Irritable Bowel Syndrome Essays - Abdominal Pain, RTT, Syndromes

Irritable Bowel Syndrome IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME Suffering in Silence Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is a common disorder of the intestines that affects nearly one out of five people in the United States. According to the book, Irritable Bowel Syndrome & the Mind-Body-Brain-Gut Connection by William B. Salt II, IBS is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder. The symptoms include constipation, diarrhea or alternating bouts of both, bloating, abdominal pain and many other problems. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome usually begin during adolescence or early adulthood. Altered bowel movements occur over periods of days to weeks. Occasionally, symptoms may be continuous. In a given individual, both constipation and diarrhea can occur, or either can be the recurring symptom. The course of the disease varies from patient to patient, but individually, it can follow a consistent pattern. The diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome is usually of small volume, but frequent. Episodes commonly occur during periods of stress. The initial morning movement may be normal, but followed by successively loose bowel movements throughout the rest of the day. Bowel movements may be associated with extreme urgency. The diarrhea rarely awakens patients from sleep and there is usually no associated fever or rectal bleeding. The abdominal pain of irritable bowel syndrome can vary in severity from mild to severe. It is usually felt in the lower abdomen, especially on the left side. The pain may be dull, sharp, crampy or continuous. It is commonly relieved by the passage of gas or by defecation *1*. Each year, 2.6 million people seek treatment for symptoms related to functional gastrointestinal disorders, and visits to physicians total 3.5 million (Salt xiv). The average age of onset of IBS is between 20 and 29 years of age, and IBS is prevalent throughout the world including China, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia (Salt xiv, xv). The public is made aware of cases of HIV, heart disease, various forms of cancer, etc., on a daily basis, yet IBS is relatively unheard of. Because of this, millions of people who suffer from IBS feel there is a stigma attached to their disease and they must suffer in silence. IBS is not a rare disease. In fact, it is the second leading cause of absenteeism in the workplace, coming in behind the common cold *2*. Unlike the common cold, however, there is no over-the-counter drug that can be picked up at the local drug store at the first sign of symptoms. Furthermore, there are few prescription drugs that have been used to treat IBS with positive results. The first prescription drug specifically developed for diarrhea-predominant IBS, Lotronex, was released to the market in March of 2000. Glaxo Wellcome, maker of Lotronex, says the precise mechanism of action of the drug is not fully understood. However, the working hypothesis is that the experimental drug blocks the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin and 5-HT3 receptor sites in the gastrointestinal track. The thinking is that serotonin and 5-HT3 receptors play a role in increasing the sensations of pain and affecting bowel function in IBS patients. In addition, nerves that control the muscles in the gut may overreact to stimuli such as gas and the passage of food after a meal. This may cause painful spasms and contractions and speed up or slow the passage of stool through the colon, resulting in diarrhea or constipation *3*. Lotronex has only been shown to work in women, and there is presently no medication available for men suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Lotronex works by blocking the level of serotonin in the intestinal system in order to reduce the cramping abdominal pain and discomfort, urgency and diarrhea. The first step in determining if the bowel problems in question are caused by IBS is to visit a physician for a check up. Chances are, he will refer the patient to a gastrointerologist, who will then order outpatient testing to be done at a hospital. This battery of tests can include an upper and lower GI, a barium enema/X-ray, an EGD?which consists of sticking a scope down the throat to look into the stomach, an ultrasound, and any other deemed necessary by the specialist. IBS will be diagnosed after it is determined that the patient's organs are

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension Using prior knowledge is an important part of reading comprehension for children with dyslexia. Students relate the written word to their previous experiences to make reading more personal, helping them to both understand and remember what they have read. Some experts believe that activating prior knowledge is the most important aspect of the reading experience. What is Prior Knowledge? When we talk about prior or previous knowledge, we refer to all of the experiences readers have had throughout their lives, including information they have learned elsewhere. This knowledge is used to bring the written word to life and to make it more relevant in the readers mind. Just as our understanding about the subject can lead to further understanding, misconceptions that we accept also add to our understanding, or misunderstanding as we read. Teaching Prior Knowledge A number of teaching interventions can be implemented in the classroom to help students effectively activate prior knowledge when reading: preteaching vocabulary, providing background knowledge and creating opportunities and a framework for students to continue building background knowledge. Pre-teaching Vocabulary In another article, we discussed the challenge of teaching students with dyslexia new vocabulary words. These students may have a larger oral vocabulary than their reading vocabulary and they may have a difficult time both sounding out new words and recognizing these words when reading. It is often helpful for teachers to introduce and review new vocabulary before beginning new reading assignments. As students become more familiar with the vocabulary and continue to build their vocabulary skills, not only does their reading fluency increase but so does their reading comprehension. In addition, as students learn and understand new vocabulary word, and relate these words to their personal knowledge of a subject, they can invoke that same knowledge as they read. Learning the vocabulary, therefore, helps students to use their personal experiences to relate to stories and information they read. Providing Background Knowledge When teaching math, teachers accept that a student continues to build upon previous knowledge and without this knowledge, they will have a much more difficult time understanding new mathematical concepts. In other subjects, such as social studies, this concept is not readily discussed, however, it is just as important. In order for a student to understand written material, no matter what the subject, a certain level of prior knowledge is needed. When students are first introduced to a new topic, they will have some level of prior knowledge. They may have a great deal of knowledge, some knowledge or very little knowledge. Before providing background knowledge, teachers must measure the level of prior knowledge in a specific topic. This can be accomplished by: Asking questions, beginning with general questions and slowly increasing the specificity of questionsWrite statements on the board based on what students have shared about the topicHave students complete a worksheet, without grading, to determine knowledge Once a teacher has gathered information on how much the students know, she can plan lessons to students further background knowledge. For example, when beginning a lesson on the Aztecs, questions on prior knowledge might revolve around types of homes, food, geography, beliefs, and accomplishments. Based on the information the teacher gathers, she can create a lesson to fill in the blanks, showing slides or pictures of homes, describing what types of food were available, what major accomplishments the Aztecs had. Any new vocabulary words in the lesson should be introduced to the students. This information should be given as an overview and as a precursor to the actual lesson. Once the review is completed, students can read the lesson, bringing in the background knowledge to give them a greater understanding of what they have read. Creating Opportunities and a Framework for Students to Continue Building Background Knowledge Guided reviews and introductions to new material, such as the previous example of the teacher providing an overview, before reading are extremely helpful in providing students with background information. But students must learn to find this type of information on their own. Teachers can help by giving students specific strategies for increasing background knowledge about a new topic: Reading summaries and conclusions of chapters in a textbookReading the end-of-chapter questions before reading the chapterReading the headings and subheadingsFor books, reading the back of the book for information on what the book is aboutOlder students can review cliff notes before reading the bookSkimming the book, reading the first line of each paragraph or reading the first paragraph of each chapterSkimming for unfamiliar words and learning definitions before readingReading short articles on the same topic As students learn how to find background information on a previously unknown topic, their confidence in their ability to understand this information increases and they can use this new knowledge to build and learn about additional topics.References: Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge, 1991, William L. Christen, Thomas J. Murphy, ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills Prereading Strategies, Date Unknown, Karla Porter, M.Ed. Weber State University The Use of Prior Knowledge in Reading, 2006, Jason Rosenblatt, New York University

Miller Surname Meaning and Origin

Miller Surname Meaning and Origin The common Miller surname is usually occupational, but there are also other possibilities. Miller is usually an occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill.The Miller surname also possibly be derived in some instances from the Gaelic words meillear, meaning having large lips; malair, or merchant; or maillor, a man wearing armor or a soldier.In ancient times the Miller surname originated from the Molindinar (mo-lynn-dine-are), a Scottish burn (rivulet) that still flows under the streets of modern Glasgow. Surname Origin:  English, Scottish, German, French, Italian Alternate Surname Spellings:  MILLAR, MILLS, MULLAR, MAHLER, MUELLER, MOELLER Fun Facts About the Miller Surname: The popular Miller surname has absorbed many cognate surnames from other European languages, for example, the German Mueller; the French Meunier, Dumoulin, Demoulins, and Moulin; the Dutch Molenaar; the Italian Molinaro; the Spanish Molinero, etc. This means that the surname alone doesnt really tell you anything about your distant family origins. Famous People with the Surname MILLER: Arthur Miller (1915-2005) - American playwright best-known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning play Death of a Salesman.Shannon Miller - American gymnast and Olympic gold medalistAlice Duer Miller - American womans suffrage activist, journalist, and writerWilliam Miller - author of Wee Willy Winkie and other nursery rhymes (1810-1872)Reggie Miller  - American basketball player Genealogy Resources for the Surname MILLER: 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their Meanings: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?Miller Family History: Gary Miller offers information on his Miller families of Chester and Columbia counties in Pennsylvania, along with some transcribed Miller records from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.Miller Genealogy of Western North Carolina: Marty Grant has provided a huge amount of information on his three Miller lines in Western North Carolina, along with links and information on other Miller families around the world.Miller DNA Study: This large DNA surname study includes over 300 tested members of the Miller family with the goal of untangling 5,000 distinct Miller lines in the world today.Miller Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Miller surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Miller query.FamilySearch - MILLER Genealogy: Explore over 22 million historical  records, digital images and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Miller surname and its variations on this free website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. MILLER Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Miller surname.DistantCousin.com - MILLER Genealogy Family History: Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Miller.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

In William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily analyze the personality and Research Paper

In William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily analyze the personality and behavior of Miss Emily - Research Paper Example On the other hand, she becomes an object to be scrutinized by people in her town, and this turns her into a mysteriously mute figure. There are other situations where Emily portrays qualities of stereotypical southern â€Å"eccentric† that are unstable and exceptionally tragic, thereby leading to bizarre behaviors (Qun, 66). Emily is also described as a person who enforces her own sense of law and conduct; for instance, she refused to pay taxes, which was illustrated, when she was purchasing the poison. Besides, this is also demonstrated by her behaviors such as skirting the law through refusal to have numbers attached to her house when federal mail service is instituted. Nonetheless, her effort to dismiss the law began to take more sinister consequences, thereby resulting killing her husband. This paper will focus on analyzing the character of Emily as portrayed in â€Å"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. In this case, this analysis will begin with general analysis of he r character, which will be followed by an analysis in three perspectives, which include; Emily as a daughter and woman, as an artist and her legacy. Emily is presented to be a monument, which is pitied, irritating, and focusing on living her own life in her ways and terms. People in her township gossips her after accepting to be married to Homer without firm wedding plans; in fact, this lead to drawing people’s attention to her way of life, whereby people make various speculations about her. The act of buying the poison is considered to be effort to commit suicide by people in her town. However, Emily had numerous instabilities that resulted to different directions and leading to finals scene of making a conclusion that she had necrophilia (Qun, 67). In this case, necrophilia is a condition, which regards a sexual attraction to dead bodies. In addition, this is a term used to describe a powerful desire to control another person in a context of romantic through an intense pers onal relationship. Therefore, Emily as a necrophiliac, controlled her relationship, which resorted to bonding with unresponsive entities without resistance or will, like the case with dead bodies. Daughter and Woman Emily is also portrayed as the only child in her family, whereby the narrator does not mention of her siblings, and her mother is not mention. Moreover, it is striking that the narrator fails to mention about her mother, since there is not reasonable explanation for this. Instead, the narrator focuses on emphasizing on the way she was her father’s daughter and the loneliness she experienced due to him (Fang, 106). On the other hand, she is completely controlled by his father up to his death and this control continues even after his death. For instance, he separates her from the rest of the world, during his life, whereby he ensures that Emily did not have any friends, lover, or husband. In this case, her father sets up a life that is in a way that is impossible fo r her to change until her death (Fang, 106). Emily is portrayed to be a weak person, who is unwilling to declare a stance against her father; though this idea is in a way that blames has as the victim. Her father is depicted as a person who is strangely controlling, domineering, and willing to treat her daughter with cruelty. However, her behaviors are disguised by this theory after his death, whereby she tried to get rid of the perception that had been created by her father (Fang, 106). Nevertheless, Emily failed to pursue her own desires of love and sex, and the effort to pursue womanhood fails leading to a decision to revert to

Childhood Obesity in the US Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Childhood Obesity in the US - Research Paper Example There is no agreement on the definition of childhood obesity. The Body Mass Index remains the most commonly used method to measure obesity. Other professionals also assert that a 20% higher weight of an individual of a certain height and age constitutes obesity. Others also maintain more than 25% for boys and 32% in girls (Emedicine Health, n.d). Obesity is not a problem of the under developed world. People in third world countries face the problem of malnutrition. Obesity, therefore poses health risks to the lives of people in the industrialized world. In United States alone, sixty percent of adults and fifteen percent of children come under the definition of obesity (Tessmer, Hagen, Beecher, 2006). The health hazards related to obesity create problems not only for adults, but also for children (Caprio et. al., 2008). The issue of childhood obesity remains a very challenging one. The problem of childhood obesity is of increasing prevalence. Obesity does not only affect the weight of a person, it destroys the self-esteem of a person. â€Å"Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and depression are some of the dangerous risks of obesity† (Tessmer, Hagen, & Beecher, 2006). Different reasons are associated for this ever-increasing problem. The paper attempts to discuss those various factors. Certain factors that deserve due respect include that of cultural factors, biological factors and socioeconomic ones, as mentioned in the topic. However, these factors are not solely responsible for obesity. Specifically, parental influences and attitudes also account for an increase in youth Obesity. Many experts claim that the environment that individuals live in play an important part in determining the lifestyle of a certain person. The environment consists of culture. Sociologically, culture is a system formed by a common understanding. It also shapes the perspectives of different individuals inhibiting a certain society. With regard to obesity, different cultures have different interpretations. Some may consider obesity as a health problem, while others may not. Culture also shapes the eating and working habits of individuals (Caprio et. al., 2008). Illness and deviance form a major part of culture, therefore obesity has a strong cultural background. In some societies, obesity may come under consideration of deviance. Deviance is a divergence from certain norms and values of the society. Different ethnic groups also form different societies within a certain society, in this case the United States. Different cultural factors of various ethnic groups play a major role in a div erse society such as the US. In a country like United States, which supports different types of ethnic groups, different perspectives are most likely to occur. Culture variation therefore occurs due to migration. In addition, in the increasingly globalised world of today, culture has had a profound impact. Certain eating habits have developed because of increased international trade. Promotional food marketing has also occurred due to increased communication. Such patterns have contributed to unhealthy eating habits in the US (Caprio et. al., 2008). Values remain an important part of the culture of different societies. Although the definition of body size is generalized, different ethnic groups and populations have different perceptions about body size. Different ethnic groups reside in the US, for example, African Americans, Fijians, and sub-Saharan Africans among others. Generally, these groups prefer larger body sizes compared to Europeans. Therefore, perceptions of obesity diffe r. These perceptions have led to an increase in child obesity

Dr. Faustus Essay - Pride, Insolence and the Fall of Doctor Faustus

Pride, Insolence and the Fall of Doctor Faustus  Ã‚   As a highly revered individual - a doctor of theology who is also involved in liberal arts, medicine and law - Doctor Faustus possesses limitless knowledge. Nonetheless, unfortunately the more people know the more curious, thirsty and greedy for knowledge they become. Thus, wanting to know more and therefore, gain supernatural power, Faustus creates his own fall through pride, insolence and child-like behavior - the by-products of the dominating id that overpowers the superego in this particular case. The above excerpt was provided to make the student aware of the focus of the essay, the complete paper begins below: "...Man builds towels of the spirit from which he may survey larger horizons that those of his class, race and nation. This is a necessary human enterprise. Without it man could not come to his full estate. But it is also inevitable that these towers should be Towers of Babel, that they should pretend to reach higher than their real height; and should claim a finality which they cannot posses," quotes Sylvan Barnet in his introduction to Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" (xiv). Doctor Faustus lives in such pretension. Due to Faustus' extraordinary, celebrated, restless and insatiable mind that differs from the ordinary minds, the quote above stands as the basic premise for Marlowe's play. As a highly revered individual - a doctor of theology who is also involved in liberal arts, medicine and law - Doctor Faustus possesses limitless knowledge. Nonetheless, unfortunately the more people know the more curious, thirsty and greedy for knowledge they become. Thus, wanting to know more and therefore, gain supernatural power, Faustus creates his own fall th... ...ioned by his immediate circumstances...He wants to be man. He is not content with his truth. He seeks the truth...His restless mind seeks to comprehend the meaning of all cultures so that he may not be caught within the limitations of his own" (xiv). Works Cited and Consulted Beddow, Michael. Thomas Mann: Doctor Faustus. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1994. Carnegy, Patrick. Faust as Musician: A Study of Thomas Mann's Novel Doctor Faustus. London: Chatto & Windus, 1973. Guerin, Wilfred L., Earle Labor, Lee Morgan, Jeanne C. Reesman, John R. Willingham. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet Classic, 1969. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1988.

Citizenship in America Essay

U.S. citizens are lucky. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and many more rights. Citizenship can mean different things to different people. Who a country defines as its citizens may differ in different times and different places. In general, we know that citizenship belongs to a person who lives in a certain country and has certain rights. Yet, I believe that the true essence of citizenship lies in the duty to help solve problems.   In the United States, the idea of citizenship has evolved over time. For instance, in 1776, most blacks, Indians and white women had no right to vote. They had to struggle to become full citizens. The right and responsibility to vote came after a long and hard fight. Studying history is a key part of effective citizenship because from people in the past, we learn examples of good citizenship. One very good example of good citizenship was that shown by Jane Addams. Even at age six in 1866, she was an initiator and she wanted to change her world. During that time, she got this remark from Theodore Roosevelt, president from 1901 to 1909, that Addams became â€Å"the most useful citizen.† When she was 29 years old, Addams bought a large, old house called the Hull House in a poor immigrant area of Chicago. They soon learned that Addams wanted to help poor people solve the problems they faced. At Hull House, immigrants could learn English. Working parents could even leave their babies there during the day and the children were encouraged to take art classes. She also made the house available for family gatherings, weddings and other events. Addams raised money herself to pay for these programs. She also tried to change the government and often she worked in campaigns for people running for office whom she believed had honest intentions. She also wrote letters to members of Congress. She went to meetings to support giving women the right to vote. She lead marches to support laws ending the use of child labor in factories. She also tried to influence the government. In fact, people today can still petition, or try to influence the policies of government. Petitioning is one of the basic rights of all citizens protected by the United States Constitution. When garbage filled up the alleys near Hull House, she was worried that the piles of trash may cause disease and death among the children in the neighborhood. So, she did something none of us would ever think of—she applied a job as a garbage inspector. Thus, she was able to follow those garbage wagons all the way to the dumping site just to be sure that garbage is properly disposed. Addams was good citizenship personified. In my own way, I want to do the same thing as Addams did. Starting from my own home, I can begin helping my parents in cleaning our surroundings. I can also do some volunteer work in our community during weekends when there are no exams in school. Volunteer work can be fun especially when I mobilize my other friends to join in. I am sure they will be open to make themselves useful, in our own small way, in making a difference to the world out there. In my own small way, I can learn from people of the past how it is to exercise good citizenship. Making the community look good is a part of good citizenship. In fact, the community is a setting that provides much potential for helping and learning at the same time. Libraries, museums, and many places are rich sources of exercising good citizenship. For afterall, citizenship requires initiative, courage and sacrifice. As Jane Addams said, â€Å"Progress is not automatic; the world grows better because people wish that it should and take the right steps to make it better.† REFERENCES Jane Addams 1860-1935. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/janeadams.html#childhood Wikipedia. Jane Addams. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Addams Women Working. Jane   Addams. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/people_addams.html