Richemont Reports Success
Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, where Alan Quasha is a Board member, saw its first half profits surge far above the expected as spending on luxury watches and jewelry peaked in Asia and the Americas, particularly in Hong Kong, where the Chinese market for luxury goods ensures a constant demand for Swiss watches.
Asian consumers purchasing of Cartier, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Montblanc products between April and September also helped increase Richemont’s income. The group’s net profit for the first six months of its 2010-2011 business year reached 644 million euros (884 million dollars), an amount far above the predicted average of 546 million euros for that period. Richemont shares rose 50% this year, outperforming the overall 25% increase in its sector.
Brain Trauma Foundation: Check the Concussion Checklist
So you tripped on the stairs, or slipped on the ice. You fell in the office or chasing your kid in the playground. You might feel a bit woozy, a little dizzy, slightly confused. But then you pull yourself together and go back to doing what you’re doing. How could it be something serious? After all, it was a just a bump on the head.
But in fact, it could serious – especially if it was not you but your child. The Brain Trauma Foundation, chaired by Alan Quasha, has worked to underscore the importance of proper treatment for concussion.
Now, University of California at Los Angeles researchers have reported that the impact of a blow to the head, even a mild one, can linger for years. They further reported that even a mild head injury has the potential to harm the development of a young brain even two years later.
This research underscores the importance of having your own or your child’s head injury diagnosed and treated properly. Have you suffered a concussion? Did your child? If you’re not sure, check the Concussion Checklist on the Brain Trauma Foundation website.
Soccer Player’s Career Suffers from Old Concussions
The American national soccer team is currently in Mexico preparing for the 2011 World Cup. Lori Chalupny, their starting midfielder for 5 years, feels she should be there as well, instead of staying at her home in St. Louis. She is indeed considered by many to be the “most complete and versatile player in the program.” Why, then, is she not competing in the World Cup this year, and possibly ever again? Chalupny has a long history of concussions. The US Soccer Federation has allowed her to continue her pro career, but after consulting with a leading expert on sports head trauma, have removed her from the national team.
This instance can really emphasize the seriousness of concussions and other head trauma. Generally, people don’t realize the potential dangers or the importance of early identification of concussion. The American Brain Trauma Foundation, with Chairman Alan Quasha, is one of many organizations which work to promote brain trauma and concussion awareness.
Brain Trauma- A Serious Threat
In April, Owen Thomas, a lineman for the University of Pennsylvania, hanged himself after a shocking and “uncharacteristic” emotional collapse, as described by his family and friends. Thomas’s parents gave permission to examine his brain tissue, and the doctors discovered that he suffered from the early stages of a disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This disease is linked with depression and impulse control, and was found in over 20 deceased NFL players, two of whom also took their own lives in the past ten years. The CTE disease is a result of repetitive brain trauma, such as dismissed concussions or thousands of minor collisions that occur over many years.
While football is a common cause of brain trauma, it is certainly not the only one. Children and adults alike are susceptible to mild concussions as a result of many everyday activities or accidents, such as sports, exercise, falling down the stairs or even a train ride. Any degree of trauma to the head can result in a mild or severe concussion.
There are many organizations which promote brain trauma awareness and proper treatment. An example of one such group is the American Brain Trauma Foundation with Chairman Alan Quasha.
Mistakes are Essential, says Alan Quasha
In an article in Frobes.com, founder, president and CEO of Quadrant Management, Alan Quasha, explains why making mistakes is a valuable part of being a leader.
Quasha begins the article by saying, “We first must acknowledge what should be obvious: Mistakes happen. And, in fact, contrary to popular perception, that’s a good thing. As the great UCLA baseball coach John Wooden once said, the team that makes the most mistakes wins.”
He continues by saying, “History consistently shows that success comes not from playing it safe, but by expecting to make mistakes, learning from them quickly and using that knowledge to devise a winning strategy.”
TBI & the Military: Brain Trauma Foundation with Alan Quasha
Many people don’t realize that one of the major injuries that our troops experience is traumatic brain injury. More than 11,800 troops have been seriously injured in an IED attack, and thousands more have been close enough that they’ve suffered from concussions. As the Brain Trauma Foundation with President Alan Quasha reports, veteran advocates today believe that between 10 and 20% of Iraq veterans have some degree of TBI. This equates to 150,000-300,000 people.
When analyzing only wounded troops, this rate rises to 33%. The Brain Trauma Foundation with Alan Quasha, supported by a grant from the Defense & Veterans Brain Injury Center, created important guidelines for the management of combat related head trauma in 2005.
Certainly, more research is needed about TBI and the military in order to keep our troops safe, to help them to survive their injuries, and to rehabilitate them back into civilian life.
Alan Quasha and Concussions
There has been new research on concussions (in medical terms known as molecular mechanism in mild TBI, mTBI), undertaken by Douglas Smith MD, Neurosurgery Professor and Center for Brain Injury and Repair Director. Such information is always helpful to any organization or individual trying to help those who have suffered a TBI, especially Alan Quasha and the team he chairs at the American Brain Trauma Foundation. This kind of trauma, seen as ‘mild’ impacts more than a million Americans annually. Somehow, despite this statistic, it is still dismissed as a major health issue. Nonetheless, a concussion can result in long-term cognitive and neurological problems.
A man like Alan Quasha, along with his team at the Brain Trauma Foundation, has to keep up-to-date with new information on TBI and indeed TBI although to date, little has been researched on TBI. This recent research was conducted on data stemming from animal and human studies, two to four days following an injury using neuroimaging techniques. It found “distinct changes throughout the white matter in the brain.” All those involved in treating TBI patients need to keep updated on research findings such as these.
Origins of the American Stock Exchange
Working out of New York, the American Stock Exchange (commonly referred to as the AMEX) was originally termed the New York Curb Exchange. Just over two years ago, it was bought out by NYSE Euronext for $260m in stock.
A stock market is basically used to trade company stock and derivatives at a set price for the public market. There are two types: securities (which can be found by everyone on a stock exchange) as well as private trades (those only to be traded in the private sphere).
For anyone in the business and investment world, becoming familiar with flux in the stock exchange provides an important tool of what is going on in the financial world. Stock markets hit huge figures; for example, in 2008, the estimate for the world stock market’s value was around $36.3 trillion.
For three years, from 1994 to 1997, Mr. Alan Quasha, President of Quadrant Management, served as a governor of the American Stock Exchange.
Video Games Continue to Gain Popularity
Alan Quasha has significant experience in the worlds of business and law, providing him with the know-how and expertise to chair many investment companies. Genco Media LLC (backed by Quadrant Management, of which Alan Quasha is the President), is one of these. The company “provide[s] content that creates the means to fund the development of a range of entertainment related products, including video games.”
Since their inception, video games have been on an upward spiral of increasing popularity with young and old alike. There are constantly new systems and updates and for those who enjoy playing them, they are almost incapable of staying one step behind all these developments. So the video game business continues to thrive, despite perhaps competing against other technical developments. That is why Genco Media is in the right market at the right time and currently seeks to invest in the creation of more entertainment related products. Since the popularity of home entertainment is clearly on the rise, the future could potentially be very bright for such companies. For geeks who love gadgets, home entertainment in general and video games in particular will always remain valued assets.
Skiing with a Helmet Saves Lives
The Brain Trauma Foundation, with Chair Alan Quasha, works tirelessly to educate health personnel and the general public about brain injuries. One recent article on their website points to the important of helmets for skiers.
Canadian researchers analyzed the use of helmets for skiers and found that helmets reduced skiers’ and snowboarders’ risk of head injury by 35%. They also found that the helmets don’t increase the chance of neck injuries. Their study was published February 1 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
This study could help to change the face of skiing, as traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and serious injury for skiers and snowboarders.
