Proposal January 28, 2010

The topic I wished to explore was the H1N1 influenza. Moreover, I figured a controversial aspect of this topic was the vaccination that was created for this strain of flu. However, the issue with this vaccine is that serious adverse effects have been reported in some who have received it.  Consequently, I want to pursue whether Amercians perceive the H1N1 influenza vaccination to be beneficial or harmful. And after conducting a bit of research, with more to be performed, I believe that Americans believe the vaccination to be helpful because they are not properly informed of the negative effects that it may cause.

My topic and question is relevant to everyone living in the United States because it is undeniable that everyone is susceptible to catching this strain of influenza; consequently, Americans must be informed of the best ways to protect themselves from this virus.

Broder, K., et al. “Safety of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccines — United States, October 1-November 24, 2009.” MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 58.48 (2009): 1351-1356. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan. 2010.

 The authors of this article explain that steps are being taken to properly monitor the effects associated with the H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines while also listing the statistical data that has aleady been gathered. The authors provide two charts to clearly provide the raw data about the adverse effects that have been obtained while also explaining the fuctions of VAERS, VSD, and the problems associated with ach of these organizations and reporting. The writers produced this article in order to keep other medical professionals informed about the effects of these vaccinations as well as to inform them that the data may not be entirely accurate. The intended audience of this article are fellow educated members of the health community who are monitoring the safety of these vaccinations.

“CDC Estimates of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States, April-December 12, 2009.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 15 January, 2010. Web. 27 January, 2010. <http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm>.

 The writers of this online article suggest that the estimates for the H1N1 influenza in the United States may be highly under reported but argue that the CDC has developed a method that accounts for this underreporting to provide statistics on this epidemic, which is  also shared. By including a chart of the estimated cases of H1N1 influenza by age group, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths between April and December 12, 2009, and defining the method that the CDC has undertaken to create these estimates, the authors justify their argument. The writers of this web article share this information in order to make the public aware of how the H1N1 has impacted the United States thus far and to justify how these statistics are obtained. The intended audience for this source is the mass educated public.

“Use of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2009.” MMWR Recommendations & Reports 58.RR-10 (2009): 1-7. CINAHL with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan. 2010.

 The composers of this journal article suggest that all people should receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine while also providing a brief background of the pandemic. The writers justify this claim by explaining the history of the novel influenza A, contrasting the H1N1 and seasonal flu, and then supporting the ACIP’s statement that everyone should be vaccinated. The authors produced this article in order to help prevent the spread of this pandemic and to inform the public that it is extremely beneficial to receive the novel influenza A vaccination. The intended audience for this journal article is once again the educated public.

Preliminary Project Questions January 25, 2010

What are the perceived positives and negatives of the H1N1 influenza vaccination?

Was the H1N1 vaccination released before it was properly tested?

Was the release of the  H1N1 vaccination rushed because it was declared an epidemic?

Do Americans perceive the H1N1 vaccination to be beneficial or harmful?

Interview Reports January 19, 2010

As a chemistry major, I found it would be most beneficial to speak with Dr. Sandra Chimon Peszek regarding how she conducts research in this field. Dr. Peszek was one of my former professors at DePaul University and was more than eager to share her insight with me. After speaking with this faculty member, I have found that chemists are always conducting experimental research. Dr. Peszek is currently researching the Alzheimer’s amyloid peptide with one graduate student, one post-back student, and three undergraduate students. All of her research is conucted through various experiments while utilizing various instruments. Furthermore, when questioning her about fellow professors at DePaul, she explained that everyone is conducting their own research projects. Most of the research that is being conducted possesses a medicinal purpose; however, one of  her co-workers is simply analyzing the structures of certain chemicals found in the body. Therefore, this type of research is strictly chemistry-based. Regardless, Dr. Pesezk has been published in the past by the Nature Publishing Group, which contains science journals, jobs, and information. In addition, she has had two papers published in the Journal of American Chemical Society. Furthermore, she will be submitting three more papers to be published in the near future. Consequently, I believe scientific journals will prove highly beneficial when exploring the positives and negatives of the H1N1 influenza vaccination.

Moreover, since I had a strong idea of what I would be researching for this project, I took the initiative to question Dr. Peszek about her feelings on this topic. She has not personally conducted any research on this strain of flu since it is more biology based, but this is not to say that chemists elsewhere are not experimenting on H1N1. And when it comes to her personal feelings about this vaccination, Dr. Peszek does not believe it is beneficial yet. She shared with me that most vaccines require seven to seventeen years of research to conduct all necessary tests. As a result, the release of the H1N1 flu vaccination was forced since it was declared an epidemic. The brutal side effects are not worth the protection from this strain of the flu.

On the other hand, I encountered a different opinion after speaking with Anh Cao, a pharmacist at the local Dominick’s. Cao received her degree at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and will have been a pharmacist for two years come May. She shared that an estimated three hundred people have ventured to this pharmacy to receive the vaccination. In her opinion, she saw fewer patients than she anticipated. The potential justifications for this lower outcome are that it took such a long time for Dominick’s to receive the vaccine that most people  resorted to other resources, such as local medical groups, to obtain the vaccination. Regardless, members of all different age groups have received the vaccine from this pharmacy, with a bit higher prevalence amongst the elderly. Cao shared that most people ask common questions about potential side effects from the vaccination as well as the difference between the regular flu shot and the H1N1. And when asking Cao about her research of the H1N1, it was primarily based upon secondary sources. She mentioned statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control as well as research conducted by corporate. Furthermore, she possess basic knowledge of this strain of flu from school. On the contrary to Dr. Peszek, Cao believes that the H1N1 vaccine is beneficial. She argues that this vaccination is generally the same as the typical flu shot; the H1N1 only covers a different strain. Therefore, if a person can tolerate the regular flu shot, Cao claims that one will tolerate the vaccination for the H1N1 influenza. Furthermore, she states that is highly beneficial for young people, since it is so prevalent amongst this demographic.

After conducting this interviews, I believe that I will be reviewing several scientific journals to learn about clinical trials that were held on the H1N1 influenza vaccination in addition to research the Centers for Disease Control and other secondary sources, such as newspapers and magazines. Nonetheless, it is apparent that there are highly different stances on this issue. So, it will be interesting to see the experimental truth that I find behind this inquiry.

Opinion of Mother and Child January 11, 2010

After conducting further research, I feel that Pablo Picasso’s painting titled “Mother and Child” represents the belief that higher social standing creates detachment between people as well as society as a whole. Upon first viewing this painting, I was struck by how distant the mother appeared to be from her baby. Typically, mothers are depicted comforting and cradling their children versus the mother in this work, who appears stiff and disconnected from her own flesh and blood. Furthermore, numerous sources suggest that the mother in this painting is Picasso’s first wife, Olga. As a result, this would support even more the theory that the mother and child disconnected. Olga was a famous ballerina who thrived in being a member of a higher class society.  On the contrary, Picasso preferred a much simpler lifestyle. He detested his newfound fame as an artist and preferred living life as one in poverty. Picasso possessed highly different values than his spouse.  These differences eventually resulted in divorce for the couple. Since Olga favored living life among the wealthy while Picasso valued a more simplistic way of life, the two of course grew distant. This is the separation that is represented in this painting. Furthermore, the distance between the mother and child signifies the differences between the rich and poor.  Society will forever be stratified, and Picasso highlights how difficult it is to branch the gap between low and high classes of society. Although a mere mother and child are represented in Pablo Picasso’s painting, they possess much greater significance than one may believe.

Mother and Child Precis January 7, 2010

“Pablo Picasso.” Brain-Juice. Brain-Juice.Com, Inc., 2002. Web. 6 January 2010. <http://www.brain-juice.com/cgi-bin/show_bio.cgi?p_id=72>.

The authors of Brain-Juice.Com suggest that  while Pablo Picasso was creating his legacy, his transitions between different styles and forms of art was was highly influenced by the events that occurred during his life. The authors demonstrate this ideal by referencing various works that were identified to belong to the blue period, rose period, cubism, or surrealism period while sharing the life events that coincided with these various stages of his career. The authors desired to share how Picasso developed as an artist throughout his life in order to help viewers better understand the meaning behind his pieces. The authors intended for those interested in expanding their knowledge of the arts.

“Between Two Wars 1917-1936: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).” n.p. n.d. Web. 6 January 2010. <http://podol.ru/picasso/biography-eng.htm#Between>.

The author of this website implies that Pablo Picasso experienced the most difficult times of his life during the wars as he found himself alienated even with women and children among a high class society due to his fame and humble morals. This message is conveyed through elabortaing which works of art Picasso created at specific points in his life and contrasting them to other pieces that were formed during other circumstances. The author wishes to better inform public of Picasso’s story and the various art that was created at specific times in order to allow viewers to achieve a more emotional response to his work. The creator of this website intends for anyone who wishes to expand his/her interest and knowledge of Pablo Picasso to view it.

“Pablo Picasso.“ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 6 January 2010. <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

An electronic article from the Columbia Encyclopedia on Pablo Picasso claims that his transitions across all different styles of art during his lifetime has brought him infamy. In order to better support this argument, this article enumerates the countless works that Picasso created during the blue period, the rose period, cubism, and surrealism and contrasts them while clarifying that they all ultimately brought him success. Regardless, this article was created to better inform the public of Picasso’s work in order to increase their general knowledge. Since this source is from an encyclopedia website, it targets an adult literate audience.

After reading all of these sources, I feel that they truly support my ideas about the painting. In Picasso’s “Mother and Child,” I believe that he is expressing that you do not always need to be pampered and nurtured with by a woman to survive. I believe that in this painting, the mother is actually very distant from her child. You typically see a mother holding her baby very close and cradling it; however, this is not represented in this piece. After doing research, it is apparent that the mother is Picasso’s wife, Olga, and the baby is his son, Paolo. His wife was a famous ballerina and enjoyed being in the limelight, so she would have been distant from her son. Similarly, not only did Olga distance herself from her son, she also grew apart from her husband. As a ballerina, Olga enjoyed being famous and receiving doration. On the contrary, Picasso had become quite popular during this time as well for his art but detested the fame. These opposing created the distance between Picasso and his wife shared and eventually lead to their divorce. Picasso failed to truly ever share love with a woman, for he was always more devoted to his art. Regardless, he proceeded to become one of the most influential artists the world has seen.

Girl With the Green Face January 5, 2010

Alexej Jawlensky’s “Girl with the Green Face” may evoke many emotions and thoughts from those who view it. However, I believe that this painting was created in order to express the feeling of jealousy.  As Elger expresses, Jawlensky’s paintings were controlled by color (165). Furthermore, Jawlensky “…aimed to achieve a synthesis between the impressions from the outer world and the experiences of an inner world…”(Elger, 169). As a result, with these principles dominating his mind, it is evident that Jawlensky painted to express emotions.

So in order to better promote such ideals in art, Jawlensky joined a new association in 1909. He joined the Neu Kunstlervereinigung Munchen, also referred to as the New Artists’ Association of Munich. Members of this organization were “…pioneers of nonrepresentational art, working against the institutions to establish a progressively spiritual brand of abstraction” (“Alexej Jawlensky (1864-1941)”). The New Artists’ Assocation of Munich was lead by Kandinsky, Kanoldt, and Erbsloh. Kandinsky was declared the president of the association, Kanoldt was the sercretary, and Erbsloh was the chariman of the exhibition committee (“Neue Kunstlervereinigung Munchen (NKV)”). The association organized exibitions in the expressionist and fauvist style and was often ridiculed and mocked by te public as a result (“Alexj Jawlensky (1864-1941)”). Although their works did not flourish at that time, it did not cause the downfall of the organization.  

As demonstrated in any society at any period in history, there is always a struggle for power. Sadly, the New Munich Artists Association was not exempt from this battle. Conflict arose amongst the three leaders of the association, and Jawlensky found himself attempting to act as the mediator (Elger, 169). The three men were jealous of each other and the influence each one maintained within the association. Consequently, Kandinsky, Kanoldt, and Erbsloh became green with envy.

After observing this emotion, Jawlensky decided to represent  it in his in his painting “The Girl with the Green Face” the following year. In this painting, the woman is looking downward ,symbolizing how each leader looked down upon each other. Similarly, the woman’s green face exemplefies the jealousy that overwhelmed Kandinsky, Kanoldt, and Erbsloh. Jawlensky related an outward fight for power to an unobserved feeling of jealousy. He achieved a synthesis through a beautiful painting.

Works Cited:

 “Alexej Jawlensky (1864-1941).” Leslie Sacks Fine Art.  n.p. n.d. Web. 5 January 2010. <http://www.lesliesacks.com/ gallery/artistPages/jawlensky/jawlenskybio.htm>.

 ”Alexej von Jawlenskyv.” Wikipedia. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 9 December 2009. Web. 5 January 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Jawlensky>.

 Elger, Dietmar. Expressionism: A Revolution in German Art. Taschen, 2002.

“Girl with the Green Face.” The Art Institute of Chicago. VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2008. Web. 5 January 2010. <http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/79588>.

 ”Neue Kunstlervereinigung Munchen (NKV) (‘New Artists’ Association of Munich’).” n.p. n.d. Web. 5 January 2010. <http://arts.jrank.org/pages/13380/Neue-K%C3%BCnstlervereinigung-M%C3%BCnchen-(NKV)-(%E2%80%98New-Artists’-Association-Munich%e2%80%99).html>.