Issues In Genetic Engineering Research Articles

An analytical study of science books content for inter mediate stage in the light of socio-scientific issues (SSI) in Saudi Arabia: دراسة تحليلية لمحتوى كتب العلوم بالمرحلة المتوسطة في ضوء القضايا العلمية المجتمعية (SSI) في المملكة العربية السعودية

The study aimed to identify socio-scientific issues to be included in the content of science books in middle school and the extent to include content science books in middle school first section and the second of these issues, and to achieve the objectives of the study were used descriptive analytical method, the study sample was represented in her community of science books first grades and the second medium and the third (first semester, second semester) in 1435 AH / 2014 edition and assessments for the year 1435-1436 AH, where they were analyzed by analysis card, and using the frequencies, percentages study found to several results, most notably: Identify four socio-scientific issues main of a issues These issues are (environment) and received (28) frequency; (28.3%), followed by food and nutrition (27) frequency; (27.3%), and genetic engineering (24) frequency; (24.2%), and finally medical treatment issues And the production of the drug; (20) repetitions; (20.2%);containing 27 scientific issue subset, and that the content of science books in middle school to ensure all socio-scientific issues the main, however, this inclusion may disagree than one row to another, in addition to having scientific issues societal subset are not included in the content of science books in middle school, namely, (In vitro fertilization, stem cells, damage electronics on health, hormonal therapy, gene therapy).as such found that more issues in clouded the content of science books for the three rows are environmental issues, then genetic engineering issues, Issues of food and nutrition, and finally the production of medicine and medical treatment issues, and also concluded that the science book second grade average content won as much as possible to include the societal and scientific issues (b 56) issue of Science Writers, followed by the third grade average content b (23) issue, and finally the science book first grade average content b (20) issue. In light of the results of the study were presented a set of recommendations, most: interest in scientific issues and community main and branch reached, and focus on the scientific subsidiary societal issues that are not included in any of the content of books Science in the middle stage, and increased interest in the scientific community and the issues that received very few rates.

Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience : Ethics of Human Research in Behavioral Neuroscience: Overview of Section II.

Section I. Experimental Animal Research.- Ethical Issues Associated with the Use of Animal Experimentation in Behavioural Neuroscience Research.- The use of animal models in behavioural neuroscience research.- Does the goal justify the methods? Harm and Benefit in Neuroscience Research Using Animals.- A Framework for investigating animal consciousness.- Telos, Conservation of Welfare, and Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering of Animals.- Would the elimination of the capacity to suffer evolve ethical dilemmas in experimental animal research?.- Section II. Clinical Research.- Ethics of human research in behavioral neuroscience: Overview of section II.- What's special about the ethical challenges of studying disorders with altered brain activity?.- Effects of brain injury on moral agency: Ethical dilemmas in investigating human behavior.- Genetic testing and neuroimaging for youth at risk for mental illness: Trading off benefit and risk.- Externalization of consciousness: Scientific possibilities and clinical implications.- How does enhancing cognition affect human values? How does this translate into social responsibility?.- Deep brain stimulation: A principled and pragmatic approach to understanding the ethical and clinical challenges of an evolving technology.- Ethical issues and ethical therapy associated with anxiety disorders.- Just like a circus: The public consumption of sex differences.- Money and morals: Ending clinical trials for financial reasons.

High School Students' Reasoning in Making Decisions about Socio-Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering: Case of Gene Therapy

ABSTRACTDecision making about socio-scientific issues (SSI), such as the applications of genetic engineering and gene therapy, is an important aspect of modern science education worldwide. The objective of this study was to explore how 17- to 18-year-old high school students make decisions about treatment of cystic fibrosis by means of gene therapy. A qualitative approach was employed to investigate the patterns of informal reasoning and how small-group discussions can affect them. Written tests and semi-structured interviews were designed to examine the students' reasoning in response to a fictional gene therapy scenario. The results indicated that the students most frequently relied on rationalistic forms of reasoning when they worked to resolve the socio-scientific dilemma. Our findings also provided evidence that there were considerable changes in the students ' decisions and reasoning patterns before and after the group activity. These results highlight the need to ensure that science classrooms are environments in which emotions and intuition in addition to reason-based reasoning are valued.

The Attitude of 17–18 Years Old Students to Socio-Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering

ABSTRACTThe products of modern biotechnology processes such as genetic engineering, DNA testing, transgenic organisms, therapeutic and reproductive cloning have increasing impact on the society. Although, these scientific techniques have many benefits, their social and ethical effects are controversial. It is important for young people to have not only basic knowledge about genetic engineering, but also moral and social issues must be thought in schools so that they are able to contribute to public debate and make informed personal decisions. The focus of this paper is to investigate the high school students' attitude towards genetic engineering's applications. A written questionnaire, which includes Likert type scale with 11 statements, is given to students aged 17 to 18 years and wanted to answer. The statements in attitude scale are grouped into 4 categories according to species of organisms. In order to evaluate the responses to the statements in attitude scale, percentage values and category differentiations are calculated by SPSS. The results indicate that students' attitude to the usefulness, safety and moral acceptability of genetic engineering changed depending on the main groups of organisms and the objective of the study.

Beyond biotechnology: the barren promise of genetic engineering

In 2001, the Human Genome Project announced that it had successfully mapped the content of human DNA. Scientists, politicians, and pundits speculated about what would follow, conjuring everything from the nightmare scenario of state-controlled eugenics to the vision of engineering full disease resistance into newborn babies. Such predictions continue to influence public opinion and policy. Beyond Biotechnology: The Barren Promise of Genetic Engineering distinguishes between the hype and reality of genetic engineering and guides readers toward a proper understanding of the relationship between science and nature.Authors Craig Holdrege and Steve Talbott evaluate and critique the current state of genetic science and examine potential applications in areas such as agriculture and medicine. The authors contend that the popular reductionist view of genetics lacks an understanding of the ways that genes work together in organisms and that this view leads to unrealistic expectations and, ultimately, disappointment.Written for lay readers, Beyond Biotechnology provides a solid introduction to the complicated issues of genetic engineering and its potential applications. The book also defines and characterizes the kind of science and understanding we need to interact responsibly with nature.

A threshold model of content knowledge transfer for socioscientific argumentation

This study explores how individuals make use of scientific content knowledge for socioscientific argumentation. More specifically, this mixed-methods study investigates how learners apply genetics content knowledge as they justify claims relative to genetic engineering. Interviews are conducted with 45 participants, representing three distinct groups: high school students with variable genetics knowledge, college nonscience majors with little genetics knowledge, and college science majors with advanced genetics knowledge. During the interviews, participants advance positions concerning three scenarios dealing with gene therapy and cloning. Arguments are assessed in terms of the number of justifications offered as well as justification quality, based on a five-point rubric. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicate that college science majors outperformed the other groups in terms of justification quality and frequency. Argumentation does not differ among nonscience majors or high school students. Follow-up qualitative analyses of interview responses suggest that all three groups tend to focus on similar, sociomoral themes as they negotiate socially complex, genetic engineering issues, but that the science majors frequently reference specific science content knowledge in the justification of their claims. Results support the Threshold Model of Content Knowledge Transfer, which proposes two knowledge thresholds around which argumentation quality can reasonably be expected to increase. Research and educational implications of these findings are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 90:986–1004, 2006

"Difference" in Public Relations Research: A Case for Introducing Critical Race Theory

This article seeks to develop a theoretical understanding of the role of identity and power in issues management campaigns. It illustrates through original research how issues management strategies involving the management of multiple identities can motivate significant public activism. In this research, environmental interest groups attempted to influence public policy on genetic engineering in New Zealand, a country where genetic engineering issues are strongly contested and related public policy decisions will have outcomes of significant economic importance, nationally. The findings show that identity management strategies successfully extended public debate about genetic engineering and demonstrated the power of activist groups to influence the direction of government public policy.

Activism in "Paradise": Identity Management in a Public Relations Campaign Against Genetic Engineering

This article seeks to develop a theoretical understanding of the role of identity and power in issues management campaigns. It illustrates through original research how issues management strategies involving the management of multiple identities can motivate significant public activism. In this research, environmental interest groups attempted to influence public policy on genetic engineering in New Zealand, a country where genetic engineering issues are strongly contested and related public policy decisions will have outcomes of significant economic importance, nationally. The findings show that identity management strategies successfully extended public debate about genetic engineering and demonstrated the power of activist groups to influence the direction of government public policy.

Evolutionary theory as a guide to socioscientific decision-making

Evolutionary theory serves as the fundamental cornerstone to all life science; yet students frequently possess misconceptions regarding evolution or resist learning the idea altogether. This study, which emerged from alarger project focused on informal reasoning, explores how college students' conceptions of evolutionary theoryaffect their reasoning in the context of genetic engineering issues. Thirty students, 15 biology majors and 15non-science majors were interviewed individually and asked about their positions on gene therapy and cloning.Whereas none of the non-science majors alluded to evolution, many of the biology majors (8 of 15) adoptedevolutionary perspectives as they negotiated genetic engineering issues. Some student responses revealedmisconceptions such as teleological and deterministic interpretations of evolution, but others discussed moreappropriate evolutionary implications, such as reduced genetic variability and the propagation of unfit genes asa result of cloning. Applications of these findings for both evolution instruction and assessment are discussed.

Moral sensitivity and its contribution to the resolution of socio‐scientific issues

This study explores models of how people perceive moral aspects of socio‐scientific issues. Thirty college students participated in interviews during which they discussed their reactions to and resolutions of two genetic engineering issues. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively to produce an emergent taxonomy of moral concerns recognized by the participant. The participants expressed sensitivity to moral aspects including concern and empathy for the well‐being of others, an aversion to altering the natural order and slippery slope implications. In arriving at their final resolutions, many participants integrated their moral concerns with non‐moral factors. The patterns revealed suggest that moral and non‐moral concerns act in concert as they influence socio‐scientific decision‐making.

The significance of content knowledge for informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: Applying genetics knowledge to genetic engineering issues

This study focused on informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues. It sought to explore how content knowledge influenced the negotiation and resolution of contentious and complex scenarios based on genetic engineering. Two hundred and sixty-nine students drawn from undergraduate natural science and nonnatural science courses completed a quantitative test of genetics concepts. Two subsets (n = 15 for each group) of the original sample representing divergent levels of content knowledge participated in individual interviews, during which they articulated positions, rationales, counterpositions, and rebuttals in response to three gene therapy scenarios and three cloning scenarios. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine the effects of content knowledge on the use of informal reasoning patterns and the quality of informal reasoning. Participants from both groups employed the same general patterns of informal reasoning. Data did indicate that differences in content knowledge were related to variations in informal reasoning quality. Participants, with more advanced understandings of genetics, demonstrated fewer instances of reasoning flaws, as defined by a priori criteria, and were more likely to incorporate content knowledge in their reasoning patterns than participants with more naïve understandings of genetics. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 89:71–93, 2005

The morality of socioscientific issues: Construal and resolution of genetic engineering dilemmas

AbstractThe ability to negotiate and resolve socioscientific issues has been posited as integral components of scientific literacy. Although philosophers and science educators have argued that socioscientific issues inherently involve moral and ethical considerations, the ultimate arbiters of morality are individual decision‐makers. This study explored the extent to which college students construe genetic engineering issues as moral problems. Twenty college students participated in interviews designed to elicit their ideas, reactions, and feelings regarding a series of gene therapy and cloning scenarios. Qualitative analyses revealed that moral considerations were significant influences on decision‐making, indicating a tendency for students to construe genetic engineering issues as moral problems. Students engaged in moral reasoning based on utilitarian analyses of consequences as well as the application of principles. Issue construal was also influenced by affective features such as emotion and intuition. In addition to moral considerations, a series of other factors emerged as important dimensions of socioscientific decision‐making. These factors included personal experiences, family biases, background knowledge, and the impact of popular culture. The implications for classroom science instruction and future research are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 88:4–27, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/.sce10101

Bioethics and the theory of forms

This paper begins with a survey of current ethical issues in genetic engineering. It then proposes a principle by which the debates on genetic engineering might be guided. The trouble with these debates is that they get stuck on the slippery slope argument, knowing that slippery slope reasoning bodes ill, but unwilling to outline a general ethical principle.

Reshaping Life: Key Issues in Genetic Engineering, 3rd edition

Reshaping Life: Key Issues in Genetic Engineering, 3rd edition

Commodifying animals: Ethical issues in genetic engineering of animals

The genetic modification of living beings raises special ethical concerns which go beyond general discussion of animal rights or welfare. Although the goals may be similar, biotechnology has accelerated the process of modification of types traditionally carried out by cross-breeding. These changes are discussed in relation to two areas: biomedicine, and animal husbandry. Alternative ethical approaches are reviewed, and it is argued that the teleological thesis underlying virtue ethics has special relevance here. The case for and the case against genetic engineering and patenting of life-forms are examined, and conclusions are drawn which favour regulation, caution and respect for animals and animal species.

Book Reviews

Book review in this article ATP LUMINESCENCE: RAPID METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY Edited by P. E. Stanley, B. J. McCarthy and R. Smither LIPID BIOCHEMISTRY: AN INTRODUCTION, 4th edn By M. I. Gurrand J. L. Harwood RESHAPING LIFE: KEY ISSUES IN GENETIC ENGINEERING, 2nd edn By G. J. V. Nossal and Ross I. Coppel. GENE REGULATION: A EUKARYOTIC PERSPECTIVE By D. Latchman.

Reviews

Books reviewed in this article: Mechanisms and Regulation of Transport Processes, Ed. by R. K. ATKIN and D. R. CLIFFORD. Importance of Root to Shoot Communication in the Responses to Environmental Stress. Ed. by W. J. DAVIES, and B. JEFFCOAT. Perspectives on Plant Competition. Ed by J. B. Grace and D. Tilman. North American Terrestrial Vegetation. Ed. by M. G. Barbour and W. D. Billings. Maintenance of the Biosphere. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Environmental Future. (Ed. by N. Polunin and SIR J. H. Burnett). Reshaping Life: Key Issues in Genetic Engineering. By G. J. V Nossal and R. L. Coppel. Soil Biology. By M. Wood. Methods in Phytobacteriology. Ed. by Z. Klement, K. Rudolph and D. C. Sands. Biotechnology of Fungi for Improving Plant Growth. Ed. by J. M. Whipps and R. D. Lumsden. Soil Physics. By T. J. Marshall and J. W. Holmes. Plant Population Genetics, Breeding, and Genetic Resources. Ed. by A. H. D. BROWN, M. T. CLEGG, A. L. KAHLER and B. S. WEIR. Grain Legumes. Evolution and Genetic Resource. By J. Smartt. Natural Product of Woody Plant (in 2 volumes): Chemicals Extraneous to the Lignocellulosic Cell Wall. Ed. by J. W. Rowe, (Springer Serise in Wood Science. Ed. by T. E. Timmell). Trees of Nigeria. By R. W. J. Keay. Antarctic Paleobiology ‐ Its role in the Reconstruction of Gondwana. Ed. by T. N. AND E. L. Taylor.

Conceptual, methodological and ethical issues in genetic engineering (1989)

An introduction to the potential of gene therapy to alleviate illness and death particularly for many rare human genetic disorders and specific forms of cancer is presented. At present, genetic engineering, that is gene therapy to correct some of these disorders based on new molecular biology procedures is a possibility in the near future especially those with single gene mendelian inherited transmission. After a short, comprehensive overview about the molecular biology of genetic engineering, a presentation of many of the ethical issues now under discussion by the international scientific community, world govenmental agencies and concerned laymen about the complex and sensitive ethical issues is provided. A report about a case history of investigators in the United States who disregarded current restrictions emphasized the concern of the scientific community as well as the governmental agencies in maintaining stepwise, careful approach to the introduction of the new, molecular methodologies. The continued maintenance of many of these restrictions, suggested by some ethicists, even after the threat of uncontrolled biological disorder as a result of these new procedures was found to be erroneous is discussed and challenged.

Reshaping life: Key issues in genetic engineering, by G.J.V. Nossal. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1985, $12.95

Reshaping life: Key issues in genetic engineering, by G.J.V. Nossal. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1985, $12.95

Recombinant DNA technology: A topics course for undergraduates

This article describes the development of a topics course offered jointly through chemistry and biology departments called 'Recombinant DNA, A Short Course' that uses primary literature and explores economic, political, and ethical issues of genetic engineering.