Supply and Management

__† .. _ _~~ w† t'HlI~ln †Ã¢â‚¬ '110111'1;/1'1 gllls! les)7 h. If another person Wasadded, where is the logical place'? c. What effect would a mail order lab (where the glasses are made off site and returned in 5-7 days) have on the process? 10 A quoting department for a custom publishing house can complete 4 quotes per day, and there are 20 quotes in various stages in the department. Applying Little's Law, the current lead time for a quote is how many days? 11 A small barber shop has a single chair and an area for waiting, where only one person can be in the chair at a time, and no one leaves without getting their hair cut. So the system is roughly: Entrance —+ Wait —+ Haircut —+ Exit Assume customers arrive at the rate of 10 per hour and stay an average of 0. 5 hour. What is the average number of customers in the barber shop? ADVANCED PROBLEM 12 Remember Mr. Rockness in Problem 2? He now retrains college professors. It is a much more challenging task but still involves five steps. He has worked hard to balance the line; however, there is a lot of variability. Each stage in the process now handles between one and six faculty members er hour depending on how bad the case is. If there is some inventory available for every position (do not worry about the start-up), what is the expected output per hour? (Assume that each stage is independent and that it is equally likely that one. two, three, four, five, or six faculty members get processed each hour at each stage. )† 5/'IEJ ::l-#1-1 ~ i4. * MAil, S$ _:. II. CASE: II ANALYZING _ _ â€Å"†l&'l;~R CASINO ,'† â€Å"ll~ RIfj~_I _ WlI'_W I† MONEy-HANDLING ~_m~~_>

Asean Solution for Rohingya Plight Essay

WHY is Asean silent on the issue of Rohingya Muslims, who have been suffering for centuries under the Myanmar army junta? Recently, they were told to leave the country to a third world nation willing to receive them. This is cruelty towards their own people and it seems that the world is just watching the injustice done to them, without any assistance, support or solution. In June 2012, over 2000 people were displaced in sectarian violence in Myanmar, in which most victims were Muslims. The government promised a full investigation. Representatives from different religions and minorities condemned the atrocities inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims which is a serious human rights violation that the United Nations should stop immediately. In June 2012, 11 innocent Muslims were killed by the Burmese Army and the Buddhist mobs after bringing them down from a bus. A vehement protest was carried out in the Muslim majority province of Arakan, but the protesters fell victims to the tyranny of the mob and the army. People were reported killed and millions of homes destroyed in fires as Rohingyas and Buddhist-ethnic Arakanese clashed in western Myanmar. Myanmar has a Buddhist majority. The Muslim minority in Myanmar are mostly the Rohingyas and the descendants of Muslim immigrants from India (including what is now Bangladesh) and China, as well as descendants of earlier Arab and Persian settlers. Indian Muslim were brought to Burma by the British to aid them in clerical work and business. After independence, many Muslims remained in the country. Over the years, thousands of Rohingyas have fled to Thailand. According to reports, there are roughly 111,000 refugees housed in 9 camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. In February 2009, there was evidence of refugees being towed to sea and abandoned and other reports of brutality by the Thai military in which Thailand’s then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that there were â€Å"some instances† in which Rohingyas were pushed out to sea. Will the present generation see the light of day? They are part of mankind, why then are we responding apathetically towards them? Asean must respond immediately to solve their issues. Please be sympathetic and empathetic towards the Rohingyas.

Case Study on Adolescent Sexual Abuse Essay

Elias is a five year old Mexican American male who has recently been referred to the community counseling center due to the exposure of sexual abuse by his stepfather. Elias was a client of this community center approximately 18 months earlier. Elias had been referred for poor impulse control and hyperactivity. At that time he was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He also met with the agency psychiatrist who had prescribed Elias Focalin. His cased was closed after only a few sessions due to the family’s inconsistency and withdrawal from services. At this point in time Elias has been attending his sessions with his mother and baby brother. Stepfather’s whereabouts are unknown and he has not had any contact with the family since the abuse was exposed. Elias has returned to taking Focalin, since he failed to continue taking his medication after withdrawing from services. However, there have been no changes noted in his behavior since he has begun to take the medication. The psychiatrist believes that this may be due to the low dosage he has prescribed Elias and because of such, the psychiatrist has opted to slowly increase the dosage and closely monitor any changes. The clinician notes that Elias is extremely hyperactive and exhibits minimal impulse control. Other than his high levels of restlessness, Elias shows no observable signs or symptoms of reaction to the sexual abuse. When clinician has attempted to process with Elias about the abuse or his feelings about the abuse, Elias has changed the subject or ignored the clinician all together. Mother states that she has noticed no changes in his behavior since the abuse was discovered. Practice Effectiveness Questions  The special population in discussion is children, the social problems in focus are sexual abuse and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which leads the target client group to be children who have experienced sexual abuse and have been diagnosed with ADHD. Our client is Elias who is a child, who has experienced sexual abuse and is diagnosed with ADHD. For the purposes of this discussion our practice effectiveness questions are: 1) What are effective interventions for children who have been sexually abused? and 2) What are effective interventions for children who have been diagnosed with ADHD? Search Description Procedures The databases utilized for this search were: Google Scholar, Social Work Abstracts, Child Welfare Information Gateway, Academic Search Complete, Professional Development Collection, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, SocINDEX with Full Text Sociological Collection, Academic Search Premier, and JSTOR. It was also helpful to review the journal entitled Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment for relevant articles. While searching the aforementioned databases, the following keywords were utilized: ‘sexual abuse and ADHD’, ‘sexual abuse and interventions’, sexual abuse and co-morbidity’, ‘ADHD and co-morbidity’, ‘children and sexual abuse’, ‘sexual abuse and interventions. ’ All articles selected were peer reviewed, found in scholarly journals, and published within the last ten years. In searching for relevant articles regarding treatment of sexual abuse, most articles addressed interventions designed to treat perpetrators of child sexual abuse; a few articles were uncovered that discussed treating adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Fewer still were articles that identified interventions for children who are recent or current victims of sexual abuse. In order to find information relevant to our target client group, we began pulling sources from reference pages of relevant articles which provided more focused research relevant to treatment of children who have experienced sexual abuse. Results The result of our exhaustive search of available literature led us to identify eight articles to focus on. Out of these articles, four dealt specifically with children who have experienced sexual abuse, two focused on abuse of children which included physical abuse along with sexual abuse, two were focused primarily on ADHD, four focused on co-morbidity of either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or ADHD and sexual abuse, and four specifically discussed treatments and interventions. Half of the selected articles were literature reviews while the remaining four were reporting from the standpoint of a primary source on research studies of treatments and interventions. The research studies varied in their sampling and control or comparison groups; only two studies were able to utilize a true experimental design with random assignment of study participants to control and experimental groups. The literature reviews provided an extensive overview of relevant studies and interventions from a secondary source standpoint. The eight identified sources provided an assortment of research-based perspectives as well as a sampling of evidence based on authority by those who reviewed the literature and discussed their findings in literature reviews. Research Findings Description of Articles In the article Sexually Abused Children Suffering from PTSD: Assessment and Treatment Strategies by David Heyne, Neville J. King, Paul Mullen, Nicole Myerson, Thomas H. Ollendick, Stephanie Rollings, and Bruce T. Tonge states that sexual abuse of children is a major societal problem because of its high prevalence and devastating impact on the victimized child. Children who have been sexually abused often demonstrate anxiety, depressive moods, improper sexual behaviors, nightmares, social withdrawal, sleep difficulties, anger, shame/guilt and school problems. The authors did diagnostic interviewing with their participants. The authors interviewed thirty six children and sixty nine percent were primarily diagnosed with PTSD. Within the thirty six children four of the children with full PTSD had no other diagnoses. Nine had one co morbid diagnoses, ten had two co morbid diagnoses, and two had three co morbid diagnoses. PTSD is not always prevalent and at times other emotional and behavioral problems are prevalent. In fact, many studies confirm that on clinical evaluation a large proportion of sexually abused children meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD (Heyne, at el. , 2003). This particular article showed that often there are other diagnoses that go along with PTSD but in an article by Peggy T. Ackerman, Roscoe A. Dykman, Jerry G. Jones, W. Brian McPherson, and Joseph E. O. Newton, did research on groups that have been affected sexual, physically abused, or both. The article Prevalence of PTSD and Other Psychiatric Diagnosis in Three Groups of Abused Children (Sexual, Physical, and Both) was a study done with children that are sexually and or physically abused. Fortunately, many children who are victims of horrifying events do not develop PTSD or other psychiatric disorders (Ackerman at el. 1998). Very little is known as to why some victimized children do and others do not develop psychiatric disorders. Even such basic variables as gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, intelligence, and age at time of trauma, have been inadequately studied. They were in a large children’s hospital in which sexual and or physically abused children were referred. The groups were divided into three, sexually and physically abused and both. Through the finding there were more boys who were physically abused and girls who were sexually abused. Anxiety and behavior disorders were more frequent than mood disorders. In concordance with clinical observation, abused boys, regardless of type abuse, had higher rates of behavioral disorders and abused girls had higher rates of two internalizing disorders: separation anxiety (caregiver reports) and phobic disorder (child report) (Ackerman at el. , 1998). Studies show most clearly that children who have been jointly physically and sexually abused are at greatest risk for psychiatric disturbance. There are many different treatment interventions one can go through to minimize PTSD and attention deficient disorders. Maryka Biaggio, Darlene Staffelbach, Dan Weinstein wrote the article ADHD and PTSD: Differential Diagnosis in Childhood Sexual Abuse which shows different interventions used for victimized children. Treatment interventions for ADHD children predominantly consist of behavior management, social skills training, and stimulant or other medication. Treatment interventions for children with PTSD generally consist of management and alleviation of emotional distress using play, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy modalities (Biaggio at el. 2000). Relaxation techniques and hypnosis have also been effective in treatment of PTSD in children. Misdiagnosis may lead clinicians to use inappropriate interventions for PTSD. Side effects experienced by ADHD children on stimulant medication may include difficulty falling asleep, lack of appetite, irritability, headaches, stomachaches, nausea, dizziness, tachycardia, muscle tics or twitches, slowed physical growth, and skin rashes (Biaggio at el. , 2000). Another undesired onsequence of ADHD misdiagnosis in SAC (sexual abused children) is the failure to address and treat the trauma symptoms of children who actually have PTSD. Given the risk of wrongly prescribing, untreated trauma, and negative impact on self-esteem for children misdiagnosed with ADHD, it is unfortunate little attention has been given to this issue (Biaggio at el. , 2000). Increased attention to clinical decision-making in the differential diagnosis of ADHD and PTSD may lead to more appropriate, beneficial, and timely interventions. Darcie) Allison M. Briscoe-Smith and Stephen P. Henshaw’s article entitled: Linkages between child abuse and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls: Behavioral and social correlates, was an excellent source to explore the relationship of sexual abuse and ADHD and begin to discuss the co-morbidity of these events for children. The article described a research study carried out with a sample of 228 females at a summer camp for girls with ADHD over a three year span. Each year cohort groups were created to identify the prevalence of abuse among girls diagnosed with ADHD and those who had not received a diagnosis of ADHD. Out of the twenty-four identified cases of abuse histories, twenty of these girls were diagnosed with ADHD, and of those abuse histories ten were sexual in nature which is much higher than any other form of maltreatment documented by the researchers. All girls who had abuse histories had a co-morbid diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder. The study found that girls with both ADHD and abuse histories were more likely to display externalizing behaviors and be negatively received by their peers. The study also analyzed the relationship between the prevalence of an abuse history and the rejection from peers and found aggression to partially mediate that relationship. The authors concluded that girls with ADHD were at increased risk of having abuse histories and questioned the accurate diagnosis of ADHD. It was suggested that the girls who had histories of abuse may more accurately be diagnosed with PTSD and/or share a co-morbid diagnosis with PTSD. Judith A. Cohen and Anthony P. Mannarino conducted a research study comparing two interventions to treat children who have been sexually abused; their findings were published in the article entitled: Interventions for Sexually Abused Children: Initial Treatment Outcome Findings. This article was one of few that specifically addressed interventions for children with the focus being treatment of sexual abuse. The sample consisted of 49 children between the ages of 7 and 14 who were randomly assigned to either sexual abuse specific cognitive behavioral therapy (SAS-CBT) or nondirective supportive therapy (NST) for a twelve week duration. The study found that children in the SAS-CBT group improved significantly in social competence and in the reduction of feelings of depression. Also, substantially higher percentages of children involved in SAS-CBT experienced what is considered clinically significant improvements. In regards to deterioration while in therapy, higher rates were found in children who received NST. For the safety of the other children in the groups, children who were consistently displaying repetitive extreme sexually inappropriate behaviors were removed from treatment groups; seven NST participants were removed from the study as compared to two children participating in SAS-CBT. Parental satisfaction with treatment was high in both treatment groups which either treatment modality. The clinical impressions of the authors conclude that sexual abuse specific cognitive behavioral therapy is superior to nondirective supportive therapy in the reduction of depressive symptoms. SAS-CBT was also favored due to the benefit of including parents in treatment (NST did not formally include parents). The authors also concluded that there is value and importance in providing a directive therapy technique in dealing with the effects of trauma caused by sexual abuse. Assessment of Evidence Implications of Evidence Interventions for sexual abused victim’s trauma may include based cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, parental involvement- parent training, behavioral therapy, coping skills training, psycho-education, and prevention awareness. PTSD interventions may include trauma based cognitive behavioral therapy, and play therapy. Attention deficit disorder can also be treated with behavioral management techniques, medication, social skills training, play therapy, parent training, behavioral classroom interventions and summer treatment programs. Many sexually abused children have other diagnosis along with PTSD and several possible co-morbid diagnosis are more than likely behavioral, but often can be confused with PTSD. When looking at interventions and treatments clinicians need to look at the client’s cultural background so that way we do not intrude on their lives.

What Makes Cotsco the Best Place to Work and Why Research Paper

What Makes Cotsco the Best Place to Work and Why - Research Paper Example Costco operates in an industry which is highly dominated by other players. The sales breakdown structure as per global industry has been represented in figure 1. On the basis of figure 1 it can be denoted that Costco occupies a certain portion of overall sales margin but maximum sales percentage is acquired by Walmart. Global competition is one of the driving forces responsible for shaping organizational environment. Sam’s Club of Walmart effectively competes with Costco. Porter’s five forces model is able to denote certain driving forces prevalent in the industry. Threat of substitutes is strong in this particular industry due to more product features, comparable product line, low prices, low switching costs, etc. There is intense competition prevalent in global retail or wholesale industry but Costco is able to survive through offering better quality products at low prices, addressing growing customer demand, etc. The company is engaged into offering best value and this weakens bargaining power of customers. There is low threat of new entrants in this specific industry because of lump sum investment, well established players and narrow margin for product differentiation. Suppliers usually impose lower bargaining power due to wide array of suppliers and high requirement of bulk quantities. Market saturation is another driving force that is shaping external environment of Costco. The company needs to continuously develop innovative strategies in order to remain competitive in the market place. Increasing costs is also considered to be a driving force since it is enabling substitutes to gain market presence. Costco encompasses an employee base of 195,000. These employees are not citizens of United States but belong to different country and culture. This aspect of workforce diversity is also a driving force since it influences the company to undertake decision suitable for all

The benefits of international portfolio investment Essay

The benefits of international portfolio investment - Essay Example There are numerous benefits of internationalizing the portfolio. By internationalizing, the individual or firm will be able to minimize the risk; invest in growing markets thus benefiting from their growth; hedge the prices of goods in the consumption basket; enjoy higher return than expected; diversify investments; and enjoy lower variation of return. High economic growth leads to the higher GDP and high growth level. This attract other investors from other countries in invest in the growing economies. Growing economies are determined by the World Bank as the ones which have average income levels but high economic growth levels. These emerging economies can be of Middle East, Asia, Africa or Latin America. The growth levels attract the foreign investment which further improves their economy. These economies including some of the developed ones such as Japan and Netherlands provide tremendous opportunities to foreign investors. The financial investment in these countries enable indiv iduals and firm to increase their investment by two fold within a couple of years. Hence, it is seen as a good opportunity by investors. However, the small economies are still riskier compared to developed economies. In small economies, the prices might fluctuate rapidly and in case of liquefying the investment, losses might have to be borne. Also, the emerging economies might not be too stable politically. Thus, there is a political risk involved such as instability of political system, change of policies regarding foreign investment and remittances, change in foreign exchange policy and change of property rights. These factors make the investment in emerging markets riskier compared to developed economies where there is political stability. ... (Perry) However, the small economies are still riskier compared to developed economies. In small economies, the prices might fluctuate rapidly and in case of liquefying the investment, losses might have to be borne. Also, the emerging economies might not be too stable politically. Thus, there is a political risk involved such as instability of political system, change of policies regarding foreign investment and remittances, change in foreign exchange policy and change of property rights. These factors make the investment in emerging markets riskier compared to developed economies where there is political stability. (Yavas, 2007) In contrast to this, the overall portfolio risk will be reduced because there will be less, no or negative correlation between markets which will be beneficial for the investor. On the other hand, there is a difference in taxes, potential information and forecasts. Some of the forecast made by countries might differ significantly from actual result. Thus, th e exact picture or perfect information regarding investment might not be available. The markets are seemed to have integrated over the years and are considered negatively or not at all correlated to each other. Thus, the investors benefit from investing worldwide because it one investment’s return are falling, other investment’s return might increase or remain same. Thus, the investor will be better off. However, each country has its own investing and currency exchange policy which might be a hindrance for the investor. The investor benefits from ‘pure diversification’ by investing worldwide but might face policy restrictions. (Bartram & Dufey, 2001) Factor influencing the structure of International Portfolio Investment The factors

Interview paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interview - Research Paper Example Clishia Taylor acquired her nursing profession after attending an undergraduate program in the College of Rochelle leading to a degree in bachelors of Science in Nursing. She has also mastered in business administration from the University of Connecticut in which she majored in health care administration and finance, a course that she considers an upper hand in her career development in the nursing field. Along the way, she received a doctorate degree in health care Ministry in theological seminary school in the US, which she feels expanded her knowledge in the medical field. In addition, she has a rich experience in the medical field after working in different environment and acquiring a different experience in every place she worked. Among some of the experiences she considers relevant in her medical career is her internship in the National Health care Reform where she worked for the White house and enriched her knowledge in modeling health care units, which is a demand for the mod ern health environment. Also, she has served in the position of a psychiatrist in Yale Hospital and as a quality assurer in a nursing facility, which has backed her with over 30 years’ experience in this sector. In the year 1995, she founded AHCP in her endeavor to participate in modernizing the health care facilities not only in US but across the global scope. She is an active contributor in a the famous millennium magazine referred to as the Health Care Pulse Magazine that covers critical health issues in the international environment. The purpose of my interview with Clishia was to obtain clinical experience from a professional expert as part of the learning process. The Role of the Administrator DR Clishia, being the founder of this health institution, is the President of the American Health Care Professionals Hospitals and takes a leadership role in the organization. In the organizational chart, she forms part of the top level management and is involved in making of mana gement decisions within the organization. Second in the hierarchy of the organizational chart is the AHCP vice-president, Beatriz Arroyave, who answers directly to Clishia. In this interview, Clishia expressed the meeting in the organization as rather flexible though she explicitly stated that she meets with vice president at least twice in a week. With the lower level management, monthly meetings are scheduled for the last working day of the month when each administrator is required to report about the months experience and provide suggestions for program improvement in the next period. Being a nurse in profession, she also plays a role in patient evaluation and attendance to urgent matters within the hospital at her availability. She also reported that she plays a key role in financial management and control to ensure smooth running of the facility. Her strength in her administration role seems to emanate from her strong educational background coupled with her experience. During h er education, she acquired nursing skills in her undergraduate program and later reinforced it with health care administration. This integrative knowledge gives her an upper hand in handling matters in her own professional from an administrator’s point of view. While her knowledge in nursing helps her to understand the problems in this sector, her management skills help her solve the problems in that arise within the organi

Health Promotion Campaign on Alcohol Consumption in the United Kingdom Essay

Health Promotion Campaign on Alcohol Consumption in the United Kingdom - Essay Example What is hoped is that by bringing better awareness about the affects of alcohol, it will demystify the false ideas that are associated with drinking, specifically with young people who later can turn to alcoholics without intervention. The main point of fact that this research plans to develop and discuss is how beneficial the program actual is in the country. The central discussion is focused on approaches that draw in an entire community in order to prevent binge drinking turning into the disease of alcoholism. Some issues that are centered in this research are relative to underage drinking; prevention strategies, school-based prevention for the youth, curriculum related programs, prevention through alternative activities, skills building, family focused prevention, alcohol or other drug (AOD) public policy strategies, the minimum drinking age requirements, the availability or accessibility to minors, and as was stated, community-based prevention. The conclusion of the research will testify that as long as there are programs that can offer support and services to assist people with problems related to alcohol or other addictive behaviors then there is hope to improve upon life and bring back a decent quality of life for people suffering with addictions such as this. The Health Promotion Campaign came into existence to try and minimize the ongoing problems associated with alcoholism and binge drinking among adults as well as the youth population within the United Kingdom. One of the central themes of the campaign since its origination has been to demonstrate an understanding in society that clearly shows in order to help people and ones self there has to first be acknowledgement of why there is an alcohol problem to begin with. Also, in order to bring about positive health changes within a society there has to exist an acceptance from those with an alcohol problem that they do have an adverse situation associated with alcohol they are dealing with. In order to be truly effective there has to be a rationale for alcoholism and binge drinking occurring. If the problem isn't known, then the program can never be totally effective. What is Alcoholism and Binge Drinking Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychological, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. This disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial (Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews 2006). The original Health Promotions campaign dealt heavily with the economic, social, and health factors of individuals at risk due to binge drinking and in fact the newer campaign has carried on this old initiatives but now with a more inclusive fashion to bring in all the adverse health and social problems that can arise due to this problem. For instance there is more awareness being given of how the effects of drinking on the major organs of the body are cumulative and are evident after continuous heavy drinking over 5 to 30 years, most notably affected are the central

Power and Privilege Homogeneous Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power and Privilege Homogeneous Choice - Essay Example Additionally, we all have a natural desire to preserve those parts of us that are unique or particularly cherished, and pass them on to our progeny. While racism and prejudice are always an unacceptable approach to our differences, there should also be an allowance for individuals to interact positively with one another while preserving their own culture, traditions, and values. I believe that it is possible to truly respect the differences between individuals and cultures, while retaining the natural comfort level found in individual association with those of similar background and world view. I call this homogeneous choice. As an individual, I am naturally aware of the differences between myself and others. Whether those variations are cultural or behavioral, I know that I can face a personal dilemma as I react to those differences; I can choose to accept them or oppose them in some way. In his article on the subject of diversity, David Brooks points out that it is in my nature to be around others like myself, and that I have the power to organize my life so that my contact with people radically different from me is limited (Brooks 31). That does not make me, however, an opponent of integration or a racist; it doesn't even mean that my personal choices are necessarily intentional. Things like personal comfort tend to occur absent specific and directed analysis, and my respectful reaction to others of different cultures can similarly be natural and uncomplicated. If I like a particular individual, regardless of cultural background, I simply like them. I don't sit around trying to analyze why I like them or what it is about them that makes them likeable; I just know that I am comfortable with them. Similarly, there are people for whom I don't especially care and that discomfort has nothing to do with race, creed, color, or any of the other common prejudicial points of view. I can respect the individual, even though I am not comfortable being around them every day, without being driven by prejudice against their culture; and that is the point. The nexus of these ideas can be articulated one word: Respect. If my responses to the differences in people I meet, and their unique way of perceiving the world, are respectful of their point of view, I can avoid a negative perspective that includes prejudice or racism. Different isn't bad, it is just different. Neither do I have to embrace all of the differences I encounter, or even like them, and include them in my choices for frequent association. I can respect my own perspective as a valid point of view, and extend that same consideration to the people I meet. The guiding principle for me, as for most other people, is personal comfort. I am naturally more comfortable with certain cultures than others, especially my own. As Brooks points out, people are "finding places where [they] are comfortable and where [they] feel [they] can flourish" (30). While he goes on to lament the lack of diversity in American culture, I don't think that it is appropriate to force people out of their personal comfort zones to accomplish a specific diversity goal. In America, the freedom of association is a constitutional right, and for good reason. Individual freedom is about flourishing within a chosen environment and I should be allowed to make those choices that promote my

ISM Code, Costa Concordia capsize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ISM Code, Costa Concordia capsize - Essay Example The ISM code principles are as follows: All these ISM code principles can be implemented if only proper training facility to the officials. These training facilities are been given with the help of HRM principles which increases the human resource by proper training and implementation. The development of human recourses management has facilitated in increasing number of skilled officials. The officials in shipping industry like captain, major, emergency unit etc are appointed from the HRM having full knowledge of HRM principles. The safety management in shipping industry under IMO (International Maritime Organization) has implemented ISM facilities to the industry. The ISM code under the IMO has several guidelines like operation of the ships with the framework for proper development. Pollution prevention strategies are a good practice of the industry under the principles of ISM code. The ISM code is made compulsory since 1998. This code enables Safety Management System (SMS) to establish by every company of shipping industry. These SMS are defines by the person like managers or bareboat character who is assumed to be the person who regulates the ship operations regularly. This facility of SMS in ISM code is useful in the emergency times of accidents like the case of drowning of ship in Costa Concordia in Italy in July 2012. Due to the deficiency in the emergency signal, the accident took place, as per the evidences (IMO, 2014). The ISM code has been set up in the industry to ensure the safety and pollution prevention of environment. Thus for the betterment of the shipping industry and the development of safety in the industry, it needs proper managerial efficiencies in work-force which is given by the implementation of HRM strategies. Human Resource Management is a strategic management of the workforce for dealing and upgrading organisations in various industrial fields. The main principles of

Review of Technology Opportunities for GLM's Information Systems Research Paper

Review of Technology Opportunities for GLM's Information Systems Management 2012-2017 - Research Paper Example This new technology has been seen to have a lot of potential. With the advent of information technology, there is a lot to be desired with the adoption of mobile applications. The mobile phone technology is proving to be a simple and effective method of managing applications and businesses. There is also the technology of customer relationship management software that has been used and employed extensively. With the use of this enterprise software, it is simple to manage the relationship that the organization has with the clients. It is good to know what the clients require. This paper will look at the role that the three technologies have on GLM Company. It will assess the role that these three technologies have. Introduction There have been some trends which have boosted the growth of enterprise software in the market. The first factor that was considered is the achievement of integrated information architectures which is used to improve the performance of business systems. When on e company adopts the use of enterprise software, the competition will also be compelled to adopt enterprise software so that they are at par in competition. The second fact that has boosted the adoption of packaged software is the Y2K bug which was feared as the world turned to the millennium. Since the bug was solved, another factor is the striving of the European Union to have one currency. This encouraged the companies to have packaged software to replace tailor-made software solutions. This is seen as a way of solving a universal bug instead of having independent software developers. This is hard because there will be difficulty if bugs like Y2K is realized in the market. Another factor is that there is the paradigm shift of businesses from the offline systems to e-commerce. There are the greater advances in technology where the companies are shifting to the use of the Internet for solutions to the problems and challenges found in the business world. A brief review of the organi zation’s IS/IM to date after the implementation of the findings from BCCD The organization’s information system has been greatly improved since the implementation of the finding from BCCD. The operations and activities in different departments have been running on smoothly. The major challenges the organization faces and need to be addressed is the fact the different systems that are running in each department are independent. These make the flow of information from one department to another and hence slow down the speed of doing business. Another issue that still exists is the fact that these systems are managed separately. This gives room to risk like fraud. As such there is need for improvement in the system so that these entire shortcomings are addressed. We must enhance marketing capability to respond to new markets 2. We must improve customer communication 3. We must build integrated IT systems which are easy to manage and responsive to customer needs 4. We must improve working environment and practices for staff. 5. We must provide customer support training for key customer interface staff. 6. We must enhance sales to increase existing markets. Description of the technologies Mobile technologies One challenge that the company has been facing is ensuring that they are efficient in offering the services and also being able to outdo its competing firms. Often, the staff is faced with the difficulty of both attending to clients and attending the training workshops that were demanded. The

The Beatles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Beatles - Research Paper Example John Lennon did not completely stand out on the album, although his compositions are remarkable: ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy),’ which blends into a flurry of white noise; ‘Because,’ which presents several of the greatest symphony the Beatles ever recorded; and, the groovy ‘Come Together’. Ringo, with his ‘Octopus’s Garden’, carried on with the aquatic escapade he had begun on ‘Yellow Submarine’ (Perone 32). However, it is Paul who conquers the album. He presents a satirical performance with ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ on side one. Afterward, he shows off his finest voice quality for â€Å"Oh! Darling† (Perone 32). On side two, Paul also manage the medleys, performing almost all the lead singings, starting the first medley with ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’, a gloomy depiction of the Beatles’ current financial and managerial difficulties; this shifts into the appealing, wistful ‘Sun King’ of John, then by a sequence of pen sketches: ‘Mean Mr. Mustard’, ‘Polythene Pam’, and ‘She Came in through the Bathroom Window’. All the songs were led by Paul (Womack 68). It is an exceptionally talented creation by musicians performing at the height of their careers, making it even more difficult to think that these same singers and composers would not collaborate ever again. The Beatles may not have been the first popular rock band to own and use the synthesizers of Robert Moog. Nevertheless, as soon as the Beatles had obtained a Moog synthesizer, they took complete advantage of it on Abbey Road. Moog’s synthesizer can be heard obviously on a number of songs and furnishes the album an advanced rock sound, which enhances the pop, blues, rock, and singer-composer flairs that are also present all over the album (Holm-Hudson 218). Perhaps, one of the more delicate and successful application of the Moog synthesizer of the period is in ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by George Harrison, the track

Origins of Cold War Essay Example for Free

Origins of Cold War Essay The Cold War was one of the most important historical events in the world, which had created a great impact that is still felt within the international community. The United States and the Soviet Union became the two most influential and powerful forces during this era. The relationship between the two former allies was anchored on political, ideological and economic interests, which at the end of the Second World War came as threats wherein developed bitterness and rivalry for power over the years (Hoesel, 1992). The Cold War which has been referred to as the period of â€Å"elusive peace† dictated that the United States of America as the world’s leading hegemonic power, with the defeat and disintegration of the Soviet Union at the end of the war. The Cold War indeed has been a conflict involving former allies, United States of America and the Soviet Union due to the difference in political ideologies held by the two superpowers (Nosotro, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The difference in political ideologies caused the development of animosity and hostility between United States and the Soviet bloc. The United States having been supportive of capitalism clashed with the communist Soviet Union (Nosotro, n.d). Although there had been no direct confrontation between the two world superpowers, indirect confrontations among the United States and Soviet allies were enough to assess the impact of the Cold War. Economic, political and military affairs of the two states and their allies underwent massive policy changes in order to keep abreast with the happenings during the Cold War. The â€Å"arms race† was one of the most important indirect military offensives that took place between United States and Soviet Union, both states trying to produce more sophisticated weapons ahead of the other. This in turn created a great impact on the two states’ economic and social services sectors (Kishlansky, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As such, the political allies of both United States and Soviet Union were also affected as both governments of the two states worked towards spreading influences in less developed countries. The series of decolonization became rampant and emphasized in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Africa and Middle East. And as such, the conflicts brought by the Cold War were instantly shifted and transmitted within these areas (â€Å"The Elusive Peace The Cold War,† 1992). References Hoesel, F.V. (1992). The Soviet Union and the United States. Soviet Archives Exhibit. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/intro2.htmls Kishlansky, M. (2005) Civilization in the West, Volume C (since 1789), 7th edition. Nosotro, R. (n.d). The cold war. Hyperhistory. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/big/w30coldwar.htm The elusive peace the cold war. (1992). History World International. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://history-world.org/coldwar.htm

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the agency in the United States tasked with the regulation of interstate and international communications carried out via radio, satellite, television, wire and cable. The agency was commissioned by the Communications Act of 1934, and its scope of authority extends throughout the 50 US states, the District of Colombia and all the US territories (Commission). The FCC has the responsibility of prohibiting the display of obscene programming at any time between 6 am and 10pm. In the event of a breach of this rule, the FCC policy requires that the license granted to the station breaking this rule be revoked, or a monetary fine be imposed. Also, it can give the station a warning with regard to its breach of rule (Commission). Ever since its institution, the FCC has sanctioned companies for brief curse words aired, or accidental nudity on live award shows. A particular case in point is the 2004 Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction saga, which cost CBS a whopping $550,000 in fines though it was appealed to an appellate court (Calver, p. 1-29). The FCC policy requires it to take appropriate punitive action, in respect of any media outlet, following documented complaints received from the public about any obscene, profane, or indecent material aired to viewers. Following such complaints, the FCC conducts a review to determine whether there has been a breach of the profanity, indecency, or obscenity laws. In cases where it is found that a broadcast station has violated the law, investigations into the claims are carried out. In this regard, the FCC policy requires complainants to follow a three-step process, before the act being complained about can be labeled as obscene, profane, or indecent. First, the average person must find that the content is appealing to the prurient interest, or an excessive interest in sexual matters. Following this stage, the material must be found to be depicted in a manner that is patently offensive and sexually explicit, and falls within the confines of the applicable law, in the particular case. In the third and last step, the content of the material must be determined to lack, in one way, or another, educational, artistic, scientific, or political value. In other words, it adds no value to the viewer. However, one crucial aspect of the entire process is putting the content of the material in context to determine its obscenity, indecency, or profanity (Commission). My opinion, in regard to the FCC policy, is that it is not doing much when it comes to censoring inappropriate content. One major reason is that the policy requires claims of obscenity, profanity or indecency, to pass the three steps before they can be so labeled. This process makes it extremely difficult to successfully censor, or prosecute, media outlets for airing inappropriate content. Therefore, the FCC should make the process less restrictive, to be able to accommodate more punishable cases of indecency. Indecency is defined by the FCC as, â€Å"Language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms of patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities† (Commission). Putting this statement in context, indecent programming basically comprises sexual or excretory references that are patently offensive in nature; however, they do not reach the obscenity level. Hence, courts hol d on to these indecent materials, as protected by the first amendment to the constitution, and do not ban them completely. Hence, viewers are left with the same initial problem of indecent material being aired. However, this indecent material can be restricted to avoid times when children are the primary audience. The FCC should make a policy that stipulates zero tolerance for any form of indecency, instead of having courts back them up with loopholes, such as by arguing that they are protected by the first amendment which upholds the right of free speech (Courts). An example is Nicole Richie’s 2003 speech at the Billboard Awards, where she categorically stated, â€Å"Have you ever tried to get cow st out of a Prada purse? Its not so fing simple† (CNN). The statement is a clear example of an indecent speech. The case brought up issues to do with the constitution and administration. The courts argued that FCC’s policy on the case violated the first amendment and, therefore, it was unconstitutional. The courts argued that the policy restricted free speech. Another major issue that the FCC should look into is amending its policy to include monitoring broadcasts for violation of its laws. This will make it more restrictive by broadening the scope of its mandate. . Currently, the FCC only responds to claims from the general public. Though this is a safe move to prevent pressuring a media outlet the FCC might be at loggerheads with, it is also a disadvantage. The FCC only investigates cases brought in by the viewers, and at times, not all the issues are given attention, although a significant number is analyzed. The major problem arises when specific viewers bear a grudge with a particular station, or individual, which is broadcasted. Such a scenario defeats the reason for the establishment of the FCC and makes it look like a platform, where personal grudges people hold can be settled. By being able to monitor broadcasts on their own, they can identify reasonable claims of a violation, instead of allowing individuals to act as if they own the FCC. A good example is Al Wescot, who is well known as a self-made watchdog. His grudge with Howard Stern is well recorded. He has on several occasions made it his job to file complaints with the FCC, with regard to Howard Sterns conduct (Mintzer, p25). In conclusion, the FCC should maintain its broadcast indecency policies. However, they should be made more stringent. Isolated expletives, or non-sexual nudity, should be treated the same; they are indecent. Furthermore, it should consider having a policy to be able to scrutinize broadcasts, instead of waiting for the viewers to file complaints. In this manner, broadcasters will be more aware of a watchdog that is the overriding authority. This will minimize cases of indecency in broadcasting. Works Cited Calver, C. Imus, Indecency, Violence (and) Vulgarity: Why the FCC Must Not Expand Its Authority Over Content. 30 Hastings Comm. Ent. Law Journal (2007): 1-29. CNN. Justices tackle free speech dispute over broadcast TV indecency. 6 January 2012. 24 February 2015 http://edition.cnn.com>. Commission, Federal Communications. Federal Communications Commission. 14 August 2014. 24 February 2015 http://www.fcc.gov>. Courts, United States. United States Courts. 24 February 2015. 24 February 2015 http://www.uscourts.gov>. Mintzer, Rich. Howard Stern: A Biography. United Kingdom: Simon Schuster Publishing, 2010.

The Importance Of Heat Integration In Distillation Columns Engineering Essay

The Importance Of Heat Integration In Distillation Columns Engineering Essay The combination of high crude oil prices due to increasing energy demand and concern about pollution has led researchers to exploring the possibilities of more energy efficient and environmentally friendly process technologies. The importance of distillation as a separation technique has made making it more energy efficient a high priority. Consequently, many heat integrated design schemes have been produced through the decades that it has been investigated and many of these techniques are outlined in this report along with some current commercial schemes. However, this technology has not been fully commercialised and this is mainly due to the high initial investment costs and the complexities of the equipment design, control schemes and operation. There is also a lack of real experimental data that is needed in order to verify the many theoretical predictions that claim that large energy saving are possible. Several areas have been identified as in need of further research in the fu ture to hopefully allow this technology to become an industrial standard and not just a theory. Introduction 1.1 The Importance of Heat Integration in Distillation Columns The combined threat of increasing energy demands and costs, global warming and the increased dependence upon oil imported from politically unstable parts of the world have resulted in an interest in enhancing the thermodynamic efficiency of current industrial processes. Increasing energy efficiency in chemical processes not only provides economic benefits but also it leads to reduce the emissions resulting from the process operation. Distillation is perhaps the most important and widely used separation technique in the world today as it is used for about 95% of all fluid separation in the chemical industry. In the US, about 10% of the industrial energy consumption accounts for distillation while it accounts for an estimated 3% of the world energy consumption. More than 70% of the operation costs are caused by the energy expenses (Nakaiwa et al. 2003.) It is a fact that the energy consumption in distillation and CO2  gases produced in the atmosphere are strongly related as the highe r the energy demands are the larger the CO2  emissions to the atmosphere are. This is due to the energy being mostly generated through the combustion of fossil fuel. Despite its apparent importance the overall thermodynamic efficiency of a conventional distillation is only around 5-20% (Jana, 2009). Clearly, improving on this value is imperative and a top priority objective. In order to achieve this, the concept of heat integration was introduced almost 70  years ago (Jana, 2009.) The basic idea of heat integration is that the hot process streams are heat exchanged with cold process streams which results in a more economic use of resources. Consequently a whole range of heat integrated distillation schemes have been proposed. In a conventional distillation column (Figure  1) with a feed, a top product and a bottom product, heat is added at the bottom of the stripping section. In distillation, heat is used as the separating agent. The heat is conventionally supplied at the bottom reboiler in order to evaporate a liquid mixture but is lost when liquefying the overhead vapour at the reflux condenser. The temperature of this heat corresponds to the highest temperature point in the distillation column. The temperature of the heat rejected at the top of the rectifying section corresponds to the lowest temperature point in the distillation column. Thus, distillation involves the loss of heat from a higher temperature level to a lower temperature level in order to perform the work of separation. The efficiency of distillation is reduced if the heat rejected in the rectifying section of the distillation column is not reutilized (Smith, 2005.) This is the principle from which heat integration of distillation is m ainly based. Full-size image (28 K) Figure A schematic representation of a conventional distillation column (Kiran, 2012) 1.2 Benefits and Drawbacks of Heat Integration The possible benefits of heat integration tend to be potential energy savings due to greater efficiency and also less waste. Unfortunately due to a number of issues the technology has yet to be commercialised. Installation of any type of heat integration will entail a higher capital investment than that of any standard distillation column due to the increased complexity of the design. Also, the amount by which the efficiency is improved by is not always substantial in certain cases and therefore it must be considered whether the perceived benefits from the greater efficiency outweigh those of the added costs. The increased complexity can also increase the difficulty of designing, operating and controlling the system. There has also been a lack of experimental data for large scale examples to verify theoretical predictions. A successful heat integrated column design would show positive energy savings at reasonable economic figures that can be effectively operated and controlled. 2. Energy-efficient distillation techniques This section discusses some of the many heat integrated techniques that have so far been proposed with the purpose of improving the energy efficiency of separation processes. 2.1 Pseudo-Petlyuk column The thermally coupled distillation scheme was first patented by Brugma in 1937. The process is used for separating a ternary feed and consists of a conventional prefractionator and side stream tower. Both of these parts are equipped with a reboiler and a condenser. The unit is divided vertically by a wall through a set of trays in order to keep the feed stream and side product separated. It was Wolff and Skogestad (1995)who referred to this set up as a pseudo-petluk column. However, their research led to some concerns about serious issues during operation for high purity separations which would limit the effective use of this system in many cases (Wolff, 1995.) 2.2 The Divided-Wall Column The elimination of the prefractionator unit from the pseudo-Petlyk column leads to a configuration known as the divided-wall column (DWC) (Robin Smith et al, 1992.) It is displayed in figure 2. It is achieved by introducing a vertical partition into a distillation column to arrange a prefractionator and a main column inside a single shell. The advantage of this partitioned column is that a ternary mixture can be distilled into pure product streams with only one distillation structure, one condenser and one reboiler. Naturally the cost of the separation is reduced along with the number of equipment units which leads to a reduced initial investment cost. Subsequently, further research has been undertaken with for example Agrawal (2001) discussing for multicomponent mixture separation the various types of partitioned columns and their advantages and disadvantages. However, as a result of the lack of experience in design and control, the dividing wall columns were yet to be extensively used in industry. This is changing though and there has been a rapid growth in the number of units in use. In 2004 there were 40 units used worldwide (Adrian et al, 2004) Full-size image (11 K) Figure A schematic representation of a Petlyuk distillation column (also known as divided-wall column) (Jana, 2009). 2.3. Petlyuk column Petlyuk et al (1965) presented a detailed theoretical study on a divided-wall column called the Petlyuk column. This reduced Petlyuk structure involves low initial investment and consumes less energy which reduces the operating costs. However, upon comparison with a conventional distillation unit the Petlyuk column has many more degrees of freedom in both design and operation which can cause difficulty when designing the column and creating a control system. As displayed in figure 3, the two-column Petlyk configuration will commonly consist of a prefractionator connected to a distillation shell equipped with only one condenser and reboiler (Jana, 2009.). The thermal coupling in a Petyluk scheme has lead to large energy savings. Unfortunately, little progress has been made with regard to improving operation and control of the structure which hinders its usability. . Full-size image (20 K) Figure A schematic representation of a two-column Petlyuk structure. (Jana,2009) 2.4 Multi-Effect Column The basic idea of this method for separating multicomponent mixtures is to use the overhead vapour of the one column as the heat source in the reboiler for the next column. The columns may be heat integrated in the direction of the mass flow which is forward integration or back integration can be used with is in the opposite direction. A sample column that represents a multi-effect column with a prefractionator for a ternary mixture separation is displayed in figure 4. Full-size image (19 K) Figure A schematic representation of a multi-effect system for ternary (A-C) feed mixture (Jana, 2009) This integrated arrangement has been proved to provide considerable energy savings (Cheng et al, 1985.) However, the issue preventing commercialisation of the process is the operation difficulties owed to the nonlinear, multivariable and interactive nature of the process (Han et al, 1996.) More research must be undertaken to try and find appropriate solutions before there can be a more extensive use for this system and to make use of the energy saving potential. 2.5 Heat Pump-assisted Distillation Column The heat pump is mainly used as a way for increasing the thermal economy of a single distillation column. The heat pump-assisted distillation column or vapour recompression column (VRC) was implemented as an energy-efficient process for the chemical industries after an oil crisis in 1973 (Jana, 2009.) In the system the overhead vapour is pressurised by a compressor to the point where it can be condensed at an increased temperature which will supply the heat required in the reboiler. A schematic representation of this can be seen in figure 5. Full-size image (14 K) Figure A schematic representation of a heat pump-assisted distillation column (Jana, 2009) There are potentially large energy savings to be made, mainly for fractionating close boiling mixtures. This is due to the small temperature difference between the top and bottom of the column which will result in small compression ratios and consequently small compressor duties being required (De Rijke, 2007.) For a conventional distillation column attempting to fractionate the same close boiling mixture there will be a higher reflux ratio and thus larger reboiler duties would be required. The drawback for this technique is the high capital costs. Reducing the cost of running the heat pump-assisted distillation column would certainly increase its cost effectiveness and make it more viable as an option. 2.6 Heat integrated distillation column Using heat pump technology it is possible for separate rectifying columns and stripping columns to be heat integrated internally. This structure is a heat integrated distillation column (HIDiC.) Originally only part of the stripping and rectifying sections were integrated under the name of the SRV scheme but later column design has incorporated heat integration between the whole rectifying and stripping sections (Jana, 2009.) Figure 6 displays a typical partial energy integrated distillation scheme. Full-size image (26 K) Figure A schematic representation of a partial HIDiC scheme (Jana, 2009)) In this configuration the stripping column operates at pressure lower than the rectifying column. A compressor and throttling valve are installed in order to adjust the pressures. The pressure differential means there will be a corresponding difference in operating temperature which allows energy to be transferred between the two columns through heat exchangers. Reflux flow for the rectifying section and vapour flow for the stripping section is generated from the heat exchanged between the rectifying hot vapour and the stripping cold liquids. This allows the reboiler heat load to be substantially reduced. Less energy is consumed the more heat that is exchanged and through appropriate process design it can be possible for reflux and/or reboil free operations to be performed. It has been shown that the HIDiC, compared to the VRC, can lead to energy savings of about 50% (Sun et al, 2003.) However, the structure has a very complex design and requires large capital investment (Jana, 2009.) Meanwhile it has also been found find that there are many binary feed separations where HIDiC is actually less energy efficient than simple heat pump schemes using only one or two heat transfer locations. Furthermore, it was shown that the energy efficiency of HIDiC cannot be solely decided based on the feed composition or product purities as many calculations are based. A better performance indicator is the temperature profile along the height of the rectifying section relative to the corresponding temperature profile in the stripping section (Herron ,2011) Research is ongoing, focussing on the dynamics and the thermodynamic efficiency aspects while extensive research was undertaken by Suphanit (2011) focussing on optimal heat distribution depending on the column arrangement and number of heat exchangers. Suphanit also produced a couple of potential schemes display in figure 7. Full-size image (41 K) Figure Fig. 2. Internally heat-integrated distillation column (HIDiC) (a) and HIDiC constructed in a concentric column (b) (Suphanit, 2011) The development of HIDiC has now reached the pilot plant stage in some countries such as Japan and the Netherlands.  Despite this, further research, both in terms of design and hardware development issues, is still needed before this application can be fully established and accepted in commercial use while further detailed study on the economic evaluation of this column structure is needed in order to ensure its advantage over more conventional schemes (Suphanit, 2011.) 2.7 Heat Integrated Batch Distillation Column Batch distillation is generally known to be a less energy efficient option than its continuous counterpart. However, the batch distillation is extensively used in pharmaceutical, fine and specialty chemicals industry due to its greater flexibility where the demand and lifetime of the products can be uncertain and may vary significantly with time. Jana (2009) proposed a novel heat integrated batch distillation column (HIBDC.) The proposal was based on a binary batch distillation example that separates an equimolar ethanol/water mixture. In comparison with the conventional batch process, the HIBDC also includes a compressor. The produced vapour in this concentric reboiler is firstly compressed and is then introduced at the bottom of the rectifier. This results in a pressure difference between the rectifier and reboiler. Consequently, energy is exchanged from the rectifier to the reboiler through the internal wall and brings the downward liquid flow for the former and upward vapour flow for the latter. This reduces the reboiler and condenser heat loads. However, an additional compressor duty is involved in the thermally coupled column. Full-size image (28 K) Figure Schematic of a heat integrated batch distillation column (HIBDC) [D = distillate rate (kmol/h), L1 = flow rate of liquid leaving 1st tray (kmol/h), nt = top tray, Qc = condenser duty (kW), Qn = rate of internal heat transfer from nth tray (kW),R = ref reflux rate (kmol/h),  VB  =  vapor boil-up rate (kmol/h)] (Jana, 2009) From the investigation it was observed that the HIBDC system appears overwhelmingly superior to its conventional stand alone column providing a significant savings in energy as well as cost. The potential energy integration leads to achieving about 56.10% energy savings and 40.53% savings in total annual cost. However, a single example comparing different configurations does not indicate that the proposed method would perform equally successfully for all mixtures. Therefore it was proposed that further investigation would take place in the future to come to a full conclusion as to the future promise of this technique. Takamatsu et al. (1998) also performed a comparative study between the heat integrated batch distillation and the conventional batch distillation that proved the superiority of the heat integrated scheme over its conventional counterpart in terms of energy efficiency. However, no more development has been found with regard to energy-efficient batch distillation. 2. 8 Intensified Heat Integrated Ternary Distillation Column Kiran et al. (2012) extensively investigated a novel intensified heat integrated ternary distillation column (int-HITDiC.) Their objective was to show that the int-HITDiC was superior in terms of energy consumption and economics than its general form, namely the HITDiC and the conventional standalone column. It was also investigated that the traditional HITDiC scheme shows a reasonable energy household and better economic figures than the conventional standalone column. The int-HITDiC is a hybrid scheme which gets the advantage of both the HIDiC and VRC strategies. It was found that this kind of heat integration could help to improve the process design not only in terms of thermodynamic efficiency but also in terms of capital investment. The intensified scheme can be classified into two different structure based on the number of compressors: the single compressor int-HITDiC and the double compressor int-HITDiC. From experimentation it was found that the double compressor system provided the best performance in terms of cost and energy consumption where it produced a maximum energy saving of 59.15%. Another attraction of the proposed double compressor int-HITDiC was its least payback time of excess capital which was 3.44 years. The performance of this proposed thermal integration techniques was measured using a ternary distillation system. A more general conclusion regarding energy and economic viewpoints could be found by extending its application to other example processes and checking for a consistent performance. An issue that should be mentioned regarding intensification is that although economic benefit is usually achieved the operability of the column tends to be reduced. Also, if the HIDiC is sensitive to disturbances then potentially the economic, safety and environmental performance may be unfavourably affected (Kiran et al, 2012.) 2.9 Internally Heat-Integrated Reactive Distillation Processes Internally heat-integrated distillation and reactive distillation are two promising technologies that can potentially result in considerable economical benefits. Jiao et al. (2012) conducted a study regarding internally heat-integrated reactive distillation; a technology which combines internally heat-integrated distillation and reactive distillation and is employed in order to further enhance the advantages of both technologies. The study tested three ideal quaternary systems, that reactive distillation processes with internal heat integration have been designed to use, to find which had the best potential for decreasing the total annual cost. These systems are types IP  and IIP  with stoichiometric design and also type IR which has excess design. In the case of type IP which has the reaction zone located in the centre of the reactive distillation column (RDC,) M-HIRDC will provide the highest economical benefit for the endothermic and exothermic reactions, chemical equilibrium constants and various relative volatilities. Here the reaction rate in the reactive trays in the high pressure section increases while in the reactive trays located in the pressure section the reaction rate will decrease. It is desirable to use HIRDC. The reaction zone is located at the bottom of the RDC when using type IIP  . Here the process with M-HIRDC will have better economical design than that of a conventional reaction distillation process in the case of both exothermic and endothermic reactions. The M-HIRDCs reactive trays are mostly positioned in the low-pressure section. Due to low pressure and temperature values the reaction rate is also smaller. It can be concluded that there are only minimal benefits to using HIRDC. The final system, type IR, has its reaction zone placed at the top of the RDC. This process shows the smallest total annual cost for the endothermic and exothermic reactions. The reactive trays are situated in the HP section and due to the increased temperature and pressure values the reaction rate is also increased. Thus, HIRDC is again a desirable operation. In conclusion, when the reaction zone is situated at the top of the column the lowest total annual cost will be found for the RDC. 2.10 Externally Heat-Integrated Double Distillation Column Liu et al. (2011) investigated the potential of externally heat-integrated double distillation columns (EHIDDiC.) In terms of the separation of an ideal binary mixture of hypothetical components A and B, the synthesis and design of the EHIDDiC were studied with the assumption of a constant pressure elevation between the low-pressure (LP) to the high-pressure (HP) distillation columns that are involved. It was found employing between one and three external heat exchangers results in a reasonable design option for the EHIDDiC. When a number of external heat exchangers greater than three were employed the process configuration has to be carefully determined as the increase in number of stages externally heat-integrated may not actually be beneficial to the system performance. This is due to the strong mass and heat couple between the LP and HP distillation columns that are involved and reflects the unique feature of the EHIDDiC. To reduce capital investment, the total external heat exchange areas should be installed through as small a number of heat exchangers as possible. The extreme situation would be the employment of a single external heat exchanger which would need knowledge in arranging the total heat heat transfer areas between the HP and LP distillation columns involved. These findings are of great significance both to process synthesis and design. A novel decentralised control scheme was also proposed for use for EHIDDiC operation. (Liu et al, 2011.) Huang et al. (2011) investigated three different configurations for externally heat-integrated double distillation columns performances for separating a binary mixture of ethylene and ethane. The configurations were a symmetrical EHIDDiC (S-EHIDDiC), an asymmetrical EHIDDiC (A-EHIDDiC), and a simplified asymmetrical EHIDDiC (SA-EHIDDiC), which were compared with respect to aspects related to process design and controllability. It was found that the A-EHIDDiC and SA-EHIDDiC were both superior to the S-EHIDDiC in terms of thermodynamic efficiency as well as in terms of process dynamics and controllability. Upon comparing the A -EHIDDiC and SA-EHIDDiC, the latter showed similar behaviour with the former in terms of process design and controllability. These results demonstrated that the asymmetrical configuration should generally be favoured over the symmetrical one for the development of the EHIDDiC (Huang et al, 2011.) 2.11 The structured heat integrated distillation column Krikken et als (2012) recent investigation into a structured heat integrated distillation column showed that a plate-packing configuration using structured packing gave a superior performance in comparison with the HIDIC based on the plate-fin heat exchanger. Further experimentation showed that the mass transfer and heat transfer efficiency increased significantly with increasing throughput. However, this was accompanied by an increasing pressure drop per stage. By simulating an industrial scale plate-packing unit it was found that an even better performance is possible through increasing the volumetric thermal load by further optimisation of the internals. The principle of a S-HIDiC is shown in figure 9. Here the rectifier and the stripper are alternatively stacked in a sandwich of layers which creates a high surface area for the heat and mass transfer while maintaining a high voidage. Full-size image (36 K) Figure Flow scheme of an S-HIDiC.(Krikken et al, 2012) Internals are used inside the layers to optimize the HIDIC performance. In the plate-packing HIDiC, which was developed and tested in this study, both heat and mass transfer are in balance at an acceptable pressure drop. This result of this is a column design providing substantial cost and energy savings. It could be possible to optimise the column configuration even further by decreasing the number of heat integrated stages and by increasing the volumetric thermal load but research is ongoing with regard to this. It is also important to note that the results obtained were purely based on one experience with conventional packed columns so further optimisation of the performance through adjustment of the internals is required. It was also noted that in order to achieve this development of design models would be useful (Krikken et al, 2012.) 2.12 Other Noteworthy Techniques Other techniques worth mentioning but are not explored in detail here are the inter-coupled column, concentric HIDiC, the fractionating heat-exchanger (all outlined by Jana, 2009,) control systems for heat integrated distillation systems with a multicomponent stream (Amidpour et al. 2012) and membrane distillation system using heat exchanger networks (Lu et al. 2012.) 3 Industrial Applications 3.1 Using i-HIDiC to Separate a Close-boiling Mixture It has already been proven that HIDiC can be superior in terms of energy savings when compared to other thermally coupled and conventional distillation columns. In an attempt to broaden the application of the ideal integration concept the economical and operational feasibility of the i-HIDiC scheme has been explored for the use in separating components of a close-boiling multicomponent mixture. It was found to be possible to employ two ideal HIDiCs to separate a hypothetical close boiling ternary mixture and two options of a direct and indirect sequence have been considered just as with its conventional equivalent. It has been previously found that it possible to achieve 30% to 50% energy savings for the separation of two close-boiling mixtures using a HIDiC (Iwakabe et al, 2006.) However it was then found that the ideal HIDiC system is even more thermodynamically efficient than a conventional distillation system (Huang et al, 2007.) Huang et al. (2007) found a process that was conducted with minimization of the total annual cost in mind. They analysed the closed-loop controllability for the ternary mixture separation using the i-HIDiC and the intensified i-HIDiC. Upon comparison it was shown that the intensified i-HIDiC showed worse closed loop control performance with large overshoots and a longer settling out time due to the positive feedback mechanism that is involved within the intensified structure. 3.2 Heat-integrated Extractive Distillation It is not possible to separate a binary mixture which has a very low value of relative volatility as the two components will evaporate at almost the same temperature and at a similar rate. For such cases extractive distillation can be utilised where a third components called solvent (which is a high boiling and relatively non-volatile component) is added in order to alter the relative volatility of the original feed components. It has previously been investigated as to the effectiveness and operation feasibility of several energy-integrated extractive distillation technologies including the divided-wall column, Petlyuk column and heat-integrated extractive distillation scheme (Abushwireb et al, 2007.) The work included a comparison between energy-integrated extractive distillation columns and conventional extractive distillation technique based on the recovery of aromatics from pyrolysis gasoline using a solvent called  N-methylpyrolidone. The optimum design was found through using a minimal total annual cost as the objective function. The conclusion of the study was that the designed extractive distillation schemes should meet all expectations in terms of energy consumption and purity of cuts. It was shown that the heat-integrated extractive distillation configuration is the preferred option ahead of the Petlyuk column, divided-wall column and conventional column. 3.3 Separating Close-boiling Mixtures using Heat Integrated Pressure-swing Distillation Three commonly used techniques for fractionating a binary close-boiling mixture are azeotropic distillation, extractive distillation and pressure swing distillation (PSD.) The first two techniques require a third component called a solvent that enhances the relative volatility of the components that are to be separated. This can lead to certain drawbacks such as the solvent never being completely removed thus adding impurity to the products, the cost of solvent recovery, the loss of solvent and potential environmental concerns (Treybal, 1980.) These potential issues with using a solvent have allowed the PSD approach to emerge as an attractive alternative option. An important prerequisite for the use of a PSD column is that the azeotrope separate has to be pressure sensitive. Here you have a low pressure (LP) distillation column and high pressure (HP) distillation column that are combined to avoid the azeotropic point. The inclusion of the HP and LP columns in the PSD configuration allows for the possibility of heat integration to be explored. Two appropriate types of energy integration for PSD processes were shown by K. Huang et al. (2008.) The first is the condenser/reboiler type heat integration where the condenser of the HP distillation column is integrated with the reboiler of the LP distillation process. The other option is the stripping/rectifying section type heat integration where the stripping section of the LP distillation unit is coupled with the HP distillation units rectifying section. It was found that for se parating close-boiling mixtures the best option is the latter while for other types of mixtures the reverse is actually true. However it was clear that both types of heat integrated PSD column have potential for large energy savings when separating close-boiling mixtures. Yu et al. (2012) also developed a new method for separating methyal/methanol using PSD. There it was found that the fully heat-integrated pressure swing distillation process had lower costs due its energy saving capabilities. 3.4 Heat integrated Cryogenic Distillation Cryogenic distillation columns will generally operate at extremely low temperatures. An example of this the process of separating air into its basic components where the process will run at about 100K (Mandler, JA.et al. 1989.) This temperature is low enough that oxygen and nitrogen will be in their liquid state and can consequently be separated in the column. The cryogenic separation unit has a highly costly installation arranged with the condenser if the overhead vapour is meant to covert to liquid phase as the overhead vapour is enriched with more volatile component which has a very low boiling point. The heat integration principle can be used by coupling the reboiler and condenser in the cryogenic distillation unit in order to reduce this high energy cost. The energy that is expelled in the condenser can then be utilised in the reboiler. A heat integrated cryogenic distillation column (HICDiC) that is constructed with two smaller c

A Reader Response to The Lie Essays -- Lie Essays

A Reader Response to The Lie Pleasing people and the pressure that comes with it. This is a major factor in one's everyday life. Eli Remenzel, however, has been caught in the middle of just one of the many lies he will ever tell. It just happens to be that this lie was one that would make a lot of people disappointed. In the short story "The Lie", the parents, and Eli's actions make me angry. However, I can definitely relate to what Eli is going through. To start with, I got extremely annoyed with the mother throughout the story. Actually, it wasn't just the mother, it was both of the parents in general. Sylvia is way to bubbly and fake. And Dr. Remenzel is extremely self-centered."Eli, sit up! What's the matter with you?". Dr. Remenzel is too obsessed with the family image to pay attention to the obvious hints his son is providing. The thought of Mrs. Remenzel considering to ask for special accomidations for Eli angers me. She acts like the typical rich family is percieved. "I thought maybe through some flu...

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Life with a Siberian Husky I really had no idea what I was getting intowhen I decided to get a Siberian Husky for a pet. Don't get me wrong: Iwouldn't trade him for anything and I love him dearly, but this animal has hisown plan - his own agenda. The last three years of my life have been anawakening to the downright mischievous nature of these dogs. I've met other Husky owners and they all have the same stories of their dogs running away and possessing the trademark Husky stamina. They also tell of the little idiosyncrasies, such as their dogs "talking" and the way Huskies know when you're speaking about them when they are in the room. All of these owners are amazed at the Houdini-like capabilities these dogs have to help them escape any enclosure. I have a few entertaining stories of my own about my Husky, Khayman. First of all, he is the dog that everyone loves and no one wants to own. I can barely get anyone to watch him for more than ten minutes. It's not that Khayman is a mean animal--he isn't--he is just clever. Part of the reason everyone likes him is because of his looks, but mostly he's got a lot of personality. His bandit mask and two different colored eyes (blue and brown) get him attention, pats on the head, dog biscuits at the gas station, and royal treatment whenever anyone finds him on his escapades (which, mind you, have been many). His first escapades didn't take him far, mostly running down the street a few blocks after bum rushing the...

Thorn Queen Chapter Twelve

Kiyo took off as soon as we got back to Tucson, saying he had to go to work. He also added that I shouldn't expect him later that night since he'd promised Maiwenn he'd come visit. Normally, that would have set my mood plummeting-and I won't lie, I wasn't thrilled as it was-but after last night, I felt superior and confident in my position with him at the moment. Somehow, I doubted he'd be looking at Maiwenn with the same awe he kept regarding me after I'd ridden him to exhaustion last night. If the crossroads in Yellow River-which we'd visited before heading out of town-had only yielded some answers this morning, I would have considered the trip a resounding success. â€Å"Nice of you to spend some time around here,† Tim told me when I emerged from the shower. As usual, he appeared to be cooking something. â€Å"What's that?† I asked, watching him roll out dough. â€Å"Cinnamon rolls,† he replied. â€Å"The second batch I've had to make, thanks to someone raiding the kitchen while they cooled.† He shot a glare over in the direction of one of the dogs-Yang, I thought-lying under the table. Yang looked extremely pleased with himself. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, even though it wasn't exactly my fault. Tim finished rolling out the dough and sprinkled the surface with a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar. â€Å"And don't think you're going to change the subject about never being around.† I found a Coke in the refrigerator and sat down, a little irritated over the scolding. â€Å"Well, sorry you miss my company, but I don't really see how it matters. Our deal is you live here rent-free in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Me not being here means you have less work. Besides, I've had things to do.† He scowled. â€Å"Yeah, I suppose. But do your ‘things' actually involve your job-the one that gets the mortgage paid? Your secretary called last night and said you missed an appointment. And you know, dealing with her isn't part of my rental agreement.† Despite having never met, Tim and my receptionist, Lara, had an antagonistic relationship over the phone. I had no time to give to their drama today, though. The other news was too startling. â€Å"I did what?† I took out my phone, which also doubled as my planner. In addition to two missed calls from Lara, I discovered I had indeed missed an appointment for a banishing last night. I'd been so fixated on my quest in Yellow River that I'd totally forgotten I had it. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered, dialing Lara's number. As keen as I was on these missing girls, Tim had a point-my human jobs paid the bills. Not the gentry ones. â€Å"What happened?† demanded Lara as soon as she answered. No hello. â€Å"I got distracted by something else,† I said. â€Å"I'm really sorry. You think we can reschedule? Give them a discount or something?† â€Å"Probably,† she conceded. â€Å"I mean, it's not like they've got many other options to get rid of a ghost. In the meantime, though, I've got some other pending clients.† I hesitated. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about accepting as many jobs as I could. It was good for my bank account and a good deed for the world. With as much as the Otherworld was preoccupying me, however, I couldn't afford losing the time right now-or possibly missing another appointment. â€Å"Reschedule the one I missed and book only one of the others. Tell the rest we have to wait-list them.† Lara was silent for several seconds. â€Å"Are you serious?† â€Å"Afraid so.† She sighed. â€Å"Okay. You can still pay my salary, though, right?† â€Å"Yes,† I laughed. â€Å"I haven't gone bankrupt yet.† â€Å"Okay then.† She sounded only moderately pacified. â€Å"But for the record? Your roommate needs to learn some manners. He was a total asshole when I called last night.† Before we disconnected, Lara made sure to remind me about two jobs I had later that day. She wouldn't get off the phone until I repeated the times and places back to her. I was just as eager to take care of them as she was, as sort of a mental retribution for the missed one from last night. I'd never forgotten a job before. My career might be an unusual one, but I still considered myself a professional and didn't want to start falling into bad habits as a result of all this Thorn Queen business. And yet†¦as soon as I finished those jobs, I had to send myself back to the Otherworld. I only intended it to be a quick visit, though. I simply needed to check Shaya's progress and find out if the runaway girl had been located. Questioning her would make this whole search and rescue a lot easier and let me get on with my human life. The news wasn't good, however. â€Å"No sign,† said Rurik, once I hunted him down in the castle. I'd found him in a compromising position with one of the cooks. â€Å"We've got people scouring the area but haven't had any luck. We did, however, find where those bandits have relocated. Do you want us to go after them?† I hesitated. I did want to round them up, both to take the pressure off the villages and see if they knew anything about the girls that my prisoners hadn't. In the end, I shook my head. If they still had that fire demon summoner, I didn't want to go after them until we had an overwhelming show of strength. â€Å"No. Not yet. Just keep looking for the runaway.† I gave a sidelong glance toward the kitchen, into which the woman whose skirt he'd just had his hand up had disappeared. â€Å"You know, if it's not too much of an inconvenience.† At least the news from Shaya was good. The supplies Dorian had sent me home with had been shipped out, and apparently Leith had contacted her to say that after going through the irrigation book, he had some ideas for us. Naturally, he wanted to meet with me again. I suspected an ulterior motive, but it was something I'd happily endure to keep the food coming. I at least felt like Leith's intentions were easier to understand than Dorian's-and that I was a lot less likely to yield to temptation along the way. I sent the young prince a message back, saying I'd love to meet with him. On impulse, I also asked if he had anyone who might be capable of summoning water demons. Once that chore was done, I made motions to go back to Tucson. â€Å"Well? Are we going to get this done with or not?† I turned around, surprised to see Ysabel standing there in the hallway, hands on her hips. I'd been heading out toward the courtyard to do a little communion with the land before returning home. The heat was sweltering, as usual, and most of the women around here had taken to wearing light, gauzy gowns, often with short or no sleeves-not unlike the dress I'd worn to Maiwenn's party. Ysabel had made no such concessions and stood clothed in a green velvet gown, complete with long bell sleeves. The color looked stunning with her hair, but I knew she had to be miserable. â€Å"Get what done with?† She threw up her hands in exasperation. â€Å"This†¦tutorial. Or whatever it is my lord sent me here to do.† Oh, right. I hadn't forgotten Ysabel, exactly. I'd just kind of tried to pretend she didn't exist, in a feeble (and futile) hope that she might just disappear. No such luck. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, returning her hard look. â€Å"I don't really have time.† â€Å"You promised Dorian,† warned Ysabel. â€Å"And until you do this, I can't leave this godsforsaken place. I want to go home.† I shrugged and turned away. â€Å"We can't always get what we want. Kind of like that song. God knows I haven't.† I'd barely taken one step when a huge gust of wind shot toward my back, whipping my hair in front of me and rustling the tapestries on the wall. I immediately came to a halt and looked back at her. Her expression was both smug and hostile. â€Å"What's the matter? Afraid you can't keep up with me?† Charming. The old baiting tactic. She was hoping to get her way by playing on my pride. It was like the lamest trick in the book†¦except, well, it was kind of working. Okay, it was more than just my pride here. I was succumbing to temptation. With hardly any effort, Ysabel had just nearly knocked me over. It was more than I could do-much more-and her power nowhere near matched mine. If I had that kind of mastery, I could create hurricanes and blow apart buildings. Being in full possession of my magic would make me a god. That shouldn't have mattered. I shouldn't have wanted that†¦but some secret part of me did. Well, not the god part. But certainly the rest. Power like that could help my people, I tried to convince myself. â€Å"Okay. Let's get this over with then.† I acted like getting rid of her was my only concern-not that that wasn't a huge motivating factor. This castle, I was finding, was filled with rooms-most of which didn't seem to have much use. Most of the servants and guards had their own quarters, still leaving a ton of rooms unoccupied and gathering dust. I really only had need of my meeting room and parlor when I was there, and the rest had thus far stayed unused. The parlor was apparently being cleaned, so on impulse, I led Ysabel to one of the abandoned rooms. It had a river-rock fireplace that wasn't going to see use anytime soon, but the striped brocade furniture hadn't accrued too much dust. I flounced down onto a chair, arms crossed and posture defensive. â€Å"Okay. Make this fast.† Ysabel examined her sofa carefully before easing down and spreading her voluminous skirts around her. She crossed her hands on her lap, and if not for the expression on her face that said she wanted to rip me apart, I would have said she looked dainty and ladylike. â€Å"Dorian says I'm to teach you to improve your power with air.† â€Å"Something like that.† She eyed me critically. â€Å"Before we begin, I want it made abundantly clear that I am not doing this by choice.† â€Å"Really? I hadn't noticed.† Her lips curled into a sneer at my sarcasm. â€Å"I don't know what Dorian sees in you. You think you're so clever and witty when really, you're just a plain, uncouth human.† â€Å"Half-human,† I corrected. â€Å"And plain or not, your boyfriend-and, like, every other guy around here-would give up his right arm to get me into bed.† I really shouldn't have provoked her like that. Not only was it mean, it was also going to make this whole magic lesson probably even more unbearable. â€Å"Believe me, it's through no charm of your own. It's only the prophecy and your alleged breeding ability, and once that's run its course, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She demurely smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt, not that there really were any. â€Å"It's only your child anyone will have interest in, not you.† â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, but there isn't going to be a child.† Not as long as my doctor kept prescribing me birth control pills. Ysabel looked up, face filled with skepticism. â€Å"Oh? Then why are you with the†¦kitsune?† She said kitsune like it was a dirty word. Dorian often did too, though he did it mostly to irritate me. I think Ysabel legitimately looked down on Kiyo. â€Å"If you really are a queen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked skeptical over this as well. â€Å"†¦then why lower yourself by taking him as a consort? The only reason you would have is in the hopes of him fathering a child on you, just as he did Maiwenn. Clearly, he's proven his virility†¦which might be of particular concern to you. You claim you're trying not to conceive, but perhaps that's a lie to hide the fact that you can't.† â€Å"What? That's insane!† â€Å"Whereas I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She ran her hands proudly along the sides of her hips. â€Å"†¦have already bore two children.† Whoa. That was startling-and a point of pride for her, no doubt, considering the gentry fertility issue. â€Å"To whom?† For some reason, the thought that it might be Dorian bothered me. â€Å"My husband. He was killed years ago in battle.† She frowned slightly, the first sign of soft emotion I'd seen on her. In a flash, her normal bitchy expression returned. â€Å"They live with my parents right now and are healthy and strong. My lord Dorian knows I can undoubtedly have more. That's why he cast you aside for me, forcing you to turn to the kitsune for your fleeting chances of offspring.† â€Å"That's not what Dorian and I-never mind. Look, for the last time, I'm not with Kiyo to get pregnant, okay? I'm with him because I love him.† She sniffed. â€Å"I find that unlikely. If you just wanted a lover for pleasure, you would pine for my lord. No other man can match his skills in the bedroom. When he binds my hands in ropes or paints my flesh, I find no greater ecstasy than-â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, just stop,† I said, holding up both hands. This entire conversation was grating on my last nerve. â€Å"I do not want to hear any details about your sex life with Dorian, okay? That is not part of this deal. No part at all. I don't want to-wait. Did you say something about painting?† A sly smile lit her features. â€Å"My lord has a great appreciation for art. Often, before we make love, I'll lie naked before him and let him use my body as a canvas. He will spend hours adorning my flesh with color and design, often using the paintbrush as a means to pleasure me and-â€Å" â€Å"Okay, okay. I'm sorry I asked.† As the words left my lips, though, it shocked me that I could envision what she was describing perfectly. Dorian's magic lessons had often involved tying me up-the necessity of which I was never 100 percent certain of-and he would spend a large amount of that time weaving the silken cords that bound me. He'd arrange them in interesting patterns and color formations, consumed by the process itself. Somehow, I imagined him being the same with paint. I could see his face lost in thought as he painted flowers or suns or whatever, his clever, sensual hands taking their time as they lightly touched my body†¦. No, not my body. Ysabel's. I had no part of this. â€Å"Let's get this done with,† I said gruffly, hoping she wouldn't guess my thoughts. â€Å"Then we can both go home.† â€Å"Very well then. So, you need my help because you're weak.† â€Å"That's not entirely true.† Jesus Christ. It was all going to be like this, wasn't it? â€Å"I have a lot of power. I know how to control and use water magic-though I guess I could be better. Everyone assumes I must have inherited wind magic too, but so far†¦well, I've only been able to use it once.† â€Å"You may simply be deficient,† she said lightly. Her eyes flicked to my chest. â€Å"Like in so many other ways. But we shall see.† It kind of went on like that for a while. Every other sentence of hers was a barb. Yet, a lot of what she explained to me sounded similar to what Dorian had said, which at least gave me some confidence that she wasn't bullshitting me. In particular, she kept trying to describe how I could reach out and feel different types of air-just as Dorian used to encourage me to do with water. Unfortunately, it had taken a very long time to do that with water, and I felt a little pessimistic about history repeating itself. â€Å"There are different types,† she kept saying. â€Å"Don't try to sense them all. Focus small.† â€Å"What do you mean different types of air?† About an hour had gone by at that point, and I was growing weary and longing for Tucson. â€Å"Air is air,† I argued. â€Å"Spoken like a savage,† she remarked. â€Å"Perhaps we should just end this and tell my lord we fulfilled our promise to try.† I gritted my teeth. â€Å"Just explain it one more time.† She shrugged. â€Å"There are different types of air.† When she offered no more, I began to agree with her. It might be best to abandon this after all. A few moments later, though, she elaborated. â€Å"There is different air around plants. Different air after we exhale. Different air when the land is foggy. Not that you'd understand that in this wretched place.† My eyes widened. â€Å"Gas. Molecules. That's what you mean.† Now she was the one wearing the confused expression. â€Å"The different types of air,† I continued, excited in spite of myself. â€Å"You're saying the magic depends on feeling each kind†¦oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide†¦.† I was speaking a foreign language. Ysabel seemed as confused as ever, but by this point, I was running away without her. It made sense. Dorian's entire teaching method had been built on baby steps. It had started with me sensing a bucket of water and culminated in me using the water in Aeson's body to blow him apart. Starting at the molecular level with air seemed daunting, but the human in me clung to the science. And as I sat there, I began to expand my mind out, much as I did when preparing to use water magic. Air had always remained blank and untouchable, yet as I began to simply focus on a tiny part of it, it became more manageable. I thought about Ysabel's breathing-oxygen in, carbon dioxide out. The world slowed down to a heartbeat, one breath at a time†¦. I'm not sure how long I sat like that. I lost track of where I was or even if she said anything else to me. Only her breathing mattered. At last, I could sense the differences, the changes in the air coming in and coming out. As she exhaled, my mind scooped up the air-the carbon dioxide-leaving her lips and flung it as I would a ball. My control was imprecise; I had no real target. The air brushed past her shoulder, ruffling her hair. â€Å"You†¦you touched it,† she said grudgingly, clearly surprised. I was alive and burning with energy now, too consumed by what I was doing to answer her. Using magic always set my senses ablaze, made the world seem more vibrant and real. I wanted to do the trick again but decided to see if I could work it the opposite way and exert control over a different type of air-oxygen. I waited again to get a feel for her breathing, letting my mind actually sense the different particles in the air. When I felt certain I could grasp the oxygen, I did-just as she was about to inhale. Ysabel began to cough, her hands going to her throat as she tried to draw breath. Sucking the oxygen away meant, well, that she couldn't inhale it. I froze in my surprise at the obvious yet not entirely unreasonable consequences-so much so that I couldn't stop what I did. I was just†¦stunned. I was controlling air. The magic burned through me, and her oxygen just kept flowing away and away. It obeyed my commands, and I didn't have the coherent reasoning to cut it off. After several seconds that felt like years, the realization of what I was doing suddenly penetrated my higher reasoning. I finally cut off the magic, letting go of my hold on her oxygen. By then, Ysabel had fallen to her knees in a desperate attempt to get air-and probably because she was starting to lose consciousness too. At last, free of the magic, she drew a large, shaking breath, face pale and terrified. A few moments later, when she'd recovered herself, she looked at me accusingly. â€Å"You-you tried to suffocate me!† â€Å"No!† I exclaimed, aghast. â€Å"I†¦I didn't. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was just trying to control the air†¦.† She stood up, and where once her face had been pale, it was now flushed with anger. She was shaking. â€Å"You deceived Dorian. You already know how to use this kind of magic. This is all part of some elaborate plot.† â€Å"No, no,† I said, standing as well. â€Å"I've never used it before-except once and only for a few seconds.† â€Å"I don't believe you. What you just did†¦you couldn't have done that if you were as inexperienced as you pretended to be!† What I'd done-aside from the fact it could have killed her-didn't seem like it was that big a deal. I'd sensed air and moved it. It was hardly a hurricane, and it had taken a lot of concentration-so much so that I didn't think I could repeat it anytime soon. I hardly had the effortless control she exerted over the wind. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you. It was an accident.† Ysabel's only answer was a scowl, just before she stormed out of the room. As she passed me, I thought I saw both fear and tears in her eyes. Despite her bravado, I realized that what had seemed more like anger in her was actually terror. She was in the home of someone she saw as a rival, someone with a reputation as a warrior and a tyrant-and someone who had just tried to kill her. She was trapped here by Dorian's orders. â€Å"A terrifying feat, your majesty,† a voice near the doorway said. I took a few steps forward and saw Shaya standing just outside in the hall, her pretty face grim. â€Å"It was an accident,† I said, surprised at the trembling in my voice. â€Å"I don't like her, but I don't want to hurt her.† â€Å"I know.† Shaya's expression turned both gentle and sad. â€Å"But her fear isn't unfounded. You learned that too quickly and too well.† â€Å"It was easy! It's the same as moving water around or any other type of air.† â€Å"From what I understand, stealing someone's breath-denying them air-is harder than simply creating breezes. You're fighting against life itself. Those who suffocate others in this way usually require great strength and stamina. For you to be able to do it already†¦well, it's a testament to your power-and that's nearly as frightening as the act itself.† The full impact hit me. â€Å"Wait†¦there are people who do that on purpose? Steal someone's air so they can't breathe?† She shrugged. â€Å"Well, to those with the skill, suffocation's an effective weapon.† â€Å"It's sick†¦it's an inhumane way to die.† â€Å"I agree. And most people don't have that kind of strength, so it's not an issue. Among those who do have the strength, most would never consider doing it to another person, enemy or no.† I groaned. â€Å"Well, if that's true, then she has to understand that I wouldn't purposely do it to her either. She has to believe that it was an accident.† â€Å"I don't think you're going to have a lot of luck with that.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because while most consider such torture unusually cruel, there was one person who enjoyed denying someone their breath-and who frequently used it as a form of execution and entertainment.† Shaya's look was meaningful. â€Å"Tirigan Storm King.†