Month: August 2018

Science & social responsibility in public health

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Epidemiologists and environmental health researchers have a joint responsibility to acquire scientific knowledge that matters to public health and to apply the knowledge gained in public health practice. We examine the nature and source of these social responsibilities, discuss a debate in the epidemiological literature on roles and responsibilities, and cite approaches to environmental justice as reflective of them. At one level, responsibility refers to accountability, as in being responsible for actions taken. A deeper meaning of responsibility corresponds to commitment to the pursuit and achievement of a valued end

Public health ethics is on the map. In the past year, bioethicists and public health practitioners have begun to focus their critical attention on this complex and understudied topic. Much remains to be done. Childress et al. (2002), for example, describe their account of public health ethics as a rough conceptual map of a terrain with undefined boundaries.

Our focus will be on the responsibilities of epidemiologists, a choice made for several compelling reasons. Epidemiology sits at the center of the science and practice of environmental health, and more generally, at the center of public health. Although it is often referred to as a basic science of public health, epidemiology connects the acquisition of scientific knowledge with its application in preventive interventions, programs, and policies. This connection suggests a fundamental question: What are our responsibilities as epidemiologists? Do we, for example, have a joint responsibility to participate in science and to apply the knowledge gained? This is a key concern for us as researchers, health professionals, and as teachers.

The social responsibility of public health professionals is but one of many concerns in the broader picture of public health ethics. It is nevertheless a central concern. As Ogletree (1996) reminds us, responsibility is a concept particularly well suited to flame many key aspects of the ethics of professions faced with making decisions and taking actions in complex situations. These decisions often involve advanced technologies, high levels of specialization, and overlapping areas of expertise and concern among decision makers from diverse educational, political, and social backgrounds, precisely the situation in contemporary epidemiology and public health. In sum, responsibility organizes many (although not all) of public health’s ethical issues in terms appropriate for professional practitioners.

Responsibility has a deeper meaning as well, corresponding to commitment. To be responsible means to be committed to someone or to some thing. Being responsible in this deeper sense involves a commitment to positive action, to the pursuit and achievement of something of value, such as a social good (Jonas 1984). We will return to the notion of social goods in public health. For now, we want to emphasize that responsibility focuses attention on professional commitments

Finally, our inquiry is intended to assist all public health researchers who seek to define their social responsibilities. For those who are involved primarily in environmental health research, we can think of at least two connected and current topics–environmental justice and community-based participatory research.

Do Different Liquids Produce Different Levels Of Urine Science Fair Projects

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Students have many options when it comes to the development of their science fair projects. If students are interested in medicine or biology then this project is a great option. It will examine how different types of liquids are processed by the body.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis for this science fair project is that sugary liquids produce less urine then salty liquids do. The dependent variable in this hypothesis is the amount of urine produced and the independent variable in this hypothesis is the type of liquid that is drunk.

Supplies Needed

This science fair project will need several key pieces of equipment. First of all the student will need at least six to twelve test subjects that are generally healthy. The student will then need a urine collection and measuring device for each of their test subjects. These can be picked up at a medical supply company. The students will also need collection sheets which will be handed out to each test subject. Latex gloves can also be used when collecting urine volume samples.

The Experiment

To start with the student will need to conduct a control experiment. This will create a baseline of data to compare test results to. The control experiment will basically see how much urine is normally produced by each test subject on a daily basis. To collect this data each test subject will be given a urine volume collection container that fits into their toilet. They will then write down the volume of urine that they eliminate from their bodies on a daily basis over a week.

The test experiment will begin by dividing test subjects into two groups. Group A will be given sugary drinks and Group B will be given salty drinks. Each group will be assigned the same volume of liquid. The test subjects will be instructed not to drink anything other than their experiment liquids during the day. They will then monitor their urine output during test day 1, 2 and 3. The groups will then be given the other liquid type and the will be tested for another three days.

Data Analysis

The analysis of the data will involve several steps. First of all the students will need to organize the data by finding the average urine output for each test subject in the control experiment. This will create the baseline data. Next the average urine volume output for each test subject will be calculated for the sugary drink test. Finally the average urine volume output for each test subject will be calculated for the salty drink test. The results will be compared. Students will need to look for trends that indicate that the sugary drinks lead to a higher urine output change compared to the control than the salty drinks did to prove the hypothesis could be true. Otherwise the hypothesis is false.

Online Education (bachelor Of Science In Environmental Science)

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Bachelor degrees in Environmental Science: A program that focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to the study of the physical environment and the solution of environmental problems, including subjects such as abating or controlling environmental pollution and degradation; the interaction between human society and the natural environment; and natural resources management. Includes instruction in biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, climatology, statistics, and mathematical modeling.

In the ever-changing world of government regulations and environmental issues, there is a strong need for professionals with an interdisciplinary education, in addition to coursework specific to environmental sciences. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science prepares you to meet these new environmental challenges head on. Whether your goal is to utilize scientific research to help governments and businesses, or prepare to transition into teaching after earning a bachelor”s degree, this degree program can be a great step. In addition to focused study on science and the environment, this program helps you increase critical thinking, information utilization and analytical skills.

Experience Environmental Sciences

Dealing with local and world issues requires a global perspective.As an Environmental Sciences student you can take the opportunity to study for a semester at one of several universities around the world.You can also stay closer to home and combine work experience with classroom learning through an internship or the co-op option in any of our eight majors. You will learn to use management and decision-making skills and apply scientific knowledge to environmental problems through group projects,labs and lectures.

In fourth year you will have the opportunity to work with a team “”acting as environmental researchers and consultants “”to integrate the skill and knowledge acquired in earlier courses by applying them to a contemporary environmental problem.

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (BSc-ES) program complements your existing knowledge in environmental science with courses in environmental management, economics, law, community relations, communications skills and sustainable development. This program will help you gain the problem solving skills necessary to assume leadership positions in business and government.

This is a degree completion program, encompassing years three and four of a four-year undergraduate degree. The BSc in Environmental Science is a full-time, interdisciplinary program that combines years three and four into an intensive one year, on-campus experience.
The program begins each September, with a small cohort of students who work together throughout the year. All students are involved with a major project team, spending nine months working to solve a current environmental issue for a business, government or community group.

What you’ll learn

The Bachelor of Science degree with a mathematics requirement and primary majors in natural sciences and history is designed to provide students with substantive academic content in the discipline of their choice. The program prepares students for teaching opportunities in elementary and secondary education after completion of additional methodology courses required for teacher certification in all states.

The degree also provides an academic foundation for students interested in pursuing further graduate education necessary for postsecondary teaching positions in natural science or history at most colleges and universities. Focused studies are designed to provide an interdisciplinary component that will increase the students breadth of learning. The program will provide workers in business and government, as well as education, with learning that promotes critical thinking, information utilization, collaboration, communication, and analytical skills essential to effective and efficient work productivity. The major in Environmental Science is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between scientific principles and the environment. Topics will include biological and ecological fundamentals, the environment and society, environmental management and law, global health, risk assessment, ethics, and technology.

The B.S. degree is designed for students interested in a scientific perspective on environmental issues. The major is designed to encourage breadth in the physical and life sciences and depth in a chosen area of scientific concentration, such as such as marine ecosystems, toxicology, hydrology and chemical cycling, or climate change. Students who receive the B.S. in Environmental Sciences are prepared for graduate study in a related field. They may also wish to pursue one of the following careers:

Environmental advising on Capitol Hill or in other local, state or federal government agencies
Environmental consulting
K-12 education
Research assistant in a university, institute, or other scientific agency
Education at museums or other outreach settings
Majors may also choose to enter a professional graduate program in medicine, law, business, or public health.

The B.S. degree stresses a firm foundation in the physical and life sciences and mathematics. Students are required to select five courses from six course options that focus on the the atmosphere, the biosphere, chemical cycling, the solid earth, the hydrosphere, and the interface between humans and the environment. A probability and statistics course is also required. The remaining required courses in the upper-level curriculum are selected from the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in consultation with the student”s advisor to form a concentration area.

The Environmental Science major is a science-based course of study that focuses on the natural environment and man’s interactions and use of its resources. Students examine the structure and function of natural systems and develop techniques and skills that will allow them to work in the field of natural resources. A degree in Environmental Science can lead to careers in a wide variety of public and private organizations and government agencies. It will also prepare those students who wish to pursue advanced graduate study.

You May Qualify For Financial Aid.

Science and Health Scientist Addresses Cancer Concerns Related to Atrazine

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Elizabeth Whelan, President of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) posted a great entry on ACSHs Health Facts and Fears blog on the growing attempts by activist groups to convince the EPA to ban atrazine due to cancer claims and other health concerns.

Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It helps farmers fight weeds on corn, sugar cane and other crops, leading to dramatic increases in crop yields. Without it, our food supply would be in jeopardy. Activists want the public to believe that atrazine causes cancer and birth defects, but its simply not true. Whelan writes:

“Atrazines health and safety record is stellar. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires monitoring for a multitude of chemicals, including atrazine. Levels of atrazine in U.S. waters are well within the federal lifetime drinking water standard a level containing a 1,000-fold safety buffer. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 completed a 12-year review involving 60,000 different studies and concluded that the current use of atrazine poses “no harm” to the general population infants, children and adults. According to this same regulatory agency (which oversees pesticide use) atrazine is “one of the most closely examined pesticides in the marketplace.”

Whelan points out that many activists are not willing to accept this assessment and were able to cast doubts upon the issue with the EPA. As a result, last fall the EPA announced it would initiate a re-re-re-evaluation of atrazine and health. These activists will not be happy until the EPA bans this herbicide, which would then open the door for activists to attack more chemicals, claiming they are unsafe.

Finally, Whelan points to the media for “scaring” the public into thinking that these “chemicals” are unsafe and that the manner in which they are evaluated should be changed:

“Many of the recent media chemical scares, like the two hour “toxic” presentation on CNN, argue that a) there are tens of thousands of “chemicals” out there; and b) the current government policy, assuming these chemicals are safe until contrary evidence was presented, must be reversed so that a chemical is considered hazardous until it is “proven safe.” But how do you prove something to be safe? Its like trying to prove a negative it cant be done. The example of atrazine with decades of safe use, thousands of studies that found no harm to humans and years of getting a green light from EPA (which is not known for understating chemical risks) leaves us with the question: After all these evaluations and years of use, if atrazine doesnt meet the criteria for “safety,” what chemical possibly could?”

Science Vs The Paranormal

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The Paranormal, things that go bump in the night, things that cant be explained by science, so they are swiftly brushed under the carpet and forgotten. Most people grow out of any interest for the Paranormal once they reach High School. Chalking up most phenomena to fairy-tale stories and fictional fantasies like Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. We believed in them as a kid, but somewhere along the bumpy road of life, we realized they werent real. It left us a little heart broken, at least it did me. I began to wonder what else wasnt real, what else was a lie?

About that time, Science entered the picture. It has a tendency to put on a flashy show, throwing facts and data my way to back up its claims. Quickly explaining many things in my life and how the world operates. By comparison, it seem far more solid then anything Paranormal, and in turn, a little more comforting as well. If science was a religion, it would be the biggest in the world. To stand out and say, Science doesnt know everything. Santa Clause does exist and there is a Monster under my bed, would be social suicide. With facts and the numbers by its side, why would anyone think any differently then? What room is there for me to stand outside and say What if when so many people dont deal with Ifs they deal with only what they can pick up with their five senses, and sadly, what they are told to believe.

But the fact is, science Is Not the world around us. It isnt the computer your reading this on, or the phone you use to call people, or the television that you watch your shows on. It isnt the electricity you use to power your home, or the microwave to cook your foods. It truly isnt. It is nature. Science isnt the things around you, science is a measuring stick, a ruler. It is here to understand and explain the world around you. Through this understanding we can take what weve learned about electricity and focus it to houses through channels to power appliances. Through this understanding, we can make things like Computers and Televisions and Phones, that we use everyday.

Science runs and operates on what it can understand, it only exists through people. If man cannot understand it, then neither can science. Science is now a term used like it itself is an entity. We refer to science like its some god that passes out answers, like statements such as According to science. Science is people, in labs, with the only limiter being the people in those labs, and what they can understand. Which means, if man cannot understand it, then science doesnt recognize it, yet. It doesnt mean what ever phenomena is out there, doesnt exist, it just means we dont understand it yet.

Lets look at the example of an Eclipse. An Eclipse way back when would have likely been misunderstood as some religious phenomena or a sign from a deity, (I actually think ancient man knew astronomy well, but that is the general consensus of ancient mans misconceptions). But nowadays Science understands this phenomena as a planet or a star passing in front of the sun or other light source.

So, if we look at other phenomena, such as Ghosts, Psychokinesis, Spontaneous Human Combustion, Lucid Dreaming, Demon or Spirit Possession, Poltergeists, etc. Just because science doesnt recognize these phenomena right now, doesnt mean they dont exist, it just means, right now, we dont understand them. Science in so many ways has in-fact become a religion, to the point where peoples faiths in science puts pressure on it to answer questions with a fairly strict yes or no answer format. If they are unsure, they cant exactly say Yes, but people wont except, Maybe at least not from science, so they have to answer No.

But, if it was truly a no, then how come so many of these phenomena still happen without a sufficient explanation as to the how and why? In fact, science is beginning to turn around and re-look at many of these phenomena with an open mind and see if it really is possible. They are finding that it is. But the How is still eluding them, so they cannot come out and say Yes just yet.

With that in mind, we can then take another look at the Paranormal. What is out there, hidden within us, or around us, that we cant quite see or understand yet? Knowing now, that science doesnt have all the answers, and that these Phenomena do exist, many of which do not have a sufficient explanation.

Many of these things in-fact do exist. We just have to have the courage to take a look at them, and try and understand these things, even in the face of adversity where numbers and skeptics are not on your side. Science got to where it is today, by venturing into the Paranormal. Someday we probably will understand these Phenomena more, and even utilize them like we did Electricity. But for now, we dont understand them, and therefore, they remain in the Paranormal.