Biology Robust Conclusion

Biology Robust Conclusion

Structure Text

State your overall evaluation of the claim

(1 sentence) How have you shown this?

(2 sentences)

Highlight key reasons you have used in your evaluation in relation to your research question Thoughtful Insight

(3-4 sentences)

Choose one of the following:

a) highlight + explain the strengths of the research

b) highlight + explain the limitations of the research Suggest improvements or extensions to investigation

(1-2 sentences)

How to get full marks in Research & Planning

51980330974800Research and Planning criteria:

Everyone should be able to get a 6 here.

Have you started your rationale with a good topic sentence?- a good introductory sentence will give the reader (teacher) an idea of the topic youll be focusing on, state your claim, and give the reader (teacher) an idea of your/a scientific opinion on it.

eg: The claim stem cell treatments are always more effective than other treatments/ traditional treatments is widely debated in the medical community largely due to the unquantified effectiveness of stem cell treatment.- this sentence introduces the topic, gives the reader an idea of what will be discussed in the research investigation, and it is clear that the author will be comparing and evaluating different views and/or sources either supporting or disputing this claim.

Considered means: the background information links to the research questions (IV, DV and importance of the experiment), whilst also linking to the syllabus topics WITH references from scientific journals to support.

Have you investigated sources of evidence that led to you to develop a research question? - what did you find in your research that enabled you to start with a basic research question? How then did you narrow down your question?

eg: Stem cell treatments are relatively new and are still being developed for a number of diseases. Therefore, the aforementioned claim cannot be applied to all treatments. Although, numerous clinical trials suggest stem cell treatment of knee osteoarthritis is a viable option. As a result, the preliminary research question: are stem cell treatments more effective than conventional treatments when treating knee osteoarthritis? was created to narrow focus on a particular condition. However, these terms are still too broad-based to draw unambiguous conclusions. For instance, what defines effective and how is it measured? More importantly, what type of stem cells are being utilised and for what purpose? Thus, the deconstruction of general terms is essential to successfully evaluate a claim.

The author has acknowledged that the treatment is still very new and in the developmental stages. They have also mentioned that numerous trials suggest knee treatment has been successful though they have not referenced (potential lost mark!!!) The author has then proposed a basic research question, but goes on to acknowledge that it is still too broad a question tackle, and begins to deconstruct the claim. - they narrow stem cells to a specific type, mesenchymal [they do reference here]. - they investigate what the stem cells are treating, damage aka cartilage injuries and how treatment is ranked or scored [reference].- they then compare new age technology (stem cells) with old age technology (hyaluronic acid) [reference].- they then narrow they type of injury to a specific type of damage / grade of strain, II-IV [reference].

Once all this had been done, the author was able to state the new and improved, very specific research question: Does mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) treatment improve algofunctional index more than hyaluronic acid when treating grade II-IV osteoarthritic knees?

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Is your research question relevant and specific?- does your research question relate to the claim (same topic, same branch of biology/medicine etc) - nowhere in your research question, should any words have double or multiple meanings EG

You should have at least one source for each part ofyour claim and research question that you are investigating. Minimum 3-4 references in your rationale. eg: the above example has 4 parts to the RQ, therefore 4 references.

How to get full marks in Analysis & Interpretation

Analysis and Interpretation criteria:

Ensure you use the scaffold sheet for how to analyse and evaluate a source. This will help you evaluate the quality and solidify your justification of the source (which also applies to number 4.) You do not need to include the scaffold table in your assignment (unless you want to attached it in your appendix) it is purely for you to evaluate and organize your ideas. Ensure you have sufficient evidence. There is no magic number of sources for this what it means is that you should have sources for all aspects of your investigation. For your sources to be relative, ensure they have qualitative and quantitative data (graphs, tables, comparisons etc) as well as reliable written evidence, and ensure they focus on the same points as your investigation. For example: if youre investigating the effects of testosterone on beef, there is no relevance to a source which investigates a different hormone, or a different animal.

You should have multiple sources, each supporting your argument. If your sources are contradicting each other, you need to acknowledge this, and justify the reason(s) why. Is the technology/process too new for there to be any conclusive evidence yet? If there seems to be no answer to why the sources dont agree consider changing or rephrasing your research question to become more/less specific. For your trends/patterns/relationships to be thorough, you need multiple sources, that are credible and reliable, in agreement and supporting your argument. You need to justify these sources, linking them to your research question, ensuring you are able to propose an answer to it.

Most of the evidence you find will not be perfectly suited to your claim and research question. There will be limitations, whether it be inadequate sample sizing, non-specific generalized trends, not enough research on the concept due to emerging technology, not enough time elapsed to quantify proper effects of the concept etc. To complete this section to a high standard, you need to thoroughly identify as many limitations as possible which hinder your ability to extract clear results and information.

Justify all your arguments. Ensure you link concepts and information back to your research question, and the claim. The scaffold sheet for analyzing sources will help you evaluate and justify the reliability of them. Be as scientific as you can, and also concise.

Evaluate the data source through interrogation

Cognition Identify What is the sample size? Decide Is this a reasonable sample? Justify Explain why/why not Identify Which group published the data? Decide Is this group reliable? Justify Explain why/why not Identify Which method was used to obtain the data? Decide Is this a reliable method? Justify Explain why/why not Explain Explain sampling errors that are generally associated with this data collection method Decide Are these sampling errors considered by the testing process? Justify Explain why/why not Using the information above, evaluate the quality of the data and justify your evaluation

Using the information above, recommend how to improve or extend the investigation

How to get full marks in Conclusion & Evaluation

Conclusion and Evaluation criteria:

Conclusion: (comes last)

To be thorough, you need to ensure you mention the initial claim here, as well as your research question, concisely linking both (dont go into detail as thats what you did in the rationale).

You are required to summarize the findings of your analysis. This is not a lengthy process, again, summarize. Restate the outcome/trends/indications presented in the data.

Briefly comment on the reliability of the data. Do this by: acknowledge whether the limitations present in the data were substantial or not (ie: did they cause the evidence to become unreliable due to too many errors, or were the limitations minimal, thus resulting in credible and reliable findings) AKA justify.

Link back to your research question to answer it!!

Evaluation: (comes second last)

You will discuss here the quality of the evidence you have presented. Do this by discussing things like: sample size, repeatability of the investigations, whether or not your evidence all came from the same area/country, if multiple sources all had the same findings, etc.

Discuss findings/trends/patterns from all sources you chose to write about and whether or not they all conclude with similar results. Link this back to your claim.

Discuss who published the trials/investigations you are referencing. Are they reliable? Are they approved by ethics committees? Are they world recognized? Are they world renowned? Did the trials/investigations have multiple people working on them? And does this increase the reliability of the data? Ie: Are they credible? Or was it some bloke in his garage, spinning conspiracy theories based on his cousins neighbours uncles sisters dream she had the other night.

Suggest AT LEAST one improvement to the investigation, and AT LEAST one extension. An improvement will rectify a limitation (so link back to that) and an extension will test for something not previously tested for (and should improve your argument). These need to be relevant to the claim. If you can find more than one improvement or extension, and its relevant, do it.

Example Rationale (made up disease/ therapy)

Claim

Gene therapy procedures are able to eliminate genetic diseases.

Rationale

During the preliminary phases of this research investigation, the claim Gene therapy procedures are able to eliminate genetic diseases was examined. From this claim, the initial research question, Does gene therapy eliminate diseases? was developed.

The primary factors of this investigation include the gene therapy treatment and the genetic disease that it can eliminate. On that basis, further research was conducted. It was found that out of many diseases that have underwent gene therapy testing, Du-Sang A disease was the most effective and common. However, it was questioned whether Du-Sang A disease could be eliminated through gene therapy treatments. Hence, the claim was further extended to Do gene therapy treatments eliminate Du-Sang A disease in affected individuals?.

When further researching the disease, it was found that Du-Sang A disease is a rare genetic bleeding disorder in which affected individuals have insufficient levels of blood molecule called Factor 29 (a coagulation factor). It is caused by mutations in the factor 29 (A5) gene on the Y chromosome and is only expressed in males (MSP, 2022). The research question was further modified to do gene therapy treatments eliminate Du-Sang A disease in male patients aged 18-60 years old?.

Out of the numerous gene therapy treatments available, it was discovered that LJD-7004 vector fusion is the most commonly tested treatment for Du-Sang A disease. LJD-7004 is an experimental gene therapy, developed by Biopharma. Patients with Du-Sang A disease lack the blood clotting factor Factor 29 so LJD-7004 is designed to correct this deficiency (Newton, 2020).

This lead to the formation of the research question:

Does the LJD-7004 vector infusion gene therapy treatment eliminate Du-Sang A disease in male patients aged 18-60 years old?.

Background

In this section, the background to the chosen disease (description, causes, treatments, etc) and gene therapy (how the gene therapy works and how it treats/ eliminates the disease in the human body).

LILY BEHAN RESEARCH INVESTIGATION

CLAIM

During the initial phases of this investigation, the claim Gene therapy procedures are able to eliminate genetic diseases was made examined. From this claim, the initial research question, Does gene therapy improve genetic diseases? was developed.

RATIONALE

The main factors of this investigation include the gene therapy treatment and the genetic disease that it can improve. On that basis, further research was conducted. It was found that out of many diseases that have been tested using gene therapy, haemophilia was the most common and effective. Hence, the claim was further extended to Do gene therapy treatments improve haemophilia in affected patients?.

When researching the disease, it was found that haemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder that is passed from parents to children at birth (Health Direct, 2018). It is caused by DNA mutations that result in a deficiency in certain blood clotting proteins (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). It was also found that the two types are Haemophilia A and Haemophilia B. Gene therapy for haemophilia B has been tested mostly on adults from ages 40 to 50 years. Thus, the research question was modified further to Do gene therapy treatments improve haemophilia B in patients aged 40-50 years old?.

Out of the gene therapy treatments available, it was discovered that etranacogene dezaparvovec (AMT-061) is the most commonly tested treatment for patients with haemophilia B. Patients with haemophilia B lack the blood clotting factor 8, and AMT-061 is designed to increase Factor IX) and improve blood clotting.

This led to the formation of the research question:

Does etranacogene dezaparvovec (AMT-061) gene therapy improve FIX activity in haemophilia B patients aged 40 to 50?

BACKGROUND

The disease being discussed in this task is haemophilia. In most cases, Haemophilia is an inherited disease passed from parents to children at birth. It results in changes of certain genes that control blood clotting factor production (Penn Medicine, 2024). People with haemophilia are at a higher risk of spontaneous bleeding that is hard to stop, which can also be internal. The two types are Haemophilia A which is most common and is caused by a lack of clotting factor 8, and Haemophilia B which is caused by a lack of clotting factor 9. Haemophilia B manifests from a deficiency of Factor IX (FIX), which is a coagulation factor and clots blood after an injury (Zaiden, 2022). The symptoms of this disease include easybruisingfrom an early age, spontaneous internal bleeding, and abnormally heavy bleeding following injury/surgery, duringmenstruationor after giving birth (Health Direct, 2018).

Gene therapy is a method used to treat or cure disease by modifying a persons genes. It is done in several ways: replacing a disease-causing gene with a healthy copy of the gene, inactivating a disease-causing gene that is not functioning properly, and introducing a new or modified gene into the body to help treat a disease (Food and Drug Administration, 2018). The purpose of gene therapy etranacogene dezaparvovec (AMT-061) is to increase Factor IX (FIX) which aids the body in coagulating blood following an injury etc. Etranacogene dezaparvovec uses a vector to deliver a functional gene to replace a patients defective gene or a therapeutic gene to provide a missing protein (Philadelphia Childrens hospital, 2022). This happens by__________

EVIDENCE

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