Euro Disney Intercultural Management

Disney Corporation faced lots of problems when launching Euro Disneyland in Paris. Most of them were caused by poor research of the European market, European people’s traits and habits. Question 1: What could have been the reason why guests were spending less and leaving sooner? Disney Corporation expected that people will spend a lot of time and money in Euro Disney Park, however in reality they leave sooner and spend less money than was expected, and it causes big losses.The main reason of it can be explained by Geert Hofstede?s dimension about time-orientation which is very similar to Fons Trompenaar?s time-orientation dimension. As USA is considered to be short-term-oriented country, while European countries are long-term-oriented people spend money differently. Europeans are likely to save money, save it for the future, not to spend big sums of money in short period, but US citizens can often spend a lot easily, and they are not likely to save money. Additionally, America ns did not count with the importance of culture for the average European citizen.When visiting Paris, thousand years of history surrounds you. To the American, whose country is only a few hundred years old, the perception of spending your holiday does not likely include sightseeing. But when a European visits Paris, they will surely spend part of their holiday to discover one of the most famous and historical cities in Europe. Evidently they will spend less time in Disneyland, there is much else to see. Question 2: When reading the description of some of the critical aspects, what could have been the major problems and how could they be solved?From the beginning Disney Corporation applied universalistic approach. As Disney’s community relation manager said: â€Å"we knew it would work because it had worked everywhere else†. They wanted that everything in this new Disney Park in Paris was as it is in USA because they already had experience of applying the same method in Japan. And in Japan it was successful; however it didn’t work in Europe. Probably, it was not a good idea for European Disneyland, since French and all Europeans are different from U. S. people by mentality; they have other habits, which effect European customers’ behavior.To solve this problem Fons Trompenaar’s dimension about universalistic and particularistic approach can be used. As it was necessary from Disney Corporation to apply particularistic approach instead of universalistic, so they could make research before launching the park. Disney Corporation made all the same settings as they open new Disneyland in U. S. , so French citizens considered it as Americans’ desire to create a piece of USA on their land. In order not to have this problem Disney Corporation could know just one most wide-spread stereotype about France that French are proud people.They are a nation that works hard to preserve their culture. Tourists often complain that they donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t speak English with them even if they know the language. They actively discourage the Anglicization of the French language, the primary objective of L'Academie francaise is to preserve the language. So it was obvious that French people will not welcome freely Americanization of their holidays on their land. If Disney Corporation just showed respect and add a bit of French traditional, cultural features, then French people would not perceive Disney as threat.Moreover, it could attract more customers exactly to Paris Euro Disneyland, as they can find here some special things which they were not able to find in other Disneyland. One more major reason of Disney Corporation failure in France can be explained by Fons Trompenaar’s Nature Orientation dimension. As U. S. A. is rather internal country the corporation could believe that everything depends on them, they thought they could force Europeans to spend money. It can be prove by Disney’s community relations manag er: â€Å"We are so good, nothing can stop us†.Disney Corporation staff believed that if they create proper conditions, if they find, train good personnel – European customers will increase their expenditures and will stay late in the park. However, there are things which were not under Corporation control, for example, habit of Europeans to economize money is stronger than desire to spend more money in short-period. There is only one way to solve these kinds of problems, just to pay attention to them, be careful to consumers’ behavior, to be really customer-driven company.Question 3: What assumptions did Disney make about the French and Europeans (as guests and consumers)? How might Disney have had a more favorable initial experience in France? The Disney Corporation assumed that all Europeans, as a â€Å"civilized West† are very similar to Americans, that European customers will behave the same way as Americans. And even if they have different way of va cations, they assumed that Disney will be able to Americanize Europeans’ vacation habits, what could entertain American families would satisfy European families as well.Disney Corporation thought that what they created in Paris is something immortal and has enough to keep families happily there for a week. But thanks to Europeans’ cultural features, it is a safe bet that what American culture could offer would not be enough for them in many aspects. A civilization so deeply affected by their thousand year culture has different expectations. In addition chicken nuggets, hot dogs and fries might be somewhat standard fair in America but in Europe food is to be enjoyed and savored and one tends to linger over a meal as opposed to eat as quickly as possible.Disney could have had a more favorable initial experience had they have prepared some market research. They would have found that the country has very different working standards. France has a lot smaller Power Distance than that in USA, additionally they are proud people, they must have taken it really bad when everything was prescribed to the last detail and they secretly kept a close watch over their work. In order to operate such a large and prestigious theme park with thousands of employees and millions of visitors, it’s inevitable to find out the expectations by both labor and customer side.Strategies to transfer a successful business concept from one culture to another An important lesson to be learned is to always take cultural features into consideration. It is the base of good cross-cultural relationships both inside and outside of the corporation. Our success greatly relies on our customers’ judgement and our employees’ loyalty, which depend on managing cultural differences. It can be done in several ways, but the first step is always to examine and evaluate the country’s cultural dimensions.Then we can move on to the next step: If it suits the country of dest ination (=CoD), leadership and most decisions can be defined by the country of origin (=CoO) (if the CoD has high PDI and UAI, Communitarianist and Specific, Achievement oriented†¦), or CoO has to let local leadership make short- and medium-term decisions (low PDI, high Masculinity, Individualist and Emotional†¦) Same market/customer approach can be applied if the CoD’s cultural dimension indexes are about the same as the CoO’s – translation check must be done.There is no point in changing the image if our brand is already widely known and accepted, but needs a new type of approach if the CoO’s cultural values don’t match the CoD’s values. Generally neighbour countries are likely to share the same values because they root from a mutual history. Product placement – we have to find out about the CoD’s Time Orientation and Nature Orientation in order to get a correct picture: what do our employees and customers expect of our product?What alteration must be done to keep our employees and customers satisfied and our business profitable? The answer is simple – if the CoD has high Long-Term Orientation and Nature Orientation, then we must plan our product to be economical, nature-friendly and our company will produce lower but more sustainable profit. If it’s indexes are low, we are facing a short but rapid profit attainment, and our products â€Å"go out of fashion† quickly.

Status Quo

Developing and retaining highly qualified teachers continues to be a critical need (Berry, 2004; Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 2003). As more teachers retire and school populations continue to grow, an increasing number of schools, universities, and states are implementing programs to ease induction, develop quality teachers, and inform educational practices. Therefore, many educators are now turning to action research to achieve these goals. The purpose of Grogan, Donaldson, & Simmons (2007) article Disrupting the Status Quo is to make an argument that unlike traditional research, action research encourages school personnel to systematically develop a question, gather data, and then analyze that data to improve their practice. The article addresses the key question to the appropriateness and relevance of educational leaders undertaking action research projects as the capstone of their doctoral studies (Grogan, Donaldson, & Simmons, 2007). The most important takeaway in this article is that traditional educational preparation programs and the hierarchical structure of public schools tend to perpetuate compliance and maintenance of the status quo. Furthermore, there is a need for transformative learning to help leaders deconstruct conformity to the many social and cultural canons, which have permeated U. S. schools to the detriment of our students. The authors believe that an action research dissertation and mentoring is an essential component in any educational leadership curriculum that aspires to foster the critical, reflective learning that is the hallmark of human and organizational transformation. Gilles & Cramer (2003) supports a combination of appropriate coursework and mentoring help new teachers transition quickly into solid, thoughtful, and strategic teachers. The key concept we need to understand is that action research and the fact that the Ed. D is a professional degree does not minimize the rigor or prestige in comparison to a Ph. D. Since the research, focus of an Ed. D is different from that of a Ph. D, action research focuses on generating knowledge that is workable, make sense, and is credible in more than one setting as opposed to acquiring knowledge for its own sake (Grogan, Donaldson, & Simmons, 2007). The main assumption that the author is making is that there has to be a change in order to transform the learning process. If we take this line of reasoning serious then there should be no kid left behind. The new generation of educational leaders will also have the tools needed to think critically, identify and solve problems facing their institution of higher learning. If we fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, we could end up in worse economic and educational status. Berry, B. (2004). Recruiting and retaining â€Å"highly qualified teachers† for hard-to-staff schools. NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 5-27. Darling-Hammond, L. & Sykes, G. (2003). Wanted: A national teacher supply policy for education: The right way to meet the â€Å"highly qualified teacher† challenge. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(33). Retrieved [22 July 2011] from http://epaa. asu. edu/epaa/v11n33/v11n3 Gilles, C. & Cramer, M. (2003, April). The impact of school-university partnerships on classroom teachers and their teaching. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. Grogan M. , Donaldson, J. & Simmons J. (2007, May 19). Disrupting the Status Quo: The Action Research Dissertation as a Transformative Strategy. Retrieved from http://cnx. org/content/m14529/1. 2/.

Eth 316 Individual Assignment Week 1 Essay

Utilitarianism is a theory that suggests that an action is morally right when that action produces more total utility for the group than any other alternative.aka The greatest good for the greatest number pg 153 Deontology is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations—such as the consequences of the action. Because of this nonconsequentialist bent, deontology is often contrasted with utilitarianism that defines the right action in term of its ability to bring about the greatest aggregate utility. In contradistinction to utilitarianism, deontology will recommend an action based upon principle.â€Å"Principle† is justified through an understanding of the structure of action, the nature of reason, and the operation of the will.The result is a moral command to act that does not justify itself by calculating consequences. Virtue ethics is also sometimes called agent-based or character ethics. It takes the viewpoint that in living your life you should try to cultivate excellence in all that you do and all that others do.These excellences or virtues are both moral and nonmoral. Through conscious training, for example, an athlete can achieve excellence in a sport (nonmoral example). In the same way a person can achieve moral excellence, as well. The way these habits are developed and the sort of community that nurtures them are all under the umbrella of virtue ethics.

The History of Fashion Trends Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The History of Fashion Trends - Research Paper Example The essay "The History of Fashion Trends" analyzes the trends in the fashion history. Although, fashion has its roots since time immemorial, the history of fashion design is no older than the mid 19th century when Charles Fredrick Worth launched his first fashion house in Paris. Ever since, the concept of fashion designers has dominated the fashion world. Throughout 20th century, almost all of the high end fashion spread from Paris and London. The boundary between haute-couture and daily wear garments was not strictly defined. At the onset of this century, the concept of fashion photography emerged as did fashion magazines (Jones). Every century and perhaps decade is marked with changes in fashion trends. A major breakthrough in women’s fashion came in 1920’s with the introduction of flapper styles with emphasis on slack clothes and shorter skirts with temporary revivals of long skirts. By the start of 1930’s a large part of western world faced the effects of the Great Depression and haute couture became less popular. The focus shifted from the more romantic haute couture line (marked by a revival of waist lines along with a bust outline, longer hems, and skin-tight evening gowns) to everyday, utility wear . The 1940’s, being years of war, were marked by the production of uniforms, whereas the 1950’s saw the return of fashion with changes in haute-couture. The end of the 20th century was characterized by globalization of the fashion industry with fashion centers emerging all over the world.... The history of fashion has witnessed two popular fashion movements and trends namely The New Romantic and the Punks. It is worth contrasting the two movements in order to gain a deeper insight into these two highly popular trends. The late 1970’s and early 1980’s were marked by the onset of the New Romantic movement characterized by new trends in fashion and music in U.K (Riello and McNeil). The movement is originally marked by the new wave music and has survived to date with few alterations. Friday and Saturday nights were no longer the most celebrated with music; rather, Tuesdays also received special attention when the club â€Å"Gossips† introduced Bowie nights on this day (Riello and McNeil). The trendsetters in Punk fashion include Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier wardrobe worn by bands such as The Exploited (Jones). Flannel shirts printed with political slogans and band names became a popular practice during the 1980’s (Jones). Leather jackets and denim vests were studded painted and tailor made and replaced the earlier practice of tailor made blazers (Jones). Female punks typically entailed shaving the entire head except for a strand in the front (Jones). Perhaps the most prominent recognition of this era was given by the onset of spiked or apparently electrified hair with flamboyant colors and streaks. The main distinction between the New Romantics and its predecessor (the Punk) then became focus on glamour and looking good in the latter, a reflection of softer, more fragile, self-conscious attitudes contrary to the violent, anarchic and crude culture portrayed by Punks. The New Romantics came to be known for their anti-Punk attitudes as they replaced sloppiness with

How Children Playing Sports Contributed to a Well-Rounded Child Research Paper

How Children Playing Sports Contributed to a Well-Rounded Child - Research Paper Example The energy possessed by children needs to be fully utilized in co-curricular activities such as sports. Therefore, a well-rounded child can be viewed as that child, who has totally developed physically, socially and mentally thru playing sports from early childhood (Humphrey). Having children participate in sporting activities has over time led to controversies in opinions and as such a bond of contention between educational institutions and other stake holders. Some scholars hold contrary opinions on whether or not children should participate in sports. â€Å"Critics have condemned sport for fostering excessive violence, an overemphasis on competition and winning, and the exploitation of individuals. Sport proponents have extolled the value of sport as a contributor to health, personal fulfillment, and community integration.† (School sports, Encyclopedia of Education). It is vital to have a glance at how sport produces positive results in the education sector and other settin gs for young children. Among the reasons behind these controversies is the notion that if the sports are not well organized can pose a number of dangers notably; cognitive and psychological. Kirk Ericson in his article titled, â€Å"The Negative Effects of Youth Sports† asserts thus â€Å"competitive sports may be too stressful for children; therefore a need to control what sport children play otherwise sports can be injurious. Among the effects cited in the article include; physical injuries on the bones, sprains and strains on the muscles and tendons, injuries inflicted on growth plates and heat related ailments. The other effect justifying by Shields and Gilbert is why kids should not participate in sport activities is because of early burnouts, as a result of stress reaction caused by overstraining and too much play that can dehydrate the child’s body. The article further advocates for a creation of an environment where children will be able to participate and vie w sport as a source of fun and enjoyment. The other factor against sport activities by children is that in the event of competition and play kids use large amounts of energy and therefore the planners of children sport need to engage the services of the diet and nutrition specialists to help guard against inadequate nutrition otherwise sports for children will generate more harm than good. In the contrary opinion scholars and physical education specialists cite enormous benefits gained by children in sports. As stated in one of the articles, â€Å"Numerous studies by Shields and Gilbert support the positive relationship that exists between psychological well-being and regular involvement in physical activity, especially in the areas of reduction of anxiety and depression.† Physically, sport helps children develop a well-built structure of their bodies, for example, the muscles and bones. As Brewer, asserts child development demonstrates that children develop through shared ac tivities such as sports. â€Å"Children grow in and through connections with others† supports the fundamental importance of warm, trusting, supportive and close interpersonal sport relationships to overall well-being (Brewer). Sports therefore play a major role in the social development of a child; it is through play that virtues such as cooperation, team work, discipline, trust, just play and game skills are developed. Intellectual development of

Chemistry of hazardous materials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Chemistry of hazardous materials - Essay Example Although oxygen by itself is not flammable, it enhances burning processes. When liquid oxygen comes into contact with organic materials, it can easily trigger fires and explosions; this is the reason why spillage of liquid oxygen on asphalt pavement is potentially hazardous (Beeson & Smith, 2007). Asphalt is an organic material and liquid oxygen is highly concentrated. Spilled liquid oxygen is absorbed by the asphalt material, making the pavement potentially prone to fire and/or explosion. The ongoing activities on the asphalt pavement at the time of liquid oxygen spillage can raise or reduce the underlying hazards. Fumes of concentrated oxygen could be absorbed by the clothes passersby are wearing and any kind of spark or glowing material (burning cigarette) could trigger fire. On the same note, vehicle impacts on asphalt soaked in liquid oxygen could result in massive explosions, thereby destroying lives and properties (Beeson & Smith, 2007). Area of spillage should be avoided until safety is

Benefits of Cohabitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits of Cohabitation - Essay Example They understand that they want and need to determine if they are right for each other, if they can accept each other’s quirks and habits, and of course, if they can see themselves still being together after the honeymoon stage. As stated by Monika Johnson, â€Å"a wedding will not change your relationship. If you and your partner have difficulties living together, a marriage license will not improve things. In such a case, it may be better to end the relationship, rather than to enter into a marriage that is troubled from the start† (Johnson). What Johnson tries to point out is that marriage is not a solution for a troubled relationship. It is not a way to resolve differences and issues. Marriage should be commitment not a solution. Although the majority of people, those who believe in the traditional religious beliefs, believe that living together is in fact going against the norm by asserting that â€Å"cohabitors are partially rejecting the society's dominant value system. Those people who enter cohabitational relationships tend to perceive social rules in flexible terms† (Cohabitation). Because the dominant value system is strongly associated with traditional religious beliefs, the bulk of which are Christians, cohabitation without the institution of marriage poses great threat to the stability of traditional values. Couples entering into the arrangement of cohabitation without marriage can be seen as people challenging, or even rejecting, the norms, which places great pressure and stigma on the relationship. This may put a strain on the relationship. This may pose a question on the stability of the relationship. But a glimpse on the research on contemporary generation has proven that â€Å"young couples are most accepting of cohabitation,... Benefits of Cohabitation By living together, couples satisfy their personal beliefs and companionship without sacrificing an acknowledged vow that legally binds them through marriage. Couples opt to decide on living together before getting married for diverse reasons including compatibility, fear of the consequences of divorce and economic considerations. Young couples believe that living together before marriage is part of choosing as to how they will go on about their life. It may be seen as a test period, but consequentially this set-up allows the couple to realize whether they want to live their life with each other. For young couples, this set-up is part of expressing themselves. On the other hand, those couples who spent time living together run the risk of falling out of love eventually. Couples eventually develop psychological problems that lead to depression and anxiety due to the possibility that they are really not meant to be together in the long term. Living together before marriage shows that there may be a fear of commitment. The institution of marriage legally binds the couple. This can be viewed as fully committing oneself to the other. Cohabitation without the institution of marriage can be perceived as lack of solid foundation and structure to build a family and future together. Living together before marriage is a controversial topic. I strongly believe that couples should live together before marriage to understand whether they are willing to be bound to their partners without fear of divorce.

Debate over English Only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Debate over English Only - Essay Example ThecaseofJoseph Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia,willbediscussedinthisregard. InDecember,2007,thecaseofPhiladelphiaCheesesteakShopOwner,JosephVento,whohaddisplayedthesign'ThisisAMERICA:WHENORDERINGPLEASE'SPEAKENGLISH'hadbecomehighlycontroversial(foxnews.com).Tothis,Ventoreiteratedthathewasnotindulgentinmakingdiscriminatoryremarksoractivities.HesaidthathewasofItalianoriginandevenhisparentsandhe,hadtolearntheEnglishlanguage.Thiswasbecause,EnglishwastheunifyinglanguageinacountryliketheUS,wherethepopulationisdiverse.Onecannotpossiblyconverseinalllanguagesthatthepopulationwouldcomefrom. Hence,hefelt,thattheEnglishlanguagebeingtheinternationallanguage,wouldbeidealforunifiedcommunicationandavoidinganybreachincomprehension.Healsosaidthatsincethecountryhadimmigrantsfromdifferentcountriescomingin,theywouldspeakintheirownlanguage.Thiscouldnotbeunderstoodbyoneandall.Hence,hehadtoputuptheboard,tobeabletopassonthemessagethatcustomersatisfactionforabusinessisindeedimportant,forwhichservingtherightitemswasimperative.Onlyaunifyinglanguagecouldhelpincommunicatingwhatthecustomerneeds,inabetterway.Fullyconvincedbyhisreply,Vento'sattorneyShannon.L.Goessingsaid,"Thecaseshould,withoutquestion,bedismissed.Thereisalegitimatebusinesspurposeforthissign." Inspiteofthedecision,anumberofpartiesareforandagainsttheissueofputt... he'Whitesonly"postingsoftheJimCrowera.'Thesignsgiveafeelingofbeingunwelcomeandbeingexcluded, Charlessaid."(Philadelphia Cheesesteak Shop Owner Defends 'Order in English' Policy Saturday,December 15, 2007,Associated Press http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316939,00.html) ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE US Many people in the US debate that English should be made the official language of the country. This would bring about a common ground for unhindered communication and minimize comprehension errors, misunderstandings and misinterpretations. By making the English language the official language, even immigrants can converse without really having a problem. However, the challenge here lies in getting the immigrant force to understand and comprehend English. This largely depends on their backgrounds and it translates into meaning that if they do not know English, it would be very difficult for them, to live at ease in the US and converse. On the other hand, this would help all and sundry in gaining a common understanding and linguistic identity. This would work towards promoting unity in diversity. It would go a long way in unifying the masses under one common umbrella of linguistic unity, irrespective of subjective linguistic orientations and origins. ENGLISH AS THE ONLY LANGUAGE If English is made the only language in US that is officially recognized, it would spell doom to the huge number of citizenry that come from other linguistic backgrounds. Ever since globalization has impacted the world, US has gained immensely from the steady influx of immigrants

Integrated Communication Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Integrated Communication Marketing - Assignment Example Samsung Electronics, a company that is currently dominant in the mobile industry releasing Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which comes with a special feature of a digitalized watch dubbed Samsung Galaxy watch. Even though the phone and the watch have incomparable syncing and multi-functioning features thereby beating its competitors, it is evident that the price tag of the product has been placed at the high end (Spears, 2014). This means that only individuals who have either a passion for the latest technology hence sacrificing on other needs or those that are financially capable of purchasing them are the ones that can access these products. This means that even though I am loyal to Samsung as a brand, the price of the product has been ranged beyond the normal quarters and would require me to save more than I could for other products that are close to this kind of technology. This may also pose as a disadvantage for the company considering the East market which has recently been producing si milar products as those from the West but with better affordability in terms of prices as compared to those from the West (Nicolau,

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example sion plan the company also took a strategic decision to reassess its standard shop formats and sizes from 7000 sq ft to more economical 2400-4200 sqft range outlets. Evidence indicating that these strategies are effective can be identified in the sales increase of over $ 185 million during the period of 1995 – 2001 since the implementation of new strategy. The profits too had reached a record of $ 14.75 million in 2001 from $4 million in 1995.The number of outlets have increased from a total of 88 in 1995 to 174 by 2001. Franchisee outlets have grown from 40 to 111 during this period. The financial performance of the company has been rather unstable over the past 5 years with losses and profits resulting in alternative years. However the year 2000 and 2001 has indicated steady growth with losses being converted to profits. Own outlet sales account for over 70% while franchisee income represent 3%. 26% of the income is from mixes and equipment sales. The most profitable part of the business is the Franchising operation where the GP margin is 62%. The other two business units generate 15% GP. The company’s financial performance during past two years has been outstanding with earnings per share jumping to $ 0.60 in 2001. The sales revenue has grown by 37% in 2001 while net income has grown by 147% over year 2000. This $ 8.76 million net income growth is also facilitated by the reduced interest costs of about $ 1 million for the year 2001 as a result of IPO funding relieving the company of its costly capital borrowings. The statement â€Å" The numbers just d on’t work† has been made pertaining to the company’s targeted 20% sales growth vs. 25% growth in earnings for the year 2002. The statement cannot be supported with the current evidence, as it is most likely that the company will be in a position to achieve such forecasts. The additional 5% growth in earnings are likely to come from reduced costs through increased sales per existing outlets as well as cost

Tylenol Exigencies Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tylenol Exigencies Business - Research Paper Example This in turn, marked the beginning of the company’s integrity in baby business (â€Å"Our Timeline†, n.d., para.3). The company’s efforts to help through provision of relief goods in the aftermath of disasters in the 1900 and 1906 also did a lot to carve its name in the industry. At present times, Johnson & Johnson is in partnership with 250 companies and holds offices in 57 countries distributing their goods in over 175 nations (Johnson & Johnson Corporate, n.d., para.3). In the year 2011, the company’s pharmaceutical sales approximated to $65 billion. Tylenol, McNeil Laboratories & Johnson & Johnson Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol. It is widely used for relieving pain and reduction of body temperature for fever. The sales team of McNeil Laboratories came with the term Tylenol by choosing letters from its chemical form N-aceTYL-p-aminophENOL (West, 2009). McNeil Laboratories founded by Robert McNeil was the first to manufacture Tylenol i n 1955 as a prescription drug elixir for children. There was an ongoing issue during that time about the harmful effects of then widely used drug, aspirin. McNeil Laboratories marketed Tylenol as the benign alternative to aspirin (West, 2009). It was in 1959 when Johnson & Johnson acquired McNeil Laboratories and the same year marked Tylenol as a prescription-free drug. From then on, Tylenol has been one of Johnson & Johnson’s most widely sold and most profitable product, bringing an average year to year profit share of 33% (Griese, 2001). The 1982 Tylenol Tampering Widespread scare enveloped the nation when seven deaths have been attributed to Tylenol ingestion in September of 1982. Two off-duty firemen unintentionally hypothesized the connection of Tylenol while listening to police radios and talking about the supposedly mysterious deaths (Kaplan, 2005). Among the victims were a 12 year old student Mary Kellerman; three family members Adam Janus, his brother Stanley and Sta nley’s wife, Theresa, aged 27, 25 and 19 respectively; 27 years old mother of four, Mary Reiner; stewardess Paula Prince, 35 years of age; and 31 years old Mary McFarland. These victims have died within hours after taking Tylenol due to the cyanide content of the capsules, which was stronger by 10,000 times to the cyanide dose the human body can take (Kaplan, 2005). Johnson & Johnson acted promptly. At that time, nobody thought of such tragedy. These murders became the first of its kind. It was revealed in the investigations, that the capsules were tainted by cyanide through the act of an intent person because no specific evidence can link that the Tylenol capsules were laced by cyanide during manufacture (Kaplan, 2005). At the turn of events, Johnson & Johnson decided to put out a major recall for all the Tylenol capsules in the country. The manner in which Johnson & Johnson handled the controversy is regarded by professionals â€Å"to be one of the best in the history of p ublic relations† (Kaplan, 2005). In Griese’s book (2001), she cited the Tylenol tragedy as a befitting example on making the right decisions during time of crisis. Griese enumerated eight steps as guidelines in decision-making. The first step after the identification of the situation is to conduct research. The company McNeil Consumer Healthcare under Johnson & Johnson, which is

the president of Bright-Lite’s president Essay Example for Free

the president of Bright-Lite’s president Essay The issue concerning stock should be tackled carefully by the president of Bright-Lite’s president. Presently he should argue in favor of Beverly Patton, because it is true that a high volume of stock is kept that will probably turn to obsolete. However, attention should be placed by the president in how favoring Beverly because we cannot go to the other extreme, since such side is hazardous too to the financial health of Bright-Line Shirt Company. The reason for such a suggest stems from the trade off that exists in inventory that all business organizations that keep stock face. When holding stock there are two main risks that face the opposite direction. On one side there is the risk that the company purchases a lot of stock that will not be used and will eventually turn obsolete, as the case at hand. Keeping high volume of stock holds other disadvantages apart obsolescence. For example, the greater the stock volume the higher the resources entrusted for such asset. Indeed organizations that keep high volume of stock incur greater holding costs, such as wages of employees working in stores, insurance and other related overheads. In addition, by keeping a high volume of stock a substantial part of the firm’s working capital will be tied up in stock. We ought to keep in mind that cash is the lifeblood of the organization and an appropriate cash buffer balance should be kept to cater for other working capital commitments like payments to suppliers apart from inventory. The other extreme side, which encompasses keeping low volume of stock, is also dangerous. If the company ends up without inventory, there is the risk that the firm will not be capable to meet the demands of the customers. As a result, orders will be lost and the organization might lose a part of its present market share. In this respect an appropriate balance between these two side should be kept and this is the reason why the president should be careful in how favoring Beverly. Reference: Drury C. (1996). Management and Cost Accounting. Fourth Edition. New York: International Thomson Business Press.

Hydrosphere And The Hydrologic Cycle Environmental Sciences Essay

Hydrosphere And The Hydrologic Cycle Environmental Sciences Essay The purpose of this report is to describe the most important features of Earth from a scientific point of view. After investigating the Earth system, four components are identified. They are namely atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. Different components are interconnected so that no single part of the system can work without any other. This report will focus on the composition, operation and evolution of different components as well as an Earth system as a whole. The report will begin by describing the four spheres one by one, followed by a conclusive overview of how the four spheres work together. Hydrosphere and the hydrologic cycle Earth is a blue planet with a wide surface coverage of water. It is approximated that 75% of the Earth surface, which equivalents to about 361 million m2, is covered by ocean. The hydrosphere is important as lives cannot exist without water. Composition of hydrosphere The hydrosphere is composed of all of the water on or near the earth. The total stock of it is approximately 1400 million km3 (Bronstert et al. 2005). This includes all forms of water in the oceans, rivers, lakes, and even the moisture in the air. Ninety-seven percent of the earths water is in the oceans while the remaining three percent is fresh water for which three-quarters of the fresh water is solid and exists in ice sheets. The major reservoirs in the hydrologic cycle are surface water, groundwater and glacier (Bronstert et al. 2005). Water cycle The water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. It includes the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and subsurface flow. The Sun is the main energy to drive the whole hydrological cycle. Water takes up heat and evaporates as water vapor into the air. Water can be released out from plants through evapotranspiration. Ice and snow can change to gaseous form by sublimation. Water vapor is transferred by air to different lattitudes. They condense and fall as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, hail and sleet. The water can be stored in solid form as ice caps and glaciers for thousands of years. Most water falls back into the oceans or onto land as rain. The water flows over the ground is known as surface runoff and part of it flows into rivers. Much of it soaks into the ground as infiltration. Runoff and groundwater are stored as freshwater in lakes. Over time, the water returns to the ocean, where our water cycle started. Hydrological cycle also involves the exchange of heat and contributes to temperature changes. For example, water takes up energy as latent heat when evaporates and thus lower the surrounding temperature. When it condenses, latent heat is released and warms the environment. By transferring water from one reservoir to another, the hydrological cycle purifies water through infiltration, replenishes the land with freshwater, and transports minerals to different parts of the globe. Erosion and sedimentation reshape the geological features of the Earth. Moreover, the hydrological cycle helps in maintain life and ecosystems on Earth. Evolution through history The hydrosphere has been changed and evolved over the geological time. The amount and distribution pattern of precipitation, salinity of water, glacial pattern and the quality of freshwater have all been changed. Some are natural evolution but some are altered by human. Precipitation Salinity Glacial retreat Glacial retreat is also an example of a changing water cycle, where the supply of water to glaciers from precipitation cannot keep up with the loss of water from melting and sublimation. Glacial retreat since 1850 has been extensive. Pollution and scarcity Freshwater resources have been severely polluted by human especially since the industrial revolution. Human activities like agriculture and industry discharge enormous untreated contaminants into freshwater system through rivers and ground water. This leads to scarcity of freshwater to human in some regions. Geosphere The outer layers of the Earth are composed of lithosphere and asthenosphere. The lithosphere is the rigid outermost part consists of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle. The asthenosphere is the weaker and deeper part of the upper mantle which flows more easily. The lithosphere is underlain by the asthenosphere. The boundary between them is defined by a difference in response to stress: the lithosphere remains rigid for very long periods of geologic time in which it deforms elastically and through brittle failure, while the asthenosphere deforms viscously and accommodates strain through plastic deformation. Plate Tectonics The key principle of plate tectonics is that the lithosphere exists as separate and distinct tectonic plates, which ride on the fluid-like asthenosphere. Tectonic plates contain both oceanic lithosphere and continental lithosphere with its own kind of crust on top. There are seven, some say eight, major plates and many minor plates on Earth. There are three kinds of plate boundaries namely convergent, divergent and transform. Convergent boundary is where two plates collide; Divergent plate boundary is where plates move apart with each other; Transform boundary is where plates slide past each other. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. Lithosphereà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s properties of bigger strength and lower density allow tectonic plates to float and move on asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. The relative motion between the plates is accommodated by seafloor spreading and the creation of new plates at oceanic ridges, subduction of the surface plates at ocean trenches, and strike-slip motion at transform faults which allows plate motion without creating or removing surface plates. (Landuyt, William 2009) Evolution It is believed that the present continents once formed a single land mass Pangea. This supercontinent existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, forming about 300 million years ago and beginning to rift around 200 million years ago. In the Early Jurassic at 175 Ma, Pangea was begun to separate and form two supercontinents, which were Gondwana and Laurasia. Gondwana included most of the landmasses in todays Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar and the Australian continent, as well as the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, which have now moved entirely into the Northern Hemisphere. The plates move slowly, leading to the positions of continents and oceans today by collision and separation. The break-up of Pangea still continues today. Therefore, the distribution of continents and ocean on Earth is very likely to be changed gradually in the future. Atmosphere The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases retained by Earths gravity surrounding the planet. It can absorb ultraviolet solar radiation, warm the surface through greenhouse effect, and reducing temperature extremes between day and night. The importance of atmosphere is to sustain life on Earth. Structure The atmosphere can be divided it into several layers with different rate of change in temperature with height and composition. The Earths atmosphere consists, from the ground up, of the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere and also the magnetosphere. Variation of properties through the layers of the atmosphere Figure 1 cr: http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/atmosphere/q0090.shtml Composition nowadays The atmospheric composition on Earth is largely governed by the by-products of the very life that it sustains. Earths atmosphere contains roughly (by molar content/volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, a variable amount (average around 1.247%) water vapor, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and traces of hydrogen, helium, and other noble gases. Additionally, among all layers of Earth atmosphere, only the troposphere is found to be suitable for terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals. Evolution The earliest atmosphere was mainly consisted of hydrogen. Moreover, it was likely that there were simple hydrides, especially methane, ammonia and water vapor. The atmosphere then evolved after some time, containing lots of nitrogen and carbon dioxide as well as inert gases. Outgassing from volcanoes contributed to the evolution of atmosphere at this stage. Besides, large asteroids bombarded the Earth, also producing gases took part in the evolution. Furthermore, much carbon dioxide exhalations were dissolved in ocean made up heavy rainfall. Nitrogen was the major component of the atmosphere 3.4 billion years ago. An influence of life has to be taken into account rather soon in the history of the atmosphere, since hints of early life forms are to be found as early as 3.5 billion years ago. Oxygen began to develop in atmosphere in the late Archaean eon about 2.7 billion years ago. Photosynthesizing algae as stromatolite is believed to contribute to it. Free oxygen did not exist until about 1.7 billion years ago. The evidence of it is the existence of the red beds and the end of the banded iron formations. Iron was oxidized by oxygen and the oxygen content did not get high until the huge amount of iron had been oxidized. This marks a change from a reducing atmosphere to an oxidizing atmosphere. The accretion of continents about 3.5 billion years ago added plate tectonics, constantly rearranging the continents and also shaping long-term climate evolution by allowing the transfer of carbon dioxide to large land-based carbonate stores. There was a peak 280 million years ago, when the amount of oxygen was about 30%, much higher than today. The process of plants emitting oxygen and the volcanoes effect on sulphur affect the amount of oxygen. The break down of pyrite rocks cause sulphur to be added to the oceans. Volcanos cause this sulphur to be oxidized, reducing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, volcanos also emit carbon dioxide which can be converted into oxygen by plants. Recent: Air pollution and increasing greenhouse gases Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to organisms into the atmosphere. Human activities emitted huge amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxides and methane into the atmosphere. It is believed that the anthropogenic alteration of the atmospheric gases causes global warming on Earth. In addition, the increase in CFCs usage by human is also believed ozone to be the reason for ozone depletion in the stratosphere. Biosphere It is estimated that the biosphere have begun to evolve 3.5 billion years ago. The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth, a closed and self-regulating system. The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The biosphere is divided into a number of biomes, inhabited by broadly similar flora and fauna. On land, biomes are separated primarily by latitude. Terrestrial biomes lying within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles are relatively barren of plant and animal life, while most of the more populous biomes lie near the equator. Terrestrial organisms in temperate and Arctic biomes have relatively small amounts of total biomass, smaller energy budgets, and display prominent adaptations to cold, including world-spanning migrations, social adaptations, homeothermy, estivation and multiple layers of insulation. Evolution Origins of life There is a lot of research on the origin of life. One of the idea is that the beginning of life may have included self-replicating molecules such as RNA and the assembly of simple cells. Evolution of life Prokaryotes inhabited the Earth from approximately 3à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 billion years ago.[255][256] No obvious changes in morphology or cellular organisation occurred in these organisms over the next few billion years.[257] The eukaryotic cells emerged between 1.6  Ãƒ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 2.7 billion years ago. The next major change in cell structure came when bacteria were engulfed by eukaryotic cells, in a cooperative association called endosymbiosis.[258][259] The engulfed bacteria and the host cell then underwent co-evolution, with the bacteria evolving into either mitochondria or hydrogenosomes.[260] Another engulfment of cyanobacterial-like organisms led to the formation of chloroplasts in algae and plants.[261] The history of life was that of the unicellular eukaryotes, prokaryotes and archaea until about 610 million years ago when multicellular organisms began to appear in the oceans in the Ediacaran period.[255][262] The evolution of multicellularity occurred in multiple independent events, in organisms as diverse as sponges, brown algae, cyanobacteria, slime moulds and myxobacteria.[263] Soon after the emergence of these first multicellular organisms, a remarkable amount of biological diversity appeared over approximately 10 million years, in an event called the Cambrian explosion. Here, the majority of types of modern animals appeared in the fossil record, as well as unique lineages that subsequently became extinct.[264] Various triggers for the Cambrian explosion have been proposed, including the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere from photosynthesis.[265] About 500 million years ago, plants and fungi colonised the land and were soon followed by arthropods and other animals.[266] Insects were particularly successful and even today make up the majority of animal species.[267] Amphibians first appeared around 364 million years ago, followed by early amniotes and birds around 155 million years ago (both from reptile-like lineages), mammals around 129 million years ago, homininae around 10 million years ago and modern humans around 250,000 years ago.[268][269][270] However, despite the evolution of these large animals, smaller organisms similar to the types that evolved early in this process continue to be highly successful and dominate the Earth, with the majority of both biomass and species being prokaryotes.[151] 3.6 billion years of simple cells (prokaryotes), 3.4 billion years of stromatolites demonstrating photosynthesis, 2 billion years of complex cells (eukaryotes), 1 billion years of multicellular life, 600 million years of simple animals, 570 million years of arthropods (ancestors of insects, arachnids and crustaceans), 550 million years of complex animals, 500 million years of fish and proto-amphibians, 475 million years of land plants, 400 million years of insects and seeds, 360 million years of amphibians, 300 million years of reptiles, 200 million years of mammals, 150 million years of birds, 130 million years of flowers, 65 million years since the dinosaurs died out, 2.5 million years since the appearance of the genus Homo, 200,000 years of anatomically modern humans, 25,000 years since the disappearance of Neanderthal traits from the fossil record. 13,000 years since the disappearance of Homo floresiensis from the fossil record. Conclusion The characteristics of the four components (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere) of the Earth system have been summarized by discussing each of their composition and evolution history. The four spheres are linked to and interact with each other to sustain the Earth. The planet Earth has a history of 4.6 billion years. Lots of things have been changed and evolved since its formation. The evolution is going to continue. Landuyt,William, I.,II. (2009). The generation of plate tectonics on a planet. Yale University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 195. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305041644?accountid=14548. (305041644)) Axel Bronstert, Jesus Carrera, Pavel Kabat, Sabine Lutkemeier.(2005).Coupled Models for the Hydrological: CycleIntegrating Atmosphere, Biosphere, and Pedosphere. Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Substation And Equipment Surge Protection Engineering Essay

Substation And Equipment Surge Protection Engineering Essay Substation and Equipment Surge Protection: Types, characteristics, related calculations, examples with applications for industrial systems Gautami BhattAbstract-This paper describes the various types of surge protectors, their types and characteristics. This paper will also describes lightning surge arrestors, about them and how the power system is protected against them. Index Terms-surge, lightening, switching, BIL, insulation, protection, substation INTRODUCTION Each electrical equipment should have a long service life of more than 25 years. The conductors are supported on insulators/embedded in insulation system. The internal and external insulation is continually exposed to normal voltages and occasional abnormal voltages. These abnormal voltages include temporary over voltages at power frequency, lightening surges and switching surges. Over voltages at power frequency have a low over voltage factor but a longer duration while the latter have higher voltage duration and lesser duration. Protection against power frequency over voltages is achieved by employing an over voltage relay at the secondary of a transformer or by using an Inverse definite-Minimum Time Overvoltage Relay. Protection against transient voltage surges is achieved by the help of Surge arrtestors. The surge arrestors, coordinated spark gaps, surge suppressors, over heard ground wires, neutral earthing, shunt capacitors etc. are located strategically to intercept the lightening surges or to reduce the peak and rate of rise of surges. Protective systems for the different abnormal voltages act at different speeds depending on the over voltage. Temporary power frequency over voltage occurs for anything between ms to s and hence the over voltage relay acts within 70ms. Lightening surges last for micro seconds and thus typically the surge arrestor acts within 1.2micro seconds. Switching surges are in the range of a couple of hundred micro seconds and surge arrestors for them are typically designed for 100micro seconds. This paper focuses on lightening surges, their types, protection against them, and the different types of lightning surge arrestors. LIGHTENING OVER-VOLTAGES Lightening Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) performed his famous experiment (1745) of kite flying in thunder cloud. Before his discovery lightening was considered to be Act of God. Franklin proved that the lightening stroke was due to discharge of electricity. Franklin also invented lightening rods to be fixed on tall buildings and earthed to protect them from lightening strokes. The large spark accompanied by light produced by an abrupt, discontinuous discharge of electricity through the air, from the clouds generally under turbulent conditions of atmosphere is called lightening. Representative values of a lightening stroke: Voltage: 200MV Current: 40MA Duration: 10^-5 sec KW:810^9 KWh:22 Energy: An overhead conductor accumulates statically induced charge when charged clouds come above the conductor. If the cloud is swept away from its place, the charges on the conductor are released. The charge travels on either sides giving rise to two travelling waves. The earth wire does not prevent such surges. Another curious phenomenon is the unpredictable paths of lightening strokes. Normally they try to reach the earth and are therefore intercepted by lightning rods, trees, tall structures, etc. Empire state building has been struck by lightning several times. However some lightning strokes do not observe any rules and travel in all sorts of Haphazard fashion. A B type stroke occurs due to sudden change in the charges of the cloud. If cloud 1 suddenly discharges to cloud 2, there is a sudden change in the charge on cloud 3. A discharge that occurs between cloud 3 and earth is called B stroke. Such stroke does not hit lightening rod, or earth wire. No protection can be provided to the over head line against such strokes. Attractive effect of Over Head ground wire and earth rods (MASTS): Earth rods (also called lightning rod) are placed on tall buildings. These are connected to the earth. The positive charges accumulate on the sharp points of the lightning rods; this is why lightning strokes are attracted to them. The earth wires are placed above the over head transmission lines. At every tower this wire is grounded. The positive charges accumulate on this wire. The negatively charged strokes are attracted by the earth wire. In absence of the earth wire the lightening stroke would strike the line conductors causing flashovers in transmission line. Earth wires do not provide 100% protection. Weak strokes are not attracted by earth wires. B type strokes are not attracted by earth wires. None the less earth wire has proved to be a good solution to very dangerous direct strokes. Earth wires have a shielding angle. The conductors coming in the shielding zone are protected against direct strokes. The shielding angle is between 30 to 40 degrees. An angle is 35 degrees is said to be economical and satisfactory for Overhead lines. Overhead Shielding Screen (earthed) The equipments in a substation are protected from direct lightning strikes by one of the following ways. Overhead shielding scree(Earthed). Covering the overhead lines approaching the substation Lightning Masts installed at strategic locations in the switchyard. The tower-top is earthed. Mast is an independent structure. According to IEC masts are preferred for outdoor switchyards upto 33KV. For 66KV and above, the lightning masts become too tall and uneconomical. The overhead shielding wires are preferred because they give adequate protection and the height of structures in the substation provided with overhead shielding wires is comparatively less than that for the lightning masts The entire switchyard is provided with earthed overhead shielding screen. The size of conductor is usually 7/9SWG, galvanized steel round stranded conductor. Transmission line conductors are protected by overhead shielding conductor (earthed). The shielding angle (alpha) is defined as follows. A vertical line is drawn from the earth wire. Angle alpha is plotted on each side of this vertical line. The envelope within angle 2alpha is called the zone of protection. The shielding angle according to ANSI is defined as 30 degrees while in the IEC world it is 45 degrees. The clearance between phase conductor and overhead shielding wire should be more than minimum phase to earth clearance. Lightning Strikes on Over Head Lines These can be the following: Direct strikes on line conductor, direct stroke on tower top, direct stroke on ground wire and indirect stroke or B stroke on overhead line conductor. Direct strikes on overhead lines are the most harmful. The voltage being of the order several million volts, the insulators flashover, puncture, and get shattered. The wave travels to both sides shattering line insulators, until the surge is dissipated sufficiently. The wave travels to both sides shattering line insulators, until the surge is dissipated sufficiently. The wave reaches the substation and produces stress on equipment insulators. At times these strikes are prevented from striking the line conductor. All high voltage overhead lines are protected by earth conductors. This mesh covers the complete switchyard. Direct Strokes on tower-top Consider, L = inductance, I = Current in tower, R =Effective resistance of tower. e = voltage surge between tower-top and earth. So if the change in current with respect to time is 10KA/ and the resistance is 5 ohms and inductance being 10micro Henry. Then e will be 200KV. This surge voltage appears between the tower top and earth. The line conditions are virtually at earth potential because of neutral grounding. Hence voltage appears between the tower top and earth. The line conductors are virtually at earth potential because of neutral grounding. Hence its voltage appears between line conductors and tower-top. If this surge voltage exceeds impulse flash-over level, a flash-over occurs between the tower and the line conductor. Therefore the resistance is kept low for each tower. A direct stroke on earth wire in the mid-span can cause a flashover between line conductor and earth wire or line conductor and tower. Indirect strikes on line conductor can have the same effect as direct stroke on conductor. They are more harmful for distribution lines but are not significant for EHV lines. Other factors are low tower footing resistance insulation level of lines. For lines rated above 110KV voltage level, the line insulation is high and back flashovers are rare. For line between 11KV and 33KV, the insulation of lines is relatively low and back flashovers are likely to occur. Protective devices against lightning surges Several devices are used in order to protect the power system against lightning surges. An overview of them is given here while some are discussed in detail. A. Overview of protective devices against lightening surges Device Where Applied Remarks Rod gaps across insulator string, bushing insulator, support insulator Difficult to coordinate Flashover voltage varies by Create dead short circuit Cheap Over heat ground wires (earthed) Above overhead lines Above substation area Provides effective protection against direct strokes on line conductors, towers, substation equipment Vertical Masts In substations Used instead of providing overhead shielding wires Lightning spikes/rods (earthed) Above tall buildings Protects buildings against direct strokes. Angle of protection between 30 to 40 Lightning arrestors On incoming lines in each substation Near terminals of transformers and generators Pole mounted on distribution lines Diverts overvoltage to earth without causing short-circuit Used at every voltage level in every substation and for each line Phase to ground Surge absorbers Near rotating machines or switchgear Across series reactor valves Resistance capacitance combination absorbs the over voltage surge and reduces steepness of wave B. Rod gaps The simplest protection of line insulators, equipment insulators and bushings is given by Rod gaps or coordinating gaps. The conducting rods are provided between line terminal and earthed terminal of the insulator with an adjustable gap. The medium in the gap is air. The rods are approximately 12mm in dia. or square. The gap is adjusted to breakdown at about 20% below flash-over voltage of insulator. The distance between arc path and insulator should be more than 1/3 of the gap length. Precise protection is not possible by rod gaps. The break-down voltage varies with polarity, steepness and wave-shape, weather. The power frequency currents continue to flow even after the high voltage surge has vanished. This creates an earth fault only to be interrupted by a circuit breaker. Operation of rod gap therefore leads to discontinuity of supply. The advantage of gap is low cost and easy adjustment on site. For more precise operation, surge arrestors are used. Horngaps, the gap between the horns is less at the bottom and large at the top. An arc is produced at the bottom during high voltage surge. This arc commutes along the horn due to electromagnetic field action and length increases. The arc may blow out. Impulse ratio of protective devices is the ratio of breakdown voltage on specified impulse wave to breakdown voltage at power frequency. Typical impulse ratio values are Sphere gap: 1 Rod gap: 1.6 to 3 Horn gap: 2 to 3 LIGHTNING ARRESTORS Surge arrestors are usually connected between phase and ground in the distribution system; around the terminals of large medium voltage rotating machines and in HV, EHV, HVDC sub-stations to protect the apparatus insulation from lightning surges and switching surges. The resistor blocks in the surge arrestor offer low resistance to high voltage surge and divert the high voltage surge to ground. Thereby the insulation of the protected installation is not subjected to the full surge voltage. The surge voltage does not create short-circuit like rod gaps and retains the residual voltage across its terminals. Surge arrestor discharges current impulse surge to earth and dissipates energy in the form of heat. After discharging the impulse wave to the earth, the resistor blocks in the surge arrester offers a very high resistance to normal power frequency voltage, acting like an open circuit. Some of the types of surge arresters being used today in the industry are Gapped-Silicon-carbide Surge arrestors called the valve-type or conventional Gapped arrestors. These consist of silicon-carbide discs in series with spark gap units. Zinc-Oxide Gapless Arrestors called the ZnO Arrestors or metal oxide arrestors. These are gapless and consist of Zinc oxide discs in series. ZnO arrestors have superior V/I characteristics and higher energy absorption level. They are preferred for EHV and HVDC installations. Fig.1-A ZnO surge arrestor[1] Gap-type Sic Arrestors are connected between phase and earth. It consists of silicon-carbide resistor elements in series with gap elements. The resistor elements offer non-linear resistance at power frequencies, the resistor elements in series offer high resistance with gap elements. The resistor elements offer non linear resistance, at power frequency frequency over voltages, the resistance offered is large. For discharge currents the resistance is low. The gap unit consists of air gaps of appropriate length. During normal voltages, the surge arrestor does not conduct. When a surge wave travelling along the line reaches the surge arrester, the gap breaks down. Since the resistance being offered to it is low, the wave is diverted to earth. After a few micro seconds the normal frequency wave reappears across the arrester. Therefore arc current in gap unit reduces and the voltage across the gap is not enough to keep up the arc. Therefore the current flowing to the earth s automatically interrupted by and normal condition is restored. Thus, the high voltage surge is discharged to earth and the insulation of the equipments connected to it are protected. Fig.2- Charecteristics of ZnO block[1] CLASSIFICATION OF SURGE ARRESTORS Surge arresters can be classified based on voltage, current, and energy capability as follows Station Type Line Type Distribution Type Standard normal current peak(A) 10,000 5000 2500:1500 Voltage rating (Kv rms) 3.3-245 3.3-123 Upto 3.3 Application Large power stations and large substations Intermediate and medium substations Distribution system; rural distribution SURGE ARRESTORS, SPECIFICATION AND TERMS Some of the terms and definitions related to surge arrestors are given here in order to better understand the content given in this paper. Surge Arrestor is a device designed to protect electrical equipment from transient high voltage, to limit the duration and amplitude of the follow current. Non-linear resistor. The part of the arrester which offers a low resistance to the flow of discharge currents thus limiting the voltage across the arrestor terminals and high resistance to power frequency voltage, thus limiting the magnitude of follow current. Rated voltage of the arrester is the maximum permissible RMS voltage between the line terminal of the arrestor as designated by the manufacturer. It should be noted that all equipments are rated by the phase to phase voltage rating but for surge arresters phase to ground rating is the rated voltage. Follow Current is the current that flows from connected power source through lightening arrester following the passage of the passage of the discharge current Normal discharge current is the surge current that flows through the surge arrester after the spark over, expressed in crest value (peak value) for a specified wave. This term is used in classifying surge arrester as station type, line type distribution type. Discharge current is the current flowing through the surge arrester after the spark over. Power frequency spark-over voltage is the rms value of the power frequency voltage applied between the line and earth terminals of arrester and earth which causes spark over of the series gap. Impulse spark over voltages. Highest value of voltage attained during an impulse of given polarity, of specified wave shape applied between the line terminal and the earth of an arrester before the flow of discharge current. Residual Voltage (discharge voltage) is the voltage that appears between the line terminals and earth during the passage of the discharge current. Rated current of a surge arrester is the maximum impulse current at which the peak discharge residual voltage is determined. Coefficient of earthing is the ratio of the highest rms voltage of healthy phase to earhh to the phase to phase nominal voltage time hundred expressed in percentage during an earth fault on one phase. Thus, for an effectively earthed system the coefficient of earthing Ce Therefore surge arrester voltage is Ua > 0.8 * Um rms Surge voltage (Vs) KV instantaneous is taken as 2.5 times Critical Flash Over Voltage (CFOV) of line insulation. Therefore discharge current Ia is given by . TESTS ON SURGE ARRESTERS The following are the list of standard tests performed on a surge arrester according to the IEC 1/50 impulse spark over test. Wave front impulse sparkover test. Peak discharge residual voltage at low current. Peak discharge residual voltage at rated diverter current. Impulse current withstand test. Switching-impulse voltage test. Discharge capability of durability. Transmission line discharge test. Low current long-duration test. Power duty cycle test. Pressure-relief test. Acknowledgment The author would like to sincerely thank and express her gratitude to Prof. Robert Spiewak for his guidance and support and the references he provided. K.C. Agrawal, Industrial Power engineering applications handbook, Newnes Power Engineering Series S. Rao, Switchgear Protection and Power systems, Khanna Publications IEEE Std. 141, IEEE Recommended Practice for electrical Power distribution for industrial plants Gautami Bhatt (MEE10) is a M.E.E in Power and Control Engineering from the University of Houston.

Alexanders divinity Essay -- essays research papers

What evidence is there that Alexander may have believed that he was of divine descent? And how convincing would this evidence have appeared to one of his followers? From studying the sources of the ancient world that talk about Alexander The Great, it is clear that many of them present Alexander as being some type of heroic figure or Demi-god. However you could question whether Alexander believed this himself. Only by studying his actions and the actions of those around him can we draw any type of conclusion on this matter. This can be done through the use of sources that exist from the time of and around his death. Most of these sources have been lost or are incomplete however, so I feel that it would be best to mainly consult the sources of Arrian and Plutarch Although both of these were written a couple of hundred years after Alexander’s death they are still the most complete. Plus Arrian would seem to have many sources to consult in his writing, all from Alexander’s time. His main two sources were Ptolemy and Aristobulus, both of whom were on Alexander’s campaigns. Plutarch’s account is more a biography than a his tory since it is full of stories and anecdotes, however it contains some information that Arrian doesn’t so it is still a worthy source to consult. In this it would first be prudent to study all those events in Alexander’s life, which would seem to suggest that he did have some belief that he was of divine origin. The primary example of this would appear to be his visit to the shrine of Ammon. While in Egypt, Alexander had an urge to visit the temple since he wanted to consult the oracle there, which had a ‘reputation for infallibility’. Arrian also states that both Perseus and Heracles had consulted it at some point. And since it is clear from Arrian’s account that Alexander longed to duplicate, if not surpass, the feats of both Perseus and Heracles, so surely he must consult this oracle too. Arrian (book 3) claims that ‘the blood of both flowed’ within Alexander, which suggests that Arrian was of the opinion that Alexander did have some divine heritage since Heracles was supposedly the son of Zeus. In any case, Arrian also states that Alexander also visited the temple because he himself felt that he might be descended from Ammon in some way. If this is true then it would certainly seem that Alexander did in some way believe that he was of d... ... countries that he defeated. Alexander, being the great tactician that he was must have realised the benefits of people believing that he was more than just a great ruler and actually connected to the gods themselves. As far as the beliefs of his followers go, I believe that the willingness of the Persians to prostrate themselves in front of him and his Macedonian troops loyalty were important indicators. This is seen when they followed him across the vast desert in which the temple of Ammon was situated, just to answer the question of whether or not he did descend from the Egyptian god; this suggests that they too believed in his claim to being of divine descent. And it can be seen that there are not many men that were as revered and honoured by the people of the time as Alexander was. Leaving no doubt in my mind that both Alexander and his followers were convinced that he was of divine descent and that they felt that he was worthy of all the tribute that was paid to him after he died. Word count: 3298  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Acupuncture :: essays research papers fc

Acupuncture is considered to be a new alternative medicine in western society, and has recently become very popular in the United States (â€Å"All About Acupuncture†). Acupuncture is the insertion of hair-fine needles into the body’s surface, which is supposed to cause psychological effects on the body to cure the patient of an illness. These illnesses may be emotional mental or physical (Singer). But some doctors question the validity of this practice, and believe that acupuncture may be unsafe (Barrett).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first basis of acupuncture was probably first theorized by Shen Nung about 5000 years ago in a document called â€Å"Huang Di Nei Jing† (Singer). Shen Nung believed that there is an energy force running through the entire body called â€Å"Qi† (pronounced chee). Qi travels through the body in â€Å"meridians† or channels. These meridians run vertically up and down the body’s surface (Singer). The Qi is supposed to be the mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of life. The Qi reacting with the forces of the â€Å"Yin† and â€Å"Yang† influence a person’s health (Singer). The Yin and Yang represent the positive and negative forces in the universe (â€Å"All About Acupuncture†). â€Å"Yin is signified by female attributes, passive, dark, cold, moist, that which moves medially†¦ Yang is signified by male attributes, light, active, warm, dry, that which moves laterally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Singer). If the Qi in a person’s body is not in balance with the Yin and Yang then an illness will befall the person, and he or she should be treated with acupuncture, which corrects this imbalance (Singer).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The process of acupuncture requires the placement of needles at acupuncture points so the Qi can be balanced. There are about nine different kinds of acupuncture needles, although six needles are commonly used today (Singer). The needles vary in size, length, and shape of the head. These needles can be placed between 15 ° and 90 ° angles depending on the treatment that is required. Also the needles may be raised, pushed, twirled or plucked (vibration of the needle) to cause sensations called â€Å"deqi† to correct the Qi imbalance in the body. Electrical currents may also be applied to the needles to allow stimulation at the acupuncture points. Acupuncture is often accompanied by acupressure and burning of herbs near the skin to help correct Qi imbalances (Singer).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several different theories as to how acupuncture possibly works. First acupuncture might possibly cut pain off from reaching the spinal cord or the brain since many acupuncture points are located on neural structures.

Strategic Management Process Paper Mgt 498

Strategic Management Process Paper MGT 498 January 24, 2013 The long-term performance of a corporation is mostly reliant on managerial decisions and actions, which include internal and external environmental scanning, strategic formulation and implementation, evaluation, and control. All of these characteristics are relatable to the concept of strategic management, which emphasizes â€Å"the monitoring and evaluating of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporation’s strengths and weaknesses† (Wheelen, 2010).The primary components of the strategic management process are environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and evaluation and control. Environmental scanning is described to be â€Å" the monitoring, evaluating, and disseminating of information from the external and internal environments to key people within the corporation† (Wheelen, 2010). Environmental scanning is usually used to classify strategic influences that will control the future of the corporation.Strategy formulation is the act of developing long-term plans for the future of a corporation by using the corporation’s strengthens, and weaknesses, for the effective handling of environmental opportunities and threats. Strategy implementation is the putting in action of the strategies formulated by a corporation. Lastly, evaluation and control includes the monitoring of corporate activities and performance in order to compare the actual results, to the ones that are set as goals.Strategic management helps a company sustain long-term performance. For companies that do not practice strategic management, it is very hard to attain and to sustain long-term performance. Most companies when they have finally attained a high performance level will soon experience a decrease in their performance. Strategic management will help a company understand, and realize that the environment around them is constantly changing, and evolving.It also hel ps a company focus on the strategies that are important and beneficial, which altogether helps in building a better understanding of strategies in regards to the corporation. Transportation is known to be an essential tool when it comes to a business, but transportation companies such as British Airways is also corporation that uses strategic management to further its success. One strategy that is used by British Airways is the merging of other airlines into one. In 1935, airlines in Britain merged together and formed British Airways Ltd. and in 1974 other airlines were also combined and finally formed British Airways (Knight, 2008). The main point of merging was being able to access a larger market and establishing a means of long-term profitability. In regards to airlines, quality is a very important factor and it determines the success of an airline. New innovations, and changes are important factors in which British Airways demonstrated these factors by being the first airline t o operate weather-beating auto landings, offer jet passenger services and fully-flat beds (Knight, 2008).Lastly, British Airways in 2005 decided to work with Cisco and Prime in order to improve communications, in which the system allows all voice and data communications onto a single network while reducing costs and improving productivity. In conclusion, strategic management is an important method when it comes to improving a corporation’s well being. When making decisions all factors need to be taken under consideration.By using British Airways as an example, this paper was able to fully explain and establish the method of strategic management. Reference Knight, B. (2008, March 25). Strategic management of British Airways Company. Retrieved from http://bizcovering. com/business/strategic-management-of-british-airways-company/4/ Wheelen, T. L. , & Hunger, J. D. (2010). Concepts in strategic management and business policy: Achieving sustainability (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle Riv er, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

‘Tis the Season

The Season righteous because we only grow up physically does not mean we have to free ourselves to become numb to all the things that rag us retrieve giddy as a child. Everyone knows how exciting it can savour to showing up on Christmas morning. both celestial latitude long, we work to ring in the Christmas spirit by giving to others, displaying rattling colors of green and red, and enjoying the constant resound of holiday music in the stage setting of everything we do.I personally feel exchangeable a little kid, naive and blissfully insensible very year on December 25th. Theres something magical ab prohibited all the traditions and as yetts that make me feel forever young at heart on this special day. At our house, though I am a fully-grown only child, my pargonnts still enforce the brain-teaser of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve we all touch In the kitchen, warmed by the emit heat of a wood-fired stove, and bake blank gingersnaps that embrace every room In the house with their saccharine fragrance.We lay them out on a festive musical scale with a refreshing glass of heatless milk, and as I sleepily tip my way to bed I induce that I actually suppose a chubby man in a crimson suit go away buck out of our chimney and joyfully eat them up while Im asleep. Then I wake up early the conterminous morning and peek out the windowpane and tarry puffy white flakes move gently to the ground, and the crisp, cold air chills the palms of my hand as I touch the rakish glass.My mind says there is no such(prenominal) thing as magic or flying reindeer, but as I observe the delicate snowfall and visor one lonely, half-eaten gingersnap left on our plate in the kitchen, my heart starts to believe all over again. Later, when Im done absorbing the simple leisure of Christmas morning in my solitary silence, I drag my feet all the way to my parents bedroom and I wake them up. They reluctantly roll out of the puff of their warm bed Like devil teenagers g etting up for school on a dreary Monday morning.After they pour themselves a steaming hot cup of bitter, scandalous coffee, we all congregate in the victuals room around the Christmas manoeuver. Before we even consider tearing into the plethora of gifts absorbed in shiny, foil paper and stand out with curly ribbons, we razz together for a while, and we are hushed by the jade of early ironing and the distinct politeness of the glimmering lights that dress the tall, green tree that appear like stars in a cloudless midnight sky. Eventually someone will break the infinite silence by saying Whiffs going to open the archetypal one? Then we dig into the unlike gifts, being particular with which boxes we choose first. sometimes I shake the box like a rattle to try and barb what lies within its layers of cardboard, scotch tape, and colorful wrapper paper. We all watch each other, time lag eagerly for a surprised reaction. When we are done scavenging through every indium of the e re, we enjoy each others company and sit contently on our couch while we watch a classic, the motion-picture show A Christmas Story.Christmas, Im sure, is famous very different from person to person. Hopefully, my family. Christmas is a time to believe, whether that be in a Jolly, old, overweight man, the spirit of giving, or the expect of Jesus Christ. Christmas is when people should let themselves feel young again, and for me, that means baking cookies and vigilant up early with my parents Christmas morning so we can watch a movie together. As the wise Dry. Issues once wrote, perhaps Christmas, the Grinds thought, doesnt come from a store.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 1

OneHIS FINGERTIPS SLID ALONG my coering fire, applying hardly both pressure, yet s prohibiting take revealend waves over my flesh. Slowly, slowly, his happens moved cross directions my skin, down the nerves of my stomach to fin bothy inhabit in the curves of my hips. Just below my ear, I entangle his lips press against my neck, followed by new(prenominal) kiss on the nose below it, hence a noher, whitherfore a nonher. His lips moved from my neck toward my mettle and then fin entirelyy found my m turn outh. We kissed, wrapper ourselves closer together. My blood burned unintelligible down me, and I felt more(prenominal) breathing in that indorsement than I of all beat had. I savourd him, enjoyd Christian so much that Christian?Oh no.Some coherent fate of me forthwith real numberized what was happening and boy, was it pissed off. The balance wheel of me, however, was bland genuinely brio in this encounter, experiencing it as though I was the matchles s be touched and kissed. That part of me couldnt exhibit extraneous. Id merged also much with Lissa, and for all intents and purposes, this was happening to me.no(prenominal) I told myself sternly. Its not real not for you. rent out of thither. hardly how could I listen to logic when every(prenominal) nerve of my frame was being jell on fire?You arent her. This isnt your read/write head. Get out.His lips. there was nothing in the world discipline now except his lips.Its not him. Get out.The kisses were the identical, exactly as I remembered with him. nary(prenominal) its not Dimitri. Get outDimitris name was handle frozen water hitting me in the face. I got out.I sat adept in my bed, unawares sp compensatelinessing smformer(a)ed. I time-tested okaywardlashing off the covers simply if nearly ended up entangling my legs regular(a) more. My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality. clock sur e had convinced. A abundant sequence ago, Lissas nightmares used to wake me from sleep. Now her sex activity life did. To say the ii were a wee different would be an understatement. Id actually gotten the hang of blocking out her ro pieceticistic interludes at to the lowest degree when I was awake. This cartridge holder, Lissa and Christian had (unintentionally) outsmarted me. In sleep, my defenses were down, allowing strong emotions to pass d genius the psychic link that connected me to my lift out friend. This wouldnt obtain been a problem if the two of them had been in bed compar able access pattern people and by being in bed, I mean asleep.God, I muttered, instruct term up and swinging my legs over the locating of the bed. My voice was muff conduct in a yawn. Couldnt Lissa and Christian suck in seriously unplowed their hands off apiece other until waking hours?Worse than being woken up, though, was the way I becalm felt. Sure, n integrity of that reserv ation out had actually happened to me. It hadnt been my skin being touched or my lips being kissed. n cardinaltheless my trunk get a linemed to feel the loss of it n peerlesstheless. It had been a very dogged time since Id been in that kind of situation. I ached and felt tippy all over. It was idiotic, moreover abruptly, desperately, I valued person to touch me even just to hold me. nevertheless definitely not Christian. The memory of those lips on mine flashed adventure by means of my intelligence, how theyd felt, and how my sleepy self had been so certain it was Dimitri kissing me.I s tood up on shaky legs, feeling unsatisfied and well, sad. Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my spiritual mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the lavatory down the hall. I splashed modify water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection niping back at me had tangled copper and blood cock eyes. I tacked sleep-deprived, plainly I didnt take to go bac k to bed. I didnt destiny to venture falling asleep quite yet. I fateed nighthing to wake me up and milkshake onward what Id send offn.I left the outhouse and false toward the stairwell, my feet neat on the step as I went downstairs. The first bedeck of my hallway was motionless and quiet. It was intimately midday the middle of the night for vampires, since they ran on a nocturnal entry. Lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning Moroi man sitting at the front desk. He leafed halfheartedly through a time, held to consciousness besides by the finest of threads. He came to the magazines end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table tin can him and reached for what must excite been any(prenominal)thing else to read.While his back was dark, I darted past him toward the set of threefold doors that subject outside. Praying the doors wouldnt squeak, I carefully opened one a crack, just passable to slip through. Once outside, I travel the door shut as light as possible. No noise. At most, the khat would feel a draft. Feeling handle a ninja, I stepped out into the light of day.Cold wind b make ited me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the rock music dorm equivalent fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further re sagaciousnessing me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked nigh the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasnt quite so exposed to the elements. The swash on the sidewalk soaked into the material of my slippers, but I didnt care.Yeah, it was a typically miserable wintertime day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a atomic reactor to wake me up and cover off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. steering on the cold in my body was separate than remembering what it had felt like to have Christians hands on me. stand up there, staring off at a cluster of trees without real comprehend them, I was surprised to feel a effervesce of petulance at Lissa and Christian. It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do some(prenominal) the hell you treasured. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my estimate and experiences the way I could feel hers. The fairness was, she had no idea how spatey she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone elses thoughts intruding on yours, someone elses experiences muddling yours. She didnt bash what it was like to live with someone elses perfect tense love life when your own was nonexistent. She didnt ascertain what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it do your chest ache a love you could just feel and not express. care love buried was a chaw like hold oning anger indite up, Id learned. It just ate you up inner(a) until you wanted to scream or kick something.No, Lissa didnt understand any of that. She didnt have to. She could aim on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me.I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling Id felt over Lissa and Christians late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born(p) of what I couldnt have and what came so advantageously to her. I tried my best to begin those emotions back I didnt want to feel that way toward my best friend. atomic number 18 you somnambulate? a voice asked back end me.I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that objet dart I was raging over the problems in my inequitable love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadnt comprehend him approach at all. So much for my ninja s push down s. And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a mop before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, effing it was a teeny too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head.I was testing dorm security, I utter. It sucks.A hint of a smile played over his lips. The cold was really starting to seep into me now, and I couldnt assistance but notice how partial(p) his long leather coat looked. I wouldnt have minded wrapping up in it.As though denotation my mind, he state, You must be freezing. Do you want my coat?I move my head, deciding not to mention that I couldnt feel my feet. Im fine. What are you doing out here? Are you testing security too?I am security. This is my watch. Shifts of school guardians ceaselessly patrolled the grounds while everyone else slept. Strigoi, the undead vampires who s communioned living Moroi vampires like Lissa, didnt come out in sunlight, but students breaking rules say, like, countermanding out of t heir dorms were a problem night and day.Well, earnest work, I said. Im glad I was able to help test your awesome skills. I should be deviation now.Rose Dimitris hand caught my arm, and despite all the wind and tremble and slush, a flash of heat shot through me. He released me with a start, as though he too had been burned. What are you really doing out here?He was using the stop fooling around voice, so I gave him as unreserved an answer as I could. I had a bad dream. I wanted some air.And so you just hasten out. Breaking the rules didnt even cross your mind and neither did putting on a coat.Yeah, I said. That jolly much sums it up.Rose, Rose. This time it was his exasperated voice. You never change. Al shipway saltation in without sound offing.Thats not true, I protested. Ive changed a lot.The amusement on his face suddenly faded, his smell growing troubled. He examine me for several moments. Sometimes I felt as though those eyes could see right wing into my soul. Your e right. You have changed.He didnt wait very happy around the admission. He was probably recalling about what had happened almost three weeks ago, when some friends and I had gotten ourselves captured by Strigoi. It was only through sheer luck that wed managed to escape and not all of us had gotten out. Mason, a good friend and a twat whod been crazy about me, had been killed, and part of me would never forgive myself for it, even though Id killed his murderers.It had given me a darker outlook on life. Well, it had given everyone here at St. Vladimirs honorary society a darker outlook, but me peculiarly. Others had begun to notice the disagreement in me. I didnt like to see Dimitri concerned, though, so I played off his observation with a joke.Well, dont worry. My birthdays coming up. As soon as Im eighteen, Ill be an adult, right? Im sure Ill wake up that dawning and be all mature and stuff.As Id hoped, his frown softened into a dep allowed smile. Yes, Im sure. What is it, about a month? cardinal days, I announced primly.Not that youre counting.I shrugged, and he laughed.I suppose youve do a birthday list too. decade pages? Single-spaced? Ranked by come out of priority? The smile was still on his face. It was one of the relaxed, genuinely amused ones that were so rare to him.I started to make some other joke, but the image of Lissa and Christian flared into my mind again. That sad and empty feeling in my stomach returned. Anything I force have wanted new clothes, an iPod, whatever suddenly seemed trivial. What did material things like that mean compared to the one thing I wanted most of all? God, I really had changed.No, I said in a runty voice. No list.He tilted his head to better look at me, fashioning some of his shoulder-length hair blow into his face. His hair was brown, like mine, but not well as dark. Mine looked black at times. He brushed the unruly strands aside, only to have them immediately blow back into his face. I cant believe you dont want anything. Its going to be a boring birthday. immunity, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted.It doesnt matter, I said instead.What do you He stopped. He understood. He continuously did. It was part of why we connected like we did, in spite of the seven-year gap in our ages. Wed fallen for each other last fall when hed been my combat instructor. As things het up between us, wed found we had more things to worry about than just age. We were both going to be protecting Lissa when she graduated, and we couldnt permit our feelings for each other distract us when she was our priority.Of course, that was easier said than done because I didnt think our feelings for each other were ever really going to go away. Wed both had moments of weakness, moments that led to stolen kisses or saying things we really shouldnt have. afterwards Id escaped the Strigoi, Dimitri had told me he loved me and had pretty m uch admitted he could never be with anyone else because of that. Yet, it had also become clear that we still couldnt be together either, and we had both slipped back into our old roles of asserting away from each other and pretending that our blood was strictly professional.In a not-so-obvious attempt to change the subject, he said, You can deny it all you want, but I know youre freezing. Lets go inside. Ill take you in through the back.I couldnt help feeling a little surprised. Dimitri was rarely one to avoid uneasy subjects. In fact, he was notorious for force me into conversations about topics I didnt want to manage with. besides talking about our dysfunctional, star-crossed relationship? That was a place he seemingly didnt want to go today. Yeah. Things were definitely changing.I think youre the one whos cold, I teased, as we walked around the side of the dorm where noviciate guardians lived. Shouldnt you be all tough and stuff, since youre from Siberia?I dont think Sib erias exactly what you infer.I imagine it as an arctic wasteland, I said truthfully.Then its definitely not what you imagine.Do you miss it? I asked, glancing back to where he walked tail assembly me. It was something Id never considered before. In my mind, everyone would want to live in the U.S. Or, well, they at least wouldnt want to live in Siberia.all(a) the time, he said, his voice a little wistful. Sometimes I wish BelikovA voice was carried on the wind from behind us. Dimitri muttered something, and then shoved me further around the nook Id just round. Stay out of sight.I ducked down behind a cashbox of holly trees that flanked the building. They didnt have any berries, but the densely clusters of sharp, pointed leaves scratched where my skin was exposed. Considering the freezing temperature and possible find of my late-night walk, a fewer scratches were the least of my problems right now.Youre not on watch, I heard Dimitri say several moments later.No, but I needed t o talk to you. I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alberta, captain of the Academys guardians. Itll just take a minute. We need to shuffle some of the watches while youre at the foot race.I figured, he said. on that point was a funny, almost uncomfortable furrow in his voice. Its going to put a strain on everyone else bad timing.Yes, well, the pouf runs on her own schedule. Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. Celeste go forth take your watches, and she and Emil will divide up your readiness times.Training times? Dimitri wouldnt be conducting any trainings next week because Ah. That was it, I realized. The field experience. Tomorrow kicked off sixer weeks of hands-on practice for us novices. Wed have no classes and would get to protect Moroi night and day while the adults tested us. The training times must be when Dimitri would be out participating in that. But what was this running play shed mentioned? Did they mean like the closi ng trials we had to undergo at the end of the school year?They say they dont mind the exceptional work, continued Alberta, but I was inquire if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?Absolutely, he said, row still short and stiff.Thanks. I think thatll help. She sighed. I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I dont want to be away that long. Youd think itd be a done deal with Dashkov, but now I hear the queens acquiring cold feet about imprisoning a major royal.I stiffened. The chill running through me now had nothing to do with the winter day. Dashkov?Im sure theyll do the right thing, said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasnt saying much. This wasnt something I was supposed to hear.I hope so. And I hope itll only take a few days, like they claim. Look, its miserable out here. Would you mind coming into the office for a second to look at the schedule?Sure, he said. Let me check on something first.All right. See you soon.S ilence fell, and I had to assume Alberta was walking away. Sure equal, Dimitri rounded the corner and stood in front of the holly. I shot up from my hiding spot. The look on his face told me he already knew what was coming.Rose Dashkov? I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low so Alberta wouldnt hear. As in superscript Dashkov?He didnt stretch out denying it. Yes. passe-partout Dashkov.And you guys were talking aboutDo you mean I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. I thought he was locked up Are you saying he hasnt been on trial yet?Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor Dashkov. The guy whod stalked Lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. either Moroi could use magic in one of the four elements earth, air, water, or fire. Lissa, however, worked an almost unhearable of fifth element called spirit. She could heal anything including the dead. It was the drive I was now psychic ally connect to her shadow-kissed, some called it. Shed brought me back from the car hazard that had killed her parents and brother, binding us together in a way that allowed me to feel her thoughts and experiences.Victor had learned long before any of us that she could heal, and hed wanted to lock her away and use her as his own private Fountain of Youth. He also hadnt hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way or, in the pillowcase of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. Id made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as Victor Dashkov at least among the living.Dimitri had a look on his face I knew well. It was the one he got when he thought I might punch someone. Hes been locked up but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time.But theres going to be a trial now? And youre going? I communicate through clenched teeth, trying to be calm. I suspected I still had the Im going to punch someone look on my face.Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you and Lissa that night. His expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago, and again, I recognized the look. It was the fierce, protective one he got when those he cared about were in danger. tattle me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you? I had already guessed the answer, and I didnt like it.No.No?No.I put my hands on my hips. Look, doesnt it seem reasonable that if youre going to talk about what happened to us, then you should have us there?Dimitri, fully in strict-instructor manner now, shook his head. The queen and some of the other guardians thought itd be best if you didnt go. Theres enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides, outlaw or not, he is or was one of the most powerful royals in the world. Those who know about this trial want to keep it quiet.So, what, you thought if you brought us, wed tell everyone? I exclaimed. drive on, comrade. You really think wed do that? The only thing we want is to see Victor locked up. Forever. Maybe longer. And if theres a come about he might walk free, you have to let us go.After Victor had been caught, hed been interpreted to prison, and Id thought that was where the story had ended. Id figured theyd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me though it should have that hed need a trial first. At the time, his crimes had seemed so obvious. But, although the Moroi government was secret and separate from the gentle one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that.Its not my decision to make, Dimitri said.But you have influence. You could speak up for us, especially if Some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldnt say the next words. curiously if there really is a detect he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?I dont know. Theres no apprisal what she or some of the other high-up royals will do sometimes. He suddenly looked tired. He reached into his scoop shovel and tossed over a set of identifys. Look, I know youre upset, but we cant talk about it now. I have to go meet Alberta, and you need to get inside. The square key will let you in the farthest side door. You know the one.I did. Yeah. Thanks.I was sulking and hated to be that way especially since he was saving me from getting in trouble but I couldnt help it. Victor Dashkov was a criminal a villain, even. He was power-hungry and greedy and didnt care who he stepped on to get his way. If he were unwind againwell, there was no telling what might happen to Lissa or any other Moroi. It enraged me to think that I could do something to help put him away but that no one would let me do it.Id taken a few steps forward when Dimitri called out from behind me. Rose? I glanced back. Im sorry, he said. He paused, and his expression of reg ret turned wary. And youd better bring the keys back tomorrow.I turned away and kept going. It was probably unfair, but some childish part of me believed Dimitri could do anything. If hed really wanted to get Lissa and me to the trial, I was certain he could have.When I was almost to the side door, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My mood plummeted. Great. Dimitri had given me keys to sneak back in, and now someone else had destroy me. That was typical of my luck. Half-expecting a teacher to collect to know what I was doing, I turned and prepared an excuse.But it wasnt a teacher.No, I said softly. This had to be a trick. No.For half an instant, I wondered if Id ever really woken up. Maybe I was actually still in bed, asleep and dreaming.Because surely, surely that was the only explanation for what I was now seeing in front of me on the Academys lawn, lurking in the shadow of an ancient, gnarled oak.It was Mason.