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Health, Science and Tech Risk of Prostate Cancer in African and African American Males It is no surprise that there is very insufficient scientific data about Prostate Cancer in African Males. Most data pertaining to Prostate Cancer in black men has been obtained from the African American male. Studies have also shown a family history (genetic predisposition) to development of prostate cancer. This can be considered credible data for the African male considering the close genetic link between them and African American Males. According to recent publications by several Nigerian scientists who published their findings in the Journal of the National Medical Association, “ Results show that the prostate cancer has become the number one cancer in Nigerian men and constitutes 11% of all male cancers. The median age of patients was 67.5 years (variance 5.6), and the mean age was 71.4 years (variance 14.3). These results indicate that despite the absence of screening programs in Nigeria, the number of prostate cancer cases has increased. The known risk factors probably contribute to a varying degree among Nigerians, who are generally of average build or in the low-normal range for body mass index. Moreover, the role of genetics cannot be underplayed. Given its biological characteristics, more cases of prostate cancer probably would be recorded among this population if screening were undertaken.” State of Impotentce: Five Years After Viagra In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the marketing of a small blue pill, manufactured by Pfizer Products of North America. The world hailed and celebrated the release of this drug. The new product was called Viagra, and it was promoted as a miracle cure for impotence. The economic impact of Viagra was felt even in a small town of Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, as Viagra boosted the economy of this tiny piece of real estate. It happens that the Plant that produces Viagra for global distribution is located in Barceloneta Puerto Rico Sol Luis Fontanez, Barceloneta’s mayor commenting on the impact of Viagra said, “While the world marveled about the invention of a drug to help men, we have been impressed at what it has done for us; the Pfizer Company has been a great partner for us. It’s a partnership we want to last a long time.” According to Fontanez, Viagra had boosted the economy of this small town by about $60 million since its introduction in 1998. Viagra has done for this small community of about 22,000, what the steel industry did for Pittsburgh and automobiles and beer did for Detroit and Milwaukee respectively. Science and the US Agricultural Economy: Virginia Scientists Tackle Pathogens Which Cause Soybean Root Rot and Sudden Oak Death The Irish potato famine that occurred in the 19th century was caused by a devastating pathogen, Phytophthor infestans. P. infestans belongs to an unusual category of organisms called oomycetes that look like fungi but are actually a kind of parasitic algae related to kelp. More than a century and a half after its insurgence, P. infestans continues to plague the agricultural community worldwide. Since its first appearance, many different species have since been identified which cause equally devastating effects to a very wide variety of crops and ornamentals. For example, Phytophthora sojae causes millions of dollars in losses to the soybean industry in the US and Canada, and more recently, a new species, Phytophthora ramorum has emerged that is destroying oak forests and attacking nursery plants in California. The destructive nature of this group of pathogens has motivated scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics institute, (VBI) at Virginia Tech to use molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics technology to track down the specialized weaponry that the pathogens use to defeat the normally strong defenses of their host plants. In recognition of the dangers posed by these pathogens, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are jointly funding a $3.6m project to sequence all the genes in Phytophthora sojae and Phytophthora ramorum. The NSF is funding an even larger $6.7 million project to map genes that protect soybean from attack by Phytophthora sojae. Both projects are led by VBI professor Brett Tyler who directs a multidisciplinary team of highly specialized scientists working on finding a viable solution to these destructive plant diseases. ” The Pharmacological Treatment of Stuttering Dr. Gerald Maguire’s interest in stuttering began when he was just a child. That’s when he began stuttering. Now a psychiatrist and a researcher at the University of California-Irvine (UC-Irvine), Dr. Maguire is involved in studying the causes and effective pharmacological treatments of this fluency disorder. Hurricane Season 2004: The Worst Ever? Is this season the worst hurricane season that the United States has ever had to endure? Some would say so. But, there has been severe damage wreaked by hurricanes in the past. Who could forget the devastation brought to South Florida by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, or the wreckage that Hurricane Camille caused to wide areas in Louisiana and Mississippi in 1969. However, no one could imagine the worst case scenario that Florida has had to endure in 2004 - four major hurricanes in a row within weeks of each other. First there was Hurricane Charley, followed closely by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan, and then - almost without pause - Hurricane Jeanne... |
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