A Structuralist Reading of Austens Sense and Sensibility Essay example

A Structuralist Reading of Austen's Sense and Sensibility The fundamental structural dynamic underlying the whole manifested universe, much less literature, is duality; therefore, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is easily analyzed from the structuralist perspective. Each of us is a complex mixture of polar opposites, the most primary of which being the division between right brain and left brain, or, more commonly, "heart and mind." Austen's technique in this novel is that of eliminating altogether the corpus callosum, thus juxtaposing the two halves into a "binary opposition," a split between the heart that throbs and exults and the mind which ascertains and evaluates. Marianne is, of course, the heart of the novel, Elinor the mind. Moreover, the remaining characters, too, fall within one of these two categories. I have arranged the most important figures of the novel in this way: SENSE SENSIBILITY Elinor Marianne Edward Mrs. Dashwood Lucy &nbs... ...novel can stand alone from its constituent elements, to be used and reused again and again by simply replacing different characters, different circumstances. Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund is a perfect example. In this novel, the exact same dualism of heart and mind is explored (and far more interestingly, in my opinion) in the experiences of the two title characters. In closing, it must be stated that there are certainly other structural dichotomies within the novel, contrasts of high and low which bisect the lateral distinctions upon which I have focused. These involve the shifts in social stations experienced by various characters such as Elinor, Marianne, Lucy, and Edward. These are, however, secondary to the primary theme, the seemingly impassable, yawning chasm which separates those with sense from those possessed by mere trivial sensibility

Innocent drinks Company Essay

â€Å"Innocent drinks† is company that selling famous drinks in The United Kingdom which started by 3 Cambridge students in 1999. This is a drink that makes with 100 percent pure and natural fruit juice. Smoothies are the primary product of â€Å"Innocent drinks† and people are aware of it due to its healthy image. The company provides different product range and the distribution of channels covered most of the supermarkets, coffee shops and etc. For every year â€Å"Innocent drinks† will donate 10 percent of their profits to charity and this called The Innocent Foundation. This foundation has helped a lot of people. This report will analyses the process of â€Å"Innocent drinks† from 1999 to 2013. 1.Organization Structure There are many types of organization structure, for example, hierarchical structure, matrix structure and etc. For different structure, it has different result, management and objective. â€Å"Innocent drinks† was a small business in very competitive markets which is fit to entrepreneurial structure. The advantages of this structure are that the core team can make decisions quickly and for the members they can give some ideas to the core team and solve the problem that they are facing. â€Å"Innocent drinks† started from entrepreneurial structure and turned to hierarchical structure after few years. The reason of â€Å"Innocent drinks† turned into another structure is because they cannot satisfy their needs. They want to make themselves to be more famous and to earn more profit. â€Å"Innocent drinks† thinks that hierarchical structure has a good scale that can separate into different departments to achieve specialization. This can let the employees know what spot they are doing and they can exert their abilities. For example, in marketing they can help to promote the product or to think of a new design to attract the customers to buy it. When every department do well in the way they have to, it is easy for â€Å"Innocent drinks† to manage and achieve expected target like turnover. Ownership According to Finance maps of world ( 2012 ), â€Å"Business ownership means having the control over business enterprise and being able to dictate is functioning and operations.† From the beginning of â€Å"Innocent drinks† there were created by three Cambridge students who are Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright. They used 500 pounds to set up this business with  partnership. The advantages of having a partnership are they can share the responsibility and operate for the common goal of making a profit. On the other hand, partnership lack of finance to expend so â€Å"Innocent drinks† decided to turn into private limited company in 2007 and it can separate legal identity, which can safeguard the operation of business and the company can debt more money from the bank it is because â€Å"Innocent drinks† can be a mortgage. Moreover, being a private limited company can have the purchase discounts and this can save some money for the company. Two years later, â€Å"Innocent drinks† has sold 18 percent of the company to Coca Cola which means that Coca Cola has the right to operate â€Å"Innocent drinks†. In 2013, Coca Cola has fully control â€Å"Innocent drinks† with 91 percent share. This cause that â€Å"Innocent drinks† has only a small minority holding. Hence, â€Å"Innocent drinks† turned into consultancy business which can only provide ideas and services. Growth Investopedia ( 2013 ) point out that â€Å"Growth is an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, compared from one period of time to another.† Since the market change rapidly â€Å"Innocent drinks† has to create new type of product to cater the needs of the customers. From the beginning, â€Å"Innocent drinks† has only 3 recipes to almost 30 more over the years. The juice ranges of â€Å"Innocent drinks† started from the original taste and evolve to mixed taste. The product ranges is different, including kid, smoothie and thickies. For example, kid drinks are specially made to provide all the essentially vitamins to sustain their growth. In this product, â€Å"Innocent drinks† has made a different design and size to cater the needs children. 2.Reason of growth There are few reasons why â€Å"Innocent drinks† can be grown rapidly. Firstly, advertising. â€Å"Innocent drinks† has different advertisement on the television and for each advertisement it will represent their main product and shows that â€Å"Innocent drinks† never sweetened and never concentrated. The use of the advertisement is to build up a healthy image of â€Å"Innocent drinks† so that the customers will start considering to purchase this product. Secondly, PJ’s smoothies is the main rival of â€Å"Innocent drinks†. PJ’s smoothies has changed the image and increased price because it wants to be a  premier brand. While PJ’s smoothies increased its price, it lost some loyal customers at the same time. â€Å"Innocent drinks† might be cheaper than PJ’s smoothies, therefore, this cause more customers to choose â€Å"Innocent drinks†. Finance is another factor that enhances the growth of â€Å"Innocent drinks†. In 2004, the annual profit is 968000 pounds and it increases to 3066000 pounds in 2005. 3.Business strategy Business strategy is a business plan that takes place long-term in order to help achieve a specific goal or objective. Christina C (N.D.) The company analyzes the external and internal business environment before making an accurate decision. SWOT and PESTLE are the planning methods to evaluate the company. Strengths – â€Å"Innocent drinks† products are highly competitive because it made with 100 percent pure fruit juice and high quality and low price these are the advantages over the rivals. Weaknesses – distribution channels are small and weak brand reputation compare to other drink companies. Opportunity – â€Å"Innocent Drinks† serve the expectation of producing 100% fruit drinks and change the consumer tastes because the new products can attract their attention. Moreover, the company expands the market including target elderly. This is a unique area that preferable than other competitors. Threats – weather, the weather might affect the quality of the fruits and the transport and â€Å"Innocent drinks† has many rival, for example, PJ’s smoothies, Pepsi and Tropicana. Political – The government is very concerned about health and safety. â€Å"Innocent drinks† has to list out the ingredient on the product because it has to protect the consumer. Economic – Since inflation and the increase rate of unemployment will affect the confidence of consumers. Therefore, they tend to buy a cheaper brand instead of ‘Innocent Drinks’. Moreover, the economic condition also influences the company. For example, the high costs of purchasing ingredients and the taxation. Social – education, nowadays people are more concerned about their health therefore they will choose to buy a drink that is healthy for them, for example, 100 percent pure fruit juice and without any sugar. For population, â€Å"Innocent drinks† has not o nly targeted the adults and kids but also the elderlies. Furthermore, â€Å"Innocent drinks† will strengthen their brand through the advertisement, establish the healthy image in the society. Technological – affect the production level of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Innocent drinks† because of the innovative technology. It leads to producing the juice efficiency and reduce the productive average costs by economies of scale. Moreover, the advance of technology can improve the communication flow which is beneficial of making accurate decision. Furthermore, the use of technology is helpful for ‘Innocent Drinks’ to recycle the bottles. Legal – minimum wage, for the company of â€Å"Innocent drinks† they have to sign a contract with every worker to protect their pay. Environmental – the trend of the world. The earth is facing global warming which makes â€Å"Innocent drinks† decided to recycle the plastic bottles to save the world

Human Evolution by C.M. Davenport Essay

Since time immemorial, numerous researchers have been done to explain the mechanism by which humans were able to evolve from being ordinary, defenseless creatures in the Eastern African savanna to being the world’s most advance and high-functioning biological creatures that have ever walked on Earth. Scientific findings suggest that the aforesaid transition was characterized by a decision of our earliest human ancestors to leave their four-legged existence on trees and convert to a bipedal lifestyle on the terrestrial landscape. Such transition, which can be said to be one of the most dangerous yet most essential part of human anthropology, was driven by climatic changes in the African region. Consequently, changes in the general atmospheric conditions affected the vegetation and ecological properties of the ancient human surroundings. Scientists speculate that prior to the climatic alterations which is around ten million years ago, the East Africa was heavy forested and catered to a great diversity of tree-dwelling primates. Unfortunately, the end of the Miocene Epoch or around five million years ago, marked the start of the of the arid, grassland condition. These changes have encouraged primates to go down from the trees and convert to a two-legged manner of walking on the African plains. This transition was not easy because the early human ancestors had to face a multitude of predators on land including leopard, hyenas and lions. However, although this was the case, the need to look for food and other forms of nourishment that were no longer present in their original habitat was greater than the impending dangers they were likely to face. Hence, climate changes have commanded the onset of the start of human civilization by allowing early primates to convert to bipedalism and terrestrial living. Next to bipedalism, early human ancestors had to acquire certain bodily adaptations in order to make them fit to their new surroundings. Body adaptations included changes on speed and gait, acquisition of large buttock muscles and longer legs for running and sitting efficiency, evolution of larger body size, better vision, achievement of a sense of balance on body controls and other locomotory functions, and a more complex brain structure, physiology and function. These changes allowed early human ancestors to escape from predators and be able to gather food for nutritional survival. In this case, the author evidently placed much emphasis on the discussion of the running endurance of human ancestors. It was mentioned that along with the other adaptations, the ability to run from predators is also a very notable skill of the primates that allowed them to dominate the natural selection process. Increase in lung capacity, development of the heel bone and arched foot, ability to sweat were some of the changes that permitted running efficiency. Obviously, expansion of lung capacity accounted for a more organized breathing pattern during running activities while the heel bone and arched foot permitted improved upright position for running and load-carrying. The ability to sweat, on the other hand, is presumed to render more benefits to primates aside from thermoregulation. Reports suggest that sweat of early human ancestors were similar to the properties of the modern genetic disorder trimethylaminuria, a condition that makes a person produce sweat that smells like strong decaying fish odor but not decaying human or animal flesh (Davenport n. p. ). The chemical compound producing the odor is flavin monoxygenase 3 enzyme (FMO3) and analysis of this compound from present trimethylaminuria reveal that FMO3 has undergone molecular modifications thereby allowing the persistence of the disease from subsequent human generations. However, chemical rearrangements of FMO3 are also suspected to be the reason why sweat of humans today does not elicit the same kind of smell of the early primates, an event that is presumed to be a part of their survival strategies. Lastly, the acquisition of human intelligence was the final step in the human evolution process. The complex development of bodily functions for running endurance have also allowed for the creation of cells for specialized physiological, and neurological properties. After this, it was not long before behavioral skills were obtained and furnished. And after about five million years, the world witnessed the emergence of the modern human species equipped with all the necessary physical and mental adaptations that allowed them to be favored by natural selection and win against the other primal families. Consequently, the evolution of humans is characterized by a myriad of factors which are yet to be fully investigated and explained but all the findings we have today are enough to conclude that humans must value the properties that we have today because our ancestors have done so much effort just to let us achieve our present stature. Evolution is continuously happening and we will never know if conditions in the past will repeat themselves. Hence, everyone must continue to hone their skills and adapt with the changes of the environment in order to prevent ourselves from being selected against natural selection and for us to continue our dominance on this world.

Divorced beheaded survived Essay Example

Divorced beheaded survived Essay Example Divorced beheaded survived Paper Divorced beheaded survived Paper The pain from losing a beloved one Is In fact an Inevitable part of being alive. As much as we want to avoid it, the faint line between death and life is something we human beings have to learn how to live with. Robin Blacks short story: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived from 2010 portrays the life of Sarah before and after the tragic death of her brother. As Sarah is struggling with the difficulty of coping with her brothers death, she slowly draws closer to the essentials of the passage of life. Doubleday dealing with the plan of the loss of our loved ones Is tough and heart wrecking, but Is It possible to live on without a proper confrontation or closure of your grief? The storyline follows the protagonist Sarah through her mental progress of accepting the death of her brother, Terry. The emotional aspects in the story are exemplified through the twisted chronology consisting of Sarahs present life and flashbacks from her childhood. Black uses Sarah childhood home In Massachusetts as a contrast to show traces of Sarahs mental state of denial. WTFO my own children, that long- collected backyard is only part of grandmas and grandpas house, where we go for Thanksgiving, for the Christmas with Lyes folks in al- 52-53). It is shown here how the old backyard which used to hold a lot of importance for Sarah, her brother and their friends, has become a incidental place for annual occasions to her kids. This line emphasizes how Sarah has not passed on her Joyful memories to her kids as a result of her lack of confrontation about her late brother. The protagonist has still not fully processed her sorrow and she is therefore not capable f have her children involved in her own childhood. Also it is seen that Sarahs past still has a tremendous impact on her present life, as she speaks about the age gap between herself and Terry, comparing it to the amount of ages between her children Mark and Coco. The fact that she keeps intertwining past memories with her adult life throughout the storyline express that she Is still Incapable of letting go. Her present Is still muddled with the pain of the past. Later on Sarah reaches a significant turning point of her life, as a friend of her son, Mark, passes away in an accident. Sarah starts to see similarities between her son and herself, and slowly step-by-step she starts to open up about the details of the death of Terry. All the hurtful memories are reaching the light of day as Sarah for the first time In her life starts treating her long-hold sorrow. l took my son by the hand, into my room. Opened the dresser drawer and there he was, smiling out from above the softly folded scarves, the empty fingers of my own gloves seeming to want to hold him there. It was hard, I said to Mark, as he lifted the picture toward his face. There is no secret answer. It was terribly, terribly hard. (p. 5, II. 159-163). Near the end of the story, the amount of flashbacks and comparisons are reduced, as brother everyday, while feeling a little guilty, not only is her wound slowly healing, but Sarah draws closer to the understanding of life and death. It isnt only discomfort of disloyalty I feel, its the fact of utter disappearance after death. The idea that as loved as we may be, we may also be forgotten. If only for a day here and there. 4, II. 127-130). To bring the plot to a closure Black frames his short story with a last flashback about Sarahs near non-existent relation to her childhood friend, Molly Dunham. With this flashback Sarah finally understands how the thirty years without any confrontation has not been an essential way of coping with her pain, which could be one of the many messages of the story. Another message could be interpreted from the phrase where Sarah tries to convince herself that it is within human nature to keep on living. Maybe its a gift to be able to let go of the remembering. Some times. Some things. (p. 4, II. 155-156). With this phrase Black tells the readers that life goes on no matter what, and one should not be guilty about not thinking about the dead all the time, instead one should focus on holding on the Joyful memory and live life to its fullest. Another symbolic feature that lies within the choice of chronology and structure is the swift between present and past. It is a showcase for Sarahs past intertwining with her everyday life as a symbol of her incapability to let go. The title of the short story is Divorced, beheaded, survived which is the last part of a well-known phrase used to remember the six wives of king Henry 8th. The title itself is mostly explicit in the beginning and in the end of the story. Firstly as a memory of a fine day where Sarah, Terry and a couple of friends decides to act out the drama of king Henry 8th, then in another flashback from Sarahs high school days where they learn about king Henry 8th in history class. In many ways the title is sufficient to the plot and also from symbolic aspects. The phrase could be interpreted as a connection to the death of Terry. Intentionally the author chose to use the last part of the phrase as the title instead of the first. The only difference between the two parts is the fact that the word died is replaced with survived, Sarahs brother died by the hands of sickness, but because of all the memories that Sarah holds so dearly, Terry, still survived and he is therefore still alive in the heart of his sister. Judging from the essence of Robin Blacks short story, as much as life is filled with full and happy moments, all the dark sides like loss and death is something that is unavoidable. Death is part of life and the opposite. The sooner you realize it and start accepting those inevitable facts of the living the sooner you can free yourself from the endless cycle of grieving. For the protagonist, Sarah, the process of coping with her loss took decades, but luckily she realized that the only way out of the wilderness was to accept the fact that life goes on and our lost ones will always be alive in our hearts, even if we do not think of them every moment of our lives.

The popularity of Credit Derivatives first came into play at the early 1990s The WritePass Journal

The popularity of Credit Derivatives first came into play at the early 1990s Introduction The popularity of Credit Derivatives first came into play at the early 1990s IntroductionCredit Derivative OverviewStructure of Credit DerivativesThe significance of Credit DerivativesCredit Derivatives and the Financial CrisisCredit Derivatives Regulation Conclusion References Related Introduction The popularity of Credit Derivatives first came into play at the early 1990s, when Demchak (Team leader at JP Morgan, responsible for creating CDO’s) and his team have invented these financial instruments (Eisinger 2008). After the failure of the Bretton woods system in 1971, the economy faced a stable state with low interest rates. Banks struggled for profits with a low demand for loans. In these financial circumstances, banks lacked methods that avoid them from bankruptcy, and guarantee that they could survive independently and remain solvent on the collapse of the economy. Credit derivatives were born of such concern, allowing bankers, and others, the ability to reduce their risk by selling risk to other parties (Ayadi, Behr 2009). This paper gives a general overview on the concept of credit derivatives. In its opening section, this paper introduces credit derivatives definition, structure, and its usefulness in the financial market will be introduced. The essay then goes o n to review the existing credit derivatives markets regulation and explains the need to regulate these markets in light of the recent financial crisis. Although credit derivatives may have beneficial effects, but it can only be obtained if credit derivatives are used responsibly by all market participants. This essay will argue that the current regulatory regime is not sufficient to induce market participants to use credit derivatives in a desirable way. Credit Derivative Overview Credit derivatives are financial contracts that effectively shift credit risk, or the default risk, from one party to another. In so doing, for example, Paula Tkac (2007) describes that if participants default on their bond payment, the bond value decreases. The credit derivative, consequently, transfer this credit risk to another market participant for a specific periodic payment. Credit derivatives have achieved a marvelous growth throughout the past decades. According to the British Banker’s Association (BBA), the global outstanding notional volume of credit derivatives was 180 billion USD in 1996. After a decade, the market size of derivatives had increased 112 times the previous size in 1996 with a 20 trillion USD of derivative contracts. Only 2 years later, by mid-year 2008, and as it is shown in the figure 1 below, the fair value of the outstanding amount of credit derivatives was 53.3 trillion USD, reflecting the continuous growth of this market.(Ayadi ,Behr 2009) Structure of Credit Derivatives Credit derivatives can be categorized as portfolio credit derivative (single name) or asset backed security (multiname) (Mengle 2007). The most popular single-name derivative is the credit default swap â€Å"CDS†.   Shah Gilani (2008) illustrates that this is a contract that provides insurance from default risk of a specific party. This party is known as the reference entity and the default risk is identified as a credit event. In a CDS, the buyer of the insurance obtains the right to sell bonds issued by the party for their face value when a default takes place; also, the seller of the insurance agrees to buy the bonds for their face value when the default occurs (Gilani 2008). This face value is known as the CDS notional principal and the periodical payment the buyer of the CDS pays is known as the credit spread (Gilani 2008).   On the other hand, the most popular asset backed derivative is the collateralized debt obligation (CDO). This derivative is created by packaging a pool of similar assets or loans into one single investment that can be traded (Mengle 2007). When a CDO is purchased, the investor ends up with a basket of bonds. This portfolio of bonds generated an income that is used to provide a promised return to tranches. (Mengle 2007) The significance of Credit Derivatives According to David Mengle (2007), credit derivatives came out in response to two traditional problems facing the banking system. First, taking a short position in credit was not possible. Thus, a lender cannot fully insure the safety of the loan from default. Second, diversification of credit risk was difficult to achieve and became a problem in the financial market. Given such problems, the only way to enhance the financial world is by the creation of the credit derivative market. These derivatives helped banks to buy ‘protection’ (insurance) through allowing banks to sell credit and hedge their exposure to credit losses. Moreover, using the single-name derivative CDS do not require any permission from the reference entity (Gilani 2008). Therefore, Mengle   (2007) believes that the second problem can be solved when lenders hedge and reduce their exposure to risky investments, and by that they achieve diversification. Particularly, Ayadi and Behr (2009) researched and found out that the increased use of hedge funds provided an essential source of liquidity in credit derivative markets. This helped banks in reducing their credit risk by allowing them to transfer assets and credit risk off their balance sheets. Also, it improves their liquidity by providing secondary markets for credit risk. (Ayadi, Behr 2009) Credit Derivatives and the Financial Crisis It is often argued that the flip side of credit derivatives played a major role in the collapse of the financial market. First of all, critics of credit derivatives, such as Tim Weithers (2007), claim that risk transformation ballooned systematic risk, given the difficulty of identifying participants holding the credit risk. Some complain that the CDS notional amount accounting requirements worsen the credit crisis for many financial institutions (Partnoy 2009). Yet, supporters, such as David Mengle (2007), counter that if banks had properly valued their risk exposures at the beginning, they would avoid crash when crisis hit. Second, the argument that credit derivatives increase overall risks by transforming credit risk to less experience with less regulation institutions makes an implicit assumption that government regulation automatically leads to more cautious risk-taking (Partnoy 2009). But this argument ignores the potential moral hazard associated with such an assumption. David Mengle (2007) illustrated that where he believed that unregulated institutions are not protected by the government, such institutions are likely to have incentives to manage credit exposures. (Mengle 2007) Nevertheless, in almost twenty years, credit derivatives have expanded from nothing into a $54.6 trillion market. Nicholas Varchaver, senior editor and Katie Benner, writer-reporter (2008) found that this increase is because an investor does not have to own a bond to buy a CDS on it anyone can place a bet on whether a bond will fail. Indeed, they believed that the majority of CDS now consists of bets on other peoples debt. But, and on the contrary, this problem occurred due to the lack of financial regulation. The supporters of the credit derivatives believe and agree with other critics that these risk financial contracts led to a financial collapse (Mengle 2007). However, the unregulated area of the credit derivatives led to misusing these instruments. For example, during President Clinton phase, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretaries started regulating banks to lend to the poor more (Partnoy 2009). They expected Banks to loosen their lending standards. Yet, Banks undertook investment banking. Specifically, Banks started lending to people whose credit history was suspect and who couldn’t afford mortgage payment (Partnoy 2009). Thus, credit derivatives were used in a wrong manner and led to the deterioration of the financial market. Credit Derivatives Regulation There has been high level of concern with respect to what regulatory steps should be taken to use credit derivatives properly. Ayadi and Behr (2009) have demonstrated several methods that help in regulating credit derivatives properly. First, companies and banks should provide higher transparency through additional reporting requirements. Second, systemic risk should be reduced through the creation of central counterparties (CCPs) for standardized contracts. Finally, banks should impose higher capital requirements for at least some of the market. Yet, these regulations do not mean that credit derivatives are safe from improper use. For example, the creation of CCP’s concentrates the risk in a small number of institutions and creates institutions that are too big to fail. Moreover, high transparency has an impact on market quality and in particular on market liquidity. Madhavan (1995) studied the relation between the market and the availability of trading information to market investors. He shows that fragmented markets are highly demanded by some market participants where their trades are unknown. Madhavan (1995) also shows that greater transparency reduces price volatility. Conclusion Credit derivatives are financial instruments used for credit risk management purposes. The structure of these derivatives enhanced the world financial market and provided a safer investment for banks especially. However, these complex derivative contracts have led to the recent economic collapse. The regulation measures included a lot of mistakes and have lead to the fact that financial institutions created such complex CDO’s and sold them without fully understanding them. Also, the availability of unregulated areas helped in misusing credit derivatives. The true purpose of derivatives was for managing risks and not blind speculation. Thus, if simple derivatives such as put, call options, interest swaps and futures are used wisely, they can be used in productive, safe means. In conclusion, the financial market is exposed always to new participants with new mentalities. Therefore, regulating credit derivatives will not avoid financial crisis in the future if there are no strict control on new participants entering the field. References Ayadi, R. Behr, P. 2009, On the necessity to regulate credit derivatives markets, Journal of Banking Regulation, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 179-201. British Bankers Association. (2006) Credit Derivatives Report 2006. London, September. Eisinger, Jesse. The $58 Trillion Elephant in the Room. Credit Derivatives Role in Crash. 15 Oct. 2008. Conde Nast Portfolio. 10 Mar. 2009 portfolio.com/views/columns/wall-street/2008/10/15/Credit-Derivatives-Role-in-Crash. Gilani, S. 2008, The Real Reason for the Global Financial Crisis the Story No One’s Talking About, Money Morning, moneymorning.com, vol. 18. Madhavan, A. 1995, Consolidation, fragmentation, and the disclosure of trading information, Review of Financial Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 579. Mengle, D. 2007, Credit derivatives: An overview, Economic Review, , no. Q4, pp. 1-24. Partnoy, F. â€Å" Derivative Dangers†, Fresh Air, NPR, March 25, 2009 Tkac, P. 2007, Preface- Credit Derivatives: Where’s the Risk?, Economic Review, , pp. v-vii. Varchaver, N. Benner, K. 2008, The $55 trillion question, Fortune Magazine, vol. 30. Weithers, T. 2007, Credit derivatives, macro risks, and systemic risks, Economic Review-Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 92, no. 4, pp. 43.

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation BILATERAL TRANS-SCAPHOID PERILUNATE FRACTURE DISLOCATION OF THE CARPUS. (CASE REPORT) Abstract: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fractures-dislocations are rare lesions. They occur in a high-energy trauma. The concomitent lesion of both wrists is exceptional. We report a case of bilateral trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocated wrist fracture in a 21-year-old man. The dislocation was treated by opened reduction and fractures by internal fixation. The functional outcome was satisfying after two years of follow-up. Introduction: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations are relatively uncommon. 1 These are the most common form of the complex carpal dislocations 2,3 causing marked disruption of the carpal anatomy. Time from injury to treatment (delay in treatment), anatomic classià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cation, and open or closed nature of the injury are the major factors that determine the clinical outcome in trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations. 4,5 Late presentation combi ned with missed diagnosis often causes critical delay in the treatment of these injuries. If the acute phase is missed, then some authors recommend alternative procedures such as wrist arthrodesis and proximal row carpectomy which are relatively mutilating surgeries that leave a significant functional deficit. 4,6,7 The acute phase is defined as the first week after injury, whereas the delayed phase is the period between the seventh and 45th day and after 45 days the injury is said to be in the chronic phase. 4 We report the case of a patient who referred to our department two weeks after the initial trauma with bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpus. Anatomic reduction, percutaneous pin fixation of the carpus and fixation of scaphoid fractures of both wrists were performed by opened reduction under fluoroscopic control. Presentation of case: A 21-year-old, right-hand-dominant man sustained an isolated injury to his both wrists after a fall from a height of approximately 4.5 m. The carpal injuries of both wrists were missed initially and both wrists had been bandaged for two weeks after the trauma. He was referred to our department two weeks later with increasing pain. The patient reported that he fell on his outstretched hands with both wrists in extension. Both wrists were deformed in marked dorsiflexion, painful, swollen, and tender to palpation, with limitation of movement. The patient complained of paresthesia in both of his hands. On physical examination, meticulous cutaneous sensory mapping was performed of both hands to determine the area of decreased sensation. This was done with the use of the sharp end of a paperclip while applying a constant pressure. This revealed minor numbness in the median nerve distribution area of both hands (thumb, index, middle finger, and the radial side of the ring finger). The two-point discrimination was normal on both sides. The mobility of the fingers was normal but pai nful, and there was a slight decrase in grip strength of both hands. Motor power in abductor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis muscles was full (5/5) on both sides. The Tinel’s sign was negative over the carpal tunnel in both sides. The findings of the patient led us to think that there is not any condition like acute carpal tunnel syndrome due to fracture-dislocation.We thought that the numbness of the patient was due to temporary traction injury of the median nerve caused by dislocation on both sides. The vascular status was normal on physical examination. Study of the anteroposterior, oblique and lateral plane radiographs showed that the patient had bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpi ( Fig. 1 ). According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., the fracture-dislocations were trans-scaphoid as path of trauma and Stage 1 as displacement of capitate on both sides. 4 The patient was informed about his pathology and a dvised to undergo surgery. If possible the patient’s preference was closed treatment. Therefore, we initially recommend closed reduction and percutaneous fixation. However, if this was not possible or in the situation of a failure we informed him about the open procedure. Under general anesthesia, a closed reduction was attempted with traction manoeuvre described by Tavernier 8 under fluoroscopic control. The reduction was not satisfactory,we opted for the open reduction by posterior approach.After anatomical reduction was achieved, intercarpal fixation was applied to carpal bones using three K-wires. The first K-wire was applied to scaphoide- lunate, the second K-wire was applied to- lunate-triquetrum and the third K-wire was applied to capitatum-lunate. After the procedure, reduction and fixation of carpal bones was confirmed under fluoroscopy. The same procedure was repeated for the other wrist. We noticed that the scaphoid fracture was reduced spontaneously along with t he reduction of the carpal bones. So we performed   fixation of the left scaphoid fracture using a 3.5 mm mini Acutrak headless compression screw through the fracture line from a dorsal-proximal to a volar-distal direction. Intraoperative fluoroscopic control confirmed anatomic reduction of the scaphoid fracture.. Finally, standard radiograms were obtained and both wrists were immobilized in a short arm cast ( Fig. 2 ). The patient noted complete relief of symptoms the day after surgery. The pain and the paresthesia that the patient complained preoperatively was relieved dramatically and the function recovered. The post-operative period was uneventful. Four weeks after surgery, the casts and the K-wires were removed. New casts were applied for another 4 weeks when union was visible on radiographs. The casts were removed eight weeks after surgery. There was radiographic evidence of union of the scaphoid on the left side, but on the right side radiography revealed delayed union of the scaphoid. The patient subsequently underwent 3 months of intensive range-of-motion and muscle-strengthening exercises. Intermediate clinical and radiographic examinations were performed 6 and 12 months after surgery. At the two-year follow-up, the radiographs showed normal carpal bone relationships on both sides, complete union of the scaphoid on the left side(Fig.3). Wrist motion on the left side was excellent with 70 ° of palmar flexion, 80 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, full radial and ulnar deviation. The right wrist could achieve 60 ° of palmar flexion and 70 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, but with a mild decrease in radial and ulnar deviation. The grip strength of the right hand was 30 kg while that of the left side was 38 kg, measured with the Jamar dynamometer (J.A. Preston, Jackson, Michigan) . Fig.3 Right wrist and Left wrist anteroposterior and   lateral view after two-years. At the two-year follow-up, the patient was symptom-free concerning median nerve functions. The patient was free of pain on the left side. On the right side there was mild pain with wrist motions due to non-union of the scaphoid.The patient was able to perform activities of daily living and he had returned to all of his previous activities. The functional outcome was good on the left side, with a Mayo wrist score of 80/100. The functional outcome was satisfactory on the right side, with a Mayo wrist score of 65/100. Radiographs of both wrists revealed no evidence of radiocarpal or midcarpal arthritis. No osteonecrosis of the lunate or the scaphoid was evident. The lunate position was correct, without signs of instability. Anatomic relationships of the carpal bones were maintained. Discussion Carpal fracture-dislocations are rare injuries; thus their classification and treatment are rather difficult. Osseous variants of this injury are common; the trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation constitutes 61% of all perilunate dislocations and 96% of fracture-dislocations. 4 The trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation is an uncommon injury sustained due to force transmission through a hyperextended wrist. 9,10 These injuries may be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed. 4 After a delay in diagnosis of several weeks or months, the clinical prognosis is poor compared with injuries that are treated acutely. 11 According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., we initially diagnosed our patient in the delayed phase. 4 Regarding the literature, the management of such injuries in case of delayed presentation is rare. 12,13 Dislocation in this region requires rapid realignment, as untreated perilunate dislocation will lead to serious secondary damage. 13,14 Perilunate fracture-dislocations are high-energy injuries, produced by wrist hyperextension. 3,15 There is disruption of the palmar capsuloligamentous complex, starting radially and propagating through the carpus in an ulnar direction. 3,15 This dislocation takes a transosseous route through the scaphoid resulting in a trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation. 10 In trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocations the fractured scaphoid is the initial destabilizing factor of the carpus. 16 Regarding the literature, we believe that the mechanism of injury in our patient was fall from a height on the outstretched hands. Treatment options currently used for perilunar instability patterns include closed reduction and cast immobilization, closed reduction and percutaneous pinning, and open reduction. As the awareness of the anatomy and biomechanics of these injury patterns has evolved, authors have tended toward treatment approaches that attempt to repair the injured intrinsic and extrinsic carpal ligaments, that is, open techniques. 4,8,11 Most authors agree that closed reduction is the initial treatment of choice for trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations. 2,8,17 In addition, treatment often r equires intercarpal fixation within the proximal carpal row. Most authors have agreed that the key to a good clinical result in the management of trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation is the anatomic union of the scaphoid and the restoration of proper alignment of the carpal bones. 17 In this case, we prefer a opened reduction and intercarpal fixation with K-wires, as well as screw fixation of the scaphoid, because we didn’t achieve a good fracture alignment after closed reduction . Gellman et al. suggested that anatomical reductions of the scaphoid, as well as the mid-carpal joint, and the restoration of the articular surface of the lunate are the most important aspects determining the prognosis. 11 An open reduction further increases the risk of a scaphoid blood supply interruption, whereas percutaneous screw fixation of the scaphoid minimizes this risk. 3,17,18 In addition, a rigid fixation with a percutaneous screw can also reduce the immobilization period and allow for an earlier rehabilitation. Acutrak screw fixation allows earlier discontinuance of the cast than K-wire fixation. In our case, the range-of-motion exercises of the wrist were started earlier after the initial operation. The nonunion rate was relatively higher in the series that were treated by closed reduction. 19,20 In our case study the radiographs obtained two years after surgery revealed a non-union of the right scaphoid. We believe that the delay in treatment and maybe the malrotation of the scaphoid that we overlooked on the initial radiographs led to the interruption of the blood supply which was possibly responsible for the non-union of the scaphoid. Despite the non-union of the scaphoid, the functional outcome of our patient was satisfactory, with mild pain, good range of movement and good grip strength. Similarly, Herzberg et al. 4 reported that unsatisfactory radiographs did not equate to a poor clinical outcome. We planned to perform open reduction and internal f ixation with grafting for the non-union of the right scaphoid. Conclusion As the injury have led bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations,  we therefore recommend minimally invasive techniques if an anatomical closed reduction and  a percutaneous rigid fixation of the scaphoid is achieved on the intraoperative evaluations.

Philip Kotler's experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Philip Kotler's experience - Essay Example Depending on the market and product characteristics, the competition takes place at one of the product levels. Six levels of product hierarchy with relation to certain other products are described and few possible classifications of the products listed. A notion of product mix, or assortment, is introduced and defined as a combination of all the products offered by a particular market player to its customers. It is characterized by the width, length, and consistency. Product line decisions are important for the product strategy and should be based on product-line and market analysis, considering optimal product-line length and issues of modernization, featuring and pruning. The second part of the chapter is devoted to the brand and brand decisions. Brand is a complex symbol; it identifies certain products and distinguishes them from the competition in the mind of the customer and in the marketplace. Building brand identity is extremely important as it allows the company to increase the differentiation of its products and receive price premiums. Building brand identity requires decisions on the brand's name, logo, colors, tagline, and symbol. Brand strategy decision includes choice between functional, image and experiential brand, and brand development and repositioning. Packaging and labeling are also important parts of the overall product strategy. This chapter is devoted to the marketing and management of services. ... Services can be classified as equipment-based or people-based; requiring client's presence or not; targeting personal or business need; based on the type of the service provider. Four main characteristics of the services are intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability. They influence significantly the development and implementation of the marketing strategies for the service firms and pose certain challenges. Marketing strategy elements for the services, besides traditional four Ps, include also people, physical evidence and process. Three main tasks the marketing of services should fulfill are differentiation of the offer from the competition, effective management of the service quality, and improving the employees' productivity. For goods-producing companies marketing of services is important while they sell not only the physical products but the product support services as well. The company should manage its product's life-cycle cost, and meet or exceed the customers' expectations. The offered services may be of several types: facilitating services (e.g. installation, financing, training), value-augmenting services (e.g. product warranties, trade-in allowances), postsale services (maintenance, repair etc.). The recent trends in the product support service include "service unbundling", accumulation of the maintenance services and outsourcing them to the third parties, increasing role of call centers and customer service representatives, and extended warranties. Chapter 16: Developing price strategies and programs This chapter looks in deep into price element of the marketing mix. It is of high importance