...GENETICS CASE STUDY GENETICS CASE STUDY This case study is based on a high-risk pregnancy due to advanced maternal age, genetic test indicating the fetus to have Tay-Sachs Disease and the coping strategies for this family. Rita Trosack is a 43-year old white female, married for six years to husband, Peter, a 46-year old white male. They both work in the financial district of Chicago and live downtown. They have been trying to conceive for two years. They both work an average of sixty hours a week. Rita and Peter were both raised as Catholics; however, they choose not to practice at this time. Rita missed her menstrual period, began having typical signs and symptoms of pregnancy (nausea, dry heaving, tender breasts, and fatigue). The fatigue was so severe she decreased her hours at the bank. An early pregnancy test performed by Rita tested positive. She then calculated her due date as January 27, 2009, since her last menstrual period (LMP) began on April 20, 2008. Rita met with Dr. Zimmerly an obstetrician in a high-risk obstetric clinic. On this first visit he confirmed the estimated date of delivery (EDD) as late January 2009. Due to Rita’s age, the chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was recommended to screen for fetal genetic defects. Rita had the test in early July, which would place her around eleven weeks into her pregnancy; this is the appropriate time in which to perform the CVS. Amniocentesis could have been performed, but this is usually...
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...Ethical Issues in Genetic Testing Source: Lea, D. H., Williams, J., & Donahue, M. P. (2005). Ethical issues in genetic testing. Journal of midwifery & Women’s health, 50(3), 234-240. 1. Introduction Since Watson and Crick describe the structure of DNA in 1953, recent advances of technology have provided genetists a powerful tool to better understand the role of human genome in human diseases (Watson & Crick, 1953). Consequently, genetic testing has been becoming popular in clinical settings to identify underlying risk for disease in individual and family members. However, the outburst of genetic tests have led to some ethical issues arising from the ability to identify disease-associated genes. This article gives an overview of ethical theories...
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...Running Head: UNIT THREE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS Unit Three Written Assignments Erin Schmidt Professor Vega St. Joseph’s College of Maine Prepared on November 30, 2009 1. Of all the people using the health care system today, how important are social problems on the use of the health care system? Social problems including AIDS, drug abuse, violence, and teen pregnancy are very important when considering the economy of the United States Health Care System. Unprotected sexual contact and sharing dirty needles account for the majority of persons infected with AIDS. HIV and AIDS affect human capitol due to the increased mortality of this group. Bonnel (2000) notes that younger individuals are dying of this disease, which translates to a decreased taxable population and reduction in resources for public expenditures. Medications such as antiretrovirals are very expensive. Henderson (2002) points out that drug therapy costs up to $16,000 dollars per infected individual per year. Additional economic impact can be thought of in terms of lost productivity, and lost days from work, which account for a significant impact on the labor supply. With regard to substance abuse, Henderson (2002) states “substance abuse is the leading health problem in the United States today” (p. 310). Costs associated with substance abuse include increased costs of medical care, lost productivity from...
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...doi:10.3390/ijerph6020492 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1660-4601 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Article Emerging Patient-Driven Health Care Models: An Examination of Health Social Networks, Consumer Personalized Medicine and Quantified Self-Tracking Melanie Swan * Research Associate, MS Futures Group, P.O. Box 61258, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: m@melanieswan.com; Tel.: +1-415505-4426; Fax: +1-504-910-3803 Received: 9 January 2009 / Accepted: 2 February 2009 / Published: 5 February 2009 Abstract: A new class of patient-driven health care services is emerging to supplement and extend traditional health care delivery models and empower patient self-care. Patient-driven health care can be characterized as having an increased level of information flow, transparency, customization, collaboration and patient choice and responsibility-taking, as well as quantitative, predictive and preventive aspects. The potential exists to both improve traditional health care systems and expand the concept of health care though new services. This paper examines three categories of novel health services: health social networks, consumer personalized medicine and quantified self-tracking. Keywords: Patient-driven health care; health social networks; personalized medicine; quantified self-tracking; health care delivery; predictive health care; preventive health care; long-tail medicine;...
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...changes due to the neurotransmitter. Finally, the effect on dopamine on the personality of children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has been thoroughly tested. According to van der Zwaluw, Larsen, and Engels (2012), children are no longer assumed to be only influence by peers when it comes to alcohol consumption. The dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) has been found to be associated with the susceptibility of alcohol consumption. This concept has been highly scrutinized and tested, because the researchers have seemingly found a genetic disposition for alcoholism. According to Lee and Humphreys (2014), not only does the presence of the DRD4 gene raise the likelihood of drinking, but it also allocates the adolescent a positive experience with alcohol. The positive experience is associated with enjoyment, lack of guilt, and probable continued use. According to Depue, Luciana, Arbisi, Collins, and Leon (1994), the genetic factors of personality are affected by a number of neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the most closely associated with addiction. Dopamine is associated with addiction because it is released when the brain associates an action as “good.” Alcohol, though...
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...Genetically Modified Organisms Capitalism: The Soil Where Food Grows Foods we consume can be looked upon as somewhat vastly different than the foods consumed by our predecessors. Technology and scientific innovation progresses at a staggering and nearly exponentially greater rate from each year to the next, and its reach leaves little industry untouched. Most mass-produced foods we eat today contain some level of preservatives, alterations or other biological modifications. In a sense, it is almost as if we should redefine the simple name of what we eat. Is a carrot still a carrot? What gives the food we eat a name? The debate on genetically modified foods is one that continues to carry stronger and stronger throughout the years. Some crops are modified to prevent insects from eating them, other foods are altered bio-mechanically to provide additional resources or to grow larger. Even so far as farm animals are given treatments that dramatically increase their body size, yielding more meat. To preface the argument food or against genetically modified foods: there is simply no easy solution. The overall scenario of genetically modified foods has many different parameters. These parameters include ethical, religious, legal and environmental ramifications. It would be equally as irrational to say that genetically modified foods were more or less dangerous than they were beneficial. The perspective to the scenario should be taken on both micro and macro levels, and to perceive...
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...Capitalism: The Soil Where Food Grows Foods we consume can be looked upon as somewhat vastly different than the foods consumed by our predecessors. Technology and scientific innovation progresses at a staggering and nearly exponentially greater rate from each year to the next, and its reach leaves little industry untouched. Most mass-produced foods we eat today contain some level of preservatives, alterations or other biological modifications. In a sense, it is almost as if we should redefine the simple name of what we eat. Is a carrot still a carrot? What gives the food we eat a name? The debate on genetically modified foods is one that continues to carry stronger and stronger throughout the years. Some crops are modified to prevent insects from eating them, other foods are altered bio-mechanically to provide additional resources or to grow larger. Even so far as farm animals are given treatments that dramatically increase their body size, yielding more meat. To preface the argument food or against genetically modified foods: there is simply no easy solution. The overall scenario of genetically modified foods has many different parameters. These parameters include ethical, religious, legal and environmental ramifications. It would be equally as irrational to say that genetically modified foods were more or less dangerous than they were beneficial. The perspective to the scenario should be taken on both micro and macro levels, and to perceive their effects in the...
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...INTRODUCTION Biotechnology is one of the innovative branches of science. Biotechnology has created new revolutions in this era by contributing industries, medical sciences, food technologies and genetics. "Biotechnology is basically defined as the use of living organisms, their parts and their biochemical processes for the creation of beneficial products." Bio-technology has its roots in the distant past and has a large, highly profitable, modern industrial outlets of great value to society for e.g. the fermentation, bio-pharmaceutical and food industries. The main reasons must be associated with the rapid advances in molecular biology, in particular, recombinant DNA technology, which is now giving bio-scientists a remarkable understanding and control over biological processes. Some Technologies used in Biotechnology: 1. Bioprocessing technology * The use of bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells and/or enzymes to manufacture products * Large scale fermentation and cell cultures, carried out in huge bioreactors, manufacture useful products * Products: Insulin, vaccines, vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, etc. 2. Monoclonal antibodies (MCAb) * Definition: Producing antibodies for medicine by cloning a single cell * MCAb are used for Home Pregnancy tests * Used to detect cancer (they bind to tumor cells) * Used to detect diseases in plants and animals and environmental pollutants 3. CELL...
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...Guillermo C. Reboca Case Study 3 “Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Wheat” BMGT 496 – 4021 Dr. Alan Goodman University of Maryland University College April 11, 2011 I. Thesis Statement Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are the result of splicing foreign genetic material, like a transgene, into a target organism’s DNA to create an organism showing at least one new genetic characteristic. With the world’s population continuing to increase, farmers and their crops will be heavily relied on to produce the worlds agricultural needs. As one of the leading agricultural company in the world, Monsanto is focused on sustainable agriculture and has been one of many company that has assisted farmers in developing seeds that can lead produce the necessary result the world needs. One of the ways they do this is by creating genetically modified seeds such as the Roundup Ready Wheat seeds that can yield increase crops and be safe for consumption. However, because of opposition to GMO from other countries and organizations, Monsanto has the answer the moral question of whether or not to introduce the wheat or delay it or drop it entirely. I think Monsanto should introduce the wheat but only on a trial and timed basis. II. Significant Facts – Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Wheat Monsanto is one the of the world’s largest agricultural companies that specializes in both conventional and genetically modified organism (GMO) seeds and other products. They pride themselves in respecting...
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...The Problem with the Safety of Roundup Ready Soybeans Aurelia Bright Abstract: Farmers have been looking for a labour and time effective solution to weeds that grow and compete with their crops since they began farming. In 1970 when Monsanto introduced Roundup, a systemic herbicide, farmers rejoiced. Because Roundup is effective against annual and perennial weeds it was time efficient as it enabled farmers to treat a field once rather than twice as was previously necessary. The next landmark innovation came in the form of herbicide resistant crops, specifically, Roundup Ready crops. These were crops that genetically engineered to be resistant to Roundup which allowed farmers to spray fields with herbicide. They no longer had to discern between what a weed was and what was a crop, they could spray everything indiscriminately. This simple weed management system went on to revolutionise the entire farming industry. Introduction: Charles Darwin first set out the theory of evolution in the 19th century. He proposed that plants and animals were in competition for the same resources and that only the fittest and strongest survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. Farmers have been giving their crops a helping hand in that fight since 10,000 B.C. by weeding, using salt to deter pests and keeping seeds from high yielding crops to sow the following year (Kingsbury, 2009). Over time, as farmers came to understand more about breeding techniques, they began to choose...
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...Table of content. |Topic |Page number | |Case analysis |2 | |Case synopsis and themes |3 | |Question 1 |3 | |Question 2 |6 | |Question 3 |8 | |Islamic Perspective |12 | |References |16 | CASE ANALYSIS: MOSANTO BALANCES WORLDWIDE STAKEHOLDER CONCERN. Monsanto company is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation which is based in U.S as a headquarter. It is the leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate around the world. The corporation was founded in 1901 by John Francis Queeny, and...
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...GMO and Disease By Michelle Taylor There are several health concerns regarding GMO food, many of them are not based off of hard factual evidence. These concerns center around not knowing what the outcomes of gene alterations will be. Animal studies show that GMO food can indeed cause disease and even death in animal subjects but there is very little evidence showing what effect GMO food will have on humans. Humans have been altering food for thousands of years in order to fit the needs of society. For example, the use of cross breeding in fruits and vegetables to make them stronger, breeding live stock to fit human needs, and pasteurization of milk to protect against harmful bacteria. Is GMO really any different from these techniques? The biggest difference is that the genes of the plants and animals are being altered. The use of rDNA has been shown to be unpredictable, each generation could have traits that may or may not differ from the intended traits. So the question is “are GMO foods healthy or not?” I don't know if there can be a direct answer to this question. Research shows that the use of RBGH can increase the presence of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in humans. IGF-1 in large doses can cause illness and disease such as headache, and hypoglycemia. Overdose of IGF-1 can cause Hypoglycemia, edema, and Hyperandrogenism. Other side effects of IGF-1 are Increase hunger, and Weight gain, and IGF-1 has also been linked to breast, colon, and prostate...
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...used to boost biofuels, helping to create the food crisis; and now the food crisis is being used to revive the fortunes of the GM industry.” — Daniel Howden, Africa correspondent of The Independent2 “The cynic in me thinks that they’re just using the current food crisis and the fuel crisis as a springboard to push GM crops back on to the public agenda. I understand why they’re doing it, but the danger is that if they’re making these claims about GM crops solving the problem of drought or feeding the world, that’s bullshit.” – Prof Denis Murphy, head of biotechnology at the University of Glamorgan in Wales3 commercialization, genetic engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop yields. The author, former US EPA and US FDA biotech specialist Dr Gurian-Sherman, concludes that when it comes to yield, “Traditional breeding outperforms genetic engineering hands down.”6 “Let’s be clear. As of this year [2008], there are no commercialized GM crops that inherently increase yield. Similarly, there are no GM crops on the market that were engineered to resist drought, reduce...
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...Aspect of GMO by Chad Dookie Description of GMOs and the associated science Most of the populations that do shopping in the groceries to buy food for their family are not aware of the “naturalness” of the food. Groceries sell items such as; cotton seeds, rice, soy, sugar beets, yeast, cassava, papaya, bananas, food flavoring, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, oils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, peas, alfalfa, and honey. Notice that most of the items listed either came from a plant or an animal. Those are the top 20 grocery items that have been genetically modified. What are genetically modified organisms? A genetically modified organism is any living thing that has had their DNA tampered with. This can be mutating, removing, or adding genetic material into the organism. All of the items listed in paragraph one has had their DNA tampered with. Most times when people talk about genetically modified organisms, they mostly refer to plants that are genetically modified. You may be wondering how the animals listed are considered genetically modified. This is because scientists modify the plants that are being fed to the animals. This causes the DNA in the animals to also get tampered with. There are ways, for example, to feed chicken so that they are stronger and they get more meat in them. The way to do this is to modify the foods they eat and put something in the plant’s DNA to make these chickens stronger. Scientists can also directly modify the DNA of the animal also, instead of...
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...immunology, and development of pharmaceutical therapies and diagnostic tests.[3] Definitions of biotechnology The concept of 'biotech' or 'biotechnology' encompasses a wide range of procedures (and history) for modifying living organisms according to human purposes — going back to domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, and "improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization. Modern usage also includes genetic engineering as well as cell and tissue culture technologies. Biotechnology is defined by the American Chemical Society as the application of biological organisms, systems, or processes by various industries to learning about the science of life and the improvement of the value of materials and organisms such as pharmaceuticals, crops, and livestock.[4] In other words, biotechnology can be defined as the mere application of technical advances in life science to develop commercial products. Biotechnology also writes on the pure biological sciences (genetics, microbiology, animal cell...
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