An analysis of Animal Experimentation articles Essay

An analysis of Animal Experimentation articles - Essay Example The presented arguments by the doctors and research scientists (two experts in their field) indicate that this is a subject that divides opinion between informed, intelligent people. The clear issue in the debate revolves around morality and whether animal experimentation is necessary to safeguard human beings against potentially harmful new drugs and practices in medicine, and is vehemently supported by both sides. 2. Were the problems or issues expressed effectively? Describe how the problems or issues were or were not best expressed. The two articles vary on their ability to express the issues effectively. Lankford uses the article to defend the position of support towards animal experimentation. In this manner, the article does not address the issue but just seems to provide a list of statistics to prove his point. The work highlights a number of animal research achievements and how it has led to the prevention of disease but does not suggest any form of resolution of the issue. The Carlson article does attempt to resolve the issues. The work discusses that â€Å"we can learn to improve public health by looking first at what threatens it† (Carlson), indicating a willingness to seek a resolution. This viewpoint also acknowledges that it is vital to keep questioning forms of medicine and that it can be beneficial to look at the argument from different perspectives. 3. How would you determine the credibility of the sources of information used by the authors in the articles when investigating the problems or issues presented by your topic? The two articles appear to be fairly reliable and credible sources of information regarding the animal experimentation debate. The first, written by Lankford, was written for the Foundation for Biomedical Research. The group is in favor of animal experimentation and use medical facts and statistics to back up their claims. The author is clearly knowledgeable, although the article does not highlight his position in the organization. The second article is an expert opinion in the field of research science. Her work contrasts with the first, emphasizing that the results of animal experimentation have been grossly misjudged. Carlson relies on findings from University studies and medical journals to persuade her audience. In terms of credibility, both articles appear to be so, though Carlson does provide sources for the statistics used whereas Lankford states facts such using language such as â€Å"between 1950 and 2004† (Lankford) but fails to ascertain where they come from. 4. Compare two steps that would be most effective in refining solutions to the problem and resolutions to the issues presented by your topic. The animal experimentation debate is saddled with a number of issues concerning morality and ethics. For animal experimentation to be proven necessary and useful to society, it appears that more clear research and positive results are needed that link the success of medical improveme nts to the need to test them on animals. The main difficulties to overcome are the beliefs surrounding animal cruelty which animal extremist groups chiefly use as their main argument against animal experimentation. These groups will perhaps never be persuaded as to the benefits of animal experimentation but scholars such as Carlson indicates that there is no proof that animal testing is necessary to

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Research Paper

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) - Research Paper Example ODD is not a very common disorder, though a significant population of children suffers from it. â€Å"There are various statistics on the incidence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the U.S. Numbers range from 2-16% of children and teens in the U.S. have ODD† (Healthy Place, 2012). Children generally start acquiring the ODD at the age of 8 years (Healthy Place, 2012). In a vast majority of cases, children acquire the ODD before the start of teenage, though in certain cases, children may acquire the ODD in the late teenage. The effects of ODD start showing up gradually and aggravate with the passage of time. Causes of ODD A number of theories have surfaced that explain the causes of ODD in children. One of the main causes of ODD in children commonly identified by these theories is the development of temperament in the child and the response made by family to it. Some children have an inherited predisposition to ODD. Children in families where at least one parent contains a hi story of mood disorder have increased susceptibility to ODD. There is a whole range of parental mood disorder that can make a child vulnerable to ODD. Such mood disorders include but are not limited to conduct disorder, depressive disorder, antisocial personality disorder, attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and substance abuse. Families that frequently migrate from one place to another make it difficult for the children to adjust in the new locality. As a result of this, children express their discomfort through anger and hostility. ODD may also be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain or because of a head injury. In addition to that, tension between parents may also be a significant cause of ODD in children. In some families, parents have bad terms with each other which affects the psychology of the children in a negative way. In many cases, such tensions lead the marriage to the point of breakup and a child may acquire ODD as a consequence of the divorce bet ween the parents. Symptoms of ODD Differentiating between a child who is just emotional and another child who has ODD is complicated since the display of oppositional behavior is an integral feature of certain stages of development. However, there exists a range between the ODD and the normal oppositional behavior of a child. Children with ODD display a range of behaviors that include but are not limited to stubbornness, rudeness, short-temperedness, frequent defiance from the family principles and rules, placing the blame of their own mistakes on others, resentfulness, and irritability. However, they do not become violent to the physical extent or to the level that they start violating others’ rights. Actually, the hostile behavior of the children with ODD results from their lack of ability to distinguish between the appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Children with ODD do not realize that they are overreacting or expressing unnecessary anger. Instead, they think that t heir parents are demanding too much from them or are placing unreasonable demand on them. Accordingly, these children may feel guilty for having done something seriously wrong if they realize. Diagnosis of ODD A psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses a child with ODD if he/she displayed the symptoms of ODD. There are numerous disorders which may