Showing cardiovascular and ventilatory responses at rest and during exercise Essay Example for Free

Showing cardiovascular and ventilatory responses at rest and during exercise Essay Abstract Objective: The objective of this experiment is to analyse how the cardiovascular and respiratory parameters are affected by steady state exercise. Method: The experiment was split into two stages, rest and exercise. A spirometer, an ECG, a Douglas bag and a blood pressure monitor were used at rest on the subject. In the exercise phase a Douglas bag and the blood pressure monitor were used to measure the subject’s volume of air and blood pressure respectively. Results: A positive correlation was calculated for the heart rate, total volume, oxygen consumption, CO2 production, pCO2, and % of CO2, minute volume, ventilation rate, mean arterial pressure and the number of breaths when the subject was exercising. The pO2, the %O2 and the respiratory quotient showed a negative correlation in the exercise phase. There was no significant change in the diastolic pressure in the exercise phase. The change in tidal volume, the systolic pressure and the pulse pressure during the exercise phase showed to vary against theoretical values and would require further studies to explain these readings. Conclusion: In conclusion many of the parameters that were calculated supported previous experiments; however the tidal volume, the systolic, diastolic and the pulse pressure were not conclusive enough to observe any significant trend. Introduction The human body is a complex machine with many mysteries yet to discover. When the human genome project finished we had learnt much about our DNA and how complex the structure is. We had just scratched the service of our true potential. Our DNA plays a major role in whether we have a good or poor cardiovascular system. This is also the same for our respiratory system. Environmental factors also contribute to how effective our cardiovascular and respiratory system can be. Every so often people from different ethnic backgrounds complete against each other in events such as the Olympics and World athletic championship. Studies have shown that when exercise begins there is a rise in the cardiac output that is a consequence of an increase in the stroke volume and heart rate due to the increase in blood circulation, there is a redistribution of the blood to the working muscle by vasodilation and vasoconstriction of the arterioles (coote, 1995). With this the body adapts to changes during steady state exercise to optimise the performance and to prevent any injuries than can occur. Steady state exercise is when the body is performing at a moderate level of exercise producing a balance between production of lactic acid and the removal of lactic acid through oxidation (Thompson, 2008) Exercising on a daily basis results in an individual maintaining a healthy and balance lifestyle. A study in North America showed a group of elderly individuals between the ages of 55 to 70 performed aerobic exercises for four months. The results showed that the experimental group improved their maximal oxygen consumption by 27% (Steinhaus, 1983). This study shows that even at senior age, exercises improves the resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure at rest, sleep habits, well being, hemodynamic and overall lifestyle changes. This study also included anaerobic exercises which too showed an improvement of the individual’s health. On some occasions the production of lactic acid exceeds the removal of lactic acid. This usually occurs when the VO2max is between 55% and 65% in healthy and untrained athlete, however in highly trained endurance athletes this value can reach at 80% (McArdle, Katch Katch, 2006). This is known as the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), which refers to the level of lactate in the blood reaching around 4mM. L-1. Exercise physiologist traditionally used VO2max as the main benchmark to measure endurance exercise. This however does not fully explain all aspect of the athlete’s ability to do well in a race. An experienced long distance athlete commonly trains slightly above the point of OBLA (McArdle et al. , 2006). Currently measuring exercise intensity by the OBLA has been a more effective and accurate way in indicating the individual’s level of fitness (McArdle et al. , 2006) The causes for OBLA have not been conclusively proven; as many believe it represent the point of muscle hypoxia which is when there is an inadequate supply of oxygen that is being sent to the muscles (McArdle et al. , 2006, p 320). However the muscle lactate accumulation does not necessarily coincides with hypoxia, because the lactate in the blood can be formed even when there is a sufficient supply of oxygen. Nevertheless the imbalance between the production and elimination of lactate in the blood can cause OBLA (McArdle et al. , 2006). In this experiment the aims were to use different equipment to measure a range of cardiovascular and respiratory parameters and to investigate the ways in how the body of a healthy young individual responds to the changes when undertaking aerobic exercise at a stead state level at different intensities. The cardiovascular parameters were the heart rate, mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and the subject cardiac rhythm using an electrocardiogram. The respiratory parameters were the tidal volume, vital capacity, oxygen and CO2 percentage, the number of breath in each minute, ventilation rate, oxygen consumption, CO2 production, the respiratory quotient and to analyse how the aerobic response changes at different intensities. Material and method This experiment was performed by using the guideline set in the University of Hertfordshire ‘Level 1 Human Physiology Practical Booklet’ code number 1LFS003. The following changes were made and these amendments were about the level of resistance. At level two the exercise power was changed from 80W to 75W and the same went for level three from 110W to 100W. And instead of using only two levels that were indicated in the practical booklet at page 20, a third level was initiated which had a workload of 75W. When using the spirometry, instead of using a counter-balance gas holder with a writing pen attached to the counterweight, all spirometry parameters were recorded using the computer and the subject just has to inspire and expire through a tube that is connected to the computer. Results The subject’s BMI was calculated using his height and weight measured before the start of the experiment. The total practical time was three hours in which the first hour was used to measure the control variables and ECG. The remaining two hours were used to test the different physical levels and write down the data. The %O2 was measured in the Douglas bag decreased as the intensity of the exercise increased; while the %CO2 was increasing resulting in the pCO2 and the pO2 to increase and decrease respectively. Both the O2 consumption and the CO2 production increased with each level; however the rate of CO2 production was greater than the rate of O2 consumption causing the respiratory quotient to be higher than one. The number of breaths where increasing as the intensity of the exercise increased, but the value for the control was higher than each level. This caused the total volume of air in the Douglas bag to increase but the total volume of the control was higher than level one but not for level two or three. As the volume of air increased so did the ventilation rate and the minute volume. However the tidal volume did not have a linear pattern. Between the control and level one there was a sharp increase in the tidal volume, but during level two and three the tidal volume started to decrease. Figure 1 shows the CO2 production and the O2 consumption at the different exercise intensity. There was a large increase in the subject’s heart rate from the control to level one and from level one to level two, but from level two to level three the heart rate started the plateau. Figure 2 show how each exercise power affected the heart rate of the subject. The systolic pressure increased dramatically from the control to level one. But there was a decrease in the systolic blood pressure from level one to level two and eventually a rise in the systolic blood pressure from level two to level three. The diastolic pressure decreased from the control to level one and from level one to level two the diastolic blood pressure increased. At level two to level three the diastolic pressure decreased. Both the diastolic blood pressure at level one and three was lower than the control value, which caused the pulse pressure to be similar during level one and three but the pulse pressure during level two was very different. With the changes of the blood pressure that occurred during each level the mean arterial pressure increased gradually from the control to level three. Figure 3 shows how the blood pressures were affected by the change in the exercise intensity Before the exercise we tested the subject’s lung function by using a spirometer. Figure 4 shows the respiratory parameters of the spirograph. The ratio of the force vital capacity (FVC) and the force vital capacity expired in one second (FEV1. 0) was above the normal value of 85% (McArdle et al. , 2006, p 298). An electrocardiogram was also carried out to determine the subject’s heart rate and to analyse each wave of a single cardiac cycle. Figure 5 shows the ECG of the subject showing the different waves in a single cardiac cycle. The T wave represents the repolarisation of the ventricles, the P wave represents the depolarisation of the atria, the QRS complex is the depolarisation of both ventricles, as the ventricles is larger in size than the atria; the QRS complex has a larger peak and trough. The RR interval is the time taken for the R wave to appear again on the ECG (Fox, 2011). The ECG shows that the subject has a normal heart rate subjected to his age. Discussion Our major findings is that there is a decreasing trend in pO2, %O2, the respiratory quotient, and the diastolic blood pressure while there is an increasing trend in pCO2, %CO2, heart rate, systolic and mean arterial pressure, all respiratory parameters except for the O2 levels. As the exercise power increased the %O2 and the pO2 decreased which causes the working muscles to require more oxygen to keep up with the demands of the aerobic intensity. However the level of expired CO ­2 that is collected in the Douglas bag increased as the intensity increased. This is due to the increase production of CO2 in the working muscles during respiration. In all, the level of oxygen consumed and CO2 produced caused the respiratory quotient to be slightly above one. The respiratory quotient is the ratio between the total amounts of CO2 that is being produced to the amount of oxygen needed (McArdle et al. , 2006, p 240). During the exercise phase, the subject was catabolising the carbohydrates that he consumed prior to the experiment. As the values are very close to one, all the calories were derived from the carbohydrates that the subject consumed (McArdle et al. , 2006) The subject’s tidal volume increased from the control to level 1 where there was a peak at level one. The increase in the tidal volume from the control to level one was when the ‘demand for energy increases, the tidal volume increases by expanding into both the inspiratory reserve and the expiratory reserve’ (Smith Plowman, 2008). However during level two and three the tidal volume started to decrease. This cannot be explained as sources say that exercising actually increases the tidal volume (Garrett Kirkendall, 2000) and so further investigation is needed to be performed at different exercise power. The spirometer was used to measure the subject’s lung function and this instrument would have indicated if there are any obstructions present in the airways. By using the ratio between the FVC and FEV1. 0, the subject can be identified in having any lung obstruction or none at all (McArdle et al. , 2006). The spirometer produced an accurate value of the tidal volume at rest, while using the Douglas bag breathing forcefully can overinflate the bag which can produce an overestimation of the tidal volume. Also determining the number of breaths was difficult as the non returning breathing valve was moving very quickly to accurately count it. The parameters that were measured were the total lung capacity, inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, vital capacity, functional residual capacity and tidal volume. The value of the subject’s tidal volume using the spirometer was 1. 5L. This value exceeds the average value of 500ml which has been given in many different studies of a young adult male (Normal breathing, 2010). This shows that the subject has a large lung capacity, indicating that the subject has maintained a good level of fitness. During exercise the heart rate increased due to the CO2 levels stimulating the chemoreceptors in the aortic arch which overall results in an individual inspiring more O ­Ã‚ ­2 and expiring CO2 quickly (McArdle et al. , 2006). With an increase in the heart rate the systolic pressure of the blood vessels also increased. Systolic pressure is the pressure in the aorta when the ventricles are contracting’ (McArdle et al. , 2006, p334), and due to the heart rate increasing at each level the systolic pressure correlates to the change in the heart rate. The diastolic pressure is the filling of blood to the arteries when the muscles are contracting. The trend, with the value at level two ignored, see that as the exercise power increases the diastolic pressure decreases. This is because the blood vessels dilate which in turn reduced the diastolic pressure (R. Noah, personal communication, June 7, 2000). The mean arterial pressure is the average blood pressure of an individual during a cardiac cycle. The value of the mean arterial pressure increased gradually when the exercise intensity increased because of the systolic pressure increasing at a greater rate than the diastolic pressure, which deceased relatively slow. The ECG and the blood pressure monitor were used to measure the subject’s heart rate and blood pressure respectively. Both ECG and the blood pressure monitor measured the heart rate as similar values when the subject was not exercising. While the blood pressure monitor only measures the heart rate, the ECG is used to detect if the patient’s heart is beating normally. The results from the ECG indicate the subject’s heart is beating at a normal rate and rhythm. However during the practical the value of the blood pressure during level 2 did not match with the other levels and the control. The systolic pressure was lower than the systolic pressure of the control. This is due to an error that was occurring with the machine when the subject’s blood pressure was being measured and the fact that the subject was perspiring which caused the machine to slip, making it difficult to acquire an appropriate reading. With the error present at level two the value for the mean arterial pressure was also an anomaly. To make sure how results were reliable a second reading for each level was planned however, there was a time constraint which prevented the use of calculating an average. During the beginning of the practical, the subject found it difficult to maintain the speed of 50 rpm which was prescribed in the practical booklet, which could have made the value inaccurate. Some other areas where this experiment can go further is the difference in the respiratory and cardiovascular parameters between different gender groups. They have been a few studies with regards to male and female such Leddy, Horvath, Rowland ; Pendergest (1997) which mentions the effects of a high or low fat diet on the cardiovascular factor between female and male runners. Another factor to consider is the use of age and how that affects the cardiovascular and respiratory parameters. Introducing subjects who have illnesses such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other cardiovascular co-morbidities would show how the heart is working when it is damaged. The one problem is that the subjects would need careful monitoring by healthcare professional. As this experiment was focussing on the aerobic exercise, an anaerobic experiment can be implemented with subjects that are trained athletes and untrained athletes to see the difference in their cardiovascular and respiratory parameters. You could also include male and female subjects with the similar athletic background to perform some anaerobic experiments to see if there are any significant differences between the two. You could also introduce different ethnic groups and see if there is any significant difference in the results. Reference Coote, J. H. (1995): Cardiovascular responses to exercise: central and reflex contributions in JORDAN, D. , and MARSHALL, J. (Eds): Cardiovascular regulation (Portland, London, 1995), Garrett, W. E. , ; Kirkendall, D. T. (2000). Exercise and sport science. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams ; Wilkins Leddy, J Horvath, P. , Rowland, J. ; Pendergast D. (1997) Effect of a high or a low fat diet on cardiovascular risk factors in male and female runners. . Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29(1), 17-25 Normal breathing (2010) Amazing DIY breathing device. [online] Available at: http://www. normalbreathing. com/nb-word/DIY-device-short-2010. pdf [Accessed: 5 Jan 2013]. McArdle, W. D. , Katch, F. I. , Katch, V. L. (2006). Essential of Exercise Physiology. (3rd ed. ). Santa Barbara: Fitness Technology, Inc. McArdle, W. D. , Katch, F. I. , ; Katch, V. L. (2001). Exercise physiology: energy, nutrition, and human performance. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams ; Wilkins. Smith, D. L. ; Plowman, S. A. (2008) Exercise physiology for Health, Fitness and Performance. (2nd ed . ). Baltimore: Lippincott Williams ; Wilkins. Steinhaus, L. A. (1983). Cardiovascular Response to Exercise Training in the Elderly. Unpublished thesis, University of Utah, Utah Thompson, G. , James, N. W. ; James, R. (2008). OCR PE for AS. Oxon: Bookpoint Ltd. Raizwan. N. (June 7, 2000). Blood pressure. Message posted on MadSci Network, archived at http://www. madsci. org/posts/archives/jun2000/960410763. Me. r. html. Appendix All the results that were made were placed into a table with each level indicated and the control as well. The table below shows the respiratory and cardiovascular parameters of the subject during rest and exercise. Table shows the cardiovascular and respiratory parameters of the subject at each level and the baseline of the O2  ­and the CO2 in the classroom. To calculate the mean arterial pressure you: As the mean arterial pressure indicates the average blood pressure of a human, the diastolic phase is longer than the systolic phase, hence the reason to multiply the diastolic pressure by two. By using the values of the blood pressure the mean arterial pressure can be calculated: The ventilation rate is the rate at which the air move into the lungs and out of the lungs. This can easily be calculated by the following equation: This is the value at the control level: When calculated the ventialtion rate it is more effective to calculate the mintue ventilation instead as this corresponds to the amount of air that enters and leaves the lung in one minute. This is also a pretty sraight forwards equation: The minute volmume is used to indicate a quantitive value to the minute ventilation as the minute volume is about the amount of air inspired and expired in one minute. The minute volume is the product of the tidal volume and the minute ventilation as shown in this equation: The partial pressure of the two gases, oxygen and CO2 are used to measuere the amount of oxygen and CO2 that are being expired by the body. The equations for the two gases are shown below: The oxygen consumption is the amount of oxygen that the person inspires and transported to the cells by haemoglobin. This is to measure the efficiency of the subject; how much oxygen is that person actually using? The equation is: The CO2 production is the amount of CO2 that is expired from the lungs by the process of gases exchange between oxygen and CO2. Through the process of respiration, the cells produce CO2 as a waste product, and with the help of diffusion, the pCO2 in the cells is higher than in the blood stream so diffusion takes place. The equation is: The respiratory quotient is used to measure what type of fuel the individual is consuming (McArdle et al. , 2006) and the equation is shown below. The peak expiratory flow is used to determine how fast the person is able to expire and is used to test the function of the lungs and to see if there are any obstructions are present. The equation and example are: The equation for the FEV1: FVC and example that was used during the experiment: To calculate the BMI: The value of the subject’s BMI was:

The author uses symbolism that contributes to the success of the text E

The author uses symbolism that contributes to the success of the text is Lamb by Bernard Mac Laverty A novel in which the author uses symbolism that contributes to the success of the text is â€Å"Lamb† by Bernard Mac Laverty. The author uses many different symbols, including the pinball machine, fish, birds, lamb and many more, to very effectively emphasise points he is trying to make and hint at how the novel will end. One of the first symbols used in the novel by the author is the symbol of the bird. Brother Benedict is described like a bird alot. The line â€Å"Benedict sat waiting with a bird like tilt of the head, sharp, owl-like† gives a very vivid description of Benedict. It gives the reader the impression that he is twitching like a bird, waiting on the right moment to pounce, the words â€Å"before he pecked† continue this idea. â€Å"A chicken eying a seed† is another line which continues the idea of looking at his mark, waiting on the right moment before he pounces. Birds also are made out to be nasty creatures who bring sadness and pain. The author refers to the â€Å"depressing screech of gulls†, which means exactly what it says, that the noise made by the gulls are depressing. Another symbol which is used throughout the novel is the symbol of the pinball machine. â€Å"His dread of the steel ball thumping hollowly into the depths of the pinball machine, the inevitability of it despite the frantic flicking of the small rubber wings unable to reach† is a line which shows that no matter how hard you try in the end you will always fail. â€Å"Funnelled towards the act he had decided upon† also shows this inevitability, that even though he had chosen to kill the boy for his own good, there was no longer any other options, ... ...choice. The myth of Daedalus and Icarus turns out to be highly symbolic in the novel. It is significant because in the myth Daedalus is responsible for his son’s death while trying to save him from the captivity the king held them in, while in the novel Michael is responsible for Owen’s death, and he is saving him from a life of deprivation and suffering that he would live when they were finally found by the police. In conclusion, Bernard Mac Laverty’s use of these symbols is very effective as it reveals alot about how the novel will end, by providing hints to what is going to happen and the reasons for the event. The way the author uses symbolism to hint at what will become is very effective as alot of it is not really noticeable until a second read of the novel. All in all the authors use of symbolism contributes highly to the success of the novel.

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 16~17

Chapter Sixteen Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Completely Fucked Servant of the Vampyre Flood OMFG-WOOT! I have failed, left my duty undone, like so much dog poop on the gloaming sidewalk of the tragedy that is my life. Even as I sit here at the Metreon Starbucks, writing this, the froth slaves seem to move like silver-eyed zombies and my nonfat, soy Amaretto Mochaccino has gone as bitter as snake bile. (Which is like the bitterest bile you can get.) If there wasn't a totally hot guy two tables away, acting like he doesn't notice me, I would weep – but real tears make your mascara run, so I'm staying chilly in my despair. Your loss, cute guy, for I have been chosen. Suffer, bitch! I had to leave Lord Flood to his own devices last night, but before I left, I confessed my undying love for him. I am a hopeless hose beast. All I had to do was say good-bye, but no, I just barked it out. It's like he has this power over me – like I have an eating disorder and he's a package of Oreo Double Stuff cookies. (I don't have an eating disorder, I'm just skinny because I enjoy eating mass quantities and then yakking it back up. It's not a body-image problem. I think my system has always wanted to live on a liquid diet, and until I'm brought into my Dark Lord's loving embrace, then it's Starbucks for me.) I have been trying to call my Dark Lord and the Countess all day on their cells, but I kept getting voice mail. Well, duh – they're vampires. They won't be answering the phone. I'm such a tard sometimes. So I went to the old loft early this morning, in fact even before dawn. I should be, like, made a Bronte sister for coming up with a story to get out of the house that early, but I wanted to talk to the master before his slumber. Thing was, the scary drunk guy and his huge cat were gone, but so were my master and the Countess. Everything had been moved except the statue of the turtle and the Countess. So I rolled out, headed for the new loft I rented, when I spotted two cops sitting in a POS brown car. I knew they were vampyre hunters right away. It must be the master's dark powers rubbing off on me. There was a big fat gay cop and a sharp-faced Hispano-cop. So I was like, â€Å"Could you guys look any more like cops?† And they were like, â€Å"Move along, little lady.† So I was forced to point out to them that they were not the boss of me and then I proceeded to humiliate them by verbally bitch-slapping them until they cried. What is it about the crusties? Their minds work so slowly that you have to, like, prompt them to stand up so you can slap them again until they faint like the little wuss-bags that they are. I never want to be crusty. And I won't be, because my Lord will bring me into the fold and I shall stalk the night for eternity, my beauty forever preserved as it is, except I'd like a little bigger boobs. Anyway, I wandered around on Market Street and up in Union Square to give the cops enough time to slink off to lick their wounds, then I returned to the master's street to check the new loft. This time there was this Asian guy sitting across the street in a Honda, looking all Manga-cool, but it was obvious that he was watching the loft door. He didn't look like a cop, but he was definitely watching, so I stopped and pretended to watch the sculptors work who have the space under the master's old loft. They are these two crusty biker guys, but they do some amazing shit. They'd left the garage door open so I stepped in. They were putting dead chickens on wires and dipping them in silver paint, then hanging them on sticks by the wires. So I was all, â€Å"What the fuck, biker? What are you doing?† And one of them was like, â€Å"It's almost the year of the cock.† And I was all), â€Å"Don't be gross, you crustacious fuck. You pull that thing out and I'll pepper-spray you until you fry.† (You have to be stern with weenie waggers – I've been exposed to on the bus over seventeen times, so I know.) And he was like, â€Å"No, it's the year of the cock in the Chinese zodiac.† Which I knew, of course. â€Å"We're making statues,† said the bigger biker, who was named Frank. (The other one's name was Monk. He didn't talk much, which might explain the name.) So they showed me how they took real dead roosters they bought in Chinatown, ran wires through them to pose them, then dipped them in a thin metallic paint, then put them in this big tank and attached electric clips to them. They pass some current through the clips and the current attracts bronze molecules or something to the metallic paint. It's like instant bronze rooster. I thought about the statue of the Countess upstairs and got a little creeped out. So I'm all, â€Å"You ever do a person?† And they were like, â€Å"No way, that would be wrong. You'd better go now, because we're behind and don't you have school and stuff?† So walking out, I saw the Asian guy checking me out and I was like, â€Å"Hey, it's almost the year of the cock. Shouldn't you be out shopping for one?† He looked really nervous, but he kinda grinned. Then started his car and drove off, but he wants me, I can tell, so he'll be back. I hope he wants me. He was so cute – in that Final Fantasy Thirty-Seven way. What I'm saying is, the Sex Fu is strong with this one. So there was no sign of my Dark Lord or the Countess at the new place. I wonder if they have crawled under the earth in some park and satisfied their perverse desires with each other among the worms and the tree roots. Eww! Oh well, almost dark. I'd better go back to the loft and wait for them. Addendum: The lice shampoo didn't work on my sister. Looks like we might have to shave her head. I'm going to try to talk her into getting a pentagram tattooed on her scalp. I know a guy in the Haight who will do it for free if you verbally abuse him while he's tattooing. More later. Sundown. Jody awoke to pain and the smell of cooking meat. She rolled away from the source of the pain and went crashing through the acoustical ceiling tiles to land in a commercial sink full of dishes and soapy water. A Mexican guy was backing across the dish room crossing himself and invoking saints in Spanish as Jody climbed out of the sink and brushed suds off her jacket and jeans. When she touched the front of her thighs she nearly leapt back through the ceiling the pain was so sharp. â€Å"Mother-fuck-that-hurts!† she said, hopping around on one foot, because that will generally help all manner of pain, regardless of where it's located on the body. Her boot heel clicking against the tiles sounded like a limping flamenco dancer. The dishwasher turned and bolted out of the dish room into the bakery. The bakery. When the alarm on her watch had threatened dawn she ran down the alley checking doors as she went, and the only one she found unlocked led into the stockroom of a bakery. She needed a place to hide where she'd be undisturbed while she slept, and although she considered hiding under a couple of the fifty-pound bags of flour, she had no way of knowing if the bakers would be using them today. She'd already awakened in a morgue once before (when Tommy had frozen her), and finding a rotund necrophiliac morgue attendant rubbing his hands and other bits over her seminaked body while she thawed had soured her to the whole morgue experience. No, she had to find someplace more secluded. One of the bakers had been coming into the stockroom, she could hear his voice and footfalls outside the door. She looked around for somewhere to hide, then spotted the grimy acoustic ceiling tiles suspended above. She leapt onto the pallet of flour, lifted a tile to see that the ceiling was suspended a full four feet below the structural ceiling. Bless old buildings. She grabbed a water pipe, pulled herself through the ceiling, jackknifed her legs up and around the pipe, then used her free hand to pull the ceiling tile back in place, all in less than two seconds. She listened as the man moved around below her, then scooped up one of the big bags of flour and left the room. That was a good call. She checked her watch. Less than a minute before she'd go out. She spotted four pipes running together parallel to the floor. They were slightly warm, which was why she could see them at all in the darkness, but each was two inches around and braced to the ceiling every few feet. They'd hold her. She scrambled over to the pipes, squirmed out of her leather jacket, and put it across the pipes, then lay facedown on top of it. This way, even if one of her legs slipped off, it wouldn't pull her off the pipes. She was trying to wedge the toes of her boots into the gap between the pipes when she went out. The problem was that the pipes weren't used that early in the morning. As the building awoke, hot water began coursing through them, and Jody had been subjected to the heat all day. Her jacket had protected her face and torso, but her thighs had been slow-cooked inside her jeans. She gritted her teeth and bolted through the dish room door into the back room of the bakery. So now it's deserted. Of course, bakers work in the middle of the night and the early morning. At sundown the dishwasher would be the only guy still in the building. She found her way to the stockroom, then out into the alley. She could see the entries to both of their lofts from the end of the alley, and fortunately, no one appeared to be watching from the street. There were lights on in the new loft and she made her way to the door, her legs burning with every step. She listened at the door – did what she thought of as â€Å"reaching out.† If she focused she could almost hear shapes, depending on the ambient noise. There was someone in the loft – she could hear the heartbeat, industrial music playing in headphones, the shuffling of a body – a light body dancing. It was the kid, Abby Normal. Where in the hell was Tommy? He couldn't be far from the loft – the sun had gone down only five minutes ago. Jody pounded on the door, but the shuffling sounds upstairs didn't change rhythm, and she pounded again, this time leaving a dent in the metal door. Fuck, the kid has the headphones cranked and can't hear a thing. Jody shivered, although not because of the cold, but because the hunger was rising in her. Her body telling her she needed to feed so she could heal. She'd only done it once before, and wasn't sure she could pull it off again, but she needed to get into the loft and leave a lockable door intact. She concentrated as the old vampire had taught her, and gradually, she felt herself fading – going to mist. Monet was no longer dressed as the statue guy, no longer in character – not that character, anyway. Now he was the masta-blasta, gansta-rappa, full-ninja-badass and a bag of mothafuckin' chips, bi-yatch – bent on revenge and whatnot. He'd given up midafternoon on making any money and had gone home to remove his makeup and lick his wounds. He'd taken a vicious ass-whuppin' today, even if it was only to his ego. But now he was rolling with his homies, P.J. and Fly, they would put that bronze muthafucka down – if he was still around. If he didn't run away like a little bitch. â€Å"You strapped?† Fly said, adjusting his do-rag as he drove his ten-year-old Honda Civic with rims worth more than the rest of the car. â€Å"Huh?† Monet inquired. â€Å"Do you have a weapon?† Fly said, enunciating all Royal Shakespeare Company precise. â€Å"Oh, yeah.† Monet pulled the Glock out of his waistband and showed it to Fly. â€Å"Nigga, put that shit down,† said P.J., who was in the backseat, wearing a Phat Pharm tracksuit that was four sizes too big for him. â€Å"Sorry,† Monet said, tucking the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. He'd borrowed the Glock – rented it, really – from a real gangsta in Hunter's Point, who needed it back in two hours or he'd charge another twenty-five bucks. Before he gave Monet the gun, he made him swear that no one would be wearing gang colors, so nothing Monet did could come back on him. Monet had made the assurance, then, after P.J. did a Google search for gang colors, they settled on orange do-rags, since no gang seemed to claim that one. â€Å"Highway Safety Posse, yo,† Monet had said. â€Å"Yo, Stone Tangerine Thugs, yo,† suggested Fly. â€Å"Yo, yo, yo, check it out,† said P.J., with enough hand gestures that any deaf person watching would have thought he had ASL Tourette's syndrome. â€Å"Cheesy Goldfish Crew.† â€Å"Yo, dog, that's so stupid it's not stupid,† Monet said. â€Å"Is that good?† asked Fly. â€Å"Yo, dog, get in character.† Fly was a bad actor. They were all in the same acting class. He should have just hired real gangsters to do this. P.J. was probably going to trip over the legs of his track pants and completely ruin their intimidation. â€Å"This is it,† Fly said, pulling off the street, right up onto the sidewalk of the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. â€Å"That him?† â€Å"That's him,† Monet said. There was no one around but the occasional passing car, but the new statue guy still stood there. â€Å"Remember,† Fly said. â€Å"Walk. Don't run up. Just walk, like you got all the time in the world. Use your sense memories.† â€Å"Right, right, right,† Monet said. He and P.J. got out of the car and quickstepped across the bricks to where the statue guy was running his game. Damn, he was good, didn't even flinch. As he reached the statue guy, Monet raised the Glock and the barrel connected with the statue's forehead. â€Å"Bi-yatch!† There was a dull clank. â€Å"Whoa,† P.J. said. â€Å"Nigga really is a statue.† Monet tapped the statue, three dull clanks. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"But he got all that money in his shoes,† P.J. said. â€Å"Well, take it, stupid,† Monet said. â€Å"Yo, step off, Monet. I'm not the one that got upstaged by a statue.† â€Å"Shut up,† Monet said. P.J. was grabbing handfuls of bills out of the Big Gulp cups at the statue's feet and shoving them into his pockets. â€Å"Must be a G here, G.† â€Å"Yo,† Monet said. â€Å"Help me get the statue into the car.† P.J. stood and got one shoulder under the statue and tried to lift it, while Monet tucked the gun in his pants and got under the other. They dragged the statue only a couple of feet before they had to set it down and catch their breath. â€Å"Motherfucker heavy,† P.J. said. â€Å"Would you guys come on!† Fly screamed from the car, totally out of character now. â€Å"Fuck this,† Monet said. This whole thing was just too embarrassing. He'd paid rent on the gun, hadn't he? He drew the Glock from his waistband and squeezed one off at the statue. â€Å"Shit,† P.J. said, ducking. â€Å"Are you crazy?† â€Å"Bi-atch need to learn a – † Monet's comment was choked off. P.J. stood up and looked back. There was smoke streaming out of the bullet hole in the statue, and in the second he watched, it had formed into a hand and grabbed Monet by the throat. P.J. turned to run, but something caught the hood of his tracksuit and yanked him back off his feet. He could hear Monet gagging and choking. Then he felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck and he felt suddenly light-headed. The last thing he saw was Fly peeling away in the Honda. Chapter Seventeen Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Newly Baptized Minion of the Night Bow before me, skeezy mortals, for now I see you for the pathetic little rodents that you are. Scurry before my dazzling darkness, daysters, for I am your mistress, your queen, your goddess – I have been brought into the fold – I am Abigail Von Normal, NOSFERATU, bitches! Sort of. OMG. It was so fucking cool – like coming twice with Skittles and a Coke. I was in the loft, spacing into my jams on my MP3 player. I had downloaded the latest Dead Can Dub CD (Death Boots Badonka Mix) at the Starbucks and it was totally transcendent. I was transported to an ancient Romanian castle, where everyone had done X and was dancing totally chill and sensuous (with perfect hair). I was grinding a free-form booty dance on the armchair – perfecting my dance gestalt – when I saw some smoke coming in under the door. (I can't wait to dance with Jared to this new CD. He's so going to love this move I do. That's what I love about dancing with gay guys. If they get wood during a booty dance, you can just take it as a compliment, not an agenda. Jared said that if I was a guy, he would totally suck my dick. He can be so sweet.) So I pulled out one of my headphones and I was like, â€Å"Whoa, fire in the staircase – sucks to be me.† There's only one exit, so, you know, blackened Abby coming up. But the smoke formed into a pillar, and then it started growing arms and legs. When I saw it had eyes I ran into the bedroom and shut the door. I wasn't trippin' or anything, just totally calm. But it wasn't like when your friends hold your hair while you puke and tell you it's just the drugs and you'll be okay – so I went for the safe thing of locking the door so I could assess the situation. Then the door just ‘splodes into splinters and there's the Countess, totally naked, standing in the doorway with the knob in her hand. And she was totally hot, except that her legs were all fucked up, like they were burned or rotted or something. So I'm all, â€Å"You totally wrecked your deposit.† And the Countess like grabs my hair and pulls me to her and bites my neck, just like that. It didn't really hurt – it was more surprising – like you woke up from getting a root canal to find your dentist going down on you. Well, not exactly like that – more mystical. But still, surprising. (Okay, it hurt, but not as much as the time Lily tried to pierce our nipples with a compass from geometry class and an ice cube. Youch!) She smelled like burning meat, and I tried to push her away, but it was like my limbs were paralyzed or there was a fat guy sitting on me – like I was buried alive or something, just watching it happen. And then I started to get lightheaded and I thought I was going to pass out. That's when the ho dropped me. She goes, â€Å"Go downstairs and get my clothes off the sidewalk. And make coffee.† And I'm like, Wait a minute, I just lost my mortality virginity, shouldn't I get a cigarette and a fucking towel or something? But I just said, â€Å"Okay,† because where the Countess was all burned was healing while I watched, and it was kind of freaking me out to be looking at her naked, burned-up thighs and her totally red pubes anyway. So I went downstairs and just outside the door there was a homeless guy digging through a pile of clothes. Well, really, he was sniffing her panties. And because I don't feel we always do enough to help the homeless, I was like, â€Å"Take them, and tell no one what you witnessed here tonight.† (I was already feeling the superiority of my Nosferatitude, so it only seemed appropriate that I go all noblesse oblige on his ass.) So off he went to sniff the lacy crotch of the undead while I went back upstairs to find coffee filters. So when I get up there the Countess is dressed and hair brushed and she's all, â€Å"Where is Tommy? Have you seen Tommy? Did you talk to those cops? And where's Tommy?† And I was all, â€Å"Countess, begging your pardon and shit, but you need to chill. The vampyre Flood was gone when I got here this morning, and so was that bronze statue from the other side. I thought you guys went off to sleep in the damp womb of your native soil or something.† â€Å"Yuck!† goes the Countess. Then she tightens down all of sudden. â€Å"Make me a cup of coffee, two sugars, and squeeze one of those vials of blood into it – and call us a cab.† And I was like, â€Å"Hey, step off, Countess. I'm one of you and you are not the boss of me and – â€Å" And she said, â€Å"I said for us, didn't I?† So I did her bidding – well, our bidding, really – and we took a cab over to the Marina Safeway, but why we didn't transform into bats and fly is beyond me. Anyway, we were there in ten minutes. But as we start to pull in, the Countess tells the driver to keep going. She was all, â€Å"It's Rivera and Cavuto. This is not good.† The POS brown cop car was parked in front of the store. I was all, â€Å"Cops? Their shit is weak.† She seemed surprised that I knew the cops, but I told her how I had owned them like the little wussy-boys that they are and I could tell that the Countess was feeling pretty good about bringing me into the dark fold of the coven. Then she was all, â€Å"Fucking Clint – he's telling them about Tommy.† But I couldn't even see what she was looking at beyond the big glass front of the Safeway. I guess my powers will develop as time goes on. Five hundred years is a long time to get your vampyre kung fu down. The Countess had the driver drop us at Fort Mason, so we could still see the front of the Safeway, and we stood in the fog like the creatures of the night that we were while we waited for the cops to leave. Then the Countess put her arm around my shoulders and she was all, â€Å"Abby, I'm sorry I, uh, attacked you like that. I was hurt really badly and to heal I needed fresh blood. I wasn't really in control of myself. It won't happen again.† â€Å"No worries,† I told her. â€Å"I'm honored to be promoted. Besides, it was kind of hot.† Which it was, you know, except for the smell of burning flesh and stuff. And she was all, â€Å"Well, thanks for looking out for us.† And I was all, â€Å"Pardon, Countess, but why are we at the Safeway?† Because it's not like we needed groceries. And she was all, â€Å"These guys used to work with Tommy, and one of them knows that he is, uh, one of the children of the night. I think they might know something about where he is now.† Then, over at the Safeway, we saw this goofy-looking guy with frizzy hair and glasses unlock the front door and let the cops out. They got in their car and the frizzy guy locked the front door behind them. â€Å"Showtime,† said the Countess. She zipped up her leather jacket, took a pair of sunglasses out of her jacket pocket, and put them on. She goes, â€Å"Stay back, Abby. I'll be right back.† Then she started across the parking lot toward the Safeway, taking big strides and looking all angel of vengeance, with her red hair flying out behind her, and the lights shining down on her through the fog. I was like, â€Å"Oh shit!† She didn't even slow down. When she got about ten feet from the front window she snatched up one of the steel-reinforced trash cans like it was made of cardboard and flung it through the window. And she just kept walking! Little cubes of safety glass rained down on her and she just walked through the front of the store like she owned it and everyone in it – which she did. Before I even got in the store, she was coming back around the corner, dragging the frizzy-haired guy by the throat. She threw him up against a rack of wine bottles, which shattered, spilling red all over the floor and splattering the registers and stuff. I was all, â€Å"Oh, dog, Countess gonna crack open a forty of whup-ass on you now. Oh, you in the shit now, wigga!† (I am not inclined to use hip-hop vernacular often, but there are times when, like French, it just better expresses the sentiment of the moment.) Just then the whole crowd of guys I'd seen in the limo came running around the corner. The Countess snatched a wine bottle off the rack, and without a second of hesitation, she threw it and it hit the first guy, a tall, hippie-looking guy, right in the middle of the forehead and he went down like he was shot. She goes, â€Å"Back!† and they all headed back around the corner the way they came, except the hippie-looking guy, who was out cold. Then the Countess picked up the guy with glasses by the throat. And even though he was like a foot taller than her, she whipped him around like a rag doll until he was screaming stuff about Satan and Jesus and telling her to get behind him and shit. And the Countess was all, â€Å"Where is Tommy?† And he was all, â€Å"I don't know. I don't know.† And the Countess grabbed him by the hair and held his head steady against the wine rack. Real chilly, she says, â€Å"Clint, I'm going to take your right eye now. Then if you don't tell me where Tommy is, I'm going to take your left. Ready. On three. One†¦ Two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he's all, â€Å"I didn't have anything to do with it. She's the spawn of Satan, I told them that.† â€Å"Three!† goes the Countess. â€Å"He's in Lash's apartment on Northpoint. I don't know the number.† And the Countess just yells â€Å"Number?† out to the whole store. And the black guy pops up from behind a display of Cheerios and is all, â€Å"Six ninety-three Northpoint, Apartment 301.† And one of the other guys pulls him back down. Then the Countess is all, â€Å"Thank you. If he's hurt, I'll be back.† And she throws the Clint guy through a rack of Doritos, which exploded their nacho cheesy goodness all over the place. Then she's all, â€Å"Well, that's a nice surprise.† And I'm all, â€Å"That Lord Flood is in an apartment on Northpoint?† â€Å"I didn't think they would really know. I just didn't know where else to start.† â€Å"Probably your senses attuned to Lord Flood's presence over the eons,† I said, like a total tard. And she's all, â€Å"Let's go, Abby.† And I don't know why, I guess because I had like low blood sugar or something from blood loss, but I was like, â€Å"Can I get some gum?† And she was all, â€Å"Sure. Grab some coffee, too. Whole beans. We're almost out.† So I did. And when I caught up with her, she was halfway across the parking lot, headed back toward Ghirardelli Square, and little pieces of safety glass were still shining in her hair and she smiled at me when I caught up and I just couldn't help myself, because that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Ever! And I was all, â€Å"Countess, I love you.† And she put her arm around me and kissed me on the forehead and goes, â€Å"Let's get Tommy.† I guess I'll start feeling my vampyre powers tomorrow night, but right now I feel like a total fucking loser. But I am so going to rule when school starts again.

E Commerce Assessment Olx India ( Olx.in ) Essay

TEEGAVARAPU LALIT MAHESH Student ID : i144409 E-Commerce Assessment : 1 Topic/Company chosen : Olx India (Olx.In) 1. Introduction: 1.1 Name of the company : Olx.in The World s second largest country by population isn t really known for it s internet penetration. That number stands at a lowly 12.6% where people surf the internet only once a month are also counted. Even so, ask any blue collar worker in the nation about Olx.in , and you ll be surprised at how much they know about the free online classifieds site (Amarjit Batra,2014) . OLX is a E-commerce website which is based on selling used products. It was found in March 2006 by Fabrice and Grinda and Alec Oxenford, and now is taken over by a private enterprise called Naspers. OLX came up with a unique idea of letting it s customer post free adds for the products that they want to sell. The customers can post their adds for free initially. Today OLX has a market in 105 countries and in 40 languages. This is a customer to customer business (C2C), through which the customers can get in touch with each other and talk about the business. This platform has made a lot of progress in many countries over the years. Considering Olx India (Olx.in), has also grew its market rapidly and effectively in India. The initial source of advertising for Olx.in were radio and the local media. One of their business (corporate) offices is located in Gurgaon (Haryana). The CEO and head of Olx India is