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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Politics, News & Issues > Drug Laws & Prevention The legal battle over marijuana use: 1 of 62
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 > HIV / AIDS The facts about AIDS (HIV): 2 of 25
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, a syndrome of opportunistic and rare diseases caused by the eradication of the immune system by HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS is the final, fatal stage of HIV infection based on the definition provided by health organizations ( "CDC":http://cdc.gov/hiv/topics/b... 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 > Health Care Should Congress expand existing government health programs to help the uninsured?: 1 of 9
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..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Teen Challenges Should you vaccinate your teen daughter for HPV/cervical cancer with Gardasil?: 2 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 pers... More..
Relationships & Family > 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, noth... More..
Health & Fitness > Health Care Health care is increasingly expensive in the United States, is it time to adopt European style "universal health care"?: 3 of 20
Universal health care is also known as socialized medicine, it is the availability of inexpensive medical services for all citizens, regardless of income, funded by taxpayers. Universal health care has been made out to be a negative thing since the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. According to Pulitzer Prize winning autho... More..
Sciences > Disease & Illness The possibility of a cure for AIDS within the next ten years: 3 of 18
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..
Sciences > Anatomy How blood flows through the heart: 1 of 6
The human heart is a four chambered muscle that squeezes blood from one chamber to another in order to accept deoxygenated blood from the body, pump blood through the lungs for oxygenation, and then pump oxygenated blood out to the body. This is accomplished by internal electrical stimulation of contractile fibers within the ... More..
Health & Fitness > Sexually Transmitted Diseases Facts about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: 1 of 6
The HPV vaccine has been linked to seizures, paralysis, and deaths. The truth of the matter is that the vaccine only benefits 1% of women, yet is now being legislated for all girls. There has been no long term testing done on the vaccine and it is only effective for a few years. Human papillomavirus (HPV) occurs in many s... More..