A&P and Greasy Lake

Greasy Lake by T. Coraghessan Boyle and A&P by John Updike are both stories about coming of age. Over the generations there have been many changes. In these two short-stories it proves that, although it takes place in different generations, coming of age is still a time to prove one’s self. A&P is about a nineteen-year-old boy that works at a local grocery store. The main character, Sammy, stands up against his manager in an attempt to defend and hopefully impress the girls he was attracted to, who were not â€Å"decently dressed. Greasy Lake on the other hand is told from the narrator’s point of view, about several nineteen years old boys who play a prank on a â€Å"bad† character and experience what bad characters are capable of doing. For the narrator and Sammy they realize their lack of infantility after their conflicts with other people in the stories. In Sammy’s case, â€Å"enraged that Lengel has humiliated the girls†, he quits his job tryin g to defend and impress the girls. The girls just ignore Sammy and leave the store after all of the arguing had died down. Sammy is then left by himself, without a job and without the girls. When he looks back at the store from outside, â€Å"[his] stomach kind of fell as [he] felt how hard the world was going to be to [him] hereafter. † Obviously, he is feeling a sense of regret when Sammy mentions the hardship in his life after he quits his job at the grocery store. The narrator in Greasy Lake also learns a lesson for the story. He learns that one’s appearance does not represent one’s true self. Three of the â€Å"dangerous characters†, including the narrator and his friends, â€Å"drive out to scum-and refuse-clotted Greasy Lake in search for action. †

Personal Development

An insurance company has high levels of absenteeism among its staff. The head of administration argues that employees are misusing their leave benefits. However some female employees explained that their family matters interfere with office work. Using the MARS model, as well as your knowledge of absenteeism, discuss some of the possible reasons for absenteeism and how to reduce it. MARS Model seeks to explain individual behavior as a result of internal and external factors or influences acting together.Individual behavior influenced by Motivation, Ability, Role perception and Situational factors (M. A. R. S). People are not motivated to come to work since they don't feel a sense of self-satisfaction in completing their tasks, they don't see room for advancement, don't feel that they are getting paid enough, and don't like their co-workers (or more likely their boss). The cost of absenteeism is extremely high. In able to diagnose absenteeism problem in the organization, a clearly dis tinction should be made between voluntary and involuntary absenteeism.Voluntary absenteeism is when employees have a choice of working or not working and they intentionally decide to miss work. Involuntary absenteeism is when employees miss work for reason beyond their control. Some of the common reasons behind absenteeism are as under; * Serious accidents and illness * Low morale * Workload * Employee discontent with the work environment * Remuneration which continue returns during periods of illness or accident * The continuation of income shield plans (collective agreement ) * Poor working conditions * Boredom on the job Insufficient leadership and poor management * Personal problems (financial, marital, substance abuse, child care etc. ) * Poor bodily fitness * The existence of income protection plans (collective agreement ) * Transportation trouble * Stress There are numbers of strategies and approaches that can be adapted by organizations in order to reduce the level of absent eeism in their companies. According to Johnson et al. (2003), successful absenteeism management strategies begin with the belief that something can actually be done to reduce absenteeism.Managers need to keep in mind that there is no â€Å"one-size-fits† all solution that is appropriate for all organizations. Every organization is unique and absenteeism reduction strategies should be customized to the particular work environment. Harris (2005) states that employers should distinguish between short- and long-term absence when dealing with the problem of absence. The author mentions that for short-term absence, an effective sickness absence policy should be implemented.This policy should indicate the procedure to be followed as well as the possible consequences of unacceptable sick leave levels. For long term absences, an employer should keep record of these events as well as ensuring that medical certificates are supplied. In cases where employees' health is not improving and they are unable to perform their work, a fair incapacity process should be followed (Harris, 2005). REFERENCES Organization Behavior, The Management of individual and organizational performance by DAVID J. CHERRINGTON. Online Search.

Molecules of Life

Molecules of Life Computer Assignment A) What characteristics are typical of molecules that are gases at room temperature? Molecules that are gases at room temperature tend to be smaller in size. This causes it to have a small molecular masses and has a relatively weak intermolecular forces of attraction. B) Compare and contrast the characteristics of soluble and insoluble molecules. Soluble MoleculesInsoluble Molecules -polar-non polar -lots of oxygen atoms-very few oxygen atoms -high electronegativity-low electronegativity C) Describe the general molecular characteristics of mono and disaccharides.What features account for their high solubility in water. The feature of mono and disaccharides that accounts for their high solubility in water is that they are relatively small-moderate in size and are polar (or ionic). D) What element forms the bridge between the monomers that make up maltose and sucrose? What molecule was made during the condensation reactions that formed these disacc harides? A water molecule is formed during the condensation reactions that formed these disaccharides. This leaves a oxygen behind which bridges between the monomers that make up maltose and sucrose.E) Compare and contrast the overall shapes of cellulose, amylose, and amylopectin. How do their differences in structure account for their different biological functions? CelluloseAmyloseAmylopectin non-branchingnon-linearnon-linear linearglobular structureglobular structure ability to bond to hydrogennon-branchingbranched FunctionFunctionFunction Structural support for plantsglucose storage moleculesglucose storage molecules F) What features of cellulose molecules account for both the strength and the water absorbing qualities of paper towels?The features of a cellulose molecule that accounts for both the strength and the water absorbing qualities of paper towels are that it is polar making it attracted to water molecules but because the molecule is so large it is not soluble. Causing i t to pick up water easily. G) What type of intermolecular force dominates the interactions of carbohydrates and water? The type of intermolecular force that dominates the interactions of carbohydrates and water would be hydrogen bonds. H) Describe the general characteristics of all fatty acids.The general characteristics of all fatty acids are they contain mainly carbon and hydrogen with very few oxygen atoms. They also have poor solubility making it â€Å"waterproof†. I) Compare the shape and molecular structure of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Provide examples to support your description. The differences between saturated and unsaturated fats is that unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonds of carbon bonds making the molecule look twisted in that area, whereas saturated fats don’t contain any double bonds and are linear.This causes the saturated fats to have a higher intermolecular force then unsaturated fats. J) What functional groups are involved in the formation of a triglyceride from glycerol and fatty acids? The functional groups that are involved in the formation of a triglyceride from glycerol and fatty acids are three fatty acids are joined to a glycerol atom which then go through three dehydration reactions. K) What is the fundamental difference between a triglyceride and a phospholipid?How does this difference account for the hydrophobic and hydrophilic nature of the phospholipid molecule? Phospholipids are different then triglyceride because they have a highly polar phosphate group attached to the glycerol instead of having three fatty acids, the highly polar phosphate is strongly attracted to water. The hydrophobic part of the atom is the two non-polar fatty acids at the end of the molecule making a â€Å"tail†. While the hydrophilic part of the atom is the highly polar phosphate called the â€Å"head†.

Individual report of Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individual report of Digital Marketing - Essay Example However, the industry has seen a demand upsurge in recent years for outbound holiday travel packages, especially as the pound has strengthened. In spite of the revenue contractions in the industry for the year 2011-2012, the sector is expected to post a 0.6% compound annual growth through 2015-2016. The strongest focus has been on online travel sales, which accounted for over 50% of total travel sales in 2013 (euromonitor.com, 2014: p1). Indeed, customers are increasingly turning to the internet for information on travel destinations in order to make informed decisions. Thus, a digital marketing strategy will be essential for tour and travel operators going forward. The UK political environment is relatively stable, which has a positive impact on potential clients. Border policy and resultant entry fees is also a factor affecting the UK travel sectors with shorter 3-month group visas at reduced costs being a positive factor for the sector (ibisworld.co.uk, 2015: p1). In addition, the UK government and governments in countries that are favoured by UK travel tourists, such as Australia and South Africa, are implementing environmental policies that may impact on the travel sector. Finally, terrorist threats on UK citizens may also portend a specific risk for the industry. The global financial and economic crises affected countries like the UK significantly, which has resulted in reduced travel by UK consumers due to purchasing power pressures and uncertainty about employment (ibisworld.co.uk, 2015: p1). However, the strengthening pound in relation to other major world currencies has increased the spending power of outbound travel clients from the UK. Declining inflation in the UK and the wider EU region has also meant that costs for travelling in the UK have reduced. Increasing concerns about sustainability in the travels and tours industry, especially in

Kunming terrorist attack Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kunming terrorist attack - Assignment Example On Sunday 2nd March 2014, police rounded up members of the Uighur population in the city for questioning, a move that was not taken well by the members of the Uighur community as they claim there is no way they could have identified the individuals since they were in black. Most of the attacks of this nature usually happen in Xinjiang where there there are common clashes between members of Uighur community and the police, therefore this was a special case since it took place more than 1, 500 kilometres away from the region. The UN security council condemned the attack and said there was no justification for any acts of terrorism and those responsible for the act should be brought to justice. The attack comes near the opening of the annual legislature where the government would delivers its report on its one year performance, therefore the incident was likely to dent the report. In another report, United States has finally called the attack a terrorist attack after accusations from the Chinese government on the failure to call the attack ‘ an act of terrorism’ which was carried out by eight attackers and left more than 130 people injured. The united states embassy in China had initially referred to the attack as ‘horrific, senseless act of violence’ which was seen as not strong enough by Chinese authorities. Xinjiang, which is the region largely inhabited by Uighur people who are Muslim minority, has been increasingly experiencing unrest due to immigration by the Han majority to the region, for instance, in 2009, ethnic violence in the region left more than 200 people dead. For a long time, the government has blamed Uighur activists for the violence while on the other hand the Uighur activists blame the government’s excessive control for the violence in the

Qualitative design and the other using a quantitative design Research Paper

Qualitative design and the other using a quantitative design - Research Paper Example Qualitative research aims to state the trends in opinion and thought (Roessner, 2015). Quantitative research, unlike the qualitative research methodology, yields numerical information and thus quantifies a problem. This data can be translated into useful statistics to quantify variables such as behavior (such as of consumers), opinions, attitudes, and so on. This numerical data is then used in making a generalization on the entire population. Data can be collected via telephone interviews, website interceptors, systematic observations, face to face interviews, online surveys, kiosk surveys, paper surveys, longitudinal studies, mobile surveys, online polls, amongst others. Basically, while qualitative research formulates a hypothesis/ theory, quantitative research tests (and proves/ discards) the hypothesis/ theory (Roessner, 2015). As is evidenced in the two articles, there are advantages and disadvantages of using either technique of research. In qualitative research, for example, small number of samples are used which can lead to misleading conclusions (Dahlberg, 2006). The quantitative design, however, uses a large number of samples to represent the population being studied and therefore there is greater accuracy in the results obtained and the generalizations made (Roessner, 2015). However, the fact that quantitative research methods generally utilize structured data collection methods like online/ telephone questionnaires means that the interviewee is more prone to offer wrong information due to reduced freedom that is required when collecting data. In qualitative research, the methods of data collection used are unstructured and translate to superior interviewee freedom. Moreover, while quantitative research features enable it to be used to propose a final course of action, qualitative research outcomes are less conclusive and only provide

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 11

Report - Essay Example Various alternate services are available in the new market in terms of usability and value. For example an individual wants to watch an episode of a missed serial via Internet on the computer. This may decrease the use of mobile TV. The era of a dynamic environment also brings challenges for vendors to make considerations regarding consumer preferences. The new market continues to be robust and evolving media, Internet services, mobile communications and consumer electronic products. The mobile TV global ecosystem consists of content providers, aggregators, retailers, service providers, networks, device software solution providers, and device OEMs. It concludes that the mobile TV ecosystem cooperatively provides an end-to-end information services and entertainment that is widespread from permanent and broadband networks above broadband wireless networks for the consumers of mobile devices in the 3rd generation or 4th generation mobile networks. Advanced mobile data networks consist of IPTV and mobile TV services provided by mobile operators in the western countries. A comprehensive definition of IPTV is available on www.iptvdictionary.com which says â€Å"Internet protocol television (IPTV) is a process of providing television (video and/or audio) services through the use Internet protocol (IP) networks. These IP networks initiate, process, and receive voice or multimedia communications using Internet protocol. These IP systems may be public IP systems (e.g. th e Internet), private data systems (e.g. LAN based), or a hybrid of public and private systems†.Mobile TV is considered as a superb application by stakeholders in the context of falling ARPU and profits of mobile operators. Organizations are involved in content provision and they have learned the technological improvements and advancements along with service availability. These factors lead to adoption globally with high revenue streams. Although the predictions related to the mobile

Professional identity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Professional identity - Term Paper Example Nonetheless, the theory requires the nurse to employ both professional and generic knowledge and means to fit such varied thoughts into nursing care actions and objectives. In this scenario, care skill and knowledge are frequently redesigned for the best interest of the patients (Shaw & Timmons, 2010). Therefore, all care modalities in Hennepin County Medical Center will need the participation of both the nurse and patients working together to recognize, plan, execute, and assess every care mode for culturally fitting nursing care. These modes will stimulate the nurse to develop nursing decisions and actions using cultural based ways and new ways to offer satisfying and meaningful inclusive care to the large diverse population in downtown Minneapolis. If this nurse values and understands the practice of culturally proficient care, she will have the ability to encourage positive changes in health care activities for patients of diverse population at Hennepin County Medical Center in d owntown Minneapolis. In addition, for the nurse to share a cultural identity with the large population of diverse individuals, she will need knowledge of transcultural nursing principles and ideas together with an understanding of existing research findings. It is significant for the nurse to note that culturally proficient nursing care can only take place when the values and beliefs of patients are skillfully and thoughtfully included into the nursing care plans of Hennepin County Medical Center. Caring is the central focus of nursing. Therefore, culturally proficient nursing will guide the nurse to offer optimal inclusive, culturally centered care. Part B Out of the three primary roles for the baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse identified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the role the writer is most interested in exploring is that of a case manager. A case manager is a health care expert, particularly a registered nurse, who dedicates himself or herself in a ssisting patients with their health care needs and services. This is from the period the patients are admitted to the medical institution to the period they are discharged (Lai & Lim, 2012). Also, case managers are referred to by more general terms, as medical case managers or nurse case managers. In addition, nurse case managers work hand in hand with patients and their relatives or loved ones to examine the needs of the patient and come up with an ample health care plan that highlights their preferences and objectives (Baldwin, 2012). There are also certain education requirements that need to be met for a person to become a nurse case manager. Nurse case managers characteristically possess an associate’s degree in nursing as the lowest educational requirement. However, some have a master’s or bachelor’s degree to signify an advanced level of training and knowledge. In addition to certification and educational achievement, registered nurses can augment their ch ances of becoming nurse case managers if they have shown immense attention to detail, have significant connection with patients and their loved ones, and are terrific supervisors of their nursing staff. It also helps to have a specified amount of years of experience in the field of nursing. The writer has had a concentration, a segment of the patient population on which she has focused her greatest interest.

The Concept of Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Concept of Property - Essay Example The elusive concept of property leads to the difficulty of defining what is property, and thus creates complexity for courts to use the concept of property as an analytical tool for deciding cases.2 In this paper I will discuss a frequently cited concept of property - the 'bundle of rights' theory of property formulated by theorist Wesley Hohfeld3 and complimented by theorist A.M. Honore4 and assess whether or not property is a bundle of rights. Section I of this paper will examine the difficulty of defining property and the sources of its elusiveness. Section II will examine what the 'bundle of rights' theory is and how property can be seen as a 'bundle of rights'. Section III will examine how the 'bundle of rights' theory is limited in defining the concept of property. Section IV will examine the effect that conflicting conceptions of property have on court decisions about property. Specifically I will use three cases to illustrate the effects of differing conceptions of property - Yanner5, Wily6 and Moore7. Wesley Comb Hohfeld described property as a bundle of rights. Hohfeld presents us with an analytical framework that splits rights into four different jural relationships. The main aim of his schema is to present an analytical description of rights. Simply put, Hohfeld aimed to provide a conceptual understanding for our use of right and duty in practice, thus facilitating a better understanding of the nature of our rights. His framework precludes informing us what rights, duties are or should be or what their moral foundation is or what is necessary for something to count as a right, duty etc. He does not, therefore, say anything about the justification of rights. Specifically, Hohfeld's table presents a distinction between four different sets of juridical relationships. (See Figure 1). Figure 1: Hohfeld's Table of Entitlements and Burdens: Right(Claim-Right) Liberty[ Power Immunity Duty No-Right Liability Disability The table above presents four sets of Hohfeldian jural relations. The top row contains four types of Hohfeld's legal rights, while the bottom row indicates the legal position entailed for the other party in each of the types of right. These are jural correlatives. On the other hand, the pairs of diagonally opposite elements in the first two columns (duty/liberty and right/no-right) and those in the last two columns (liability/immunity and power/disability) are jural opposites, i.e. two legal positions that negate each other. (Lazarev 12:1-2). All of the Hohfeldian rights (in the top row) represent entitlements against a specific person. In a sense, each Hohfeldian right resolves only one issue between two specific parties.We start with a simple discussion of rights. One has to be very specific here. He who has the right must be able to pinpoint another person with a correlative duty either in terms of shield or assistance. Hohfeld's explained that every right is a relation between no more than two persons To say that X has a legal claim-right means that he is legally protected from interference by Y or against Y's withholding of assistance with respect to X's project Z. Conversely, Y, who is to abstain from interference, or is required to provide assistance in

Middle-Range Theory Application Assignment Research Paper

Middle-Range Theory Application Assignment - Research Paper Example This paper focuses on the Tidal Model of Mental Health Recovery (Barker, 2001) which is considered as the first model for recovery developed by nurses and practitioners (Brookes, 2006). Over the past decades, psychiatry was mainly focused on the things that were done to the patients, and not with them. Mental illness was contained in order to significantly reduce the disturbances; however, by the end of the 20th century, the belief that professionals can sort out psychiatric problems was dramatically declining (Davidson & Strauss, 1992). With this, the concept of recovery as well as it focus on values had been highlighted, which has driven Barker (2001) to come up with the Tidal Model of Mental Health Recovery.   The philosophy behind this approach was initially driven by research about what individuals need for mental health care. The theorist was encouraged to establish a theory focusing on values as a component of recovery-focused practice, due to the fact that traditional scientific approaches have not been able to address all mental health issues, especially recovery. Generally, the Tidal approach places emphasis on how professionals and practitioners can mo dify care to work with each individual’s needs as well as his story and experiences so the person can be capable of paving the way for recovery (Buchanan-Barker & Barker, 2008). The person plays the main role in the recovery process, though a practitioner can help release the potential for recovery of the individual. The Tidal model is the first model of mental health recovery based on research that has also been developed by nurses as well as the support of individuals who have used or have been using psychiatric services (Brookes, 2006). Numerous approaches on recovery often put emphasis on self-management with which people are helped so they can manage their symptoms and develop plans in order to achieve

Physical Chemistry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Physical Chemistry - Lab Report Example Chemical electronic transitions that are usually induced through the absorption of visible light spectrum result in excited state molecules. In the process energy is absorbed, dissipated or both. The absorbed energy must be released to return the excited species back to the original ground state. Typically, on absorption of light at their absorption maxima, dye molecules exhibit long excited state lifetimes and emit radiation at longer wavelengths (fluorescence or phosphorescence). The excited state of the luminescent dye can be quenched by an energy transfer mechanism upon collision with oxygen molecules [1] As a result, the intensity of luminescence is reduced along with the lifetime and the degree of quenching is proportional to the oxygen concentration. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an optical oxygen sensor. The active components of the sensor are the luminescent dye encapsulated in a polymer medium, a light source (commonly a LED or laser) for exciting the dye at a particular wavelength, (550–800 nm) [2], a photodiode to detect the fluorescent radiation and an optical fiber for the transmission of light. The quenching of the luminescence can be characterized by the Stern-Volmer eqn. [3] Figure 1 Schematics of an optical oxygen sensor. (1) Gas or liquid path, (2) Lumophore dispersed on oxygen permeable membrane, (3) lens and filter, (4) exciting radiation, (5) fluorescent radiation, (6) optical fiber, (7) LED/Laser, (8) photodiode, and (9) display In a typical ground electronic state is a singlet (all electrons paired). Electronic excitation results in an excited state singlet that may undergo internal conversion to a triplet state. Due to the forbidden nature of a triplet singlet transition, the triplet state may exist for a substantial length of time. The emission from this state is known as the phosphorescence. Fluorescence refers to the emission from

International Trade and Finance Speech Essay Example for Free

International Trade and Finance Speech Essay One may try to understand what exactly a foreign exchange rate is. To help understand, let’s view a foreign exchange rate as exchanging one dollar at a department store for a product. If one were to go into a department store and purchase a pair of socks in a three pack for one dollar, or each for 33 cents, one would be able to relate that the dollar-to-socks exchange rate is three socks because one exchanged a single dollar for three pairs of socks. Similarly, the sock-to-dollar exchange rate would be one-third of a dollar, meaning 33 cents. This is because if one decides to sell a single pair of socks, one would get 33 cents in exchange. Moffatt) The same principle hold true for foreign currency. On May 9, 2013 the U. S. -to-Euro exchange rate was . 767 EUR, meaning that for one U. S. dollar, one could purchase . 767 Euros. In order to determine the amount that one could exchange one Euro to the dollar, one could use this simple formula: Euro-to-U. S. exchange rate = 1 / U. S. -to-Euro exchange rate. Euro-to-U. S. exchange rate = 1 / 3767 = 1. 303. This equation shows that one Euro would be exchange for 1. 303 U. S. dollars. (Moffatt) Now that what have an understanding of what a foreign exchange rate is, let discuss how these rates are determined. Using the two previously discussed currencies, each of their rate are determined in a foreign exchange market that is open to a very large range of various sellers and buyers. Each country incorporates mechanisms that will in turn aid in managing the value of their currency. These mechanisms help in determining the, either pegged and fixed, or free-floating. A peg system is when a country tries to keep their currency at a fixed exchange rate, as the Chinese have done between 1994 and 2005. Doing this sometime devalue or over-value their currencies, which can result in either a trade deficit or surplus. Free-floating is when the currency’s exchange rate is allowed to vary against currencies of other countries, allowing supply and demand in the market forces to determine its exchange rate; exchange rates for these currencies are determined around the works by banks and are quoted through the financial markets. (Mayer) International Trade The effects of international trade means lower prices for goods and services; competition for the domestic markets and less of a choice for employment for University of phoenix students after graduation. When the country invests more in international trade that local business and companies; the Gross domestic product may start to suffer and business may start to go out of business due to loss in business. International trade takes away from local farmers and business owner’s success. If the country is constantly making international trades, eventually the United States would no longer have a need for local farmers. The local farmers would have surplus that may spoil due to not being sold. This could cause the farmer to become bankrupt. International trades mean less cost for products and services for the consumer, (Investopedia, n. ). So in return that means less business for the local farmers and business owners as mentioned before. The effect of international trade effects University of Phoenix student mainly after graduation. If all of the jobs are being outsources or traded overseas; what opportunities does that leave the new potential employees? The students would not have a job of choice, depending on the degree they have pursued. It would be unfortunate for a student to complete a program and not be able to use their degree effectively due to their job of choice being outsourced overseas. International trade is not all that bad as it is made out to be. Without international trade, we would not be able to experience different types of foods from other countries that cannot be produced in our country, (Investopedia, n. d). Tariffs and Quotas International relations and trade can be affected by the choices governments choose to fallow. First, what are tariffs and quotes? Tariffs or sometimes known as custom duties also, they are a certain amount of tax value placed by governments on international trade goods and are typically on imported goods. Quotas are limits placed on the importers, which gives them a certain amount of time they may import their goods. Quotas generally favor the importer, because they tend to drive the cost of goods up, which in turn gains revenue for the importing companies. Tariffs do the opposite, they generally will bring revenue to the government, because they are a tax and the government will gain in revenue. Although tariffs and quotas bring revenue to the companies and the government, they can also have a negative affect if the tax is too high or if the quotas are so small. Price of the goods will sky rocket and problems in the international trading world will arise. One example, which according to Colander (2010) stated,â€Å" Probably the most infamous tariff in U. S. istory is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930, which raised tariffs on imported goods to an average of 60 percent. It was passed at the height of the Great Depression in the United States in the hope of protecting American jobs. It didn’t work. Other countries responded with similar tariffs. As a result of these trade wars, international trade plummeted from $60 billion in 1928 to $25 billion in 1938, unemployment worsened, and the international depression deepened. † (Colander, 2010, p. 458). Import of Goods If the U. S. restricted all goods coming in from China then the U. S. would lose a significant amount of comparative advantage with China. What this means is that goods manufactured in China, India and other Asian countries are creating demand for advertising, management, and distribution, and are therefore creating jobs and income in the United States† (Colander, 2010, p. 453). Currently the U. S. is now a debtor nation and China plus India are creating jobs and helping the U. S. economy. The U. S. could not afford to restrict China because this could cause problems internationally with the two countries and the U. S. economy would suffer from bad relations. Why cannot the U. S. just minimize the amount of imports coming in from all other countries? The U. S. annot minimize the amount of imports coming in from other countries because this would hurt the U. S. economy as a whole. Minimizing the amount of imports could also hurt the reputation of the U. S. on the international trade level and the U. S. could end up losing trading partners with other countries. The U. S. is consuming more imports then selling of exports so minimizing the amount of imports would also be very difficult. Again this could make the U. S. economy crash from the loss of imports. â€Å"International trade, and changing comparative advantages, will become more and more important for the United States in the coming decades† Colander, 2010, p. 470). Surplus A surplus of imports that is brought into the United States is when imports exceed exports, meaning that the demand for U. S. goods or services is in the negative. A negative export affects the economy’s income and output, the employment rate, prices of goods and services, and the rate of inflation. An example of a product with an import surplus, and the impact that it had on the U. S. businesses and consumers is the motor-vehicle manufacturing sector. â€Å"The motor-vehicle manufacturing sector is the second-largest employer among all U. S. anufacturing industries, and auto parts and tires contribute the most direct jobs (nearly two-thirds or more) to the motor-vehicle sector. † (Scott, 2012) Since the United States Government helped with the restructuring of General Motors, there has been a strong turnaround in U. S. auto sales, but this still does not stop the massive import and surplus of automotive parts available on the U. S. market. Chinese exports to the United States have increase by 900 percent in the last decade, thus affecting the employment rate of those that would be working in the United States auto-parts industry.

United States Agency for International Development Africa

United States Agency for International Development Africa William H Goss As the process of globalization inexorably ties nations, regions, and continents into a greater interconnected web of interaction, the recognition emerges that the condition of a particular geopolitical location is bound to the condition of the world as a whole. Conflict, poverty, and disease in one country may have negative consequences for another despite great spatial distance. Conversely, improvements in governance, economics, and public health in even a single city or town may have positive reverberating effects across distant continents. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) defines specific sectors such as Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Water and Sanitation, Crises and Conflict, and Global Health, and applies specific goals to each one. As a global actor, USAID approaches sub-Saharan African countries in west, east, and south sub-regions as individual cases in need of both immediate and long-term soluti ons for relief and development. USAID’s mission is shaped by the belief that improvements to a broad range of development sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa will enhance the national security of the United States. USAID operates through public-private collaborative efforts that provide financial and technical assistance in distinct but synergistic sectors. USAID is a relatively young governmental agency that has periodically shifted its organization and strategies to achieve evolving goals worldwide. USAID was created by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which consolidated existing foreign aid organizations under one agency (Ballantyne Dugan, 2012). From the onset, USAID leaders recognized the connection between international well-being and the well-being of the United States. In 1962 President John F. Kennedy addressed Congress, stating â€Å"Our efforts to help [other nations] help themselves, to demonstrate and strengthen the vitality of free institutions, are small in cost compared to our military outlays for the defense of freedom† (Ballantyne Dugan, 2012). Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been a focus of USAID since its inception, and have become increasingly emphasized in recent times. In the 1960’s, USAID offered assistance in thirty-one sub-Saharan African countries in order to improve levels of education , agricultural productivity, and rural road development (Ballantyne Dugan, 2012). Today, there is a multifaceted USAID plan for forty-two countries in the region (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). The region of Sub-Saharan Africa, massive in terms of size and environmental, ethnic, and cultural diversity, possesses a complex series of human issues that are influenced by history, geography, and global interactions. Of all the countries in the world, the twenty-two lowest ranking on the Human Development Index a measure of an average citizen’s health, knowledge, and standard of living are all located in Africa (Marston et. al, 2014). European colonialism has left a legacy that continues to challenge African nations. During the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, European powers created arbitrary boundaries on the African continent that grouped distinct and sometimes hostile ethnic, cultural, and religious populations together (Marston et. al, 2014). The transitions from colonial territories to independent nations were not uniform; instead, some countries developed stable, effective democracies while others are still marred with military dictatorships, corruption, and violence. Changes to infrastructure during Africa’s colonial period are still evidenced by the exportation of cash crops introduced by Europeans, such as tea plantations in Kenya and peanuts in Nigeria and Senegal (Marston et. al, 2014). Dependence upon a small group of agricultural exports, it can be argued, have made many African nations vulnerable to fluctuations in global prices and demand and have likely contributed to low levels economic development. The essence of USAID’s motivation for its actions around the world and in sub-Saharan Africa rests on the premise that U.S. national security is bound to the stability of regions experiencing poverty, conflict, or other social issues. USAID defines itself as â€Å"[..] the lead government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential† (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). This mission statement is compatible with larger U.S. strategic imperatives in Africa. AFRICOM, a agency of the U.S. Defense department focused on military and strategic objectives in Africa, is one such partner. Sharon Cromer, the Senior Deputy Assistant Administer in USAID’s Bureau for Africa, stated to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights that â€Å"[†¦] USAID and AFRICOM engagement is mutually supportive of U.S. foreign policy objectives. [†¦] Instability, poverty, and diseas e travel with ease across oceans and borders† (U.S Congress, 2011). Despite the overarching goal of ensured U.S. security, however, USAID is unique from other U.S. governmental bodies in its focus on humanitarian aid in a wide range of categories. The ability to provide reliable sustenance is one of the most primeval combinations of skills and knowledge that enable a population to thrive and develop. But when geographical, ecological and historical factors impede a population’s ability to feed itself, the overall productivity and well-being of society deteriorates. With less than 30% of sub-Saharan African soil able to be cultivated in addition to the devastation that pests like locusts and the Quela bird can wreak on crops African populations have necessarily developed adaptations appropriate for their respective ecological area (Marston .et all, 2014). However, the impacts of colonialism’s emphasis on export crops, as well as the effects of global climate change, have reduced the capacity of agriculture to provide food within the region. One approach USAID has taken in the pursuit of greater food security has been to provide education and technical assistance in the field of agriculture. For example, since th e 1960’s USAID has supported institutions of higher learning such as Egerton College, a Kenyan university that leads the country’s study of agriculture and biotech (Toh, 2012). Another example of USAID’s effort to boost agricultural diversity can be found in developing dairy production in Kenya. Through the 1990’s and 2000’s, financial, technical, and training assistance were provided to the Siongiroi dairy plant, the success of which spurred economic growth in farming, transportation, and exchange (Toh, 2012). Even more immediate in necessity than nutritious food is safe, reliable water for drinking and sanitation. In the midst of violent conflict, access to water can become tenuous at best. Sudan experienced civil war from 1955 to 1972 and 1983 to 1995, killing and displacing millions of people in and around the country (Marston et. al, 2014). Furthermore, the conflict destroyed physical infrastructure and social cohesiveness essential to maintaining utilities. In the recently-independent country of South Sudan, for example, USAID estimates that at least 30% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water and only 13% has the opportunity to use sanitation facilities (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). To increase the availability of clean water, USAID has made partnerships with private corporations. In Wau, South Sudan, USAID teams repaired the defunct water-treatment facility and expanded its operations under the Wau Urban Water Corp (U.S. Agency for International De velopment, 2015). Public Health is a particularly salient developmental sector that has profound impacts on individuals, families, and communities in countries and around the world. The current Ebola epidemic in west sub-Saharan Africa has garnered widespread media attention and international responses. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is caused by four of the five strains of the Ebola virus, which is transmitted through the contact of bodily fluids and is fatal in up to 50% of cases (CDC, 2015). USAID sent a Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) to West Africa in August 2014 (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). In that month, the number of suspected, probable, and confirmed EVD cases was 1600, with 900 deaths. In April 2015, the total number of EVD cases was 26,277, with 10,884 deaths in the countries of Liberia, Sierra Leon, Guinea, and Mali (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). This epidemic constitutes the largest Ebola outbreak in history (CDC, 2015). With such tragically hig h death rates, the fear that the Ebola virus will continue to spread has infected the minds of many citizens and leaders in far away nations, including the United States. In order to combat the threat of a continuing Ebola virus epidemic and to provide relief and stabilization in affected countries, USAID has adopted a multifaceted approach that involves collaboration between other U.S. medical and military agencies, non-governmental organizations, and local people. USAID’s DART to West Africa â€Å"includes staff from [†¦] USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services† (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2015). Possessing a large budget and hierarchical structure overseeing specialized task forces, USAID is able to organize the distribution of funding, logistical transport of goods and people, and communication with other groups to achieve a particular goal. A major strength of USAID is its resource base and ability to deliver goods with flexibility, as well as communicate with other supportive organizations. Due to the highly contagious nature of EVD, health care practitioners in affected areas need specialized protective wear such as facemasks, gloves, and aprons to protect themselves from infection. In addition, sanitizing chemicals that can neutralize the virus from the equipment are of paramount necessity. One such chemical is High Test Hypochlorite (HTH), which due to its unstable chemical nature can cause explosions if handled incorrectly. To address this safety hazard, USAID organized the delivery via cargo ship of 53 metric tons of HTH to Guinea and 38 tons to Sierra Leone, which was then distributed by truck to necessary areas (Han, 2015). Logistical assistance such as this contributes to the overall goals of containment and treatment of EVD. In the countries of Sierra Leon, Guinea, and Liberia –which have been the most heavily infected during the Ebola crisis – the dissemination of factual information to the public helps dispel myths that have inadvertently help the disease spread. Such myths held by some Liberians include the belief that the Ebola Virus is a hoax, or that patients who go to treatment clinics are experimented on (Mobula 2014). Such myths can dissuade people who are infected or at risk of infection from seeking treatment and spread the disease to others. In a country with fractured communication systems, it can be difficult to reach the ears of the larger community with clarifying information. USAID has partnered with a NGO called Internews that supports Guinean Journalists to cover stories about Ebola (Han, 2015). Some of the most effective reporting has come from within Ebola treatment centers, where interviews with health care providers, patients, and survivors transmitted via radio help to gain the trust and respect of listening native audiences. One contributing factor to the proliferation of EVD in West African countries has been the overall lack or underdevelopment of health care facilities, trained practitioners, and infrastructure. In Liberia for example, one of USAID’s focuses is to continue to develop public health services even as the number of Ebola patients continues to fall. This action is taken in the belief that future outbreaks of infectious diseases will be better able to be contained. In Liberia, USAID funded a training program that worked with a Johns-Hopkins affiliated organization called Jhpiego to instruct health care workers on proper techniques for treating EVD infected patients while remaining safe themselves (Dale, 2015). The medical knowledge specific to the Ebola virus that has been acquired and spread will also be valuable in a broader public health context. It is difficult to assess completely the complex interactions of agriculture and education, humanitarian conflicts and drinking water access, and public health in a global context. That being said, global actors such as USAID theorize that positive developments in distinct but synergistic sectors will amplify to reach the greater good of all. In sub-Saharan African countries facing social or environmental problems, USAID works to implement immediate and long-term solutions for relief and development. Through public-private collaborative efforts, USAID funds and supplies progressive actions in mutually-supportive sectors of development. Works Cited Ballantyne, J., Dugan, M. (Eds.). (2012). Fifty Years in USAID: Stories From the Front Lines. Arlington Hall Press. Coordinating Africa Policy on Security, Counterterrorism, Humanitarian Operations and Development, House of Representatives, 112th Congress. (2011). Dale, K. (2015, April 6). Moving Beyond Ebola: Rebuilding Liberias Health Care System. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://blog.usaid.gov/2015/04/moving-beyond-ebola- rebuilding-liberias-health-care-system/ Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. (2015, April 14). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/ Han, C. (2015, April 10). How Guinea’s Journalists Are Fighting to Win the War Against Ebola. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://blog.usaid.gov/2015/04/how-guineas-journalists- are-fighting-to-win-the-war-against-ebola/ Han, C. (2015, March 10). USAID Takes to the High Seas to Bring Reinforcements to Guinea’s Ebola Fight. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://blog.usaid.gov/2015/03/usaid-takes-to- the-high-seas-to-bring-reinforcements-to-guineas-ebola-fight-2/ Mobula, L.M. (2014). Courage is not the absence of fear: responding to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Glob Health Sci Pract. 487-489. from:http://www.researchgate.net/publication/271331527_Courage_is_not_the_absence_ of_fear_responding_to_the_Ebola_outbreak_in_Liberia Marston, S., Knox, P., Liverman, D., Del Casino, V., Robbins, P. (2014). World Regions in Global Context (5th ed.). Pearson Education. Onishi, N. (2015, April 11). Empty Ebola Clinics in Liberia Are Seen as Misstep in U.S. Relief Effort. Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/world/africa/idle-ebola-clinics-in-liberia-are-seen- as-misstep-in-us-relief-effort.html?_r=0 Toh, K. (2012). Long-Term Perspectives on Aid and Development in Africa. Fifty Years in USAID: Stories From the Front Lines. Arlington Hall Press. U.S. Agency for International Development. (2015, May 4). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from http://www.usaid.gov/ United States Africa Command. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2015, from http://www.africom.mil/ Urban, A. (2015, April 15). Working to Beat Ebola Along the Border. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://blog.usaid.gov/2015/04/working-to-beat-ebola-along-the-border/

Mechanically agitated fermenters

Mechanically agitated fermenters Abstract Traditional mechanical agitation fermenters have dominated the industry since the antibiotic era as needs changed new fermenter designs were created. As a result air lift agitated fermenters were created and have many merits in comparison to mechanical agitation fermenters. In this essay we will go through both systems merits in regards to mixing, aeration, practicality and energy costs Introduction Agitators are mechanical instruments used to mix substances, Fermentation is an age old art in which organic substances are broken down and reassembled into other substances. Fermenters are large bioreactors in which fermentation occurs, fermenters are the instruments employed to manufacture economically viable biological products. Their basic function is to provide a controlled environment in order to achieve optimal growth and product formation of the particular biological product required. For biotech and pharmaceutical purposes the products from fermentation are microbial cells or biomass, enzymes, and microbial metabolites such as antibiotics and ethanol. The basic desired functional properties of all Fermenters are that they can create gas liquid interfaces without making foam a problem. They should sufficiently hold up dispersed phases and allow reasonable heat transfer. They should also be able to control bulk flow so no dead zones can form. In league with these functional re quirements they should be cheap, robust and have a simple mechanical design additionally they should have low power consumption and be easy to scale up. In this essay we will compare two different types of Fermenters, airlift Fermenters and mechanically agitated Fermenters. Both types of mixers within Fermenters results in the intermingling of two or more dissimilar portions of material resulting in the acquirement of either physical or chemical uniformity in the final product. In industrial fermentation reactions there is a basic requirement of substrate, organism, water and oxygen. Mixing within Fermenters usually causes equilibrium between, rate, purity and production yield. Mechanical agitators are used in traditional Fermenters for mixing they maintain optimum substrate biomass concentration everywhere, keeps solid suspended, disperse oxygen, and allow an upkeep of total bubble surface area and the recycling of air bubbles (figure 1). Mechanically agitated Fermenters Mechanically agitated Fermenters require a relatively high input of energy per unit volume. In these systems a large variety of impeller shapes and sizes are available to produce different flow patterns inside the Fermenter. The use of multiple impellers produces better mixing that works in addition with baffles that are normally used to reduce vortexing. Approximately 70-80% of the volume of stirred reactors is filled with liquid. Foaming may be a problem with this type of Fermenter. Foam breakers, may be necessary. It is better to use mechanical anti foamers over chemical anti foamers because the chemicals often reduce oxygen transfer rate. One of the limits of this system is the use of high speed impellers can damage and even destroy cells. Aspect ratios of these Fermenters vary over a wide range. For aeration to be increased a higher aspect ratio is needed (H/D rates). Increased aeration results in greater contact times between liquid and rising bubbles and produces hydrostatic p ressure at the bottom of the Fermenter. Bubble column /Air Lift Fermenters In these systems aeration and mixing are achieved by gas sparging. Gas is sparged only into the riser. Decreased liquid fluid density and gas accumulation cause the liquid in the riser to mover upwards. Gas disengages at the top of the vessel leaving heavier bubble-free liquid to recirculate through the downcomer. This process needs less energy than mechanical stirring. This mixing, method is used in the production of beer and bakers yeast. The advantages of this method over mechanical agitation are, lack of moving parts, low capital costs satisfactory mass and heat transfer. Air lifted Fermenters produce heterogeneous and homogenous medium flows. In heterogeneous flow, Bubbles and liquids tend to rise up in the center of the column while a corresponding down flow of liquid occurs near the walls. In Homogenous flow, bubbles rise with the same upward velocity with no back-mixing of the gas phase. Foaming may also be a problem with these Fermenters. There are two kinds of air lift Ferm enters internal loop and external loop Fermenters. Mixing is better in external loop Fermenters because the riser and downcomers are further apart in external loop vessels which cause the density difference between fluids in the downcomer and riser to be greater meaning circulation of the liquid vessel is faster due to fewer bubbles being carried to the downcomer. Airlift Fermenter are normally used for the culture of immobilized catalyst and the culture of plant and animal cells because of their low sheer level. Mixing Stirred Fermenters and air lifted Fermenters both offer adequate mixing and mass transfer. However when a large Fermenter is required (50-500M3) for a low viscosity medium air lift vessels may be a better choice due to their advantages. These being they are cheap to install and operate. When scale up is required large mechanical agitators are impractical as the power required to achieve adequate mixing becomes very high. Mechanical agitators are used for high viscosity cultures. Mass transfer rates decline at viscosities greater than 50-100 cP. Mechanical agitation creates much more heat than sparging of compressed gas. This can become a problem when the reaction temperature is high for example when trying to produce single celled proteins from methanol, removal of frictional stirrer heat can be problematic this is where air-lift agitation is preferred. Comparison In brief the conventional, stirred tank bioreactor has dominated the industry since its successful application in the antibiotic era and most fermentation processes today use Fermenters of this type because of this. However due to change in the industry in regards to products in demand. Such as the growth of hydrodomas cell and recombinant DNA technologies of genetically modified cells of plant, microbial and mammalian origin imposed new demands that traditional agitators could not provide at an economically viable level. For this reason new novel Fermenters where designed and put into use. The air lift Fermenter being one of them. The air lift Fermenter has no movable parts or motors the only power requirement comes from the air compressors that provide air through the sparging system. No mechanical agitation occurs, the air bubbles forced through the sparger cause induced turbulent liquid mixing and mass transfer in which mixing rates and aeration rates are coupled together. Their main advantage is low sheer and energy requirement along with aseptic seals not being required around the shaft which makes them highly suitable for producing single celled protein. Additionally in air lift Fermenters mixing is improved by the inclusion of a draught tube to impart a circulation loop which produces a higher oxygen mass coefficient (KLA). The Air lift Fermenters are ideal when there is need for gentle agitation. Whereas the conventional mechanical agitated Fermenters have a broader range of application but they have a poorly defined mixing pattern in comparison to airlift Fermenters. Additionally they cannot be aerated at a high enough rate due to impeller flooding. Practicality wise they have a long life, the mechanical agitation configuration has become too established in processes for new methodologies to replace them. It would be too expensive to do. Aeration To provide aeration into a vessel means to supply or expose the medium to the circulation of air. Airlifted Fermenters provide a much greater aeration than mechanical agitators as gas is constantly pumped into the medium and consequently causes fluid circulation. Aeration within a mechanically agitated Fermenter is controlled by the type of impeller and baffle system. For example Turbines, propellers and paddles are generally used in low viscosity systems and operate at high rotational speed inside the Fermenter. Turbines are normally used for dispersion of gases in liquids. There are many types angled-blade turbines and retreating-blade turbines, the rushton/inclined six blade impeller. Similarly for large vessels with high aspect ratios it is common practice to mount more than one impeller of the same shaft. Baffles are of particular importance as they prevent gross vortexing which is detrimental to mixing/ aeration they are normally fitted on the walls of a vessel. Practicality Depending on the product being produced in the Fermenter and the viscosity of the medium practicality of mechanical and airlift agitators differ. Mechanical agitators are very practical when it comes to mixing highly viscous non Newtonian mediums however the power for this can be very high and subsequently this increases the costs. Additionally the practicality of the Fermenter being used in regards to merits is determined by the type of product being produced, the microbiology of particular cell systems in use coupled with the morphology and nutritional requirements needed for optimal growth. The geometric configuration of the Fermenter play an important role. Effective mixing to minimise temperature, PH concentration gradient are very important particularly with mechanically agitated Fermenters especially when a process is scaled up. Additionally the viscosity of the medium plays an important role, does the medium behave in a Newton or non Newton manner is it a solid or liquid sta te fermentation. The sheering effect of a particular agitation system dictates whether sheer sensitive cells can be cultivated. All of this is taken into account keeping in mind what is best for economic performance. For example large mechanical agitators have better Practical use than air lift agitators for use with the following cell systems, these are immobilised Bacteria, yeast and plant cells and are used for the for the production of products such as ethanol, monoclonal antibodies, growth factors and medicinal products. This is because they can tolerate sheer at a level best for productivity. Resulting in large quantities of moderate quality products with good profit costs. Alternatively air lift agitators are generally used for the cell systems of bacteria yeast and other fungi producing products such as single celled proteins E.G. Quorn, enzymes, secondary metabolites and biosurfactants. This is because they are more economically practical due to them having low sheer values meaning they do not damage the cells, they have much lower running costs and they can produce higher value sheer sensitive GM pr oducts. Furthermore when it comes to scale up with airlifted Fermenters it can be difficult to alter stirring rates making it difficult to deal with important rheological changes and foaming. This is where mechanically agitated Fermenters are favoured. Also air lifted Fermenters are less flexible than mechanically agitated systems as Aeration is responsible for homogenization. Energy use and Cost Mechanical agitators use more energy have moving parts, seals and are more expensive to run than airlift fermenters. The main benefit of air-lift Fermenters over mechanical agitators is that they can be constructed at much greater reactor volumes air-lift Fermenters can be built at volumes of several thousands cubic meters while mechanical operated agitators can be scaled up to a maximum of 800-1500 m3 (Ruitenberg et al 2001) As a consequence of this the investment costs of air-lift Fermenters is significantly lower when compared to mechanically operated agitators of the same capacity. At higher volumes mechanical agitators cause mechanical problems because of the large power requirements of the impeller. Furthermore, scale-up of air-lift Fermenters is much more straight forward than that of mechanical agitated fermenters. Scale-up from a 5 m3 pilot to 1500 m3 and larger is well defined. (Ruitenberg et al 2001) Figure 3 shows the Capital cost comparison of air-lift Fermenters vs. mechanical agitated fermenters. The cost for a mechanically agitated fermenter is defined as 1 for a 1500 m3 tank. The c ost of a 1500 m3 air-lift fermenter is a bit lower than that of the equivalent mechanically agitated fermenter. However, the investment cost follows the 0.6 rule until 6000 m3 is reached. Above 6000 m3, more than one air lift fermenter may need to be used. Another advantage of air-lift fementers over mechanical agitated fermenters is that the oxygen input efficiency is the same or better at considerably lower shear. Additionally Because no moving parts are present in air-lift Fermenters, the costs for maintenance will be lower as compared to mechanically agitated fermenters. The combination of high oxygen input efficiencies and low maintenance costs results in lower operational costs. Shear rates are much lower in air-lift Fermenters than in mechanically agitated fermenters. Low shear rates facilitate growth of biofilms, which can increase the reaction rate. This advantage is thought to be greatest when thermophilic bacteria are used. Because a three-phase settler can be integrated on top of an air-lift fermenter, the solids retention time can be separated from the hydraulic retention time causing biomass retention, (Ruitenberg et al 2001) Conclusion Mechanically agitated Fermenters have been in use since the beginning of the industry however due to changes in demand that comes with time in regards to technology and products needed novel Fermenter ideals were designed and put into fruition the air lift Fermenter is but one. In many ways this air lift agitators have many advantages as was just discussed. References Barker, T. W. and J. T. Worgan (1981). The Application of Air-Lift Fermenters to the Cultivation of Filamentous Fungi. European Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 13(2): 77-83. Chisti, Y. and U. J. Jauregui-Haza (2002). Oxygen transfer and mixing in mechanically agitated airlift bioreactors. Biochemical Engineering Journal 10(2): 143-153. Fontana, R. C., T. A. Polidoro, et al. (2009). Comparison of stirred tank and airlift bioreactors in the production of polygalacturonases by Aspergillus oryzae. Bioresource Technology 100(19): 4493-4498. Margaritis, A. and J. B. Wallace (1984). Novel Bioreactor Systems and Their Applications. Bio-Technology 2(5): 447-453. Ruitenberg, R., C. E. Schultz, et al. (2001). Bio-oxidation of minerals in air-lift loop bioreactors. International Journal of Mineral Processing 62(1-4): 271-278. Williams, J. A. (2002). Keys to bioreactor selections. Chemical Engineering Progress 98(3): 34-41.

The Life of Mass Murderer, Henry Lee Lucas Essay -- Biography Biograph

The Life of Mass Murderer, Henry Lee Lucas "Henry Lee Lucas enjoyed holding the title of 'the most infamous man on death row.' His fleeting fame did not evolve from the three cold-blooded murders he did commit, but from hundreds of murders he did not." (Bonnie Bobit) He confessed to hundreds of murders to prove several points, as well as to delay his death sentence. Lucas lived through a childhood of abuse and neglect. If there is a case that proves a person's childhood is reflected in their later actions this could certainly be one. He was never taught that life had any value and perhaps this led him into a life of crime. (killer index) Henry Lee Lucas was born on August 23, 1936, in Blacksburg Virginia. Lucas's mother was an abusive prostitute who forced both her disabled husband and son Henry to watch her performance of sexual acts on strangers. Henry's father was missing both his legs from a accident; he sold pencils on a street corner to earn an income for their family and to feed his alcoholism. Henry came from a large family of eight brothers and sisters, they all lived in a two-room dirt floor cottage. (Killer index) As well as being forced to watch his mother's sexual acts, Henry's mother severely beat him. Henry and one of his brothers were carrying on one day and Henry's eye was stabbed out. It was days before someone took Henry to the doctor. He was in excruciating pain for days. (Bonnie Bobit) One time Henry's mother beat him so hard with a wooden stick that he "lay in a semi-conscious state for three days' before he was taken to the doctor. (Serial killer index) Viola, Henry's mother also used to dress him up in a dress, curl his hair and send him off shoeless to school. She beat him once because he came h... ...//www.amnesty.org/ailib/aipub/1998/AMR/25101098.htm Amnesty International. United States of America: Death Penalty in Texas: Lethal Injustice. March 1998. http://crimemagazine.com/lucas.htm Bobit, Bonnie. Crime magazine an encyclopedia of crime. http://www.detnews.com/1998/nation/9806/26/06270008.htm Holmes, Michael (Associated Press) Texas governor grants death chamber reprieve to confessed serial killer. The Detroit News Friday June 6 1998. http://www.houseofhorrors.com/lucas.htm House of Horrors. Henry Lee Lucas portrait of a serial killer. http://detnews.com/menu/stories/18493.htm Pressley, Sue Anne, Washington Post. Executioner awaits for Henry Lee Lucas, criminal superstar of '80s. Detroit news October 2, 1995 http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/serial1.html Serial Killer Hit list http://www.crass.com/killer/lucas.html Serial Killer index.

The Man in the Black Suit :: Personal Narrative Death Dying Essays

The Man in the Black Suit We gathered together in our plain, small-town church for the funeral of my friend, Eric. We had to wait in a hall outside the room where Eric was lying in his coffin for some time, waiting for the room to open. Almost the whole town stood in the hall. I saw my neighbor, Mr. Crandle, leaning up against the wall, taking his dusty cowboy hat off to swat some manure off of his boot. Mr. Jackson, the town mechanic and bartender at the High Mountain Tavern and Sport Shop, was talking in whispered tones to his short, plump wife. I began to wonder if Mr. Jackson owned any other clothes besides the stained, blue overalls that he wore all of the time. The mayor, Bob "The Bobber" Thompson, was the best dressed of them all in his faded, brown, pin-striped suit. I began to wonder why he was known to all as "The Bobber." As I probed deeper into this question, I was awakened from my thoughts by the scuffling of feet and saw everyone entering the room. I stood outside for a long time, not wanting to see Eric in his final resting place, wanting to remember him alive. As I entered the small, cramped room, some were trying to sing the hymn, "Father in Heaven, We Do Believe," while most wept, catching a final view of my friend before the oak coffin was closed and his earthly life was officially over. I was standing in the crowd, looking at Eric. He looked so peaceful, as if he was just sleeping and would wake up at any moment. The makeup on his face disturbed me. His skin was a bright peach color, his cheeks were pink, and his lips were full and red. He did not look like my friend, but like some sort of dead mime. His small, unmistakable smile eased my apprehensions, however, and the program went on. Suddenly, the crowd seemed to part in slow motion and I saw the man in the black suit standing before the coffin. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and yet he seemed somehow to be much older. Perhaps it was his dark eyes that seemed to sink into his pale face or his thin frame that seemed so frail. His hair looked the same as the first day I met him, combed sideways as if his mother still did it for him. The Man in the Black Suit :: Personal Narrative Death Dying Essays The Man in the Black Suit We gathered together in our plain, small-town church for the funeral of my friend, Eric. We had to wait in a hall outside the room where Eric was lying in his coffin for some time, waiting for the room to open. Almost the whole town stood in the hall. I saw my neighbor, Mr. Crandle, leaning up against the wall, taking his dusty cowboy hat off to swat some manure off of his boot. Mr. Jackson, the town mechanic and bartender at the High Mountain Tavern and Sport Shop, was talking in whispered tones to his short, plump wife. I began to wonder if Mr. Jackson owned any other clothes besides the stained, blue overalls that he wore all of the time. The mayor, Bob "The Bobber" Thompson, was the best dressed of them all in his faded, brown, pin-striped suit. I began to wonder why he was known to all as "The Bobber." As I probed deeper into this question, I was awakened from my thoughts by the scuffling of feet and saw everyone entering the room. I stood outside for a long time, not wanting to see Eric in his final resting place, wanting to remember him alive. As I entered the small, cramped room, some were trying to sing the hymn, "Father in Heaven, We Do Believe," while most wept, catching a final view of my friend before the oak coffin was closed and his earthly life was officially over. I was standing in the crowd, looking at Eric. He looked so peaceful, as if he was just sleeping and would wake up at any moment. The makeup on his face disturbed me. His skin was a bright peach color, his cheeks were pink, and his lips were full and red. He did not look like my friend, but like some sort of dead mime. His small, unmistakable smile eased my apprehensions, however, and the program went on. Suddenly, the crowd seemed to part in slow motion and I saw the man in the black suit standing before the coffin. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and yet he seemed somehow to be much older. Perhaps it was his dark eyes that seemed to sink into his pale face or his thin frame that seemed so frail. His hair looked the same as the first day I met him, combed sideways as if his mother still did it for him.

Army: Sociology and Team Leader

By Groves, Ian, L The importance of being on time and communication With leadership on the first level This paper will tell you why it is imperative to be timely and also to keep good communication with your leadership mainly at the first level. This paper is a result to not showing up on time to a formation, and failing to let someone know what was going on. So now this paper will explain the importance of the ways someone could prevent it from happening to them. Being late makes people look bad and reflects upon the people in charge of them.Leaders are in charge of making sure the people they are in charge of are doing the right thing at all times and keeping them squared away. It is very important and imperative that one be on time to formations, briefs and anything else they are scheduled to do that day because if someone misses a brief or meeting they could miss very important information, every mission has a starting point and if your higher-ups tell you that is when they want to get stuff started. If you’re late that could mean doing push-ups Also, if you’re too late for duty you’re considered AWOL (absent without leave).Usually one should try to be early because being early, is always better than being late, it also reflects positively on you as a person, on your team leader and anyone in charge of them because you are a reflection of your team leader and anything he teaches you. It makes you and them look and seem squared away and on their game and not a lazy unmotivated scum bag. So if you want to impress your upper chain of command it would be a good idea to be at least on time if not early. You’ll look good and impress people hopefully the right people.This paper will also tell you the importance and imperativeness of keeping good communication between you and your team leader at the first line level. â€Å"The purpose of communication is to create new or better awareness. Effective communication implies the clear expres sion of vision and values in order to more easily achieve your goals†, keeping a good communication with your team leader is kind of like being on time to a formation, you could miss important information that your team leader puts out, it could be vital information like when to show up for a formation or brief.All you had to do was contact your team leader before the formation time and tell him/her you were running late and none of this would have happened. You would still get in trouble for being late, but not to such a degree. Communication with leadership and being on time also goes further, even all the way to army values. â€Å"Army Values† is not merely a phrase for how members of the Army should act; they are who we are. We emulate the seven Army Values because they are the standard for behavior, not only in the Army, but in any ordered society†.Communication and loyalty is being faithful to your team leader and telling him what is going on. Trust and comm unication is like your team leader trusting you to communicate with him and you trusting that your team leader will communicate and get you all the information you need. On an important mission it is your duty to get important information to your team leader so that you can get a mission accomplished with as little or no casualties as possible. Respect and communication is having enough respect for your team leader to tell him what is going on because he wants to know what is going on and not telling him would be disrespectful.Well I feel I have got my point across with communication and the army values, there is timeliness and how it involves the army values, It is your duty to be on time because it could mean bad outcomes, imagine you were moving some medical supplies to people who needed it and you were too late. it could mean losing lives. Integrity and timeliness is having the integrity to tell your team leader if you’re running late and taking responsibility for being l ate. in this paper I have told you the importance of being on time and communication even at the lowest level.By telling you this information It should have helped in persuading you to be timely and communicate with others. in this paper there are quotes that have been cited for credibility. This is the importance of time management and communication mainly on the first line level. Communication is very important. Time management is very important. Always do the right thing Sources and citing’s . â€Å"The purpose of communication is to create new or better awareness. Effective communication implies the clear expression of vision and values in order to more easily achieve your goals† Pagonis, William G. lieutenant general â€Å"The Importance of Communication. †Ã‚  The Importance of Communication. Blackhawk Consulting Group, n. d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. . . â€Å"Army Values† is not merely a phrase for how members of the Army should act; they are who we are. We emulate the seven Army Values because they are the standard for behavior, not only in the Army, but in any ordered society†. â€Å"TRADOC News Service. †Ã‚  TRADOC News Service. N. p. , 23 Mar. 2006. Web. 15 Sept. 2012 .

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 4

He went on driving. He didn't even pause. â€Å"We're almost home.† They were nearing the turn ontoMeadowcroft Road . Gillian tried to grab for one of the brown hands on the steering wheel, and then looked at her own hand, perplexed. Her fingers felt like blocks of wood. â€Å"You have to stop,† she said, settling for volume. â€Å"There's a kid lost in those woods. That's why I went in; I heard this sound like crying. It was coming from somewhere right near the creek. We've got to go back there. Come on, stop!† â€Å"Hey, hey, calm down,† he said. â€Å"You know what I bet you heard? A long-eared owl. They roost around here, and they make this noise like a moan, oo-oo-oo.† Gillian didn't think so. â€Å"I was walking home from school. It wasn't dark enough for an owl to be out.† â€Å"Okay, a mourning dove. Goes oh-ah, whoo, whoo. Or a cat; they can sound like kids sometimes. Look,† he added almost savagely, as she opened her mouth again, â€Å"when we get you home, we can call the Houghton police, and they can check things out. But I am not letting a lit-a girl freeze just because she's got more guts than smarts.† For a moment, Gillian had an intense longing to let him continue to believe she had either guts or smarts. But she said, â€Å"It's not that. It's just- I've already been through so much to try to find that kid. I almost died-I think I did die. I mean- well, I didn't die, but I got pretty cold, and-and things happened, and I realized how important life is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She floundered to a shivering stop. What was she saying? Now he was going to think she was a nut case. And anyway all that stuff must have been a dream. She couldn't make it seem real while sitting in a Mustang with her head wrapped in a towel. But David flashed her a glance of startled recognition. â€Å"You almost died?† He looked back at the road, turning the car ontoHazel Street , where they both lived. â€Å"That happened to me once. When I was little, I had to have this operation-â€Å" He broke off as the Mustang skidded on some ice. In a moment he was in control again and turning into Gillian's driveway. It happened to you, too? David parked and was out of the car before Gillian could gather herself to speak. Then he was opening her door, reaching for her. â€Å"Gotta get all this ridiculous stuff out of the way,† he said, pushing her hair back as if it were a curtain of cobwebs. Something about the way he said it made Gillian think he liked her hair. She peered up at him through a gap in the curtain. His eyes were dark brown and normally looked almost hawkish, but just now, as their gazes met, they changed. They looked startled and wondering. As if he saw something in her eyes that surprised him and struck a chord. Gillian felt a flutter of wonder herself. I don't think he's really tough at all, she thought, as something like a spark seemed to flash between them. He's not so different from me; he's- She was wracked by a sudden bout of shivers. David blinked and shook his head. â€Å"We've got to get you inside,† he muttered. And then, still shivering, she was in the air. Bobbing, being carried up the path to her house. â€Å"You shouldn't be walking to school in the winter,† David said. â€Å"I'll drive you from now on.† Gillian was struck speechless. On the one hand, she should probably tell him she didn't walk every day. On the other hand, who was she kidding? Just the thought of him giving her a ride was enough to make her heart beat wildly. Between that and the novel feeling of being carried, it wasn't until he was opening the front door that Gillian remembered her mother. Then she panicked. Oh, God, I can't let David see her-but maybe it'll be all right. If there was a smell of food cooking, that meant it was okay. If not, it was one of Mom's bad days. There was no smell of food as David stepped into the dim hallway. And no sign of life-all the downstairs lights were off. The house was cold and echoing and Gillian knew she had to get David out. But how? He was carrying her farther in, asking, â€Å"Your parents aren't home?† â€Å"I guess not. Dad doesn't get home until seven most nights.† It wasn't exactly a lie. Gillian just prayed her mom would stay put in the bedroom until David left. â€Å"I'll be okay now,† she said hastily, not even caring if she sounded rude or ungrateful. Anything to make him go. â€Å"I can take care of myself, and- and I'm okay.† â€Å"The he †¦ eck you are,† David said. It was the longest drawn out ‘heck' Gillian had ever heard. He doesn't want to swear around me. That's cute. â€Å"You need to get thawed out, fast. Where's a bathtub?† Gillian automatically lifted a stiff arm to point down the side hall, then dropped it. â€Å"Now, wait a minute-â€Å" He was already there. He put her on her feet, then disappeared into the bathroom to turn on the water. Gillian cast an anguished glance upstairs. Just stay put, Mom. Stay asleep. â€Å"You've got to get in there and stay for at least twenty minutes,† David said, reappearing. â€Å"Then we can see if you need to go to the hospital at Houghton.† That made Gillian remember something. â€Å"The police-â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, right, I'll call them. As soon as you're in the tub.† He reached out and plucked at her dripping, ice-crusted sweater. â€Å"Can you get this off okay? Do your fingers work?† â€Å"Urn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her fingers didn't work; they were still blocks of wood. Frost-nipped at least, she thought, peering at them. But there was no way he was going to undress her, and there was also no way she was going to call her mother. â€Å"Urn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Uh, turn around,† David said. He pulled at her sweater again. â€Å"Okay, I've got my eyes shut. Now-â€Å" â€Å"No,† Gillian said, holding her elbows firmly against her sides. They stood, confused and indecisive, until they were saved by an interruption, a voice from the main hallway. â€Å"What are you doing to her?† the voice said. Gillian turned and looked around David. It was Tanya Jun, David's girlfriend. Tanya was wearing a velveteen cap perched on her glossy dark hair and a Christmas sweater with metallic threads woven in. She had almond-shaped gray eyes and a mouth with firm lips molded over white teeth. Gillian always thought of her as a future corporate executive. â€Å"I saw your car out there,† the future executive said to David, â€Å"and the front door of the house was open.† She looked level-headed, suspicious, and a little bit as if she doubted David's sanity. David looked back and forth between her and Gillian and fumbled for an explanation. â€Å"There's nothing going on. I picked her up onHillcrest Road . She was-well, look at her. She fell in the creek and she's frozen.† â€Å"I see,† Tanya said, still calmly. She gave Gillian a quick assessing glance, then turned back to David. â€Å"She doesn't look too bad. You go to the kitchen and make some hot chocolate. Or hot water with Jell-O in it, something with sugar. I'll take care of her.† â€Å"And the police,† Gillian called after David's disappearing back. She didn't exactly want to look Tanya in the face. Tanya was a senior like David, in the class ahead of Gillian atRachelCarsonHigh School . Gillian feared her, admired her, and hated her, in about that order. â€Å"Into the bathroom,† Tanya said. Once Gillian was in, she helped her undress, stripping off the clinging, icy-wet clothes and dropping them in the sink. Everything she did was brisk and efficient, and Gillian could almost see sparks fly from her fingers. Gillian was too miserable to protest at being stripped naked by somebody with the bedside manner of a female prison guard or an extremely strict nanny. She huddled, feeling small and shivering in her bare skin, and then lunged for the tub as soon as Tanya was done. The water felt scalding. Gillian could feel her eyes get huge and she clenched her teeth on a yell. It probably felt so hot because she was so cold. Breathing through her nose, she forced herself to submerge to the shoulders. â€Å"All right,† Tanya said on the other side of the coral-colored shower curtain. â€Å"I'll go up and get you some dry clothes to put on.† â€Å"No!† Gillian said, shooting half out of the water. Not upstairs, not where her mom was, not where her room was. But the bathroom door was already shutting with a decisive dick. Tanya wasn't the kind of person you said no to. Gillian sat, immobilized by panic and horror, until a fountain of burning pain drove everything else out of her mind. It started in her fingers and toes and shot upward, a white-hot searing that meant her frozen flesh was coming back to life. All she could do was sit rigid, breathe raggedly through her nose, and try to endure it. And eventually, it did get better. Her white, wrinkled skin turned dark blue, and then mottled, and then red. The searing subsided to a tingling. Gillian could move and think again. She could hear, too. There were voices outside the bathroom in the hallway. The door didn't even muffle them. Tanya's voice: â€Å"Here, I'll hold it. I'll take it to her in a minute.† In a mutter: â€Å"I'm not sure she can drink and float at the same time.† David's voice: â€Å"Come on, give her a break. She's just a kid.† â€Å"Oh, really? Just how old do you think she is?† â€Å"Huh? I don't know. Maybe thirteen?† An explosive snort from Tanya. â€Å"Fourteen? Twelve?† â€Å"David, she goes to our school. She's a junior.† â€Å"Really?† David sounded startled and bewildered. â€Å"Nah, I think she goes to P.B.† Pearl S. Buck was the junior high. Gillian sat staring at the bathtub faucet without seeing it. â€Å"She's in our biology class,† Tanya's voice said, edging toward open impatience. â€Å"She sits at the back and never opens her mouth.† The voice added, â€Å"I can see why you thought she was younger, though. Her bedroom's knee-deep in stuffed animals. And the wallpaper's little flowers. And look at these pajamas. Little bears.† Gillian's insides felt hotter than her fingers had been at their most painful. Tanya had seen her room, which was the same as it had been since Gillian was ten years old, because there wasn't money for new curtains and wallpaper and there wasn't any more storage space in the garage to put her beloved animals away. Tanya was making fun of her pajamas. In front of David. And David†¦ thought she was a little kid. That was why he'd offered to drive her to school. He'd meant the junior high. He'd been nice because he felt sorry for her. Two tears squeezed out of Gillian's eyes. She was trembling inside, boiling with anger and hurt and humiliation†¦ Crinch. It was a sound as loud as a rifle report, but high and crystalline-and drawn out. Something between a crash and a crunch and the sound of glass splintering under boots. Gillian jumped as if she'd been shot, sat frozen a moment, then pulled the moisture-beaded shower curtain aside and poked her head out. At the same instant the bathroom door flew open. â€Å"What was that?† Tanya said sharply. Gillian shook her head. She wanted to say, â€Å"You tell me,† but she was too frightened of Tanya. Tanya looked around the bathroom, spied the steamed-up mirror, and frowned. She reached across the sink to wipe it with her hand-and yelped. â€Å"Ow!† She cursed, staring at her hand. Gillian could see the brightness of blood. â€Å"What the-?† Tanya picked up a washcloth and swiped the mirror. She did it again. She stepped back and stared. From the tub, Gillian was staring, too. The mirror was broken. Or, not broken, cracked. But it wasn't cracked as if something had hit it. There was no point of impact, with lines of shattering running out. Instead, it was cracked evenly from top to bottom, side to side. Every inch was covered with a lattice of fine lines. It almost looked purposeful, as if it were a frosted-glass design. â€Å"David! Get in here!† Tanya said, ignoring Gillian. After a moment the door stirred and Gillian had a steamy distorted glimpse of David's face in the mirror. â€Å"Do you see this? How can something like this happen?† Tanya was saying. David grimaced and shrugged. â€Å"Heat? Cold? I don't know.† He glanced hesitantly in Gillian's direction, just long enough to locate her face surrounded by the coral shower curtain. â€Å"You okay?† he said, addressing himself to a white towel rack on the far wall. Gillian couldn't say anything. Her throat was too tight and tears were welling up again. But when Tanya looked at her, she nodded. â€Å"All right, forget it. Let's get you changed.† Tanya turned away from the mirror. David melted back out of the bathroom. â€Å"Make sure her fingers and everything are working all right,† he said distantly. â€Å"I'm fine,† Gillian said when she was alone with Tanya. â€Å"Everything's fine.† She wiggled her fingers, which were tender but functioning. All she cared about right now was getting Tanya to go away. â€Å"I can dress myself.† Please don't let me cry in front of her. She retreated behind the shower curtain again and made a splashing noise. â€Å"You guys can leave now.† Half a sigh from Tanya, who was undoubtedly thinking Gillian was ungrateful. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"Your clothes and your chocolate are right here. Is there somebody you want me to call-?† â€Å"No! My parents-my dad will be here any minute. I'm fine.† Then she shut her eyes and counted, breath held. And, blessedly, there were the sounds of Tanya moving away. Both Tanya and David calling goodbyes. Then silence. Stiffly, Gillian pulled herself upright, almost falling down when she tried to step out of the bathtub. She put on her pajamas and walked slowly out of the bathroom, moving like an old woman. She didn't even glance at the broken mirror. She tried to be quiet going up the stairs. But just as she reached her bedroom, the door at the end of the upstairs hall swung open. Her mother was standing there, a long coat wrapped around her, fuzzy fleece-lined slippers on her feet. Her hair, a darker blond than Gillian's, was uncombed. â€Å"What's going on? I heard noise. Where's your father?† Not â€Å"Whass goin' on? Whersh your father?† But dose. â€Å"It's not even seven yet, Mom. I got wet coming home. I'm going to bed.† The bare minimum of sentences to communicate the necessary information. Her mother frowned. â€Å"Honey-â€Å" † ‘Night, Mom.† Gillian hurried into her bedroom before her mother could ask any more questions. She fell on her bed and gathered an armful of stuffed animals in the bend of her elbow. They were solid and friendly and filled her arm. Gillian curled herself around them and bit down on plush. And now, at last, she could cry. All the hurts of her mind and body merged and she sobbed out loud, wet cheek on the velveteen head of her best bear. She wished she'd never come back. She wanted the bright meadow with the impossibly green grass, even if it had been a dream. She wanted everyone to be sorry because she was dead. All her realizations about life being important were nonsense. Life was a giant hoax. She couldn't change herself and live in a completely new direction. There was no new start. No hope. And I don't care, she thought. I just want to die. Oh, why did I get made if it was just for this? There's got to be someplace I belong, something I'm meant to do that's different. Because I don't fit in this world, in this life. And if there isn't something more, I'd rather be dead. I want to dream something else. She cried until she was numb and exhausted and fell into a deadly still sleep without knowing it. When she woke up hours later, there was a strange light in her room.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 33. Forever

â€Å"Charlie, we've still got that strictly need-to-know company situation going. I know it's been more than a week since you saw Renesmee, but a visit is just not a good idea right now. How about I bring Renesmee over to see you?† Charlie was quiet for so long that I wondered if he heard the strain beneath my fagade. But then he muttered, â€Å"Need to know, ugh† and I realized it was just his wariness of the supernatural that made him slow to respond. â€Å"Okay, kid,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can you bring her over this morning? Sue's bringing me lunch. She's just as horrified by my cooking as you were when you first showed up.† Charlie laughed and then sighed for the old days. â€Å"This morning will be perfect.† The sooner the better. I'd already put this off too long. â€Å"Is Jake coming with you guys?† Though Charlie didn't know anything about werewolf imprinting, no one could be oblivious to the attachment between Jacob and Renesmee. â€Å"Probably.† There was no way Jacob would voluntarily miss an afternoon with Renesmee sans bloodsuckers. â€Å"Maybe I should invite Billy, too,† Charlie mused. â€Å"But†¦ hmm. Maybe another time.† I was only half paying attention to Charlie – enough to notice the strange reluctance in his voice when he spoke of Billy, but not enough to worry what that was about. Charlie and Billy were grown-ups; if there was something going on between them, they could figure it out for themselves. I had too many more important things to obsess over. â€Å"See you in a few,† I told him, and hung up. This trip was about more than protecting my father from the twenty-seven oddly matched vampires – who all had sworn not to kill anyone in a three-hundred-mile radius, but still†¦ Obviously, no human being should get anywhere near this group. This was the excuse I'd given Edward: I was taking Renesmee to Charlie so that he wouldn't decide to come here. It was a good reason for leaving the house, but not my real reason at all. â€Å"Why can't we take your Ferrari?† Jacob complained when he met me in the garage. I was already in Edward's Volvo with Renesmee. Edward had gotten around to revealing my after car; as he'd suspected, I had not been capable of showing the appropriate enthusiasm. Sure, it was pretty and fast, but I liked to run. â€Å"Too conspicuous,† I answered. â€Å"We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out.† Jacob grumbled but got into the front seat. Renesmee climbed from my lap to his. â€Å"How are you?† I asked him as I pulled out of the garage. â€Å"How do you think?† Jacob asked bitingly. â€Å"I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers.† He saw my expression and spoke before I could answer. â€Å"Yeah, I know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular.† I had to smile. The Romanians weren't my favorite guests, either. â€Å"I don't disagree with you there.† Renesmee shook her head but said nothing; unlike the rest of us, she found the Romanians strangely fascinating. She'd made the effort to speak to them aloud since they would not let her touch them. Her question was about their unusual skin and, though I was afraid they might be offended, I was kind of glad she'd asked. I was curious, too. They hadn't seemed upset by her interest. Maybe a little rueful. â€Å"We sat still for a very long time, child,† Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding along but not continuing Vladimir's sentences as he often did. â€Å"Contemplating our own divinity. It was a sign of our power that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favor. We sat on our thrones and thought ourselves gods. We didn't notice for a long time that we were changing – almost petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us one favor when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. Now the Volturi's eyes are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets.† I tried to keep Renesmee away from them after that. â€Å"How long do we get to hang out with Charlie?† Jacob asked, interrupting my thoughts. He was visibly relaxing as we pulled away from the house and all its new inmates. It made me happy that I didn't really count as a vampire to him. I was still just Bella. â€Å"For quite a while, actually.† The tone of my voice caught his attention. â€Å"Is something going on here besides visiting your dad?† â€Å"Jake, you know how you're pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?† He raised one thick black brow. â€Å"Yeah?† I just nodded, cutting my eyes to Renesmee. She was looking out the window, and I couldn't tell how interested she was in our conversation, but I decided not to risk going any further. Jacob waited for me to add something else, and then his lower lip pushed out while he thought about what little I'd said. As we drove in silence, I squinted through the annoying contacts into the cold rain; it wasn't quite cold enough for snow. My eyes were not as ghoulish as they had been in the beginning – definitely closer to a dull reddish orange than to bright crimson. Soon they'd be amber enough for me to quit the contacts, i hoped the change wouldn't upset Charlie too much. Jacob was still chewing over our truncated conversation when we got to Charlie's. We didn't talk as we walked at a quick human pace through the falling rain. My dad was waiting for us; he had the door open before I could knock. â€Å"Hey, guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness.† He glared at me. â€Å"Aren't they feeding you up there?† â€Å"It's just the growth spurt,† I muttered. â€Å"Hey, Sue,† I called over his shoulder. The smell of chicken, tomato, garlic, and cheese issued from the kitchen; it probably smelled good to everyone else. I could also smell fresh pine and packing dust. Renesmee flashed her dimples. She never spoke in front of Charlie. â€Å"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?† â€Å"Entertaining friends,† Jacob said, and then snorted. â€Å"You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie. That's all I'm going to say.† I punched Jacob lightly in the kidney while Charlie cringed. â€Å"Ow,† Jacob complained under his breath; well, I'd thought I'd punched lightly. â€Å"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run.† Jacob shot a glance at me but said nothing. â€Å"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, Christmas shopping,† I said lamely. That explained the packing dust. Charlie must have put the old decorations up. â€Å"Don't worry, Nessie,† he whispered in her ear. â€Å"I got you covered if your mom drops the ball.† I rolled my eyes at him, but in truth, I hadn't thought about the holidays at all. â€Å"Lunch's on the table,† Sue called from the kitchen. â€Å"C'mon, guys.† â€Å"See you later, Dad,† I said, and exchanged a quick look with Jacob. Even if he couldn't help but think about this near Edward, at least there wasn't much for him to share. He had no idea what I was up to. Of course, I thought to myself as I got into the car, it wasn't like I had much idea, either. The roads were slick and dark, but driving didn't intimidate me anymore. My reflexes were well up to the job, and I barely paid attention to the road. The problem was keeping my speed from attracting attention when I had company. I wanted to be done with today's mission, to have the mystery sorted out so that I could get back to the vital task of learning. Learning to protect some, learning to kill others. I was getting better and better with my shield. Kate didn't feel the need to motivate me anymore – it wasn't hard to find reasons to feel angry, now that I knew that was the key – and so I mostly worked with Zafrina. She was pleased with my extension; I was able to cover almost a ten-foot area for more than a minute, though it exhausted me. This morning she'd been trying to find out if I could push the shield away from my mind altogether. I didn't see what the use of that would be, but Zafrina thought it would help strengthen me, like exercising muscles in the stomach and back rather than just the arms. Eventually, you could lift more weight when all the muscles were stronger. I wasn't very good at it. I had only gotten one glimpse of the jungle river she was trying to show me. But there were different ways to prepare for what was coming, and with only two weeks left, I worried that I might be neglecting the most important. Today I would rectify that oversight. I'd memorized the appropriate maps, and I had no problem finding my way to the address that didn't exist online, the one for J. Jenks. My next step would be Jason Jenks at the other address, the one Alice had not given me. To say that it wasn't a nice neighborhood would be an understatement. The most nondescript of all the Cullens' cars was still outrageous on this street. My old Chevy would have looked healthy here. During my human years, I would have locked the doors and driven away as fast as I dared. As it was, I was a little fascinated. I tried to imagine Alice in this place for any reason, and failed. The buildings – all three stories, all narrow, all leaning slightly as if bowed by the pounding rain – were mostly old houses divided up into multiple apartments. It was hard to tell what color the peeling paint was supposed to be. Everything had faded to shades of gray. A few of the buildings had businesses on the first floor: a dirty bar with the windows painted black, a psychic's supply store with neon hands and tarot cards glowing fitfully on the door, a tattoo parlor, and a daycare with duct tape holding the broken front window together. There were no lamps on inside any of the rooms, though it was grim enough outside that the humans should have needed the light. I could hear the low mumbling of voices in the distance; it sounded like TV. There were a few people about, two shuffling through the rain in opposite directions and one sitting on the shallow porch of a boarded-up cut-rate law office, reading a wet newspaper and whistling. The sound was much too cheerful for the setting. I was so bemused by the carefree whistler, I didn't realize at first that the abandoned building was right where the address I was looking for should exist. There were no numbers on the dilapidated place, but the tattoo parlor beside it was just two numbers off. I pulled up to the curb and idled for a second. I was getting into that dump one way or another, but how to do so without the whistler noticing me? I could park the next street over and come through the back†¦. There might be more witnesses on that side. Maybe the rooftops? Was it dark enough for that kind of thing? â€Å"Hey, lady,† the whistler called to me. I rolled the passenger window down as if I couldn't hear him. The man laid his paper aside, and his clothes surprised me, now that I could see them. Under his long ragged duster, he was a little too well dressed. There was no breeze to give me the scent, but the sheen on his dark red shirt looked like silk. His crinkly black hair was tangled and wild, but his dark skin was smooth and perfect, his teeth white and straight. A contradiction. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't park that car there, lady,† he said. â€Å"It might not be here when you get back.† â€Å"Thanks for the warning,† I said. I shut off the engine and got out. Perhaps my whistling friend could give me the answers I needed faster than breaking and entering. I opened my big gray umbrella – not that I cared, really, about protecting the long cashmere sweater-dress I wore. It was what a human would do. The man squinted through the rain at my face, and then his eyes widened. He swallowed, and I heard his heart accelerate as I approached. Tm looking for someone,† I began. â€Å"I'm someone,† he offered with a smile. â€Å"What can I do for you, beautiful?† â€Å"Are you J. Jenks?† I asked. â€Å"Oh,† he said, and his expression changed from anticipation to understanding. He got to his feet and examined me with narrowed eyes. â€Å"Why're you looking for J?† â€Å"That's my business.† Besides, I didn't have a clue. â€Å"Are you J?† â€Å"No.† We faced each other for a long moment while his sharp eyes ran up and down the fitted pearl gray sheath I wore. His gaze finally made it to my face. â€Å"You don't look like the usual customer.† â€Å"I'm probably not the usual,† I admitted. â€Å"But I do need to see him as soon as possible.† â€Å"I'm not sure what to do,† he admitted. â€Å"Why don't you tell me your name?† He grinned. â€Å"Max.† â€Å"Nice to meet you, Max. Now, why don't you tell me what you do for the usual?† His grin became a frown. â€Å"Well, J's usual clients don't look a thing like you. Your kind doesn't bother with the downtown office. You just go straight up to his fancy office in the skyscraper.† I repeated the other address I had, making the list of numbers a question. â€Å"Yeah, that's the place,† he said, suspicious again. â€Å"How come you didn't go there?† â€Å"This was the address I was given – by a very dependable source.† â€Å"If you were up to any good, you wouldn't be here.† I pursed my lips. I'd never been much good at bluffing, but Alice hadn't left me a lot of alternatives. â€Å"Maybe I'm not up to any good.† Max's face turned apologetic. â€Å"Look, lady – â€Å" â€Å"Bella.† â€Å"Right. Bella. See, I need this job. J pays me pretty good to mostly just hang out here all day. I want to help you, I do, but – and of course Tm speaking hypothetically, right? Or off the record, or whatever works for you – but if I pass somebody through that could get him in trouble, I'm out of work. Do you see my problem?† I thought for a minute, chewing on my lip. â€Å"You've never seen anyone like me here before? Well, sort of like me. My sister is a lot shorter than me, and she has dark spiky black hair.† â€Å"J knows your sister?† â€Å"I think so.† Max pondered this fora moment.I smiled at him, and his breathing stuttered.†Tell you what I'll do.HI give Ja call and describe you to him. Let him make the decision.† What did J. Jenks know? Would my description mean something to him? That was a troubling thought. â€Å"My last name is Cullen,† I told Max, wondering if that was too much information. I was starting to get irritated with Alice. Did I really have to be quite this blind? She could have given me one or two more words†¦. â€Å"Cullen, got it.† I watched as he dialed, easily picking out the number. Well, I could call J. Jenks myself if this didn't work. â€Å"HeyJ, it's Max. I know I'm never supposed tocall you at this number except in an emergency___† Is there an emergency?1 heard faintly from the other end. â€Å"Well, notexactly. It's this girl who wants to see you___† fail to see the emergency in that Why didn't you follow normal procedure? â€Å"I didn't follow normal procedure 'cause she don't look like any kind of normal – â€Å" Is she a badge?! â€Å"No – â€Å" You can't be sure about that. Does she look like one ofKubarev's – ? â€Å"No – let me talk, okay? She says you know her sister or something.† Not likely. What does she look like? â€Å"She looks like . . .† His eyes ran from my face to my shoes appreciatively. â€Å"Well, she looks like a freaking supermodel, that's what she looks like.† I smiled and he winked at me, then went on. â€Å"Rocking body, pale as a sheet, dark brown hair almost to her waist, needs a good night's sleep – any of this soundingfamiliar?† No, it doesn't I'm not happy that you let your weakness for pretty women interrupt – â€Å"Yeah,so I'ma sucker for the pretty ones, what's wrong with that? I'm sorry I bothered you, man. Just forget it.† â€Å"Name,† I whispered. â€Å"Oh right. Wait,† Max said. â€Å"She says her name is Bella Cullen. That help?† There was a beat of dead silence, and then the voice on the other end was abruptly screaming, using a lot of words you didn't often hear outside of truck stops. Max's whole expression changed; all the joking vanished and his lips went pale. â€Å"Because you didn't ask!† Max yelled back, panicked. There was another pause while J collected himself. Beautiful and pale?J asked, a tiny bit calmer. â€Å"I said that, didn't I?† Beautiful and pale? What did this man know about vampires? Was he one of us himself? I wasn't prepared for that kind of confrontation. I gritted my teeth. What had Alice gotten me into? Max waited for a minute through another volley of shouted insults and instructions and then glanced at me with eyes that were almost frightened. â€Å"But you only meet downtown clients on Thursdays – okay, okay! On it.'7He slid his phone shut. â€Å"He wants to see me?† I asked brightly. Max glowered. â€Å"You could have told me you were a priority client;7 â€Å"I didn't know I was.† â€Å"I thought you might be a cop,† he admitted. â€Å"I mean, you don't look like a cop. But you act kind of weird, beautiful.† I shrugged. â€Å"Drug cartel?† he guessed. â€Å"Who, me?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah. Or your boyfriend or whatever.† â€Å"Nope, sorry. I'm not really a fan of drugs, and neither is my husband. Just say no and all that.† Max cussed under his breath. â€Å"Married. Can't catch a break.† I smiled. â€Å"Mafia?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Diamondsmuggling?† â€Å"Please! Is that the kind of people you usually deal with, Max? Maybe you need a new job.† I had to admit, I was enjoying myself a little. I hadn't interacted with humans much besides Charlie and Sue. It was entertaining to watch him flounder. I was also pleased at how easy it was not to kill him. â€Å"You've got to be involved in something big. And bad,† he mused. â€Å"It's not really like that.† â€Å"That's what they all say. But who else needs papers? Or can afford to pay J's prices for them, I should say. None of my business, anyway,† he said, and then muttered the word married again. He gave me an entirely new address with basic directions, and then watched me drive away with suspicious, regretful eyes. At this point, I was ready for almost anything – some kind of James Bond villain's high-tech lair seemed appropriate. So I thought Max must have given me the wrong address as a test. Or maybe the lair was subterranean, underneath this very commonplace strip mall nestled up against a wooded hill in a nice family neighborhood. I pulled into an open spot and looked up at a tastefully subtle sign that read JASON SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW. The office inside was beige with celery green accents, inoffensive and unremarkable. There was no scent of vampire here, and that helped me relax. Nothing but unfamiliar human. A fish tank was set into the wall, and a blandly pretty blond receptionist sat behind the desk. â€Å"Hello,† she greeted me. â€Å"How can I help you?† â€Å"I'm here to see Mr. Scott.† â€Å"Do you have an appointment?† â€Å"Not exactly.† She smirked a little. â€Å"It could be a while, then. Why don't you have a seat while I – â€Å" April!a man's demanding voice squawked from the phone on her desk. I'm expecting a Ms. Cullen shortly. I smiled and pointed to myself. Send her in immediately. Do you understand? I don't care what it's interrupting. I could hear something else in his voice besides impatience. Stress. Nerves. â€Å"She's just arrived,† April said as soon as she could speak. What? Send her in! What are you waiting for? â€Å"Right away, Mr. Scott!† She got to her feet, fluttering her hands as she led the way down a short hallway, offering me coffee or tea or anything else I might have wanted. â€Å"Here you are,† she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office, complete with heavy wooden desk and vanity wall. â€Å"Close the door behind you,† a raspy tenor voice ordered. I examined the man behind the desk while April made a hasty retreat. He was short and balding, probably around fifty-five, with a paunch. He wore a red silk tie with a blue-and-white-striped shirt, and his navy blazer hung over the back of his chair. He was also trembling, blanched to a sickly paste color, with sweat beading on his forehead; I imagined an ulcer churning away under the spare tire. J recovered himself and rose unsteadily from his chair. He reached his hand across the desk. â€Å"Ms. Cullen. What an absolute delight.† I crossed to him and shook his hand quickly once. He cringed slightly at my cold skin but did not seem particularly surprised by it. â€Å"Mr. Jenks. Or do you prefer Scott?† He winced again. â€Å"Whatever you wish, of course.† â€Å"How about you call me Bella, and HI call you J?† â€Å"Like old friends,† he agreed, mopping a silk handkerchief across his forehead. He gestured for me to have a seat and took his own. â€Å"I must ask, am I finally meeting Mr. Jasper's lovely wife?† I weighed that for a second. So this man knew Jasper, not Alice. Knew him, and seemed afraid of him, too. â€Å"His sister-in-law, actually.† He pursed his lips, as if he were grasping for meanings just as desperately as I was. â€Å"I trust Mr. Jasper is in good health?† he asked carefully. â€Å"I'm sure he is in excellent health. He's on an extended vacation at the moment.† This seemed to clear up some of J's confusion. He nodded to himself and templed his fingers. â€Å"Just so. You should have come to the main office. My assistants there would have put you straight through to me – no need to go through less hospitable channels.† I just nodded. I wasn't sure why Alice had given me the ghetto address. â€Å"Ah, well, you're here now. What can I do for you?† Tapers,† I said, trying to make my voice sound like I knew what I was talking about. â€Å"Certainly,† J agreed at once. â€Å"Are we talking birth certificates, death certificates, drivers' licenses, passports, social security cards†¦ ?† I took a deep breath and smiled. I owed Max big time. And then my smile faded. Alice had sent me here for a reason, and I was sure it was to protect Renesmee. Her last gift to me. The one thing she would know I needed. The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running. And the only reason Renesmee would be running was if we had lost. If Edward and I were running with her, she wouldn't need these documents right away. I was sure IDs were something Edward knew how to get his hands on or make himself, and I was sure he knew ways to escape without them. We could run with her for thousands of miles. We could swim with her across an ocean. If we were around to save her. And all the secrecy to keep this out of Edward's head. Because there was a good chance that everything he knew, Aro would know. If we lost, Aro would certainly get the information he craved before he destroyed Edward. It was as I had suspected. We couldn't win. But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we lost, giving Renesmee the chance to run. My still heart felt like a boulder in my chest – a crushing weight. All my hope faded like fog in the sunshine. My eyes pricked. Who would I put this on? Charlie? But he was so defenselessly human. And how would I get Renesmee to him? He was not going to be anywhere close to that fight. So that left one person. There really had never been anyone else. I'd thought this through so quickly that J didn't notice my pause. â€Å"Two birth certificates, two passports, one driver's license,† I said in a low, strained tone. If he noticed the change in my expression, he pretended otherwise. â€Å"The names?† â€Å"Jacob†¦ Wolfe. And†¦ Vanessa Wolfe.† Nessie seemed like an okay nickname for Vanessa. Jacob would get a kick out of the Wolfe thing. His pen scratched swiftly across a legal pad. â€Å"Middle names?† â€Å"Just put something generic in.† â€Å"If you prefer. Ages?† â€Å"Twenty-seven for the man, five for the girl.† Jacob could pull it off. He was a beast. And at the rate Renesmee was growing, I'd better estimate high. He could be her stepfather†¦. â€Å"I'll need pictures if you prefer finished documents,† J said, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"Mr. Jasper usually liked to finish them himself.† Well, that explained why J didn't know what Alice looked like. â€Å"Hold on,† I said. This was luck. I had several family pictures shoved in my wallet, and the perfect one – Jacob holding Renesmee on the front porch steps – was only a month old. Alice had given it to me just a few days before†¦ Oh. Maybe there wasn't that much luck involved after all. Alice knew I had this picture. Maybe she'd even had some dim flash that I would need it before she gave it to me. â€Å"Here you go.† J examined the picture for a moment. â€Å"Your daughter is very like you.† I tensed. â€Å"She's more like her father.† â€Å"Who is not this man.† He touched Jacob's face. My eyes narrowed, and new sweat beads popped out on J's shiny head. â€Å"No. That is a very close friend of the family.† â€Å"Forgive me,† he mumbled, and the pen began scratching again. â€Å"How soon will you need the documents?† â€Å"Can I get them in a week?† â€Å"That's a rush order. It will cost twice as – but forgive me. I forgot with whom I was speaking.† Clearly, he knew Jasper. â€Å"Just give me a number.† He seemed hesitant to say it aloud, though I was sure, having dealt with Jasper, he must have known that price wasn't really an object. Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts that existed all over the world with the Cullens' various names on them, there was enough cash stashed all over the house to keep a small country afloat for a decade; it reminded me of the way there were always a hundred fishhooks in the back of any drawer at Charlie's house. I doubted anyone would even notice the small stack I'd removed in preparation for today. J wrote the price down on the bottom of the legal pad. I nodded calmly. I had more than that with me. I unclasped my bag again and counted out the right amount – I had it all paper-clipped into five-thousand-dollar increments, so it took no time at all. â€Å"There.† â€Å"Ah, Bella, you don't really have to give me the entire sum now. It's customary for you to save half to ensure delivery.† I smiled wanly at the nervous man. â€Å"But I trust you, J. Besides, I'll give you a bonus – the same again when I get the documents.† â€Å"That's not necessary, I assure you.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† It wasn't like I could take it with me. â€Å"So HI meet you here next week at the same time?† He gave me a pained look. â€Å"Actually, I prefer to make such transactions in places unrelated to my various businesses.† â€Å"Of course. I'm sure I'm not doing this the way you expect.† â€Å"I'm used to having no expectations when it comes to the Cullen family.† He grimaced and then quickly composed his face again. â€Å"Shall we meet at eight o'clock a week from tonight at The Pacifico? It's on Union Lake, and the food is exquisite.† â€Å"Perfect.† Not that I would be joining him for dinner. He actually wouldn't like it much if I did. I rose and shook his hand again. This time he didn't flinch. But he did seem to have some new worry on his mind. His mouth was pinched up, his back tense. â€Å"Will you have trouble with that deadline?† I asked. â€Å"What?† He looked up, taken off guard by my question. â€Å"The deadline? Oh, no. No worries at all. I will certainly have your documents done on time.† It would have been nice to have Edward here, so that I would know what J's real worries were. I sighed. Keeping secrets from Edward was bad enough; having to be away from him was almost too much. â€Å"Then HI see you in one week.†