literature research on a link between a nutrient and a clinical problem

literature research on a link between a nutrient and a clinical problem
Read carefully!
Write and present literature research on a link between a nutrient and a clinical problem within the range of systems discussed in this course, and suggest a research project.
The purpose of this project is to exercise the ability to analyze current research literature on a specific nutritional issue, develop a structured idea for a research protocol, and present the results to a knowledgeable audience convincingly and in a professional manner.
The topic should link a nutrient to a specific clinical problem, where the disease process and/or outcome can be influenced by changes in intake of this nutrient.
The paper should
? Give an overview over questions currently investigated regarding the nutrient of choice, with detailed description of areas where the disease process is affected,
? Explain research results described in the literature and the methods used to obtain those results,
? List open questions that need to be addressed by research,
? Suggest a protocol to examine one of the open questions (see below),
? List all references, including at least 5 articles of original research on the topic,
? Be presented with visual support on no more than 15 power point slides, made available on the discussion board in the appropriate forum,
? Be handed in electronically as .pdf or Word document, typed with cover sheet on or before the due date. Articles that are not freely accessible must be handed in as .pdf files accompanying the main document. (The presentation should be posted in the discussion board.)
For the protocol suggestion,
? Use the format of a research article (read one for an example):
? The literature research will provide the background,
? Suggest a null hypothesis and a working hypothesis,
? Include 3 specific aims you want to achieve with the study, (i.e. questions that have a yes/no answer, and the answer will be provided by the tests you suggest. This part is very similar to the results part of a research article)
? Suggest a design (statistical details not required), including, but not limited to, population, subdivision into groups, assays, and the data to be collected, to disprove the null hypothesis
? For intervention studies, the intervention must be included,
? Explain how to analyze results to achieve your aims. (This corresponds to the “Discussion” section. It includes a discussion of the limitations of the methods you are suggesting to use.)

Grading will be based on
? Appropriate selection of a topic,
? Critical analysis of the literature,
? Adequacy and appropriate citation of the literature background,
? Development of the hypothesis and specific aims,
? Selection of subjects/animal models/cell lines, methods and protocol description,
? Clear thinking and structured presentation of the research proposal,
? Ability to make a clear and convincing presentation to the class.
? Late submission and excessive presentation will lead to a lower grade, see above.
? For orientation only: expected length of the background is about 1-2 pages (single spaced, letter size 12 is suggested – comments will go on the sidelines, you can space paragraphs a bit more to ease reading), specific aims 1 page, the protocol will require about 2-3 pages, and 1 page for the discussion and significance of your suggested study references are not counted. Total length must not exceed 6 pages (single-spaced, exclusive of references).

To review research articles, note down the following essentials:
? What was the exact question examined by the researchers?
? Who were the subjects tested and how was the question tested (Methods and Subjects): How does this limit the interpretation of the results?
? What results were obtained? Were those results in concordance with other research?
? What is the take home answer to the initial question, from this research article?
For the Topic paper, you will need to combine the findings presented in several research articles.
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