The Economic Impact Of Sainsbury s Entering Its Economy

2.12 The Economic Environment The economic segment looks at how an economy can operate and perform to benchmark growth levels. Nevertheless, it examines the economy climate and how organizations, consumers and even suppliers behave within it, (Learn Marketing, 2015). This will help identify the potential weaknesses and strength within the Australian economy, and how this may impact Sainsbury’s entering its economy. Type of Market Australia economy is theoretically a free market based, (Discover why, 2015 and Australian online, 2007). Thus it can be perceived as a mixed market in reality like the UK because of the government interventions found in any nation. (Refer to section 3.4 for further analysis on the impacts Sainsbury’s may attain from this). GDP of Australia Australia’s GDP rates stands at 1453.77(B) experiencing the weakest GDP growth since 2013. Although there was increase by 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2015 the positive contributions from final consumption expenditures and investments failed to offset the decline in net exports. This led Australia to growth constraints mainly driven by a sharp fall in global prices of some export commodities. Comparatively, Australia were not affected by the global financial crisis and the banking system remained resilient rather. In addition, to Australia’s household spending rose by 0.5% and this helped in boosting growth and even accounting for 55.8% of its GDP, (World Bank, 2014 and BBC, 2015). This may imposeShow MoreRelatedThree Firms: Changes in Their Enviroment2522 Words   |  11 PagesThree Firms: Changes in Their Business Environment. | Business Economics | | Bienia, Patrycja | 3/12/2015 | Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. European Telecoms: Going mobile Again- The Economist Dec 20th 2014 2 2.1. Ryanair Warns Plunging Oil Price Will Hurt Profits–The Guardian Feb 02nd 2015 3 2.2 Aldi and Lidl set to win holiday season again as shoppers shy away from Asda, Tesco, Morrison and Sainsburys- The Guardian Dec 16th 2014. 5 3. Conclusion 6 4. ReferencesRead MoreAssignment Sainsbury3791 Words   |  16 PagesINTRODUCTION OF SAINSBURY:- J Sainsbury plc (Sainsbury) is a retail chain based in the UK. Sainsbury is engaged in grocery retailing through its supermarkets and convenience stores principally in the UK. The company operates its business through three divisions, namely, Retailing, Financial Services and Property Investment. Sainsbury serves its customers through a chain of 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores under the brand Sainsburys, and financial services via Sainsburys Bank. Sainsbury offersRead MoreFinancial Performance Evaluation of Tesco.6729 Words   |  27 Pagespicture, so it is important to look at the qualitative aspect as well. Thus, this research will also look at the qualitative side of the story. In this report, the financial situation of Tesco Plc has been compared with one of its close competitor J Sainsbury Plc and looks at the last 3 years of both the companies. 1.2 REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC Tesco is currently market leader in the field of supermarket retail industry with group profit of  £2803 million for the year ending 2008 and with maximumRead MoreMarks Spencer1929 Words   |  8 Pagesand internal factors affect the strategies of MS and modifies its business strategies. Even though MS has good strategy and marketing plans they haven’t used it to their advantage. It also tells how the macro and micro environment affect their strategy and their plan. The report uses frame works like PESTEL, SWOT and porter 5 forces. It further investigates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of MS. This report highlights on MS planning, organising, and taking decisions. It furtherRead MoreGlobal Strategy : Analysis Pr Course School2376 Words   |  10 Pages________________________________________ Coursework is receipted on the understanding that it is the student s own work and that it has not, in whole or part, been presented elsewhere for assessment. Where material has been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged in accordance with the University s Regulations regarding Cheating and Plagiarism. ________________________________________ 000859243 Tutor s comments Grade Awarded___________Read MoreAn Evaluation Analysis of Tesco Plc7760 Words   |  32 Pagescountries across Asia, Europe and North America and is the grocery market leader in the UK (where it has a market share of around 30%), Malaysia, the Republic of Ireland and Thailand. This gives Tesco a competitive edge over its competitors like ASDA, Sainsbury and Morrison in UK. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesco) It was Jack Cohen who founded Tesco in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in east end of London. His turnover, on very first day, was  £4 which guaranteed himRead MoreThe Environment of Modern Business1797 Words   |  8 Pagesactivities and objectives in common, namely political, economic, legal, technological, and social environment of business. We can use these PEST(LE) factors, mainly in political, economic, legal, technological factors to examine how the government helps or hinders the development of a successful business environment. The political environment is one of the major effective factors in the external business environment, which has a tremendous impact on the business organisation. Governments frequentlyRead MoreTesco Analysis9055 Words   |  37 Pagesbe plagiarism free, will exactly match your specifications and quality standard, and will be delivered – by your deadline – via email. 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Fixed Costs Capital: The Capitals could be the investments which are applied to reposition the product on the market by, for instance improving or making more efficient advertising or buying

Analysis Of The Movie Everything Is Illuminated

Everything is Illuminated is a movie about a young American Jew, Jonathan, on a journey to uncover the history of his grandfather’s past through the help of a man named Alex Perchow, and his grandfather. This journey brings to light or â€Å"illuminates† these characters lives in one way or another. â€Å"We assign symbols to everything we do in life and we do not even realize it because society has imposed norms to our way of thinking (Cassier, 71). The movie uses Jonathan’s need to collect items of his past family members as a symbol of a subjective reality. These items especially the picture of his grandfather represent living history to Jonathan and because of this Jonathan is afraid that without these items he will forget the past. Alex has been socialized by his culture to abide by traditional norms and traditions, however Alex creates an identity for himself by adopting the lifestyle and norms of a reference group he wants to assimilate into, that being Americans. Alexander has been socialized by television and other forms of media to have this image of what it means to be a â€Å"true† American and adopts these similar lifestyle choices. It is through the help of Jonathan that Alexander breaks away from his socialized ways and discover his own identity. I will be exploring how Jonathan creates meaning through his job as a â€Å"collector† and how Alex using the American lifestyle as a reference group in order to create an identity for himself and how Jonathan helps him break away fromShow MoreRelatedScene Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay790 Words   |  4 PagesScene Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Frankenstein was a novel written by Mary Shelley in 1832. At the time when Frankenstein was written gothic novels were very popular and so this novel was seen to be very popular. In 1994 the Frankenstein novel was turned into a movie by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh himself as Victor Frankenstein. 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Psychology was still a relatively new study of science, and many people were still skeptical on its ability to handle a particular condition. When Gavin Elster asks John Ferguson, a retired detective, to follow his wife, whom heRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Wall 2887 Words   |  12 PagesThe Wall Film Analysis The Wall is one of the most popular and regarded albums of a band known as Pink Floyd. The album was then turned into a movie whose screenplay was written by Rodger Waters, a member of the band. The film adaptation of the album is based on events that occurred during Rodger Waters life and uses multiple design elements to shape the viewers sense of the characters, narrative, and themes of the film while using little dialogue and mainly telling the story though the use ofRead MoreAndy Warhol s Influence On Society1939 Words   |  8 Pagesintelligent and creative. By the age of eight years old Andy came down with rheumatic an abnormally high body temperature that caused him to be absent from school for approximately two months. During the time at home he spent it by reading comic books and movie star magazines while lounging around. By andy being exposed at an early age to the recent events made him have an obsession with pop culture and celebrities. His mother believe in him and wa s always was his biggest supporter that stayed constantlyRead MoreAway from Her Assignment Essay5454 Words   |  22 PagesI. Summary of Movie A. Give a summary of the plot and characters and the story that unfolds in this movie. Give a detailed description of the main characters’ personalities, culture, socioeconomic and historical contexts, their relationships, set the stage of â€Å"who they are’ when the movie begins, and then tell the story of what happens over the course of the film. 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Writing and Main Point Free Essays

Here are four examples of how to start your essay with a strong main point: My dream is to become a civil engineer. Ever since I was a child with a Logo set, I have enjoyed building things. Engineering would let me express my love for creating things, and allow me to apply my science and math skills. We will write a custom essay sample on Writing and Main Point or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the future, I would like to become a teacher. Teaching seems like the perfect match for me because I enjoy working with children and teaching them new skills. Also, my own teachers have played an important role in my life and I hope to do the same for other students in the future. I want to become a chef Just like Sam Choc. To me, cooking is very creative and although it can look easy from the outside, it is often very dif cult to do well. Plus, I love to eat! Although I’m not sure what Job I will have, I do know that it will be in the FL led of medicine. I have learned a lot about nursing from my aunt, who has inspired me to consider a career in medicine. What will be one or two main points of YOUR essay? STEP 3: construct your Story The heart of your essay will be the stories and details you use to support your main point. Good examples also bring your main point to life and make your essay memorable. Notice how the essay is built up, in the example: Focus of essay: My dream Job is to be a crime scene investigator. This Job would combine my love of science with the challenge of solving a real life mystery. Details: I have always enjoyed science. This year I am taking Chemistry and have learned how various chemicals react and how you can test for the presence of different chemicals. Reading detective novels is a favorite pastime. It’s a challenge to FL guru out â€Å"who did it. † Real life detective work would be much more exciting . I watch CSS every week. It’s amazing how the simplest clue can lead to the arrest of a criminal. Just one tiny FL beer from the assailant’s Jacket can lead to his capture. Law enforcement helps to keep the community safe. CSS detectives make sure that criminals do not get away with their crimes. STEP 4: End strong End your essay by shining a new light on the main point you started with, or leave the reader with something interesting to think about. Here are three examples: Medicine is a very honorable profession, since it seeks to help those who need it the most. I am looking forward to becoming a pre-med major in college and taking the first step toward becoming a doctor. Seeing people enjoy my cooking is one of the best feelings in the world. Becoming a chef is one way I can spread this Joy to many more. Hopefully someday I will even have my own restaurant named after me! Being a police officer, like my father, has always seemed like a dream. Going to college will not only make this dream possible, but it will also help me to reach my lifelong goal. STEP 5: Hear it O Try to put down your draft for a day so you can look at it with a fresh eye. Read your essay out loud and ask yourself and helpers (teachers, friends, relatives, essay coaches) the following questions: Ђ Does it start with a bang? Does the first sentence make you want to read more? Do you know from the beginning what the essay is going to be about? Were you able to follow the story? Did you get lost anywhere along the way? Did it follow a logical order, or skip back and forth in a confusing way? Were there questions that came up that didn’t get answered? Were there any words that you heard too many times? (Try to avoid using the same word twice in the same sentence. ) Was it interesting? Were there parts that could be livened up? Was it too long? Which parts should you cut out? Ђ Is it too short? How to cite Writing and Main Point, Papers

International Relations Corporate Company Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the International Relations Corporate Company. Answer: Introduction: Following the fact on file that Pepsi Company has been undergoing a constant international training and development strategy, the best recommendation in such a situation would be incorporating the services of corporate managers. International corporate managers have the obligation of overseeing all the productivity as well as the liability levels of each and every department of the company and employees. The simple objective of this is to fuse the current needs of society together with the available resources of the firm and closely matching them with the Management trending taste and preferences of consumers of a particular good or services that Pepsi has to offer. We all understand that once the tastes and preference to customers have been met it reflects hugely on the sales and profits and makes an even greater impact to shareholders. The second recommendation that can be considered by Pepsi is perhaps merging with a potentially lucrative firm that is still emerging but which is a little minor as compared to the market coverage of Pepsi (Vallabhaneni, 2012). The benefit of merging resources with another firm is simply to cut down the level of the initial cost of production that would have been used to run the major commodities that Pepsi has to offer. Merging of companies is a business strategy that is used to benefit mutually all the organizations that have agreed to work together in order to maximize their respective levels of economies of scale. The first implication with hiring corporate managers is the fact they may come and steal the corporate intellectual knowledge about Pepsi and instead, sell it on the international market at a higher price. Stealing of corporate rights such as the raw plans of a marketing and sales strategy is a big risk since the organization may end up lacking a contingency plan if by any chance some of its current objective do not come to pass (Landly, 2012). This is the worst case scenario since the organization will definitely be destined for an untimely doom. In conclusion, international relations have the tendency of predicting the future changes Management in the prices of commodities and Pepsis services will not be any different. If prediction comes to happen, chances are that the organization might lose a whole load of money to the predictions that are mostly benefitted by international intermediate businessmen. Ideally, this could impact the general productivity of the business by lowering its diseconomies of scale. The economies of scale of Pepsi could be cut down from an over 70% to a less than 50% depending on the intensity of the predictions in the real world. References Vallabhaneni, S. (2012). Corporate management, governance, and ethics best practices. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Landly, D. (2012). Corporate Management. Virginia, B.L Kislev

Library Management System Essay Example

Library Management System Paper CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES One of the significance step is research project is conducting a literature review. Through this chapter, the readers can familiarize to the study of researcher. The related and previous studies presented in this chapter will give the readers and future researchers, an idea of the proposed system of the proponent. The proponent selected and reviewed these studies and previous works to provide information to the readers 2. 1 Related Literature The researcher gathered information related to their study to prove the effectiveness of the proposed system. This information was based on the knowledge of the expert which served as guide to the researcher to pursue the study. 2. 1. 1 Foreign Literature A computer reservations system CRS is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies; major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. They also provide access to railway reservations in some markets although these are not always integrated with the main system. [http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Computer_reservations_system] Since computer power was the critical resource, efficiency of processing became the main goal. We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Emphasis was placed on automating existing process such as purchasing or paying, often within single department [Jeffrey A. Hofer on Modern System Analysis and Design (1996). ] Automation is the use of control systems (such as numerical control, programmable logic control, and other industrial control systems), in concert with other applications of information technology (such as computer-aided technologies), to control industrial machinery and processes, reducing the need for human intervention. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization. Whereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation greatly reduces the need for human sensory and mental requirements as well. Processes and systems can also be automated. Hotel Management system is an in-house Windows based application used by businesses to automate their day-to-day operations such as room bookings, reservations, check-in or check-out. Hotel reservation software is developed for suitable works of the following types of accommodation like Hotels, Motels and Guesthouses, University accommodation letting, Cottages, Villas, Cabins, Hostels or Any other room booking which is to be managed on a day-to-day basis. [http://www. hotelsoftwarepro. com/] The propose system uses database which database is a system for quick search and retrieval of information from a database. The Database Management determines how data are stored and retrieved. It must address problems such as security, accuracy, consistency among different records, response time, and memory requirements. These issues are most significant for database systems on computer networks. Ever-higher processing speeds are required for efficient database management. Relational DBMS, in which data are organized into a series of tables (relations) that are easily reorganized for accessing data in different ways, are the most widely used today. [http://www. answers. com/topic/database-management-system] . 1. 2 Local Literature A computer makes doing most almost easier, since it is an electronic device. It operates a high speed of electric flow which is measured in trillions of a second. These high-speed of results are also accomplished with high accuracy. Since the computer is programmed correctly and incoming data is error free. The accuracy of the output is almost guaranteed that can carry out the sequence of the operation without human intervention. â€Å"Computer and Word Processing†, Febes A. De Guzman and Ines Alcantara (1997) Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC) was created to use the necessary and available resources of the public and private sectors. Thus Philippines was coined and defined as an electronically-enabled society where the citizens live in an providing quality education, efficient government service, greater source of livelihood, and ultimately a better way of life. Cebu City (Central Visayas)-citing bullish tourism prospect, Waterfront Philippines Inc. WPI) will invest between 59 million to 60 million pesos (US$ 983,690 to 1. 8 million at P50. 829=$1) improve operation efficiency and profitability. By the end of this year, WPI executive vice president Rexlon T. Gatchalian said that envision Waterfront Cebu City Hotel to be only fully computerized five-star hotel in the country. He said: â€Å"In this age of information, we believed the service and industry should join foray we intend to become fully computerized by the end of t his year other hotels are doing IT piece by piece. † A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and Internet connectivity; snack foods and drinks may be supplied in a mini-bar, and facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, and have conference and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and BBs) to allow guests to identify their room. (Http ://en . wikipedia. org/wiki/Hotel) This paper develops a conceptual framework that describes the impact of information technology (IT) on service management and transaction costs in full service hotel firms. It details how IT would help such firms to lower operations-related transaction costs. Further, the underpinnings of how IT would impact service management in full service hotel firms is discussed more specifically from a customer satisfaction point of view while focusing on two aspects, i. e. managing customer delight and the customers role as a co-producer. Propositions are developed and a discussion on the impact of IT on firm profitability from a transaction cost perspective ensues while concluding with managerial implications. (h ttp://www. sci encedirect. com/science? ) Information technology can provide hospitality firms with a sustained competitive advantage, provided the technology complements operations. Based on interdisciplinary research findings with regard to the sustainability of IT-enabled competitive advantage, this article provides a framework that can help both hospitality scholars and managers formally analyze existing and proposed IT-dependent strategic initiatives. The chief element in achieving a competitive advantage is to identify the drivers of response lag, which is the time it takes for competitors to imitate an IT initiativeif they are able to do so. The drivers can be grouped into one of the following four barriers to erosion of competitive advantage: (1) IT-resources barrier, (2) complementary-resources barrier, (3)IT-project barrier, and (4) preemption barrier. ( http://www. entrepreneur. com/tradejournals/article/184324458. html) 2. 2 Related Studies In order to gather more information that will serve as guidelines, the researcher conducted some research through some documents available and from undergraduate thesis that may help much in the proving of studies. 2. 2. 1 Foreign Studies According to Psoinos, Anna, â€Å"the role of the computer-based information systems (IS) in manufacturing organizations encourages employee empowerment. The central proposition of the research is that information systems are not able to empower employee, but the IS can support the new work practices created by empowerment, defending on the specific organizational circumstances†. Marshall Management, Inc. is a mid-sized national hotel management company which prides itself on its ability to adapt to a diversified spectrum of hotel properties while being recognized by its franchisors, investors and clients as operations intensive. We are especially proud of our successes in taking over non-performing loans, revitalizing the hotels and, consequently, selling the properties for an appreciated value. Established in 1980 by Charles L. Marshall, CHA, Marshall Management, Inc. Operates hotels over a multi-state area including roadside, resort, airport and metropolitan high-rise properties. These include numerous franchise types and independents. Our expertise include hotel management operations, fiscal and accountant service, development, insurance programs, hotel sales and marketing, advertising, feasibility studies, asset management, consulting and lender workouts. Our mission to profitability, for both ourselves and for ownership, operates hotels which are primarily located in the Mid-Western, South-Western and Eastern portions of the United States. We will expand through third party management contracts and the development of full and limited service hotels. When we find a reasonable return on a hotel investment, we will seek opportunities available on Wall Street or with various financial groups. When appropriate for Marshall Management Inc. to emerge with or purchase another management company, the feasibility of such a union will be thoroughly investigated and pursued. There is growing evidence that hospitality ventures are not using information technology (IT) strategically and are not reaping benefits commensurate with the substantial sums of money being expended on IT. As an example, a recent study by McKinsey concluded that after spending $7. 6 billion in IT between 1995 and 2000, the lodging industry saw no increase in revenue (after controlling for the effects of the booming economy) and no tangible increase in productivity (Brown and Stange 2002). Yet significant case evidence suggests that IT has had and continues to have the potential to enable value creation and sustained differentiation in the hospitality industry. For example, Ritz-Carlton has traditionally been able to offer unmatched personalized service using a centralized repository named CLASS (Customer Loyalty Anticipation and Satisfaction System) that enables each property in the chain to collect and retrieve personal preferences of each guest (Klein, Sasser, and Jones 1999). More recently, Harrahs Entertainment has received significant attention for its business intelligence (BI) initiative (Lal and Carrolo 2002)a cornerstone of its considerable financial success. ( h ttp://www. entrepreneur. com) Information systems are sociotechnical systems that include IT, processes, people, and organizational structure (Bostrom and Heinen 1977a, 1977b). All four components are necessary to deliver the information-processing functionalities the organization needs. More important, any change in one component (e. . , a new software program, a change in organizational structure from property-focused to brand-focused) will affect and require adjustment in each of the other components. In short, any change has systemic effects (OHara, Watson, and Kavan 1999). Using two unique, independent samples of U. S. hotels, this study examines the utilization of information technology (IT) in all hotel sectors, from deluxe to budget, to reveal strategic differences and similarities. Overall, the findings suggest that the U. S. odging industry has focused on employing technologies that improve employee productivity and enhance revenue but has not given strategic priority to technologies designed to improve guest services. The hotel sector, lodging type, size/complexity of the property, and independent versus chain affiliation influenced the number and type of technologies adopted. Luxury and upscale hotels adopted more IT than economy and budget hotels. Similarly, IT development was greatest for certain lodging types such as convention hotels, conference centers, and casinos, and lowest for other types, such as motels and bed-and-breakfasts. Chain-affiliated properties typically adopted more technologies than independent hotels. (http://jtr. sagepub. com/content/39/2/192. abstract) This article discusses applications of technology to the hospitality environment. Front office information processing systems such as reservations, guest accounting and room management systems are discussed, as well as their impact on the efficiency of operations. Effects of developments in telecommunications and, more recently, teleconferencing on the lodging (hotel) industry are discussed. Technology benefits, such as energy management and the safety and security of guests and their property, are discussed. This article also clarifies the issues that must be considered in the application of new technology and examines future trends. (http://www. sciencedirect. com/science? _ob=ArticleURL=B6V9R-45P18SD-MN=10=12%2F31%2F1983=1=high=search=search=d==c=1468917908=google=C000050221=1=0=10=d319845ccabb580464d9dfb0dd352779=a) 2. 2. Local Studies â€Å"Hotel computerized made a tremendous satisfaction for the employees, most especially to the clients. The system was a great help, it saves time and effort regarding hotel’s activities especially the front desk officers and it ensures speed, accuracy, and reliability in calculating the customer’s bills and in generating the summary report of the hotel. † According to the study n â€Å"An On-line Information and Hotel Registration System† which made by Lopez, Mayoralgo, Miranda, is one of the change emer ged in It as the public surf the internet they will see a different form f acquiring facts and detailed information to make hotel more connected to their clients and researchers would build on-line registration. Todays long haul travelers require destination information before they travel to a destination, and also while they are at the destination. The increasing complexity of the tourism industry and the increasing sophistication and diversity of travelers, makes access to this information both more important and more difficult, especially for long haul destinations. Indeed there are substantial search costs for travelers to identify products in long haul destinations. More accessible information sources on a destinations facilities can reduce the substantial search costs that are incurred in the planning and organization of a long haul trip, and thereby facilitate market transactions in the destination. (Pauline J. Sheldon, (1993) The impact of computer reservation systems on long haul travel, Tourism Review, Vol. 8 Iss: 4, pp. 31 – 35) 2. 3 Difference between the Existing System and the Proposed System Both the proposed and the existing systems are intended to be used in the Hotel Management System for ALL Season Family Hotel with SMS Technology. The existing system is the basis of the proposed system which will going to computerize. Both have a Reservation process, Reports and data regards to the reservation process in check in and check out. The researchers will include the data for check in, check out, generating of reports on summary of the customer and other report also implied. The difference between the existing and the proposed system is that existing system reserving process is slow, more error will came out, time consuming and it is not secured. While the proposed system is a better way, it is fast, reliable, accurate and error free if not all, it also a user friendly system and have database where information is store that makes the proposed system secured than existing system. Library Management System Essay Example Library Management System Essay Library is an important part of the academic sector as well as some professional sectors too like, Advocacy etc. The efficiency of a library lies in the fact how it is arranged and how easily one can get the books of their choice. Generally, what we see nowadays is the manual library management system whose process of operation is very much hectic. What we are doing is that we are proposing a computerised library management system, which would provide better and efficient service to the library members. Brief outline of the application:- 1. Purpose: This software is meant to transform the hectic manual system to a more efficient computerised system. 2. Scope: This application can be used efficiently in educational institutes and certain professional sectors also. 3. Assumptions: This application assumes that the user doesn’t possess the right to modify information about books. 4. Technology Used: Visual Studio 6(for form designing). Presently, a manual system for managing the library is employed almost everywhere. What exactly is done here is that the persons who like to get the benefits of the library have to fill the membership form and then they are provided with a Identity Card. Members have to bring their Identity card each time they want to borrow a book to home or they want to read the book in the library itself. We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Library Management System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In this process each transaction are to be noted down in the specified registers and then signed by the member and the library attendant. Drawbacks of the Present System:- Some of the problems being faced in manual system are as Follows:- 1. Fast report generation is not possible. 2. Tracing a book is difficult. 3. Information about issue/return of the books is not properly maintained. 4. No central database can be created as information is not available in the database. The proposed system aims at transforming the manual system into a computerised one. The benefits of the computerised â€Å"Library Management System† are : 1. Planned approach towards working: -The working in the organization will be well planned and organized. The data will be stored properly in data stores, which will help in retrieval of information as well as its storage. 2. Accuracy: -The level of accuracy in the proposed system will be higher. All operation would be done correctly and it ensures that whatever information is coming from the centre is accurate. 3. Reliability: -The reliability of the proposed system will be high due to the above stated reasons. The reason for the increased reliability of the system is that now there would be proper storage of information. . No Redundancy: -In the proposed system utmost care would be that no information is repeated anywhere, in storage or otherwise. This would assure economic use of storage space and consistency in the data stored. 5. Immediate retrieval of information:- In manual system there are many problems to retrieve large amount of information. In this system retrieval is very fa st. 6. Easy to operate: -The system should be easy to operate and should be such that it can be developed within a short period of time and fit in the limited budget of the user. Depending on the results of the initial investigation the survey is now expanded to a more detailed feasibility study. It is a test of system proposal according to its workability, impact of the organization, ability to meet needs and effective use of the resources. It focuses on these major questions:- 1. What are the user needs and how does our system meet that? 2. What and how much resources are being needed for the proposed system? 3. What are the likely impacts of the proposed system? 4. Whether the proposed system solves the present problem? Steps in feasibility analysis:- Eight steps involved in the feasibility analysis are:- . Form a Project team and appoint a Project leader. 2. Prepare system flowcharts. 3. Enumerate potential proposed system. 4. Define and identify characteristics of the proposed system. 5. Determine and evaluate performance and cost effectiveness of the proposed system. 6. Weigh system performance. 7. Prepare the final report and present to the management. 1. Technical Feasibility:- It is the study of resource availability that may affect the ability to achieve an acceptable system. This evaluation determines whether the technology needed for the proposed system is available or not. It decides whether the work for the project be done with current equipments and existing technology. It is thus associated with specifying equipments and software that will successfully satisfy the consumer’s requirement. The technical needs of the system may include:- Front end and back end selection:- An important issue for the development of a project is the selection of suitable front-end and back-end. When we decide to develop the project we go through an extensive study to determine the most suitable platform that suits the needs of the consumer as well as helps in development of the project. The aspects of our study include the following factors:- Front end selection:- 1. It must have a graphical user interface that assists persons not from the computer background. 2. Scalability and Extendibility. 3. Flexibility. 4. Robustness. 5. It must be according to the customer’s requirement and culture. 6. It should have an independent platform. 7. It should be easy to debug and maintain. 8. Front end must support some possible back ends such as MS Access. Back end selection:- 1. Multiple user support 2. Efficient data handling 3. Provide inherent features for security. . Efficient data retrieval and maintenance 5. Store procedures 6. Popularity 7. Compatibility with OS 8. Easy to install 9. Various drivers must be available. 10. Easy to implant with the front end. The technical feasibility is frequently the most difficult area encountered at this stage. It is essential that the process of analysis and definition be conducted in parallel with an assessment to technical fea sibility. It centres on the existing computer system (hardware, software etc. ) and to what extent it can support the proposed system. 2. Economic Feasibility:- Economic justification is generally the â€Å"Bottom Line† consideration for most systems. Economic justification includes a broad range of concerns that includes cost benefit analysis. In this we weigh the cost and the benefits associated with the proposed system and if it suits the basic purpose of the organization i. e. profit making, the project is making to the analysis and design phase. The financial and the economic questions during the preliminary investigation are verified to estimate the following:- 1. The cost to conduct a full system investigation. 2. The cost of hardware and the software for the application being considered. 3. The benefits in the terms of reduced cost. 4. The proposed system will give the minute information, as a result the performance is increased which in turn may be expected to provide extra economic benefits. 5. It checks whether the application can be developed with the available funds. The Library Management System does not require enormous amount of money to be developed. It can be developed economically if planned judicially. The cost of project depends on the number of man-hours required. 3. Operational Feasibility:- It is mainly related to human organizations and political aspects. The points to be considered are:- 1. What changes will be brought with the system? 2. What organization structures will be disturbed? 3. What new skills will be required? Do the existing technicians have the skills? If not, can they be trained in due course of time? Our system is economically feasible as it is very easy for the customers to use it. They just need how to work on the windows platform. 4. Schedule Feasibility:- Time evaluation is the most important consideration in the development of project. The time schedule required for the developed of this project is very important since more development time effect machine time, cost and cause delay in the development of other systems. A reliable Library Management System can be developed in the considerable amount of time. Before starting to design a software product, it is extremely important to understand and document the exact requirements of the customer. In the past many projects have suffered because the developers started implementing something without determining whether they were building what the customers exactly wanted. The primary goal of the requirement analysis and specification phase is to clearly understand the customer requirements and to systematically organize the requirements into a specification document. The SRS document is the final outcome of the requirements analysis and specification phase. Generally requirement gathering consists of the following phases:- 1. Studying the existing documentation: The analyst usually studies all existing documents regarding the system to be developed before visiting the customer site. Typically these documents pertain to issues such as the context, the basic purpose, the stakeholders, etc. . Interview: Typically there are many different categories of users of software. All the different categories of users are interviewed to gather the different functionalities required by them. Based on the interview the document is made. 3. Task Analysis: -The users usually view software as a black box that provides a set of service. A service is also known as a tas k. For each identified task, the analyst tries to formulate the different steps necessary to realize the service in consultation with the users. 4. Scenario Analysis: A task can have many scenarios of operation. The different scenarios of a task can occur when the task is invoked under different situations. For different types of scenarios of a task, the behaviour of the system can be different. 5. Form analysis: The different forms are analyzed to determine the data input to the system and the data that are output from the system. For the different data input to the system, how these are used by the system to produce the corresponding output data are determined from the users. Characteristics of a good SRS document: The skill of writing a good SRS document usually comes from the experience gained from writing SRS documents for many problems. However the analyst should be aware of the desired qualities that every good SRS document should possess. Some of the identified desired qualities of the SRS documents are the following: 1. Concise: -The SRS document should be concise and at the same time unambiguous, consistent, and complete. Verbose and irrelevant descriptions reduce readability and also increase error possibilities. 2. Structured:- A good SRS document should be well structured which is easy to understand and modify. In practice, the SRS document undergoes several revisions to cope up with the customer requirements. Thus it is important that it is well structured. 3. Traceable: It should be possible to trace a specific requirement to the design elements that implement it and vice versa. Similarly, it should be possible to trace a requirement to the code segments that implement it and the test cases that test this requirement and vice versa. Traceability is important to verify the results of a phase with the previous phase, to analyze the impact of a change, etc. 4. Response to undesired events: It should characterize acceptable responses to undesired events. These are called system response to exceptional conditions. . Verifiable: All requirements of the system as documented in the SRS document should be verifiable. This means that it should be possible to determine whether or not requirements have been met in an implementation. Any feature of the required system that is not verifiable should be listed separately in the goals of the implementation section of the SRS document. Project Requirem ents:- 1. User Requirements:- Every user should be: †¢ Comfortable with working of a computer. †¢ He must have knowledge of library. †¢ He must also have basic knowledge of English. 2. Hardware Requirements: Processor: -Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium IV or higher RAM : -64 Mb or Higher 130 Mb 3. Software Requirements: Operating System: -Win-98, Win-XP, Linux or any other higher version Database: -Ms Access It is clear that the physical objects from the previous section the member, books, library – correspond to entities in the entity relationship model and the operations to be done on those entities holds, checkouts, and so on – correspond to relationships. However, a good design will minimize redundancy and attempt to store all the required information in as small a space as possible. This application can be easily implemented under various situations. We can add new features as and when we require. Reusability is possible as and when require in this application. There is flexibility in all the modules. Extensibility: This software is extendable in ways that its original developers may not expect. The following principles enhance extensibility like hide data structure, avoid traversing multiple links or methods, avoid case statements on object type and distinguish public and private operations. Reusability: -Reusability is possible as and when require in this application. We can update it next version. Reusable software reduces design, coding and testing cost by amortizing effort over several designs. Reducing the amount of code also simplifies understanding, which increases the likelihood that the code is correct. We follow up both types of reusability: Sharing of newly written code within a project and reuse of previously written code on new projects. Understand ability: -A method is understandable if someone other than the creator of the method can understand the code (as well as the creator after a time lapse). We use the method, which small and coherent helps to accomplish this. Cost Effectiveness: -Its cost is under the budget and make within given time period. It is desirable to aim for a system with a minimum cost subject to the condition that it must satisfy the entire requirement. After we have completed the project we are sure the problems in the existing system would overcome. The â€Å"LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM† process is made computerized to reduce human errors and to increase the efficiency. The main focus of this project is to lessen human efforts. The maintenance of the records is made efficient, as all the records are stored in the ACCESS database, through which data can be retrieved easily. The navigation control is provided in all the forms to navigate through the large amount of records. If the numbers of records are very large then user has to just type in the search string and user gets the results immediately. The editing is also made simpler. The user has to just type in the required field and press the update button to update the desired field. The Books and Students are given a particular unique id no. So that they can be accessed correctly and without errors. Our main aim of the project is to get the correct information about a particular student and books available in the library. The problems, which existed in the earlier system, have been removed to a large extent. And it is expected that this project will go a long way in satisfying user’s requirements. The computerization of the Library Management will not only improves the efficiency but will also reduce human stress thereby indirectly improving human recourses Books: 1. Fundamentals of Software Engineering by Rajib Mall(PHI) 2. Black Book of Visual Basic 3. Visual Basic by Tata McGraw Hill(TMH) Web Sites: 1. www. apache. org 2. www. wikipedia. com 3. www. iisjaipur. org

No Escape essays

No Escape essays No Escape Don't leave the hashish lying around. That's the mistake three American buddies make in Malaysia, on the very day that two of them, Sheriff (Vince Vaughn) and Tony (David Conrad) head back to the States. It started out as a vacation to paradise, Malaysia. Three buddies thought this to be the trip of a lifetime, great women and great marijuana they would always say. However the small mistake they make winds up costing one friend his life. Sheriff, Tony, and Lewis rented a bike from a local merchant one morning. Cruising down a dirt path they almost collide with an incoming truck and the three of them wind up falling off the bike, crippling it in the act. Lewis knows that they must bring back the bike to the merchant, but Sheriff takes it upon himself to throw the bike into the woods since it is broken anyway. This scene is the beginning of their downfall. It doesnt seem like a big deal at all, no one will find out; Sheriff and head back to the states, and Lewis is staying to rescue orangutans from captivity. The movie then jumps to a scene in New York City two years later, where Sheriff is now a limousine driver. The guy Lewis (Joaquin Phoenix) who is left behind gets busted for drug trafficking since the Malaysian police find more than 1.3 grams of marijuana in his possession. This all happened because the merchant reported his bike stolen which was traced back to Lewis who was the only one of the three left on the island. The police searched his cabana looking for the missing bike but located a stash of hashish instead. Lewis was the only one who could be charged since Tony and Sheriff had returned to the states and he was put in a third world hellhole where he had been rotting away for two years. After two years Lewis state of sanity and physical condition has severely deteriorated. He is going to be executed unless the two other men return to Malaysia and do ...

Hospitality Management Major-Dining Room Operation Class-Memo 3 Essay

Hospitality Management Major-Dining Room Operation Class-Memo 3 - Essay Example One gets ready to attend to the guests and to serve their needs in a customized fashion. This calls for one to understand their guests and to comprehend what their needs are (Holmes, 12). The second part is the attribute of effecting merchandising. This is where one takes the order of the meals. One gets to interact with the guests and get what their orders of the day or the time are. What it is they feel like having at that point in time. The third part of a meal is the action of practically getting to serve the meal. This comes upon getting what the guests would like to have and hence it is done in a fashion that is befitting the desires of the guests at the point in time (Hall, and Schulz, 43). â€Å"Having the chef explain particular items is a good way for the service person to learn the menu† (Strianese and Strianese, 161). The service person needs to be at the beck and call of the guests and hence needs to master the menu. â€Å"Guests often inquire about terms on the menu† (Strianese and Strianese, 164). Finally the last part is getting to present the check to the gusts. This is where they get the breakdown of what the fiscal implications of their service was and they are required to foot their bill before making their

Changing the Legal Drinking Age in Michigan Essay

Changing the Legal Drinking Age in Michigan - Essay Example As defined by Cambridge International Dictionary, alcohol is an item for consumption produced when manufacturing wine, beer and liquor. People who drink these products tend to have behavioral change causing them to do inappropriate acts. Â  Alcohol contains substances that can affect a human body especially its way of thinking and act on things. It is said that people under the influence of alcohol became fearless in saying their feelings toward another person; they also tend to be bold on doing things. They think that when they take alcohol it makes them better and boosts their self-esteem. Â  Legal age as defined by the dictionary is the right age wherein an individual enters adulthood wherein lawful rights and responsibilities should be followed. The legal drinking age in Michigan - a state in the East North Central United States that consist two peninsulas separated by water was 21 years old. Â  In this research, a variety of facts and opinions will be discussed so as to oppose the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) also known as the Uniform Drinking Age Act of 1984 wherein the MLDA will be 21 years of age. On the other hand, certain facts will also be given to support the 21 years of age as the legal drinking age. The research was done to present both sides of the issue regarding on changing the legal drinking age; considering 18 years of age as the legal age. ... Â  A person who reached his/her legal age is therefore according to the law allowed to vote, to have a license and to apply for a job. Â  Undeniably, age is one of the many factors to be considered in selling alcoholic beverages but to look into a larger picture, 21 years of age is old and mature enough to be responsible in his/her action/s. The law says a citizen can vote at the age of 18 because maybe they believe that this age, teenagers are responsible enough to know the laws and policies of the country and yet they are not allowed to drink. If we are to compare voting and drinking, I personally think that voting requires more knowledge and maturity compared to drinking. Another fact is that manufacturers of these products did not lack anything to their consumers for they have warning/s on their advertisements like the famous tagline of beer, "Drink Moderately." Â  According to an article, on an Amethyst Initiative - an effort done by McCardell wherein a number of college presidents were called, college presidents signed a statement saying, "Twenty-One is Not Working." In lieu with the statement here are the reasons supporting the statement (1) a society of risky, clandestine binge-drinking has been made and is usually done outside the campus (2) there was no positive behavioral change with the students.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Journal - Essay Example When asked about my proposed research topic, which is bilingual education, all respondents, except James, disclosed that they do not know anything about it. James, on the other hand, indicated that awareness on the topic was in terms of recognizing that by being bilingual, you can communicate with the other people easily. When asked if they have any opposition to the topic, all responded none. Likewise, their responses to my question: â€Å"what experience, knowledge, and background do they have in my field including both positive / negative experiences†, they all responded none. The audience analysis thereby revealed that the proposed research topic on bilingual education could provide ample opportunities for the audience to enhance their awareness and knowledge on this. Further, since there were no significant oppositions to the subject matter, it is therefore a viable topic. Their demographic factors further indicated that the topic could generally appeal to various ages, status, and

Introduction to DNA and Genetics

Introduction to DNA and Genetics Genetics is the study of the qualities that are inherited and transmitted to the offspring from the parents during reproduction. Parents pass traits to their offspring, making the basis of heredity. The inherited traits are coded for in genes, which are the inherited elements. Genes are the functional units of DNA. Through genetics, biologists and other scientists get to understand the processes and principles of heredity, genetic variation and genes. Genetics is of great interest in the contemporary society. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, a lot of information about genetics has been exposed that is essential to the understanding of the human health. Understanding of the genome and mutations that affect it has led to an explanation of genetically inherited traits. These characteristics were previously mysterious and could not be contained as drugs could not be developed against them. The information gained from genetics has aided the research into these diseases. It has also opened a window to the possibility of finding a cure for the deadly cancer diseases (Sack, 2008). The building block of all genetic concepts is DNA. DNA is one of the nucleic acids which stores hereditary or genetic information. It is found in the nucleus in eukaryotic organisms and the cytoplasm in the prokaryotic organisms. DNA is composed of nucleotides, which are composed of sugar, a phosphate group and a base. The DNA sugar is deoxyribose sugar. There are four essential bases in the structure of DNA. From the four bases, the numerous different sequences arise which lead to the differences observed among organisms. The bases are Thymine, Adenine, Guanine and Cytosine. The nucleotides bond to each other by a phosphor-diester bond, leading to a ladder-like double helix structure. The double helix structure is formed by the pairing of anti-parallel strands of DNA. The nucleotide bases from the two strands bind to each other through hydrogen bonds. Thymine pairs with Adenine and Guanine pairs with Cytosine (Hawley, 2010). The DNA is divided into functional regions called genes. Genes have varying sizes, from a few hundred DNA bases to more than two million bases. The genes code for the traits expressed by each individual. Each gene has specific sets of instructions that code for particular proteins or protein functions. The nucleotide sequence of each gene forms the genetic sequence, which is crucial in the central dogma. The central dogma explains that the phenotypic appearance of an individual is a characteristic of their DNA. From the DNA sequence, RNA (another nucleotide) can transcribe and translate the information into proteins. The proteins are the building structure of the body. Therefore, the protein that is expressed in the DNA is the one that will be manufactured and expressed physically as the structure of the individual (Hawley 2010, Sack, 2008). Genes are found in packaged DNA sets called chromosomes. Each chromosome has millions of DNA bases, from fifty to two hundred million in number. Many genes make a chromosome. The chromosomes are the means of transferring genetic information from the parents to the offspring. They are more complex as they are made up of the genes and binding proteins know as histones. The DNA is usually tightly wound around each of the proteins. Each organism has a specific number of chromosomes, which if exceeded or reduced result in an abnormality. The human beings have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes (46 chromosomes). One of the pairs is the sex chromosomes (XX for female and XY for male). The other twenty-two pairs of chromosomes are autosomes (Hawley 2010, Sack 2008). Traits are inherited from both parents following the Mendelian inheritance laws. The genetic makeup of an individual (genotype) is made of two alleles of each gene. An allele is a copy of a gene that codes for the same trait. Each allele is inherited from either parent. If the alleles are identical, they are called homozygous, and if they are not identical, they are heterozygous. If alleles are indeed identical, they have similar coding sequences at that particular locus. Each gene has a dominant allele that will be expressed in a case of the presence of a heterozygous pair of the alleles (Jobling, Hurles, Tyler-Smith, 2013). The genetic material of the human cells (and other eukaryotic cells) except the red blood cells is found in the nucleus. The RBC do not have a nucleus and hence do not carry genetic information. However, some organelles such as the mitochondria and the chloroplasts have their DNA. The organelles contain multiple copies of small chromosomes and are only inherited from the mother. They are found in the ovum during fertilization as the sperm cell only contributes the nuclear genetic information. The exact location of a gene on a chromosome is called a locus. There are fifty thousand to hundred thousands of genes in the human genome. However, the DNA in the genes is only approximately 2% of the total genomic DNA. Much of the information on the non-coding DNA has not yet unearthed, despite successfully completing the human genome project (Hawley, 2010). Formerly called junk DNA, the non-coding DNA is increasingly being considered to be of essential function in the central dogma. Scientists are, however, working to find out the exact role of the DNA, which has so far remained elusive. The locus of each gene has enabled the formation of the genetic map, as more than 13,000 genetic sites have been correctly identified (Sack, 2008). The genetic maps have enabled the study of different inherited diseases. The particular location of the gene(s) responsible for the conditions can be identified and studied. The development of the gene maps makes it faster, cheaper and more practical for scientists to identify and diagnose a given genetic disease. Genetic mapping has made it possible to identify most hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, enabling adequate pharmaceutical research to be carried out on them. Hereditary diseases occur as a result of a mutation in the genes that code for given proteins. The mutation can either occur through deletions, substitutions or insertions of DNA bases at certain points leading to frameshifts in the structure of the gene. These frameshifts will result in coding for abnormal or non-functioning proteins (Loewe, 2008). Without these proteins to act in their usual roles, the body faces challenges adapting to situations that require the proteins. For example, the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is as a result of a deletion in a gene that codes for an important muscle protein, dystrophin. The absence of dystrophin results to muscle weakness and inevitable early death (Behrman, Kliegman, Jenson, 2011). However, some mutations are as a result of adaptation. For example, the mutation to cause sickle red blood cells was an adaptation to prevent malaria in the tropics. Genetics has not only enabled us to understand more about ourselves, but has also given us more information about our origins. Evolutionary genetics allows the comparison of genetic data of proteins from different organisms and establishing where they diverged or converged in the evolutionary tree. With the development of technology and computers, the branch of bioinformatics has explored worlds unknown before. Accurate data on genetic sequences has been compared with previous generations to establish the relationships between human beings and other organisms (Jobling, Hurles, Tyler-Smith, 2013). With the understanding of the past and evolution, genetics helps us to predict the future. The future of genetics is one of the exciting branches of science that has fascinated many biologists. Genetics is not without its shortcomings. The cloning debates and other ethical issues have brought the in-depth study and application of genetics into questions. The knowledge of Genetics might tempt scientists to try to act God in establishing human beings without blemish. The cloning of human being is also a much-debated question as well as the issues of personalized medicine. The study of the genetics of an individual also means that one gets to understand the genetics of the parents, raising ethical questions about the informed consent. Ethical dilemmas also arise when two carrier parents are expecting a child who has been diagnosed with the disease. Do they end the pregnancy or wait for the baby to be born and suffer? In some instances, genetics has led to more questions than answers (Fulda, Lykens, 2006). Despite its shortcoming, genetics opened multiple doors in the contemporary science. References: Behrman, R. E., Kliegman, R., Jenson, H. B. (2011). Nelson textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. Fulda, K. G., Lykens, K. (2006). Ethical issues in predictive genetic testing: a public health perspective. Journal of medical ethics, 32(3), 143-147. Hawley, R. S. (2010). HUMAN GENOME. Academic Press. Jobling, M., Hurles, M., Tyler-Smith, C. (2013). Human evolutionary genetics: origins, peoples disease. Garland Science. Sack, G. H. (2008). Genetics. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.

Diabetes Mellitus Essay -- Health Diseases Diabetes Essays medical

Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death listed in the United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. â€Å"In 1996 diabetes contributed to more than 162,000 deaths†(Lewis 1367).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Diabetes mellitus is not a single disease but a group of disorders with glucose intolerance in common† (McCance 674). Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar) and results from defective insulin production, secretion, and utilization. There are many forms of diabetes. â€Å"Diabetes increases the risk of heart and blood vessel disease, amputation, infections, kidney damage, eye problems (including blindness), and nerve malfunction† (Husain). I will briefly define the different forms of diabetes and then I will discuss diabetes mellitus in general. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or type 1 is when the pancreas will produce little or no insulin, therefore requiring injections of insulin to control diabetes and prevent ketoacidosis. All patients with this type of diabetes need insulin to survive (Deakins 34). Five to ten percent of all diabetic patients have IDDM. Usual presentation is rapid with classical symptoms of polydipsia (increased thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), polyuria (increased urination), and weight loss. IDDM is most commonly seen in patients under thirty, but can be seen in older adults. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or type 2 is caused by a defect in insulin manufacture and release from the beta cell or insulin resistance in the peripheral tissues. Approximately ninety percent of diabetic patients have NIDDM. Genetics play a big role in the etiology of NIDDM and is often associated with obesity. Usually presentation is slow and often insidious with symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, poor wound healing, and recurrent infection. Primarily occurs in adults over thirty. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as carbohydrate intolerance, which occurs during pregnancy. Occurs in approximately three percent of pregnancies, and usually disappears after pregnancy. Women with GDM are at higher risk for having diabetes in the future. GDM is associated with increased risk of morbidity. Women should be screened for GDM between the 24th and the 28th weeks of gestation. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious... ...ur to six hours to reach the bloodstream, but stays in the bloodstream for about thirty-six hours. It peaks about fourteen to twenty-four hours after injection. Diabetes affects the entire body. It slowly deteriorates every one of the body’s organs. You can live a long and prosperous life as a well-controlled diabetic, but a short and miserable life if noncompliant. Works Cited Deakins, Dee A. Oral Hypoglycemics. Nursing 92; The World’s Largest Nursing Journal Nov. 1992: 34-39. Doenges, Marilynn E. Nursing Care Plans; Guidelines for Planning Patient Care. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company, 1989. Drass, Janice. Insulin Injections. Nursing 92; The World’s Largest Nursing Journal Nov. 1992:40-43. Harkreader, Helen. Fundamentals of Nursing; Caring and Clinical Judgment. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 2000. Husain, Rahat. The Diabetes Information Page. Undated. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5769/diabete.html. Lewis, Sharon Mantik. Medical Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. St. Louis: Mosby, 2000. McCance, Kathryn L. Pathophysiology; The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. St. Louis: Mosby, 1994.

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Six

I think the profanities that came out of my mouth when I hit the ground would have been understandable in any language. It hurt. The bush was not particularly sharp or pointy, but it wasn't soft by any stretch of the imagination. It broke my fall somewhat, though it didn't save my ankle from twisting underneath me. â€Å"Shit!† I said through gritted teeth, climbing to my feet. Russia sure was making me swear a lot. I tested the weight on my ankle and felt a twinge of pain but nothing I couldn't stand on. A sprain, thank God. The ankle wasn't broken, and I'd had worse. Still, it was going to slow down my getaway. I limped away from the bush, trying to pick up the pace and ignore the pain. Stretching before me was that stupid hedge maze I'd thought was so cool the other night. The sky was cloudy, but I doubted moonlight would have made it easier to navigate. No way was I going to fight that leafy mess. I'd find where it ended and get out through there. Unfortunately, when I circled the house, I discovered an unhappy truth: The hedge was everywhere. It encircled the estate like some kind of medieval moat. The annoying part was, I doubted Galina had even had it installed for defense. She'd probably done it for the same reason she had crystal chandeliers and antique paintings in the hallways: It was cool. Well, there was nothing for it, then. I picked an opening to the maze at random and started winding my way through. I had no idea where to go, no strategies for getting out. Shadows lurked everywhere, and I often didn't see dead ends coming until I was right on top of them. The bushes were tall enough that once I was only a little way into the maze, I completely lost sight of the top of the house. If I'd had it as a navigation point, I might have been able to just move in a straight (or nearly straight) line away. Instead, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going backward or in circles or what. At one point, I was pretty sure I'd passed the same jasmine trellis three times. I tried to think of stories I'd read about people navigating mazes. What did they use? Bread crumbs? Thread? I didn't know, and as more time passed and my ankle grew sorer, I began to get discouraged. I'd killed a Strigoi in my weakened state but couldn't escape some bushes. Embarrassing, really. â€Å"Roza!† The voice carried distantly on the wind, and I stiffened. No. It couldn't be. Dimitri. He'd survived. â€Å"Roza, I know you're out there,† he called. â€Å"I can smell you.† I had a feeling he was bluffing. He wasn't close enough for me to feel sick, and with the cloying perfume of the flowers, I doubted he could scent me yet-even if I was sweating a lot. He was trying to bait me into giving up my location. With new resolve, I headed down the next twist in the bushes, praying for the exit. Okay, God, I thought. Get me out of this and I'll stop my half assed churchgoing ways. You got me past a pack of Strigoi tonight. I mean, trapping that one between the doors really shouldn't have worked, so clearly you're on board. Let me get out of here, and I'll†¦ I don't know. Donate Adrian's money to the poor. Get baptized. Join a convent. Well, no. Not that last one. Dimitri continued his taunting. â€Å"I won't kill you, not if you give yourself up. I owe you. You took out Galina for me, and now I'm in charge. Replacing her happened a little ahead of schedule, but that's not a problem. Of course, there aren't many people to control now that Nathan and the others are dead. But that can be fixed.† Unbelievable. He truly had survived those odds. I'd said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass. There was no way he could have defeated those three†¦ and yet, well†¦ I'd seen him take on crazy odds before. And clearly his being here was proof of his capabilities. The path ahead of me split, and I randomly chose the right hand path. It spread off into the darkness, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Score. Despite his breezy commentary, I knew he was also moving through the maze, getting closer and closer. And unlike me, he knew the paths and how to get out of it. â€Å"I'm not upset about you attacking me, either. I would have done it in your place. It's just one more reason why we should be together.† My next turn took me into a dead end filled with climbing moonflowers. I kept my swearing to myself and backtracked. â€Å"You're still dangerous, though. If I find you, I'm probably going to have to kill you. I don't want to, but I'm starting to think there's no way we can both live in this world. Come to me by choice, and I'll awaken you. We'll control Galina's empire together.† I almost laughed. I couldn't have found him if I wanted to in this mess. If I'd had that kind of ability, I'd My stomach swirled a little. Oh no. He was getting closer. Did he know it yet? I didn't fully understand how the amount of nausea correlated to distance, but it didn't matter. He was too close, period. How close did he need to be to truly smell me? To hear me walking on the grass? Each second brought him closer to success. Once he had my trail, I was screwed. My heart started racing even more-if that was even possible at this point-and the adrenaline pumping through me numbed my ankle, even though it still slowed me down. Another dead end spun me around, and I tried to calm myself, knowing panic would make me sloppy. All the while, that nausea grew in increments. â€Å"Even if you get out, where will you go?† he called. â€Å"We're in the middle of nowhere.† His words were poison, seeping into my skin. If I focused on them, my fear would win, and I'd give up. I'd curl into a ball and let him come for me, and I had no reason to believe he'd let me live. My life could be over in the next few minutes. A turn to my left led to another wall of glossy green leaves. I sidestepped it quickly and headed in the opposite direction and saw-fields. Long, vast stretches of grass spread out ahead of me, giving way to trees scattered off in the distance. Against all odds, I'd made it out. Unfortunately, the nausea was strong now. This close, he had to know where I was. I peered around, realizing the truth of his words. We really were in the middle of nowhere. Where could I go? I had no idea where we were. There. To my left, I saw the faint purple glow on the horizon that I'd noticed the other night. I hadn't realized what it was then, but now I knew. Those were city lights, most likely Novosibirsk, if that was where Galina's gang did most of their deeds. Even if it wasn't Novosibirsk, it was civilization. There would be people there. Safety. I could get help. I took off at as fast a run as I could manage, feet pounding hard against the ground. Even the adrenaline couldn't block that much impact out, and pain crackled up through my leg with each step. The ankle held, though. I didn't fall or go to a true limp. My breath was hard and ragged, the rest of my muscles still weak from all I'd been through. Even with a goal, I knew that the city was miles away. And all the while, the nausea grew and grew. Dimitri was close. He had to be out of the maze now, but I couldn't risk looking back. I just kept running toward that purple glow on the horizon, even though it meant I was about to enter a cluster of trees. Maybe, maybe it would provide cover. You're a fool, some part of me whispered. There's nowhere you can hide from him. I reached the thin line of trees and slowed just a little, gasping for breath and pressing myself up against a sturdy trunk. I finally dared a look behind me but saw nothing. The house glowed in the distance, surrounded by the darkness of the hedge maze. My sick stomach hadn't grown worse, so it was possible I might have a lead on him. The maze had several exits; he hadn't known where I'd come out. My moment of respite over, I kept moving, keeping the soft glow of the city lights in sight through the branches. It was only a matter of time before Dimitri found me. My ankle wasn't going to let me do much more of this. Outrunning him was slowly becoming a fantasy. Leaves left over from last fall crunched as I moved, but I couldn't afford to step around them. I doubted I had to worry anymore about Dimitri sniffing me out. The noise would give me away. â€Å"Rose! I swear it's not too late.† Shoot. His voice was close. I looked around frantically. I couldn't see him, but if he was still calling for me, he likely couldn't see me yet either. The city haze was still my guiding star, but there were trees and darkness between me and it. Suddenly, an unexpected person came to mind. Tasha Ozera. She was Christian's aunt, a very formidable lady who was one of the forerunners of teaching Moroi to fight back against Strigoi. â€Å"We can retreat and retreat and let ourselves get backed into corners forever,† she'd said once. â€Å"Or we can go out and meet the enemy at the time and place we choose. Not them.† Okay, Tasha, I thought. Let's see if your advice gets me killed. I looked around and located a tree with branches I could reach. Shoving my stake back into my pocket, I grabbed hold of the lowest branch and swung myself up. My ankle complained the whole way, but aside from that, there were enough branches for me to get good hand- and footholds. I kept going until I found a thick, heavy limb that I thought would support my weight. I moved out onto it, staying near the trunk and carefully testing the limb's sturdiness. It held. I took the stake out of my pocket and waited. A minute or so later, I heard the faint stirring of leaves as Dimitri approached. He was much quieter than I had been. His tall, dark form came into view, a sinister shadow in the night. He moved very slowly, very carefully, eyes roving everywhere and the rest of his senses no doubt working as well. â€Å"Roza†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He spoke softly. â€Å"I know you're here. You have no chance of running. No chance of hiding.† His gaze was fixed low. He thought I was hiding behind a tree or crouched down. A few more steps. That was all I needed from him. Against the stake, my hand began to sweat, but I couldn't wipe it off. I was frozen, holding so still that I didn't even dare breathe. â€Å"Roza†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The voice caressed my skin, cold and deadly. Still scrutinizing his surroundings, Dimitri took one step forward. Then another. And then another. I think it occurred to him to look up the instant I jumped. My body slammed into his, knocking him to the ground back-first. He immediately tried to throw me off, just as I tried to drive the stake through his heart. Signs of fatigue and fighting were all over him. Defeating the other Strigoi had taken its toll, though I doubted I was in much better shape. We grappled, and once, I managed to rake the stake against his cheek. He snarled in pain but kept his chest well protected. Over it, I could see where I'd ripped his shirt the first time I'd staked him. The wound had already healed. â€Å"You. Are. Amazing,† he said, his words full of both pride and battle fury. I had no energy for a response. My only goal was his heart. I fought to stay on him, and at last, my stake pierced his chest-but he was too fast. He knocked my hand away before I could fully drive the stake through. In the process, he knocked me off of him. I flew several feet away, mercifully not hitting any trees. I scrambled to my feet, dazed, and saw him coming toward me. He was fast-but not as fast as he'd been in previous fights. We were going to kill ourselves in trying to kill each other. I'd lost my advantage now, so I ran off into the trees, knowing he'd be right behind me. I was certain he could outrun me, but if I could accrue just a tiny lead, then maybe I could secure another good attack place and try to â€Å"Ahhh!† My scream rang into the night, jarring against the quiet darkness. My foot had gone out from under me, and I was sliding rapidly down a steep hillside, unable to stop myself. There were few trees, but the rocks and my ungainly position made the fall painful, particularly since I was wearing that sweater dress. How I managed to keep holding the stake was beyond me. I hit the bottom roughly, managed to briefly stand, and then promptly stumbled and fell-into water. I stared around. On cue, the moon peeked out from the clouds, casting enough light to show me a huge expanse of black, fast-moving water in front of me. I gaped at it, utterly confused, and then I turned in the direction of the city. This was the Ob, the river that ran through Novosibirsk. The river headed right toward it. Glancing behind me, I saw Dimitri standing on top of the ridge. Unlike some of us, he'd apparently been watching where he was going. Either that, or my scream had tipped him off that something was amiss. It was going to take him less than a minute to come running down after me, though. I looked to either side of me and then in front. Okay. Fast-moving water. Possibly deep. Very wide. It'd take the pressure off my ankle, but I wasn't thrilled about my chances of not drowning. In legends, vampires couldn't cross running water. Man, I wished. That was pure myth. I did a double take to my left and just barely saw a dark shape over the water. A bridge? It was the best shot I had. I hesitated before going toward it; I needed Dimitri to start coming down here. I was not going to run off and let him pace me up above on the ridge. I needed the time his hill descent would buy me. There. He took one step onto the slope, and I tore off down the shore, not looking back. The bridge grew closer and closer to me, and as it did, I realized just how high it was. I'd misjudged it from where I'd landed. The slopes around the bridge reached farther up the more I ran downriver. I was going to have a hell of a climb. No problem. I'd worry about that later-by which I meant in about thirty seconds, since that was probably how long it'd take Dimitri to catch up with me. As it was, I could hear his feet splashing through the shallow water on the bank, the sounds growing nearer and nearer. If I could just reach the bridge, if I could just get to high ground and to the other side. The nausea surged in me. A hand closed around the back of my jacket, jerking me backward. I fell against Dimitri and immediately began fighting him, trying to free myself. But God, I was so, so tired. Every piece of me hurt, and no matter how weary he was, I was worse. â€Å"Stop it!† he yelled, gripping my arms. â€Å"Don't you get it? You can't win!† â€Å"Then kill me!† I wriggled, but his hold on my upper arms was too strong, and even holding the stake, I couldn't do anything with it. â€Å"You said you would if I didn't surrender myself. Well, guess what? I didn't. I won't. So just get it over with.† That phantom moonlight lit up his face, eradicating the normal shadows and making his skin stark white against the night's backdrop. It was like all the colors in the world had been blanked out. His eyes merely looked dark, but in my mind's eye, they glowed like fire. His expression was cold and calculating. Not my Dimitri. â€Å"It'd take a lot for me to kill you, Rose,† he said. â€Å"This isn't enough.† I wasn't convinced. Still holding onto me with that unbreakable grip, he leaned toward me. He was going to bite me. Those teeth would pierce my skin, and he'd turn me into a monster like him or drink until I was dead. Either way, I'd be too drugged and too stupid to know it. The person who was Rose Hathaway would leave this world without even realizing it. Pure panic shot through me-even as that part of me that was still in withdrawal cried out for more of those glorious endorphins. No, no. I couldn't allow that. Every nerve I had was set on fire, ramping up for defense, attack, anything†¦ anything to stop this. I would not be turned. I could not be turned. I wanted so badly to do something to save myself. My whole being was consumed with that urge. I could feel it ready to burst out, ready to. My hands could touch each other but not Dimitri. With a bit of maneuvering, I used the fingers of my left hand to pry off Oksana's ring. It slipped off and into the mud, just as Dimitri's fangs touched my skin. It was like a nuclear explosion going off. The ghosts and spirits I'd summoned on the road to Baia burst between us. They were all around, translucent and luminescent in shades of pale green, blue, yellow, and silver. I'd let loose all of my defenses, let myself succumb to my emotions in a way I hadn't been able to when Dimitri first caught me. The ring's healing power had barely kept me in check just now, but it was gone. I had no barriers on my power. Dimitri sprang back, wide-eyed. Like the Strigoi on the road, he waved his hands around, swatting the spirits as one would mosquitoes. His hands passed right through them, ineffectual. Their attack was more or less ineffectual too. They couldn't physically hurt him, but they could affect the mind, and they were damned distracting. What had Mark said? The dead hate the undead. And from the way these ghosts swarmed Dimitri, it was clear that they did. I stepped back, scanning the ground below me. There. The ring's silver gleamed up at me from a puddle. I reached down and grabbed it, then ran off and left Dimitri to his fate. He wasn't exactly screaming, but he was making some horrible noises. That tore at me, but I kept going, running toward the bridge. I reached it a minute or so later. It was as high as I'd feared, but it was sturdy and well built, if narrow. It was the kind of country bridge that only one car at a time could cross. â€Å"I've come this far,† I muttered, staring up at the bank. It was not only higher than the one I'd fallen down, it was also steeper. I pocketed the ring and stake and then reached out, digging my hands into the ground. I was going to have to half-crawl, half-climb this one. My ankle got a slight reprieve; this was all upper-body strength now. As I climbed, however, I began to notice something. Faint flashes in my periphery. An impression of faces and skulls. And a throbbing pain in the back of my head. Oh no. This had happened before too. In this panicked state, I couldn't maintain the defenses I usually did to keep the dead away from myself. They were now approaching me, more curious than belligerent. But as their numbers grew, it all became as disorienting as what Dimitri was now experiencing. They couldn't hurt me, but they were freaking me out, and the telltale headache that came with them was starting to make me dizzy. Glancing back toward him, I saw something amazing. Dimitri was still coming. He really was a god, a god who brought death closer with each footstep. The ghosts still swarmed him like a cloud, yet he was managing progress, one agonizing step at a time. Turning back, I continued my climb, ignoring my own glowing companions as best I could. At long last, I reached the top of the bank and stumbled onto the bridge. I could barely stand, my muscles were so weak. I made it a few more steps and then collapsed to my hands and knees. More and more spirits were spinning around, and my head was on the verge of exploding. Dimitri still made his slow progress but was a ways from the bank yet. I tried to stand again, using the bridge's rails for support, and failed. The rough grating on the bridge scraped my bare legs. â€Å"Damn.† I knew what I had to do to save myself, though it could very well end up killing me, too. With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. I shook so badly that I felt certain I'd drop it. Somehow, I held on and managed to slide it onto my finger. A small surge of warmth radiated from it into me, and I felt a tiny bit of control settle into my body. Unfortunately, the ghosts were still there. The traces of that fear, of dying or turning Strigoi, were still in me, but it had lessened now that I was out of immediate danger. Feeling less unstable, I sought for the barriers and control I usually kept up, desperate to slam them into place and drive my visitors away. â€Å"Go, go, go,† I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. The effort was like pushing on a mountain, an impossible obstacle that no one could have the strength for. This was what Mark had warned about, why I shouldn't do this. The dead were a powerful asset, but once called, they were difficult to get rid of. What had he said? Those who danced on the edge of darkness and insanity shouldn't risk this. â€Å"Go!† I shouted, throwing my last bit of strength into the effort. One by one, the phantoms around me vanished. I felt my world settle back into its rightful order. Only, when I looked down, I saw that the ghosts had left Dimitri too-as I'd suspected. And just like that, he was on the move again. â€Å"Damn.† My word of the night. I managed to get on my feet this time as he sprinted up the slope. Again, he was slower than usual-but still more than fast enough. I began backing up, never taking my eyes off of him. Getting rid of the ghosts had given me more strength, but not what I needed to get away. Dimitri had won. â€Å"Another shadow-kissed effect?† he asked, stepping onto the bridge. â€Å"Yeah.† I swallowed. â€Å"Turns out ghosts don't much like Strigoi.† â€Å"You didn't seem to like them much either.† I took another slow step backward. Where could I go? As soon as I turned around to run, he'd be on me. â€Å"So, did I go far enough for you to not want to turn me?† I asked as cheerfully as I could manage. He gave me a wry, twisted smile. â€Å"No. Your shadow-kissed abilities have their uses†¦ Too bad they'll go away when you're awakened.† So. That was still his plan. In spite of how much I'd infuriated him, he still wanted to keep me around for eternity. â€Å"You're not going to awaken me,† I said. â€Å"Rose, there's no way you can-â€Å" â€Å"No.† I climbed up onto the railing of the bridge, swinging one leg over. I knew what had to happen now. He froze. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I told you. I'll die before I become Strigoi. I won't be like you or the others. I don't want that. You didn't want that, once upon a time.† My face felt cold as a night breeze blew over it, the result of stealthy tears on my cheeks. I swung my other leg over and peered down at the swiftly moving water. We were a lot more than two stories up. I'd hit the water hard, and even if I survived that fall, I didn't have the strength to out swim the current and get to shore. As I stared down, contemplating my death, I thought back to when Dimitri and I sat in the backseat of an SUV once, discussing this very topic. It was the first time we'd sat near each other, and every place our bodies touched had been warm and wonderful. He'd smelled good-that scent, that scent of being alive was gone now, I realized-and he'd been more relaxed than usual, ready to smile. We'd talked about what it meant to be alive and in full control of your soul-and what it meant to become one of the undead, to lose the love and light of life and all those you'd known. We'd looked at each other and agreed death was better than that fate. Looking at Dimitri now, I had to agree. â€Å"Rose, don't.† I heard true panic in his voice. If he lost me over the edge, I was gone. No Strigoi. No awakening. For me to be turned, he needed to kill me by drinking my blood and then feed blood back to me. If I jumped, the water would kill me, not bloodletting. I would be long dead before he found me in the river. â€Å"Please,† he begged. There was a plaintive note to his voice, one that startled me. It twisted my heart. It reminded me too much of the living Dimitri, the one who wasn't a monster. The one who'd cared for me and loved me, who'd believed in me and made love to me. This Dimitri, the one who was none of those things, took two careful steps forward, then stopped again. â€Å"We need to be together.† â€Å"Why?† I asked softly. The word was carried away on the wind, but he heard. â€Å"Because I want you.† I gave him a sad smile, wondering if we'd meet again in the land of the dead. â€Å"Wrong answer,† I told him. I let go. And he was right there, sprinting out to me with that insane Strigoi speed as I started to fall. He reached out and caught one of my arms, dragging me back onto the railing. Well, half-dragging. Only part of me made it over; the rest still hung out over the river. â€Å"Stop fighting me!† he said, trying to pull on the arm he held. He was in a precarious position himself, straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me. â€Å"Let go of me!† I yelled back. But he was too strong and managed to haul most of me over the rail, enough so that I wasn't in total danger of falling again. See, here's the thing. In that moment before I let go, I really had been contemplating my death. I'd come to terms with it and accepted it. I also, however, had known Dimitri might do something exactly like this. He was just that fast and that good. That was why I was holding my stake in the hand that was dangling free. I looked him in the eye. â€Å"I will always love you.† Then I plunged the stake into his chest. It wasn't as precise a blow as I would have liked, not with the skilled way he was dodging. I struggled to get the stake in deep enough to his heart, unsure if I could do it from this angle. Then, his struggles stopped. His eyes stared at me, stunned, and his lips parted, almost into a smile, albeit a grisly and pained one. â€Å"That's what I was supposed to say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he gasped out. Those were his last words. His failed attempt to dodge the stake had made him lose his balance on the edge. The stake's magic made the rest easy, stunning him and his reflexes. Dimitri fell. He nearly took me with him, and I just barely managed to break free of him and cling to the railing. He dropped down into the darkness-down, down into the blackness of the Ob. A moment later he disappeared from sight. I stared down after him, wondering if I would see him in the water if I squinted hard enough. But I didn't. The river was too dark and too far away. Clouds moved back over the moon, and darkness fell over everything again. For a moment, staring down and realizing what I'd just done, I wanted to throw myself in after him, because surely there was no way I could go on living now. You have to. My inner voice was much calmer and more confident than it should have been. The old Dimitri would want you to live. If you really loved him, then you have to go on. With a shaking breath, I climbed over the rail and stood back on the bridge, surprisingly grateful for its security. I didn't know how I would go on living, but I knew that I wanted to. I wasn't going to feel fully safe until I was on solid ground, and with my body falling apart, I began to cross the bridge one step at a time. When I was on the other side, I had a choice. Follow the river or the road? They veered off from each other slightly, but both headed roughly in the direction of the city's lights. I opted for the road. I didn't want to be anywhere near the river. I would not think about what had just happened. I couldn't think about it. My brain refused. Worry about staying alive first. Then worry about how you're going to live. The road, while clearly rural, was flat and packed and made for easy walking-for anyone else. A light rain began falling, which just added insult to injury. I kept wanting to sit and rest, to curl up in a ball and think of nothing else. No, no, no. The light. I had to go toward the light. That almost made me laugh out loud. It was funny, really. Like I was someone having a near-death experience. Then I did laugh. This whole night had been full of near-death experiences. This was the least of them. It was also the last, and as much as I longed for the city, it was too far away. I'm not sure how long I walked before I finally had to stop and sit. Just a minute, I decided. I'd rest for a minute and then keep moving. I had to keep moving. If by some crazy chance I'd missed his heart, Dimitri could be climbing out of the river at any moment. Or other surviving Strigoi could be coming after me from the manor. But I didn't get up in a minute. I think I may have slept, and I honestly don't know how long I'd been sitting there when headlights suddenly spurred me to alertness. A car slowed down and came to a stop. I managed to get to my feet, bracing myself. No Strigoi got out. Instead, an old human man did. He peered at me and said something in Russian. I shook my head and backed up a step. He leaned into the car and said something, and a moment later, an older woman joined him. She looked at me and her eyes widened, face compassionate. She said something gentle-sounding and held out her hand to me, cautious in the way one would be when approaching a feral animal. I stared at her for several heavy seconds and then pointed at the purple horizon. â€Å"Novosibirsk,† I said. She followed my gesture and nodded. â€Å"Novosibirsk.† She pointed to me and then to the car. â€Å"Novosibirsk.† I hesitated a little longer and then let her lead me into the backseat. She took off her coat and laid it over me, and I noticed then that I was soaked from the rain. I had to be a mess after everything I'd been through tonight. It was a wonder they'd even stopped. The old man began driving again, and it occurred to me I could have just gotten in a car with serial killers. But then, how would that be any different from the rest of my night? The mental and physical pain were starting to drag me under, and with my last effort, I wet my lips and choked out another gem from my Russian vocabulary. â€Å"Pazvaneet?† The woman looked back at me in surprise. I wasn't sure if I had the word right. I might have just asked for a pay phone instead of a cell phone-or maybe I'd asked for a giraffe-but hopefully the message came through regardless. A moment later, she reached into her purse and handed me a cell phone. Even in Siberia, everyone was wired. With shaking hands, I dialed the number I now had memorized. A female voice answered. â€Å"Allo.† â€Å"Sydney? This is Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 