Biological Study Paper

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The class project for this course is a written report, that addresses the biological study of a specific behavioral or mental phenomenon (normal or pathological) covered in the readings and videos. Please select a behavioral or mental phenomenon such as language or schizophrenia and then select a biological strategy for investigating it, such as hormonal or genetic mechanisms, neurotransmitters, drug treatments, or localization of brain processes by imaging.

Written paper. As an example, the theme of your report might be imaging approaches to the study of schizophrenia. Your paper should summarize fundamental issues, questions, and controversies and provide a general overview of the topic using the biological line of investigation you chose. It should also elaborate on your understanding of the brain processes that are revealed through imaging research in schizophrenia. To accomplish this, you will have to use recent research articles (published within the last five years) to illustrate relevant points. You may use any of a number of electronic databases to find research articles that deal with your topic, including the library and the Internet. The one requirement for the research articles that you select is that two of them must have appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The class project for this course is a written report, that addresses the biological study of a specific behavioral or mental phenomenon (normal or pathological) covered in the readings and videos. Please select a behavioral or mental phenomenon such as language or schizophrenia and then select a biological strategy for investigating it, such as hormonal or genetic mechanisms, neurotransmitters, drug treatments, or localization of brain processes by imaging.

Written paper. As an example, the theme of your report might be imaging approaches to the study of schizophrenia. Your paper should summarize fundamental issues, questions, and controversies and provide a general overview of the topic using the biological line of investigation you chose. It should also elaborate on your understanding of the brain processes that are revealed through imaging research in schizophrenia. To accomplish this, you will have to use recent research articles (published within the last five years) to illustrate relevant points. You may use any of a number of electronic databases to find research articles that deal with your topic, including the library and the Internet. The one requirement for the research articles that you select is that two of them must have appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Newspaper or magazine articles should not be used as your major reference, but they are sometimes useful when they lead you to the appropriate research article. You should avoid simply repeating the articles in summary form, but rather use them within the text of your paper to illustrate important points.

Your paper should be 1,600 words, or about 6 to 8 pages, in length (use the word count as a guide to length and stay within 200 words of the target to avoid penalties). It must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and fully referenced in APA format (seehttp://www.apa.org).

The text of your paper should be preceded by an abstract (about 100 words) that summarizes the key points in the paper (i.e., statement of problem, major findings, conclusions). Newspaper or magazine articles should not be used as your major reference, but they are sometimes useful when they lead you to the appropriate research article. You should avoid simply repeating the articles in summary form, but rather use them within the text of your paper to illustrate important points.

Your paper should be 1,600 words, or about 6 to 8 pages, in length (use the word count as a guide to length and stay within 200 words of the target to avoid penalties). It must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and fully referenced in APA format (seehttp://www.apa.org).

The text of your paper should be preceded by an abstract (about 100 words) that summarizes the key points in the paper (i.e., statement of problem, major findings, conclusions).

 
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Public Health

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H100, Introduction to Public Health

Epidemiology exercise, fall 2017

Due: 11 October, uploaded to Canvas through assignment function

Use the tables and response boxes for answers; the first two pages are background—no responses needed

 

Introduction

This assignment is designed to allow you to employ the basic tools of epidemiology, using a real example that has elements which cross public health, child development, exercise and physical activity, and nutrition, as well as other fields.

As we discussed in class, and as you have learned through your readings and online material, epidemiology concerns itself with the “distribution and determinants” of health related matters in populations, with the goal of using the findings to improve health and prevent or cure disease. Epidemiology is most typically thought of as applying to large geographically defined populations (e.g. a state or country), and dealing with death and disease (e.g. number of people contracting influenza).

The tools of epidemiology, though, can be applied in any setting where there is a) a defined population “at risk” for some event, and b) a count of the number of events that occur in that population in a given time. For example, it is possible to treat passing H100 as an epidemiologic problem. The population is everyone in the course, and the event is passing the course. To calculate prevalence of passing, therefore, you simply make a fraction of those passing divided by those enrolling. If 340 students of 350 enrolled pass, the prevalence of passing is 97.1% (i.e. 340/350).

In this exercise, you will use real data from the American College Health Association report on As part of the exercise, you will calculate measures of frequency (e.g. prevalence) and of association (e.g. relative risk). We will go over ACHA and the NCHA in class. Before you do the exercise yourself, I suggest you review the class materials on epidemiology. For those of you with greater interest in the topic of college student health, the link to ACHA is on the Canvas site and embedded in hyperlinks here.

 

Background

Because we will have spent time in class on ACHA/NCHA, this background will be specific to the assignment. Sample surveys are available at the ACHA website, as are results from recent surveys.

Data

We will be using data abstracted from the 2015 NCHA survey. Below are the characteristics of the institutions participating in that effort. You should refer to the information below when answering the question about confounding and bias.

With the increased availability of opiates, both prescription and otherwise, their use has become a concern for campus leaders across the US. During the following exercise, you will explore what proportion of US college students report using opiates, and comment on what action, if any, is justified to address potential public health concerns.

Exercise

The following activities are designed to be conducted in order—answers from the first section feed into items in the second, and so on. Sections 1 and 2 ask you to conduct calculations similar to those discussed in class, in narrated slides, and in your text. Section 3 asks you to think about ways to interpret the results, including the possibility that they are misleading, and what you might do with the information.

Section 1. Prevalence

Prevalence is simply the proportion of those in a given population which have the condition of interest at the time of assessment. For instance, if 23 of 350 H100 class members have colds at our first class meeting, the prevalence (point prevalence, to be technical) is 23/350, or 6.6/100 or 6.6%. In this section, you will calculate the prevalence of strength training for college men and women, using the data table provided to you below.

1. NCHA participants were asked whether they had ever used opiates and if so, how recently. The numbers in the table below divide respondents into “ever used” for simplicity. Using those numbers, calculate the prevalence of opiate use for men, women, and overall, and enter your results in the table below. Prevalence should be reported to three decimal places (e.g. 0.094), rather than as a percentage, though you can interpret results in item 2 as percentages.

Group Ever used opiates Participants Prevalence
Men

Women

 141

98

 5150

10952

  

 
Total 239 16,102  

 

2. In your own words, and in no more than a couple of sentences or bullets, provide a summary of the prevalence pattern you see here; in other words, what is the overall prevalence and does it seem to differ for women and men? Don’t worry for now about the interpretation or implications of the patterns you see (i.e. whether there is some statistical or causal association between gender and opioid use).

 

Section 2. Relative risk

Using the methods illustrated in the narrated slides, in class, and in your text, calculate the relative risk below using the prevalence estimates you calculated above (show the fractions you create as well as the relative risk). The prevalence estimates from the table above are your best estimates of absolute risk for each gender category; in this instance, it is the absolute risk of ever using opiates. (“Risk” is used here in the epidemiologic sense rather than common usage—“risk” does not necessarily refer only to health outcomes, but for any event; in this case we are dealing with the “risk” of opiate use.)

1. Using the prevalence for opiate use in women as the denominator, calculate the relative risk of opiate use for men relative to women. So, for the table below, you will calculate one relative risk. In the center column, provide the fraction you use to calculate relative risk (i.e. the two numbers you use to calculate RR). In the right column, provide the relative risk that comes from that fraction, to one decimal place.

Measure Fraction Relative risk
RR for men vs women    

 

2. Using your own words, how do you quantitatively interpret the results? That is, how would you translate the relative risk for someone who didn’t know the term “relative risk”? You must interpret the actual relative risk you found (i.e. as a number), not just comment about how to interpret relative risks generally, and not just qualitatively (i.e. not just saying it is big or small or some such).

 

Section 3. Interpretation and action

As our session on epidemiology emphasized, getting a result is only part of conducting an epidemiologic study. The results must be interpreted correctly to be of use. One possible interpretation of results is that they are causal—that is, that the predictor (or exposure) causes the outcome (or event). For instance, you may look at the results on gender and opiate use and determine that the association is somehow causal (i.e. that gender—in the broadest definition, including social definitions—is really associated with opiate use via some causal mechanism). You then have the task of explaining how that could be so—what cause or causes lead to the connection? There are other reasons that two variables (e.g. gender and reported opiate use) might be associated but without one causing the other. A third variable might be leading to opitate use, but also be associated with gender, for instance. A variable statistically associated with gender may be the cause of opiate use, and not gender itself (“confounding”). Or, it could be that the students in the survey were either sampled in a way that led to misleading results, or there were problems with the way the survey collected data that led to misleading results (i.e. bias); you may not know this to be a fact, but you may speculate about it.

Your task in this section is to look at the results, and try to decide whether you think they are causal, that is, do you think that gender (or a component of gender) actually influences, in some way, the likelihood of opiate use? If you think it is causal, explain how—if not, give a plausible alternative to causation.

1. Do you think gender is somehow causally related to opiate use? Answer one of the following below, depending on how you want to explain any association you see in the results.

a. If yes, how could gender be causally associated with opiate use? Explain how, in a way consistent with the results you found.

b. If no, how might the results be the result of confounding or bias (i.e. the result of a third variable or a problem with the way the survey was conducted)? Provide one explanation; again, be sure your answer is consistent with the data and results you found earlier.

 

Epidemiology is an applied science. Ultimately, the goal of the field is to find results that allow public health organizations (and others) to take action to improve health. Based on everything you have calculated and reported for this exercise, in the box below briefly (2 bullets or sentences) say 1) whether you would recommend action based on these results, and 2) what that action would be?

2. Would you recommend to policy makers and leaders (e.g. university presidents) that they take public health action based on these results? If so, what? If not, what would make you unwilling to take action at this point? Be sure your responses are consistent with the data and results, but also take into account larger issues of ethics, policy, and so on.

 

Well done! This is what epidemiologists, along with other public health, clinical, and other professionals do all the time—take data, try to gain insights into what determines health-related outcomes, and determine whether public health action should be recommended. If you want to learn more about how these college surveys are done, visit the ACHA website; there is a lot out there on the epidemic of opioid use, and the CDC is a good place to start.

 
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5-4 Project Part One: Planning Document Second Draft

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SCI 200 Project Part One: Second Draft Guidelines and Rubric Overview: In previous modules, you identified an issue, developed a research question, and examined sources that could help you explore the issue. You also considered the scientific principles related to your topic, and how you might communicate your findings to a specific audience. Building on these elements, you will formulate a hypothesis related to your issue. Then, applying what you learned about the process of science, you will explain the next steps that natural scientists would take to support or refute your hypothesis. What kind of evidence would they look for? What kind of tests they need to conduct? Throughout this course, you explored a variety of specific cases in which natural scientists addressed issues, tested hypotheses, and developed solutions to problems. Many of their solutions have become key discoveries that we rely on today for health, safety, and other practical uses. So, as you consider your hypothesis and the next steps a scientist would take, reflect back on these examples. This reflection is the final piece of your planning document, and you will use it to develop your presentation in Module 8. Prompt: You will build on the elements you composed in your first draft and develop your hypothesis. After you have your hypothesis, explain what steps a natural scientist would take to either refute or support your hypothesis. By the end of Module Six, you will fine tune the entire planning document to be submitted to your instructor. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: At this point, you should have received feedback from your instructor. For this second draft, review and make any necessary revisions or adjustments to the following elements:

a. Describe the issue in the natural sciences that you have selected to investigate. Why is this issue significant? (You identified this issue in Module One, but how would you revise this piece now that you have received instructor feedback and investigated your sources?)

b. Describe at least three science resources that you could use to investigate the issue you selected. Your sources must be relevant to your issue and must be of an academic nature appropriate for the issue. In your description, consider questions such as: What are the similarities and differences in the content of your sources? What makes them appropriate and relevant for investigating your issue? What was your thought process when you were searching for sources? How did you make choices?

c. Based on your review of science resources, develop a specific question related to the issue you selected. In other words, what would you like to know more about?

II. Body: You should also receive instructor feedback about this section and continue to consider your evidence. For this second draft, review these sections

and make any necessary revisions or adjustments to the following elements: a. Identify an audience that would be interested in your issue and the question you developed. For example, who would benefit most from hearing

your message, or who could best help in addressing the issue? b. Describe how and why you can tailor your message to your audience, providing specific examples. For example, will your audience understand

scientific terminology and principles, or will you need to explain them? How will you communicate effectively with your audience? c. Identify the natural science principle(s) that apply to your question and issue. For example, if your issue is global climate change, the principle

you might identify is that the sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.

d. Explain how the principle(s) you identified apply to your issue and question. In other words, how are the natural science principle(s) you identified relevant to your question and issue?

III. Conclusion: In this section, you will conclude your research investigation by discussing future directions for research related to your question. Specifically, you should:

a. Formulate a hypothesis that addresses the question you developed. Make sure your hypothesis is based on your investigation of your question. b. Explain how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute the hypothesis you formulated. In other words, what

would the next steps be if a natural scientist were to continue researching your hypothesis? Make sure to support your response with the natural science resources that you selected.

IV. Provide a reference list that includes all of the science resources you used to investigate your issue and question so far. Apply feedback from your instructor to ensure that your list is formatted according to current APA guidelines (or another format, with instructor permission).

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: The second draft of your planning document should be 3–5 pages, double spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and one- inch margins. You should use current APA guidelines (or another format approved by your instructor) for your citations and reference list.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction: Issue Describes selected issue in natural sciences and its significance

Describes selected issue in natural sciences and its significance but with gaps in detail or clarity

Does not describe selected issue in natural sciences and its significance

5

Introduction: Science Resources

Describes at least three relevant and appropriate science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue

Describes at least three science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue but with gaps in appropriateness, relevance, or detail or is missing one or more sources

Does not describe science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue

10

Introduction: Specific Question

Develops specific question related to selected issue based on review of science resources

Develops specific question related to selected issue, but question is not based on review of science resources

Does not develop specific question related to selected issue

5

Body: Audience Identifies an audience that would be interested in issue and question, citing source(s)

Identifies an audience, but audience is not appropriate for issue and question, or there are gaps in citation

Does not identify an audience 10

Body: Message Describes how and why message can be tailored to audience, providing specific examples and citing source(s)

Describes how and why message can be tailored to audience but with gaps in examples or citation

Does not describe how and why message can be tailored to audience

10

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Body: Identify Principle(s) Identifies natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question, citing source(s)

Identifies natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question but with gaps in accuracy or citation

Does not identify natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question

10

Body: Explain Principle(s) Explains how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question, citing source(s)

Explains how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question but with gaps in detail, clarity, or citation

Does not explain how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question

10

Conclusion: Hypothesis Formulates hypothesis that addresses question based on investigation of question

Formulates hypothesis that addresses question, but hypothesis is not based on investigation of question

Does not formulate hypothesis that addresses question

15

Conclusion: Natural Scientist

Explains how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis

Explains how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis, but explanation has gaps in clarity, detail, or logic

Does not explain how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis

15

Reference List Provides reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question, and list is formatted according to current APA guidelines

Provides reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question, but list has gaps in adherence to current AP
Does not provide reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question

5

Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization
A formatting guidelines

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5SCI 200 Project Part One: Second Draft Guidelines and Rubric Overview: In previous modules, you identified an issue, developed a research question, and examined sources that could help you explore the issue. You also considered the scientific principles related to your topic, and how you might communicate your findings to a specific audience. Building on these elements, you will formulate a hypothesis related to your issue. Then, applying what you learned about the process of science, you will explain the next steps that natural scientists would take to support or refute your hypothesis. What kind of evidence would they look for? What kind of tests they need to conduct? Throughout this course, you explored a variety of specific cases in which natural scientists addressed issues, tested hypotheses, and developed solutions to problems. Many of their solutions have become key discoveries that we rely on today for health, safety, and other practical uses. So, as you consider your hypothesis and the next steps a scientist would take, reflect back on these examples. This reflection is the final piece of your planning document, and you will use it to develop your presentation in Module 8. Prompt: You will build on the elements you composed in your first draft and develop your hypothesis. After you have your hypothesis, explain what steps a natural scientist would take to either refute or support your hypothesis. By the end of Module Six, you will fine tune the entire planning document to be submitted to your instructor. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: At this point, you should have received feedback from your instructor. For this second draft, review and make any necessary revisions or adjustments to the following elements:

a. Describe the issue in the natural sciences that you have selected to investigate. Why is this issue significant? (You identified this issue in Module One, but how would you revise this piece now that you have received instructor feedback and investigated your sources?)

b. Describe at least three science resources that you could use to investigate the issue you selected. Your sources must be relevant to your issue and must be of an academic nature appropriate for the issue. In your description, consider questions such as: What are the similarities and differences in the content of your sources? What makes them appropriate and relevant for investigating your issue? What was your thought process when you were searching for sources? How did you make choices?

c. Based on your review of science resources, develop a specific question related to the issue you selected. In other words, what would you like to know more about?

II. Body: You should also receive instructor feedback about this section and continue to consider your evidence. For this second draft, review these sections

and make any necessary revisions or adjustments to the following elements: a. Identify an audience that would be interested in your issue and the question you developed. For example, who would benefit most from hearing

your message, or who could best help in addressing the issue? b. Describe how and why you can tailor your message to your audience, providing specific examples. For example, will your audience understand

scientific terminology and principles, or will you need to explain them? How will you communicate effectively with your audience? c. Identify the natural science principle(s) that apply to your question and issue. For example, if your issue is global climate change, the principle

you might identify is that the sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.

d. Explain how the principle(s) you identified apply to your issue and question. In other words, how are the natural science principle(s) you identified relevant to your question and issue?

III. Conclusion: In this section, you will conclude your research investigation by discussing future directions for research related to your question. Specifically, you should:

a. Formulate a hypothesis that addresses the question you developed. Make sure your hypothesis is based on your investigation of your question. b. Explain how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute the hypothesis you formulated. In other words, what

would the next steps be if a natural scientist were to continue researching your hypothesis? Make sure to support your response with the natural science resources that you selected.

IV. Provide a reference list that includes all of the science resources you used to investigate your issue and question so far. Apply feedback from your instructor to ensure that your list is formatted according to current APA guidelines (or another format, with instructor permission).

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: The second draft of your planning document should be 3–5 pages, double spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and one- inch margins. You should use current APA guidelines (or another format approved by your instructor) for your citations and reference list.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction: Issue Describes selected issue in natural sciences and its significance

Describes selected issue in natural sciences and its significance but with gaps in detail or clarity

Does not describe selected issue in natural sciences and its significance

5

Introduction: Science Resources

Describes at least three relevant and appropriate science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue

Describes at least three science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue but with gaps in appropriateness, relevance, or detail or is missing one or more sources

Does not describe science resources that could be used to investigate selected issue

10

Introduction: Specific Question

Develops specific question related to selected issue based on review of science resources

Develops specific question related to selected issue, but question is not based on review of science resources

Does not develop specific question related to selected issue

5

Body: Audience Identifies an audience that would be interested in issue and question, citing source(s)

Identifies an audience, but audience is not appropriate for issue and question, or there are gaps in citation

Does not identify an audience 10

Body: Message Describes how and why message can be tailored to audience, providing specific examples and citing source(s)

Describes how and why message can be tailored to audience but with gaps in examples or citation

Does not describe how and why message can be tailored to audience

10

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Body: Identify Principle(s) Identifies natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question, citing source(s)

Identifies natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question but with gaps in accuracy or citation

Does not identify natural science principle(s) that apply to issue and question

10

Body: Explain Principle(s) Explains how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question, citing source(s)

Explains how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question but with gaps in detail, clarity, or citation

Does not explain how identified principle(s) apply to issue and question

10

Conclusion: Hypothesis Formulates hypothesis that addresses question based on investigation of question

Formulates hypothesis that addresses question, but hypothesis is not based on investigation of question

Does not formulate hypothesis that addresses question

15

Conclusion: Natural Scientist

Explains how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis

Explains how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis, but explanation has gaps in clarity, detail, or logic

Does not explain how a natural scientist would go about collecting evidence to support or refute hypothesis

15

Reference List Provides reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question, and list is formatted according to current APA guidelines

Provides reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question, but list has gaps in adherence to current APA formatting guidelines

Does not provide reference list that includes all science resources used to investigate issue and question

5

Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%

Total 100%https://fastresearchessays.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=testimonial

 
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Pathophysiology

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Signature Assignment Title: Pathophysiology

Signature Assignment Description/Directions: Multisystem issues are often a consequence of a failing body system and identification and consideration to determine the underlying cause of illness is essential. Though illness may create multisystem issues and may affect many body systems, for this assignment you will focus on three: renal, pulmonary, and circulatory systems.

This PowerPoint® (Microsoft Office) or Impress® (Open Office) presentation should be a minimum of 20 slides, include a title and reference slide, and detailed speaker notes and a recorded audio clip on all content slides. You will discuss a specific illness, disorder or disease and the interrelationship with the renal, pulmonary, and circulatory systems, specifically identifying and describing how an alternation in one systems may affect one or more of other two body systems. Explain how the body tries to compensate for a disorder, with assistance or reliance on another body system. Your submission should include three graphics or illustrations and a minimum of 5 peer-reviewed sources to support any of your perspective. Please review the module’s Signature Assignment Rubric before starting this assignment to ensure that you are meeting all the essential requirements. This presentation is worth 400 points for quality content and presentation.

 
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