Instructions
Written Assignment: Trace the Scientific Method in a Primary Scientific Article
Addresses course outcomes 1 and 4:
use knowledge of biological principles and the scientific method to ask and answer relevant questions about the human body
weigh and make health-related decisions based on an understanding of the value and limits of scientific knowledge and the scientific method
A primary research article is an article in which authors conduct experiments and report their original findings, while a secondary research article reports or summarizes information presented from another source (for information of primary and secondary sources please go to Online Guide to Writing and Research).
For this assignment we will use a secondary article to trace the scientific method in a primary article.
Before starting this assignment, you might want to revisit the Scientific Method Tutorial in the Science Learning Center under the Content area.
Summary of Instructions:
Select a topic from the article options below. Next, click on the associated link to read the Science Daily article (the peer-reviewed scholarly primary article is also provided. Use this article as needed for additional details). Finally, write a paper that addresses the points outlined below.
Article options (choose one):
**Laughing gas relieves symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression. Researchers have found that a single, one-hour treatment that involves breathing in a mixture of oxygen and the anesthetic drug nitrous oxide — otherwise known as laughing gas — can significantly improve symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression.
ScienceDaily
Journal Reference: Peter Nagele, Ben J. Palanca, Britt Gott, Frank Brown, Linda Barnes, Thomas Nguyen, Willa Xiong, Naji C. Salloum, Gemma D. Espejo, Christina N. Lessov-Schlaggar, Nisha Jain, Wayland W. L. Cheng, Helga Komen, Branden Yee, Jacob D. Bolzenius, Alvin Janski, Robert Gibbons, Charles F. Zorumski, Charles R. Conway. A phase 2 trial of inhaled nitrous oxide for treatment-resistant major depression. Science Translational Medicine, 2021; 13 (597): eabe1376 DOI: Science Translational Medicine
**Green leafy vegetables essential for muscle strength. Eating just one cup of leafy green vegetables every day could boost muscle function, according to new research. The study found that people who consumed a nitrate-rich diet, predominantly from vegetables, had significantly better muscle function of their lower limbs.
Science Daily
Journal Reference: Marc Sim, Lauren C Blekkenhorst, Nicola P Bondonno, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Peter Peeling, Catherine P Bondonno, Dianna J Magliano, Jonathan E Shaw, Richard Woodman, Kevin Murray, Joshua R Lewis, Robin M Daly, Jonathan M Hodgson. Dietary Nitrate Intake Is Positively Associated with Muscle Function in Men and Women Independent of Physical Activity Levels. The Journal of Nutrition, 2021; DOI: The Journal of Nutrition
**People who eat a healthy diet including whole fruits may be less likely to develop diabetes. A new study finds people who consume two servings of fruit per day have 36% lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consume less than half a serving. Research links fruit but not fruit juice to lower type 2 diabetes risk.
Science Daily
Journal Reference: Nicola P Bondonno, Raymond J Davey, Kevin Murray, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Catherine P Bondonno, Lauren C Blekkenhorst, Marc Sim, Dianna J Magliano, Robin M Daly, Jonathan E Shaw, Joshua R Lewis, Jonathan M Hodgson. Associations between fruit intake and risk of diabetes in the AusDiab cohort. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2021; DOI:
JCEM
**Risk of autism is not increased by ‘too many vaccines too soon,’ study shows. Although scientific evidence suggests that vaccines do not cause autism, approximately one-third of parents continue to express concern that they do; nearly 1 in 10 parents refuse or delay vaccinations because they believe it is safer than following the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) schedule. A primary concern is the number of vaccines administered, both on a single day and cumulatively over the first 2 years of life. Researchers concluded that there is no association between receiving too many vaccines too soon and autism.
Science Daily
Journal Reference: Frank DeStefano, Cristofer S. Price, and Eric S. Weintraub. Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2013 DOI
**Air pollution may affect severity and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients. Patients who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and live in areas with high levels of air pollution have a greater chance of hospitalization if they contract COVID-19, according to new research.
Science Daily
Journal Reference: Angelico Mendy, Xiao Wu, Jason L. Keller, Cecily S. Fassler, Senu Apewokin, Tesfaye B. Mersha, Changchun Xie, Susan M. Pinney. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients. Respiratory Medicine, 2021; 178: 106313 DOI: Respiratory Medicine
After selecting a topic and reading both the Science Daily article (see above) and the provided peer-reviewed primary research article as a reference, please write a paper adhering to the following guidelines:
Paper submission upload to the appropriate assignment folder by the set deadline
Use the Science Daily article, and if also needed the scholarly article, to identify and describe the steps of the scientific method. Which observations do you think the scientists made leading up to this research study? Given your understanding of the experimental design, formulate a specific hypothesis that is being tested in this experiment. If a hypothesis is stated, please rewrite it IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Describe the experimental design including control and treatment group(s), and dependent and independent variables. Summarize the results and the conclusion (50 points)
Criticize the research described. Things to consider: Were the test subjects and treatments relevant and appropriate? Was the sample size large enough? Were the methods used appropriate? Can you think of a potential bias in a research study like this? What are the limitations of the conclusions made in this research study? Address at least two of these questions in your critique of the research study (20 points).
Discuss the relevance of this type of research, both for the world in general and for you personally (20 points). Proper grammar will count for 10 points.
Write a paper with title page, introduction, paragraphs addressing the questions, conclusion and references. As a minimum, you should have TWO references (the Science Daily article and the Journal Reference). You must write in your own words and paraphrase information from the selected information sources, addressing each of the questions for your chosen topic. Your paper should consist of less than 10% direct quotes. Your paper should be 500 750 words, excluding references and title page. Use APA style for references https://www.umgc.edu/library/libhow/apa_tutorial.cfm. Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, sentence construction, and paragraph construction will be considered in the grading of this assignment.
Submit your assignment to the Assignment folder by the due date listed in the course schedule. This assignment will automatically be checked for originality by Turnitin after submission. Please review the Originality Report and when needed, submit a revised assignment before the deadline.
