Palliative practice blurs ethical lines, physician says
...ers. Neuromuscular blockers work by paralyzing the muscles in the body. Administering the agents make a patient's death look very peaceful because they cannot move; it also kills them because they are unable to breathe, she says. Once neuromuscular blockers are administered to dying patients, there is no ret...Emory researcher claims stress-induced changes in brain can create psychiatric disorders
...e body that need it the most such as the brain and muscles so we can think fast and fight or run. If the brain overcharges for a prolonged period of time in response to stressful stimuli, the body does not have a chance to recuperate and the results can be deadly. "If stress has effects on the brain and neu...Lipid abnormalities linked to Lou Gehrigs disease
...nerate. The loss of these motor neurons causes the muscles under their control to weaken and waste away, leading to paralysis. In some instances, the disease is inherited, but in most cases the cause is unknown. But NIA scientists unearthed several new clues through a complex, multi-step investigation. After...Leg maneuver may prevent fainting
...ir legs while in a standing position and tense the muscles of the legs, abdomen, and buttocks. Each patient ...e mild, to uncross their legs and walk with tensed muscles to a safe place to sit down. If the symptoms are overwhelming, subjects are advised to crouch down ...Futile cycle both fights diabetes and causes weight gain
... to make the sugar glucose, and fatty acids, which muscles use an emergency fuel source. TZDs, however, reverse this process as it happens. When the drug binds to a receptor in fat cells called PPARgamma, TZD causes the cells to uncharacteristically produce glycerol kinases. These enzymes then recombine gly...Foot pressure device may stamp out muscle loss
...when you move your arms while standing or walking, muscles in your legs and trunk contract in certain ways to.... When you learn a new skill, like juggling, your muscles and nervous system work together to form a series of connections. The more you perform that activity...Chemists create synthetic cytochromes
... proteins that carry and store oxygen in blood and muscles -- cytochromes carry electrons rather than oxygen atoms. "The heme is held very tightly in heme proteins, most commonly by bonds between the iron ion and the amino acid histidine," said Suslick, a William H. and Janet Lycan Professor of Chemistry at ...Calcium-blocker drug slows artery clogging better than beta blocker
...the contraction of these muscles. This causes the muscles to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving blood circulation in the heart. Ultrasound images taken at the start of the study revealed that patients had measurable atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries. After four years of treatment, the yearl...Asthma severity is variable and unpredictable
...nd irritation) and constriction (tightening of the muscles around the airways) cause the airways to narrow, leading to symptoms that include cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Though there is no cure, advances in research and preventative treatments in the past decade have made asthma ...Scientific task force to examine usefulness of testosterone replacement therapy in older men
...a man with low testosterone levels maintain strong muscles and bones, and increase sex drive. However, what effects testosterone replacement may have in healthy older men without these extreme deficiencies will require more scrutiny, Dr. Slater said. Many other questions remain about the use of this hormone ...Simple, easy acts in pregnancy and childbirth might protect against incontinence
...ill prevent damage to the pelvic floor, a group of muscles that form a sling across the opening of the pelvis...ence can range from Kegel exercises for the pelvic muscles to surgery, but Sampselle hopes prevention will prove easy and successful enough that treatment isn'...UF study: Adolescent girls who set goals too high may risk anorexia
...cs can develop severe heart problems because heart muscles deteriorate, while bulimics damage their gastrointestinal tracts with constant vomiting, Graber said. Many young women who experiment with these extreme weight-control measures also develop osteoporosis a condition not normally seen in their age gro...Starting beta-blocker before discharge in patients hospitalized for heart failure increases usage
...rt failure is marked by the inability of the heart muscles to pump enough oxygen and nutrients in the blood to the body's tissues. Also known as congestive heart failure, its many causes include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, previous heart attack and valve problems. An estimated 4.7 million A...Bone marrow cell transplant treats clogged leg arteries
...onuclear cells or saline (a placebo) into the calf muscles of 45 PAD patients. Twenty patients had bilateral ischemia (both legs) and 25 had unilateral ischemia (one leg). There was a "striking" increase in new capillary formation in the legs of patients who received bone marrow mononuclear cell transplant...Alcohol-damaged brains 'recruit' new brain regions to perform simple tasks
...he frontal lobe, which initiates a stimulus to the muscles of the hand, that is then coordinated by interplay between the cerebellum and the frontal lobes. In other words, I reasoned that there would probably be abnormalities in activation of these regions in alcoholics during finger tapping." While underg...Kids who get prescription asthma drugs visit ER less often
...ase involving inflammation and constriction of the muscles lining the airways. Asthmatic lungs overreact to allergens such as dust and cigarette smoke, exercise, cold and dry air, and other factors -- all collectively known as asthma triggers. When a trigger sets off a rapid narrowing of the airways, asthmat...New material improves treatment of urinary incontinence
... the most common type of incontinence occurs when muscles in the pelvis are too weak to support the bladder ...n men. The condition can also occur in women whose muscles have been weakened by childbirth. Made from micrometer-sized polymer beads called microspheres, the......open wound, your body moves, your skin moves, your muscles flex, and if this doesn't flex with it, it simply is going to tear. This has good mechanical strength, but it also has elasticity," he said. Miller estimated the collagen-based sealant needs to be applied only once, therefore making it relatively in...Thymus transplant might save babies born without immune systems
...nt the slices of thymus tissue into the quadriceps muscles of both legs of the complete DiGeorge Syndrome baby. Without an immune system, the body cannot reject new organs. Therefore, matching the donor thymus tissue to the complete DiGeorge Syndrome baby is not necessary. "We often find that parents, upon l......." The eye's lens focuses by changing shape. When muscles in the eye relax, the lens is pulled flat to focus on distant objects. When they contract, the lens returns to a fatter shape, bringing closer objects into focus. But as we age, our lenses harden, preventing them reforming into their fatter shape: th...