Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two types: Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) is the early stage of the disease in which symptoms will be mild or nonexistent. In NPDR, the blood vessels in the retina are weakened. ... Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is the more advanced form of the disease.

The vast majority of glucocorticoid activity in most mammals is from cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone. Corticosterone, the major glucocorticoid in rodents, is another glucocorticoid. Cortisol binds to the glucocorticoid receptor in the cytoplasm and the hormone-receptor complex is then translocated into the nucleus, where it binds to its DNA response element and modulates transcription from a battery of genes, leading to changes in the cell's phenotype. Only about 10% of circulating cortisol is free. The remaining majority circulates bound to plasma proteins, particularly corticosteroid-binding globulin (transcortin). This protein binding likely decreases the metabolic clearance rate of glucocorticoids and, because the bound steroid is not biologically active, tends to act as a buffer and blunt wild fluctuations in cortisol concentration.

You may have heard that some positions, such as your partner on top (missionary position), are better than others for getting pregnant. In fact, there's no evidence to back these theories up. Experts just haven't done the research yet. What experts have done, though, is use scanning to show what's going on inside when you're doing the deed. The research looked at two positions: the missionary position and doggy style. (Doggy style being when you're on all fours, and your partner enters you from behind). Common sense tells us that these positions allow for deep penetration. This means that they're more likely to place sperm right next to your cervix (the opening of your uterus). The scans confirm that the tip of the penis reaches the areas between the cervix and vaginal walls in both of these positions. The missionary position allows the penis to reach the area at the front of the cervix. The rear entry position reaches the area at back of the cervix. It's amazing what some experts spend their time doing, isn't it! Other positions, such as standing up, or woman on top, may be just as good for getting sperm right next to the cervix. We just don't know yet. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/sex-for-getting-pregnant#ixzz4XKnPLbxL

As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over time, high blood glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death among people with diabetes.

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a treatment that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. CPAP typically is used by people who have breathing problems, such as sleep apnea. CPAP also may be used to treat preterm infants whose lungs have not fully developed.

There are 3 major parts of the respiratory system: the airway, the lungs, and the muscles of respiration. The airway, which includes the nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, carries air between the lungs and the body's exterior.

What Really Happens When You Swallow Gum?

What Happens When You're In a Coma?

Gallstone ileus is an important, though infrequent, cause of mechanical bowel obstruction, affecting older adult patients who often have other significant medical conditions. It is caused by impaction of a gallstone in the ileum after being passed through a biliary-enteric fistula. The diagnosis is often delayed since symptoms may be intermittent and investigations fail to identify the cause of the obstruction. The mainstay of treatment is removal of the obstructing stone after resuscitating the patient. Gallstone ileus continues to be associated with relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality.

A small-bowel obstruction (SBO) is caused by a variety of pathologic processes. The leading cause of SBO in industrialized countries is postoperative adhesions (60%), followed by malignancy, Crohn disease, and hernias, although some studies have reported Crohn disease as a greater etiologic factor than neoplasia.

Gastroparesis -- literally “paralyzed stomach” -- is a serious condition manifested by delayed emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine after a meal. There is no cure for gastroparesis, but treatment can speed gastric emptying and relieve gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Both selegiline and rasagiline can improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, although their effects are small compared with levodopa. They can be used alongside levodopa or dopamine agonists. MAO-B inhibitors are generally very well tolerated, but can occasionally cause side effects, including: nausea.

Many children receive MRIs at the hospital, and it can often be a scary experience if they are unprepared or don't know what to expect.

blood transfusion performance

A hemolytic transfusion reaction is a serious complication that can occur after a transfusion of blood. The red blood cells that were given in the transfusion are destroyed by the patient's immune system. There are other types of allergic transfusion reactions that do not cause hemolysis.

The superior sagittal sinus (also known as the superior longitudinal sinus), within the human head, is an unpaired area along the attached margin of falx cerebri. It allows blood to drain from the lateral aspects of anterior cerebral hemispheres to the confluence of sinuses.

The dural venous sinuses are spaces between the endosteal and meningeal layers of the dura. They contain venous blood that originates for the most part from the brain or cranial cavity. The sinuses contain an endothelial lining that is continuous into the veins that are connected to them.

-Korsakoff's syndrome is a common and preventable sequel of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Thiamine, if given during the stage of Wernicke's encephalopathy, can prevent the onset of Korsakoff's psychosis. The administration of glucose prior to thiamine can precipitate Korsakoff's syndrome, as seen in this case. In such patients, brain MRI frequently shows abnormal enhancement of the mammillary bodies & thallamus

Cerebral palsy refers to brain damage that occurs before a child is five years old. Therefore, adults cannot develop cerebral palsy. However, cerebral palsy does not get better or worse with age, so when a child has the condition, he or she will continue to have the condition into adulthood.

The patient has spasticity in the lower extremities greater than the upper extremities. The hips and knees are flexed and adducted with the ankles extended and internally rotated. When the patient walks both lower extremities are circumducted and the upper extremities are held in a mid or low guard position. This type of gait is usually seen with bilateral periventricular lesions. The legs are more affected than the arms because the corticospinal tract axons that are going to the legs are closest to the ventricles.