Climate change Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Climate change - Dissertation Example There is some disagreement in the literature about the percentage of emissions caused by each sector. Whitaker (2007, p.62), for example, produces a very conservative estimate for transportation fuels, of just 14% of total emissions. Nevertheless, even Whitaker’s figures make clear that urban communities are producing unsustainable levels in other areas – for example, power stations to supply their energy are held responsible for 21.3% of greenhouse gas output, 10.4% are caused by residential and commercial sectors, and a further 3.4% is caused by waste disposal and treatment. The provision of the latter on a large-scale in only necessitated by the large-scale existence of urban settlement patterns. International trade, travel and a growing dependence on motor vehicles has made transportation one of the major sources of greenhouse gases. The growing numbers of people living in urban communities make a major contribution to this. As well as travelling between cities and within cities, they do not, of course, produce their own food and drink. Therefore, all of the necessities of every day life, and much else besides, has to be imported to the urban environment, at great cost to gas emissions. As was pointed out by several sources, the Kyoto Protocol – the landmark international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, did not apply to emissions from international trade and transport by air and sea. Furthermore, as urban settlements grow and sprawl into the previously rural hinterlands, the distances which need to be traversed within cities become greater, which leads to increased ownership of cars and motorbikes. In the United States, for example, 92% of households own at least one car, and transport is the second largest contributor to US gas emissions, and, perhaps more worrying, an astonishing 35% of the world’s total (Dow & Downing, 2007, p.46). The United Kingdom has seen similar patterns, with car journeys increasing by 9% between 1997 and 2004, and expected to grow by a further 26% between 2000 and 2010 (Department for Transport, 2005, p.10). Some sources took a more literary approach to the problems of climate change and urban sustainability, such as the use of a quote from Ehrenburg, penned in 1929, presaging the destruction wrought by the motor vehicle: ‘the automobile†¦can’t be blamed for anything†¦It only fulfils its destiny: it is destined to wipe out the world’ (1999, p.175). Compared to the alternatives, such as using bicycles, trains and buses, which are relatively energy-efficient, using personal motor cars, especially if they are carrying only one or two people at a time, is damaging. However, the most sustainable type of transport – walking, has become less popular. In the past decade, as Monbiot points out, the number of walking trips in the UK has fallen 20% (2006, p.145). At the same time, air travel is becoming ever more affordable, with passenger miles only expected to increase in the course of the next few decades. Dow and Downing provide a useful digest of figures for transport emissions, and their global distribution, and estimate that from 3.9 billion journey by air in 2004, by 2020 there were will some 7.4 billion (2007, p.46). Each of these journeys is responsible for huge amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, with a round trip between Europe and the US by two people producing the equivalent of at least 40 tonnes of carbon

Leaders vs Managers Essay Example for Free

Leaders vs Managers Essay According to many scholars, management is a basically the implementation of already established processes such as planning, staffing, measuring performance and budgeting thereby enabling an organization to do well. On the other hand, leadership is entirely different. It can be described as taking an organization to the future, exploring and successfully exploiting opportunities that come up. Leadership is about having vision, empowerment and most importantly providing useful change in the organization. The main differences between leaders and managers are: the relationship between the followers and managers and leaders, how leaders and managers solve problems, and the difference in emotional intelligence between leaders and managers. Leaders and managers have a difference in emotional intelligence. A leader is an individual who strategizes a visionary and most importantly someone who inspires other people to greatness. In order to achieve this, while leading one must share their vision with the staff or people brought together to solve a problem or create a strategy. Leaders serve as role models, motivate their staff, inspire cooperation and create a community both inside and outside of the organization. They mostly follow their intuition which in most cases benefits the company and in most cases they gain followers who become loyal to them and the organization. This is a direct contradiction to managers who carry out their instructions by the book and follow the organization’s policy to the letter and as a result the staff may or may not be loyal to them. Even when the idea of a divinely appointed leader prevailed, there existed a contrary view that the leader was actually empowered by followers, this theory was analyzed by Thomas Paine â€Å"Titles are but nicknames†¦it is common opinion only that makes them anything or nothing . . . . [A]body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody† (1944, pp. 59-60, 63). Another major difference between leaders and managers is how their duties and relationship with their followers differ. A leader creates or rather innovates whilst the manager administers , meaning that the leader is the individual who comes up with fresh ideas in order to move the bulk of the organization into a new direction that is more beneficial and profitable. He has to come up with new strategies and tactics by keeping his focus on the horizon constantly. It is important for him to be updated on the latest trends as well as studies and the skill sets. Contrary to this, a manager simply maintains a system that has already been established and is in use. It is his duty to maintain control and ensure that things run normally and everyone in the staff is pulling their weight and contributing fully and effectively. One of the distinguishing characteristics of a typical manager is how dependent he is on the activities of a variety of other people to perform his job effectively. (Kotter, 1983, p. 360). He is rigid and unable to be creative in carrying out his duties, thereby barring him from being considered a business leader. According to Richard Rosenberg, (1992) one of the most profound examples of the difference between leaders and managers is how computers create significant changes in any organization. He illustrates how information is able to travel from top to bottom effectively without the intervention of managers somewhere in between. This shows how the difference between leaders and managers which is that managers are easily replaceable and in some cases they are not required at all to some extent. Leaders inspire greatness and effectiveness unlike managers who more or less rely on control. In other words, leadership is not what one does but actually how they respond to you. If people do not choose to join your cause then you cannot really be considered as a leader since they have inspired no one. If people do indeed join your cause then it would mean that you have inspired them, thereby creating a bond with them and the company, which is very important particularly if the organization or business is changing rapidly and needs people who believe in it to support its mission. Leaders and managers handle and prepare for problems in a different ways. Managers prepare themselves for turbulent times and during these times the primary task is to make sure that the organization’s capacity to survive and to ensure that the it maintains its structural strength as well as is capacity to survive failure and adapt as quickly as possible in the shortest time period (Peter D., 1980). Business leaders instill a staff loyalty that a manager cannot be able to because of his rigid methods and lack of spontaneity. In the case of managers, their primary job is to control their staff by aiding them to develop their assets and discover their greatest talents. In order to do this they have to know the people working for them and understand their abilities and interests. G. Lumsden (1982) describes how middle managers model themselves on top managers in a form of hierarchical mimicry: what happens is that the behavior inheritance persists. As it is passed down deeper in the organization, sans power, such behavior begins not to work so well. And at lower levels it gets muddied even further because it’s being used on individuals who don’t understand it, aren’t impressed by it, or are downright opposed to it. (p. 8) A leader focuses on the reasons why to make certain decision whereas a manager considers how and at what times decisions are made. Managers prefer to execute plans accordingly and maintain the status quo without deviating even when failures are experienced. If the company experienced failures, then a leader would learn from it and use it as a clarification point in order to get better and avoid losses in future. Levine and M. Crom (1993) in their book â€Å"The leader in you† highlight an example of leadership changes and state that â€Å"Good human relation skills have the ability to transform people from managing others to leading them. People can learn how to move from directing to guiding, from competing to collaborating and from operating under secrecy to one of sharing all of the information required, from a mode of passivity to a mode of risk taking, from one of regarding people as an expense to one of viewing people as an asset,† (P.15) In conclusion, management and leadership are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They are however different in that leadership entails inspiration as well as steering an organization whereas management is simply overseeing and delegating.

Cultural Impact of Technology Transfer :: Exemplification Essays

Cultural Impact of Technology Transfer Human history has demonstrated that the flow of information is inevitable; cultures across the world have been trading ideas for thousands of years. Dick Teresi claims, however, that "a technology evolves within a culture and its particular demands and preoccupations, intertwined with that society’s particular environment.† (Teresi, 356) While this statement holds true for many innovations, not all technologies are direct products of the cultures using them. As human communications increased, technologies were frequently invented in one culture and transferred to another. The cultures that acquired technologies from outside sources oftentimes utilized them in ways originally not intended. Did these external technologies have positive or negative effects on the cultures that accepted them? The consequences of implanted technologies vary from case to case depending on a number of factors, including environmental and lifestyle differences between the two communities. To hig hlight the networking of these factors and weigh the effects of transferring technologies, I will compare two scenarios: the European’s introduction of guns into Inuit culture and the bringing of horses to the Native Americans by the Spaniards. The story of European small arms begins with the cannon. The cannon, first used in the 1346 Battle of Cressey, was gradually reduced in size over the next three centuries until a cannon small enough to attach to the end of a stick emerged (Ferris, 3). This innovation gave birth to the gun, an invention that revolutionalized European warfare. Because the gun was invented for primarily military purposes, Europeans used it more in battlefields than on hunting grounds, where bows and arrows still dominated (Ferris, 3). When the Europeans introduced small arms into Inuit culture, however, they became instruments of seal hunting. The Inuit’s original seal hunting methods involved harpooning the animals through a hole in the ice. Seal carcass retrieval was difficult, so the Inuit designed their harpoons specifically for efficient recovery of seal bodies. Their engineering was so successful that only one seal body sunk out of every twenty (Ehrlich, 216). Unlike the harpoon, however, the gun was not specially designed for seal hunting. Thus, when the Inuit acquired rifles from the Hudson’s Bay Company and started shooting seals, the bodies would sink before they could be harpooned and retrieved. Hunting efficiency plummeted dramatically; nineteen out of every twenty seals hunted with guns sank (Ehrlich 216). Before long, Inuit hunting began depleting seal populations. The introduction of small arms dealt a blow to both the Inuit community, whose hunting efficiency decreased, and their environment, which suffered a loss of mass numbers of animals.

Effects of Routing on Current Communication Essay

When it comes to Johnson Company’s current communication methods it is blatantly obvious that they are very outdated. I would start by updating their phone system to a digital multiline phone system which utilizes the latest network telephony protocols including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). There are many vendors who offer multiline digital telephones which would be very useful in bringing the Johnson Company up to speed with their competitors. Another significant improvement would be to augment their advertising in the phone book with a well-designed website. With the explosive growth in the popularity of e-commerce over the last decade the Johnson Company could greatly improve their visibility to potential new customers. If the website could be built by properly trained professionals it would make the Johnson Company stand out from other businesses which in turn would help to draw in more customers. It would be in the company’s best interest to design and buil d a database which would be used to record order information. This would be useful in keeping track of existing customers and taking new orders from customers their information could be added to the database. Many companies do this and it is referred to as data mining. Simply put it helps keep track of what products and services they are buying in order to tailor products and services to their specific preferences. From a customer service standpoint it makes the customer feel like the company is going that extra mile to provide them with better products and services. When it comes to keeping existing customers informed of news and updates I would recommend the use of e-mail subscriptions. Most of today’s businesses are using this method and are seeing positive results. Sending e-newsletters and updates would keep customers informed of the latest products and services available to them from the Johnson Company. Just make sure to give customers the option to unsubscribe due to the fact that not  all of Johnson’s customers will want newsletters and updates sent to their e-mail accounts. All of the above recommendations should be helpful with regards to bringing Johnson up to speed with the rest of the modern business world. It would al so make their business more visible to new customers while improving business with existing customers. An additional effect of these updates will be an increase in profitability as a result of the higher visibility which would attract a vastly greater number of potential customers.

A Plan for a Car Garage Business Establishment Work Plan

One of the most feasible businesses in the society today is one that goes with cars. The growing number of cars in the streets has naturally increased the number of cars needing assistance for repair.This is the reason why there is a need for business establishments giving quality service for car repairs and fixing assistance. Being able to create such a type of business would indeed result to a much profitable source of income. However, establishing a car garage business is not that easy.Planning for the Business Everything starts with a vision. From a vision comes plans, and from plans come fulfillment of the vision. Vision and plans are the primary elements for starting any business. An entrepreneur must posses the vision and determination needed for an individual to become successful within the business industry; however, these elements are not solely the needed requirements.Vision and plans are the abstract elements that contribute to business proceedings hence empowering the en trepreneur to continue whatever it is that he has started. The other elements include capital, land [place of business headquarters] and the people force.The elements that were mentioned primarily gives essence to the business itself. The capital is more on the monetary resource needed to start the business. At times, this particular resource comes from a group of entrepreneurs who decide to work together for a certain organization, or on the other hand, it is sourced out from loaning or from the pocket of the entrepreneur himself.At some point, the capital actually determines the scale of the business. Land or the area intended for the business headquarters is depending on what type of business is planned to be established. If the business is supposed to cater to several clients, there should be a place intended for them that would be much convenient for business transactions.However, if the business is online [which is at trend right now] or other home based businesses, the area o f business branch would not be much of a problem since the transactions are to be done at any convenient place possible. The people force also depends on the scale of business that is being established.Whatever type of business is being established, it is necessary that the entrepreneurs see to it that the different sections of the business, especially that of the people force are well taken care of. The success of the business naturally depends on the ability of the entrepreneurs to balance the idealistic mission as well as the activities of the organization as a business entity. This as well includes the legalities of the organization and its close connection with the existing laws for business organizations.Introduction It could be noted that opening or establishing a business organization is not that easy to deal with. The first months of operation towards the first year usually deals with the different challenges of effective strategies created to put the organization within th e existing competition. Entering a certain business organization and trying to make it within the business industry is a great challenge to everyone wanting to create a considerable reputation in the society.However, once this particular challenges have been successfully met by the new entrepreneurs, the continuous progress of the said new established organization could be assured. This though does not mean that developments are already to stop once the business has been established. As for a fact, the establishment should simply mark the beginning of the progressive developments intended to help the whole organization remain within competition as long as it exists within the business industry.Scaling the Business through SWOT Analysis Through the utilization of SWOT analysis basics, the establishment of the Car Garage Business shall be examined as to how it primarily would affect the growth of the business towards future stability and success.  

Thomas Mappes essays

Thomas Mappes essays Thomas Mappes, in his article, talks about coercion and deception among individuals who are guilty of using another person without their informed voluntary consent. He tries to determine when it is wrong for one person to use another as a means to benefit the user and when one is guilty of sexually using another person. Mappes says that using another person is acceptable when that both parties have given their voluntary informed consent. Information must be presented to enable persons to voluntarily decide whether or not to participate. It is to ensure respect for persons through provision of thoughtful consent for a voluntary act. Persons may give their voluntary informed consent while not knowing all the facts. A person may withhold the truth or fill the truth with false information to get the person to participate. Another way of one using another would be by coercion. There are two types of coercion. Occurrent coercion which involves the use of physical force and dispositional coercion involves the threat of physical force. Mappes is not saying that using another person is always morally wrong, because we use other people for our own ends all the time. We use a physician to keep ourselves healthy and the physician uses his patients for his lively hood. Each of the parties uses the other group to fulfill their own task, based on the voluntary participation and their given consent. Both parties respect each other and realize that they have the right to do with their lives as they see fit, and should not be coerced into doing something that would violate their rights as a human being. If someone will not give their consent on a particular situation, then that is their right and it should not be violated. If someone wanted to get consent from someone who was reluctant to do so, then they might immorally use them by one of two ways. Deception, being one, where a party gives false inform...

Women of Early Canada essays

Women of Early Canada essays The female immigrants of New France were categorized into two groups. The first group were the religious figures that came to enhance the religious aspects of new settlers. These women began to arrive in 1639 and continued on into the 18th century. The second group were the devotes and the filles du roi, brought over to marry the settlers and increase the population of the newly developing nation. They arrived in New France between 1663 to 1673. The lives of these women differed greatly to that of the women in the old country. It is said that the women in New France had many privileges that didn't exist in Old France. Jan Noel's article, "New France: Les Femmes Favorisees" and Jacques Mathieu's article, "New France: The French in North America, XVI-XVIIITH Century," discuss the role of women in New France and how privileged their lives were. "Many a man, observing the women of New France, was struck by the advantages they possessed in education, cultivation and that quality called esprit or wit."1 Historians have found documents that describe the way women in New France were seen by men of Old France. "A young woman had lost her understanding and reason because she had given herself for reading and writing, and written many books," Winthrop said, "If she had kept her place and had attended to household affairs, or such things as belongs to women; and not gone out of her way, and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger, etc., she had kept her wits, and might have improved them usefully and honourably in the place God had sent her."2 This quote found in John Withrop's journal, often is used to encapsulate the male attitude toward women in New France. When the men of France came to New France as visitors or traders, they were quite uncomfortable and openly disapproved of the women and their role in society. Women in New France w...

Overview of The American Academy

Overview of The American Academy The American Academy offers over 230 online courses for high school students. Students enrolled in The American Academy can complete individual courses or work towards an accredited diploma. Courses are self-paced and have a generous 6-month completion deadline, giving students the flexibility to set their own schedules. Accreditation The American Academy is accredited by Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, a regional accrediting agency. Degrees and Programs The American Academy offers online courses and high school diploma programs to students of any age. In addition to traditional diplomas, they provide the Dropout Recovery Program designed to help former students complete a high school diploma from their local school districts. Homeschool students can also take a la carte courses, enroll in a math/science bundle, or work towards a diploma. Admissions The American Academy offers open enrollment to all students. Classes start on Monday every week. Typically, each credit requires approximately 120 hours of work. Students can select courses through a shopping cart system, making it easy to tailor the curriculum to individual needs. Interesting Fact Students enrolled in The American Academy receive 50 minutes of one-on-one tutoring time from licensed professionals. Additional tutoring time may be purchased. Contact Information Website:Â  www.theamericanacademy.comPhone: 866-689-1932Address: 175 S. Main, Suite 1130Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Environmental Influences on Tumor Development and Spread Essay

Environmental Influences on Tumor Development and Spread - Essay Example Basic characteristic of malignant tumors is the abnormality in the cells, which is expressed through a decreased control of growth and functions, causing fatal diseases in the patients with invasive growth and metastasis. The division of tumors is based on the following criteria: histogenesis of the tumors, histologic image, biological activities of the tumor, eponyms and anatomy of the tumors (Abeloff et al.). According to their histogenesis, tumors are classified as epithelial and mesenhimal. However, such classification is incomplete, as certain tumors' origins is hard to indentify, such as melanomas and ovarian tumors, or cells which usually are not fond in the adult organism, such as embryonic tumors. The histologic image divides the tumors into a strong, middle or weak differentiation, depending on the maturity of the cells. If there is a complete loss of identity of the tumor in relation to the tissue that the tumor is generated from, we call that undifferentiated and anaplastic. The most important and familiar division of tumors is according to their biological activities. They are divided into benign and malignant; benign tumor cells are very similar to the cells of the tissue they originate from and they are very well differentiated. They grow slowly with expansion and the tumor is usually encapsulated. Malignant tumors have non-differentiated cells and are characterized with progressive growth and infiltration in surrounding tissue. In time, malignant cells enter into the blood and lymph vessels and through them they arrive to other parts of the organism where they cause metastasis or secondary growth.(Jovanovski et al.) There are tumors with semi-malignant behavior, which are usually represent locally malignant. In this group of tumors a localized growth is emphasized, while foreign metastasis appear extremely rare. Some tumors are named according to the authors that described them, for example Wilmsov, Hodgkin lymphoma, Brenner and other. Other tumors are named according to the organ, and not according to the tissue from which the originate, for example, hepatoma. The development of malignancy Malignant tumors can develop from any other tissue or organ, at any age. Before analysis of the growth and spread of the malignant tumors, a review of cell kinetics is necessary, in particular, division of the cells. All human cells which are capable to divide (bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract) enter in a cell cycle, which consists of 4 phases: G0 or resting phase, when the cells do not proliferate; G1 or intermittent before the DNA synthetic phase (last from 12 hours to several days); S phase or synthesis of DNA which lasts from 2 to 4 hours; G2 phase or phase after DNA synthesis, which lasts 2 to 4 days, and the cells have a tetraploid amount of DNA; and M1 phase or mitosis, which lasts from 1 to 2 hours (Abeloff et al). The new daughter-cells either enter in a G0 phase or begin a new cell cycle. Primary malignant tumors will arise with malignant change of one or more cells during suitable conditions. Cells that enter into a continuous division will create several cells that gather and create a primary tumor mass. Malignant cells usually have a cycle that last for several days. Generational time is the time necessary for a malignant cell to enter into a cell cycle and to create two

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

History - Essay Example Pappas (1) in his article supported this claim where he mentioned that Americans tend to be calm, sensible and comforting. Such virtues were emulated in them in the midst of disasters. Just like any country, America had many difficulties too but what made them great and were able to stand is their composure and sensible actions. Although, they have diverse religion, Americans had lived up the virtues that are Godly guided since doing so is believed to contribute to the true essence of happiness leading to a better life (Slack, 454). On the other hand, concern for the others is also evident in charity works maintained by Jane Addams in her time and had been adopted by significant figures in the political arena where they find ways to make themselves mutually supporting. The act of giving is also expressed among the ordinary citizens as part of their family or personal life. Charity services were also extended outside the country making America known for its support worldwide. Along th is line, virtue to them likewise connotes power. For this reason, most elected politicians had included in their programs the goal to make the life of people better in times of economic insecurity. Politicians who do not support economic and social flourishing generally lost in elections as they are not popular without such agenda in their program. Not only virtue is concern for self awareness, self development, and duty for others to the Americans, but it also means respect for human rights. Human rights in America have expanded where freedom is acquired and secured for them to live a life suited for the changing times. However, to them rights are useless if they are trampled upon by others, denied by the powerful few, and misused by the individuals. With this, they seek to know themselves better and not just to accept themselves as what they are or what the society think of them. For virtue to be put to use, Americans have to exercise their own judgment from within and not to be d ictated by the rules from the books. They do not believe that the handed rules to live one’s life could make them live a good life but rather consider rights as an intermediary to allow them to live their life well. To sum up, America is a nation who respects the individual and believes in liberty rather than to be dictated (Gary, 527). Added to what was mentioned, virtue is tolerance and appreciation for diverse lifestyle. Thus, they are open to accept individuals from any country to enter their territory as immigrants as long as they meet the qualifications stipulated in their requirement. Unlike other countries, Americans are tolerant to any religion an immigrant may bring in and so with their culture. As such, they are open- minded to give value to varied contributions in these aspects from other people to guide them in their lives and in an effort to reform society. In this aspect, Americans give a high regard to perseverance even in the face of adversities. To ensure th at American citizens and their leaders possessed virtue, they reject dishonest people. This is reflected in the action of the government in terminating the services of government officials and sanctioning those who misuse their power to accept bribe in exchange of approving or tolerating illicit activities. Such action shows their rejection of corruption

Research and Evaluation in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research and Evaluation in Social Work - Essay Example Further, being able to inform policy by way of their study would increase the researcher's credibility, and make it more likely for the universities and health centres in which they work to have access to funding, as graduate students would be able to work on research projects, and government and private institutions could contract the researchers for more studies. The researchers appear to have designed an objective study in that; a thorough and up-to-date literature review was presented that identified current gaps in knowledge; a cross-sectional survey allowed for sampling of the diversity of organizations providing services to older people; snowball sampling allowed for access to organisations that may have been otherwise neglected, because of their size or their lack of exposure; a selection criteria provides a set of parameters that characterize the sample for future study comparisons; conclusions were drawn based on the data collected from the survey; and the final thesis was submitted for peer-review to be able to be published in a reputable journal. Overall, it was an empirical study, designed and carried out in a systematic manner, with evidence-based conclusion drawn. The Abstract succinctly and parsimoniously reported the main points of the research, summarizing the goal of the project, identifying the population, noting the research methods used, and mentioning the conclusions and implications. However, the abstract did not state the hypothesis of the study and whether it was supported or not. The rationale of the study was clear in its statement: A wide range of community based services and activities have evolved to combat the 'negative' experiences of social isolation and loneliness in later life. The appropriateness and accessibility of most interventions intended to alleviate social isolation and loneliness among older people, however, have remained unclear (p. 150). Also, the research questions were presented in dot point format, which made most of them clear and to the point. However, one goal, 'Explore the involvement of older people in the planning process,' was ambiguous in that it did not state clearly that the exploration would not make use of older person opinions, only those of the organisations servicing older people. All of the research questions were worthy of being answered, as availability of, and access to, social orientated activities is essential to the mental and physical health of older people. However, given that older people were not included in the sample, as a comparison group, it is questionable whether all of the research questions were comprehensively answered.The literature review was adequate in that it included up-to-date research for the UK, and identified gaps in knowledge. The theories drawn on also raised some interesting points, such as many older people do not perceive themselves to be lonely (c.f., Townsend, 1 957; Tornstam, 1995; Victor et al. 2005), despite continuous evidence that experiences of loneliness increase with age (authors,). The relationship between aging and loneliness has been suggested to be the result of changes in living circumstances, such as the loss of a partner, or moving to a nursing home, and changes to subjective health (c.f., Tijhuis et al. 1999). It appears that more research into social support could be the

Research protocol for Master's level 'Alzheimer disease ' Essay

Research protocol for Master's level 'Alzheimer disease ' - Essay Example la, T., Arai, H., Blennow, K., Andreasen, N., Hofmann-Kiefer, K., DeBernardis, J., Kerkman, D., McCulloch, C., Kohnken, R., Padberg, F., Pirttilà ¤, T., Schapiro, M.B., Rapoport, S.I., Mà ¶ller, H-J., Davies, P., Hampel, H., (2002). Differential Diagnosis Of Alzheimer Disease With Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels Of Tau Protein Phosphorylated At Threonine 231, Arch Neurol; 59: pp. 1267 – 1272. De La Monte, S.M. and Wands, J.R., (1994). Diagnostic Utility of Quantitating Neurofilament –immunoreactive Alzheimer’s Disease Lesions, The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 42. NO. 12, pp. 1627-1634. De La Monte, S.M. and Wands, J.R., (1994). Diagnostic Utility of Quantitating Neurofilament –immunoreactive Alzheimer’s Disease Lesions, The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 42. NO. 12, pp. 1625-1634. Kohler, J., Riepe, M.W., Jendroska, K., Pilartz, H., Adler, G., Berger, F.M., Calabrese, P., Frolich, L., Gertz, H.J., Hampel, H., Haupt, M., Mielke, R ., Paulus, H.J., and Zedlick, D., (2002). Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimers disease. Implementation in the doctors office, Fortschr Med Orig; 120(4): pp. 135-41. Lopez, O. L., Swihart, A. A., Becker, J. T., Reinmuth, O. M., Reynolds, C. F., III, Rezek, D. L. and Daly, F. L., III, (1990), Reliability Of NINCDS-ADRDA Clinical Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Alzheimers Disease, Neurology; 40: 1517. Tapiola, T., Lehtovirta, M., Ramberg, J., Helisalmi, S., Linnaranta, K., Riekkinen, P., and Soininen, H. (1998). CSF tau is related to apolipoprotein E genotype in early Alzheimers disease, Neurology; 50: pp. 169 -

Problem and solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem and solution - Essay Example Another effect of junk foods is poor performance and obesity. These foods contain very huge amounts of fats. Obesity is caused by accumulation of these fats in the body resulting in abnormal weight gains. A person who consumes junk foods at least twice a week gains an extra 4.5kg of body weight. Johnson, Paul Kenny(2010). Solution: the most effective way of reducing obesity is regular physical exercises. Exercising leads to burning of excess calories since it speeds up metabolism rate in the body hence aiding in shedding away some of the weight. Excessive intake of junk food should also be avoided, instead one should increase intake of white meat such as fish instead of red meat. High levels of sodium and fats contained in junk food can lead to high blood pressure or hypertension. Disproportionate dietary sodium can also have an undesirable effect on renal function and can cause kidney ailment. Consumption of junk food during pregnancy can intensify the risk of poor mental health, anxiety and depression in the young ones. It also causes emotional and behavioral problems such as tantrums and aggression. When junk foods are frequently used, they can cause cancer. This is based on the fact that they lack all the vitamins and proteins that are essential for proper functioning of the body. The immune system is also impaired. As a result, the diseased cells can become cancerous. Furthermore, packed junk foods usually contain preservatives and coloring which have carcinogenic substance. These carcinogenic substances are harmful for the body especially for the cardiovascular

Research protocol for Master's level 'Alzheimer disease ' Essay

Research protocol for Master's level 'Alzheimer disease ' - Essay Example la, T., Arai, H., Blennow, K., Andreasen, N., Hofmann-Kiefer, K., DeBernardis, J., Kerkman, D., McCulloch, C., Kohnken, R., Padberg, F., Pirttilà ¤, T., Schapiro, M.B., Rapoport, S.I., Mà ¶ller, H-J., Davies, P., Hampel, H., (2002). Differential Diagnosis Of Alzheimer Disease With Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels Of Tau Protein Phosphorylated At Threonine 231, Arch Neurol; 59: pp. 1267 – 1272. De La Monte, S.M. and Wands, J.R., (1994). Diagnostic Utility of Quantitating Neurofilament –immunoreactive Alzheimer’s Disease Lesions, The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 42. NO. 12, pp. 1627-1634. De La Monte, S.M. and Wands, J.R., (1994). Diagnostic Utility of Quantitating Neurofilament –immunoreactive Alzheimer’s Disease Lesions, The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 42. NO. 12, pp. 1625-1634. Kohler, J., Riepe, M.W., Jendroska, K., Pilartz, H., Adler, G., Berger, F.M., Calabrese, P., Frolich, L., Gertz, H.J., Hampel, H., Haupt, M., Mielke, R ., Paulus, H.J., and Zedlick, D., (2002). Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimers disease. Implementation in the doctors office, Fortschr Med Orig; 120(4): pp. 135-41. Lopez, O. L., Swihart, A. A., Becker, J. T., Reinmuth, O. M., Reynolds, C. F., III, Rezek, D. L. and Daly, F. L., III, (1990), Reliability Of NINCDS-ADRDA Clinical Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Alzheimers Disease, Neurology; 40: 1517. Tapiola, T., Lehtovirta, M., Ramberg, J., Helisalmi, S., Linnaranta, K., Riekkinen, P., and Soininen, H. (1998). CSF tau is related to apolipoprotein E genotype in early Alzheimers disease, Neurology; 50: pp. 169 -

House during hectic times Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

House during hectic times - Essay Example Getting things done around the house can really be very challenging. With the children and the spouse around, you can’t seem to get things done at all. My son Chance think that housework is a kind of game so he usually follows me around while I go about my housekeeping. When I start sweeping the floor, he would playfully unplug the cord of the sweeper and run from me smiling. He also has an affinity for the mop and the bucket of water that I use in cleaning the floor. Before I know it, he had already emptied the bucket of water on the floor creating such a big mesh! After what seems like forever, I finally get the house straightened out. Do get to rest after all the sleeping and mopping? No. By the time I am done with the cleaning, it is already time to prepare dinner. With Chance trailing behind me, I move to the kitchen to start cooking. Now, if you haven’t experiences having a two-year-old boy as your cooking assistant, here’s the deal. While I am trying to cook dinner, my son imitates what I am doing by putting food in pans and climbing on counters. After getting food onto the pans, he turns off stove or turns burner on full blast depends what kind of mood he is in. He keeps saying, â€Å"Help mom† as if he is truly an invaluable kitchen assistant. Yeah, sure, it would have been nice to play with him for a while but I simply do not have time to monkey around the kitchen. I’m not a just a mom and homemaker, remember? I still need to attend classes at my college and then work on the task that our professors give us . I need to hurry up or else I will never get things done at all. My children are very important to me but sometimes; it’s hard for me to focus my attention on their individual issues. Giving them a one-on-one time is hard especially when there are many other things that need my attention. Of course my son Chance with his big blue and blonde head always finds a way to get my

Sunny Grove Police Essay Example for Free

Sunny Grove Police Essay INTRODUCTION I have just taken command of the Sunny Grove police department. The department is riddled with various organizational issues ranging from theft to poor records management. I am responsible for leading a vigorous turn-around within the organizational culture and transforming the department from its currently underperforming state of operations to a respected department within the state in minimum time. OVERVIEW There is a list of issues the Sunny Grove Police Department (SGPD) has suffered from under its previous leadership. Among the list of issues includes a lack of ethical behavior, poor organizational control, and a seemingly absent set of enforced disciplinary measures. Quality control measures seem to be lacking department wide, and if they are present, they certainly have not been enforced with the rigor and swiftness they ought to be. These problems have created a lax, seemingly care-free organizational culture within the department which is made evident by the poor overall performance of the SGPD when racked-and-stacked amongst other police departments in the state. While impossible to list all the underlying problems occurring within the SGPD in the case report, it is probably very safe to assume that this is department in near shambles and it will require some extreme measures to get it operating back within acceptable parameters. INSTITUTING BUREAUCRATIC CONTROLS When bureaucratic-type controls are overused, they can have a tendency to weight the organization down, slowing productivity, and hindering effectiveness. Depending on the type of organization, instituting bureaucratic controls outside of the basic company policies and standard operating procedures can be quite a detriment; however, in organizations such as a Police Department, such controls are necessary to maintain good order as well as safe and effective operations. The term bureaucratic itself implies regulation and its the first thing we think of when we think  of a governmental agency. A Police Department is no Pixar Animation Studios—creative thinking on a whim can have serious implications to the justice system in general and so formal rules and standards must be implemented and strictly adhered to. It’s obvious that whatever the rules, regulations, and policies are for the SGPD, they aren’t being followed to the degree they need to be. This could be attributed to a number of reasons: quality control policies don’t exist; rules, regulations, and polices are not being enforced or are not known; rules, regulations, and policies exist but are inadequate; senior management has failed to properly convey the policies as well as the importance of having them; and information reporting systems are inadequate or ineffective. Without having more detailed information from the case study, I’d have to assume only that many if not all of these attributes are causal for the current state of affairs within the department. Rules and regulations must have been pre-existing, especially for a governmental agency. Special department created policies may also have been pre-existing but perhaps they were either insufficient or lacked the depth and scope required. In any case, I have to assume the regulations were both known by management and employee, and that there isn’t question as what those regulations are. As a governmental agency, these rules and regulations define the industry within which the agency exists in the first place. My role will not be to create bureaucratic regulations with the exception of perhaps evaluating internal policies for effectiveness and maybe creating a few new ones to help bring certain practices through a more closely watched quality control â€Å"checks-and-balances† process. Instead, my role will be to undergo an intensive control cycle quality check within all the various departments inside the SGPD. Setting the standards for performance and ensuring those standards are well communicated. Each department will undergo a rigorous initial performance review and analysis and later evaluated to determine effectiveness. From here, the necessary steps will include correcting errors as well as areas of deficient performance. Discipline is clearly an issue within the SGPD and so  disciplinary action for failing to meet the instituted standards will finally be enforced. Those not meeting expectations must be dealt with in an appropriate manner, even if it includes termination. In addition, it will be critically important for me to create a climate which encourages the sharing of feedback both up and down the chain of command within the department. Strengthening the mutual respect between members of the SGPD will play a large role in helping to turn around the present culture. Changing the culture of an organization is not an easy task, and this control cycle will have to be revisited frequently until the culture returns to acceptable norms and then the pressure can be reduced slightly. INSTITUTING MARKET CONTROLS Market controls in general have no place within the SGPD with the exception of looking at the â€Å"market† as the high crime areas within the jurisdiction of the department. Crime in itself is market driven in the traditional sense of supply and demand. To reduce the supply, you have to reduce the demand. Statistical data should show the areas within the SGPD jurisdiction which can be considered high crime areas. A more hand’s on approach to collecting and evaluating this data can lead to a change in how the SGPD does business. An obvious way to reduce demand, is for the SGPD to be more present in those areas—being more involved within those communities, strengthening ties, and increasing patrols will help reduce demand. These types of market controls will help improve the performance of the SGPD, and if controls of this nature are not already in place, this is certainly an area I would be quick to implement change in. INSTITUTING CLAN CONTROLS While heavy bureaucratic controls will be the way of life for any governmental agency, it is important to not neglect the â€Å"human relations† aspect of management. Especially true for this particular police department where the culture is struggling, it will be very necessary to connect organizational values to every day tasks. Creating a vision that is shared among the entire department and frequently revisiting that vision will help  to cement expectations, beliefs, and values. Obviously, communication is a key component of directing change and it will be vital to continuously stress those things that are important to the success of the organization so that focus is never lost and confusion is never a component.

Chromatography Lab Report

Chromatography Lab Report GC-1 (Gas Chromatography) Experiment 1, 2, 3 4 Experiment 1:- Determination of ethanol content of a mouthwash using an internal standard Experiment 2:- Determination of oxygenates in gasoline Experiment 3:- Qualitative and Quantitative analysis of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) Experiment 4: Determination of volatile compounds by headspace analysis Anil Kumar Introduction Theory The experiments performed in this lab were based on Gas chromatography specifically gas-liquid chromatography. This technique involves a sample being vapourised and injected onto the head of the chromatographic column. The sample is transported through the column by the flow of inert, gaseous mobile phase. The column itself contains a liquid stationary phase which is adsorbed onto the surface of an inert solid. GC: Schematic diagram (http://teaching.shu.ac.uk/hwb/chemistry/tutorials/chrom/gcdiag.gif ) In Experiment 1: the ethanol content in a mouthwash was determined. This was done by using an internal standard of butanol. Then, solutions of internal standard with unknown solution and ethanol were made and injected into the GC. The areas obtained for each compound were then used to calculate the % alcohol in the sample. In Experiment 2: ethanol content in gasoline mixture was calculated using a standard curve of ethanol made with pure ethanol. The gasoline mixture was extracted with water to extract the ethanol in it for further analysis by GC. The GC method is used industrially to find ethanol content in gasolines, plus oxygenates like butyl ether that can contaminate drinking water.. In Experiment 3: qualitative analysis of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) was performed by injecting pure solutions of these compounds in GC. The retention times obtained were recorded for each. In the second part, standard solutions of toluene and xylene were made and calibration curves were made for each. Next, the unknown sample of BTEX was injected to GC. The retention areas obtained were recorded and substituted in equations of standard curves to find the actual content of toluene and xylene in sample. In Experiment 4: the technique of headspace analysis was used to determine the volatile compounds in a contaminated soil sample. The soil sample was also deliberately contaminated with toluene and xylene and placed in a vial for 10 minutes. Then using a syringe, the headspace was sucked and injected to GC for performing a qualitative analysis (the retention times of BTEX from Experiment 3 were used). GC is continuing to be used in a number of fields as an analytical tool due to certain advantages like: Shorter run times Greater sample throughput Cheaper columns Higher signal to noise ratio Lower bleed (thinner films) High resolution power compared to others. Complex mixture can be resolved into its components by this GC method. The separation, determination and identification of many compounds withnegligibledifferences in boilingpoints is possible by this technique. Sensitivity in detection is very high with thermal conductivity detectors. One can detect upto 100 ppm, while flame detectors, electron capture and phosphorus detectors can detect ppm, parts per billion or picograms respectively. (http://www.sge.com/support/training/fast-gc-analysis/advantages-/-disadvantages-of-fast-gc) Some industrial applications of GC include: Identification and quantification of ubiquitous pollutants in the environment: analysis of various classes of persistent organic contaminants in air, water, soils, sediments and biota GC Analysis of Antioxidants Determination of ethanol in gasoline Analysis and quality assessment of alcoholic beverages – Quantitative and qualitative assessment of Alcohols in blood Aromatics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) Flavors and Fragrances Permanent gases (H2, N2, O2, Ar, CO2, CO, CH4) Hydrocarbons Pesticides, Herbicides, PCBs, and Dioxins Solvents (http://www.med.cmu.ac.th/dept/vascular/alcho/research/res_out/Application%20of%20gas%20chromatography.pdf) As we can see, the varied applications of GC in industry and its advantages over other methods, performing of these GC experiments is industrially justified. Experiment 1:- Determination of ethanol content of a mouthwash using an internal standard Procedure The instrument was set to the following parameters: Injector temperature: 200 degree C Detector temperature: 250 degree C Oven temperature: 80 degree C Attenuation: between 4 and 16 Carrier gas pressure: 8-10 psi FID range: 1 Valve: Split 1 on Dilute the unknown ethanol sample and mouthwash provided with water in a 1:10 ratio. 10 ml of each was diluted to 100 ml in volumetric flask. Next, ethanol standard solution and butanol (internal standard) (each2 ml to 100 ml water) were made. Equal volumes of ethanol and internal standard were mixed. And equal volumes of sample solution and internal solution were made (each 5 ml). Now, three injections (0.3 uL each) were made of each of these solutions into the GC. From the chromatographs, the % of alcohol in sample were calculated. Observations, Calculations and Results Instrument: GC SST Instrument settings: Injector temperature: 200 degree C Detector temperature: 250 degree C Oven temperature: 80 degree C Attenuation: between 4 and 16 Carrier gas pressure: 8-10 psi FID range: 1 Valve: Split 1 on Solution Retention time Peak area Butanol 1.400 5452.57 Ethanol 0.700 3607.3 Butanol (I.S.) + Ethanol 1.400-Butanol (I.S) 0.700-Ethanol 2226.7 1341.9 Solution Retention time Peak area Int. Stan +Unknown ethanol sample Int. Stan- 1.383 Unknown ethanol Sample- 0.683 (Ethanol) 2878.8 874.3 Int. Stan + Mouthwash Int. Stan- 1.383 Mouthwash – 0.683 (Ethanol) 3373.4 2079.5 Using the formula, Rspl RI.S. = Cspl Rstd Cstd RI.S. where, R=response (peak area); spl=sample, I.S.=internal standard C= Concentration For Unknown ethanol sample, we have, Rspl = 874.3, R I.S= 2878.8, Rstd = 1341.9, R I.S. = 2226.7 Cstd = 2 % (From observation table # 1 2) Putting these values in equation, 874.3 / 2878.8 / 1341.9 / 2226.7 X 2 = Cspl On solving we get, Cspl = 1.00 % For mouthwash, we have, Rspl = 2079.5 , R I.S= 3373.4, Rstd = 1341.9, R I.S. = 2226.7 Cstd = 2 % (From observation table # 1 2) Putting these values in equation, 2079.5 /3373.4 / 1341.9 / 2226.7 X 2 = Cspl On solving we get, Cspl = 0.98 % So, % alcohol in Mouthwash is = 0.98 % in Unknown ethanol sample = 1.00 % Experiment 2:- Determination of oxygenates in gasoline Procedure Develop a set of operating conditions that will satisfactorily separate ethanol from hexane. To do this equal volume of hexane and ethanol in a small vial were combined and injected. Inject this mixture into GC and ensure two resolved peaks. Inject pure hexane to establish its identity. The oven temperature was decreased from 80 degree C to 70 and then to 60 degrees C to separate the two peaks. Prepare ethanol standards: 0.2 ml, 0.5 ml, 1.0 ml and 2.0 ml in 25 ml DI water. Concentration, 0.2 ml = 0.2/25 = 0.008 %, 0.5 ml = 0.5/25 = 0.02 % 1.0 ml = 1.0/25 = 0.04 % 2.0 ml = 2.0/25 = 0.08 % These standards were injected into GC and a calibration curve was prepared using the peak area data obtained. The unknown gasoline sample (Unknown Sample D: Ethanol in hexane) was taken and 5.0 of it was transferred to a vial. 5.0 ml of water was added and mixed thoroughly in the vial. It was allowed to stand for 5 minutes. The water layer was taken using a Pasteur pipette and injected into GC. The % ethanol was determined using calibration curve data and peak area data from step 5. Observations, Calculations and Results Instrument: GC SST Instrument settings: Injector temperature: 200 degree C Detector temperature: 250 degree C Oven temperature: 60 degree C (Earlier 80 degree C and 70 degree C) Attenuation: between 4 and 16 Carrier gas pressure: 8-10 psi FID range: 1 Valve: Split 1 on Solution Oven temperature (in degree C) Retention time Pure Hexane 60 0.500 Hexane + Ethanol 80 Hexane: 0.483 Ethanol: 0.683 (Less resolved peaks) Hexane + Ethanol 70 Hexane: 0.483 Ethanol: 0.750 (Better resolved peaks) Hexane + Ethanol 60 Hexane: 0.500 Ethanol: 0.916 (well resolved peaks) Solution Peak Area Standard 0.008 %, 2186.8 Standard 0.02 % 3509.9 Standard 0.04 % 5296.3 Standard 0.08 % 8746.5 Sample (1st Injection) Sample (2nd Injection) 1982.2 2138.1 Calculating % of ethanol in sample Equation of line from standard curve : y = 89994x + 1605.1 where, y = peak area, x = concentration of ethanol in % From Observation table # 3 we have, Area of sample = 1982.2 and 2138.1 Putting these values in equation in place of y we get, 1982.1 = 89994x + 1605.1 2138.1 = 89994x + 1605.1 On solving for x we get, x = 0.00418 % and x = 0.00592 % Averaging the two values, we get x = 0.00505 % So, the % of ethanol in the given Unknown Ethanol in Hexane Sample D is 0.00505 %. Experiment 3:- Qualitative and Quantitative analysis of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) Procedure Part A: Qualitative Analysis Take 1 ml each of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene in separate vials. Run the individual standards and record the retention times. Part B: Quantitative analysis Prepare a series of standard of toluene and para-xylene using hexane as a solvent. Make 2,4,6,8 and 10 % solutions of each of toluene and para-xylene in 50 ml volumetric flasks. For 2 %= 1 ml each of toluene or para-xylene (separate), for 4 % = 2ml For 6 % = 3 ml, for 8 % = 4 ml, and for 10 % = 5 ml to 50 ml with hexane. Prepare a calibration curve based on the peaks area data obtained. Analyse an unknown sample of BTEX provided and find the % of toluene and para-xylene in it using the standard curve data. Observations, Calculations and Results Instrument: GC SST Instrument settings: Injector temperature: 200 degree C Detector temperature: 250 degree C Oven temperature: 80 degree C Attenuation: between 4 and 16 Carrier gas pressure: 8-10 psi FID range: 1 Solution Retention time Chlorobenzene 3.866 Ethylbenzene 2.016 p-xylene 1.400 o-xylene 4.133 Toluene 1.500 From individual injections of hexane, toluene and xylene, it was seen that that the retention times for each of these were 0.500, 0.933 and 1.550 respectively. Solution Peak Area Toluene 2 % 939.8 Toluene 4 % 1254.0 Toluene 6 % 1987.6 Toluene 8 % 2260.2 Toluene 10 % 3210.0 Para-xylene 2 % 455.8 Para-xylene 4 % 985.0 Para-xylene 6 % 1168.1 Para-xylene 8 % 1791.5 Para-xylene 10 % 2222.9 Sample Run 1 Sample Run 2 10500 (Rt = 0.733) 863 (Rt = 1.600) 2966 (Rt = 0.733) 181 (Rt = 1.600) From the sample analysis, we find that the two biggest peaks are seen at Rt = 0.733. This value neither corresponds to value of Rt for toluene (around 0.900) nor xylene (around 1.350). So we cannot identify or quantitate them. The other peak (although small) which is seen occurs at Rt = 1.600 is close to Rt for xylene (Rt for 10 % xylene is 1.600). So this peak would be for xylene. We can find its concentration by making a standard curve for xylene from the data in Observation table # 7. Calculating amount of xylene in sample. From the standard curve (Graph # 2), we have the equation of line y = 217.04x + 22.45 where, y = peak area, x = concentration of ethanol in % From Observation table # 7 we have, Area of sample = 863 and 181 Putting these values in equation in place of y we get, 863 = 217.04x + 22.45 181 = 217.04x + 22.45 On solving for x we get, x = 3.87 % and x = 0.73 % Averaging the two values, we get x = 2.30 % Therefore, the sample (Unknown B) contains 2.30 % of xylene and no toluene. Experiment 4: Determination of volatile compounds by headspace analysis Procedure Soil was taken in a sealed vial and 1-2 drops each of toluene and p-xylene were added to it. Let the sample rest in the vial for about 10 minutes so that the volatile components gather in the headspace of the vial. After 10 minutes, using a syringe, suck out 0.3uL of the headspace keeping in mind that the syringe doesn’t touch the soil sample itself and headspace sample is taken from just the midway of the vial. Inject this to the GC. Perform duplicate injections if both components can not be seen at one go. Observations, Calculations and Results Instrument: GC SST Instrument settings: Injector temperature: 200 degree C Detector temperature: 250 degree C Oven temperature: 80 degree C Attenuation: between 4 and 16 Carrier gas pressure: 8-10 psi FID range: 1 Sample Retention time Compound present Soil Sample 1 1.033 1.533 Toluene P-Xylene Soil Sample 2 1.050 1.483 Toluene P-Xylene From Observation Table # 7, last experiment, we know retention times of both toluene and p-xylene. They were 0.950 and 1.550. So on comparing these Rts with the Rts obtained in these chromatograms, we can identify the peaks as toluene or xylene as done in Observation Table # 8. So, using headspace analysis, Toluene and p-xylene could be identified in the soil sample. Discussion and Conclusion In this lab, using the technique of Gas Chromatography, four different experiments were performed. In Experiment 1: the ethanol content in a mouthwash was determined. This was done by using an internal standard of butanol. Then, solutions of internal standard with unknown solution and ethanol were made and injected into the GC. The areas obtained for each compound were then used to calculate the % alcohol in the sample. The amount of ethanol present in the unknown solution of ethanol was found to be 1.00 % and the ethanol content in mouthwash was found to be 0.98%. In Experiment 2: ethanol content in gasoline mixture was calculated using a standard curve of ethanol made with pure ethanol (An unknown ethanol in hexane sample was used). The gasoline mixture was extracted with water to extract the ethanol in it for further analysis by GC. The amount of ethanol that was found to be present in this sample was 0.00505%. Firstly, we injected pure hexane and ethanol to find out their retention times and then an equal mixture was injected to see if the two peaks can be resolved or not. After doing this, the experiment was performed. The calculations for determining the % of ethanol were based on equation that was derived from the standard curve from ethanol standards. The value of peak area obtained in the chromatogram for the unknown sample was substituted in the equation from standard curve to find the ethanol concentration. This GC method is even used industrially to find ethanol content in gasolines, plus oxygenates like butyl ether that can contaminate drinking water. In Experiment 3: qualitative analysis of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) was performed by injecting pure solutions of these compounds in GC. The retention times obtained were recorded for each. In the second part, quantitative analysis of toluene and p-xylene was done. Standard solutions of toluene and xylene were made and calibration curves were made for each. Next, the unknown sample of BTEX was injected to GC. The retention areas obtained were recorded and substituted in equations of standard curves to find the actual content of toluene and xylene in sample. It was found that the unknown sample had not retention that matched with the retention times of toluene which was close to 0.9550. No peaks were seen at this retention times even on duplicate runs of the sample. So it is concluded that the sample had no toluene in it. Nevertheless, a peak for xylene was seen (determined by comparing the Rt with the Rt of toluene from Experiment 3). A standard curve was made from the data obtained by running xylene standards. Now with the equation of calibration curve and the peak area of sample for xylene, the concentration of xylene present in the sample was calculated. It was found to contain 2.30 % xylene. In Experiment 4: the technique of headspace analysis was used to determine the volatile compounds in a contaminated soil sample. The soil sample was deliberately contaminated with toluene and xylene and placed in a vial for 10 minutes. Then using a syringe, the headspace was sucked and injected to GC for performing a qualitative analysis (the retention times of BTEX from Experiment 3 were used). The peaks for both toluene and xylene could be detected by GC. This conclusion was based on the fact that the peaks had comparable retention times as toluene and xylene. To conclude, we can say that we used GC for quantitative analysis like analysis of BTEX in chemicals, food, etc. or BTEX in soil. And qualitative analysis like determination of ethanol content in gasoline, mouthwash, etc. References Page # 67-73 Chromatography Laboratory Manual, Durham College 2012 Advantages of GC http://www.sge.com/support/training/fast-gc-analysis/advantages-/-disadvantages-of-fast-gc) Industrial applications of GC (http://www.med.cmu.ac.th/dept/vascular/alcho/research/res_out/Application%20of%20gas%20chromatography.pdf)

Favoritism And The Powers Of The Gods :: essays research papers

Favoritism and the Powers of the Gods   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In ancient times, people believed that their lives would be significantly better off if the gods favored them. In the Aeneid, gods were battling with each other over who would control fate. Even the Bible shows us incidences of favoritism. In a society where everything is governed by the gods, the favor of a god bestowed upon a person was extremely important. In the sources, The Aeneid and The Bible, favoritism and the powers of the gods play crucial roles in determining the outcome of the stories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While reading the Bible, one cannot help but notice the obvious cases of favoritism. In the story of Cain and Abel, the Lord God is portrayed as a supreme being, who demands that the highest respect be paid to Him. In receiving offerings from Cain and Abel, God expects that they would bring Him only the best they could give. He took it for granted that each of the boys would sacrifice anything to please Him. However, this wasn’t to be:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 In the course of time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cain brought an offering to the Lord   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  from the fruit of the soil, 4 while Abel,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  for his part, brought one of the best first-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  lings of his flock. The Lord looked with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cain and his offering he did not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Genesis 4:3-5) This passage shows that by giving an offering that is deemed worthy, the favor of God will shine down. However, the opposite also holds true, that if one’s offering is only sub-par, then God will not look down upon you with favor, as is the case with Cain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This idea is also portrayed in the story of Noah. The Lord God has seen that his beautiful creation has been corrupted, and decides that he will destroy all living things on Earth. However, God spares Noah and all of Noah’s descendants because, â€Å"Noah found this favor with the Lord† (Genesis 6:8). The Bible describes how Noah sought the approval of God. In the story it says he was, â€Å"a good man and blameless in that age, for he walked with God† (Genesis 6:9-10). God concludes to save Noah because he obeyed Him and became what God wanted him to be, without ever relinquishing his own convictions and personal identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of favoritism in Roman literature is extremely popular. Never was this more apparent than in The Aeneid of Virgil.

Spirit Bound Chapter Eight

AFTER THE BITCHING I'D DONE to Abe about always going to remote, crappy places, I should have been excited about the prospect of going to Sin City. Alas, I had a few reservations about my next epic trip. First of all, somewhere like Las Vegas was the last place I would expect a semi-crazy recluse to be. From the bits and pieces I'd heard, Robert had dropped off the radar and wanted to be alone. A busy, tourist-filled city didn't really fit that description. Second, cities like that were perfect feeding grounds for Strigoi. Crowded. Reckless. Low inhibitions. Very easy for people to disappear–especially when most of them were out at night. Part of me was certain it had to be a trick on Victor's part, but he swore up and down that it was true. So, with no other leads, Las Vegas became our next destination. We didn't have much time to debate the matter anyway, knowing the guardians would be searching Fairbanks for us. Admittedly, Lissa's charms had altered our appearances enough that they wouldn't be looking for people with our descriptions. They knew what Victor looked like, though, so the sooner we were out of Alaska, the better. Unfortunately, we had a slight problem. â€Å"Victor has no ID,† said Eddie. â€Å"We can't take him on a plane.† It was true. All of Victor's possessions had been seized by prison authorities, and in the midst of disabling surveillance and taking out half a dozen guardians, we'd hardly had time to go searching for his personal stuff. Lissa's compulsion was phenomenal, but she was exhausted after wielding so much at the prison. Besides, guardians would likely be watching the airport. Our â€Å"friend† Bud the car rental guy provided the solution. He hadn't been thrilled to see his car returned with all the scratches from Eddie's daredevil driving, but enough cash had finally stopped the human's muttering about â€Å"renting to a bunch of kids.† It was Victor who thought of an alternative plan and suggested it to Bud. â€Å"Is there a private airport nearby? With flights we might charter?† â€Å"Sure,† said Bud. â€Å"But it won't be cheap.† â€Å"It's not an issue,† I said. Bud eyed us askance. â€Å"Did you guys rob a bank or something?† No, but we were packing a lot of currency. Lissa had a trust fund that doled her out monthly money until she was eighteen, as well as a high-limit credit card. I had a credit card of my own, leftover from when I'd sweet-talked Adrian into funding my Russian trip. I'd let go of the rest of my assets, like the huge bank account he'd set up. But, wrong or not, I'd decided to keep one card on hand, just in case of emergency. This was certainly an emergency, so we used the card to pay for part of the private plane's cost. The pilot couldn't take us as far as Las Vegas, but he could take us to Seattle, where he was able to connect us with another pilot he knew who could go the rest of the way. More money. â€Å"And Seattle again,† I mused, just before the plane took off. The little jet's interior had a set of four seats, two on each side facing each other. I sat next to Victor, and Eddie sat across from him. We figured that was the best protective configuration. â€Å"What about Seattle?† asked Eddie, puzzled. â€Å"Never mind.† Little private jets aren't nearly as fast as big commercial ones, and our trip took a large part of the day. During it, I continued asking Victor about his brother's role in Las Vegas and finally got the answer I wanted. Victor would have had to tell us eventually, but I think he'd gotten a sadistic thrill out of prolonging the answer. â€Å"Robert doesn't live in Las Vegas proper,† he explained. â€Å"He has a small house–a cabin, I suppose–out by Red Rock Canyon, miles outside the city.† Ah. Now that was more what I'd expected. Lissa stiffened at the mention of a cabin, and I felt unease through the bond. When Victor had kidnapped her, he'd taken her to a cabin in the woods and tortured her there. I gave her as reassuring a look as I could. It was times like these I wished the bond worked both ways so that I could truly send her comfort. â€Å"So we'll go out there?† Victor snorted. â€Å"Certainly not. Robert values his privacy too much. He wouldn't let strangers come to his home. But he'll come to the city if I ask.† Lissa eyed me. Victor could be setting us up. He had lots of supporters. Now that he's out, he could call them instead of Robert to meet us. I gave her a tiny nod, again wishing I could respond back through the bond. I'd thought of this as well. It was imperative we never leave Victor alone to make unsupervised calls. And actually, this plan to meet in Las Vegas itself made me feel better. For our own safety from Victor's henchmen, it was better to be in the city than out in the middle of nowhere. â€Å"Seeing as I've been so helpful,† said Victor, â€Å"I have the right to know what you want with my brother.† He glanced at Lissa. â€Å"Looking for spirit lessons? You had to have done some excellent investigative work to find out about him.† â€Å"You have no right to know about our plans,† I retorted sharply. â€Å"And seriously? If you're keeping track of who's been the most helpful here, we are totally beating you on the score-card. You've got a ways to go to catch up after what we did at Tarasov.† Victor's only response was a small smile. Some of our flight time took place at night, which meant it was early morning when we landed in Las Vegas. The safety of sunlight. I was surprised to see how crowded the airport was. The private one in Seattle had had a fair amount of planes, but the Fairbanks airport had nearly been deserted. This strip was chock-full of little jets, many of them screaming â€Å"luxury.† I shouldn't have been surprised. Las Vegas was the playground of celebrities and other wealthy people, many of whom probably couldn't lower themselves to fly commercial with ordinary passengers. There were taxis there, sparing us the ordeal of another rental car. But when the driver asked us where we were going, we all stayed silent. I turned to Victor. â€Å"The middle of the city, right? The Strip?† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. He'd been certain Robert would want to meet strangers somewhere very public. Somewhere he could easily flee. â€Å"The Strip's a big place,† said the driver. â€Å"You got any place in particular or should I just drop you off in the middle of the street?† Silence fell over us. Lissa shot me a meaningful look. â€Å"The Witching Hour?† I considered it. Las Vegas was a favorite place for some Moroi. The bright sun made it less appealing for Strigoi, and the windowless casinos created comfortable, dark atmospheres. The Witching Hour was a hotel and casino we'd all heard of. While it had plenty of human customers, it was actually owned by Moroi, so it had lots of clandestine features to make it a great getaway for vampires. Feeders in back rooms. Special Moroi-only lounges. A fair number of guardians on patrol. Guardians†¦ I shook my head and glanced sideways at Victor. â€Å"We can't take him there.† Of all the hotels in Las Vegas, the Witching Hour was the last we'd want to go to. Victor's escape had to be breaking news all over the Moroi world. Taking him into Vegas's largest concentration of Moroi and guardians was probably the worst thing we could do at this point. In the rearview mirror, the driver's face looked impatient. It was Eddie who finally piped up. â€Å"The Luxor.† He and I were in the backseat, with Victor between us, and I peered over. â€Å"Where did that come from?† â€Å"It puts distance between us and the Witching Hour.† Eddie suddenly looked a little sheepish. â€Å"And I've always wanted to stay there. I mean, if you're coming to Vegas, why not stay in a pyramid?† â€Å"You can't fault that logic,† said Lissa. â€Å"The Luxor it is,† I said to the driver. We rode in silence, all of us–well, except for Victor–staring at the sights in awe. Even in the daytime, the streets of Las Vegas were teeming with people. The young and glamorous walked side by side with older couples from Middle America, who'd probably saved and saved to make this trip. The hotels and casinos we passed were huge, flashy, and inviting. And when we reached the Luxor†¦ yup. It was just like Eddie had said. A hotel shaped like a pyramid. I stared up at it when we got out of the car, trying hard not to let my jaw drop like the starry-eyed tourist I was. I paid the driver and we headed inside. I didn't know how long we'd be staying, but we definitely needed a room as our base of operation. Stepping into the hotel was like being back in the night-clubs in Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Flashing lights and the overwhelming scent of smoke. And noise. Noise, noise, noise. The slot machines beeped and rang, chips fell, people yelled in dismay or delight, and the low thrum of conversation filled the room like humming bees. I grimaced. The stimuli grated on my senses. We passed through the casino's edge to get to the front desk, where the attendant didn't even blink at three teenagers and an old man getting a room together. I had to imagine that around here, they saw it all. Our room was average-size, with two double beds, and somehow we'd lucked out with an amazing view. Lissa stood at the window, entranced by the sights of people and cars on the Strip below, but I jumped straight to business. â€Å"Okay, call him,† I ordered Victor. He'd settled down on one of the beds, hands crossed and expression serene, as though he truly were on vacation. Despite that smug smile, I could see the fatigue etched on his face. Even with his blood refill, the escape and long trip had been exhausting, and the effects of his slowly returning disease were naturally taking a toll on his physical strength. Victor immediately reached for the hotel's phone, but I shook my head. â€Å"Liss, let him use your cell. I want a record of this number.† She gingerly handed the phone over, as though he might contaminate it. He took it and gave me a nigh-angelic look. â€Å"I don't suppose I could have some privacy? It's been so long since Robert and I have talked.† â€Å"No,† I snapped. The harshness in my voice startled even me, and it occurred to me Lissa wasn't the only one suffering from all the spirit used today. Victor gave a small shrug and began dialing. He'd told us on one of the flights that he had Robert's number memorized, and I had to take it on faith that that was who he was calling. I also had to hope Robert's number hadn't changed. Of course, even if Victor hadn't seen his brother in years, Victor had only been imprisoned a short while and had probably kept tabs on Robert beforehand. Tension filled the room as we waited while the phone rang. A moment later, I heard a voice answer through the phone's speaker–though I couldn't make out the exact words. â€Å"Robert,† said Victor pleasantly, â€Å"it's Victor.† This received a frantic response on the other end. I only could hear half of the conversation, but it was intriguing. Victor first had to spend a lot of time convincing Robert that he was out of prison. Apparently, Robert wasn't so removed from Moroi society that he was out of touch with current news. Victor told him that the details would be revealed later and then began making his pitch for Robert to come meet us. It took a long time. I got the feeling that Robert lived in fear and paranoia, which reminded me of Ms. Karp when she'd been in the advanced stages of spirit's insanity. Lissa's gaze stayed fixed on the scene outside the window during the entire call, but her feelings mirrored mine: fear that this could someday be her fate. Or mine as well, if I siphoned away spirit's effects. The image of the Tarasov sign flashed briefly through her mind: WARNING–NOW ENTERING PRISONER AREA (PSYCHIATRIC). Victor's voice turned surprisingly cajoling as he spoke to his brother, gentle even. I was reminded uneasily of the old days, before we'd known about Victor's demented plans for Moroi domination. Back then, he'd treated us kindly too and had practically been a member of Lissa's family. I wondered if at some point he'd been sincere or if it had all been an act. Finally, after almost twenty minutes, Victor convinced Robert to come see us. The unintelligible words on the other end of the phone were filled with anxiety, and at this point, I felt convinced that Victor truly was talking to his crazy brother and not one of his accomplices. Victor set up a dinner meeting at one of the hotel's restaurants and at last disconnected. â€Å"Dinner?† I asked when Victor set the phone down. â€Å"Isn't he worried about being out after dark?† â€Å"It's an early dinner,† Victor replied. â€Å"Four thirty. And the sun won't go down until almost eight.† â€Å"Four thirty?† I asked. â€Å"Good God. Are we getting the senior citizen special?† But he made a good point about the time and sun. Without the safety of Alaska's nearly nonstop summer light, I was starting to feel suffocated by the pressure of sunrise and sunset boundaries, even though it was summer here. Unfortunately, a safe early dinner still meant we had hours to pass. Victor leaned back on the bed, arms behind his head. I think he was attempting an unconcerned air, but my guess was that it was actually exhaustion driving him to seek the bed's comfort. â€Å"Care to try your luck downstairs?† He glanced over at Lissa. â€Å"Spirit users make remarkably good card players. I don't have to tell you how good you are at reading people.† She made no response. â€Å"Nobody's leaving this room,† I said. I didn't like the idea of us all being cooped up here, but I couldn't risk an escape attempt or Strigoi lurking in the casino's dark corners. After showering the dye from her hair, Lissa pulled up a chair by the window. She refused to get any closer to Victor. I sat cross-legged on the second bed, where there was plenty of room for Eddie to sit too, but he remained upright against a wall, in perfect guardian posture as he watched Victor. I had no doubt Eddie could maintain that position for hours, no matter how uncomfortable it got. We'd all been trained to endure harsh conditions. He did a good job at looking stern, but every once in a while, I'd catch him studying Victor curiously. Eddie had stood by me in this act of treason but still didn't know why I'd done it. We'd been there a few hours when someone knocked at the door. I leapt up. Eddie and I mirrored each other, both of us straightening to rigid attention, hands going for our stakes. We'd ordered lunch an hour ago, but room service had long since come and gone. It was too early for Robert, and besides, he didn't know the name our room was under. There was no nausea, though. No Strigoi at our door. I met Eddie's gaze, silent messages passing between us on what to do. But it was Lissa who acted first, rising from her chair and taking a few steps across the room. â€Å"It's Adrian.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Are you sure?† She nodded. Spirit users usually only saw auras, but they could sense each other if they were close enough–just as she had at the prison. Still, none of us moved. She gave me a dry look. â€Å"He knows I'm here,† she pointed out. â€Å"He can feel me too.† I sighed, still keeping my hand on my stake, and strode to the door. I squinted through the peephole. Standing there, his expression amused and restless, was Adrian. I could see no one else, and with no indication of Strigoi to be found, I finally opened the door. His face lit with joy when he saw me. Leaning in, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping into the room. â€Å"You guys didn't really think you could go off on a party weekend without me, did you? Especially here of all places–â€Å" He froze, and it was one of those rare moments when Adrian Ivashkov was caught totally and completely off guard. â€Å"Did you know,† he said slowly, â€Å"that Victor Dashkov is sitting on your bed?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"It was kind of a shock to us too.† Adrian dragged his gaze from Victor and glanced around the room, noticing Eddie for the first time. Eddie had been standing so still that he practically seemed like part of the furniture. Adrian turned to me. â€Å"What the hell is going on? Everyone is out looking for him!† Lissa's words spoke to me through my bond. You might as well tell him. You know he won't leave now. She was right. I didn't know how Adrian had found us, but now that he had, there was no way he'd go. I glanced hesitantly at Eddie, who guessed my thoughts. â€Å"We'll be fine,† he said. â€Å"Go talk. I won't let anything happen.† And I'm strong enough again that I can compel him if he tries anything, Lissa added. I sighed. â€Å"Okay. We'll be right back.† I took Adrian's arm and led him outside. As soon as we were in the hallway, he started in again. â€Å"Rose, what's–â€Å" I shook my head. In our time here, I'd heard enough noise from other hotel guests in the hall to know that my friends would hear our conversation if we talked out there. Instead, Adrian and I took the elevator and headed downstairs, where the noise of the casino would mask our words. We found a slightly out-of-the-way corner, and Adrian practically pushed me against the wall, his expression dark. His light attitude annoyed me sometimes, but I preferred it to when he was upset, largely because I feared spirit would add an unstable edge. â€Å"You leave me a note saying you're sneaking off for one last party weekend, and instead I find you holed up with one of the most notorious criminals ever? When I left Court, that's all everyone was talking about! Didn't that guy try to kill you?† I answered his question with a question. â€Å"How did you even find us?† â€Å"The credit card,† he said. â€Å"I was waiting for you to use it.† My eyes widened. â€Å"You promised me when I got all those that you wouldn't go snooping!† Since my accounts and cards had come with his help, I'd known he had access to the records but had believed him when he'd said he'd respect my privacy. â€Å"When you were in Russia, I kept that promise. This is different. I kept checking and checking with the company, and as soon as the activity with the charter plane showed up, I called and found out where you were going.† Adrian's arrival here so soon after ours wasn't that unbelievable if he had been monitoring the card. Once he'd had the information he needed, he could have easily booked a flight. A nonstop commercial jet would have made up the time on our slower, multistop trip. â€Å"There was no way I could resist Vegas,† he continued. â€Å"So I thought I'd surprise you and show up to join in the fun.† I'd used my card for the room, I realized, again tipping off our location. No one else was linked to my or Lissa's cards, but the ease with which he'd tracked us made me nervous. â€Å"You shouldn't have done that,† I growled. â€Å"We might be together, but there are boundaries you've got to respect. This is none of your business.† â€Å"It's not like I was reading your diary! I just wanted to find my girlfriend and–† It was a sign of Adrian's distress that his mind was only now beginning to backtrack and put pieces together. â€Å"Oh lord. Rose, please tell me you guys aren't the ones who busted him out? They're all looking for two human girls and a dhampir guy. The descriptions don't match at all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He groaned. â€Å"But it was you, wasn't it? Somehow, you broke into a maximum-security prison. With Eddie.† â€Å"Must not have been all that secure,† I remarked lightly. â€Å"Rose! This guy has fucked with both of your lives. Why would you free him?† â€Å"Because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. How could I explain this to Adrian? How could I explain that which, by all evidence in our world, was impossible? And how could I explain what goal in particular was driving this? â€Å"Victor has information we need. Or, well, he has access to someone we need. This was the only way we could get it.† â€Å"What on earth could he possibly know to make you do all this?† I swallowed. I walked into prisons and nests of Strigoi, but saying what I did next to Adrian filled me with apprehension. â€Å"Because there might be a way to save Strigoi. To turn them back to the way they were. And Victor†¦ Victor knows someone who might have done this.† Adrian stared at me for several long seconds, and even in the midst of the casino's movement and noise, it was like the world grew still and silent. â€Å"Rose, that's impossible.† â€Å"It might not be.† â€Å"If there was a way to do that, we would know.† â€Å"It involves spirit users. And we only just found out about them.† â€Å"That doesn't mean it's–oh. I see.† His deep green eyes flashed, and this time, they were angry. â€Å"It's him, isn't it? This is your last crazy attempt to get to him. To Dimitri.† â€Å"Not just him,† I said vaguely. â€Å"It could save all Strigoi.† â€Å"I thought this was over!† Adrian exclaimed. His voice was loud enough that a few people at nearby slot machines glanced over. â€Å"You told me it was over. You told me you could move on and be with me.† â€Å"I meant it,† I said, surprised at the desperate note in my voice. â€Å"It's something we only just found out about. We had to try.† â€Å"And what then? What if this stupid fantasy works? You free Dimitri in some miraculous act, and you drop me like that.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"I don't know,† I said wearily. â€Å"We're just taking this one step at a time. I love being with you. Really. But I can't ignore this.† â€Å"Of course you can't.† He turned his eyes heavenward. â€Å"Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It's a wonder I can spot reality anymore.† The weird sound of his voice made me nervous. I could recognize one of his slightly crazy, spirit-induced lapses. Then, he turned from me with a sigh. â€Å"I need a drink.† Whatever pity I'd felt for him turned to anger. â€Å"Oh, good. That'll fix everything. I'm glad in a world gone mad, you've still got your old standbys.† I flinched at his glare. He didn't do it very often, and when he did, it was a powerful thing. â€Å"What do you expect me to do?† he asked. â€Å"You could†¦ you could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh God. â€Å"Well, now that you're here, you could help us. Plus, this guy we're meeting. He's another spirit user.† Adrian didn't betray his thoughts, but I had a feeling that I had piqued his interest. â€Å"Yeah, that's exactly what I want. To help my girlfriend get her old boyfriend back.† He turned away again, and I heard him mutter, â€Å"I need two drinks.† â€Å"Four thirty,† I called after him. â€Å"We're meeting at four thirty.† There was no response, and Adrian melted into the crowd. I returned to the room in a dark cloud that had to be obvious to everyone. Lissa and Eddie were smart enough not to ask questions, but Victor, of course, had no such reserves. â€Å"What? Mr. Ivashkov isn't joining us? I'd so been looking forward to his company.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall near Eddie. â€Å"Don't speak unless you're spoken to.† The next couple hours dragged by. I was convinced that any minute, Adrian would come back and reluctantly agree to help us. We could use his compulsion if things went bad, even though he couldn't match Lissa. Surely†¦ surely he loved me enough to come to my aid? He wouldn't abandon me? You're an idiot, Rose. It was my own voice that chastised me in my head, not Lissa's. You've given him no reason to help. You just hurt him again and again. Just like you did Mason. When four fifteen came around, Eddie looked over at me. â€Å"Should we stake out a table?† â€Å"Yeah.† I was restless and upset. I didn't want to stay in this room any longer, trapped with dark feelings that wouldn't go away. Victor rose from the bed, stretching as though getting up from a relaxing nap. Still, I could have sworn there was an eager glint hidden in the depths of his eyes. By all accounts, he and his half-brother were close, though I'd seen no indication that Victor displayed love or loyalty to anyone. Who knew? Maybe somewhere there was true affection for Robert. We formed a sort of protective configuration with me in the front, Eddie in the back, and the two Moroi between us. I opened the room's door and came face-to-face with Adrian. His hand was raised as though he'd been about to knock. He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh, hey,† he said. He had the standard laid-back Adrian expression on his face, though his voice was a bit strained. I knew he wasn't happy about any of this. I could see it in the tight set of his jaw and agitation in his eyes. Nonetheless, he was putting on a good front for the others, for which I was grateful. Most importantly, he'd come back. That was what mattered, and I could ignore the scent of alcohol and smoke wreathing him. â€Å"So†¦ I hear there's some party going on. Mind if I join you?† I gave him a weak, grateful smile. â€Å"Come on.† Our group now up to five, we headed down the hall toward the elevator. â€Å"I was cleaning up at poker, you know,† Adrian added. â€Å"So this better be good.† â€Å"I don't know if it'll be good,† I mused. The elevator doors opened. â€Å"But I think it'll be memorable.† We stepped inside, off to see Robert Doru. And what might be Dimitri's only salvation.

The significance of this quote

Nomi’s mother is never really developed within ‘A Complicated Kindness’ but is evidenced through Nomi’s reflections on her past life, a life that took her mother and sister from her.Nomi’s mother was excommunicated from the community in which she and her family lived. Quote 1 provides insight into how the plot will unfold by way of short sharp snippets of what, why, where and how things happen in Nomi’s life and her struggle to deal with the fate bestowed upon her.The significance of this quote to the plot of the narrative is clear because it illustrates how Nomi would prefer to believe her mother was travelling which in reality cannot be so, for how can she be travelling without a passport. Such inference assumes that she is wandering aimlessly or maybe even dead – as dead as the ghost she appears to be in Nomi’s life.Only the â€Å"ID information† and a â€Å"black-and-white photo† are in the passport which again connotes a feeling of futility; we know Nomi’s mother existed or exists because the passport is provided in testimony of her being but that is all that is left of her existence other than memories for Nomi.The fact that the passport has no stamps or evidence of use helps to illustrate the life her mother lived; a life confined to one location, which was one of oppression and governed by rules. The photo provides confirmation for Nomi and readers that her mother, although living within the small community of Manitoba and possessing a passport never used, was hopeful of a better life, a life of travel and experience but a life that would never eventuate.The passport and its contents not only serve to carry forward the plot of Nomi’s story but also to provide evidence of her mother’s existence, the hope and dreams she desired and the stark reality that she was in fact now only a ghost in Nomi’s memories and reflections.He (Sheridan) said it gave him the cree ps because that was where his mom had killed herself years ago? When it happened, years ago, Sheridan’s mom went nuts. Trudie had told me and Tash that she thought Sheridan’s dad should have left town to save his mom the pain of having to pretend he was dead. She’d really loved him. They’d had a lot of fun together when he wasn’t drunk (36-37).East Village Manitoba is a place filled with pretence, double standards, and secrecy. This quote is pertinent in that it reflects the irony evident in the lives of Manitoba’s community.We are told by way of a disjointed memory reflected upon by Nomi of how people living in Manitoba, more specifically in this case Sheridan and his family, live a lie. Sheridan’s father was a drunk but drank in secrecy in fear of being excommunicated from the town; his wife therefore rather than admit the truth pretended he was dead. Living a life of deceit caused Sheridan’s mother to go insane and commit su icide.The irony of being unhappy but shamming happiness is evident throughout the novel but this quote presages the futility and despair of living that lie. Both Sheridan’s mother and father achieved nothing from their pretence except pain and downfall, which in turn led to Sheridan’s plight of having to cope with his life without either parent.Nomi’s reference to her mother telling her and her sister Tash that they were once happy and in love serves to add more sentiment to the fact; the fact that living in a town full of oppression and rigidity in turn causes people to live a life of lies that has no ending other than misery.Through use of this quote and Nomi’s reflection we realize that living in fear of excommunication, people of Manitoba are forced to secrete what they do, but in doing so they are excommunicating themselves from their families, each other and most importantly themselves.