...Embryonic Stem Cell Research Legislation and related legal issues Heidi Brannen Law 310 Professor Floyd June 1 Human embryonic stem cell research has been and will continue to be a very controversial issue in society all over the world. Many countries have recognized the importance of this research and its benefits, while others have continued to make such research illegal with no plans to change in the near future. This paper will be discussing the past, current, and hopeful future legislation in regards to embryonic stem cell research and how it could affect the future of medical advancement. Embryonic Stem Cell Research Legislation and related legal issues Research on human embryos and fetuses has been in development for decades with the first well known development being the polio vaccine which stemmed from work on cultures of human fetal kidney cells in the 1950’s. The controversy of such research is not so much in the science of the research itself, but in how the cells are obtained from unborn embryos and fetuses in their earliest stages of development. In the 1970’s, the controversy focused on research involving fetuses in utero, aimed at developing techniques such as amniocentesis and improving the understanding of conditions such as congenital heart disease, as well as on research involving tissue from aborted fetuses of the type that led to the polio vaccine. Federal funding of this research was halted until guidelines and safeguards...
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...Open Access: Full open access to this and thousands of other papers at http://www.la-press.com. Evolutionary Bioinformatics Computational Identification of MicroRNAs from the Expressed Sequence Tags of Toxic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium Tamarense Dahai Gao1, limei Qiu1, Zhanhui Hou1, Qingchun Zhang2, Jianmin Wu3, Qiang Gao1 and linsheng song1 1 Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), Qingdao, People’s Republic of China. 2Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), Qingdao, People’s Republic of China. 3Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China. AbstrAct: Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) represent a class of small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in multiple biological processes by degrading targeted mRNAs or by repressing mRNA translation. In the case of algal lineages, especially dinoflagellates, knowledge regarding the miRNA system is still limited and its regulatory role remains unclear. In the present study, a computational approach was employed to screen miRNAs from the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of Alexandrium tamarense. A total of 18 potential miRNAs were identified according to a range of filtering criteria. In addition, unique evolutionary features, such as miRNA gene duplication and sequence similarity to metazoan miRNAs, implied that the...
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...and sociological effects (Mariella Velasquez) …………. 3 3. The historical development and context of the technology (Wesley Rupe) …………. 13 4. Political and legal influences (Mark Young) (Not Complete) 5. Economic questions and considerations (Jawad Rana)………………………………….…… 21 6. The technology in its cultural context, media influence (Charles Taiwo) (Not Complete) 7. Implications for the environment (Charles Taiwo) (Not Complete) 8. Moral and ethical implications (Layli Stroia) ……………………………………………………..… 30 Outline A brief description of the technology and an explanation of the associated science Definition: What is Genetic Engineering? Genetic engineering (GE) is the process of manipulation of an organism genome to create a new DNA. The new DNA might be implanted in a totally different DNA species. It is widely used to create hybrids (some species are not able to naturally breed), correct genetic flows in any type of being. It is applied in fields such as agriculture, industrial, medicine and pharmaceutical. (Aldridge, 1996). As Primrose explained, gene manipulation involves the creation and cloning of artificially created DNA (recombinant DNA) that provides with DNA sequences not found in nature. This created DNA is introduced in a host living cell. “…genetic engineering is a 'cut, paste, and copy' operation. The gene...
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...The Extinction of the Woolly Mammoth Lee Rhubin English Composition II Instructor J. Kobus 10/25/2010 Abstract There have been many theories and hypotheses explaining why the woolly mammoth became extinct. In fact, there are ongoing studies and research attempting to offer more evidence for the different theories. While evidence from the remains and carcasses of woolly mammoths found frozen in the northern parts of the globe strengthen the claims of scientists and researchers, other methods of knowing the real causes are still elusive. Two main arguments aimed at explaining these mammals’ extinction continue to be debated. Climate change as the reason for their demise is countered by the theory that human hunting activities killed the species. However, there are some hypotheses that the combination of both (climate and hunting) is the cause of the woolly mammoth’s extinction. This paper provides the evidence that each theory has gathered to support its claim. The Extinction of the Woolly Mammoth The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is one of the kinds of mammoths that existed. This animal is actually considered an elephant but in reality it is only a distant cousin of the Asian elephant. Its body was covered with hair. Its shoulders were emphatically humped, with a sloping back. The ears were much smaller than the ordinary elephants we see today, with a shorter tail. Teeth were differently shaped and structured; the trunk was shorter and hairier with...
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...Theory of Evolution Charles Darwin was a British Scientist who lived from 1809 to 1882. He laid down the foundation of modern evolutionary theory with his concept of the development of life through the slow working process of natural selection. Darwin started to make notes about this theory in 1836 and in 1838 he had arrived at a sketch of a theory of evolution through natural selection. It was not until 1858 that his theory was first published in a paper. Darwin’s theory states that as plants or animals spread to new areas, or as the conditions change different variations would be favored in different places. This would mean these variations would spread through the populations of the plants or animals. Over time this would finally lead to a development of new species. This theory was explained in the book ‘The Origin of Species’, which describes his studies on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He noticed that the species on the islands varied slightly from each island and were adapted to local conditions. The reaction to this theory was immediate. Biologists argued that Darwin could not prove his hypothesis. Others criticized his ideas of variation and how he could not prove how these variations came about or how they were passed on. This part of his theory was not answered until the birth of modern genetics in the early 20th century. In fact many scientists had doubts about this theory for 50-80 years. The most publicized attacks came from religious opponents who...
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...Deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA, is the carrier of genetic information and the building blocks of all organisms. It is also the building block for both the defense and prosecution in criminal cases. This paper will explore the history of DNA profiling in the criminal justice system. While it is a common misconception that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA in the 1950s, it was actually discovered in the 1800s. The molecule now known as DNA was first identified in the 1860s by a Swiss chemist called Johann Friedrich Miescher. Johann set out to research the key components of white blood cells, part of our body’s immune system. The main source of these cells was pus-coated bandages collected from a nearby medical clinic....
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...DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier. DNA profiling should not be confused with full genome sequencing.[1] It is used in, for example, parental testing and criminal investigation. Although 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person, enough of the DNA is different to distinguish one individual from another, unless they are monozygotic twins.[2] DNA profiling uses repetitive ("repeat") sequences that are highly variable,[2] called variable number tandem repeats (VNTR), particularly short tandem repeats (STR)s. VNTRs loci are very similar between closely related humans, but so variable that unrelated individuals are extremely unlikely to have the same VNTRs. The DNA profiling technique was first reported in 1984[3] by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in England,[4] and is now the basis of several national DNA databases. Dr. Jeffreys's genetic fingerprinting was made commercially available in 1987, when a chemical company, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), started a blood-testing centre in England.[5] Contents [hide] 1 DNA profiling process 1.1 RFLP analysis 1.2 PCR analysis 1.3 STR analysis 1.4 AmpFLP ...
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...Biology guide First assessment 2016 Biology guide First assessment 2016 Diploma Programme Biology guide Published February 2014 Published on behalf of the International Baccalaureate Organization, a not-for-profit educational foundation of 15 Route des Morillons, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland by the International Baccalaureate Organization (UK) Ltd Peterson House, Malthouse Avenue, Cardiff Gate Cardiff, Wales CF23 8GL United Kingdom Website: www.ibo.org © International Baccalaureate Organization 2014 The International Baccalaureate Organization (known as the IB) offers four high-quality and challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of schools, aiming to create a better, more peaceful world. This publication is one of a range of materials produced to support these programmes. The IB may use a variety of sources in its work and checks information to verify accuracy and authenticity, particularly when using community-based knowledge sources such as Wikipedia. The IB respects the principles of intellectual property and makes strenuous efforts to identify and obtain permission before publication from rights holders of all copyright material used. The IB is grateful for permissions received for material used in this publication and will be pleased to correct any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted...
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...NOTE: This PDF document has a handy set of “bookmarks” for it, which are accessible by pressing the Bookmarks tab on the left side of this window. ***************************************************** We are the last. The last generation to be unaugmented. The last generation to be intellectually alone. The last generation to be limited by our bodies. We are the first. The first generation to be augmented. The first generation to be intellectually together. The first generation to be limited only by our imaginations. We stand both before and after, balancing on the razor edge of the Event Horizon of the Singularity. That this sublime juxtapositional tautology has gone unnoticed until now is itself remarkable. We're so exquisitely privileged to be living in this time, to be born right on the precipice of the greatest paradigm shift in human history, the only thing that approaches the importance of that reality is finding like minds that realize the same, and being able to make some connection with them. If these books have influenced you the same way that they have us, we invite your contact at the email addresses listed below. Enjoy, Michael Beight, piman_314@yahoo.com Steven Reddell, cronyx@gmail.com Here are some new links that we’ve found interesting: KurzweilAI.net News articles, essays, and discussion on the latest topics in technology and accelerating intelligence. SingInst.org The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: think tank devoted to increasing...
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...module. They do this in order to see if you have the language skills needed for a particular course of study. For example, if your course has a lot of reading and writing, but no lectures, listening comprehension might be less important and a score of 5 in Listening might be acceptable if the Overall Band Score was 7. However, for a course where there are lots of lectures and spoken instructions, a score of 5 in Listening might be unacceptable even though the Overall Band Score was 7. Once you have marked your papers you should have some idea of whether your Listening and Reading skills are good enough for you to try the real IELTS test. If you did well enough in one module but not in others, you will have to decide for yourself whether you are ready to take the proper test yet. The Practice Tests have been checked so that they are about the same level of difficulty as the real IELTS test. However, we cannot guarantee that your score in the Practice Test papers will be reflected in the real IELTS test. The Practice Tests can only give you an idea of your possible future performance and it is ultimately up to you to make decisions based on your score. Different...
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...LECTURE ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW FALL 2012 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES WHAT MUST WE HIDE: THE ETHICS OF PRIVACY AND THE ETHOS OF DISCLOSURE ANITA L. ALLEN' I. INTRODUCTION We live in an era of persotial revelation. We are preoccupied by seeking, gathering, and disclosing information about others and ourselves. In the age of revelation, individuals and enterprises are fond of ferreting out what is btiried away. We are fond of broadcasting what we know, think, do, and feel; and we are motivated by business and pleasure because we care about friendship, kinship, health, wealth, education, politics, justice, and culture. A lot of this has to do with technology, of course. We live at a historical moment characterized by the wide availability of multiple modes of communication and stored data, easily and frequently accessed. Our communications are capable of disclosing breadths and depths of personal, personally identifiable, and sensitive information to many people rapidly. In this era of revelation—dominated by portable electronics, intemet social media, reality television, and traditional talk radio—^many of us are losing our sense of privacy, our taste for privacy, and our willingness to respect privacy. Is this set of losses a bad thing? If it is a bad thing, what can be done about it? My refiections on these questions begin with a series of diverse examples from the past several years. The examples illustrate the emergent ethos of our revelatory era. The first...
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...http://cls.casa.colostate.edu/transgeniccrops/what.html What Are Transgenic Plants? A transgenic crop plant contains a gene or genes which have been artificially inserted instead of the plant acquiring them through pollination. The inserted gene sequence (known as the transgene) may come from another unrelated plant, or from a completely different species: transgenic Bt corn, for example, which produces its own insecticide, contains a gene from a bacterium. Plants containing transgenes are often called genetically modified or GM crops, although in reality all crops have been genetically modified from their original wild state by domestication, selection and controlled breeding over long periods of time. On this web site we will use the term transgenic to describe a crop plant which has transgenes inserted. Image:Results of insect infestation on Bt (right) and non-Bt (left) cotton bolls. Source: USDA | Why Make Transgenic Crop Plants? A plant breeder tries to assemble a combination of genes in a crop plant which will make it as useful and productive as possible. Depending on where and for what purpose the plant is grown, desirable genes may provide features such as higher yield or improved quality, pest or disease resistance, or tolerance to heat, cold and drought. Combining the best genes in one plant is a long and difficult process, especially as traditional plant breeding has been limited to artificially crossing plants within the same species or with closely related...
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...A2 Biology Unit 5 page 1 AQA A2 Biology Unit 5 Contents Specification Human Nervous system Nerve Cells The Nerve Impulse Synapses Receptors Muscle Animal Responses Control of Heart Rate The Hormone System Homeostasis Temperature Homeostasis Blood Glucose Homeostasis Control of Mammalian Oestrus Plant Responses The Genetic Code Protein Synthesis Gene Mutations Stem Cells Control of Gene Expression Biotechnology DNA sequencing Southern Blot In vivo cloning Genetically Modified Organisms Gene Therapy Genetic Screening and Counselling 2 4 6 0 14 17 24 28 30 33 34 38 42 44 48 50 54 57 63 66 71 76 80 85 89 92 Molecular Genetics These notes may be used freely by A level biology students and teachers, and they may be copied and edited. Please do not use these materials for commercial purposes. I would be interested to hear of any comments and corrections. Neil C Millar (nmillar@ntlworld.co.uk) Head of Biology, Heckmondwike Grammar School High Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 0AH Jan 2010 HGS Biology A-level notes NCM 8/09 A2 Biology Unit 5 page 2 Biology Unit 5 Specification Control Systems Organisms increase their chance of survival by responding to changes in their environment. The Nerve Impulse The structure of a myelinated motor neurone. The establishment of a resting potential in terms of differential membrane permeability, electrochemical gradients and the movement of sodium and potassium ions. Changes in membrane permeability lead to depolarisation and the...
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...The (re-)discovery of the chaotic behaviour of the discrete version of this logistic model in the late previous century is reminded. We conclude by referring to some generalizations of the logistic model, which were used to describe growth and diffusion processes in the context of technological innovation, and for which the author studied the chaotic behaviour by means of a series of computer experiments, performed in the eighties of last century by means of the then emerging “micro-computer” technology. 1 P.-F. Verhulst and the Royal Military Academy in Brussels In the year 1844, at the age of 40, when Pierre-Fran¸ois Verhulst on November c 30 presented his contribution to the “M´moires de l’Acad´mie” of the young e e Belgian nation, a paper which was published the next year in “tome XVIII” with the title: “Recherches math´matiques sur la loi d’accroissement de la e population” (mathematical investigations of the law of population growth), he did certainly not know that his work would be the starting point for further research by Raymond Pearl and Lowell J. Reed [10, 11], by the famous A.-J. Lotka [8] and independently by Volterra [16] and later by V.A. Kostitzin [5], in the fields of mathematical biology, biometry, and demography. It was in these M´moires that he introduced a growth model for a...
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...ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS METHODOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS Edited by Kenji Suzuki Artificial Neural Networks - Methodological Advances and Biomedical Applications Edited by Kenji Suzuki Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2011 InTech All chapters are Open Access articles distributed under the Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike Attribution 3.0 license, which permits to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt the work in any medium, so long as the original work is properly cited. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published articles. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Ivana Lorkovic Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer Martina Sirotic Image Copyright Bruce Rolff, 2010. Used under license from Shutterstock.com First published March, 2011 Printed in...
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