Faith as a Comprehension of Nature and Reality Essay

Faith as a Comprehension of Nature and Reality - Essay Example   Angel Gabriel approached him and proclaimed him as Allah’s messenger to spread the faith among the Arabian people. Consequently, he openly announced to the people that he was Allah’s prophet commissioned divinely to guide the Arabians to a monotheistic faith. Muhammad condemned idol worshipping that was prevalent among the people but contrary to expectation, his own people turned against him and abused him. Some Arabs planned to kill him, prompting him to seek refuge in Medina. Surprisingly, he gathered more followers in Medina while he preached his religion. Apparently, Muslims believe in five pillars of Islam. The first statement is Allah is the only God and his messenger is Muhammad. Secondly, every person must pray five times each day while facing Mecca. The third is offering of alms and the fourth pillar is fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, which happens to be the ninth month in the Muslim year. The fifth pillar is making of the pilgrimage once in an individual’s lifetime (Lewis & Buntzie, 43). Muslims worship in a mosque and in every mosque, there is a place where individuals leave their shoes. However, the mosque has no furniture or statues because we believe that they are blasphemous. Women also go to worship in the mosque but sit separately from men as a sign of modesty and avoiding distraction, but mostly women pray at home. Moreover, Islam religion values and respects women highly. The Holy Quran depicts equality of both women and men before God.

History of Autism and Aspergers

History of Autism and Aspergers Pandoras Box During World War II, the large-scale involvement of US psychiatrists in the required a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders. This prompted the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to publish the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) The first edition, DSM-I, published in 1952, included autism as schizophrenic reaction, childhood type, but provided no guidance on diagnosis. In DSM-III, published in 1980, infantile autism was lifted from schizophrenia and established as the core of a new category of pervasive developmental disorders, based on Kanners two cardinal signs: pervasive lack of responsiveness to other people and resistance to change. The age of onset was specified as before 30 months, which would rule out all kids who would later be diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. To accommodate kids who suffered a loss of skills after thirty months, there was Childhood Onset Pervasive Developmental Disorder (COPDD). In DSM-III-R, published in 1987, the manual was revised to improve the criteria for autism based on recommendations of a task force, comprising Lorna Wing, Lynn Waterhouse, and Bryna Siegel. In this revision, the word infantile was deleted, and Kanners syndrome was rechristened autistic disorder. There was no age-of-onset, and the COPDD diagnosis was dropped. It also added a new criterion Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This label turned out to be the most commonly used PDD diagnosis. Estimates of autism prevalence increased worldwide after DSM-III and DSM-III-R was published. The overall trend was clear: Autism spectrum disorder might be as prevalent as 1 in 100 children. After a comprehensive analysis of the Family Fund database for the UK Department of Education and Skills, PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that the increase in autism resulted from improved diagnosis and recognition of the disability. A similar evolution was taking place in the United States, prompted by a set of amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In 1991, autism was included in IDEA as its own category of disability, which enabled children with a diagnosis to gain access to individualized instructions and other services. In tandem with IDEA, state legislators passed laws making public funds available to families for early intervention therapy. The first standardized clinical instruments to screen for autism were becoming available.ÂÂ   The first attempt to develop and popularize such a tool was Rimlands E-1, and E-2 behavioral checklists. But the checklists depended entirely on parental recall rather than direct clinical observation. A childs score could differ depending on which parent filled in the checklist. In 1980, Eric Schopler and his TEACCH colleagues introduced the Child Autism Rating Scale (CARS), which was good at distinguishing autism from other forms of developmental delays, such as intellectual disability. After observing the child engage in a structured interaction through a one-way mirror, the rater scored the child on a seven-point continuum along several dimensions such as verbal and nonverbal communication, interaction with people and objects, sensory responsiveness, intellectual functioning. CARS used the spectrum model of autism in the DSM-III-R to score behaviors. Independent analyses showed that the scale was reliable and consistent, and that its score matched well with assessment by other means. In 1988, Schopler issued a second edition of CARS that could diagnose teenagers and adults. After reading the manual and watching a 30-minute video, a novice could produce ratings that were as accurate as those of seasoned clinical observers. Then, six months after Rain Man opened, an international team of researchers introduced a comprehensive tool called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Based on the criteria that would appear in the upcoming DSM-IV, the ADOS and a companion tool called the Autism Diagnostic Interview became the gold standard of autism assessment. *** The first international conference on Asperger syndrome was held in 1988, and Lorne Wing had lobbied the World Health Organization (WHO) to include Asperger Syndrome in the 10th edition of the International Classification of Disease (ICD), published in 1990. In 1994, Asperger syndrome was included in DSM-IV. *** Leominster, the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed, is forty-five miles northeast of Boston. In the 1940s, it was called the Plastic City as one in five residents worked for plastics manufacturers like Foster Grant, the company that turned sunglasses into a fashion. Soon it became the Pollution City as the waters of the Nashua flowed red, white, and blue. Then Foster Grant outsourced its frame manufacturing to Mexico. The defunct plant was declared a hazardous-waste site by state authorities. Two years after the plant closed, a couple in Leominster named Lori and Larry Altobelli had their second child, Joshua. When he was three, he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. His younger brother, Jay, was also eventually diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Later on, Larry Altobelli realized that two of his friends grew up from the same neighborhood also had autistic kids. Lori, who had a masters degree in health care administration, asked parents at autism support group meetings if they had ever lived in her husbands old neighborhood. She was shocked by how many said yes. On March 25, 1990, Lori sent a letter to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta demanding an investigation. An epidemiologist arrived in town two months later to collect data. Lori had promised to keep the investigation secret to avert mass panic until she heard the city was planning to build a playground next to the old factory. She called and complained to the mayor who promised to postpone the playground. But an anonymous caller tipped off local reporters and the news went national, appearing at ABC Newss 20/20 on March 13, 1992. A graduate student named Martha Lang from Brown University found from Loris files that the number of confirmed autisms in town was lower than she had been led to believe. Some of the kids were misdiagnosed, and some parents in Loris files had never lived in Leominster at all. After failing to find evidence of genetic abnormalities in the community, the team of geneticists from Stanford suggested that the rise in autism was driven by the change in the diagnostic criteria for autism rather than a true increase in prevalence. But the media circus had long ago moved on. *** In 1995, after a torrent of inquiries from parents, Rimland ran a banner headline in his newsletter, Is There an Autism Epidemic? His answer was yes. But instead of focusing on the changes in the diagnostic criteria, he raised the possibilities that pollution, antibiotics, and vaccines were triggering the increase in new cases, citing the Leominster cluster as an example. Rimland made that statement after he read the book called DPT: A Shot in the Dark, written by Harris Coulter and Barbara Loe Fisher. Rimlands endorsement helped to spread Coulters ideas within the autistic parents community. Meanwhile, a young gastroenterologist in England named Andrew Wakefield introduced Coulters ideas into the mainstream by claiming to have discovered a potential mechanism by which the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine causes brain injury. In the mid 1990s, Wakefield published a series of studies in which he concluded that measles virus might cause Crohns disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The studies were considered groundbreaking, but subsequent research failed to confirm the hypothesis. In 1995, while conducting research into Crohns disease, a mother of an autistic child approach Wakefield seeking help with her sons bowel problems. That prompted him researching for possible connections between the MMR vaccine and autism. On February 28, 1998, Wakefield held a press conference at Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, North London, on his new studies published in The Lancet. The paper, written by Wakefield and twelve other authors, claimed to have identified a new syndrome, raising the possibility of a link between autism, the MMR vaccine, and a novel form of bowel disease. Although the paper said no causal connection had been proven, Wakefield made statements at a press conference calling for suspension of the MMR vaccine until further research. This press coverage sent shock waves through the autism parents community. In the coming years, many members of Rimlands network would become convinced that autism was caused by damage to the childs developing brain from from vaccines, vaccine preservatives, or both. Meanwhile, other researchers could not reproduce Wakefields findings or confirm his hypothesis. In 2004, Brian Deer, a Sunday Times reporter, discovered that Wakefield had failed to disclose its financial conflicts of interest; ten of the studys co-authors took their names off the paper; and Lancet retracted the study in 2004. Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in England in 2010, and the editors of the British Medical Journal denounced his study as an elaborate fraud in 2011. *** There was no question in Lorna Wings mind that the changes she brought to the DSM criteria were the primary factor responsible for the rise in autism cases. Her daughter, Suzie died of a heart attack in 2005 at age forty-nine, and her husband died of Alzheimers disease five years later. She died in 2014 at age eighty-five.

The Global Warming Debate Essay -- Climate Change Debate, 2015

"Global warming is not a conqueror to kneel before - but a challenge to rise to. A challenge we must rise to." -- Joe Lieberman INTRODUCTION Global warming is a controversial environmental topic in today’s society. Global warming is when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide) act as a blanket that insulates the earth and prevents heat from escaping into space, which in turn causes the global temperature to rise. This â€Å"greenhouse effect† is a naturally occurring phenomenon; without it, the earth would be too cold for any life to inhabit. However, due to fossil fuel burning and other human activities, there is an excess amount of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. Even though there is significant evidence of global warming, there are still skeptics whom believe that global warming is not occurring. BACKROUND INFORMATION Global warming is an increase in the earth’s temperature due to the use of fossil fuels and certain industrial and agricultural processes, which lead to a buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are energy-rich substances that have formed from long-buried plants and microorganisms. They provide most of the energy that powers modern society. Fossil fuels include petroleum, coal and natural gases. Petroleum or crude oil, is a naturally occurring oily, bituminous liquid composed of various organic materials. Coal is a solid, dark-colored fuel found in deposits of sedimentary rock. It is burned to produce energy and is used to manufacture steel. Natural gases are any combustible gaseous mixture used as fuel to produce energy for domestic or industrial use. ... ...e Backlash Against Global Warming Has Begun.† The Economist. â€Å"Sample Errors and Biases in the Global Warming Theory.† . Date accessed: 12 April 2000. â€Å"Still Waiting for the Greenhouse.† . Date accessed: 12 April 2000. Taubes, Gary, â€Å"Apocalypse Not.† Science, Nov 7, 1997. â€Å"Trends.† EPA Global Warming Site Climate. . Date accessed: 8 April 2000. â€Å"Vector and Zoonotic Illnesses.† . Date accessed: 7 April 2000. â€Å"What Future Changes in Climate Can We Expect.† . Date accessed: 12 April 2000. Joe Lieberman Quote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/global_warming.html#H2fdTgav5l6VVGt8.99

Informative Speech on Taekwondo

Informative Speech Taekwondo Introduction Have you ever seen a martial arts demonstration, or hear of a demonstration team? Well, let me start off by telling you what a demonstration, or demo, team is and what they do. A demo team is a group of elite martial artists chosen to represent the school of martial arts to which they attend to the public during martial arts demonstrations. During these demonstrations they perform impressive feats that wow the audience such as, difficult board breaking techniques and impressive techniques learned through the study of the martial art they are representing.During my high school years I had the pleasure of being one of these elite martial artists. In the demonstrations I participated in I did things from, breaking boards in impressive ways, such as jumping over three people and doing a flying side kick through a board held by someone on the other side of them, to choreographed fighting and even actual sparing. All of these experiences of my were a part of my experience with a martial art known worldwide as taekwondo. Related article: Informative Speech About African CultureAccording to an academic journal titled: 2004 Olympic Tae Kwon Do Athlete Profile written in 2009, â€Å"Tae kwon do, a form of Korean martial art originally designed for warfare and self-defense, has in recent times become a well-recognized sport and has become more popular since its official introduction into the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. † First I'm going to give you a brief history on what Taekwondo is, then I'll talk to you about what taekwondo is, and finally, I will be sharing what practitioners of taekwondo normally do. Body I.Tae kwon do was originally designed for use in Korea's armed forces, but is now practiced worldwide and has become extremely popular as a sport and a way of self defense. A. Shortly after the Japanese occupation of Korea ended in 1945 the South Korean government ordered all of the major martial arts schools in the country to get together and make one universal martial art that they would t hen begin teaching to their military. B. This style that was made from all the different styles in the country at the time soon became known as taekwondo and quickly gained popularity. II.So I bet your all wondering what the heck taekwondo means. Well, according to martialartsresource. com, â€Å"‘Tae' means â€Å"foot† or â€Å"to strike with the feet†. â€Å"Kwon† means â€Å"hand†, or â€Å"to strike with the hand†. â€Å"Do† means discipline, art, or way. Hence TaeKwonDo (foot-hand-way) means literally â€Å"the art of the feet and the hands† or â€Å"the art of kicking and punching†. † A. Tae kwon do is a marital art that deals primarily with kicking. B. The focus on kicking is designed with the thought in mind that the leg is the longest most powerful weapon a martial artist has at his/her disposal. . This fact means that a martial artist that is very good with his legs can strike an opponent while he is stil l outside of his opponents range. 2. While remaining outside of your opponent's rang you can deal highly damaging blows without having to take any powerful blows from your opponent. III. Tae kwon do customs differ slightly depending on where it is taught. A. Tae kwon do practitioners generally practice bare foot and in places like gymnasiums. B.The uniforms worn by practitioners used to be the kind that you fold over and tie together, but because of the sport-like nature of it these days they uniform style of the V-neck is becoming increasingly popular. C. Practitioners of taekwondo generally take part in sparring matches. 1. There's a lot of gear you have to wear when sparring, these include: helmet, mouthpiece, chest guard, gloves, cup and shin guards. 2. There are also plenty of rules involved in sparing to make sure it is as safe as it can be. These include: no punching the face, no groin shots, no locks, no clinching, etc.Conclusion Today we learned that taekwondo is a martial arts style that involves mostly kicks, where it originated, and what some of the customary practices are. One last bit of information I want to leave you with is that, according to the American Taekwondo Association's Website that was last updated sometime this year, â€Å"Taekwondo is currently the most popular martial art in Korea, and ranks among America's and the world's most popular martial arts. † Thank you for listening to my presentation and I hope you all know a little bit more now than you did before.

Promoting Indigenous Family Health Essay

It is a known fact that Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander populations don’t live as long as their western counterparts as shown by AMA Health Report Card (2011). ‘Closing the Gap’ (Calma 2008) is a campaign aimed at a national attempt to support and bring equity in health to our Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities. In order to be successful in this we must identify the key issues causing this inequity and through public awareness and government campaigns such as ‘closing the gap’, we become closer to our goal of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders reaching a full and greater life expectancy. Health reform initiatives are used to promote health care within their communities and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders to be educated about their own health. As a nurse, in order to assist in this process, an understanding of family centred health care and the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander concept of family must be utilized. With these two nursing skills, the local health initiatives and government campaign’s, we are providing the best opportunity and support for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities to take control of their health and ultimately ‘close the gap’. Key issues contributing to the ‘gap’ in health and life expectancy, as identified by AMA (2011), include; low income, limited education, low levels of employment, poor housing, affordability of health care, geographical access to health care and the acceptability of the health care practice to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities. Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service (2013) is a local health reform initiative for Aboriginals and Torres straight Islanders that provides a culturally secure environment where they can access health care due to it’s geographical location, affordability and mostly acceptability. Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service (IAMS 2013) has two centers within the Illawarra making it geographically accessible. The center is entirely aimed towards the better health of Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders, ensuring all health care is affordable and providing as much assistance and support where it may be needed to help these communities improve their health. The main key issue identified by AMA (2011) that is addressed within the IAMS (2013), is the acceptability. The two medical centers are entirely based on the care given to the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities, making them specialized and aware of cultural beliefs, customs and the correct communication techniques. The Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Services also employ Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander members of the community as their staff providing a culturally secure environment and a greater concept of family centred care and the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander concept of family within their approach. The AMA (2011) states that Indigenous health workers are significant in facilitating the journey of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders to better health. This also provides opportunities to the Indigenous communities to gain employment, contributing to the resolution for issues of low income and low levels of employment, as identified in the AMA Report Card (2011). Centers such as these provide Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander families a culturally secure, accessible and affordable method to be treated for their health issues in a more comfortable surrounding. On a larger scale the Department of Health and Ageing run by the Australian Government have many programs and health reform initiates in place to assist in ‘closing the gap’ as identified by Calma (2008). Element three of the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership Annual Report (2011) have a goal of increasing the provision of maternal and child health services of Indigenous children and their mothers. To achieve this, the Child and Maternal Health Services component of their program includes $90. 3million to be used for New Directions Mothers and Babies Services (Department of Health and Ageing 2011). This initiative increases access for Indigenous mothers and their children to; antenatal and postnatal care, education and assistance with breastfeeding, nutrition and parenting, monitoring of immunization status and infections, health checks and referrals for Indigenous children before starting school and monitoring developmental milestones. This initiative provides Indigenous communities with access to health care that promotes better health in the new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Australians, designed to assist with ‘closing the gap’ by raising a new generation with fewer health issues. With this, we are able to address key issues identified by AMA (2011). The main key issue addressed by this initiative is access. Consultations are held with Aboriginal Health Forums to assist in the identification of priority areas for child and maternal health services. In their annual report, the Department of health and Ageing (2011) state that this ensures that access is given those most in need considering, geographic location, affordability and acceptance. The second key issue identified in the AMA Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Health Report Card (2011) addressed by this initiative is education. The funding provided builds a solid base for providing much needed education to mothers about their babies and already existing children. In order for a program such as this to be successful, health professionals allocated to educating Aboriginals and Torres Straight islanders must be equipped and prepared to deal with the problems faced by cultural barriers as well as being experienced in a family centred care approach (Taylor & Guerin 2010). Family centred nursing care is an important factor in the health outcome of any given patient (Bamm & Rosenbaum 2008). They also claim that there is no exact definition of family, instead, the meaning of family and their level of involvement in care provided, is determined by the patient themselves. The core concepts of successful family centred care are; respect and dignity, information sharing, participation, and collaboration (IFPCC 2013). These principles are the main constituents of effective family centred health care, and ultimately better health outcomes for the patient themselves (Mitchell, Chaboyer & Foster 2007). These concepts can be utilized, with a correct nursing approach, regardless of age, gender or cultural differences. To provide the best family centred care to Indigenous Australians, nurses must utilize the main concepts above, but also have an understanding of the Indigenous concept of family. The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander population have strong family values, however, it differs from the usual nuclear concept of family in common ‘western’ society. Their family has an extended structure, and in order to provide adequate family centred care, this concept must be understood by health professionals on all levels, including nurses (NSW Department of Community Services 2009). This concept of extended family and their Indigenous ‘community’ as their family means that children are not only the concern of their biological parents, but the entire community. Care of the children in indigenous communities is the responsibility of everyone. Family members can be blood-related, through marriage or through their community, such as elders. It is normal for a combination of mothers, fathers, uncles, aunties, cousins, brothers, sisters or elders to be involved into the care of the individual and these figures must be treated as their direct family even if not directly blood-related (NSW Department of Community Servies 2009). In order to provide family centred care, to not only Indigenous but also all patients, a therapeutic relationship and foundation of trust should be developed (Baas 2012). The principles of family centred care should also be incorporated, especially respect of the Indigenous culture and maintaining their dignity. Respect and dignity, combined with trust and a therapeutic relationship within the Indigenous community, information sharing, participation and collaboration should follow once enough trust has been developed. To gain the trust of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander patient’s and their family, firstly an understanding of their culture should be pertained. When needed, to be aware of such customs as ‘Men’s and Women’s business’, and to respect these practices within your care (Tantiprasut and Crawford 2003). This shows the patient and their family members, you respect them and their culture. Introducing yourself in a friendly and polite manner, including all family members present and always respecting cultural values is key to receiving respect back and developing trust. Acknowledge and actively listen to the needs of the Indigenous people and also their community in a culturally appropriate manner. As described in the practice resource for working with Indigenous communities published by DOCS (2009) showing respect for their elders and community leaders and involving them in important decision making processes will also show that you respect them, their culture and that they can trust you and eventually your advice regarding health issues. In order to successfully be accepted by the community, communication techniques need to be specialized to avoid offending any members of the family or misinterpreting their language. Gaining a basic knowledge of their community will assist in understanding the dominant family groups, language groups and preferred names. This ensures you don’t step out of your boundaries and remain respectful in your approach to their care. Including or consulting with Aboriginal health care workers regarding communication and Aboriginal-English would be beneficial to adequately understand their method of communication. Understanding non-verbal methods of communication and being aware of your own non-verbal communication is highly appropriate when consulting with Indigenous communities. Always speaking with respect, clearly, and avoiding jargon will deliver the best results when building a relationship within the tribes (NSW Department of Community Services 2009). Remaining open minded when consulting with Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities in aspects of communication and family relations will avoid incorrect assumptions. It is also high important to play an active role within the community and their events. According to NSW Department of Community Services (2009) within Indigenous communities’ word of mouth is a powerful tool, once an outsider is known as someone who listens actively and can be trusted, the community will be eager to work collaboratively and participate in your health approach (NSW Department of Community Services 2009). When the principles of family centred care; trust, dignity, collaboration and participation, have all been achieved and a therapeutic relationship within the community has developed, the community will listen to your health advice. When introducing a health concept to the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander families it is important to engage them actively into your care (NSW Department of Community Services 2008). Using appropriate communication techniques to explain health issues and the reasons they need to be addressed provides them with education and knowledge regarding why interventions need to be implemented. Allowing them to discuss their options and decide as a community is also important, forcing them to uptake medical help could be seen as disrespectful. Allowing time to answer all questions and concerns from various members of the family in a manner they can understand identifies that you are actively listening and honestly concerned for their health. Demaio and Dysdale 2012 show that continuity of involvement in their community, and providing a continuous support network will only further build their trust in your advice. The ‘gap’ in health and life expectancy between Indigenous Australians and ‘westernised’ Australians is a concerning issue within the country (Calma 2008). Health reform initiatives are funded by the government and local organisations to provide accessible, affordable and culturally safe health care to our Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities. These initiatives are designed to address the key issues identified in the AMA Report Card (2011) regarding barriers to health care. Approaching Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander family communities utilizing the family health care principles and with a knowledge of their concept of community family and understanding of their culture increases positive outcomes in their health education and furthermore assisting to ‘close the gap’.