Prostate Cancer: Early Detection

What tests can detect prostate cancer?

The tests discussed below are used to look for warning signs of prostate cancer. But these early detection tests can’t tell for sure whether or not cancer is present. If the results of one or more of these tests are abnormal, you will likely need a prostate biopsy to determine if you have cancer. (A biopsy involves using needles to take samples from the prostate and looking at the cells under a microscope.)

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a substance made by cells in prostate gland (it is made by both normal cells and cancer cells). Although PSA is mostly found in semen, a small amount is also found in the blood. Most healthy men have levels under 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. The chance of having prostate cancer goes up as the PSA level goes up.

When prostate cancer develops, the PSA level usually goes above 4. Still, a level below 4 does not mean that cancer isn’t present — about 15% of men with a PSA below 4 will have prostate cancer on biopsy. Men with a PSA level in the borderline range between 4 and 10 have about a 1 in 4 chance of having prostate cancer. If the PSA is more than 10, the chance of having prostate cancer is over 50%.

The PSA level can also be increased by a number of factors other than prostate cancer, such as:

• An enlarged prostate, such as with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that many men get as they grow older.
• Age: PSA levels will also normally go up slowly as you get older, even if you have no prostate abnormality.
• Infection or inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis)
• Ejaculation can cause the PSA to go up for a short time, and then go down again. This is why some doctors will suggest that men abstain from ejaculation for 2 days before testing.
• Riding a bicycle
• Certain urologic procedures

Some things cause PSA levels to go down (even when cancer is present), including:

• Certain medicines used to treat BPH or urinary symptoms, such as finasteride (Proscar or Propecia) or dutasteride (Avodart). You should tell your doctor if you are taking these medicines because they may lower PSA levels and require the doctor to adjust the reading.
• Some herbal mixtures that are sold as dietary supplements “for prostate health” may also mask a high PSA level. This is why it is important to let your doctor know if you are taking any type of supplement, even ones that are not necessarily meant for prostate health. Saw palmetto (an herb used by some men to treat BPH) does not seem to interfere with the measurement of PSA.
• Some steroids may also change PSA levels
• Obesity: Obese (having a high amount of extra body fat) men tend to have lower PSA levels
• Aspirin: Men taking aspirin regularly tend to have lower PSA levels. This effect is most pronounced in non-smokers.

If your PSA level is high, your doctor may advise a prostate biopsy to find out if you have cancer. Some doctors may consider using newer types of PSA tests (discussed below) to help decide if you need a prostate biopsy. Still, not all doctors agree on how to use these other PSA tests. If your PSA test result is not normal, ask your doctor to discuss your cancer risk and your need for further tests.

Percent-free PSA

PSA occurs in 2 major forms in the blood. One form is attached to blood proteins while the other circulates free (unattached). The percent-free PSA (fPSA) is the ratio of how much PSA circulates free compared to the total PSA level. The percentage of free PSA is lower in men who have prostate cancer than in men who do not.

This test is sometimes used to help decide if you should have a prostate biopsy if your PSA results are in the borderline range (between 4 and 10). A lower percent-free PSA means that your likelihood of having prostate cancer is higher and you should probably have a biopsy. Many doctors recommend biopsies for men whose percent-free PSA is 10% or less, and advise that men consider a biopsy if it is between 10% and 25%. Using these cutoffs detects most cancers while helping some men to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies. This test is widely used, but not all doctors agree that 25% is the best “cutoff point” to decide on a biopsy. Some doctors use a different cutoff for different PSA levels.

A newer test, known as complexed PSA, directly measures the amount of PSA that is attached to other proteins (the portion of PSA that is not “free”). This test is done instead of checking the total and free PSA, and it could give the same amount of information as the other two done separately. Studies are now under way to see if this test provides the same level of accuracy

PSA velocity

The PSA velocity is not a separate test. It is a measure of how fast the PSA rises over time. Normally, PSA levels go up slowly with age. Experts noticed that these levels can go up faster when cancer is present. When this issue was looked at further, though, studies showed that the PSA velocity was not more helpful than the PSA itself in finding prostate cancer. For this reason, the most recent ACS guideline on early detection of prostate cancer does not recommend using the PSA velocity.

PSA density

PSA levels are higher in men with larger prostate glands. The PSA density (PSAD) tries to adjust for this. It is sometimes used for men with large prostate glands. The doctor measures the volume (size) of the prostate gland with transrectal ultrasound (discussed below) and divides the PSA number by the prostate volume. A higher PSA density (PSAD) indicates greater likelihood of cancer. PSA density has not been shown to be that useful. The percent-free PSA test has so far been shown to be more helpful.

Age-specific PSA ranges

PSA levels are normally higher in older men than in younger men, even when there is no cancer. A PSA result within the borderline range might be very worrisome in a 50-year-old man but cause less concern in an 80-year-old man. For this reason, some doctors have suggested comparing PSA results with results from other men of the same age.

But because the usefulness of age-specific PSA ranges is not well proven, most doctors and professional organizations (as well as the makers of the PSA tests) do not recommend their use at this time.

Digital rectal exam (DRE)

For a digital rectal exam (DRE), the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for any bumps or hard areas on the prostate that might be cancer. As shown in the picture below, the prostate gland is located just in front of the rectum, and most cancers begin in the back part of the gland that can be reached by a rectal exam. This exam is uncomfortable, but it’s not painful and only takes a short time. It is more uncomfortable in men who have hemorrhoids.

DRE is less effective than the PSA blood test in finding prostate cancer, but it can sometimes find cancers in men with normal PSA levels. For this reason, it may be included as a part of prostate cancer screening.

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) uses sound waves to make an image of the prostate on a video screen. For this test, a small probe that gives off sound waves is placed in the rectum. The sound waves enter the prostate and create echoes that are picked up by the probe. A computer turns the pattern of echoes into a black and white image of the prostate.

The procedure often takes less than 10 minutes and is done in a doctor’s office or outpatient clinic. You will feel some pressure when the TRUS probe is placed in your rectum, but it is usually not painful. The area may be numbed before the procedure.

TRUS is not used as a screening test for prostate cancer because it can’t always tell the difference between normal tissue and cancer. Instead, it is most often used during a prostate biopsy (described under “The prostate biopsy” in the section “What if the test results aren’t normal?”). TRUS is used to guide the biopsy needles into the right area of the prostate.

TRUS is useful in other situations as well. It can be used to measure the size of the prostate gland, which can help determine the PSA density and may also affect which treatment options a man has.

What You Can Do About Breast Cancer

Since 1990, more and more women have been surviving breast cancer, largely because of early detection through mammography and improvements in treatment. Read up on news of the latest research about breast cancer. Follow the links below to learn about finding breast cancer early, treating the disease if you’ve already been diagnosed, and getting support as you cope with breast cancer. You’ll also find information about making strides against breast cancer, our signature event to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about the disease, and help save lives.

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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a non-competitive walking event that takes place in communities across the United States every year. Since 1993, nearly 7 million walkers have raised more than $400 million. In 2010 alone, more than 800,000 walkers across the country collected $60 million to save lives from breast cancer. Find a making strides event near you.

 

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Early Detection Information

Although there’s no sure-fire way to prevent breast cancer, certain lifestyle habits are linked to a lower risk of developing it. Getting regular mammograms and breast exams is also important, because these tests can find breast cancer earlier, when it is more treatable. Listen to some real women talk about getting a mammogram, and sign up for our mammogram reminder to make sure you don’t forget yours.

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Coping with Breast Cancer Treatment

Treatments for breast cancer can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and other drugs. Learn about each of these in our Breast Cancer Detailed Guide and get a printable list of questions to ask your doctor. You can also consult our treatment decision tool and find products to help you deal with the side effects of treatment. For helpful information about dealing with insurance, work, and financial issues, check out the offerings from our content partners at Survivorship A to Z.

Questions about lymph node surgery? Find out what our breast cancer expert has to say on our Expert Voices blog.

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Finding Support When You Have Breast Cancer

More than 2.5 million women in the United States have beaten breast cancer or are currently in treatment for it. Connect with some of them through one of the American Cancer Society’s peer support networks.

WhatNext is a Web site developed with the participation of the American Cancer Society to make it easier for those touched by cancer to get and give support, find resources, gain perspective, and focus their decision-making.

Cancer Survivors Network is a vibrant online community of survivors, caregivers, family members, and friends coping with cancer.

Or get one-on-one support through our Reach to Recovery Program, which matches breast cancer survivors with women newly diagnosed. You can also read the inspiring stories of other women who have made it through this disease.

Is apple juice poisonous?

The highly publicized clash between Dr Oz and the FDA regarding acceptable levels of arsenic in apple juice has left many wondering, ‘Well, what exactly is safe?’. We called upon two health experts, Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, and author of Nutrition At Your Fingertips, and Connie Diekman, M.Ed, RD, LD, FADA, and director of University Nutrition at Washington University, to help clear up some of the confusion.

What do you make of the controversy between Dr. Oz and the FDA?

Connie Diekman: As a registered dietitian I appreciate Dr Oz’s passion for and interest in healthful eating but hate to see such controversy causing confusion and angst for parents. Parents are working hard to provide the right food choices and activity for their children and they need role models who provide information that is based on the science of nutrition in a simple to implement manner.

Can you explain the difference between “good” and “bad” arsenic in food?

CD: There are two types of arsenic – organic and inorganic. The inorganic form is the one that is harmful, and while arsenic exists in both forms in foods, the inorganic arsenic is the main form found in drinking water. This higher concentration in drinking water is the reason that the EPA, and subsequently the FDA, established limits of safety for drinking water.

Organic arsenic is found in a variety of foods, including fish, seafood, fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, and rice. Organic compounds are easily digestible and do not accumulate in the body as inorganic compounds can, thus intake of organic arsenic, especially at the low levels it exists in foods, is not a concern.

What are the acceptable FDA levels of arsenic in food?

CD: There is no scientific evidence available to allow FDA to set limits for food. The very small amounts in food, combined with the majority being organic, makes it difficult to conduct studies that consistently show a level of risk or safety.

Why would the FDA have higher acceptable levels of arsenic in apple juice as compared to drinking water?

Elisa Zied: The FDA says the levels vary because humans drink and consume a lot more water than they drink other beverages, including apple juice. Because water is more commonly consumed and the quantities consumed are so much higher than they are for juice or other beverages, it’s more important to limit potentially harmful chemicals in it to minimize their total exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

CD: The EPA set the level for water based on the average consumption amounts of water, which are significantly higher than those of juice. In addition, since the arsenic in water is predominately inorganic it is easy to measure amounts.

What parents should do with regard to giving their kids apple juice?

EZ: Apple juice–like all juice and other calorie-containing beverages–should be limited in the diet. The AAP recommends 4 to 6 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice to kids ages 1 to 6 ; older kids should limit it to no more than 8-12 ounces if they consume it.

It’s wise to encourage fresh fruit as main source of daily fruit intake because its higher in fiber and more filling. But 100 percent fruit juice can fit into a healthful diet; to lower the amount consumed you can combine with water or seltzer. Like with all food or beverages, it’s wise to mix up what kids consume from each of the different key food groups. For example, one day have an apple and some strawberries, the next day a banana and some apple juice or orange juice, the next day grapes and some honeydew, the next day some dried fruit and watermelon. Consuming different foods and beverages within the same category mixes up the nutrients you get and can potentially minimize risks of exposure to low levels of contaminants you may find in different foods and beverages.

CD: Apple juice can be a part of a healthful eating plan but as with all fruit juices it should not be a child’s main fruit source. Nutritional and health benefits of whole fruits are better than those of juice, so encouraging kids to enjoy fruit should be the first step.

Readers, what do you think? Do you trust that the FDA has your child’s safety covered or, given Dr. Oz’s concerns, are you now hesitant to give your child apple juice?

Sex Drive: How Do Men and Women Compare?

Experts say men score higher in libido, while women’s sex drive is more “fluid.”

Birds do it, bees do it, and men do it any old time. But women will only do it if the candles are scented just right — and their partner has done the dishes first. A stereotype, sure, but is it true? Do men really have stronger sex drives than women?

Well, yes, they do. Study after study illustrates that men’s sex drives are not only stronger than women’s, but much more straightforward. The sources of women’s libidos, by contrast, are much more difficult to pin down.

It’s common wisdom that women place more value on emotional connection as a spark of sexual desire. But women also appear to be heavily influenced by social and cultural factors as well.

“Sexual desire in women is extremely sensitive to environment and context,” says Edward O. Laumann, PhD, a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago and lead author of a major survey of sexual practices, The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States.   

Here are seven patterns of men’s and women’s sex drives that researchers have found. Bear in mind that individuals may vary from these norms.

1. Men think more about sex.

The majority of adult men under 60 think about sex at least once a day, reports Laumann. Only about one-quarter of women report this level of frequency. As men and women age, each fantasize less, but men still fantasize about twice as often.

In a comprehensive survey of studies comparing male and female sex drives, Roy Baumeister, a social psychologist at Florida State University, found that men reported more spontaneous sexual arousal and had more frequent and varied fantasies.

2. Men seek sex more avidly.

“Men want sex more often than women at the start of a relationship, in the middle of it, and after many years of it,” Baumeister concludes after reviewing several surveys of men and women. This isn’t just true of heterosexuals, he reports: gay men also have higher frequency of sex than lesbians at all stages of the relationship. Men also say they want more sex partners in their lifetime, and are more interested in casual sex. 

Men are more likely to seek sex even when it is frowned upon or even outlawed:

• About two-thirds say they masturbate, even though about half also say they feel guilty about it, Laumann says. By contrast, about 40% of women say they masturbate, and the frequency of masturbation is smaller among women.
• Prostitution is still mostly a phenomenon of men seeking sex with women, rather than the other way around.
• Nuns do a better job of fulfilling their vows of chastity than priests. Baumeister cites a survey of several hundred clergy by Sheila Murphy in which 62% of priests admitted to sexual activity, compared to 49% of nuns. The men reported more partners on average than the women.

3. Women’s sexual inclinations are more complicated than men’s.

What turns women on? Not even women always seem to know. Northwestern University researcher Meredith Chivers and colleagues showed erotic films to gay and straight men and women. They asked them about their level of sexual arousal, and also measured their actual level of arousal through devices attached to their genitals.

For men, the results were predictable: Straight men said they were more turned on by depictions of male-female sex and female-female sex, and the measuring devices backed up their claims. Gay men said they were turned on by male-male sex, and again the devices backed them up. For women, the results were more surprising. Straight women, for example, saidthey were more turned on by male-female sex. But genitally they showed about the same reaction to male-female, male-male, and female-female sex. 

“Men are very rigid and specific about who they become aroused by, who they want to have sex with, who they fall in love with,” says J. Michael Bailey, a Northwestern University sex researcher and co-author with Chivers on the study.

By contrast, women may be more open to same-sex relationships thanks to their less-directed sex drives, Bailey says. “Women probably have the capacity to become sexually interested in and fall in love with their own sex more than men do,” Bailey says. “They won’t necessarily do it, but they have the capacity.”

Bailey’s contention is backed up by studies showing that homosexuality is a more fluid state among women than men. In another broad review of studies, Baumeister found many more lesbians reported recent sex with men, when compared to gay men’s reports of sex with women. Women were also more likely than men to call themselves bisexual, and to report their sexual orientation as a matter of choice.

4. Women’s sex drives are more influenced by social and cultural factors.

In his review, Baumeister found studies showing many ways in which women’s sexual attitudes, practices and desires were more influenced by their environment than men:

• Women’s attitudes towards (and willingness to perform) various sexual practices are more likely than men’s to change over time.
• Women who regularly attend church are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex. Men do not show this connection between church attendance and sex attitudes.
• Women are more influenced by the attitudes of their peer group in their decisions about sex.
• Women with higher education levels were more likely to have performed a wider variety of sexual practices (such as oral sex); education made less of a difference with men.
• Women were more likely than men to show inconsistency between their expressed values about sexual activities such as premarital sex and their actual behavior.

Why are women’s sex drives seemingly weaker and more vulnerable to influence? Some have theorized it is related to the greater power of men in society, or differing sexual expectations of men when compared to women. Laumann prefers an explanation more closely tied to the world of sociobiology.

Men have every incentive to have sex to pass along their genetic material, Laumann says. By contrast, women may be hard-wired to choose their partners carefully, because they are the ones who can get pregnant and wind up taking care of the baby. They are likely to be more attuned to relationship quality because they want a partner who will stay around to take care of the child. They’re also more likely to choose a man with resources because of his greater ability to support a child.

5. Women take a less direct route to sexual satisfaction.

Men and women travel slightly different paths to arrive at sexual desire. “I hear women say in my office that desire originates much more between the ears than between the legs,” says Esther Perel, a New York City psychotherapist and author of Mating in Captivity. “For women there is a need for a plot — hence the romance novel. It is more about the anticipation, how you get there; it is the longing that is the fuel for desire,” Perel says.

Women’s desire “is more contextual, more subjective, more layered on a lattice of emotion,” Perel adds. Men, by contrast, don’t need to have nearly as much imagination, Perel says, since sex is simpler and more straightforward for them.

That does not mean that men do not seek intimacy, love, and connection in a relationship, just as women do. They just view the role of sex differently. “Women want to talk first, connect first, then have sex,” Perel explains. “For men, sex is the connection. Sex is the language men use to express their tender loving vulnerable side,” Perel says. “It is their language of intimacy.”

6. Women experience orgasms differently than men.

While researchers find it tricky to try to quantify issues like the differing quality of male vs. female orgasms, they do have data on how long it takes men and women to get there. Men, on average, take four minutes from the point of entry until ejaculation, according to Laumann. Women usually take around 10 to 11 minutes to reach orgasm — if  they do.

That’s another difference between the sexes: how often they have an orgasm during sex. Among men who are part of a couple, 75% report that they always have an orgasm, as opposed to 26% of the women. And not only is there a difference in reality, there’s one in perception, too. While the men’s female partners reported their rate of orgasm accurately, the women’s male partners reported that they believed their female partners had orgasms 45% of the time.

7. Women’s libidos seem to be less amenable to drugs.

With men’s sex drives seemingly more directly tied to biology when compared to women, it may be no surprise that low desire may be more easily treated through medication in men. Men have embraced drugs as a cure not only for erectile dysfunction but also for a shrinking libido. With women, however, the search for a drug to boost sex drive has proved more elusive. 

Testosterone has been linked to sex drive in both men and women. But testosterone works much faster in men with low libidos than women, says Glenn Braunstein, MD an endocrinologist and chair of the department of medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and a leading researcher on testosterone treatments in women. And while the treatments are effective, they are not as effective in women as in men. “There is a hormonal factor in [sex drive], but it is much more important in men than women,” Braunstein says. 

A testosterone patch for women called Intrinsa has been approved in Europe but was rejected by the FDA due to concerns about long-term safety. But the drug has sparked a backlash from some medical and psychiatric professionals who question whether low sex drive in women should even be considered a condition best treated with drugs. They point to the results of a large survey published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology last year, in which about 40% of women reported some sort of sexual problem — most commonly low sexual desire — but only 12% report feeling distressed about it. With all the factors that go into the stew that piques sexual desire in women, some doctors say that a drug should be the last ingredient to consider, rather than the first.

 

How to obtain body temperature

There are three methods on how to obtain the body temperature. Anyone can perform this relatively easy procedure. There are three methods used to obtain the body temperature, the axillary, the oral and the rectal methods. You can use any of these depending upon the type of patient. For infants and younger children, the rectal method is preferred. For adults, the oral or axillary methods are preferred.

The axillary method

Wear your personal protective equipment (PPE), especially your gloves. Clean the thermometer with a cleaning or sterilizing agent. Shake the thermometer to lower the mercury reading below 36 degrees centigrade. Put the mercury bulb at the center of the patient’s armpit. Let it stay for 5 minutes. Read the temperature by twirling the thermometer until you can observe the portion where of the mercury is. Normal axillary temperature ranges from 36 to 37.5 degrees centigrade. Wash or wipe the thermometer and soak it in the cleaning solution.

The oral method

Wear your personal protective equipment (PPE), especially your gloves. Clean the thermometer with a cleaning agent. Be sure the cleaning agent is not something that is harmful. Shake the thermometer until the reading is at 36 or below. Place the thermometer at under the tongue and position the stem at one side of the mouth. Let it stay there for 1 to 2 minutes. Read the temperature just as mentioned in the axillary method. The normal oral temperatures are 36 to 37.5 degrees centigrade. Wash or wipe the thermometer and soak it in the cleaning solution.

Rectal method

Wear your personal protective equipment (PPE), especially your gloves. Clean the thermometer with a cleaning agent. Shake the thermometer until the reading is at 36 or below. Gently insert the thermometer into the anus and let it stay there for 1 minute. Do not release the stem of the thermometer. Hold on to it because it might be sucked into the rectum. Wipe briskly with a wet sanitized tissue, cotton or gauze. Read the temperature just as mentioned in the axillary method. The normal oral temperatures are 36 to 37.5 degrees centigrade. Wash or wipe the thermometer and soak it in the cleaning solution.

Whatever method you choose to use, be aware that you can contract a disease by not taking precautions. Be safe by observing all necessary precautions.

Use of yeasts in biotechnology

Yeasts belong to the kingdom Fungi of the five kingdom classification of living organisms. The other four are – animalia, plantae, protista and monera. If there were ever a prize for organisms that contributed most to the success today in biotechnology – I think budding yeast would be a top runner up. What is budding yeast ? The easiest way to learn is by thinking about the word – budding. This yeast produces its progeny by budding – this is a way of its asexual reproduction. The scientific name is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

There are many varieties of budding yeast that are commonly used in the biotechnology in contrast to that used in academic research labs. Of course, the selection of biotech yeasts is mostly towards those which are good for brewing. Brewing is the production of alcoholic beverages by natural process of fermentation. The chief characteristics of the brewing yeasts can be summed up in six major points – they should have a minimal lag phase of growth, they should show high fermentation rate compared to cell growth, they should show efficient production of ethanol, they should be able to withstand differences in alcohol concentrations and osmotic pressure, they should give reproducible amount of flavor and aroma, they should have ideal flocculation character and they should be easy to handle to be able for use in future.

In contrast to this the strains that are used for academic research have to be genetically very well characterized – their genotypes should be known. The knowledge is further used for genetic modification when required. The deletion of certain genes can cause a metabolite to accumulate and cause colour formation – which could further be used to distinguish two different strains. In addition, the laboratory yeast strains are often worked with haploid mating types. What is haploid and what is diploid ? Haploid yeast have half the chromosome numbers as diploids. Haploids come in two flavours – a type and alpha type. The a and alpha type can mate with one another but not in themselves. The diploid are not bad either in surviving – when there is a shortage of nutrients the diploids can undergo sporulation to form spores. Upon arrival of favourable conditions the spores germinate to form haploid yeasts. One of the big advantages of yeasts in research is that the complete genome is available, so it possible to mutate a gene and look for its function or tag a gene with reporter and look at the localization of the protein. Further, these process have become easy to do because of our understanding of the homologous recombination in yeasts.

Xenotransplantation : Pigs saving human lives

In an article posted by Biotech Council, it states, “xenotransplantation means using living non-human animal cells, tissues or organs to treat humans.” The article goes on to say we usually think of organ transplants such as hearts or kidneys.” Do bear in mind that the terminology xenotransplantation also involves tissues such as bone marrow and external therapy of xenotransplantation which is used outside the body of the patient.

The history of xenotransplantation goes back to 1682. The first xenotransplantation was the implantation of a portion of a dog’s skull into the skull of a Russian nobleman to repair damage. The graft was successful but it was later removed after a threat of excommunication of the nobleman was made by the Russian church.

Over the centuries many other efforts and attempts were made that contributed to the progress of xenotransplantation which failed as a result of incompatibility of tissues or tissue rejection. Some success came in 1963 when Dr. Keith Reemtsma (1925-2000) Heart Transplant Surgeon and pioneering giant in xenotransplantation used chimpanzee kidneys into thirteen patients. One patient lived for nine months after the surgery, electrolyte imbalance was the eventual cause of death. There was no sign of rejection in this patient according to the autopsy results.

On January 3, 1964, a 68 year old patient named Boyd Rush, with a heart condition was admitted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. No human heart was available. So, Dr. James Hardy, Heart Transplant Pioneer, used the heart of a chimpanzee named Bino to implant in the patient. Rush died 90 minutes after the surgery.

In 1984 Baby Fae a new born infant received a baboon heart. She survived for twenty days.

In 1992 Dr. Czaplicki attempted the transplantation of a pig’s heart to a patient. The patient died 24 hours later.

However, regardless of the unsuccessful attempt of using a pig’s heart in a human.

“Pigs are saving human lives”

How are they doing this?

Heart valves from pigs are used to replace defective heart valves in people.

To prevent rejection of the valves they are stripped of their tissue before they are transplanted in the patient.

Pig skin is commonly used for patients with severe burns who needs skin grafts.

Pig skin is also used to aid in the healing of skin ulcers in humans.

The pig is a source of over 40 drugs and other pharmaceutical products used in healthcare. Such as medications for asthma and bee stings.

The successful use of the pig in medical care is due to the following.

The heart of the pig is similar to humans in size, shape and structure.

Pig skin is commonly used for temporary skin graft in humans because it is similar to the human skin and has a greater affinity with human skin.

Researchers have also found out that the organs of the pig work in a similar way as the organs of humans.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the regulations of xenotransplantation. Clinical trails that involve xenotransplantation have been approved by the FDA.

The two major problems of xenotransplantation are rejection of the organ or tissue and the introduction of virus to the human body from the animals organ or tissue

There is ongoing fascination for researchers over the centuries regarding xenotransplantation. Researchers have continued their quest in this field to save lives and yes:

Pigs are saving human lives!

The Bioethics Council

Michigan.Gov/MDA

Burncar erehab.com

dailymail.co.uk.news

Transparent zebrafish to aid in cancer research

Newest statistics show cancer deaths are decreasing in the US. This appears to be a sign of great progress in the fight against cancer. Still, daily over one thousand Americans are killed by this terminal disease. Therefore, scientists battle on and look for new ways to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods. At stake is not only the honor to be the first to find an effective treatment or even prevention method, but also big profits. One major obstacle in the battle against cancer is the difficulty to visually observe tumor development and treatment effects. Dissection of animal test subjects is widely used. In order to avoid dissection and study tumor growth and treatment effects in living organisms, researchers have entered a race in the breeding of transparent living organisms. In October 2007 scientists at the Institute for Amphibian Biology at Hiroshima University in Japan already announced the successful breeding of transparent frogs (AC reported). Now scientists at Boston’s Children’s Hospital have successfully bred a transparent zebrafish for study purposes.

Animal rights activists have already for a long time criticized the dissection of animals for research purposes and suggested computer models instead. Now they will have a little less to complain about. The development of transparent living organisms for research purposes will provide scientists with a cheap and cost cutting research tool. They are able to look through the skin of a living organism and observe the organ, blood vessel, and reproductive organ development without the need for dissection. Scientists can more effectively study what might lead to the development of cancerous cells and how tumors grow and develop. They will be able to literally see the effects of treatment methods and in the long run device more effective treatment, diagnosis, and prevention techniques.

The Japanese scientists at the Institute for Amphibian Biology at Hiroshima University in Japan announced in October 2007 that they successfully bred a transparent frog. However, the frog program is still in its infancy and the process of breeding transparent frogs has yet to be perfected. While the transparent frogs remain transparent into adulthood, only one-sixteenth of a bred frog generation actually turns out to be transparent. As of now, the transparency is not inherited by a viable next generation of frogs. The researchers primarily identify poor egg development as the culprit. Once the process is perfected they will seek to patent their transparent amphibians.

This means the race is on to develop transparent living organisms and to patent the invention as quickly as possible. Big bucks are at stake. The first to develop a valid and durable prototype will be able to provide the scientific world with an effective research tool while patent laws exclude others from doing the same.

Besides the Japanese scientists at other institutions around the world have experimented with the breeding of transparent living organisms. And now scientists at Boston’s Children’s Hospital under the lead of Richard White, MD, PhD, succeeded in breeding a transparent zebrafish. Zebrafish should actually be better research subjects, as their genetic make-up is similar to that of humans. Therefore, scientists deem them to be good models for human diseases. Like the transparent frog, the transparent zebrafish is transparent throughout life, providing researchers with the opportunity to view internal organs and blood vessels from outside the fish over the life of the organism. The scientists intend to study disease processes like tumor growth and development as well as treatment methods like the engraftment of bone-marrow transplants in this living organism.

The transparent zebrafish was bred by mating two existing breeds of zebrafish, “roy orbison” and “nacre”. Zebrafish normally have three pigments in their skin, which are reflective, black, and yellow. The “roy orbison” variety does not have reflective pigments. The “nacre” kind does not have black pigments in their skin. After these two breeds were mated, the offspring turned out to have yellow-pigmented skin, which is clear and allows for observers to view the inside of the fish. The new breed has been named “Casper.”

Unlike the transparent frog program, the zebrafish breeding program proves to be more reliable in producing viable transparent offspring. With the zebrafish being closer in their genetic make-up to that of humans, the scientists at Boston’s Children’s Hospital have made a giant leap forward in the utilization of this type of research tool.

The fact of nature which states the existence of the Trinity.

Trinity until this becomes a debate not only among the world says of not Christians, but also among Christians themselves. Trinity term was not found in the Bible, but the concept or the view is indeed contained in the Bible itself.

Very difficult to explain the existence of the Three Person Godhead, but it turns out in this world or in the wild has been stated that it is true that the Trinity exists and correct.

This is the evidence / facts in nature and the world of Sciences of the Trinity which states that:

1. Day
Today is proof of the existence of the Trinity. Day consists of three parts but can not be separated, the day before, the day now and days to come. Three but one, that’s Day.

2. Object
There are three things in this world form, ie solid, liquid and gas.

3. Space
a space consisting of the length, width and height.

4. One Day
A matter of days is the hours, minutes and seconds.

5. Human
Human beings can live because there are elements of the body / physical, spirit and soul.

6. Government
The scope of governance that is normally found in the seal position, the power, Names.

7. Celestial bodies as a torch
Luminaries in the sky is the sun, moon and stars.

8. Day
There are 3 in one day ie morning, noon and night.

9. Universe
There are three elements in nature that is the earth / ground, sky / air and water.

10. Human
Three things that experienced by humans are born, live and die.

Honey may reduce the effects of alcohol hangover

Beverage alcohol is not good for the body because a compound in it is toxic to the body. Scientists from The Royal Society of chemistry, Dr. Emsley get in his research that if honey is taken to reduce the effects of alcohol hangover. Honey can break down alcohol and toxic compounds may help restore one’s consciousness due to drinking alcohol.

Fructose compounds are elements that play a role in the break down chemical compounds from the alcohol that enters the body. Acetaldehyde is a toxin produced by the alcohol that enters the body and break it into separate these compounds, dangerous for our bodies. These toxins cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting ‘

According to Drs. John Emsley, by eating toxic honey then acetaldehyde is converted by fructose into acetic acid which is then burned during metabolic processes in the body and is broken down into carbon dioxide which will be issued by the body.

Drinking alcohol can lead to the frequent urination and can cause severe dehydration for patients.