Articles written by Alicia M Prater PhD

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About me - Alicia M Prater PhD

Alicia is a freelance writer and editor with a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology. Her dissertation work was on the role of SNPs in the human AT1R gene in hypertension. Her B.S. was in Biochemistry. Alicia has teaching experience at the graduate level and still

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Health & Fitness > Substance Abuse Should marijuana be legalized?: 6 of 132
Marijuana should be legalized because it is no more toxic than tobacco or alcohol and it has medicinal applications. In fact, marijuana is safer than alcohol according to research summarized in the journal American Scientist in 2006. The Potential Benefits The active chemical in Marijuana is a cannabinoid called THC. The hu... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Teen Challenges Should you vaccinate your teen daughter for HPV/cervical cancer with Gardasil?: 1 of 15
In general, vaccinations maintain public health by keeping disease at bay. There a number of childhood vaccines that, barring pediatric immunity disorders, have only rare and mild side effects with great benefit to the general well-being of the population.Gardasil, Merck's cervical cancer vaccine is being marketed as a person... More..
Health & Fitness > Health Care Should Congress expand existing government health programs to help the uninsured?: 1 of 13
The health care crisis is not only due to a large number of uninsured but also the underinsured. This has come about due to inefficient government programs and overcharging of private medical insurance to cover emergency care and public health costs that are not currently paid for but are necessary to our continuous health. E... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Drug Laws & Prevention The legal battle over marijuana use: 5 of 63
Marijuana is one of many names for the herbal form of cannabis, so called for containing a class of chemicals called cannabinoids. The human body naturally produces cannibinoid compounds which are involved in pain, memory, neurodegeneration, and inflammation. The major active compound in marijuana is 9-tetrahydrocannibinol (T... More..
Health & Fitness > Medical Concerns & Issues Controlling the AIDS epidemic in Africa: 1 of 11
The AIDS situation in Africa is truly an epidemic. In 2006, 72% of worldwide AIDS related deaths were in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently over 50% of all AIDS patients live in Africa, mostly women and children, and the rapidly growing demand for treatment will soon exceed available human and financial resources if it continues a... More..
Health & Fitness > Contraception Lybrel (the "no period" birth control pill): Is it safe?: 1 of 10
"Safe" is a relative term. The pill is safe in what way? If meaning relative to other birth control pills, it is just as safe physically. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind in regards to not just hormonal birth control, but the lack of a period in general.On May 22, 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administr... More..
Sciences > Physiology Understanding skin, its roles and functions: 2 of 16
To understand the function of the skin, one first has to know that the skin is made of layers. These layers create a protective sheath on the outside of the body. Because skin covers almost the entire body, notable exceptions being the eyes, it is the largest organ in the human body, a part of the integumentary system.The epi... More..
Sciences > Disease & Illness The possibility of a cure for AIDS within the next ten years: 2 of 14
Due to the nature of HIV itself, I think there will never be a cure. There will be new strides in treatment as we discover new things about its structure and weaknesses. We will have new therapies that keep an HIV positive diagnosis from being a death sentence. We may even glimpse research that finds ways to lower the viral l... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Easy Christmas crafts for toddlers: 1 of 7
When I was younger I was often kept busy with crafts. Christmas is a time ripe with opportunities for this. For toddlers there are some extra precautions to keep in mind since they enjoy putting items into their mouths! Always use washable markers or crayons, non-toxic glue, and paper is the best material nothing sharp, nothi... More..
Health & Fitness > Hypertension & High Cholesterol Causes of hypertension: 1 of 6
Hypertension is defined as a sustained increased in arterial pressure, in other words, high blood pressure. The current guidelines place anyone with a consistent blood pressure of 140/90 or higher in the category of hypertensive, which currently includes 31% of adults over the age of 20 years in the United States according to... More..