Pericardiumâ€Anatomy and Function

Pericardium- Anatomy and Function The pericardium is the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart and the proximal ends of the aorta, venae cavae, and the pulmonary artery. The heart and pericardium are situated behind the sternum (breastbone) in a position in the middle of the chest cavity known as the mediastinum. The pericardium serves as an outer protective covering of the heart, a vital organ of the circulatory system and cardiovascular system. The primary function of the heart is to help circulate blood to the tissues and organs of the body. Function of the Pericardium The pericardium has several protective functions: Keeps the heart contained within the chest cavityPrevents the heart from over-expanding when blood volume increasesLimits heart motionReduces friction between the heart and surrounding tissuesProtects the heart against infection While the pericardium provides a number of valuable functions, it is not essential for life. The heart can maintain normal function without it. Pericardial Membranes The pericardium is divided into three membrane layers: Fibrous pericardium is the outer fibrous sac that covers the heart. It provides an outer protective layer that is attached to the sternum by  sternopericardial ligaments. Fibrous pericardium helps to keep the heart contained within the chest cavity. It also protects the heart from an infection that could potentially spread from nearby organs such as the lungs.Parietal pericardium is the layer between the fibrous pericardium and visceral pericardium. It is continuous with fibrous pericardium and provides an additional layer of insulation for the heart.Visceral pericardium is both the inner layer of the pericardium and the outer layer of the heart wall. Also known as the epicardium, this layer protects the inner heart layers and also assists in the production of pericardial fluid. Epicardium consists of connective tissue elastic fibers and adipose (fat) tissue, which help to support and protect the inner heart layers. Oxygen-rich blood is supplied to the epicardium and inner heart la yers by the coronary arteries. Pericardial Cavity The pericardial cavity lies between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium. This cavity is filled with pericardial fluid which serves as a shock absorber by reducing friction between the pericardial membranes. There are two pericardial sinuses that pass through the pericardial cavity. A sinus is a passageway or channel. The transverse pericardial sinus is positioned above the left atrium of the heart, anterior to the superior vena cava and posterior to the pulmonary trunk and ascending aorta. The oblique pericardial sinus is situated posteriorly to the heart and is bounded by the inferior vena cava and pulmonary veins. Heart Exterior The surface layer of the heart (epicardium) is directly below the fibrous and parietal pericardium. The external heart surface contains grooves or sulci, which provide passageways for blood vessels of the heart. These sulci run along lines that separate atria from ventricles (atrioventricular sulcus) as well as right and left sides of ventricles (interventricular sulcus). Main blood vessels extending from the heart include the aorta, pulmonary trunk, pulmonary veins, and venae cavae. Pericardial Disorders Pericarditis is a disorder of the pericardium in which the pericardium becomes swollen or inflamed. This inflammation disrupts normal heart function. Pericarditis can be acute (happens suddenly and over quickly) or chronic (happens over a period of time and lasts for a long time). Some causes of pericarditis include bacterial or viral infections, cancer, kidney failure, certain medicines, and heart attack. Pericardial effusion is a condition caused by the accumulation of large amounts of fluid between the pericardium and the heart. This condition can be caused by a number of other conditions that affect the pericardium, such as pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade is pressure build up on the heart due to excessive fluid or blood build up in the pericardium. This excess pressure does not allow the heart ventricles to fully expand. As a result, cardiac output is lowered and blood supply to the body is insufficient. This condition is most commonly caused by hemorrhage due to penetration of the pericardium. The pericardium may become damaged as a result of severe trauma to the chest, a knife or gunshot wound, or accidental puncture during a surgical procedure. Other possible causes of cardiac tamponade include cancer, heart attack, pericarditis, radiation therapy, kidney failure, and lupus.

5 Cases of Awkward Appositives

5 Cases of Awkward Appositives 5 Cases of Awkward Appositives 5 Cases of Awkward Appositives By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, a writer has referenced a person, place, or thing with an appositive, a word or phrase equivalent to another word or phrase, but erroneous punctuation or syntax introduces a flaw in sentence construction. The discussion following each example explains the problem, and a revision illustrates its resolution. 1. A dome-shaped structure made of ice or snow, or igloo, is a form of temporary shelter. When a term is defined, the definition should follow the term- the focus of the sentence- rather than serve as an introduction to the concept followed by the term: â€Å"An igloo, or dome-shaped structure made of ice or snow, is a form of temporary shelter.† 2. The first of two main strategies when building application security is the top-down or proactive approach. The strategy is not called â€Å"the top-down or proactive approach†; it is called â€Å"the top-down approach† or â€Å"the proactive approach.† To clarify that these names are alternatives to each other, rather than elements of a compound name, the second adjective should be treated as a parenthetical: â€Å"The first of two main strategies when building application security is the proactive, or top-down, approach.† 3. FBI Criminal Investigation Division Deputy Assistant Director John Smith discussed the report.   Technically, this sentence begins with a job title- a cumbersome one, at that- rather than an appositive, which is similar in function but not in form. With some reconstruction of elements, the title is easily converted to an appositive, but note that when a title is treated this way, it is no longer capitalized (though the associated proper nouns are): â€Å"John Smith, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigation Division, discussed the report.†Ã‚   4. The group, OurMine, took responsibility for the hacks after the tweets were deleted. Assuming that no previous reference has been made to the organization in question (whether identified by the word group or a synonym), its name is an essential component of the sentence and should not be set off as a discretionary parenthetical: â€Å"The group OurMine took responsibility for the hacks after the tweets were deleted.† (If it had been previously mentioned, then group would be an appositive of â€Å"OurMine,† and the original sentence would be correct.) 5. The outcome depends on the quality of the plans developed during the previous, inspection phase. Here, two aspects are being ascribed to the phase- it is previous to another phase, and it involves inspection. However, the two aspects are not equivalent, so they should not be treated as coordinate adjectives: â€Å"The outcome depends on the quality of the plans developed during the previous phase, inspection.† (Or â€Å"The outcome depends on the quality of the plans developed during inspection, the previous phase.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing Light30 Baseball IdiomsRunning Errands and Doing Chores

Corporate social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Corporate social responsibility - Essay Example The primary object of business is to supply quality goods and services to the consumers through the creation of utilities. Peter Drucker (1974) enumerates 8 key areas in which objectives of performance and results are to be set. They are marketing, innovation, human organization, financial resources, physical resources, productivity, social responsibility and profit requirements. Every business organization like everyone, lives in the midst of laws of the land, government regulations, economic conditions, changing consumer preferences, technological changes, culture, values system and business ethics of the society. All these factors constitute the business environment. A business organization and its environment are mutually interdependent, interacting with each other continuously. Environment is the supra-system of which the firm is only a small subunit. It can survive and thrive only when the environment desires its output of goods and services and is prepared to approve of an end orse its activities. Business organization had grown from the time immemorial, with the advent of industrial revolution, business organization, controlled by few thrive towards profit maximization. Industrial revolution changed the whole concept of business and capitalistic approach and individual profit making takes the prime objective. But during the 20th century it has changed. More democratic governments and their control but a brake on profit maximization tendencies of the organization and diverted them towards employee welfare and social welfare activities. Governments through various legislations are safeguarding interest of employees. Later on due to technological innovations and global connectivity the whole concept of business has changed. Development of technologies posses’ opportunities and uncertainties as well as risk and challenges, which can make or mar the future of business. Economic environment such as changes in competition, demand, lifestyle, consumer

First Crusade Military Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

First Crusade Military Perspectives - Essay Example 72). At the beginning of 1113 A.C., Baldwin, the King of Jerusalem, raided into the seigniory of Damascus. Unable to oppose him single-handed, Toghtakin, the Lord of Damascus, invoked the assistance of Moudud of Mosul (Irwin 1998, p. 75). In July 1113 the combined forces of the Lords of Mosul, Damascus, Sinjar2, and Maridin marched into Palestine. In a battle near Tiberias, the Franks were routed with terrible loss, and a large number of them were drowned in the lake and in the Jordan. In June 11193 they were again defended at a place called al-Balat by Ilgazi, the Lord of Maridin. Even the Egyptians won some successes on the sea coast (p. 77). But the Crusaders had the whole of Europe at their back; the reinforcements which poured in for them from all parts of Christendom, the assasincation of Moudud, who was stabbed by a Batinia after the battle of Tiberias, and the division of the chiefs, all helped them to recover their grounds (p. 78). Sultan Muhammad died in 511 A.H., and this death was not without effect on the fortunes of the Muslims and Christians. He was succeeded in the over-lordship by his brother Sanjar, the last hero of a heroic race, and in the succession of his private dominions of his son Mahmud. In 516 A.H. Zangi obtained from Sultan Mahmud the city of Wasit as an appanage, and the post of Commissary4 at Basra. Four year later the government of Mosul and Upper Mesopotamia was conferred on him, with the title of Atabek ("Prince Tutor"5), and he was confirmed in this dignity by the letters patent of the Caliph (p. 80). In 1128 A.C., on the invitation of the people of Aleppo, who had suffered terribly from the depredations of the Crusaders6, he took possession of their city. Hamah followed the example of Aleppo (p. 81). The following year Zangi routed the Crusaders under the walls of al-Asarib, and captured the castle after a stout resistance. A short truce between Joscelin, the Count of Edessa, "the greatest demon of them all"7, enabled Zangi to take part in the inevitable civil was which broke out on the death of Sultan Mahmud (p. 85). Atabek Zangi did not long concern himself with the troubles in the East. His great work lay in Syria. The Crusaders were again in ferment; they had received large reinforcements from Europe, and had been joined by a Greek contingent under the personal command of the Emperor John Comnenus. They captured Buzaa, put the sword all the male inhabitants, and carried into captivity the women and children. They they marched upon Shaizar (Casarea), a day's journey from Hamah. The castle of Shaizar, the birthplace of Usamah8, was almost impregnable (Philip 2000). Usamah's works offer a mesmerizing counterpoint to Christian stories of their own conduct and the responses of their opponents. Actually, Usamah's amity with a number of the Franks set him aside to recover from revengeful insult, and his expressions on the inquisitive thoughts and behavior of the Franks remain a precious resource. Mystifying are the workings of the Maker, the Creator of everything! When one comes to relate cases about the Franks, he cannot but praised God

Discrimination and Human Rights Act Essay Example for Free

Discrimination and Human Rights Act Essay Introduction You have been asked by your Head Teacher to produce a document that promotes the importance of promoting equality and diversity in work with children and young people. This is aimed for new members of staff and volunteers. Legislation and codes of practice 2.4 – 1.1 Identify at least two current legislation and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity. You must include the correct title and date (where appropriate) and then provide a summary of each piece of legislation or code of practice that is identified. This could include: Equality Act, Human Rights Act, Inclusion policy. The Equalities Act (2010) This act is a combination of many old acts (race relations, sex discrimination and disability discrimination etc.) its two main purposes – to harmonise discrimination law and to strengthen the law to support the progress on equality. It is the most significant development in equality and discrimination for years. It sets out that everyone regardless of race, sex, religion or disability is entitled to fair treatment. The Human Rights Act (1998) This act sets out the rights and fundamental freedoms of each and every human being. All public bodies (courts, schools etc.) have to comply with the act. The act has a principal that everyone should have protection from discrimination; this has a wide range of grounds including sex, race, colour, language, religion and political or other opinions. Inclusion policy (our lady mother of the saviour catholic primary school 2011) This policy sets out that the school its self aims to be inclusive and remove barriers to learning and participation that could discriminate pupils or groups of pupils.it states in the policy that the achievements, attitudes and well-being of all children matter. Equal opportunities policy (our lady mother of the saviour catholic primary school 2011) This policy is set out in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010. It is there to promote anti-discrimination and the principle of fairness and justice for all through the education that is provided from the school. The policy also recognises that by doing this it may from time to time have to treat some pupils differently (a child with a disability will be treated as fair as possible but in situations cannot be treated the same as other pupils) 2.4 – 1.2, 1.3 Describe the importance of supporting the rights of all children and young people to participation and equality of access. Unfortunately studies have shown that children from poorer backgrounds attain less in school than children from higher professional families, this in its self supports the importance of supporting children in school to participation and equality of access. Ignoring these rights could lead to children having low self-esteem, a feeling of inferiority and lower levels at school. Supported in the right way children could all have a greater chance of attaining a higher level at school and a greater chance of becoming more â€Å"all rounded† as adults. Describe the importance and benefits of valuing and promoting cultural diversity in work with children and young people. By promoting cultural diversity and valuing any type of difference in work this will reflect on the children so that they themselves will pick up these attitudes and behaviours. The importance of this is that failure to promote diversity through your own actions could result in discrimination within the children and young people. The advantages of valuing and promoting diversity are that it opens the children up to learn about new things, such as cultures and improves their knowledge and understanding. By doing this it will lead to them being more tolerant and creative adults and therefore less likely to discriminate later in life.

Ceasar Charater Analysis :: essays research papers

Character Analysis Antony- What Cassius says about Antony: "You know not what†¦that which he will utter?" Pg. 582 lines 233-236. This shows that the conspirators are afraid of what Antony will say in his oration to the mob. Cassius is trying to make Brutus see what Antony is really up to, but Brutus is too caught up in honor to notice. What Antony does: He speaks to the crowd making them feel sorry for him, ashamed of themselves, and hate the conspirators. He causes them to go into an angry rage in scene 3. What Antony feels: "O pardon me thou†¦gentle with these butchers." Pg. 582 lines 254-236. Antony has made a deal with the conspirators that have killed his best friend. This quote is after the conspirators have left, and he is talking to the corpse of Caesar. He spills his true intentions and gives word of his counter conspiracy. He feels that even though the men are honorable, that they have butchered a man that could have been reasoned with and brou ght out of what it was he did wrong. What Antony says: "Let each man render me his bloody hand†¦My credit now stands on such slippery ground that one of two bad ways you must conceit me†¦." Pg. 580 lines 184-194 He leads the conspirators on to trust him, when in fact, he wants to be able to speak to the mob. He uses a vicious pun so that he knows what he is talking about, but the conspirators think that he is simply talking about the blood on the ground being slippery. Caesar- What Caesar says: "Et tù Brute? Then fall Caesar!" Pg. 577 line 77 Caesar is shocked that Brutus, his most loyal friend would do this. His mask comes off at this point and shows his personal face. Throughout the play, he has put himself as an arrogant official, and only when he is around his friends does he show his true identity. This is so important because marks the point when Caesar’s spirit enters Antony’s revenge. The play comes to its climax in this lin e. What Caesar does: Caesar refuses to let Publius Cimber back into Rome. He, in a way, kills himself by the way he responds. He puts himself up as a god-like man and almost says he is in control of his own destiny. This gives the conspirators final reason to kill him, and they do.

On the Competition Between an Online Bookstore and a Physical Bookstore Essay

Most of you have no doubt been made aware of Amazon’s latest thuggish, brutal – and brilliant – idea to squeeze out its competition. Utilizing their Price Check smart phone app, a customer would get a 5% discount on a product that they initially scanned in a retail store before subsequently purchasing it on Amazon. Nefarious, right? But also quite savvy. Amazon is no stranger to taking advantage of its massive size and its low overheads to crush its competition. Its online nature has allowed it to skip around state sales taxes, and the employment opportunities it brings serves as a deterrent to local legislators who wish to take Amazon down. â€Å"Hey, if you don’t want us in your state, there are 49 others that do.† Like Wal-Mart before it, Amazon is, depending on your point of view, either â€Å"making the consumer market more efficient† or â€Å"sending us on a race to the bottom.† Amazon has already seen off one of its chief competitors – the formerly-of-this-world Borders – and has since diversified into selling †¦ everything. And so Amazon’s little price-right stunt hit nearly everyone across the board. Thankfully for them, it was a one-day-only event but the fact that Amazon can now, at any time, declare any day as Promotion Day is vaguely monopolistic and scary for Amazon’s real-world competitors. Amazon’s brick and mortar competitors still have that one crucial advantage that the company lacks – people. It sounds hokey, but human interaction – having a salesperson tell you just exactly why you need the iGizmo4 instead of the Sprocketizer – makes a difference. But given how easy it is to shop online, coupled with Amazon’s discount, average consumer Joe might just take his business online. And AC Joe just wasted the sales rep’s time, inadvertently making up for Amazon’s lack of human interaction with the real world store’s service. If Amazon’s online comparative advantage takes off, their only customers would be the chronically impatient who need the it-thing now. Amazon’s Price Check bets on the fact that anything anyone else sells, Amazon has for cheaper; you just have to wait the 4-7 business days for shipping. Amazon’s victory may very well be (nearly) complete. But I believe that Amazon’s oldest adversary will yet linger, no matter how diminished: the independent bookstore. It is a sad time for the local, independent, college-student staffed bookstore. So many of its comrades have gone under as the public migrated to Amazon-like entities. Independent bookstores were more expensive given their limited stock and logistical capacity but they (often) boasted an intelligent and engaged staff who gave personalized recommendations and presentations on the differences between Dostoevsky translations. Yes, many more independent bookstores will (probably) die in the coming years. Obituaries have been written – blaming either Amazon or the rise of e-publishing – and there are those who already speak of the ‘good old days’ when one could thumb through copies of esoterica. But I believe we’ve already hit the bottom. There are no more independent bookstores to cull because the market fat has been eliminated. The places that still have independent bookstores want independent bookstores despite the pricing advantages of the Big Box or the internet. Independent bookstores foster a sense of literary community among costumers, serving as a focal point for discussion and – as pretentious as this sounds – intellectualism. The people who will keep these bookstores alive are the same people who would continue to donate to NPR or become members of museums. It is, of course, a sad fact that bookstores like these cannot survive in the free-market wild with an Amazonian predator on the loose, but the independent bookstore has found its ecological niche: as a curated cultural object. This may be a depressing conclusion for some of you who remember the good old days (was it only a decade ago?) where the independent bookstore thrived in this America. But if you want to keep the independent bookstore alive, we will all have to do our part to treasure the luscious feel of running a finger through bound pages, to waltz through shelves of books we will never read, and to pass on that heady sensation to our children and friends. Call us – the last survivors of the great bookstore apocalypse – kooky and crazy, but we will keep these institutions alive just as we kill and devour a native bird species in November and just as we blow up quantities of explosives in the night sky in the 7th month of the solar calendar. These are cultural things that we do to preserve who we are.

Duties and Responsibilities of Stakeholders

For managers, a scholarly theory that other stakeholders should have some duties— towards the firm, in particular—should be a pleasant relief. However, key lessons for managers are that responsibilities towards the firm require that managers first conduct themselves morally; and that other stakeholder responsibilities often involve moral and citizenship duties requiring collective action, for which business leadership may be crucial. Mutual and joint responsibilities of stakeholders separate into four general categories: with the firm; among stakeholders themselves; common pool resources (especially nature); and the commonwealth. Stakeholder responsibilities are thus separable into those of interdependent actors, moral individuals and citizens. Interdependent responsibilities are arguably weaker than moral and citizenship responsibilities, and may amount only to benevolence in the stakeholder context absent those other responsibilities. 1.Stakeholdersuch of business ethics boils down to exhortation concerning proper managerial conduct, in various circumstances, or defences of managerial practices generally based on the economic development benefits of markets (see Wilson 1989). Thinking about ethics from a manager’s perspective is perhaps more difficult. 2.To perceive, or propose, imbalance in the prevailing conceptualisation of business responsibilities. The idea is to establish the responsibilities of stakeholders other than managers and owners, including duties to the firm. There is substantial merit in the proposed thesis. Constructs such as corporate social responsibility, corporate social responsiveness, corporate social performance and global corporate citizenship all emphasise—as they were intended to do—the duties of and constraints on the motives (or goals) and conduct (or actions) of firms: i.e. the managers and owners of joint-stock public corporations or privately held companies. 1 In an effort to rebalance conceptualisation of responsibilities, this special issue considers the duties of and constraints on the motives and conduct of stakeholders (other than managers and owners, themselves stakeholders) defined in relationship to both the focal firm and other stakeholders of that firm. Stakeholders also have a collective impact on nature, and either collectively or in national groups joint responsibility for one or more commonwealths. For managers, that other stakeholders should have some duties—towards the firm, in particular—should presumably be a pleasant relief from widespread assault, on various grounds, by business critics and calls for greater corporate responsibilities and global citizenship activities. This author suggests, however, that there are some key lessons for managers in the proposed reconsideration of stakeholders’ responsibilities. Responsibilities towards the firm will require that managers first conduct themselves morally, and existing notions of corporate responsibility and citizenship do not necessarily obtain that pattern of conduct. Other stakeholder responsibilities often involve moral and citizenship duties requiring collective action, such that managers will often need to lead the way—as in child labour and environmental protection issues. The stakeholder role cannot be readily separated from general considerations of moral reflection and citizenship. A difficulty is that the stakeholder role must be considered by case and circumstance. While responsibilities towards other stakeholders are arguably stronger than responsibilities to the firm (such that managers must demonstrate by moral conduct worthiness to be the object of such responsibilities by others), those responsibilities, while interdependent, often do not occur at first hand but rather often through a chain of distant repercussions. It is therefore an additional step, conceptually and practically, to add accountability for specific outcomes beyond simple notions duane windsor

The Spread of AK-47s and its Affect on Communist Nations essays

The Spread of AK-47s and its Affect on Communist Nations essays Since its adoption by the Soviet Union in 1947, the AK-47 has been seen in every conflict around the world. The weapon was used by all communist countries and played a dramatic role in the spread of communism. The weapons inventor Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was born on November 10, 1919 to a peasant family in Alma-Ata in southeastern Kazakhstan. He was enlisted in the Red Army in1938 and displayed natural mechanical talent. After basic training he attended a tank driving school and served as a tank commander in Marshal Katukovs First Tank Army in 1941. In September of that year during the battle for Bryansk, his tank was hit by a German shell and he was wounded. While he lay in a near by hospital he and his comrades shared stories of the front. We had only rifles against the Fascists submachine guns. Another of his wounded comrades remarked: Weve got submachine guns too, but the trouble is that there are so few of them. Hearing this conversation Kalashnikov thought he could contribute to the war effort by designing weapons for the Red Army. The next few years he spent his time studying and designing small arms in the Soviet armaments program. One particular project he was working on was an automatic rifle that could fire the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. This new automatic rifle had to be made reliable in operation, compact, light weight, and simple in design. Finally, in 1946 Kalashnikov had a working automatic that proved valuable on the testing ranges and was put into production for the Red Army in 1947- Automatic Kalashnikov 1947, or AK-47. Orders to produce the first model of the AK-47 were made to fit the Red Army of World War II. Between 1948 and 1951, an estimated five hundred thousand to one million guns were produced. A changeover of weapons would occur with the introduction of a second model of the AK-47 and from 1952 to 1954 a few hundred thousand ...

Pragmatics Gives Context to Language

Pragmatics Gives Context to Language Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics concerned with the use of language in social  contexts  and the ways people produce and comprehend meanings through language. The term pragmatics was coined in the 1930s by psychologist and philosopher Charles Morris. Pragmatics was developed as a subfield of linguistics in the 1970s. Background Pragmatics has its roots in philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. Morris drew on his background when he laid out his theory of pragmatics in his book Signs, Language and Behavior, explaining that the linguistic term deals with the origins, uses, and effects of signs within the total behavior of the interpreters of signs. In terms of pragmatics, signs refers not to physical signs but to the subtle movements, gestures, tone of voice, and body language that often accompany speech. Sociology- the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society- and anthropology played large roles in the development of pragmatics. Morris based his theory on his earlier work editing the writings and lectures of George Herbert Mead, an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist, in the book Mind, Self, and Society: From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist, writes John Shook in  Pragmatism Cybrary, an online pragmatism encyclopedia. Mead, whose work also drew heavily on anthropology- the study of human societies and cultures and their development- explained how communication involves much more than just the words people use: It involves the all-important social signs people make when they communicate. Pragmatics vs. Semantics Morris explained that pragmatics is different from  semantics, which  concerns the relations between signs and the objects they signify. Semantics refers to the specific meaning of language; pragmatics involves all the social cues that accompany language. Pragmatics focuses not on  what  people say but  how  they say it and how others interpret their  utterances  in social contexts, says Geoffrey Finch in Linguistic Terms and Concepts. Utterances are literally the units of sound you make when you talk, but the signs that accompany those utterances give the sounds their true meaning. Pragmatics in Action The  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association  (ASHA) gives two examples of how pragmatics influences language and its interpretation. In the first, ASHA notes: You invited your friend over for dinner. Your child sees your friend reach for some cookies and says, Better not take those, or youll get even bigger. You cant believe your child could be so rude. In a literal sense, the daughter is simply saying that eating cookies can make you gain weight. But due to the social context, the mother interprets that sentence to mean that her daughter is calling her friend fat. The first sentence in this explanation refers to the semantics- the literal meaning of the sentence. The second and third refer  to the pragmatics, the actual meaning of the words as interpreted by a listener based on social context. In another example, ASHA notes: You talk with a neighbor about his new car. He has trouble staying on topic and starts talking about his favorite TV show. He doesnt look at you when you talk and doesnt laugh at your jokes. He keeps talking, even when you look at your watch and say, Wow. Its getting late. You finally leave, thinking about how hard it is to talk with him. In this scenario, the speaker is just talking about a new car and his favorite TV show. But the listener interprets the signs the speaker is using- not looking at the listener and not laughing at his jokes- as the speaker being unaware of the listeners views (let alone his presence) and monopolizing his time. Youve likely been in this kind of situation before, where the speaker is talking about perfectly reasonable, simple subjects but is unaware of your presence and your need to escape. While the speaker sees the talk as a simple sharing of information (the semantics), you see it as a rude monopolization of your time (the pragmatics). Pragmatics has proved helpful in working with children with  autism.  Beverly Vicker, a speech and language pathologist writing on the  Autism Support Network  website, notes that many children with autism find it difficult to pick up on what she and other autism theorists describe as social pragmatics, which refers to: ...the ability to effectively use and adjust communication messages for a variety of purposes with an array of communication partners within diverse circumstances. When educators, speech pathologists, and other interventionists teach these explicit communication skills, or  social pragmatics, to children with autism spectrum disorder, the results are often profound and can have a big  impact in improving their conversational interaction skills. Importance of Pragmatics Pragmatics is the meaning minus semantics, says  Frank Brisard in his essay Introduction: Meaning and Use in Grammar, published in Grammar, Meaning and Pragmatics. Semantics, as noted, refers to the literal meaning of a spoken utterance. Grammar, Brisard says, involves the rules defining how the language is put together. Pragmatics takes  context  into account to complement the contributions that semantics and grammar make to meaning, he says. David Lodge, writing in the Paradise News, says that pragmatics gives humans a fuller, deeper, and generally more reasonable account of human language behavior. Without pragmatics, there is often  no understanding of what language actually means, or what a person truly means when she is speaking. The context- the social signs, body language, and tone of voice (the pragmatics)- is what makes utterances clear or unclear to the speaker and her listeners.

Netflix's Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Netflix's - Case Study Example As mentioned above, Netflix can capitalize on the software features, provided by Amazon, by providing tailored services to its customers. However, due to its dependability on Amazon for delivering service features, it is considered that Netflix cannot make vital decisions independently. The software application used by Netflix has created certain values for the company in its domestic market i.e. the United States. However, it has created opportunities for its competitors such as such eBay and Intel to take complete advantage of this application. Netflix has a huge opportunity to expand the market share through effective financial operations, but its share price has been declining significantly. Netflix’s stock has been trading at a lower rate, but the company can increase its stock price value through productive measures. Customer value creation is a potential opportunity for Netflix to increase its market existence through Amazon Web Services, but this particular aspect has adversely affected its managerial functions, due to excessive usage of web servers. Netflix through its relationship with Amazon has increased opportunities to upgrade its cloud services, whereas the decision making process has been problematic to a certain extent. The overall size of its domestic market is relatively smaller due to increased competition, although it has created opportunities for Netflix to expand its subscriber’s base. The average rate of return on services and contents provided by the company is continuously declining. Nonetheless, Netflix has a huge opportunity to replicate its business model and enter in overseas market for greater effectively. Understanding market behavior is quite important for each and every company to sustain in the market for a long term. Thus, it is suggested that marketing managers of Netflix through performing a thorough market research might understand the market behavior as well as customers’