surrounding the usage of the various metrics particularly in relation to the clarity of the results that they produce. The paper relates that many of the metrics are language independent or can be easily adapted to measure many of the most common languages. The paper includes several formulas and long quotations.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
McCabe's Cyclomatic Metrics
Halsteads Complexity Measures
Henry and Kafura
Source Lines of Code (SLOC)
Weighted Methods per Class (WMC)
Choice of Programming Paradigms and Computer Languages Impact on the Choice of Metrics Used in a Given Situation
Metrics from the Management Perspective and How Metrics Can Aid in the Improvement of the Software Process
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The quantity and the complexity of methods involved is a predictor of the amount of time and effort necessary to create and maintain the class. The more significant the number of methods within a class, the greater the possible impact on children. Such an impact exists because children inherit all of the methods defined within the parent class. In addition when classes have large numbers of methods there is usually more application specific, which limits the likelihood of reuse. WMC is a natural number. The calculation for this metric is WMC is the sum of all V(G methods) in a class."

Tags:cyclomatic, languages, improvement, calculation, traps

Abstract
This paper discusses Toronto's burgeoning bio-tech industry. In particular, it looks at where these companies are located, what they are, what they look like and where they rank internationally. The paper also focuses particular attention upon Affinium Pharmaceuticals. Ultimately, the paper describes Toronto's bio-tech sector and illustrates Toronto's growing profile among the bio-technology centers of North America.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Geography Of Toronto's Bio-Tech Industry
Toronto's Bio-Tech Companies: What They Are And What They Look Like (A Representative Sampling)
The International Status Of Toronto's Bio-Tech Companies
Conclusions

From the Paper
"Even if Toronto's bio-tech sector is still relatively fledgling compared to its U.S. counterparts, the city is quickly developing an enviable reputation. For one thing, the well-regarded University of Toronto - the school with which Affinium Pharmaceuticals has such a strong relationship - has more than 16,000 researchers on its campus and at affiliated teaching hospitals. Further, the Samuel Lunefeld Research Institute, the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, the Ontario Cancer Institute and the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry are all held in high esteem as research "hot beds" and employ literally thousands (Biotechnology Ontario, "Toronto: Profile," para.1-5)."

Tags:Affinium, Pharmaceuticals, biologics, biotechnology, GTA

Abstract
The use of bio fuels has long been viewed as a potential solution to solve the world's dependency on petroleum and its negative environmental impact. Recently, many Western countries, Canada among them, have begun to make a deeper examination of bio fuels, and specifically bio diesel, now that both its production costs have been lowered due to technology advances and its cost-basis is improved due to petroleum's high market costs. This paper examines the issue concerning the artificiality of the gasoline demand curve that creates a greater need for bio diesel irrespective of its benefits related to lowering the external costs associated with gasoline.

Tags:soybean, biodiesel, bus

Abstract
The paper researches whether al Qaeda or any other international terrorist group has the motivation and capability to develop and use bio-weapons to carry out their missions of terror. The paper also examines the capability of authorities to deal with this challenge to existing health and defense systems. The paper studies the 2001 anthrax attack and contends that terror groups definitely have the intention to attack with bio-weapons, although we can only speculate about their capabilities. The paper asserts, however, that the threat is very real and the biggest imperative is to neutralize any al Qaeda scientists and technicians engaged in bio-weapons development.

Outline:
Introduction
Bio-Weapons
Biological Agents
Response
Prevention
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The threat posed by biological disease agents as a terrorist weapon emerged following the anthrax scare in October 2001, when anonymous letters filled with anthrax spores were mailed to US senators and selected media men. Anthrax is one of many biological agents suitable for use as weapon of mass destruction, which fall under five categories: bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, fungi and toxins. The anthrax attack in the US came soon after 9/11, in which the terrorist group identified with al Qaeda seized two civilian planes and smashed them into the World Trade Center in New York and killed about 3,000 people."

Tags:al, Qaeda, anthrax, biological, weapons

Abstract
This paper discusses the way the products, which make up bio-diesel industry, are made and sold and their benefits to the environment. The author points out that bio-diesel energy is a clean burning alternative fuel, which is produced from domestic, renewable resources. The paper focuses on three companies: The American company Bio-diesel Industries and two British companies Bio-fuels Corporation and D1 Oils Plc..

From the Paper
"The energy needs of the world must be met somehow, and many today see the continuing reliance on fossil fuels as a dead end proposition, for fossil fuels will one day run out and are not renewable. It took thousands of years to produce the oil we are not pumping out of the ground, and there is no way to speed that particular process to replace those resources. Finding sources that are truly renewable and that can satisfy the world's energy needs is a major research goal, and one of the types of fuel being developed today is bio-diesel. Several companies are working to produce bio-diesel today, conducting research and producing the fuel for use in diesel vehicles in order to reduce reliance on petroleum-based products and improve the environment."

Tags:alternative, fuel, companies

Abstract
This paper explains that imaging and optics technologies have provided a wide range of industries with the ability to label, track and prevent bad documentation to their products in a more efficient and economically sound business. The author points out that "automatic identification", the means of identifying a product mechanically and entering the data obtained automatically into a computer, includes bar codes, optical character recognition (OCR), magnetic ink character recognition (MICR), magnetic stripes and voice systems. The paper relates that a problem with voice recognition applications is that it can be affected by environmental factors such as background noise; however, this technology has been the focus of considerable efforts on the part of the telecommunications industry and the U.S. government's intelligence community, which continue to work on improving reliability. illustrations

Table of Contents
Purpose
Thesis
Audience
Introduction
Overview and Background
Introduction to Topic
Why Imaging and Optics are Important
What Imaging and Optics has done for Different Industries
Imaging and Optics Technology
Automatic Identification and Data Capture
Character Recognition
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
Optical Mark Recognition
Current Technology
Bar Codes
RFID
Card Technologies
Non-Mainstream of Imaging and Optics
Introduction
Overview
Why these Technologies are not yet Mainstream
Emerging Biometric Technologies: Three Common Ways of Identifying an Individual
Voice Recognition
Recognition Types and Modes
Problems with Voice Recognition
Fingerprint
Pattern Extraction/Pattern Matching
Iris Code
Advantages/Disadvantages
Conclusion

From the Paper
"By the beginning of the 1980s, various optical character recognition (OCR) technologies became available that made it possible to convert text to electronic form without the need for manual keyboarding. The scanner's ability to translate typewriter characters into bit-mapped image into ASCII text depends on a number of factors, including the sensitivity of the device itself and the legibility and method of preparation of the original document; however, improvements are being made all of the time and even formerly graphic-based scanning systems such as Adobe's notoriously slow PDF applications have incorporated character recognition systems that allow for textual scanning. Some of these character recognition systems incorporate features that provide output options to convert the text into a format used by common word-processing programs such as RTF, Word and so forth. According to Dry and Lawler, the term "scanning" is frequently used today to describe the process of creating digitized images; in this approach, a graphic picture of the page, rather than an actual transcription of the text itself, is stored in the computer."

Tags:scanning, recognition, bio-metrics, problems, documentation