In today's writing session, I wrote about a page of facts. I have four pages written so far, with a list of other things I need to bring up in my paper in the works. I have a lot of organizing and citations to do, but so far the paper is coming along nicely. I will probably pick up my writing tonight, and will also write a lot on Thursday.

Superbugs

Thesis: Antibiotic resistance is no new problem. Alexander Fleming acknowledged that bacteria would learn to resist antibiotics when he first discovered penicillin. Bacteria did exactly what he said it would, but until now, the answer to resistance was upgrading to a higher dosage of an antibiotic or a stronger version of it. This is where the new problem lies: there are certain bacteria, known as superbugs, which have learned to defy even the strongest of antibiotics, and due to unawareness, the general public is increasing the problem by demanding antibiotics when they aren’t needed.

I. Antibiotic and anti-microbial resistance

a. Not a new problem-was just ignored for too long

b. How bacteria learn to defy antibiotics and anti-microbials

c. Disinfectants role in bacterial resistance (tricolsan is the main problem).

d. Development of superbugs

e. Vancomycin-why its no longer effective

II. New ways to fight superbugs

a. Honey, copper, and garlic-how they may help in combating superbugs

b. Bacteriophages and their role in fighting superbugs from the inside out

c. Developing vaccine

III. Education and Superbugs-What the general public needs to know

a. Doctors need to learn how to recognize a superbug when they see it and also need to be aware of proper treatment

b. Misuse of antibiotics and how doctors can teach patients to avoid it

c. Different types of superbugs

d. What MRSA is and how it affects your immune system

e. How to avoid contracting a superbug (good hygiene)

Fixing my bib

The feedback I received from my peers was very helpful in understanding how to write an annotated bibliography correctly so that it makes sense. In order to make corrections on my bibliography, I plan to:

1)Develop the significance of the subject for my audience more clearly.
2)Add categories for organization
3)Double check to make sure I have used the right format (indentions)
4)Elaborate on how my sources benefit my paper and therefore audience

Annotated Bib Entry #2

Bettelheim, Adriel. (June 4, 1999). Drug-resistant bacteria. CQ Researcher, 9 (21). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1999060400.

Anti-microbial resistance is no new phenomenon. Alexander Fleming, the creator of penicillin, acknowledged the problem of anti-microbial resistance in a 1945 New York Times interview. The most recent problems with anti-microbial resistance are the lack of new antibiotics when the old ones stop working. There are many different ideas as to what is causing the resistance, but it is mostly attributed to the unnecessary overuse of the once dubbed all-purpose drugs. Patients are demanding a prescription from doctors over the phone, and are given the prescription for what is usually a virus. It is estimated that "20 to 50 percent of the 145 million antibiotic prescriptions given each year to outpatients are unnecessary"(p.5). Often times, patients don't follow the dosage for prescriptions and don't finish them-another culprit for creating drug-resistant bacteria. If patients were properly informed and all cases were properly documented, superbugs would be a lot easier to manage.
The problem with the superbugs that are created due to antibiotic overuse is not that they are more dangerous, just harder to kill. The last resort antibiotic, vancomycin, has already met its match in a few cases. The most effective measure thus far in prevention of superbugs is good hygiene, including hand washing and showering after workouts. Taking medication until it is all gone is another good measure to take. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies are working on the problem, but it could be another five years before they come up with a solution.

Annotated Bib Entry #1

Clemmitt, Marcia. (August 24, 2007). Fighting Superbugs. CQ Researcher, 17 (29). Retrieved October 31, 2007, from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007082400.

Antibiotic resistance is becoming an almost unstoppable problem in today's health care. Bacteria naturally develop resistance to antibiotics, and instead of just increasing the dosage or using the next strongest antibiotic, health care providers are running out of options. One of the biggest problems in antibiotic resistance right now is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA. This bacteria was seen in mostly hospital patients until just recently. It is starting to infect people outside of hospitals, where it is then referred to as Community Acquired MRSA. The problem with CA-MRSA is that it is becoming resistant to almost all antibiotics except for vancomycin-the strongest, last resort antibiotic. Even so, there have already been a few cases of vancomycin resistant staphylococcus, which leaves us with nothing to fight the bacteria with. Some may argue that the answer is the careful monitoring of antibiotic distribution. It may be able to keep track of what is distributed in America and other developed countries, but there are too many countries which allow patients to pick up an antibiotic at the pharmacy without a prescription. There are a few developments in the fight against MRSA, such as using the anti-infective properties of honey and the use of "bacteriophages-viruses that invade certain species of bacterial cells and cause them to burst and die"(p.22). Even with these new remedies, it is important to remember how dangerous MRSA is, and to know how to avoid it. Hand washing is the most important step in preventing the spread of bacteria. Soaps with the antibacterial triclosan should be avoided, however, as they contribute to antibiotic resistance. It is also very important to take all of a prescribed antibiotic as stopping when symptoms subside could leave the stronger bacteria behind.

I can use the information from Clemmitts article to explain what MRSA is, how it is aquired, how to prevent it, and how the FDA and drug companies are working on a solution.

antibiotic resistance

fighting superbugs
drug resistant bacteria combating infectious diseases

What I've learned...plus some links

CBS news(superbugs)

Food and Drug Administration(antibiotic resistance)

PubMed(bacterial resistance to disinfectants)

In the research I've done thus far, I've learned that the overuse of antibiotics is allowing bacteria to become resistant to the most common antibiotics, such as penicillin and amoxicillin. People are contracting super bugs, which are only treatable by the strongest, most expensive, and last resort antibiotic called vancomycin. The largest problem is that certain infections (mainly the staph infection seen in DuPage County) are becoming resistant to this drug as well, leaving us with no last resorts. Another problem contributing to the development of super bugs is the overuse of disinfectants. When people use disinfectants when they are healthy, it makes them less effective when they actually need them. This is because the most common disinfectant is becoming less effective as bacteria are starting to resist it. This, in turn, is contributing to stronger bacteria that are able to resist antibiotics. Another problem with disinfectants is that once you use them, you become instantly re-contaminated the second you touch something. The most important thing in fighting these super bugs is hand washing-especially the scrubbing action, which is what gets rid of the germs. Contrary to popular belief, the scrubbing action and warm water are more important than whether or not the soap is antibacterial.

What I still need to learn is how the chemicals in disinfectants are affecting our immune system and how this is affecting our bodies' ability to fight the super bugs on its own. I also need to decide if I want to include America's obsession with antibiotics and disinfectants-the psychological side of things. There is also a lot more information about types of antibiotics and disinfectants and how they actually work that I haven't even touched on yet.

Purpose and Audience--Plans to Do

Topic: How does the overuse of antibiotics and disinfectants affect our immune systems? What is the obsession with these products?

Purpose: To illustrate America's obsession with being sanitary and the increase in germaphobes.To argue how the overuse of disinfectants may affect the way our immune systems develop, and how these products are allowing the strongest bacteria to survive and reproduce, creating a larger problem-super bugs.

Audience:
Primary-Parents of young children
Secondary-The school system

Bacteria's Resistance to Disinfectants and Antibiotics

Focus: Many disinfectants kill 99.9% of bacteria, leaving the strongest .1% behind to reproduce and create super bugs. Bacteria also builds up a resistance to antibiotics, forcing doctor's to up the effective dose.

How are disinfectants and antibiotics actually affecting our immune system?

Is the overuse of disinfectants due in part to the obsession to feel clean?

How are disinfectants and antibiotics affecting the world around us?

possible topics...

1. Identify the issue or problem that you plan to focus on in your research project.
There are many additives and preservatives added to food to keep it fresh. Are those good things to put into our bodies?
2. What is your personal connection to and interest in this topic?
I've just always wondered how healthy it is to eat food that can sit on the shelf for a year without going bad.
3. What opinions do you already hold about this topic?
I'm pretty sure a lot of preservatives are really bad for the body, but I don't know which ones or how bad they are.
4. What knowledge do you already have about this topic?
Mostly just my assumptions...
5. What are your main questions about this topic? What are you most curious about?
How do preservatives affect our bodies? I'm really curious about aspartame(found in diet sodas and other sugar free drinks) in particular just because I've heard bad things about it.
6. Within what scholarly discipline (such as history, biology, psychology) do you expect to do most of your research? How does this discipline approach or study this topic?
I'm expecting to do most of my research in the consumer sciences.
7. How could you research this topic outside the library (for example, through interviews
and/or observations)?
I could do a survey of people who drink diet soda and see if they complain of anything out of the ordinary (I know someone who gets intense migraine headaches from diet soda)
Focus:
-I think that a lot of preservatives are not healthy and are used too much without examining the side effects. My questions are- How much do these preservatives and additives affect us? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of going organic?

1. Identify the issue or problem that you plan to focus on in your research project.
There are a lot of chemicals in household cleaning products and disinfectants that may affect the development of children's immune systems.
2. What is your personal connection to and interest in this topic?
I have two baby cousins that I babysit for all the time, and I just wonder about how beneficial these cleaning products are.
3. What opinions do you already hold about this topic?
I think that children who are never exposed to germs are not going to develop a strong immune system based on things I've read and heard...I could be wrong-we'll see.
4. What knowledge do you already have about this topic?
I've heard that products which kill 99.9% of bacteria are actually very bad because they allow the strongest .1% of bacteria to reproduce and create even stronger bacteria-super bugs.
5. What are your main questions about this topic? What are you most curious about?
How beneficial are disinfectants? How do the affect the development of the immune system?
6. Within what scholarly discipline (such as history, biology, psychology) do you expect to do most of your research? How does this discipline approach or study this topic?
I expect to do most of my research in the sciences.
7. How could you research this topic outside the library (for example, through interviews
and/or observations)?
Focus:
How do household cleaning products affect the development of immune systems in children and/or adults? Are the chemicals and disinfectants helping, or are they bad for our health?

Links for Synthesis Writing

http://www.gapinc.com/red/

www.avert.org/global-fund.htm

www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1265/2007/02/9-194956-1.htm

http://www.pressureworks.org.uk/frontline/features/181006_red2.html

http://adage.com/article?article_id=115287

http://www.wheremostneeded.org/2007/03/where_bono_blun.html

Summary of the alertnet article "Bono rebrands 'sexy' Africa"

Even in his effort to "save Africa", Bono faces naysayers. According to Bono himself, 5,000 Africans are dying every day of AIDS. In order to raise awareness and money for those in need of medical attention due to the AIDS virus, he has teamed up with Apple, The Gap, Emporio Armani, Motorola, American Express, and Converse to create stylish products supporting the cause, in which a certain amount of revenue will be donated to Global Fund for the distribution of medication and medical care.

This seems like a noble cause, but is still met with much skepticism. The New York Times suggests that "the effort to chic out Africa" may come across as a hobby for the wealthy--a way to showcase expensive trends with an outer philanthropic appearance. Advertising Age calls them "Philanthropic Fashionistas". While this rings true, Bono maintains that as a global community, we are losing a fight against AIDS, and this is his way of fighting back.

Even still, it seems as if the companies are benefiting more than their causes. "Shop so the unfortunate can live" says Karen Heller of the Philadelphia Inquirer-in other words, these campaigns are feeding off of America's addiction to spending money. What about those who opt out of dropping $300 for an iPod when only ten dollars get donated, and instead donate the full $300? They don't get the kindness mark, because these campaigns are all about show. More money has gone to the advertising of the products for the campaign than the actual cause itself. Yes, spend money to make money is a common used phrase, but maybe in philanthropic situations, the opposite should be true.

Brenjo, Nina. "Bono rebrands 'sexy' Africa". Reuters Foundation Alertnet. 09 March 2007. 03 October 2007. http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1265/2007/02/9-194956-1.htm

Technology's Place in Education

Is technology helping or hurting our education system in America? According to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, technology in the form of epistemic video games give students the tools to "learn by doing" (p. 13), thus helping them to inhibit certain professions through role-playing. On the other side of the spectrum is Richard Ohmann, who argues that while technology is somewhat beneficial, it is being over-used in the classroom.

In the article “Video Games and the Future of Learning”, it is pointed out that epistemic video games bring gamers opportunities to inhibit job roles via game console. It is argued that this sort of interactive learning is more beneficial to students than traditional study styles as it allows students to become what they are learning about as opposed being talked at.

According to Richard Ohmann, author of “Computers and Technology”, technology does have its place in the classroom, but is being too heavily relied on overall. For example, students are using the internet “for horsing around or meeting extracurricular needs” (Ohmann, p.2) instead of using it for research. They are playing games during class or, in the case of adult students, multi-tasking by checking stocks, writing e-mails, or getting office work done. Computers are also sometimes used as a shortcut to learning-the easy way out. Parents and teachers should re-evaluate how often they substitute technology for interactive learning. Not every computerized game is a learning tool. Interactive learning needs to outweigh electronic learning. In other words, our reliance on computers and technology in general should not be brought into the classroom.

So what is the big deal with having technology in the classroom? It may be helpful in certain senses, such as epistemic games for mind stimulation, but overall the classroom is just another market for computer companies. My point is not that we should nix technology altogether, but that we need to be a little more wary of how much we depend on it-especially in a learning environment. In today’s technology savvy society, it has never been more important in the business world to be in touch with all the gadgets and how they work. However, pushing this in classrooms may not be the answer. Yes, computers may help with neatness of papers and certain class projects, but students still need to interact with their teachers and know how to get research from books. Schools need to be treated as such, and computer companies need to respect that and take their business elsewhere.

Synthesis Draft

Is technology helping or hurting our education system in America? According to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, technology in the form of epistemic video games give students the tools to "learn by doing" (p. 13), thus helping them to inhibit certain professions through role-playing. On the other side of the spectrum is Richard Ohmann, who argues that while technology is somewhat beneficial, it is being over-used in the classroom.

In the article ______________, it is pointed out that epistemic video games bring gamers opportunities to inhibit job roles via game console. It is argued that this sort of interactive learning is more beneficial to students than traditional study styles as it allows students to become what they are learning about as opposed to just hearing about it.
According to Richard Ohmann, author of “Computers and Technology”, the opposite is true. Ohmann states that technology does have its place in the classroom, but is being too heavily relied on overall. Students are using the internet “for horsing around or meeting extracurricular needs” (Ohmann, p.2) instead of using it for research. They are playing games during class or, in the case of adult students, multi-tasking by checking stocks, writing e-mails, or getting office work done.

So what is the reason for getting that technology into the classroom? It may be helpful in certain senses, such as epistemic games for mind stimulation, but overall the classroom is just another market. In today’s technology savvy society, it has never been more important in the business world to be in touch with all the gadgets and how they work. However, pushing this in classrooms may not be the answer. Yes, computers may help with neatness of papers and certain class projects, but students still need to interact with their teachers and know how to get research from books. Schools need to be treated as such, and computer companies should respect this and take their business elsewhere.

Synthesis outline

Is technology helping or hurting our education system in America? According to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, technology in the form of epistemic video games give students the tools to "learn by doing" (p. 13), thus helping them to inhibit certain professions through role-playing. On the other side of the spectrum is Richard Ohmann, who argues that while technology is somewhat beneficial, it is being over-used in the classroom.


-Epistemic games bring gamers opportunities to inhibit roles
-Epistemic games create a sense of community in gamers that is lacking in the classroom

-Technology is somewhat useful in the classroom, but is being relied on too much
-Students are playing games during class instead of paying attention
-Plagiarism is a bigger problem
-Students use internet (which may be less factual) instead of books for research
-Collegiate students (particularly adults) using laptops to multi-task(writing e-mails, checking stocks) etc. during class

Computers and Technology response

In "Computers and Technology, Richard Ohmann brings up a few good points about the technology craze that is sweeping the country-and the school system. He argues that while there are a few good things about computers in the classroom, they also cause a lot of problems. He points out that in certain schools, the use of computers has dramatically improved grades and involvement. However, it seems that students are relying less on books and teachers as resources and more and more on the internet. There is also a huge amount of students using plagiarism instead of doing their own work.
I agree with Richard Ohmann in the sense that students use the internet too much for research, but disagree with the points he makes about students relying too heavily on computers for day-to-day learning. Obviously the statistics from the beginning of his article show that having computers in schools is making a big impact on students grades. Students do rely a little to much on the internet for research, and plagiarism is a big problem, but overall having technology in the classroom seems to be making a positive impact.

Summaries

"Fast-food companies are marketing to children a product with proven health hazards and no warning labels." This is fast-food 101 according to David Zinczenko, author of "Don't Blame the Eater" and editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine. Zinczenko also claims that there are hardly-if any-healthy, inexpensive alternatives for fast food that can also be eaten on the run. I disagree with Zinczenco, as the search for healthy alternatives stops at the nearest grocery store. There are many items that are convenient for those on the go that don't contain thousands of calories, contrary to Zinczenko's opinion. These options include fresh fruit and vegetables, health snacks, and microwaveable meals that boast as little as ____ calories. Simply looking around at labels and eating more fresh fruits and veggies are wonderful alternatives to fast-food.



In his article "Don't Blame the Eater", David Zinczenko rightfully criticizes fast-food companies for providing very unhealthy food with misleading knowledge about the nutrition facts, leading people to believe they are saving calories eating a salad when they would be better off with a chicken sandwich. He also criticizes these companies for their marketing tactics. They seem to mainly market to today's youth, which as Zinczenko claims, has played a large role in childhood obesity. But the fast-food companies aren't the only to blame. It also seems as though children choose fast-food over healthy alternatives, so a lawsuit against the fast-food industry may not help a whole lot. I do agree that fast-food is sometimes misleading, but consumers need to take responsibility of their own consumption.

The New iPod

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/40512;_ylt=AkcjYJ4cc3mdGtYCJu3XnrIFLZA5

The writer is responding to Apple's new lineup of iPods, and claims that the iPod touch is basically a waste of money as it is just an iPhone without a phone and has less memory than the "classic" iPod. The motivation behind this response is Apple putting out new products this fall that seem to have very little practical use but to look "pretty" and just be a new way for Apple to make money.