To study magic at the University, Siobhan sacrificed her name. She sacrificed her body, and her past. Magically disguised as a boy named Sebastien, she is learning wondrous secrets of the thaumaturgic sciences. As Sebastien, she mingles with the young nobles who will one day rule their country. But danger is closer than ever, and she cannot escape her past. The coppers investigating the theft of Siobhan's priceless transformation artifact have given her a new name. The Raven Queen. As Siobhan does favors for the gang that loaned her the University tuition, the Raven Queen's mystique only grows. And keeps growing... ...Snowballing out of control until Siobhan's other identity takes on a life of its own, a fear-inducing bogeyman well beyond the truth of her real capabilities. With the whole city out to get her and trouble hounding both sides of her double life, how will Siobhan ever survive to become the world's most powerful sorcerer?

The second novel in the international No. 1 bestselling Mercy Thompson series - the major urban fantasy hit of the decade. 'I love these books!' Charlaine Harris 'The best new fantasy series I've read in years' Kelley Armstrong MERCY THOMPSON: MECHANIC, SHAPESHIFTER, FIGHTER Like most people who own their own business, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they'd better be dying ... Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won't be noticed - and Mercy's shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection - and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too - but when it comes to being proactive, she's on her own. Praise for the series: 'Plenty of twists and turns . . . Kept me entertained from its deceptively innocent beginning to its can't-put-it-down end' Kim Harrison, bestselling author of Dead Witch Walking 'I enjoyed every minute of it. I love Mercy and can't wait for her to kick some more ass' Lilith Saintcrow The Mercy Thompson books: Moon Called Blood Bound Iron Kissed Bone Crossed Silver Borne River Marked Frost Burned Night Broken Fire Touched Silence Fallen Storm Cursed Shifting Shadows (Stories from the world of Mercy Thompson)

This presentation describes various aspects of the regulation of tissue oxygenation, including the roles of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and blood, the carrier of oxygen within these components of the cardiorespiratory system. The respiratory system takes oxygen from the atmosphere and transports it by diffusion from the air in the alveoli to the blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries. The cardiovascular system then moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the microcirculation of the various organs by convection, where oxygen is released from hemoglobin in the red blood cells and moves to the parenchymal cells of each tissue by diffusion. Oxygen that has diffused into cells is then utilized in the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of all cells. The mitochondria are able to produce ATP until the oxygen tension or PO2 on the cell surface falls to a critical level of about 4–5 mm Hg. Thus, in order to meet the energetic needs of cells, it is important to maintain a continuous supply of oxygen to the mitochondria at or above the critical PO2 . In order to accomplish this desired outcome, the cardiorespiratory system, including the blood, must be capable of regulation to ensure survival of all tissues under a wide range of circumstances. The purpose of this presentation is to provide basic information about the operation and regulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the properties of the blood and parenchymal cells, so that a fundamental understanding of the regulation of tissue oxygenation is achieved.

Of Blood and Fire is a classic Epic Fantasy adventure. It takes all the familiar fantasy tropes - elves, dwarves, giants, and dragons - and adds a fresh, contemporary twist.

While working on a project translating letters from sixteenth-century Prague, high school senior Nora Kane discovers her best friend murdered with her boyfriend the apparent killer and is caught up in a dangerous web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all searching for a mysterious ancient device purported to allow direct communication with God.

“A gritty, dangerous world of sorcerous bindings and forbidden love”—first in the Unbound series from the New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Cat (Shelf Awareness). By blood, by word, by magic . . . Most can’t touch the power. But Liv Warren is special—a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood. Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one. But when her friend’s daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can’t rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her. Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner . . . every touch . . . every kiss. And more blood will be spilled before it’s over . . . “With Blood Bound, Vincent has created an original new paranormal universe full of interesting characters with awesome powers or Skills, as they are called in the book. Readers will enjoy getting to know Liv, an exciting heroine with a complicated past.” —RT Book Reviews “Vincent weaves a most convincing world for her characters . . . Blood Bound is a strong, cohesive work founded on a unique paranormal premise and will lead nicely to the rest of the trilogy.” —Fresh Fiction “Action-packed, clever, and full of twists . . . a series into which everyone interested in the paranormal genre can sink their teeth.” —The Romance Reader Reviews