Fatigue and Quality of Life in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis

Alec Moore


uvpediatrics.com


Children globally are suffering daily from a neurological disorder that often goes ignored, because it is not “fatal” enough. Only recently have efforts been made to better understand the effects of Multiple Sclerosis on children and young adults. Much is known about the disease when the patient is a fully developed adult, however, far too little is currently available for younger invalids. A compilation of studies have been done since the discovery of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a neurological disorder in which the body attacks its own Central Nervous System (i.e. brain, optic nerve, spinal cord). This disease effectively causes the damaging and overall destruction of myelin, a protective coating that encircles nerves. With the destruction of this “myelin sheath” comes the gradual and diminutive effect on message transmission throughout the body. Thus, causing reduced bodily function and eventual complete paralysis. A majority of these studies however, are focused on the effects of MS on adults, and not on the infant and pediatric population. “Fatigue and quality of life in pediatric multiple sclerosis” addresses this very issue. While studying the effects of MS on a child’s everyday life, these authors published their findings. The basis of the research found in this scholarly journal can be centralized as the various levels of fatigue and the overall quality of life of pediatric Multiple Sclerosis patients. Because of the severe fatigue and lowered quality of life experienced by children with the disease, it is imperative that researchers devote more time and resources to understanding pediatric MS.

Now that I’m sure that you understood everything I just said, let’s delve into the heart of this research, shall we? Little research has been done on the prevalence or even the severity of the development of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis usually affects young adults, but as of late, more and more children have been diagnosed with the disease. The focus of this journal is whether children who have the disease show any signs of increased fatigue, as opposed to children who don’t have MS, or even in comparison with adults who have the disease.

A study was run for subjects ages 17 and below who are afflicted with the disease with no other neurological illnesses. Scientists used a scale known as the Expanded Disability Status Scale which measured the “neurological impairment according to the impact of the disease on functional systems.” This scale runs from 0 to 10, 0 meaning no neurological impact and 10 indicating death due to MS. The overall fatigue factor was measured by determining the amount of sleep disturbance in the participants. Quality of life in the patients was assessed considering physical, mental, and social aspects. The scale measures the functioning of physical activity, emotional response, social ability, and school performance. This study, in which the average age of participants was 13, demonstrates the vulnerability of young adolescents to this neurological disorder.

The pediatric MS patients displayed greater levels of general fatigue, sleep problems, evaluation problems, physical impairments, and academic disabilities than the normally documented degrees. These participants however, did not report any emotional or social difficulties. This study shows that although common belief is that young MS patients do not experience the same levels of fatigue as adult patients, nothing could be farther from the truth. Of the patients polled, almost 60 percent self-reported at least mild levels of fatigue, with more than half of those being cases of severe fatigue. These statistics alone prove that fatigue in MS patients is a very prevalent issue.

These findings show the increasing concern of fatigue among pediatric Multiple Sclerosis patients. Previously thought of as an excuse for children to avoid physical activities, this neurological disorder and its relationship with fatigue now has concrete evidence indicating its severity. The authors of this journal illustrate the need for further research and public awareness of this misjudged illness, especially when concerning pediatric patients. The obvious effect on the physical and mental aspects of the body should no longer be ignored. Childhood Multiple Sclerosis is a serious issue facing the youth of today’s generation. As the rate of early childhood diseases is dramatically rising, more resources should be expended towards research on early detection, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention methods.


Citation: William S MacAllister, Christopher Christodoulou,
Regina Troxell, Maria Milazzo, Pamela Block, Thomas E Preston, Heidi A Bender, Anita Belman,
Lauren B Krupp; “Fatigue and quality of life in pediatric multiple sclerosis”; http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=118&sid=b17fe6e8-1db8-47bc-b9ee-9a9351376b12%40sessionmgr112

Feeder 1.2 Post - Zeeshan Haque.

Zeeshan Haque - Feeder 1.2

Camouflaged insects

Can you find the heliconia bug on this heliconia plant?

High-tech alarm system...A vault found at a bank...an insect’s camouflage body...which of these “security systems” seems to be to most effective? Maybe it is the high-tech alarm system, with all that advanced technology involved, who would dare break into a building? Or it could be a back vault, with the imposing steel-enforced concrete, which looks as if it intended to scary away robbers and bad guys. But what if I suggested that an insect’s camouflaged body could be considered to be the best of these “security systems” Such a suggestion would seem ludicrous, however as the study published by NRC Research Press below slows, such a suggestion may actually be true. More importantly, the study may not only show that such a suggestion, as the one may above, is true, but also serve as a basis for highlight the idea that there may actually be some degree of significance in those annoying little things we call insects.


Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, insects and bugs play a large role in helping to maintain the ecological diversity needed to continue life’s property of renewal of producer to consumer, or in other words, the cycle of nutrients from species to species. It is this process that allows life to continue, and develop as it is today. The importance of all species – including insects – is made obvious. That being said, the particular academic journal being looked at in my blog posting deals with a very specific type of insect that is only located in Costa Rica, called the heliconia bug. The heliconia bug is usually found on the heliconia plant, where the bug spends most of its time eating and hiding from predators. The journal conducted a study in which the camouflage nature of this bug (when in certain environments, i.e. on the heliconia plant) is tested is a mechanism of defense against predators, namely avian species – in order to draw conclusions about prey camouflaging mechanisms in general. The conclusions made from the study are towards the effort of trying to understand exactly what level of protection a camouflaged coat offers an insect. The overall study found that predators choose prey that most different from their background color, and that prey color preferences (predators would avoid brightly colored prey) played a role in determining what type of species a predator tries to get – findings which support the idea that camouflaging techniques do in fact play a strong role in preventing species predation.


The specific research methods used in this academic journal involved an original scientific research study. The study collected groups of heliconia bug nymphs from various heliconia species growing near Panama (Predation on heliconia bugs). When these nymphs reached the fifth instar (a growth stage), the nymphs were frozen in plastic tubes. The reason for doing so was to prevent any potential effects of prey movement on predator behavior. It is, as the journal stated, important to note that freezing the nymphs had no effect on the color of the bugs. In the study, four model chickens were used as the avian predators. The chickens were fed with mealworms placed on heliconia colors, to help these predators get used to the colors of and the shape of heliconia

.

A picture of a heliconia plant, where heliconia bugs are most often found.

The actual study itself was conducted in the form of 13 preference trials over a five week period, within an enclosed area. The heliconia bug nymphs were then separated into “light” and “dark” groups (Predation on heliconia bugs). Each chicken was then given a choice at whether to eat the light or dark heliconia nymph, and results were recorded over the five week period. To draw significant and meaningful conclusions regarding the experiment, the journal researchers engaged in advanced statistical analysis which looked at correlation rates and other intervals of confidence with regards to the amount of each type of heliconia bug nymph eaten (Predation on heliconia bugs). I will not go into the exact details of the statistical procedures used; as such mathematical insight is probably not suitable for both me and the interest of the audience. But to help the audience the basis of the mathematical operations completed in this study, essentially, the main variables that were used in the study were the amount of times the heliconia bugs were eaten, and the environment in which the heliconia bugs were eaten in. These two variables, one quantitative and one categorical, were then looked at together, side by side, to determine what kind of relationship exists, if any, is found in them (Predation on heliconia bugs). It is here were the complex statistical numbers and figures help determine the exact relationship between the variables being looked at, the amount of times heliconia bugs were eaten and also, the environment in which the bugs were eaten. I hope that clears up any confusion regarding how the results from the study were found.



As an overall statement of findings, for the audience at large, this study found that heliconia bug nymphs closely resembling the environment will have a lower risk or predation and that nymph color itself will affect predation risk. So the predictions, the cryptic and color preference hypothesis, presented through the research study of were proven to be both true and supported.


Works Cited -

- Miller, C., & Hollander, S. (2010). Predation on heliconia bugs, Leptoscelis tricolor: examining the influences of crypsis and predator color preferences. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 88(1), 122-128. doi:10.1139/Z09-128.

Pictures used -

- First picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7UzXBxPERCo8ZQ8iJXsonNYBbaGLoChv94F3OM84-QXJ2X4gvdRKaz3D6aa6tSeL8SzuWSlvewiKmtP7glXZ54UwLTF804AoSmU_XiAhf3ntAe26KSgyl1sRaoE-yTJdzjea28S48Pc/s1600/Heliconia+Easter.JPG

- Second picture:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQeDRGhycOaWBy_Y_aY3i1NG8S7pCOKtETv0fQw21F2SfZBXl8Ioz6hCxNDrCiZlDLvx6hK-GSXLENmfvrcYuAB45nXrOYrjEAh92HIvaTyYFSkJZPTxapVwzecNI_cdy1OlhLe_z7o8z/s1600/heliconia-orange.jpg

Evolutionary Bursts

By: Erin Wallace


If one were to look deep in the earth, you would see layers upon layers of rocks filled with fossils of incredible looking creatures worthy of the SyFy channel. From strange worm like beasts to massive dinosaurs and finally to mankind, these fossils provide a rare glimpse into the past to see evolution at work. Even today you can see examples of evolution. Just look at the platypus. It’s a creature with a duckbill, lays eggs, lactates, and is poisonous. This bizarre mammal possesses a genetic similarity with both reptiles and birds and is thought to have split and evolved separately from other mammals about 166 million years ago (“Platypus Genome Reveals Secrets of Mammal Evolution”). Although evolution has been constantly challenged, especially by religious groups, it’s pretty safe to say that we have become comfortable with the idea that evolution occurs through a gradual time span and natural selection. However, this idea has come under fire from a controversial theory that states the evolution of species comes from a rapid and accidental process.

As a student in a Prehistoric Life class at UNC Chapel Hill, I can honestly say that I had never heard of the theory of accidental speciation, which means creation of new species, until I found the article, “Accidental Evolution: the real origin of species”. In my Prehistoric Life course, the professor teaches us everything we need to know about how life came to be and how and why life evolved into the creatures that live in the modern world. Evolution is both a fact and a theory. Evolution itself is a fact (yes evolution did happen and no there is no way you can get around it) but the way it occurred is still a theory.

Currently in the scientific community, evolution is literally defined as a series of partial or complete and irreversible transformations of the genetic composition of populations, based principally on altered interactions with the environment. The way that the genetics of a particular creature changes is due to natural selection, a slow and gradual process approached by Charles Darwin where animals change to better suit their environment. For example, the finches on the Galapagos Islands near South America have varying size of beaks but they are closely related. These finches’ beaks changed due to the types of food the birds were eating. The birds that eat insects have small, thin beaks. These beaks are perfect for snatching insects. The finches that eat large seeds have large, wide beaks that can grasp and crack large seeds.

Natural selection does have a major role in evolution. However, according to Mark Pagel, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading, UK, natural selection does not explain what causes the creation of new species. In fact, the trigger that creates new species has puzzled scientists for decades. In general, the majority of biologists view the term ‘species’ to be a group of organisms that can reproduce among themselves but not in other groups (“Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin on Species”). Therefore, in order for one species to branch off into two, or perhaps more than two, species, a division of the initial species must become incapable of reproducing with the others. According to natural selection, the creation of new species may occur when a few groups within a species drift apart to different environments, then each group adapts to the different climates, types of food, etc. Through DNA sequencing technology, Pagel was able to obtain 101 evolutionary trees to test and created the hypothesis that “if new species are the sum of a large number of small changes then this should leave a telltale statistical footprint in their evolutionary lineage” (Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin of Species”).

In order to prove evolution was due to gradual and small evolutionary changes through natural selection, the results of the DNA tests would have to produce a normal distribution (“Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin of Species”). Normal distribution is a curve on a graph, such as the one featured below, with the majority on the results in the middle. In other words, the heights of females in America would vary greatly, but the majority would be around 5 ft 4in tall. The majority would be the greatly raised curve in the dead center of the graph featured below.



However, Pagel and his associates found that their findings did not fit a normal distribution. Instead it fit an exponential distribution, as seen in the figure below. An exponential distribution occurs when one is waiting for a single and rare event to happen (“Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin of Species”), such as the time interval from one exam to another.



After running the tests, Pagel discovered that his research was leading him away from a conclusion of gradual change and towards a change that is rapid and singular. All in all, if his conclusion is correct, then natural selection slowly influences species already in existence, but most of evolution of new species completely unpredictable (“Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin of Species”). Currently, other evolutionary biologists are not accepting Pagel’s theory.

Although it is very unlikely that any of you readers are evolutionary biologists, this research is still important to you and to all other people no matter what major you have or what direction in life you are taking. If Pagel’s research is correct, then humanity could have started differently. Instead of slowly branching off from our monkey cousins, our entire existence could be a mere accident. In fact, the many species of animals on this planet could have evolved not by gradual improvement by natural selection, but by accident as well.

Works Cited

“Accidental Evolution: The Real Origin of Species.” 13 March 2010. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=24&hid=118&sid=d9a2e56e-afcc-4c 3a-8bcd-7602ccaebb5e%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=48668431

“Platypus Genome Reveals Secrets of Mammal Evolution.” 7 May 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/05/080507-platypus.html

Images:

Evolution of Man:
http://www.truthtree.com/evolute.shtml

Normal Distribution:
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/charts/normal_distribution

Exponential graph :
http://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/eda/section3/eda3667.htm

"This is the way we bake our bread"

Have you ever walked into a bakery to smell fresh bread just as it comes out of the oven? Or better yet, have you ever baked your own bread? That is bread as fresh as it can get, and that is when bread is at its’ very best in many respects. Many people enjoy eating homemade bread and proceed to bake their own to obtain the desired freshness, however, many more people just grab a loaf off of the shelf at the nearest grocery store. A statistic from “Marketplace” explains that one bread company in America, Wonder Bread, has already pulled in 220 million dollars in revenue for the 2010 year (Kaplin). That is just one company, and at the ordinary, everyday grocery store, bread takes up possibly a whole aisle with different kinds of bread varying from wheat to white and from bagels to hoagies. Each of these different styles is produced by many different companies from Nature’s Own to Pepperidge Farm and this results in having to make a huge choice every time a person strolls down the bread aisle. But with so much bread being produced and so much to choose from, how long do those loaves sit on the shelves at the grocery store? And even if they are bought on the first day, how long do the loaves stay not eaten in a cupboard or pantry or just sitting on a counter somewhere? This brings us back to the question of fresh bread. What happens as bread just sits on the shelves of a grocery store or cupboard? Why is bread never as fresh as when it first comes out of the oven? Why does bread sometimes smell, taste, feel, and even look different after it just sits for a few days? The answer to many of these questions has to deal with many aspects of an experiment performed by Omer Mukhtar, Salim ur Rehman, Ghulam Mueenuddin, and Mian Anjum Murtaza. These researchers conducted a study on the effectiveness of combinations of preservatives over time in reducing “microbial and bacterial growth” on bread and other cereal products to prolong the “fresh” characteristics of the loaf that many people enjoy.

There is a little background information that one must know before this entire experiment will make any sense at all. First, the two major factors that contribute to the quality of bakery products are “health safety and optimum sensory properties.” “Optimum sensory properties” is just a very sophisticated way of saying how the bread should look, feel, taste, and smell. The researchers also looked at “quality characteristics” which includes volume, crumb color, and other similar properties. A second major point that these researchers emphasize is that “commercial white breads” that just sit out at a bakery or something “spoil within 48 hours of production” due to “microbial” growth. “Microbial growth” consists of all the disgusting, yet natural things that happen to bread over time, such as the growth of mold, fungus and bacterial growth on the bread. Lastly, the “microbial species can be controlled by improving sanitary conditions” and by the “incorporation of different acids and their salts in bread formulations” to provide protection against “rapidly growing mold and bacterial spoilage.” These salts and acids, for example benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid, are the preservatives found in most breads that keep them from growing mold right away. Now with a little basic understanding of mold growth on bread and how it is prevented, the actual experiment of preserving the “optimum sensory properties” with different combinations of acids can be understood with a little more ease (Tarar).

In this experiment, these researchers baked their own bread for testing in accordance to the “AACC” method. However, in each loaf they put a separate combination or dosage of the following acids: Calcium Propionate, Lactic Acid, and Acetic Acid. Calcium Propionate was the only acid put in each loaf of bread and the control of the experiment was a loaf of bread with .2% of Calcium Propionate without any additional chemicals. The other recipes and acidic combinations are shown in the below table(Tarar):

After the bread was baked, it was placed to sit for hours and observed for changes in taste, aroma, crust character, and texture. The bread was also observed for crumb color, grain formation, crust character, volume, color of crust and symmetry based on the different ingredients and acidic combinations. These observations were based on the mean score of a panel of five “bread judges” who gave each loaf a different score for each category. Now that some of the more logistical preparation stuff is out of the way, the actual results and why the moldy bread experiment matters to the average consumer can be explained (Tarar).

First, the researchers examined the time relationship between time and the “optimum sensory properties” of bread. By analysing the researchers’ data and graphs it can be concluded that the longer the bread stayed in storage the more “unacceptable” the taste, texture, and aroma become as all of their mean “sensory” scores made by the judges fell with time. However, the crust characteristics, or how the crust looks and feels, of the different bread recipes stayed relatively constant as time moved onward(Tarar).

Next, perhaps a more telling relationship is the relationship of the different recipes to the “quality characteristics.” However, the changes with recipe in regards to color of crumb, grain, crust character, volume, color of crust, and symmetry were arbitrary and random. This means finding the most effective combination of acids and salts must be based on more than just this particular data for the sensory characteristics. However by analysing each characteristic, one is able to see which acids work best for preserving each sensory property. For color of crumb, each recipe was close to the same, however, T3 (.2% Calcium Propionate and .4% Acetic Acid) had the lowest color score, but just barely. For crust character and symmetry, each recipe seemed to be essentially the same. T5 had the largest score for color of crust, while the other recipes scored fairly evenly in this regard. One thing that is perhaps interesting is that fact that as the chemical composition increased, the volume of the bread decreased. T3, which had one of the highest concentrations of acid, had the lowest volume. Grain formation also decreased with the amount of additional acid, as T3 also had the lowest score (Tarar).

Again those numbers are somewhat dry and boring but they are essential in drawing conclusions and analyzing the truly gross and most interesting and appropriate part of the research, the mold and bacterial counts on the bread. As perhaps expected, the more crazy chemicals you put into the bread the less bacteria and mold grow. This is evident in the fact that T3 and T6, the two recipes with the highest acid concentrations, had less mold and bacteria than all of the other recipes after 96 hours. This table is shown below (Tarar):

So why does all this moldy gross stuff matter to you, the reader and possibly bread consumer? Well I do not know if you have ever wanted a sandwich, piece of toast, or whatever, and you whipped out the bread and it has had green or black spots all over it. Well if you have not, it’s a pretty gross experience. Actually it is a really gross experience and that is why this is somewhat important. This experiment’s research proves that a certain combination of preservative acids, the most effective being .2 % of Calcium Propionate and either .4% of Acetic Acid or Lactic Acid, can significantly reduce mold growth and bacterial growth to keep bread bacteria free and unspoiled longer. However, as the other facts show, chemicals change the physical properties of the bread as well. One interesting example may be is that as more chemicals are added to the bread, the volume of the bread decreases. Because of reasons such as this, bread companies and bakeries must pay careful attention to get the right chemical balance to achieve the desired physical and sensory characteristics and slow down the spoilage of the loaf. This study goes to show that mixing and combining the different acidulants and salts keeps bread that one can buy in a grocery store or bakery from going bad so quickly and provides information as to what keeps bread from looking like it came out of a garbage can (Tarar).

Works Cited

Kaplan, Melissa. “Wheat Bread beats white in sales, and its no big wonder.” American Public Media. http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/business-news-briefs/2010/08/wheat_bread_beats_white_in_sal.html

Tarar, Omer M., Ghulam Mueen-Ud-din, and Mian A. Murtaza. "Studies on Shelf Life of Bread Using Acidulants and Their Salts." Turkish Journal of Biology 34.2 (2010): 133-38.
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=118&sid=988bcac8-2fbc-4020-ba88-3d0f01053faf%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=52408324

Bread Image From:
http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/img-old/9-5-0.gif

The Best Nest

Imagine the human population dwindling because pregnant women are unable find a hospital suitable to deliver their babies; and when they finally do find such a hospital, it requires lengthy travel and the mothers run the likelihood of being run over or eaten along the way. This is what Blanding’s turtles are experiencing. Their traditional nesting habitats are becoming frequently unsuitable and the female turtles crawl great distances to nest, risking death at the hands of predators and motor vehicles (American Forests). As natural wetlands undergo more and more suffering, habitat management and restoration become more and more essential for the survival of this rare species. Zara Dowling, Tanessa Hartwig, Erik Kiviat, and Felicia Keesing conducted research on this necessary habitat management in New York, where Blanding’s turtles are listed as “threatened” (Hudsonia Ltd.). Of the three management methods that were studied for success and cost-effectiveness, tilling the nest plots proved to be more favorable than mowing or weeding.

Blanding’s turtles spend the majority of their time in wetlands, but require loamy soil with sparse vegetation for nesting. Breeding females are put in excessive danger when they are required to make long travels, often across highways, from their living habitat to their nesting habitat (American Forests). Habitat fragmentation and degradation, along with wetland loss, force this danger upon the female turtles. Having appropriate nesting sites adjacent to wetlands would eliminate much of the Blanding’s turtles’ risks.

In 1996 and ’97 in LaGrange, New York, a Blanding’s turtle habitat site was constructed by Hudsonia Limited. This artificial habitat was used to make up for habitat and nesting areas that were lost during the expansion of Arlington High School (Hudsonia Ltd.). Dowling, Hartwig, Kiviat, and Keesing chose this to be the site of their research. They implemented their treatment techniques on eight different breeding sites where turtles were known to have successfully nested in the past. Three plots, one 5 m x 7 m area for each management method, were created at each site. The researchers studied treatment costs along with the preferences of ten female turtles in 2006 and in 2008.

The nesting sites had all been treated with hand-weeding in the past. 90% of vegetation was removed, creating usable nesting ground. Weeding created successful nest sites in previous years, but the plots were susceptible to overgrowth and required large amounts of costly labor and management, making it the most expensive of the three techniques (Ecological Restoration). Weeded plots were implemented in the study to determine whether the turtles truly prefer this treatment or if they only nested in those plots because no mowed or tilled areas were available. During the two years of study, only one turtle nested in a weeded plot. Researchers were undoubtedly thrilled to discover that Blanding’s turtles do not have expensive taste.

Mowing was found to be the most efficient management method; however, equipment expenses make it less cost-effective than tilling (Ecological Restoration). In the eight mowed plots, a high brush mower was used to cut all vegetation to a height of 5 cm. Research showed that only two turtles out of both years chose to nest in mowed plots.

The remaining plots were tilled completely to the typical nest depth of 15 cm. Twelve females of the twenty studied in 2006 and 2008 nested in tilled plots. This indicates a strong preference of Blanding’s turtles for tilled nest sites. Because of the small sample size and consequential risk of error, it is hard to say whether the difference in turtles that chose tilled plots vs. other managed sites is significant (Ecological Restoration). However, the cost-effectiveness of tilling would make it the best technique even if the turtles’ preference isn’t significant.

Three techniques of nesting management were studied, but only one stands out among the rest. Plot tilling seems to have earned the favor of female Blanding’s turtles and researchers alike. The tilled areas were not only the most popular nesting sites, but also the least expensive to maintain. The turtles have a pressing problem, and scientists have found a suitable solution with a win-win outcome: safe nests for Blanding’s turtles and full wallets for plot management teams.

Sources:
“Experimental Management of Nesting Habitat for the Blanding's Turtle”
Zara Dowling, Tanessa Hartwig, Erik Kiviat, and Felicia Keesing
Ecological Restoration, June 2010
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=101&sid=56c3e71e-f809-4e14-85f2-e7bb95c63410%40sessionmgr111

“The Turtle Trackers”
American Forests, March 2006
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=101&sid=60596bed-c9a0-43e0-aaee-1ff04f70f0e8%40sessionmgr113

“Blanding’s Turtle”
Hudsonia Ltd.
http://hudsonia.org/programs/conservation-ecology/blandings-turtle/

Image:
Dan Thompson
http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2005/blandingsturtle.html

Feeder 1.1 Post - Zeeshan Haque: Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

If you were a researcher in today’s scientific realm, would you engage in practice that could potentially find a cure for many conditions and illnesses, however; that very same practice is regarded by some people to be a form of murder. For scientists and researchers today engaging in embryonic stem cell research, this is the dilemma that these individuals face. Embryonic stem cell research has given scientists the ability to make many advances, for example, in patients with spinal cord issues, embryonic stem cell research has given these individuals a chance at making a full recovery and correcting bone growth issues. Embryonic stem cell research has also become a very realistic option to treat genetic conditions as well. Opponents believe that embryonic stem cell research is inherently the killing of an individual, since such research involves taking cells from an embryo when that particular embryo is in the “blastocyst” stage, which is a group of about 100 cells forming an individual. Critics of embryonic stem cell research argue that the human embryo is, at this stage, a living person – and therefore cannot be tampered with. This ongoing battle is echoed in two particular scientific articles presented, one in “Nature” and another in USA Today. These articles share perspective on the recent ban on stem cell research given through a federal judge, who halted US government funding of this researching practice. The "Nature" article, which possesses a more liberal viewpoint, argues for the continuation of embryonic stem cell research while the USA Today article holds a more conservative/pro-life viewpoint that we should completely stop the practice of embryonic stem cell research and instead use a less conflicting research method, adult stem cell research.

The particular "Nature" article (“A law in time?” 1) that I discussed deals with the idea that Congress should act quickly to stop the embryonic stem cell funding ban that was placed, in order to help save this particular research. With that being said, the author has now just entered into a realm of other issues and topics of debate by taking this stance – such as when should a living organism should be considered to be actual “life” or whether science has a place in changing what some people feel a divine influence has already created. The author obviously takes a more liberal stance in the issues mentioned of above, as shown in the thesis statement the article makes - embryonic stem cell research is an ethically sound practice in which the potential benefits exceed whatever costs (“A law in time?” 1).

The "Nature" article feels that instead of being a topic of great debate, embryonic stem cell research was, is, and will obviously play a huge role in scientific advances and milestones – and therefore needs to be protected. Scientists feel that the potential cures and research breakthroughs that can be made through embryonic stem cell research clearly outweigh whatever controversies that may lie in conducting this practice. The evidence from this article mainly deals with the many professionals whose hard-work and timeless efforts in the scientific field would go for a waste, and also the potential benefits being left at the table without further pursuing embryonic stem cell research (“A law in time?” 1). This type of evidence, I feel, is presented in such a way as to give the reader sympathy towards the opinion of the scientists – making us feel that getting rid of stem cell research would not only hinder science’s ability to come up with a cure to a particular disease, but also wipe out the work done by hundreds and hundreds of scientists all over the world. The idea that various scientific experiments will be left at a standstill with no embryonic stem cell research funding is definitely presented through the "Nature" article. With that being said, the essential argument being made through the Nature article is that embryonic stem cell research, which has real no definite negative impacts, could very well help to cure various conditions and that leaving such research alone would be forfeiting such a huge opportunity would not only be at the cost of scientists and researchers, but humanity in general as well (“A law in time?” 1).

As with all great advances in whatever fields of research, there is bound to be a level of opposition to such progress.

After doing some research, I was able to find an article that holds a contrary opinion compared to the "Nature" article discussed above. The article comes from USA Today and is written by Matt Bowman, a legal counsel with the Allied Defense Fund, an organization that led the lawsuit against the Obama’s embryonic stem cell research guidelines. This particular article deals with how the government should react in response to the recent ban on embryonic stem cell research. Bowman states, quote, “Hopefully, the administration will not appeal but will instead spend federal dollars where they are really helping people. Our government should not funnel millions of dollars to pointless research in which the only result is dead human embryos” (“Opposing view on medical research: 'Pointless research'” 1).

The article’s evidence supports the author’s thesis statement in the form of actual examples of past successes in the usage of adult stem cell research, and pointing out the failed efforts of embryonic stem cell research. Some of these examples include spinal cord patients whose mobility improved after loss usage of their legs and a group of German scientists helping heart-failure patients with improved pumping performance (“Opposing view on medical research: 'Pointless research'” 1). These examples, compared to the "Nature" article, seem to be more concrete pieces of evidence, giving this particular article a strong degree of credible evidence to back up the thesis statement being made. In addition to giving particular examples of adult stem research, the USA Today article points out the shortcomings on the part of embryonic stem cell research, and that how such a research technique has not really produced results, considering the amount of energy and time that was, and is, put into such an effort. Moreover, the author uses terms such as ‘destroying’ and ‘dead’ to describe embryonic stem cell research – all done in effort to create a negative association with the term (“Opposing view on medical research: ‘Pointless research’” 1).

These various forms of evidence used in the USA Today article led to the overall argument being presented – that embryonic stem cell research is wrong, and that adult stem cell research instead is the much more sensible scientific practice that should be taken up (“Opposing view on medical research: Pointless research’” 1).

With that being said, the person reading this posting has now been presented with two opposing opinions regarding the usage of embryonic stem cell research, opinions that likely cause for uneasiness and uncertainty for the reader as well. Looking at the overall comparison of the Nature and USA today articles, the evidence that each provides gives not only me, but I am also sure you as the reader, a sense as to which article seems to be stronger and have a more definite support structure. The "Nature" article plays to the reader’s emotional interests and feelings, trying to bring about a sense of support towards the efforts of allowing embryonic stem cell research, whereas the USA Today article uses more concrete pieces of evidence, such as real life examples, to support its particular thesis statement presented. That said I feel, in my opinion, that the USA Today article does in fact do a better job at conveying the thesis statement presented. On a personal note though, while I may feel that the article presenting the flaws of embryonic stem cell research is stronger, I am in favor of continuing embryonic stem cell research as a whole.

Works Cited

- “A law in time?” Nature (467). 02 September 2010 – Published Online: 01 September 2010. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7311/full/467007a.html

- “Opposing view on medical research: 'Pointless research'.” USA Today. 24 August 2010. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-08-25-editorial25_ST1_N.htm

- Image source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/08/judge-blocks-federal-funding-for-stem-cell-research-/1

- Image source:

http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/03/pr03142_images.htm