Ethics is a very important aspect in research of humans, animals and plants. Weindling (2001) outlined the guidelines for incorporating ethical standards in research with great consideration that harm will not come to the participants during the study. Secondarily, there have been developments that focus on ensuring that nature is preserved when using animal and plants in biological studies. All these living things have a significant role in the ecological system hence a need for their protection.
Túngara Frog Vocal Sac in Call Efficiency
Túngara frog is a native Central American Amphibian that uniquely possesses a vocal sac that is known to be significant in calls when mating. Other male frog species that lack this sac also call females during the mating season triggering the need to establish the effectiveness of the sac in calling. The calling has also been associated with undesirable events such as attracting predators, more so the fringe-lipped bats. Despite their small size, they produce a high pitched call that appears to be emanating from a video game.
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The sac is present in form of a fibrous mass of vocal cords that the frogs use to produce whines and chucks; females prefer whines when they approach the breeding site that is composed of hundreds of male túngara frogs.
To conduct a study on the effectiveness of the mass during calls, it is necessary to remove the sac in a selected group and establish there probability of mating in comparison with those with reserved sac. It has also been established that removing the sac affects only the chuck sounds, but not the whine sounds.
Among the 3 R’s that guide ethics in animal research, reduction is the strategy that will be explored by this research. The vocal sac will have to be reduced by making a hole to establish if the calls will still be as effective as they were before the mutilation is performed (Ohl and Meijboom, 2014). A further evaluation should be conducted to establish how the frogs that have been subjected to the mutilation fits into their environment such as interaction with the normal ones.
Cutting a hole through the sac will be ethical as long as it does not completely interfere with the life of the organism. The ethical standards will also be enhanced if the study selects a fewer number of organisms as specimen to reduce the harm that can be caused to their population
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance
As stated by the Nuremburg Code, it will necessary to have all the participants volunteer to be involved in the study rather than coercing them into participation. Withdrawal from the experiment will be possible at any time. The individuals participating should also be fully aware of the components of the study, risks and benefits (Dowling, 2009). Most of all, a consent form needs to be availed for the students to go through and sign upon agreement with the definitions provided.
Among individuals in various classes, emails will be sent to each of them defining the study completely. Those who subscribe to the idea of participating must respond through an email stating that they are in acceptance with the conditions. The study can involve as many participants as possible as it enhances the accuracy of the study and also enables the capture of other important and relevant information.
The college students will be subjected to either 8 hours of sleep every night or deprive themselves of adequate sleep. This should occur over a period of one semester to be able to assess the effect of this phenomenon on the academic performance of these students. The researchers should be aware of any signs and symptoms that indicate that the study is of harm to the students so that they can use them to identify conditions necessary for termination of the experiment.
In every moment whereby sleep deprivation or 8 hour sleep occurs, the students are interviewed to establish if their memory is intact together with their academic capabilities. If there is suspicion that there is a significant change in the student’s mental state examination that can affect their psychological integrity, the experiment should be terminated and corrective measures taken appropriately.
References
Dowling, R. (2009). Ethical Issues in Research. International Encyclopedia of Human Geography , 595-600. doi:10.1016/b978-008044910-4.00429-6
Ohl, F., & Meijboom, F. (2014). Ethical Issues Associated with the Use of Animal Experimentation in Behavioral Neuroscience Research. Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience , 3-15. doi:10.1007/7854_2014_328
Weindling, P. (2001). The Origins of Informed Consent: The International Scientific Commission on Medical War Crimes, and the Nuremburg Code. Bulletin of the History of Medicine , 75 (1), 37-71. doi:10.1353/bhm.2001.0049
