Essays on Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering can be described as the application of engineering techniques and principles to medicine. It is a combination of expertise in medicine, human biology and engineering in the development of techniques and technologies for patient care and healthcare. According to Monzon (277), biomedical engineering is yet to be formally recognized as a profession due to its multi and interdisciplinary nature. As a result, currently there is no distinct field that addresses biomedical engineering ethics. The ethical obligations of biomedical engineers are a combination of both those of medical professionals and engineers. By studying three fields of biomedical engineering, ...

Introduction

Modifying the genetic make-up of food is a concept which has been around for centuries. Farmers have successfully improved food supply through cross-breeding different plant and animal varieties to develop organisms that yield more, taste better and tolerate harsh conditions. In modern times, this has not always been welcome. The Pure Food Campaign (PFC) was established in 1992 as a coalition of restaurateurs, farmers, animal welfare, environmental and consumer groups opposed to genetic engineered food. Around the same time, the U.S. Agriculture Department stated that it would not regulate production and shipping of Flavr Savr, which is a genetically ...

I always knew that there is something fascinating and interesting about the application of engineering techniques to the human body. Similar to the main purpose of all engineering subjects which is to improve the quality of life, the main aspect of biomedical engineering that caught my interest rooted from the opportunity greatly to the advancement of health and well-being. I have been affiliated with the medical program of the University of Toronto that gave me good leverage in terms of familiarity with medical concepts. During my stay in the program I was exposed to different medical innovations such as ...

Biomechanics

Biomechanics is vastly applied in human movement and clinical applications that benefit integration in various engineering techniques. It has facilitated the development of new technologies utilized in the various engineering fields. Biomechanics is a field in science that focuses on mechanics in various fields of studies. It applies musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, and orthopedics to facilitate the studies mechanics in tissue, cellular, and joint level to become more viable. Injuries in the tissues and the possible orthopedic biomechanics investigations (facilitated through Biomedical Engineering) focuses on the clinically relevant of biomedical engineering in tackling the problems related to injuries.
In ...

Organization

Dear Sir/ Madam,
Personal Statement
In the following words, I shall share what I have done in my life and what I hope to achieve in the future. I would also like to take some time and try to explain the driving force behind my aspirations and desires. It is my belief that my story, or for that matter anybody’s story, is incomplete without answering the question: why?
At a very young age I had this wish to be able to build a “life improver”; a tool or device that could help people enjoy a healthier, smarter and ...

Introduction:

The morality of genetic research can play out in many ways. Two broad fields of concern are that of genetically engineered organisms and the ethics involved in the use of human stem cells taken from zygotes and human embryos. Another issue is the patenting of the genome and how that affects medicines and the rights of people to “own” their own cells. Of special concern is that bio-engineering might escape and have long term adverse effects as the manipulated creations cross genetic structures with other biological elements in the environment. This paper will look at the general ethical concerns ...

INTRODUCTION

The human body consists of tissues and organs that contain over 200 different cell types.1 these cells carry out all the functions required for viability and reproduction. It was argued long ago, that in some tissues, the differentiated cells have a shorter life span and that they are not able to self -renew.2 This led to the notion that such tissues are maintained by cells that have an extensive renewal capacity, and the ability to differentiate and generate daughter cells. These cells were termed as ‘stem cells”.2 Stem cells generate only the differentiated lineages of the tissues they ...

Genetic engineering is a boon to the food sector. Plants and animals are genetically modified (GM) to increase the yield, make them disease or pest tolerant and ensure nutritious food is available to all. There may be a chance for the introduced genes to pass through the food to the consumer but any harm it can cause can only be judged based on the food’s toxic or allergic properties. Unless direct evidence linking negative health impact to consumption of GM food is available, GM foods need not be prohibited. Companies have the moral duty to inform consumers about ...

Organization and Management of a Health Care Facility

While providing quality patient care has always been an essential objective of health care organizations, fiscal results have long been the criteria for measuring success. Hospitals are required to construct the authority abilities required to drive change, manage individuals, give optimal care, and provide results in the organization.

The Board of Directors in Mycare Health Services is the hospital’s most senior managerial team. It is answerable for designing and planning policy and monitoring management. Members of the Board of Directors are the public representatives, and are hired by a public organization owned by a retired judge. One-third of ...

Abstract

The number of people being affected by various diseases that require them to have organ transplants increases every day. Meanwhile, the amount of donated organs is extremely insufficient to meet the high demand. There is also the problem of finding a donor match for a recipient and the need to take strong medications that suppress the immune system of the recipient so that the transplanted organ is not rejected. A solution to these problems has been and is still being developed, with laboratory-grown organs holding much promise. These organs can be tailor-made using the patient’s own cells or ...

Introduction to Engineering Technology

The career that one takes in life is a very crucial thing in life. It is important to choose a career that you were comfortable with since it determines what you will do for the rest of your life. The career that one takes is mostly determined by the passion that you have for a particular kind of work. The job market also determined your career that one takes. For instance, course like engineering and medicine are considered more lucrative. Biotechnology is basically a science based course that deals with the microorganism. The microorganism is used to perform different ...

Introduction

Engineering has been hand in hand with sports, however, this relationship has been overlooked by many individuals including the engineers as well as athletes themselves, however; the last two decades have shown that people are beginning to recognize the critical role played by engineering in the enhancement of the performance of sportsmen and women (Czyzewski, 2011). Athletic possess a very technical side which has a strong relationship with engineering that is analyzed can reveal a lot of aspects that can be enhanced through engineering. Engineering has made it possible to analyze athletes using computers in order to determine their ...

Introduction

Orthopedics refers to the branch of surgery devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of illness, injuries malformations and deformities of the musculoskeletal system (Goriainov et al. 2014). The system includes the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints and bones. Orthopedic engineering leverages biomaterials in the form of implants such as sutures, joint replacements, bone plates and so forth. It also deals medical devices to replace damaged and defective parts of the body (Goriainov et al. 2014,"Material, Technology and Profit” 1988).
Biomaterial is termed as "Any substance (other than drug) or combination of substances, synthetic or natural in origin, which can ...

Summer 2013

Abstract
Reliable techniques to meet the needs of patients with peripheral nerve repair injuries need to be refined. One of the strategies often used is to create a nerve guidance channel or build a nerve conduit Silicone is has been found to work well as a conduit from an injury for regenerated axon cells if it does not contain foreign components. The cycle of the cleaning treatment was repeated until the Pentane-Acetone-Heat Procedure was successful and the plated cells survived for several weeks. The duration of the plating and cell count using the cleaned silicone lasted from May 3, ...

Few issues today raise as much heated emotion as the subject of eugenics and bioengineering. Hardly a day goes by when we do not see Congressional hearings on the ethics of stem cell research or debate in the media over some proposal to expand to boundaries of our artificial reproductive technologies. Hollywood and popular culture constantly bombard us with scenarios related to genetic engineering. Aldous Huxley’s controversial book Brave New World introduced the possibility of selective breeding of human beings as far back as 1932 (Huxley, 1932). More recently in 1970, the book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler ...

Abstract

Health is a problem that concerns everyone in the population. Weather it is the ethical aspects regarding IVF treatment or medical engineering, or the fact that health care costs are on the rise and the number of doctors are decreasing. The first set of documentaries viewed concerning healthcare ethics, brought up points for and against the practices in regards to the medical community, the people involved, and the religious aspects of it all. The news documentary viewed brought up many aspects on why healthcare costs are rising, and what is going on now in our state and federal legislature ...

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF APPENDICES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Definition of GM products and foods.
2.2 Historical development of GM Foods.
2.2.1 Bioengineering and agriculture.
2.2.2 Biopharming.
2.3 GM food regulation and legislation

2.3.1 Production regulations

2.3.2 Import regulations

2.3.3 Labeling requirements
2.3.3.1 Article 8 Regulation (EC) 258/97.
2.3.3.2 Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003: Traceability and labeling.
2.3.3.2.1 “May contain GMO” labels.
2.3.3.2.2 “Does not contain GMO” labels
2.4 Risk assessment of GM foods
2.4.1 Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 assessment of risk
2.4.2 Community assessment of ...

Introduction.

Since the existence of Homo sapiens around 180,000 years ago, human activities have been on the rise most of them with diverse effects on the environment. Human activities are responsible for almost all the loss in biodiversity throughout the globe (Southeast Asian Affairs 2002, pp 56). Biodiversity is not only unevenly spread across the Earth but also follows complex processes determined by the current changes in environment, global warming, evolutionary history of the planet and geology. Global eco-regions recognize that whilst coral reefs and tropical forests harbor most biodiversity there are manifestations in boreal and temperate regions, mountain ...

Recommendation for overweight or the obese individual has been founded to include engagement in lifestyle modification that is inclusive of diet, behavior change and exercise. However, according to extensive studies and observations, this therapy has been noted to have short term effects that are unsustainable and therefore the obese situation frequently reoccurs. The failure of these therapies poses the following question, how does diet make one fat?
Hippocrates (400) prescribed that the obese should eat less and exercises more. Despite this notion being deemed as a failure, many people still apply it to present as a weight management approach. ...

The America youth population comprises about a third of the total population although the 2013 census showed that there was a decline in this figure. Children are taken to school from their early years of childhood to be taught and educated. By the onset of the teenage years, they are eligible to join colleges and universities to specialize on various courses and various fields of study. Equipped with this knowledge, the youth can now apply the knowledge leant to positively contribute in raising the GDP of a country. Before we enter deep into critically analyzing the input brought into ...

Introduction

This work is a brief overview of the evolution of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and its seminal contributions in the field of medicine. It discusses the relevance of its work in relation to the social upheavals of its time. It discusses the institutional framework for adhering to high standards of quality of care and patient safety alongside its utilization of technology to promote equity of access and optimize enterprise wide care processes.

Background

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston is one of the oldest hospital in the United States. Founded in 1811, the prestigious institution boasts of 900-bed hospital and ...

Introduction

Proper communications, productivity and efficiency in various business organizations has been achieved through implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP). Several articles addressing the issue of ERP are available, however, different articles have different says about the effect of ERP in the ICT market. Most articles uphold the belief that ERP has resulted in a stiff competition in the ICT sector. Some of the Authors however, differed with the belief and branded the ERP revolution as a mere technology just like the ones experienced in the past. Therefore, this paper will critically look into the pros and cons of the ...

Elizabeth Villanueva

Evidence Base Practice
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a bacterial caused disease which majorly affects the respiratory system with its effects with time, affecting the body and the entire immune system. Tuberculosis in this age of HIV/AIDs is a major opportunistic disease which if not detected early can exacerbate the health of a patient with HIV/AIDS (National Tuberculosis Conference (Bangladesh), Hossain, S, & National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh, 2009). Immigrants have traditionally been the most vulnerable groups when it comes to tuberculosis. Immigrants globally have been a hot bed for the deadly disease. The level of exposure of Tuberculosis among immigrants around ...

Every year, a number of animals are locked up and subjected to tests that cause them pain and even death. This is through the animal testing procedure. Animal experimentation is a procedure whereby non-animals are tested and used to develop treatments, check the safety of products for human use, and other commercial and biomedical uses. It is estimated that, over 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for animal experiments. Animal testing is a controversial topic and like any other contentious subject, it faces a great number of support and opposition depending on human perception. ...

Introduction

Human brain is a complex organ and so are its diseases. Over the years numerous techniques, devices and processes have been developed that can help us to correctly access and diagnose the problem areas and provide solutions to them (14). Computer controlled delivery of carbon dioxide is a method that is conducted with the help of a gas blender that works to supply and alter carbon dioxide to the brain creating tensions in the brain (10) (16).

Carbon dioxide challenge

Changes in the carbon dioxide tensions in the brain are capable of sufficiently affecting the Brain and its functioning (1) . Due to ...

Abstract

Objective-To study under treatment of pain in dementia patients living in assisted care and nursing homes.
Design-Randomized controlled trial. Dementia patients with a pain related diagnosis once identified, ten random patients among them identified to be subjected to the study
Setting- A home for assisted living hosting dementia patients picked at random and the required study population among the patients chosen
Participants-Ten residents who have pain related diagnosis such as arthritis picked at random using the randomized controlled trial method of sampling.
Intervention- Qualify patients on a mild pain reliever dose routinely for two weeks. After the expiry of ...

Introduction

Coevolution is used mostly in the field of biology. Coevolution is defined as “the change in the genetic composition of one species (or group) in response to a genetic change in another” . Coevolution is a reciprocal change between species that are interacting with each other. Because all species seem to have, in one way or another, interaction then everything is categorically involved in coevolution, based on this biological definition. The Berkley University webpage on coevolution describes it as a case wherein two or more species affect each other’s revolution . The coevolution is witnessed in any one of the ...

Michael Crichton has left an immortal mark on the minds of innumerable readers who have been left in an awe of the content and panache of his literary works which have proved to be among the most famous and influential works of art in the past century. Lost World, The Andromela Strain and Timeline have been extremely popular and genre defining novels. Jurassic Park (1990) is one of the best works penned by the stalwart author and goes on to produce a perfect mesh of theoretical scientific findings and technical advancements. The author caters the gazillion readers with a ...

Qualitative Study

Yeh, M.Y., Che, L.H. & Wu, S.M. (2009) An Ongoing Process: How Alcohol-Dependents Free Themselves of Addiction by Way of Progressive Abstinence. BioMed Central Psychiatry, 2009, 9:76.

Problem Statement

Alcohol-dependence causes emotional and physical problems and has sweeping impacts on employment, family life, crime and violence. It leads to the disruption of family and society. Most of the individuals who are treated for alcoholism are not able to effectively quit alcohol within their treatment programs. By getting the full image of how abstinence is accomplished, then this can help in the process of quitting drinking. Therefore, this research tracks the abstinence processes ...

Light and heat are the common types of radiation that human beings know. This is because the two can be seen and felt. However, there are other kinds of radiation that cannot be detected by human beings. In many cases, human beings constantly receive this invisible radiation either from the ground, air or sky. They can as well be found in processed drinks and foods. Ionizing radiation can be used in many fields; including hospitals where doctors use X rays in the diagnoses of injuries and other disease; industrial unit where they are used in checking repairs in components ...

1. Introduction

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2010), nearly one billion people suffered from hunger in 2010, representing nearly 16% of the population of developing countries. At the same time, the world population is growing and global warming threatens the production of crops. Profound changes are needed in the way that food production and food consumption are perceived, or the world may face mass starvation. Genetically modified (GM) technology has been found capable of feeding the world but there are concerns regarding its safety (Moseley 2002, Carpenter 2010). ...

1. Introduction

1.1 Perception of GM foods in the UK
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2010), nearly one billion people suffered from hunger in 2010, representing nearly 16% of the population of developing countries. At the same time, the world population is growing and global warming threatens the production of crops. Profound changes are needed in the way that food production and food consumption are perceived, or the world may face mass starvation. Genetically modified (GM) technology ...