Justices Rule Human Genes cannot be Patented

The article, titled â€Å"Justices Rule Human Genes cannot be Patented†, reports a ruling by the United States Supreme Court on a case between Myriad Genetics and other stakeholders who were fighting against Myriad’s claim for exclusive rights to patent human genes. The main point of the article, it seems, is that human genetic material cannot be patented because it is a product of nature rather than nurture.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Justices Rule Human Genes cannot be Patented specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article, by quoting the justices of the Supreme Court, stresses that although scientists and biotechnologists may have the capacity to isolate the gene from the genetic material and use this break-through technology to prevent various diseases such as breast and ovarian cancer, they cannot claim patents for making the gene itself as this process occurs naturally. In view of this poi nt, the Supreme Court denied Myriad Genetics the exclusive rights to patent and own human genes, and stressed the fact that genes and the information they encode are not patent-eligible simply because a company has succeeded in isolating the genes from the surrounding genetic material. The article is from a credible source as it has been published in a respected newspaper. Editors of newspapers such as USA Today always ensure the authenticity of content before publishing. Additionally, the author of the article often makes mention of his sources of information, further reinforcing the article’s credibility. All the facts included in the article directly support the ruling that human genetic material cannot be patented because it is a product of nature rather than nurture. For instance, it has been demonstrated how the health and wellbeing of breast and ovarian cancer patients will be jeopardized by monopolizing the human genes through giving one company exclusive patent right s. Arguably, the cost of seeking for treatment for such forms of cancer will definitely go up in spite of the fact that scientists have already identified the gene that normally dysfunction to trigger cancerous tumors. Another supporting fact that has been explained in the article is that patenting of human genes may also limit research activities and advances in human genetics. Additionally, it has been acknowledged that genes and the information they encode are naturally occurring and hence no single individual or organization can claim a patent for their existence or perceived discovery. In short, genes and the information they encode cannot be termed as products of innovation.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In my view, there was no notable bias from the author of this article which is worth mentioning. Indeed, the researcher does well to balance the positive and the negati ve sides of the Supreme Court ruling. The positive elements have already been discussed in this paper. However, on the negative elements, the author notes the historic ruling may create precedence whereby other biotechnology companies will be objecting to making huge investments in research due to incapacity to own the patents to protect their scientific discoveries. This is a valid concern that warrants closer scrutiny. Overall, the major learning outcome is that human genes are naturally occurring and hence cannot be patented by any individual or organization. The second learning outcome is that genetic research is critical in dealing with the rampant cases of breast and ovarian cancer witnessed in the society today. Lastly, the idea of patenting scientific discoveries and the limits that one can go has been well explicated in the article. This essay on Justices Rule Human Genes cannot be Patented was written and submitted by user Audriana K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Globalization & Public Health essays

Globalization & Public Health essays Globalization is commonly defined as the worldwide integration of economies in the face of substantially increased transborder trade and investment [1]. It is generally addressed in the context of economics and information technologies. Globalization has brought wealth and modernity to many of the worlds peoples. Frequently overlooked in the classroom, unfortunately, are the new vulnerabilities now exposed by globalization, including the spread of natural disease and the use of disease as possible instruments of terror. It is important to understand how globalization may be affecting global public health policies, and what implications that has for global control of infectious diseases. From a public health point of view, it is imperative that we bear in mind that infectious diseases do not recognize borders, as evidenced by the current HIV/AIDS pandemic. The two main results of globalization have been expanding international travel and increased trade. Increased trade includes the exporting and importing of foodstuffs, which are probable carriers of pathogenic microbes. Some fresh foods may be contaminated during picking, packaging, transport, or delivery [2]. Another factor that may facilitate the international spread of food borne disease is the centralized processing of human and animal foods, followed by widespread distribution. For example, if a component of animal feed is contaminated with a pathogen, a food animal could ingest the pathogen. This food animal could then pass the pathogen to anyone who consumes a part of the animal which could cause a global outbreak. Increased international travel, a result of globalization, is also a major cause of the spread of disease, and also a major factor in the threat of bioterrorism. Examples of disease spread from continent to continent include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, West Nile encephalitis, Vibrio cholerae, coccidioidomycosis, influenza, measles, and ...

Calling All Cat Cuddlers! You Can Now Cuddle Cats for a Living!

Calling All Cat Cuddlers! You Can Now Cuddle Cats for a Living! You can getting paid to cuddle cats? And who said miracles don’t exist! In Dublin, Ireland, there is an opportunity to  become a professional cat-cuddler. Yes, you read that correctly- a professional cat-cuddler. Well, you know†¦ until there is a more official title for this position.  I know this job may sound too purrrfect to be true. But before you make that move to Ireland, here’s what you need to know. Source [giphy]Justcats is Dublin’s first and only dedicated feline veterinary clinic, meaning there is a â€Å"no dogs allowed† atmosphere. The clinic is looking for a candidate to hold cats and embrace them during their visits to make it more comfortable for both the owner and their beloved feline.According to the clinic, the ideal candidate must have gentle hands capable of petting and stroking cats for long periods of time, be soft-spoken, and be capable of cat whispering to calm the nerves of some of their patients. Since cat purring can te ll you a lot about the cat’s feelings, having the ability to understand the different types of purring makes you stand out from the rest of the applicants.The clinic is â€Å"considering a veterinary intern, a nurse position or a nurse’s assistant and their title will be appropriate to their role,†Ã‚  Veterinarian Aoife Caulfield told HuffPost.  Cuddling the four-legged family member pays between 20,000 euros and 25,000 euros (about $22,000 to $28,000).Source: [giphy]Not bad considering you are getting paid to snuggle with your  BFF!

Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Modernity - Essay Example These aspects are either descriptive or analytical based on social, political, or economic aspects that characterize modernity. A political approach of defining modernity is quite analytical. It states that the earliest stages of modernity began with the Niccolo Machiavelli’s works, which seemed to favor the free republics over monarchies. The modernization initiated at this time continues to grow with liberalism and democracy being quite characteristic in today’s political view. On the other hand, the changes in the social discourse, processes, and conditions take a descriptive approach. In this case, modernity is described in accordance to the descriptions of people’s social aspects. The philosophical view also takes the same descriptive dimension as the social approach. In this regard, it is described as the period where the realization that it is impossible to achieve certainty came up. On the same frequency, modernity achieves a descriptive approach as the a ge in which ideologies were developed. The descriptive aspect of modernity supersedes the analytical. This is because across generations what predominates is the evidence of what has taken place. Therefore, when this is described, it supports the evidence of the transition that is characterized by

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways Essay - 1

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways - Essay Example The assessment of the external environment is conducted in reference to its impact on British Airways. For the purpose, the range of strategic management tools has been employed. British Airways (BA) is a private limited company is renowned airline that has recently celebrated 90 years of existence in the year 2009. It is one the leading premium airlines of the world and the largest airline of UK and covers around 400 destinations across the world (British Airways, 2013). The business model of BA is based on the revenue generation from the passenger as well as cargo delivery services. With the long rich history and experience, BA has become one of the leading airlines that have extensive scheduled flights and network of airline. Additionally, it is a comprehensive list of joint agreements, franchise partners and other defined codes that enables it to service wide network of stations (airports). Importantly, in the year 2010, BA merged into Iberia which is the largest airline of Spain (British Airways, n.d.). British Airways generate its revenue from the two basic sources including passenger revenue and the cargo revenue. For the year 2013, BA generated revenue of around  £ 10,129 million from the passenger revenue with the growth of 6.6% while the cargo revenue declined by 6.5% and generated  £ 689 million in 2013 as compared to 2012. The year 2013 was driven by considerable investment in the airline with constant focus on expanding customer base along with the cost reduction measure at effect (British Airways, 2013). This section of the report will produce the information related to the British Airways. The information will be specific to the business direction and future vision of the business along with impact of the external environment on BA and its response. The mission of British Airways, as reported in the marketing in magazine, is â€Å"to serve† (Eleftheriou-Smith, 2011).

Developing Wireless Communications to Space Essay example -- Science O

A big potential problem in the future is developing a wireless communications network in outer space. In this paper we will discuss the problems presented with this and the potential solutions to these problems using existing and some futuristic technology. We have broke this into two main parts, one being earth to satellite to planet and back, and the other being planetary ground transmission to and from astronauts to rovers to space stations. The solution has already started being implemented and will continue rapidly into the near future. It is called the Interplanetary Internet. As of now it is an array of floating 'nodes' or satellites scattered around in space that can communicate with each other. In the future a backbone of satellites is envisioned with their own high speed protocols. There will also be large antennas on earth and possible other planets hundreds of feet high, amplifiers scattered throughout space, photovoltaic powered satellites, and high precision equipment on multiple planet surfaces. The architectural concept to this is deceivingly simple. The first part is developing Internet protocols to form local networks in quiet environments with little delay. This could be done with free flying spacecraft here on earth or another planet. The second part is to develop a deep space structure of satellites interconnecting LANs. This includes multiple space based data relay satellites. The third part is implementing a new overlay a new protocol concept called bundling to tie together the Internets. This is based on a routing concept in which multiple messages will be bundled and sent through a series of Internets. The problem with this is not the same as here on earth. Here it is billi... ...face devices completed the elements of the hardware setup. (NASA Takes..) In conclusion the improvements to the current inter-planet system of communication involves increasing the number of nodes in space, development of peer to peer hardware nodes and improvement of protocols to deal with long delays and interference. Works Cited NASA Takes the Internet into Space. 13 Dec 2003. TechNewsWorld. 10 April 2007. . Mars Wants Wi-Fi!. 15 Jan 2004. Wi-Fi Planet. 10 April 2007. . NASA tests WiFi mesh networks. 22 March 2004. GCN. 10 April 2007. . NMSU researchers helping NASA develop systems to transmit data from Mars. 14 Oct 2004. SpaceRef. 10 April 2007. .

Obesity and cancer – Linked to what level

Or possibly make for a worse cancer prognosis? These issues are addressed in this report, with references to many studies performer d at the population level, and at the molecular level – attempting to link cancer progression (prostrate cancer), severity and occurrence, wit h symptoms of obesity – such as visceral fat, deadlocked levels, etc.Focusing primarily on the dopamine levels in obese (cancer/non cancer) patients, in vitro tumor culture studies and data from prostrate/ breast cancer patients – this report aims to hint at a possible mechanism which underlies cancer progression on the basis of the data from above studies and explain how obese TTY as a condition, fits In the mechanism of tumor progression. Introduction to obesity – The first aspect regarding obesity is the quantification of the physical condition called ‘obese'.For the purpose of this report (and for most of the studies referred to) – computer tomography generated measurem ents in the order of ?comma area in the central abdominal regions (I. E. – of visceral fat), Is defined as the condition for obesity. Alternatively, other quantifications, such as waste- Hip ratios, Body Mass Index, etc are also used to define or relate specific aspects of body structure to the condition of being obese or its relate deed metabolic syndromes. 9] Central (visceral) obesity is characterized by metabolic syndromes such as – insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperventilates, displacement, hypertension, and problematic and protoplasm Tory states [81. All of which are fairly conditions that cause many complications in contemporaries occurring dies asses – however the focus of this report details the direct implications of obesity, and the molecules involved – followed by a generalization from this case-study on hormonal cancers. The molecular symptoms and effects of obesity on a patient's physiological system ar Fig. – Diagrammatic repre sentation of some of the possible mechanisms for obesity- related prostate cancer progression. GIF-I = insulin-like growth factor 1; IL- 6 = interleukin 6; VEGA = vascular endothelial growth factor; GHB = sex- hormone binding globulin. [8] Molecular characteristics of obesity – The following are characteristics/by- products of obesity and their respective roles identified in various hormonal (prostrate/breast) cancer studies – Hypersensitiveness – Geiger serum levels of insulin results in decreased production of Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin (GHB).GHB mediated inhibition of breast tumors has recently bee n identified in literature [1]. Hence, this characteristic is analogous to loss-of- inhibition for breast-cancer cells. Also, it results in higher levels of free androgen's and estrogen – which have been implicated in proliferation of breast cancers, and progression of hormonal cancers in general. Decreased Testosterone levels – have significance in prostrate cancer, as lower testosterone levels have been associated with high- read prostrate cancers. The characteristic being of higher proliferation and less differentiation in the tumor. 2] Perpetuation of TNT-alpha – by virtue of higher levels of TNT- alpha in serum, there is higher susceptibility to inflammation and inflammation by itself has a potential role as a cancer promoting event at any given site. [Smith's Term Paper] Dopamine secretions by adipose tissue are covered with a few examples – o Lepton – is an dopamine secreted primarily by White Adipose Tissue (WATT), and has been shoo win to be active in the formation of reproductive tissue (including the prostrate). And has be en positively correlated with visceral obesity and large prostrate tumors [4].Studies have shown that lepton promotes the proliferation of androgen- independent prostate cancer cell lines. It has also been shown to promote vascular endothelial cell profiler and misdiagnoses in vivo, processes that are crucial to allow cancer progression. Also, it has been positively correlated with increased prostrate cancer cell migration (implying invasion and metastasis) [5]. Mechanism of action – The proliferation response of prostate cancer cells to lepton has been shown o involve intracellular signaling molecules such as physicality-instill 3- kinas (POP-K) and c-June NH-terminal kinas NON). 10] o Interleukin-6 – one third of the circulating level secretion of IL- 6 is from adipose tissue. It is directly proportional to visceral obesity and insulin resistance. Its normal role being in modulo action of immune response and cell-functions – it is basically a growth inhibitor. However, recently it has been shown to undergo a transition in its role from growth inhibitor associated with neuroscience differentiation to stimulator accompanied by androgen receptor cacti action in prostrate cancer progression [6].Prostrate cancer cultures have been shown to secrete high levels of IL- 6, and it is believed that chronic exposure to this dopamine leads to loss-of-growth- inhibition in tumor cells. Serum IL-6 levels >7 pig/ ml are associated with a poor prognosis in men with prostate cancer. O Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGA) – VEGA levels are positively correlated with visceral obesity, and it is a potent nitrogen that allows for cell- migration, misdiagnoses and micro-vascular permeability. It hence, has a direct growth factor effect on tumor progression of all ski ads of cancer.Aggressive high grade cancers all show high levels of VEGA secretions. It is why apotheosized that obesity driven elevation in VEGA levels is a potent priming event for all forms of c anger, specially hormonal cancers. O Depiction – this is an dopamine that is negatively correlated with obesity and visceral fat. It has been identified as a possible therapeutic agent in many obesity related metabolic co indications, such as diabetes, hyp ertension, etc. Hence, by virtue of its opposite nature to other adipose nest, it is hypothesized to be the ‘anticancer' dopamine. It is also negatively correlated with high h grade prostrate and breast cancers.The function of depiction is via its two primary receptors, which have a spatial didst fiction that is governed by other growth factors and adipose. Studies have also identified JUNK and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STATS) as common downstream effectors of depiction. Both JUNK an d STATS play of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apotheosis during various physiologic and pathologic events such as tumor development. [7] Discussion/Analysis – Getting fat – Starting in chronological order of occurrence, in a patient's life – first, one must become obese for any risks to be present.Is this necessarily, true? Yes. Not that non-obese people are necessarily risk- free or unlikely to get cancer – but obesity is positively correlated with multiple forms of cancer, so that risk is assure deed. Foods containing high levels of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol are specifically t he ones that are implicated in development of central abdominal obesity. Linoleum acid (or Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid) is a constituent of animal- at that has been positively implicated in prostrate cancer migration/ metastasis [12].Also, low-fat culture medium for in vitro tumor cultures resulted in decreased proliferation rates and low- fat diets for tumor bearing nude-mice also showed slower progression of tumors. White Adipose Tissue (WATT – a sub- classification of adipose tissue, which is largely present in visceral fat), is significantly co-relatable to consumption of animal- fat and saturated fatty acids. It is recognized as a metabolically active endocrine organ – some of the secretions of which have been listed above. Hence, there is definitely a relation between one's diet and cancer prognosi s.The role of obesity – Obesity has been generically classified as a condition that suppresses non- aggressive diseases and accelerates the aggressive ones. How true this stereotype may be, is not the subject of this report – but nonetheless the statement does hold true for cancer progression. To say that cancer (of any form) may be ‘induced' by obesity, is not a Justifiable states .NET on the basis of currently available data. However, ‘cancer progression' is definitely a task that obesity is able to remote to sufficiency (of the tumor).