Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Example

Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Example Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay Vision, its malfunctions ; diagnostic methods Essay 1.0 Preface This essay is on vision, its malfunctions diagnostics methods. The content included is concordant with the criteria listed on the specification of the institute of biophysics at 2nd Faculty of Charles University in Prague. Additional acknowledgements are mentioned under the reference section. 1.1 Visual acuity and its measurement Visual acuity is the measurement of the ability to discriminate two stimuli separated in space at high contrast relative to the background1; it is a quantitative measure of the ability to identify black symbols on a white background at a standardized distance as the size of the symbols is varied. It happens to be the most common clinical measurement of visual function. Visual acuity is typically measured using optotype chart for close and distant vision (snellen test). The eye which is not under test is occluded by means of instructing the subject to place an obstacle, for example a hand in front of the eye. This prevents intentional peeking, which would adversely affect the validity of the examination results. A variety of charts convenient for the patient are used, particularly in cases where a subject is unable to read the alphabet. In such cases the Tumbling E chart may be used, where the perceived letter, capital E is facing a different direction. Subsequently the subject is then required to determine the direction of the letter. (For further details read on below) 1.2 Basic geometrical defects of the eye optical system and their correction Namely, there are three basic types of defects of the optical system. These are Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness) and Astigmatism (inappropriate path of light rays to the eye). Myopia and hyperopia are termed spherical disorders as both can be corrected with spherical lens. Astigmatism on the other hand is an aspherical disorder as it is corrected with cylindrical lenses1. Myopia influences the ability to see distant objects, in which the object is perceived as blurry. This is because the object is not focused directly on the retina, but in front of it. A clinical explanation for this may be that the eyeball is longer in length or the refractive power of the lens is immensely strong. Correction of this defect is achieved by wearing concave lenses which help to focus the object being viewed onto the retina. Fig 1 Compensating for myopia using a corrective lens. Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia, in which distant vision is intact but problems only arise when viewing things at close proximities. In this case the object being viewed is focused somewhat behind the retina rather than upon it. A clinical explanation for this may be that the eyeball is shorter in length or the refractive power of the lens is too weak. Correction is achieved by wearing convex lenses which focus the object being viewed onto the retina. Fig 2 Restoring of vision with convex lens Astigmatism is a defect of the eye in which light rays are localized at different regions of the retina rather than being localized on a single focal point of the retina. Strictly speaking, there are two forms of astigmatism. The first is a third-order aberration, which occurs for objects (or parts of objects) away from the optical axis. The second form of astigmatism occurs when the optical system is not symmetric about the optical axis. Problems persist when viewing lines placed at differing angles and the lines running in one direction appear sharp, whilst those in other directions appear blurred. Correction is achieved by wearing cylindrical lenses, which are placed in the out-of-focus axis. Fig 3 Showing the faint lines viewed by a person with astigmatism 1.3 Objective subjective methods for measuring eye refractive power Commonly employed methods to assess optical power are among subjective methods, although in the recent years objective strategies (e.g. nerve fiber analyzers) have been implemented which, however do not rely on patient responses. Optical power is adversely affected by glaucoma, a major risk factor for vision loss, caused by the loss of retinal ganglion cells. Fiber analyzers are used to measure physical thickness of nerve fibers in the retina. As fiber layer thickness is a measure of glaucoma progression, thin thickness concludes the onset of glaucoma and thus impaired vision. Subjective methods include the Snellen Chart Test, in which the optotype is placed twenty feet (6 meters) away from the subject. Some individuals may well wear spectacles in which case the examination is performed with the subject wearing them. The eye which is adversely impaired out of the two is examined first. Usually the examination commences by using large optotypes followed by the smaller ones. The subject is then prompted to recite the letters (or symbols) visible to them. This procedure is then repeated for the other eye. Normally read at 60 metres. Normally read at 36 metres. Normally read at 18 metres. Normally read at 12 metres. Normally read at 9 metres. Normally read at 6 metres. Normally read at 5 metres. Normally read at 4 metres. Fig 4 Showing distances at which letters can be read The results from the snellen test are processed and denoted as fractions. For example 6/18 means that the third line down can be read from 6 meters away; 6/6 or 6/5 is considered to be normal distance vision. If no lines can be read from 6 meters then shorter distances are tried. For example, 3/36 means that the second line can be read from a distance of 3 meters away; 2/60 means that the top line can be read from 2 meters away1 (If the top letter cannot be read even with prescription lens or glasses then the subject is considered to be legally blind). Alternatively a Lea test aimed at pre-school children may be used. In this case the optotypes denote an edible fruit (e.g. an apple). The Tumbling E chart (see visual acuity and its measurement) may also be used. In both cases the same principle applies as with the Snellen test. Indirect subjective methods to access optical power include intraocular pressure (see below). 1.4 Intraocular Pressure its measurements As the name suggests, intraocular pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid inside the eye. Fluid secretion may be triggered by genetic factors, side effects of medication, the inflammation of the eye or simply, during exercise. Normal intraocular pressure lies between 10 mmHg and 21 mmHg. In spite of the optic nerve and visual field being intact, when the intraocular pressure is greater than normal, the condition is termed Ocular Hypertension. Ocular Hypertension is usually correlated with the increased incidence of glaucoma. When the intraocular pressure falls below the critical value (5 mmHg) the condition is termed Ocular Hypotony. Intraocular pressure is typically measured by using a tonometer. Often eye drops are given to alleviate any pain. The procedure involves applying a dye (florescein) to the eye. This eases the examiners ability to see the cornea. The subject is then asked to stare at a bright-lighted slit lamp. The tonometer probe is then made to touch the eye and subsequently the examiner notes down the tension dial which measures the intraocular pressure. 1.5 Color perception and its malfunctions The trichromatic theory proposed by Young 1802, claims that any colour can be produced by a mixture of red, green and blue light. This infers that there only needs to be three types of cones red (erythrolabes), blue (cyanolabes) and green (chlorolabes), with each maximally sensitive to one type of color. The cones respond to different degrees when exposed to light, with the brain synthesising this information to produce all other colors1. Malfunctions of color perception include monochromacy, dichromacy, anomalous trichromacy and achromatopsia Monochromacy, caused by the absence of two of the three cones, is the inability to distinguish between colors. Thus color vision is reduced to one dimension. There are two forms, rod and cone monochromacy respectively. Rod monochromacy, associated with light sensitivity (photophobia) is the absence or malfunction of the retinal cones. As a result the ability to distinguish colors is impaired. Cone monochromacy refers to color blindness which is accompanied by relatively normal vision. Dichromacy constitutes the absence or malfunctioning of one of the three cones, thus limiting vision to two dimensions. It may be passed on to the offspring genetically (i.e. sex linked), in particular having a predilection in the male population. As with monochromacy, this defect comprises two forms, protanopia (a congenital sex linked color vision defect caused by the absence of the red retinal photoreceptors) and deuteranopia (red-green color blindness resulting from the loss of function of medium wavelength cones or M-cones) Anomalous trichromacy is a congenital color vision deficiency, referring to the relatively low quantity of one of the three types of cone photo-pigments. The condition is thought to occur when one of the three cone pigments are altered, but trichromacy or normal three dimensional color vision is not fully impaired. Achromatopsia is congenital or inherited deficiency of color perception. It is caused by the absence of cone cells or severe defect in those initially present. Individuals with this condition typically perceive the world as being gray, black and white2. 1.6 Binocular 3D Vision Binocular vision yields a wider scope of vision. Most objects in our visual world have texture. The acquisition of two eyes (binocular vision) as oppose to one (monocular vision) makes the grain of texture appear finer as we move from one region to another. This gives binocular summation, in which the ability to detect faint objects is enhanced. The perception of depth is the ability to perceive the world in three dimensions1. Binocular disparity arises as each eye has a slightly different perspective of the object being viewed2. Therefore the closer the object, the more disparate the image. Thus binocular disparity is used as a binocular depth cue. Other binocular depth cues include stereopsist (the process in visual perception leading to perception of the depth or distance of objects)3 and binocular convergence (the simultaneous inward movement of both eyes toward each other, usually in an effort to maintain single binocular vision when viewing an object) 4. Because of binocular disparity, light entering one eye can alter papillary diameter in the other closed eye upon opening. It may also affect the process of accommodation (focusing of the eye) as the accommodation of the closed eye, upon opening, will inevitably be equal to that of the first eye. Fig 5 3D processing of the brain The picture on the previous page contains two images of a chair, one red and one blue, from two slightly different angles. When wearing two different lenses, one lens will filter out the blue color and the other the red color. The result is each eye is only receiving one of the two images on the page. Just as if you were looking at a real chair from two different angles, the brain forms these images into one three-dimensional image (hence the term binocular 3D vision arises). 1.7 Devices for night vision Night vision devices are best appreciated by deciding what you intend to use them for. Of the numerous devices available, night glasses are typical preferred amongst others, possibly because of their primitive outlook. Their large lenses can accumulate light and subsequently project it through the exit pupil of 7nm or more, and into the individuals eye, thus enhancing vision in hours of darkness. Thermal vision is a fairly modern exploitation of science in which a device (e.g. security camera equipment) constructs an image in response to microwaves or sound waves, which are transmitted from the source. Thermal vision devices are generally not considered to be night vision devices as they construct images with mechanisms substantially different from the methods used to sense visible light. Amplification of visible light from an image can be achieved by making use of an image intensifier. This allows the image to be viewed by the naked eye.

Brick Wall Strategies for Finding Your Ancestors

Brick Wall Strategies for Finding Your Ancestors When it comes to family trees things are rarely straightforward. Families often disappear between one census and the next; records are lost or destroyed through mishandling, fire, war, and flood; and sometimes the facts you do find just dont make sense. When your family history research hits a dead-end, organize your facts and try one of these popular brick wall-busting tactics. Review What You Already Have I know. It seems basic. But I cant stress enough how many brick walls are breached with information that the researcher already has tucked away in notes, files, boxes or on the computer. Information that you found a few years ago may include names, dates or other details that now provide clues given new facts that youve since uncovered. Organizing your files and reviewing your information and evidence may uncover just the clue youre looking for. Go Back to the Original Source Many of us are guilty when transcribing information or recording notes of only including the information we deem important at the time. You may have kept the names and dates from that old census record, but did you also keep track of other information such as years of marriage and country of parents origin? Did you record the names of the neighbors? Or, perhaps, you misread a name or misinterpreted a relationship? If you havent already, be sure to go back to the original records, making complete copies and transcriptions and recording all clues - however unimportant they may seem right now. Broaden Your Search When youre stuck on a particular ancestor, a good strategy is to extend your search to family members and neighbors. When you cant find a birth record for your ancestor that lists his/her parents, maybe you can locate one for a sibling. Or, when youve lost a family between census years, try looking for their neighbors. You may be able to identify a migration pattern, or a mis-indexed census entry that way. Often referred to as cluster genealogy, this research process can often get you past tough brick walls. Question and Verify Many brick walls are built from incorrect data. In other words, your sources may be leading you in the wrong direction through their inaccuracy. Published sources often contain transcription errors, while even original documents may contain misinformation, whether purposefully or accidentally given. Try to find at least three records to verify any facts that you already know and judge the quality of your data based on the weight of the evidence. Check Name Variations Your brick wall may just be something as simple as looking for the wrong name. Variations of last names can make research complicated, but be sure to check all spelling options. Soundex is a first step, but you cant count on it entirely - some name variations can actually result in different soundex codes. Not only can the surnames be different, but the given name may be different as well. Ive found records recorded under initials, middle names, nicknames, etc. Get creative with name spellings and variations and cover all the possibilities. Learn Your Boundaries Even though you know that your ancestor lived on the same farm, you may still be looking in the wrong jurisdiction for your ancestor. Town, county, state, and even country boundaries have changed over time as populations grew or political authority changed hands. Records were also not always registered in the locality where your ancestors lived. In Pennsylvania, for example, births and deaths can be registered in any county, and many of my Cambria county ancestors records were actually located in neighboring Clearfield county because they lived closer to that county seat and found it a more convenient trip. So, bone up on your historical geography and you just may find a new route around your brick wall. Ask for Help Fresh eyes can often see beyond brick walls, so try bouncing your theories off other researchers. Post a query to a Web site or mailing list which focuses on the locality in which the family lived, check with members of the local historical or genealogical society, or just talk through it with someone else who loves family history research. Be sure to include what you already know, as well as what youd like to know and which tactics youve already tried.

Obesity in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Obesity in the United States - Research Paper Example Obesity not only brings concern about health but it adds to the financial burden too. Obesity augments the health care costs. Estimates reveal that obesity accounts for approximately 10% of yearly medical expenses, increasing the obesity-associated medical costs to $147 billion in 2008. Obesity has reached an alarming position in USA, and two well distinguished categories have been demonstrated namely obese and extreme obese. Findings disclose that over one-third adults of United States adults were found to be obese during the year 2007–2008 (Flegal, 2010). According to The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the incidence of obesity in the United States could be estimated by means of data for height to weight ratio. The prevalence rate of obesity display that there was a steady increase in obesity equally in both the sexes belonging to all ages from 1976 -1980 to 1988-1994. On the other hand the trend in obesity augmentation between 1988-1994 and 1999-2 000 was significant in other ages except for the males belonging to the age between 40 to 59 years. While data analysis from 2001-2002 to 2003-2004 recommended escalating trends since 1999-2000 in males and not in females (Flegal, 2006).? Concern Government is showing great concern about the "obesity epidemic" as 60% Americans are obese. In Fat Politics, Eric Oliver unearths the real story behind America's "obesity epidemic." According to Oliver a handful of physicians, government administrators, and health researchers, along with financial patronage commencing the medicine and weight-loss business, have crusaded to miscategorize more than sixty million Americans as "overweight," to enhance the health perils of being fat, thereby promoting the thought that obesity is a destroyer illness. Scientific evidence was also reviewed by Oliver displaying a slight proof also that obesity grounds so many ailments and demises or that loss of weight could make people healthier. Our concern with obesity is stimulated more by communal discrimination, routine politics, and business earnings as compared to the scientific fact. This kind of prevailing misinformation, according to Oliver, is the factual predicament with prevailing obesity in America. Creating a belief that one has to be lean and thin, proponents of the "obesity epidemic" are pushing millions of inhabitants for America towards hazardous surgeries, crash diets, and harmful diet drugs. This fat obsession is becoming a jeopardy for most of the Americans (Oliver, 2005). Discussion Overweight is followed by obesity in many cases where weight control measures are not considered or given significance. It occurs due to discrepancy between the consumption of food and the utilization of calories. The quality of food also matters, if the diet is rich in fats and carbohydrates then surplus fats starts accumulating leading to obesity. A child who is obese will grow to be an obese adult. The triggering factors could be varied, starting from loneliness to eating discipline.

Compare and Contrast Composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Composers - Essay Example He started to play the guitar and sing at a very early age when he started to sing with the church choir. The choir-master was J. M. Franck who began to teach the little boy and soon he chose Haydn to sing in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As he entered his teenage years, his voice had started to crack and left the choir by force. After he was left to fend for himself he earned money as a composer, musician and teacher. His talent and teaching attracted many of the students who wanted to learn more about music, and soon he rented an attic where he started a formal musical program. In these years he composed divertimenti and string quartets which were the styles of music at that time (Grave 34). In 1761 Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy appointed Haydn as the Vice-Kappellmeister of his own private musical institution. With this opportunity Haydn did experiment many combinations of instruments and vocals with freedom. After the death of the prince, Haydn was appointed by Johann Peter Saloma n who was a violinist from London and soon he became the most successful composer ever seen. He composed hundreds of compositions and that gave a new and ever lasting effect to the classical music. His quartets initiated a new art that is still alive today. Bob Dylan’s background and involvement in music: Robert Zimmerman was the name given to Bob Dylan by his parents. He was born in Minnesota and spent his childhood years in listening to blues and the country stations on radio. He was thus attracted to rock and roll so he formed many bands while was in high school. He also performed many songs of Elvis Presley in Golden Chords. His interest in rock and roll music also gave a way to the American folk music. For him he said that rock and roll music was not enough as it did not reflect the realistic features of life. With folk music he got the chance to get into a more serious thing as the songs were filled with despair, sadness, and faith and deep feelings (Shelton 142). While he was in university he became involved in the Dinkytown folk music circuit. During those days he started calling himself Bob Dylan as influenced by Dylan Thomas’s poetry. Dylan’s early songs like ‘The Times That Are a-Changin’’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ became the anthems of the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. His song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ created new parameters in popular music. He used electric instruments in his recordings. On the other hand Haydn was called the Father of the String Quarter and Father of the Symphony due to his contribution to these forms of music. He also played a part in developing the piano trio and the evolution of sonata form. Characteristics of music Haydn’s music: Both the composers had their own way to compose their music. They created a new era in the music industry through the use of their instruments, materials, talent and thought. Haydn’s music was a different ty pe of genre which was popular at that time. He gave a new look to the classical music by developing huge structures out of simple and short musical motifs. His work marked the development of the sonata form and he was fond of music that established similar dominant and opening themes. He also initiated the double variation form in classical style

Emotional Aspects of Mary Reilly :: Essays Papers

Emotional Aspects of Mary Reilly Throughout her tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Martin maintains some emotional aspects of the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, while discarding and replacing others. Although the subtleties of the emotions in Stevenson's novel are deeper than those of Martin's, they may still be found spotting the plot in all of the different characters. Stevenson's primary characters, Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Utterson, display the strongest emotions, and can be most easily documented and interpreted. Martin, on the other hand, swaps out Mr. Utterson as the primary character and replaces him with Mary Reilly, a housemaid living with Dr. Jekyll. Unlike Stevenson, Martin provides a very grand emotional display. Mary is plagued by several distinct emotions, and the thoughts and feelings of Dr. Jekyll are brought to light far more vividly than in Stevenson's text. By utilizing a deep connection to emotion in her novel, Mary Reilly, Valerie Martin nearly transforms the genre of the original Dr. Je kyll and Mr. Hyde into a psychological thriller. Mary Reilly's emotions play the strongest role in Martin's novel. Since the Mary Reilly character does not appear in the original novel, it is difficult to compare her emotional characteristics to those found in Stevenson's novel; her point of view, however, can be loosly juxtaposed to the overall style of the narrators involved in Stevenson's novel. As previously noted, the emotions expressed by Stevenson are mostly implied, but they nevertheless carry a great deal of importance to the novel. As the Stvenson novel is told exclusively by upper-class characters and a narrator viewing only those upper-class characters, a great deal of detail is left out. The thoughts and feelings of Utterson, Lanyon, and Jekyll are all downplayed in a sort of "gentleman's modesty". Jekyll does not even reveal his chemically separated counterpart to anyone until desperate circumstances reqire that he release the information to Lanyon. Utterson masks his concern with his professional attitude, and Poole , Jekyl's butler, does the same. All of this masquerading begins to come to an end when at last the true identity of Mr. Hyde is brought to light. Until this point, the reader has only a few hints and his/her own thoughts to be guided by. In a plot-turning scene set in the street below Dr. Jekyll's open window, Jekyll tries to speak with Utterson and Enfield as they pass by: Emotional Aspects of Mary Reilly :: Essays Papers Emotional Aspects of Mary Reilly Throughout her tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Martin maintains some emotional aspects of the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, while discarding and replacing others. Although the subtleties of the emotions in Stevenson's novel are deeper than those of Martin's, they may still be found spotting the plot in all of the different characters. Stevenson's primary characters, Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Utterson, display the strongest emotions, and can be most easily documented and interpreted. Martin, on the other hand, swaps out Mr. Utterson as the primary character and replaces him with Mary Reilly, a housemaid living with Dr. Jekyll. Unlike Stevenson, Martin provides a very grand emotional display. Mary is plagued by several distinct emotions, and the thoughts and feelings of Dr. Jekyll are brought to light far more vividly than in Stevenson's text. By utilizing a deep connection to emotion in her novel, Mary Reilly, Valerie Martin nearly transforms the genre of the original Dr. Je kyll and Mr. Hyde into a psychological thriller. Mary Reilly's emotions play the strongest role in Martin's novel. Since the Mary Reilly character does not appear in the original novel, it is difficult to compare her emotional characteristics to those found in Stevenson's novel; her point of view, however, can be loosly juxtaposed to the overall style of the narrators involved in Stevenson's novel. As previously noted, the emotions expressed by Stevenson are mostly implied, but they nevertheless carry a great deal of importance to the novel. As the Stvenson novel is told exclusively by upper-class characters and a narrator viewing only those upper-class characters, a great deal of detail is left out. The thoughts and feelings of Utterson, Lanyon, and Jekyll are all downplayed in a sort of "gentleman's modesty". Jekyll does not even reveal his chemically separated counterpart to anyone until desperate circumstances reqire that he release the information to Lanyon. Utterson masks his concern with his professional attitude, and Poole , Jekyl's butler, does the same. All of this masquerading begins to come to an end when at last the true identity of Mr. Hyde is brought to light. Until this point, the reader has only a few hints and his/her own thoughts to be guided by. In a plot-turning scene set in the street below Dr. Jekyll's open window, Jekyll tries to speak with Utterson and Enfield as they pass by:

Blue Cross Blue Shield

The Changing Face of Blue Cross Blue Shield Betty Bogart Kaplan University Author Note Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Betty Bogart, Student, Kaplan University, 1801 East Kimberly Road, Davenport IA 52807. The Changing Face of Blue Cross Blue Shield Since their founding as individual companies in the early 20th century, Blue Cross Blue Shield has grown to become one of the largest insurance companies in the United States. Blue Cross coverage for hospital care and Blue Shield coverage for physician visits grew to national coverage separately before merging to form the Association we know today.In 1929 Justin Ford Kimball developed a program to cover teachers for hospital treatment. It guaranteed them 21 days of hospital care for $6 dollars per year. This program was later extended to encompass other employee groups first in Dallas then nationally. The program became Blue Cross. The first Blue Cross Baby was born in a hospital in Dunham, North Carolina. Th is was the first birth in America to be covered by a health insurance certificate that included maternity benefits. In 1939 the American Hospital Association adopted the Blue Cross symbol for plans meeting certain requirements.The ties with the AHA were severed in 1970. In the early 20th century employers in mining and lumber camps of the Pacific Northwest developed a plan to cover employees by paying monthly fees to bureaus composed of groups of physicians. Officially the first Blue Shield Plan was implemented in California in 1939. The plan grew and was adopted by the Associated Medical Care Plan, a group of nine separate plans. Later the plan was renamed the National Association of Blue Shield Plans.Both programs grew to national coverage as the need for medical insurance continued to grow with industry. The two companies merged to form Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association in 1982. At the time the company was defined as coverage under social welfare plans and was thus tax exemp t. In 1986 the tax reform act labeled the company a 501(m) organization which would be subject to federal taxation with special tax benefits under IRC 833. Following this change, BCBSA changed its policies to allow its licensees to be for-profit corporations.In 1984 the nation’s first heart transplant covered by Blue Shield Association was performed in Stanford University Hospital. This would pave the way for BCBSA to create the Blue Cross and Blue Shield National Transplant Network which would become the Blue Quality Centers for Transplant. Today it includes 60 transplant centers nationwide and covers transplants for heart, lung, kidney, pancreas, bone marrow, and stem cell. In the mid 1990’s the Balanced Budget Act added the Medicare+Choice program. This allowed beneficiaries multiple health plans to choose from.By 2000, BCBSA processed the majority of Medicare claims. These claims alone totaled over 163 billion. In 2003 over 88 million Americans were covered by BCBS A liscensees. Today 38 companies comprise the BCBSA system which provides coverage for nearly 100 million people including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Nationwide over 95% of hospitals and over 90% of professional providers contract directly with BCBSA companies. Coverage through BCBSA now includes the largest privately underwritten health insurance contract in the world.The FEP (Federal Employment Program) covers more than 5 million federal government employees, dependants, and retirees. The world of health care is an always changing one and BCBSA is no different. From starting as two separate small programs to growing into a leader in health care and technology, this association is an excellent example of how far the industry has grown and how far we’ve advanced in this country and as humans in general. From transplant research and technology to Medicare, BCBSA continues to stay at the head of the field in all aspects.From their humble origins of trial programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield have always been on the cutting edge of new health care and technology. As one of the largest insurance Associations in the United states, BCBSA has continued to improve the quality of health care in the United States. Advancements such as Blue Cross & Blue Shield National Transplant Network and Technologies Evaluation Center have proven the companies’ drive to continually improve health care in the United States.The biggest concern I have for the future of health care would be affordability. Some families still live paycheck to paycheck barely scraping by and the spiraling cost of health care and health insurance remains out of reach for them. Veterans and elderly benefits are cut to maintain cost while leaving some unfortunates behind. Un-insured people in America was a staggering 50 million in 2010 leading most to believe that something must be done to keep health insurance and health care affordable to everyone.No one should hav e to suffer without a physician’s care simply due to lack of insurance. References Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (http://www. bcbs. com/about-the-association) Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (http://bcbsil. com/) Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (http://fepblue. org/) CNN Money (http://money. cnn. com/) Scott P. Serota, CEO Blue Cross and Blue Shield (http://www. bcbs. com/about-the-association/officers/scott-serota. html)

Analysis Of The Bluest Eye - 818 Words

In The Bluest Eye, Pecola the protagonist is taken under the Macteer family’s wing much like â€Å"The African family is community-based and the nurturing quality is not contained within the nuclear family, but is rather the responsibility of the entire community† (Ranstrà ¶m). In traditional Africa each child has a place and is welcome in the community. The act of parenting another child was not odd because every adult that lived in each community believed that any child is welcome in anyone’s home. This, however, is not the case for Pecola. Although traditional African culture was integrated into The Bluest Eye, it was not fully combined. Pecola lives in a very abusive household and always wonders to herself, what if she were white, what if she had blue eyes? Would it change things, hopefully for the better? Pecola obsesses over all things white because the town makes fun of her blackness. Pecola is alone due to her lack of beauty. In one scene Pecola is laughed at called â€Å"e mo† and other names as other black children make fun of her blackness. Morrisons uses collective voice to show the racial segregation at the time was not only white people, but it was the different shades of black. Something that someone cannot control. The boy bullying Pecola â€Å"had extemporized a verse made up of two insults about matters over which the victim had no control: the color of her skin†(Morrison, check page#). Pecola, only a young girl begins to become outcasted from society especially afterShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Bluest Eye1555 Words   |  7 Pages The Bluest Eeye Bbackground A woman’s race and the time period she lives in influences not only whether she will be a victim of sexual assault but also, the punishment of the offender. Toni Morrison, The author of The Bluest Eye, a victim of segregation, deals with sexual assault and segregation in her book. Chole Anthony Wofford, who goes by the name of Toni Morrison when writing her books, was born in Lorain, Ohio on February 18, 1931. Her father had several jobs to supportRead MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis921 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Bluest Eye† â€Å"The Bluest Eye† by Toni Morrison is a very complex story. While not being a novel of great length is very long on complexity. It tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl immersed in poverty and made â€Å"ugly† by the Society of the early 1940’s that defines beauty in terms of blonde haired white skinned , and in this case specifically Shirley Temple. The novel opens in the fall of 1941, just after the Great Depression, in Lorain, Ohio. Nine-year-old ClaudiaRead MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis778 Words   |  4 PagesThe opinions of others, wether one notices or not, greatly affect his or her life. In Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye, Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl with dark brown eyes, is deemed ugly. Although she does not possess ugliness; she â€Å"put it on, so to speak, although it did not belong to [her]† (Morrison 38). Pecola believes she is ugly because she does not meet the societal beauty standard. Pecola convinces herself that all her struggles are rooted in the fact that she not beautiful. IfRead MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis812 Words   |  4 Pages Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye follows Pecola Breedlove’s â€Å"journey† to obtain beauty in the form of the titular blue eyes. Not only is it told in Claudia’s perspective, but the readers witnesses several backstories, na mely Geraldine, Pauline, Cholly, and Soaphead Church’s, which is in a third-person perspective. This might be seen as odd at first, but after taking a deeper look into their pasts, there is something that stands out: something â€Å"beautiful† in the eyes of these people. These â€Å"beautiful†Read MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis985 Words   |  4 Pages Pecola Breedlove, an eleven-year-old black girl in Tony Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, combats with self love and self image throughout the entire novel. Her only wish is to be loved and adored, and she believes the only route to that destination is to simply be more â€Å"white†. Throughout her journey in Morrison’s masterpiece, she attempts to transform herself into an idealistic version of herself, but she ultimately discovers that she is physically unable to attain what she had hoped for and is drivenRead MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis1148 Words   |  5 Pagesthe novel The Bluest Eye Pecola is involved in a quest – for love and identity and Morrison depicts the world in the novel from a child’s point of view. The story of the eleven-year-old Pecola, the tragic female protagonist of The Bluest Eye, stemmed out of Morrison’s memory of a girlhood friend who as well craved for ‘blue eyes’. Morrison had written of the little Black gir l whom she knew : â€Å"Beauty was not simply something to behold, it was something one could do. The Bluest Eye was my effort toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Bluest Eye 1917 Words   |  8 Pages1. Through the Big Screen and Flashing Lights In the book The Bluest Eye Mrs. Breedlove talks about who was her motivation, who gave her drive to start dressing up nice and refashioning herself. She started using celebrities as role models or a mirror to help her find ways for her to get the same physical attractiveness they have. In the book Mrs. Breedlove mentions that,†I went to see Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. I fixed my hair up like I’d seen hers on a magazine. A part on the side, with oneRead MoreAnalysis of the Bluest Eye Prologue727 Words   |  3 PagesEach section of this prologue gives, in a different way, an overview of the novel as a whole. At a glance, the Dick-and-Jane motif alerts us to the fact that for the most part the story will be told from a child’s perspective. Just as the Dick-and-Jane primer teaches children how to read, this novel will be about the larger story of how children learn to interpret their world. But there is something wrong with the Dick-and-Jane narrative as it is pres ented here. Because the sentences are not spreadRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Bluest Eye 1115 Words   |  5 Pagesbeliefs. However, in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, the topic of racism is approached in a very unique way. The characters within the novel are subjected to internalizing a set of beliefs that are extremely fragmented. In accepting white standards of beauty, the community compromises their children’s upbringing, their economic means, and social standings. Proving furthermore that the novel has more to do with these factors than actual ethnicity at all. In The Bluest Eye, characters experience aRead MoreThe Bluest Eye Analysis Essay1420 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison strongly ties the contents of her novel to its structure and style through the presentation of chapter titles, dialogue, and the use of changing narrators. These structural assets highlight details and themes of the novel while eliciting strong responses and interpretations from readers. The structure of the novel also allows for creative and powerful presentations of information. Morrison is clever in her style, forcing readers to think deeply about the novel’s heavy