Having sex and curing prostate cancer? Maybe someday

According to the press release "VCU study: Researchers discover a drug combination that shrinks tumors in vivo" by Sathya Achia Abraham, science researchers found that sildenafil (the generic name for Viagra), increased the effectiveness of doxorubicin against prostate cancer in mice.  This occurred in part by a noticeable increase in the amount of apoptosis-inducing, reactive oxygen species within the tumor.  While doxorubicin is a potent anti-cancer agent, it also is notoriously toxic particularly toward cardiac tissue.  Interestingly, sildenafil also shows evidence of protecting heart tissue from the toxic effects of doxorubicin.

This data is quite interesting and although much more research needs to be done in animals and humans to understand the effectiveness and safety of this particular drug combination in the treatment of prostate cancer, it does illustrate an important goal of biomedical research.  To develop novel chemotherapeutic combinations that will increase tumor cytotoxicity while decreasing the inadvertent toxicity and damage toward other normal tissues and organs.

Keep up the good work!

Awesome and lucky that Jennifer Grey's Cancer was discovered. Thanks DWTS! Now we all should get checked

The video as posted on Access Hollywood, shows the incredible serendipitous luck of Jennifer Grey during her health checkups for Dancing With the Stars.  They unfortunately or fortunately, depending how you look at it, found a  lump in her neck.  However, because of this detection,  They were able to successfully remove the lump via surgery and now can claim to be cancer free.  This is awesome for Jennifer Grey and all the best wishes and prayers for her future health as well as her quest to be the best damn dancer in the world, or whatever award they give out on that show.

But more than just great luck for Jennifer Grey, this is also an important message of the importance of getting annual checkups.  The best treatment for cancer is still preventative, but when that fails, it is early detection.  The earlier a cancer is detected, usually a more successful therapeutic regime can be used to treat the disease.

Don't rely on luck.

Make a doctor's appointment ASAP and make sure you get a clean bill of health. 

Good luck and good health.

Can Zorlock the Purple Tentacled Squid Being from the Horsehead Nebula be the Next Pope? Maybe

According to Brother Guy Consolmagno, a prestigious vatican astronomer, as reported by Richard Alleyne, in the article "Pope Benedict XVI's astronomer: the Catholic Church welcomes aliens" has said that any and all alien species will be welcomed into the church with open arms.  Who knows?   An alien would make a great pope. 

But its sad that the Church can't accept all humans before they begin accepting aliens.  Just saying...   

I Love Boobies!! A breast cancer controversy?

Here's a little breast cancer controversy for you.  According to the article "I [Heart] Boobies' Bracelets Cause Stir in High Schools," a clever funny bracelet created to increase awareness of breast cancer by the non-profit  Keep A Breast Foundation.  Well apparently these bracelets, intermixed with the immaturity of teenagers, and overly zealous school administration has made an unnecessary controversy.  What the hell happened to a freaking sense of humor and sense of respect.  These two things are not mutually exclusive, not at all.  But somewhere in society we have lost the ability to laugh.  Everything is the end of world.  While we think we have chosen respect, we merely have marred and distorted our personal sacred virtues that make us human.  
To the high school students, grow up.
To the rest of us, grow up.

Pandora Here We Come!!

The awesome world of the blue smurfs with severe pituitary problems that was seen in Avatar, may soon not be a thing of fantasy. According to Universe Today, in the article "Scientists Predict Earth-Like Habitable Exoplanet Will Be Found in 2011" scientists have predicted...

hmmm?

I guess the title of the article really says it all.  No need to rehash it.  Check out the article.  Its pretty interesting.

I mean who doesn't want to be blue badass?

Not Me!

We detect the smell of rotten fish before the smell of roses. Really was this a surprise?

The IgNobel prize, for the last twenty or so years has been a parody of the Nobel prize, awarding odd, silly and irreverent research.  Research, as the IgNobel website decrees, "that makes people laugh and then think."  While this years winners have yet to be announced, I feel the scientific article "The fish is bad: Negative food odors elicit faster and more accurate reactions than other odors", might be a great candidate.  

Because initially it does indeed make you laugh.

Why do the differences in the way we smell things really matter?  Doesn't research like this seem to be a bit of a waste of time and resource?

No it's not a waste of time. becuase it begins to make use think.

While, the conclusions of the research that our olfactory sense (sense of smell) will react to noxious odors faster than pleasant smells is not entirely surprising.  I mean how many times have you found yourself near a pile of dog crap, yet find yourself admiring your boyfriend/girlfriend's cologne/perfume instead?  Highly unlikely.  

However, these data indeed  indicate the existence of a physiological olfactory response that reacts quicker to stressful or dangerous stimuli.  While we may enjoy the smell of roses, our sensitivity to noxious fumes and stimuli is likely far more important evolutionarily speaking for our survival.  Bad smells often equate to bad consequences.

Not surprising conclusions, but still important.  All knowledge is important.


You can also read about this article on physorg.com.

Lets give our wishes and prayers to the fire victims of San Bruno, CA and Boulder, CO.

Two serious fires have marred our great country in the past few days in San Bruno, California and Boulder Colorado.  Let's pray for those that have tragically effected by the flames.  If you want to help, please give to your favorite charity such as American Red Cross.  Please give what you can.

Peace.

Is It True!!? What We Did Today, Can It Actually Effect What We Did Yesterday?

According to physicist Dr. Jeff Tollaksen from Chapmen University, future events may in fact effect events in the past and present.  In the Discover Magazine article, "Back From the Future,"  Zeeya Merali reports on the series of quantum physic experiments in which Tollaksen and his group found that time may actually flow backwards as much as it does forward.  


While physics is generally not my major area of interest, and most of it is quite over my head, findings such as these really can have serious philosophical implications.  The idea that future events could effect the past does really begin to make you think about the concepts of fate versus free will.  Who knows maybe this idea of quantum physics can explain those random bouts of intuition that everyone experiences once in a while, such as when you think of someone and then they call.  Or like the time I chose a weird way to drive home, as my wife indicated from the passenger seat, but then fortunately missed a high speed police chase chase and a tragic accident by a few seconds.

A little food for thought :) 

Can't get mad! Science and fish say it may simply be male nature.

According to an article at www.physorg.com, Your plaice or mine? Male fish refuse to ask for directions", male fish are quite stubborn especially during breeding season. While in the frisky mood, male fish do not take informational cues from neighboring fish like normal, but rather do the opposite and go their own way. I guess if it works for fish...:)

Really, the children are our future? In that case, how about checking out this charity.

If the children are our future, perhaps we should invest in them. Just a thought :) Not only are they adorable balls of energy and constantly keep the adult on their toes, but if they were to disappear, many of the classic games like hide & seek, freeze-tag, duck-duck-goose, and four-square, would disappear too.  I mean a world without duck-duck-goose is a world I don't want to know. 

So if you can find a good charity that you like (you can check Google for example), please do what you can, there are lot of sick children that need your help. 

One such charity is CureSearch for Children's Cancer.  It is the goal of this non-profit charity to increase advocacy about childhood cancers, while also raising funds for research.  Check them out!  Also, checkout the site for the CureSearch Walk, and see if there are any charitable walks in your area.    

So does beer age like a fine wine? Let's find out!

Seriously does it?

I really don't know

I'm not much of a drinker of beer or wine.  I do love ciders, but that is beyond the point.  Will age really make a beer taste better?  Now we may get to find out.  CNN has reported recently that "World's 'oldest beer' found in shipwreck". 


I always had a soft spot for shipwrecks, hidden treasure, and whatever else that we have found that has given us a glimpse into our history, but now we can get drunk too!

So whose going to be the first to try it?

;)