Since the beginning of the Human Genome Project, funds were set aside at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research on the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) that would be raised by the work of this program.  Examples of the kinds of ELSI topics to address range from issues about privacy, workplace discrimination, consent processes, and conflicts of interests in genomic research, to genomic testing of minors.  What do you know about GINA?  Do you know who Henrietta Lacks is or have you heard about HeLa cells and her contribution to genetic research?

Jesse Gelsinger and Dr. Wilson are 2 other individuals who together made another impact on genetics research.  Jesse had a rare metabolic disorder called ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) that prevents the body from breaking down ammonia.  Jesse had a fairly mild variant of this genetic condition and with special diet and medication was able to lead a relatively normal life.  He volunteered (he was 18 at the time) to participate in clinical trial of a new gene therapy treatment at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999 and died as a result of his participation.  Find out more about this tragic case and its impact on the field of gene therapy and how it raised a number of ethical issues related to informed consent and financial conflicts of interest.

I think a good place to start looking for ELSI topics that might interest you is https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues

Alternatively, you can google ELSI (or a portion thereof) genetics issues or some other terms to see what comes up. (Theres a Personal Genetics Education Project at https://pged.org/ that might inspire some thoughts.) (Theres even a Global Genomics Nursing Alliance- Check it out at: https://www.g2na.org/index.php)

See whats in the research literature about a specific issue such as cloning or how CRSPR is being used to benefit society at large vs. individual patients.

Heres an opportunity to view a recording from June 24, 2020 through the National Institute of Nursing Research specific to Genomics. The link below provides the agenda and has a link to watch the videocast. Check it out at https://www.ninr.nih.gov/newsandinformation/events/socialgenomics2020?utm_campaign=socialgenomics&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

You can watch the whole 5 hours and 13 minute recording or maybe just a session or two. How intriguing is this session title? Lovesick: How Couples’ Relationships Influence Health. Many of the sessions are led by nurses.

Want to find out more about direct to consumer genetic testing and its ethical implications especially in regards to police access to the data to solve criminal cases?

There are plenty of learning opportunities that you can engage in this week. What I want you to do with the information that you discover about an ELSI topic that interests you is to then share it within your small group discussions.

Course Student Learning Outcome #6: Describe ethical, legal, cultural, social, and policy implications of genetics/genomics on the publics health.

Heres what to do.

Contemplate what aspect of the Course Student Learning Outcome you want to investigate and share.
Explore some of the resources Ive provided in this section as well as the Weekly Additional Resources posted within the course content.
Delve into more detail with further investigation of credible sources relating the ELSI to genetics and health.
In order to share the information (that has citations and references) with your peers create a presentation- it can be as simple as a document, a video, a powerpoint or prezi presentation. Be as creative as your school time allows.
Make sure youre explicit in explaining how the information links to ethics, legal, or social aspects of genetics and what it entails for personal or public health. In other words, how are you meeting the student learning outcome?
Do ask if you have any questions or concerns.

Want to see the grading rubric? Click HERE

This assignment asks that you select a technical object and write a description of its looks, features, and functions. In completing this assignment, you will learn how to define and describe a technical object to someone who has little knowledge with it.

When selecting a technical object there are some objects that are not allowed for this assignment. These included: smartphones, pocket calculators, video game console or controllers, and fitness trackers due to the internet having easily available technical specifications of these items. Moreover, the four objects from the Subjective/Objective Language discussion are also not eligible for this assignment. You are not to copy/paste and cite someone else’s technical specifications of an object. That is not the point of this assignment. Rather, you are to conduct the measurements yourself and conduct light research.  If you chose to work with one of the objects that is now allowed, ten (10) points will be deducted from your final grade on the assignment.

Assignment Guidelines:
You will choose your own topic (with exception of the not allowed technical objects listed in the previous section) for this assignment. The subject of your description must be a technical object (e.g., clock radio, digital thermostat, Roomba, CPAP machine, blender, food processor, etc). Because you must accurately describe an object in at least 500 words, do not pick something too simple such as a paper clip. Choose a topic that is complex but manageable. Once you have identified a technical object, research it. Take time to learn about what the parts are called, and how the parts work. This might require you to read background information or otherwise inform yourself about the topic.

Audience and Content Requirements:
Your primary audience would be someone who has little experience with the object that you are describing (e.g., if you select a food processor, then you need to imagine an audience of people who have little experience with the object, perhaps novice cooks).

Regardless of the object, your final paper should be at least 500 words; you must include ALL of the following contents in your description (given in order of how the content should appear in your paper):

Introduction (DO NOT label the introduction “introduction” per APA guidelines)
Orient your audience by providing a one-sentence definition of the object (first sentence)
Preview its various parts (2-3 sentences)
Discuss its uses and functions (1-2 sentences)
Preview the content of your description (1 sentence)
Detailed Description of the Object
Describe each part of the object in detail, including its dimensions, materials, principles(s) of operation, function, and relation other parts (2-3 paragraphs)
Use the present tense
When introducing a new concept or term, you do need to provide a brief definition for a non-technical audience, e.g.:
“The bezel, or outer ring connecting to the lugs, allows the wearer to set a different time zone”
You will notice in this sentence the definition for the term “bezel” is a subordinate clause and is not its own separate sentence. You can also use parenthesis for definitions in the same sentence.
Conclusion
Re-state the major use(s) and function(s) of the object to solicit the audience’s support or awareness of the object
Document Design and Illustrations
Give careful thought to illustrations and design elements:

Use headings and sub-headings throughout the document. Mark the body and conclusion of your document with headings (again, do not mark the introduction per APA guidelines). Use sub-headings to indicate the beginning of each part/component of the object you are describing.
Do not write large chunks of text without headings and sub-headings
Single-space the text
You must include at least two illustrations.
You may create your own, use illustrations from other sources or adapt illustrations from other sources.
Make sure you provide source information for all illustrations immediately below each illustration using APA guidelines (see lesson 2.4 for more information).
Apply as many of the four basic design principles as possible (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity) to enhance the reader’s orientation and understanding of the document. Design your document for consistency (grid patterns, margins, justification, white space, indentation, font style and size). Review pages 128-131 in the course textbook.
Use serif and sans-serif typefaces for the header and body;
Use up to two complementary colors;
Place like content in proximity to each other; and,
Make sure all of the elements have alignment.
Requirements
Keep in mind that your purpose is to describe the object yourself, not rely upon external sources to do the work for you. (Inclusion of cited manufacture specifications will result in a 20-point deduction).
Using one of the objects that is now allowed will result in 10-point deduction.
Minimum word requirement: 500 words (Failure to meet the minimum word count will result in a 5-point deduction)
Make sure to include URLs for citations, as needed (Failure to include working URLs will result in a 5-point deduction)