Genetic Variants of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme, biology homework help

The following is a research article on a study conducted that found genetic variants of angiotensin-converting enzyme being linked to autism.

• Article Link: http://library.esc.edu/login?
  url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=114593632&site=eds-live
• Citation: Firouzabadi N, Ghazanfari N, Alavi Shoushtari A, Erfani N, Fathi F, Bazrafkan M, et al. (2016) Genetic Variants of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Are Linked to Autism: A Case-Control Study. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0153667. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0153667

• Scientific Method: There was a clear hypothesis – that genetic variations in renin-angiotensin system (RAS) elements are associated with autism. Additionally, an experiment was also carried out in which they used an equal number of individuals in the control and experimental groups, all from the same geographic area. Lastly, there is a clear conclusion as well in which researchers found an association between certain alleles and autism. So I would definitely say that the researchers essentially employed the scientific method. 
• Validity of Hypothesis: I find the hypothesis valid rather than a curiosity pulled out of thin air. While the background is written somewhat confusingly, from my understanding RAS plays a significant role in elements of cognition and behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that since Autism is a neuropsychiatric disease which includes cognitive and behavioral impairment, genetic variations in RAS could possibly influence the development of the disorder.
• Sections of the Article: 

  ABSTRACT: I like how this aspect of the article is broken up into small descriptions of the background, methods, results, and conclusion, compared to just a small paragraph which is typically seen in other research articles. It is straight to the point and effectively summarizes the article.

  INTRODUCTION: There is a great deal of background information in this section, which includes a description of the characteristics of autism as well as more detailed reasoning as to why the hypothesis was chosen. The introduction states more clearly why there is clear grounds for the chosen hypothesis, and how it can relate to autism. 

  MATERIALS AND METHODS: While this experiment does not show exactly how it was conducted, step-by-step with materials, it does detail how an equal amount of individuals were used for the control and experimental groups, as well as where they are from and the code of ethics that the study abided by. It additionally states the ratio of males to females and how long the study was conducted.

  RESULTS: This section clearly details the results of the experiment as well as shows an organized graph showing the exact numbers and data. It also elaborates on the data shown and what exactly the numbers display.

  DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Not only does the research support the hypothesis, but the discussion talks about how this research might support the hypothesis and various citations backing up why. It also suggests further research on why RAS activity is involved in the development of autism. Lastly, the conclusion concretely states what enzyme and polymorphisms can be a risk factor for autism. 

  LITERATURE CITED: There are 67 resources cited in all.. it’s safe to say this research paper is very reliable. 

• Design of Experiment: I believe that the conclusions were valid and that the method was appropriate. Although, I am curious if the results would be any different if they used an equal amount of males and females, or if they used individuals from different geographic locations. 
• Quality of Published Article: I think this article is of good quality. Not only is it straight to the point, but it has all the necessary details of the experiment – why it was done, how, etc. It also cites a huge amount of resources, so one can tell that a great amount of time was put into this.