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Stem Cells, 2004.
This paper discusses stem cell research, one of the most truly revolutionary medical science developments.
1,755 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 10 sources, APA, AU$ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper explains the potential benefits of stem cells result from the fact that they can transform themselves into literally any cell in the body, thus replacing the injured or damaged organs, which will render today's medicines obsolete. The author points out that there are formidable challenges to be overcome; the most serious is the 'ethical' opposition to stem cell research led by pro-life advocates who consider the use of embryos for creating stem cell lines as the killing of potential human beings. This has resulted in restriction of federal funding for stem cell research. The paper states that there are several formidable scientific barriers, such as the tendency of the immune systems to attack transplanted cells, which have to be crossed; therefore, the author believes that stem cell research deserves full support.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Stem Cells
How Are Stem Cell Lines Created?
Sources of Stem Cells for Research Purposes
Fertility Clinics
Aborted Fetuses
Cloning
Made to Order
The Ethics of Stem Cell Research
Arguments Against Stem Cell Research Arguments for Stem Cell Research
Other Ethical Concerns
Issue of Federal Funding
Conclusion
From the Paper
"One of the most dramatic breakthroughs in the history of biological research occurred in November 1998, when two independent teams of American researchers managed to isolate and grow a special kind of human cell called the stem cell. Until then, scientists had struggled long and hard to isolate the elusive cells but capturing them had proved difficult. One reason for this difficulty was that most stem cells only exist in their original form for a short time before turning into the various specialized cells of the body; the other was that the cells need a highly specialized environment to keep them alive outside the body. Other scientists had previously succeeded in culturing stem cells for only short periods; the 'breakthrough' accomplishment was that the pioneering scientists successfully created conditions under which the stem cells could replicate over time without specializing."
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Human Memory, 2004.
A brief overview of different studies on how memory works.
792 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how human memory organization has been a topic of psychological and psychiatric study for many years, particularly in the area of the relation between brain injury and memory organization. It looks at how researchers have begun to study the data of patients who do not have brain disease or neurological issues and how these studies have assisted scientists in determining how memory is organized in undamaged subjects.
From the Paper
"Studies have also shown that there are different pathways for different types of memory. Ungerleider and Mishkin found, in 1982, that a pathway in the brain from the occipital lobe to the parietal lobe was responsible for spatial perception. Another pathway, that of semantic information, is formed through a route from the occipital to temporal lobes. The result of these two pathways is that there is a different brain pattern between knowing where an object is, and knowing what an object is (Wilson, et al, 1997)."
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Embryonic Stem Cell Research, 2004.
An analysis of the controversial topic of embryonic stem cell research.
1,421 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 57.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the reports of the isolation of human stem cells from embryonic tissues. The paper explains the controversy involved in embryonic stem cell research, the main issue being the source of the embryos. The paper contends that these reports sparked much excitement because researchers could now design experiments to determine how human embryonic cells differentiate into various types of tissues, leading to the development of the human body, and moreover, because of the capability of these cells, a wide range of clinical applications were predicted.
From the Paper
"In November 1998, two research groups independently announced that they had isolated human stem cells from embryonic tissues, had cultivated the cells, and shown these cells could develop into all three basic layers of cells in the human embryo (Lysaught 1999). Because these cells could potentially develop into nearly every type of human cell and tissue, they held great promise for applications in medicine and human development (Lysaught 1999). Upon announcement of the news, Harold Varmus, director of the National Institutes of Health, was quoted as saying that human embryonic stem cell research "had the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine and improve the quality and length of life" (Lysaught 1999). Concerns arose regarding the fact that the techniques by which stem cells were derived involved the destruction of human embryos, thus depriving them of their potential to develop into human beings (Lysaught 1999)"
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Oil Spills, 2004.
An analysis of the environmental problem of oil spills.
2,238 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 84.95
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Abstract
This paper claims that environmental oil spills are one of the most hazardous and preventable accidents that occur. The paper explains that, although there are a number of agencies that support the ongoing transport of oil via major waterways, by and large, such transport often leads to devastating consequences. The paper describes the importance of the establishment of stringent protocols for the safe transport of oil across waterways. The paper contends that environmental protection agencies need to work in collaboration with tanking and shipping organizations to ensure that every measure is taken to protect the environment from the hazardous effects of oil spills.
From the Paper
"Many oil tanker companies and major corporations such as Exxon have adopted protective measures to help guard against spills in the future. Despite these efforts however spills, small or large in nature continue to occur. Exxon even had another oil spill that was much smaller, but a spill nonetheless a few years after the Valdez disaster. Most of the companies involved in spills argue that the environment and ecosystems affected can recovery quickly and efficiently, and that most environments can return to a normal state of existence as they were before a spill. It is according to Dicks (1998) unrealistic to define recovery as a return to pre-spill conditions but rather recovery is defined as the re-establishment of a healthy biological community in which the plants and animals characteristic of that community are present and functioning normally (Dicks, 1998:2). Generally the area will not have the same composition or structure that was present prior to a spill and continues to change over time."
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Stem Cell Research, 2005.
A discussion of the ethical and moral issues regarding stem cell research.
1,139 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the complex moral and ethical issues surrounding the topic of stem cell research and examines arguments that both favor and oppose the research. The paper also points out that there is little likelihood that the debate over stem cell research will be resolved soon; perhaps the debate will eventually move toward the question of how the research will be conducted, as opposed to if it should be conducted, since stem cell research seems to be continuing, in spite of all of the controversy it generates.
From the Paper
"Today one of the most hotly debated issues is unquestionably stem cell research. Specifically, it involves harvesting and using a specific type of cell known as a "stem cell" and using it to attempt to develop or reproduce virtually any cell in the body. Of course this has tremendous potential for therapeutic benefit-some speculate from curing cancer, paralysis, Parkinson's disease, and a host of other maladies yet to be imagined. In lay terms, stem cells can serve as kind of "repair system for the body," which can divide infinitely-replenishing other cells. What is so powerful about the stem cell, however, is its ability to become another kind of specialized cell, say a brain, blood, bone marrow or muscle cell (NIH, 2004)."
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Musical Spiders, 2004.
A synopsis of an experiment to study the effect that music has on spiders.
1,289 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes an experiment conducted to study the effect that music has on spiders. The paper describes the background reasoning for this experiment and identifies the equipment necessary to conduct it. The paper discusses the methods employed to record, gather, and analyze data. The conclusions drawn from this experiment are outlined in the paper.
From the Paper
"The goal of this experiment, conducted in 2001 by Jack Feichtner et al of Miami University in Ohio, was to study the effect that music has on spiders. The species of spider chosen for the experiment was Theridiiae, and the effect chosen was the orientation of the spider within a given, created environment. Research had previously revealed that spiders are sensitive to vibration for a number of survival reasons. Spiders do not have very good eyesight, so vibrations are used to sense prey caught in the web and the presence of a possible mate on the web. Previous experiments had been performed on the effects that drugs have on the building of spider webs, and based on this research the students hypothesized that there will be a measurable pattern in how the spiders react to the music, and that the spiders will be attracted to softer vibrations and repelled by harsher vibrations."
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Nature vs. Nurture, 2004.
An analysis of the role played by nature and nurture in intelligence.
1,651 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the issue of nature versus nurture regarding intelligence. It examines whether persons' potential for learning and success is due to their environment or their genetic makeup. It contends that whether nature or nurture influences intelligence remains a matter of debate between scientists. However, it appears that nurture outweighs nature when it comes to intelligence.
From the Paper
"Many scientists believe that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or "animal instincts (Powell, 2003)." This is known as the "nature" theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people behave in certain ways because they have learned to do so. This is known as the "nurture" theory of human behavior. Increasing understanding of the human genome suggests that both sides are partly right. Nature provides human beings with inborn abilities and traits; nurture takes these genetic tendencies and develops them as we learn and mature. However, despite these common beliefs, scientists still argue over how much of who we are is shaped by genes and how much by the environment."
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Infectious Bacteria, Viruses, and Eukaryotes, 2004.
An analysis of infectious organisms and how they cause various diseases.
3,225 words (approx. 12.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 112.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the threats of infectious organisms, with a focus on their ports of entry. The paper explains that typical portals of entry include the mouth, ears, eyes, urethra, nose, and skin, while non-typical portals might include wounds, broken skin, insect bites, or even animal bites or stings. The paper explores the E. coli bacteria, Hepatitis A ,and Guardia Lamblia, providing explanations of how these diseases may be contracted and various methods for treatment and prevention.
Outline
Introduction
The Mouth and Gastrointestinal Tract
Defense Mechanisms
The E. coli Bacteria
E. Coli Taxonomy and Virulence
Treatment and Prevention
Hepatitis A
Taxonomy
Treatment and Prevention
Guardia Lamblia
Taxonomy
Treatment and Prevention
Conclusions
From the Paper
"Indeed, the specialized preferences of many organisms with regard to ports of entry are so consistent that it is often taken as a hallmark of a particular organism in the diagnosis phase. This is especially important when one notes that the symptoms of characteristic of a specific infection usually give clear clues as to the point of entry. Although it is important to consider the point of entry when diagnosing the cause of illness in a patient, it can also be important for many aspects of disease prevention, especially when a high risk for a particular organism is present in one?s environment. For example, if one knows that he or she is working in an environment where there is a high incidence of an airborne pathogen, steps can be taken (the wearing of masks the use of patient isolation procedures for example) to minimize possible exposures to that pathogen."
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Genetically Modified Foods, 2005.
A look at the pros and cons of using genetically modified foods.
1,026 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how one of the ways scientists have discovered how to increase food supply for a growing planet is by using genetic modification techniques to produce heartier, healthier, and more abundant crops. It analyzes whether they are safe for human consumption and the environment. The writer shows how there are differing opinions on both of these questions.
From the Paper
"Crops can also be modified to deliver medicines and vaccines. Pharmaceuticals are often costly to produce and require special storage conditions. Third world countries could benefit greatly from edible vaccines in plants such as tomatoes or potatoes. These medicinal vegetables would be ?easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines? (Whitman, 2000). ?In trials, crops have been genetically engineered to manufacture proteins for healing wounds and treating conditions such as cystic fibrosis, cirrhosis of the liver and anemia; antibodies to fight cancer and vaccines against rabies, cholera and foot-and-mouth disease? (Pearce, 2004). Scientists have even made it possible for livestock, such as cattle, to contain omega-3 oils, known to prevent heart attacks, without the use of expensive fishmeal feed (Coghlan, 2004)."
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Concentrated Animal Feeding, 2004.
This paper discusses concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) for swine and the environmental and human health hazards typically associated with such practices.
845 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 6 sources, APA, AU$ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that recent changes in swine-management practices, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), have resulted in a growing controversy surrounding the environmental and public health effects of modern swine production. The author points out two problems in swine-management practices, including an increase in health hazards because of the confined spaces, and public relations problems for the industry, particularly in the communities immediately situated near such facilities. The paper relates that the industry deal with these issues by using sound environmental health practices in the workplace and by providing anaerobic lagoons to help remediate the large amount of biological wastes that are inevitably generated at such CAFOs.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Environmental and Health Hazards Associated with CAFOs for Swine
Current and Future Trends
Conclusion
From the Paper
"During the last half of the 20th century, agricultural growth and development in the United States has become more closely linked to a wide range of social and environmental problems. Partially because of the industrialization of farming and food production, soil and water resources have been degraded, wildlife habitats have been destroyed, and rural communities have been dissolved and uprooted.The scale, mechanization, specialization, capital-intensity, and chemical-intensity of agricultural production have dramatically increased, with the result that large agribusinesses and individual farm operators have come under greater environmental scrutiny associated with the broader ?greening? of public opinion since 1970."
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Human Cloning, 2004.
An analysis of the controversial topic of human cloning.
1,772 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 29 sources, MLA, AU$ 69.95
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Abstract
This paper presents the main arguments for and against human cloning. The paper attempts to show that cloning has numerous negative factors against it, which outweigh any positive aspects that may be cited in favor of this procedure. The paper presents fundamental questions about the possible effects of cloning on human nature. The paper contends that cloning should be severely restricted so that society does not slip into an era where the significance and uniqueness of a human being is reduced and possibly obliterated.
From the Paper
"All theory about cloning suddenly became potential fact with the news on February 23, 1997 that a sheep named Dolly had been successfully cloned from the non-reproductive tissue of an adult male sheep. The result was a genetically identical clone. The scientific breakthrough represented by the Dolly clone was the fact that differentiated cells could be undifferentiated and used to produce a new ?duplicate? entity."
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Evolution and Religion, 2005.
An overview of the evolution versus creation debate.
1,818 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 4 sources, APA, AU$ 71.95
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Abstract
Science and religion have become dominant forces in today?s world, and the battle between these two topics continues to affect many aspects of modern society. Although opinions have changed since the days of Charles Darwin and the time of the famous ?Scope?s Monkey Trial? in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925, science and religion, especially in the area of evolution, continue to seek answers to some very basic questions, such as exactly how life originated on earth and the direction in which life is heading. The paper shows that the fact that scientists and theologians frequently arrive at different answers to these questions does not seem to be the problem; in essence, the true problem lies in the vastly divergent approaches used by each in finding the answers to these seminal questions. The paper shows that, essentially, science utilizes the power of reason and logic in its search for the truth, while religion depends almost wholly upon faith. In addition, science incorporates experimentation and observation, while religion embraces revelation as found in the Holy Bible and other religious doctrines. Thus, the scientist may attempt to explain human origins through progressive evolution, while the religious scholar looks to the creative process described in Genesis. The paper explains that attempting to discover which pathway is correct seems to be the most important aspect of this entire debate, yet it remains unclear whether science or religion will prevail in the end.
From the Paper
"In nature, artificial selection usually involves the best and strongest genes in an organism that are then used to maintain growth and control to the most extreme. These selections always act upon the whole organism and not just a single gene, and all desirable features and any potentially unwanted features are balanced by the process of selection. As a result, artificial selection influences all of an organism?s genes and makes them work together to produce the various physical features of an animal or a plant. When artificial selection is thwarted by what is known as a mutation, being a radical and often quick alteration in an organism?s general appearance or function, it may take many generations for this mutation to alter the entire population."
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Neural Plasticity, 2005.
An examination of the relationship between brain plasticity and behavioral change.
814 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper explains how experience alters the synaptic organization of the brain in species as diverse as fruit flies and humans and, although evidence that these changes are functionally meaningful is more difficult to collect, there is little doubt that changes in synaptic organization are correlated with changes in behavior. It looks at how activity initiated by experience or behavior could, therefore, increase the activity of genetic mechanisms responsible for dendritic and synaptic growth and, ultimately, behavioral change.
From the Paper
"Therefore, animals with extensive dendritic growth, relative to untreated animals show facilitated performance on numerous types of behavioral measures in contrast to animals with atrophy in dendritic arborization that show a decline in behavioral capacity (Whishaw Pp). Similarly, factors that enhance dendritic growth, nerve growth factor, facilitate behavioral outcome, while factors that block dendritic growth, brain injury at birth in rats, retard functional outcomes (Whishaw Pp). Although studies have stressed that changes in dendritic morphology, there are multiple, and likely dissociable, changes in the neuron morphology that correlate behavioral change, including ?increases in dendritic length, dendritic branching pattern, spine density, synapse number, synapse size, glial size and number, and metabolic activity? (Whishaw Pp)."
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The Venus Fly Trap, 2004.
An analysis of the rare carnivorous plant, the Venus Fly Trap.
5,567 words (approx. 22.3 pages), 24 sources, MLA, AU$ 164.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Venus Fly Trap, a rare carnivorous plant that feeds on living matter rather than through the process of photosynthesis like other plants. It examines specific aspects of the plant, such as its closing mechanism and evolutionary tree, and identifies the value of the plant to pharmaceuticals and health care and its adaptation to other geographical areas, such as the bottom of the sea.
From the Paper
"In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to learn about the Venus flytrap in the wild due to decreasing numbers. According to Stiefel in ?Meat-Eating Plants? in Science World (2000), the plants are solely found in the Savannah?s of North and South Carolina in an approximate radius of only 60 to 75 miles. Measuring just 4 to 12 inches in height, they are often stolen by human predators to sell on the market for a couple of dollars. The heavy fines do not dissuade them: North Carolina now levies tickets of up to $2,000 for poaching the plant! Venus flytraps are a federal species of concern (FSC)--a species that may or may not be listed in the future. They are not endangered or threatened, but entitled to regulatory protection because their exploitation could get them to the endangered-threatened stage. In addition, around the world the natural wetland habitats of the all the carnivore plants have been systematically drained to erect shopping malls and housing developments. Almost 90 percent of carnivorous plants indigenous to the U.S. have been eradicated because only 3 to 5 percent of their swampy habitat still remains."
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The Inevitability of Cloning, 2005.
Argues that cloning is inevitable and that the impetus of scientific manipulation and creative thought will eventually outweigh any arguments to the contrary.
1,597 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 29 sources, MLA, AU$ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper explores some of the arguments for and against cloning and looks at how they pertain to the inevitability of the proliferation and development of cloning. The paper sees scientific discovery and human intellectual progress as central factors in the debate on cloning and examines the controversy from this perspective.
From the Paper
"The science of cloning has raised eyebrows throughout the world. For those who advocate cloning the promise of this technology ranges from renewing body parts and curing disease to the complete cloning of another human being. The most bizarre of these predictions, which may now seem more realistic since the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997, has been made by the Raelian movement, founder of the Clonaid Company. They intend to use the cells of a dead baby for cloning, with the express purpose of bringing it back to life as a newborn. Cloning raises many issues that extend well beyond the technical and medical questions that might be asked. The possibility of human cloning is a problem that confronts human society on many levels ? including religious, ethical, psychological and sociological areas. One of the most debatable issues surrounding cloning is the possible disruption and even the destruction of human institutions such as the family and parenting. On a different but related level, cloning is a threat to religious perceptions and challenges the very meaning of what it is to be a human being."
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The Placement of Shelter Dogs, 2004.
This paper discusses the use of family systems theory, a systemic family paradigm, in matching shelter dogs to appropriate adopters.
4,440 words (approx. 17.8 pages), 16 sources, APA, AU$ 141.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, if shelters wish to decrease their rates of return, as well as doing everything possible to ensure that dogs are placed with loving, healthy families, they need to examine, as closely as possible, not only the surface-level attributes of the family, such as income level and home ownership, but also deeper issues, like habits and long-term goals. The author points out that dogs to be adopted must be healthy dogs and known not to be dangerous; on the other hand, families experiencing any level whatsoever of familial violence cannot be allowed to adopt a dog. The family system method of interviewing families to determine their suitability to adopt a dog includes questions in these categories: individual needs and behaviors, family connections, and changing family patterns.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Systemic Family Therapy
Shelter Policies and Procedures
Serious Human Considerations
A Possible Systemic Assessment Approach to the Adoption Process
Individual Needs and Behaviors
Family Connections
Changing Family Patterns
Conclusions
From the Paper
"What do these two seemingly abstract descriptions of systemic family therapy have to do with the adoption of dogs from a shelter? First and foremost, they have led to a wide variety of assessment approaches that therapists use to understand how families interact. For example, the therapist who can assess the overall contributions to the family that each member of power (meaning, usually, the adults) makes to the greater good, then s/he can understand to what extent these members will most probably interact with and care for a future dog member of the family. The therapist who can assess how many hours each person spends at home, or how many chores each person generally takes upon him or herself, or how much money each person is expected to earn in a given year -- and, more importantly, how each person feels about these and many other things (i.e. do they feel resentment or contentment) -- is a person who can provide a shelter with a wealth of vital information."
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