Instructions Written Assignment: Biology and Technology in the Real World Addresses course outcomes 1-4: · recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems · make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations · weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method · use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions 1. Select one of the topics listed below. 2. Find at least two information sources related to the topic. You can find assistance with searching for articles at the UMUC Library Subject Guides at http://libguides.umuc.edu/science. 3. Write a 750-1500 word paper, excluding references and title page. You must read the information sources that you find and summarize the information in your own words, addressing each of the questions and expectations for your chosen topic. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. Use APA style for citing references, see https://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_tutorial.cfm 4. Post your assignment to the Assignment folder by the due date listed in the course schedule. Topics (select one) a) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs). What is the purpose genetic engineering of crop plants and domestic animals? Briefly explain how GMOs are created. What foods in your supermarket contain GMOs? Are foods that contain GMOs safe for human consumption? What types of regulations exist for these foods? Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer. The following website from FDA regarding GMO regulation may be helpful: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm352067.htm b) Stem cells. Your friend had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that he is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you decide to write him a letter sharing your knowledge of stem cells. Include in your letter a description of the biology of stem cells and how these cells are unique from other cells. Contrast the different types of stem cells, including pros and cons of each. Explain how stems cells are can be used to treat diseases and injury, with special focus on spinal cord injuries. Conclude with your own opinion. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful: http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp. c) Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and tar sands (oil sands).  With society's dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, the oil & gas industry is turning to the use of hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil) sands to extract natural gas and oil respectively.  A friend asks you "What's all this controversy in the news about fracking and tar sands?"  Briefly explain to your friend how hydraulic fractur.

1. Instructions
Written Assignment: Biology and Technology in the Real World
Addresses course outcomes 1-4:
· recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to
solve problems
· make observations and discriminate between scientific and
pseudoscientific explanations
· weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and
limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method
· use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method,
and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop
hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results,
and draw conclusions
1. Select one of the topics listed below.
2. Find at least two information sources related to the topic.
You can find assistance with searching for articles at the UMUC
Library Subject Guides at http://libguides.umuc.edu/science.
3. Write a 750-1500 word paper, excluding references and title
page. You must read the information sources that you find and
summarize the information in your own words, addressing each
of the questions and expectations for your chosen topic.
Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. Use APA
style for citing references,
see https://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_tutorial.cfm
4. Post your assignment to the Assignment folder by the due
date listed in the course schedule.
Topics (select one)
a) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs). What is the purpose
genetic engineering of crop plants and domestic animals?
Briefly explain how GMOs are created. What foods in your
supermarket contain GMOs? Are foods that contain GMOs safe
for human consumption? What types of regulations exist for
these foods? Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer.
The following website from FDA regarding GMO regulation

2. may be helpful:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm35206
7.htm
b) Stem cells. Your friend had a spinal cord injury after a bad
car accident. The medical team has decided that he is a good
candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your
friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you
decide to write him a letter sharing your knowledge of stem
cells. Include in your letter a description of the biology of stem
cells and how these cells are unique from other cells. Contrast
the different types of stem cells, including pros and cons of
each. Explain how stems cells are can be used to treat diseases
and injury, with special focus on spinal cord injuries. Conclude
with your own opinion. The following website from NIH
regarding stem cell research will be very helpful:
http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp.
c) Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and tar sands (oil sands).
With society's dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, the oil
& gas industry is turning to the use of hydraulic fracturing and
tar (oil) sands to extract natural gas and oil respectively. A
friend asks you "What's all this controversy in the news about
fracking and tar sands?" Briefly explain to your friend how
hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil) sands are used to obtain these
fossil fuels. Then, in more detail, describe the environmental
problems that may result from these processes and why they are
controversial. Issues that may be addressed involves, but are not
limited to, water, air and soil pollution, effects on human
health, effects on other species and natural ecosystems. Finally,
give your opinions on possible solutions to these environmental
problems, with your reasoning backed by the references that you
studied. The following websites from EPA may be helpful:
http://www2.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing
Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW
LITERATURE REVIEW

3. 5
A Literature Review of hand washing practices among health
care workers and its role in Health Acquired Infections
Name:
Institution:
Course:
Tutor:
Date:
Literature Review
While improvement in technology has led to improved medical
equipment and medicinal products, mortality rates among
inpatients is still high in the most hospital all around the globe.
Research has indicated that the poor hand hygiene practices
among healthcare givers are one of the leading causes of deaths.
This paper provides a relevant literature review on this topic.
Specifically, the paper examines the importance of hand-
washing in healthcare situations, barriers to proper hand
hygiene practices among healthcare workers and strategies of
improving high hand hygiene standards.
Importance of hand washing as a proper hand hygiene practice
among healthcare providers
Though various studies have rated hand washing to be less
effective in reducing infection compared to disinfectants, it has
been accepted as one of the less costly practice (WHO, 2010).
Also, its limited benefits have been associated with greater risks
for health care providers. According to WHO (2010), washing
hands for several minutes hardly reduces the skin resident flora.
Furthermore, hand washing is associated with the risk of
cutaneous irritation and hand eczema (Kampf et al. 2010).
When hands are frequently washed, the epidermis skin loses fats
and water binding factors, which impairs its protective function
leading to the development of eczema (Kampf et al., 2010).
Nonetheless, hand washing is still important when the hands are
visibly soiled or contaminated with materials that are
proteinaceous in nature (WHO, 2010). Hands should also be

4. washed when they are soiled with blood and other body fluids.
It is also recommended that hand washing should be done when
it is proven that they were exposed to Bacillus anthracis.
Healthcare providers should as well wash their hands after using
restrooms, before and after having food. Studies done on the
effectiveness of hand washing have demonstrated that the
practice eliminates MRSA, which is carried by health care
providers working in the Intensive Care Unit (WHO, 2010).
Another study demonstrated that adherence to hand hygiene
through hand washing reduces the rate of acquisition of
pathogens on hands.
The existing literature indicates that while hand washing may be
cheaper than disinfectants, it is not effective in reducing HAIs.
Use of disinfectants such as alcohol hand rubs has been
recommended in especially when the hands are not soiled.
Barriers to high hand hygiene compliance
There are both professional and organizational barriers that
reduce hand hygiene compliance. Lack awareness and scientific
knowledge concerning good hand hygiene practices are cited in
various studies (Mani et al., 2010). Another barrier is
inadequate training programs where health care workers can be
educated on good practices. Misconceptions associated with
some hand hygiene practices also contribute to low compliance.
For instance, Mani et al. (2010) report that some hand hygiene
practices such as the use of gloves were declined on the basis of
skin irritation. Inadequate hand hygiene products and facilities
such as sinks, antiseptic soaps, running water also contributed
to low compliance with hand hygiene practices (Kampf &
Loffler, 2010). Lastly, lack of incentives such as tokens to
health care providers who maintained high hand hygiene
practices is also cited in various studies (Sax, 2007).
Strategies for improving hand hygiene compliance
Sjoberg and Errikkson (2010) reports that interactive
educational programmes can increase hand hygiene compliance.
An adequate supply of hand hygiene products, such as lotion,
disposable towels, sinks easily accessible by health care

5. workers increased compliance (Schneider, 2009). Other
strategies suggested include governmental support, development
of national surveillance systems for auditing alcohol-based hand
rub consumption and auditing hand hygiene compliance, the
introduction of incentives and positive role modeling improved
hand hygiene compliance (Magiorakos et al., 2010; Schneider et
al. 2009; Erasmus et al., 2010). The various strategies identified
imply that high hand hygiene compliance can be achieved
through a multimodal strategy, which utilizes more than one
strategy.
References
Erasmus V, Daha TJ, Brug H. (2010). Systematic review of
studies on compliance with hand hygiene guideline in hospital
care. Infection Control Hosp Epidemiology, 31:283–94
Kampf, G. & Loffler, H. (2010). Hand disinfection in hospitals-
benefits and risks. Journal of the German Society of
Dermatology, 8:12, 978-983.
Magiorakos AP, Leens E, Drouvot V. (2010). Pathways to clean
hands: highlights of successful hand hygiene implementation
strategies in Europe. Retrieved
from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?Articl
eId=19560
Mani, A., Shubangi, A.M. & Saini, R. (2010). Hand hygiene
among healthcare workers. Indian Journal of Dental Research,
21:1, 115-118.
Sax H, Uckay I, Richet H, Aegranzi B, Pittet D. (2007).
Determinants of good Adherence to Hand Hygiene among
healthcare workers who have extensive exposure to Hand
Hygiene campaigns. Infection Control Hosp Epidemiology,
28:1267–74.
Schneider J, Moromisato D, Zemetra B, Rizziwagner L, Rivero
N, Mason W.(2009). Hand hygiene adherence is influenced by
the behavior of role models. Pediatr Crit Care Med, 10:1–5.
Sjoberg S, Eriksson M. (2010). Hand disinfectant practice: the
impact of an education intervention. Journal of Nursing, 4:20–4.

6. WHO (2010). Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. First
Global Patient Safety Challenge. Clean Care is Safer
Care. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/patientsafety/en/