Six states and the District of Columbia allow some degree of physician-assisted suicide, and laws are under consideration in 16 other states. Upstate psychiatrist Ronald Pies, MD, explains how acceptance of physician-assisted suicide is growing in America. Physician-assisted suicide involves prescribing a lethal medication to a patient who wishes to end his or her life. It differs from euthanasia, which is also called mercy killing and involves the participation of someone else who administers the medication, usually by injection, that will cause death. Pies is a professor of psychiatry and a lecturer on bioethics and humanities at Upstate. He is also the editor-in-chief emeritus of the journal Psychiatric Times. He says a misconception exists about the reasons people seek physician-assisted suicide. It's not necessarily because a person is in horrible pain at the end of life. Rather, most of the people in Oregon and Washington who sought physician-assisted suicide were afraid of becoming dependent upon others or had anxiety about dying. He goes on to explain how laws and acceptance of this practice are different in Canada and Europe. To read some of Pies' writings on the topic, click here and here.

Making a low wage is a health hazard, says Jeanette Zoeckler, PhD, the director of research and special projects for the Occupational Health Clinical Center at Upstate. She's been immersed in the Low-Wage Workers' Health Project since 2013, analyzing the health effects of low-wage jobs on workers, mostly from the service sectors of multiple industries. Conditions that can put workers at risk include: chemicals used in the workplace, requirements to stand for long periods, the sheer volume of work and in some cases, an emotional toll. Her study charts a variety of symptoms reported by 559 low-wage workers from the Syracuse area. The next phase of her research will expand into other areas of Central New York.

Cigarette smoking can reduce blood flow, impede bone creation and affect pain levels. "It's the worst thing you can do for your recovery," says orthopedic surgeon Michael Fitzgerald, MD. He tells patients they need to stop smoking in order to improve the health of their bones, particularly during recovery from surgery or injury. Bone health is affected by nicotine and carbon monoxide, he explains, and he believes orthopedic surgeons have a role in smoking cessation.

The best way to treat a burn at home is to immediately place the burned area under cool running water, says nurse Tamara Roberts, the burn program manager for Upstate University Hospital's Clark Burn Center. She cautions not to use ice or ice water, since extreme cold can help a burn progress. Some burns require medical treatment, including severe burns to the hands or feet, any burns that result in dark red and painful areas or open blisters, or burns that are white in color, a sign of a third-degree burn. Roberts explains the types of care provided at the burn center, which last year treated 308 patients. The six-bed specialized unit serves people from more than 40 Central and Upstate New York counties. Click here for a burn safety checklist and here for information about the burn survivors' support group.

Orthopedic surgeon Michael Fitzgerald, MD, tells how smoking impacts bone health. Psychiatrist Diane St. Fleur, MD, explains how community displacement affects mental health. Bioethicists Thomas Curran, MD, and Robert Olick, JD, PhD, discuss how to solve family disagreements over end-of-life issues.

Cardiologist Robert Carhart Jr., MD, explains how to recognize a heart attack. Urologists Timothy Byler, MD, and Michael Daugherty, MD, discuss how the human papillomavirus affects men. And oncologist Gloria Morris, MD, PhD, talks about the hereditary risk of cancer.

The Interstate 81 project in Syracuse will likely result in some forced relocations for people and businesses. Psychiatrists have a term -- "community displacement" -- for when a population is moved by another entity. Upstate child psychiatrist Diane St. Fleur, MD, says the emotional trauma that accompanies such displacement is similar to that of a divorce, when a family is ripped apart. She warns that such moves can cause stress and decrease the social cohesiveness of a community, and she shares advice that can help minimize the impact.

Scientists explain research taking place in Syracuse: Frank Middleton, PhD, on a saliva test to detect concussion; Jason Horton, PhD, and Pranav Soman, PhD, on building replacement bone with stem cells and a 3-D printer; and Steven Hicks, MD, PhD, on whether aerial pesticide spraying might be related to autism rates in children.

Exceedingly low HPV vaccination rates among young men are putting the men, and their sexual partners, at increased risk for the human papillomavirus. Certain strains of the virus cause genital warts and are implicated in penile cancers, say Upstate urologists Timothy Byler, MD (at right in photo), and Michael Daugherty, MD (at left), who have conducted research on the topic. They explain what men can do to protect themselves.

Some types of cancer can be traced to genetic mutations that run in families. Oncologists who specialize in genetic counseling, such as Upstate's Gloria Morris, MD, PhD, are able to discuss genetic risk with concerned family members and provide genetic testing if warranted. She talks about some types of breast cancers, gynecological cancers, kidney cancers and colon cancers that tend to run in families and what patients can expect if they meet with a genetic counselor. For more on genetic counseling, call the Upstate Cancer Center's multidisciplinary suite at 315-464-3510 or click here.