Body

Chicago, IL – Despite widespread suffering of debilitating swallowing and voice problems among seniors, many are not seeking treatment for these issues, according to new research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

Maybe gourmands are not jumping for joy. Probably they would have preferred bigger amounts to sup-port their passion. Though the news is still good for them: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease. A new effect, demonstrated for the first time in a population study by the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute of Milan.

North Carolina State University scientists and colleagues have completed the genome sequence and genetic map of one of the world's most common and destructive plant parasites - Meloidogyne hapla, a microscopic, soil-dwelling worm known more commonly as the northern root-knot nematode.

PHILADELPHIA – Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have developed a novel test to screen for chemical modifications to DNA known as methylation. The technology potentially could be used both for early cancer diagnoses and for assessing patients' response to cancer therapies.

A normal liver is observed in about 10% of HCV infected patients and the natural history of theses so-called "healthy-HCV carriers" is not fully defined.

An article published on 28 June 2008, in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses the question of the evolution of theses "healthy-HCV carriers". In this research lead by Dr Sobesky R and his colleagues from the Unit of Hepatology, Hospital Cochin, Paris, the authors try to determine factors associated with fibrosis progression in HCV-infected patients without significant initial pathological lesions.

The pathogenic mechanisms implicated in the failure of intestinal barrier in cirrhosis have not been fully elucidated as yet and remains to be investigated.

Apoptosis is a programmed, active, highly selective mechanism of cell death. Abnormal regulation of apoptosis can lead to disorders such as cancer. The field of apoptosis research has undergone an explosion of new knowledge over the past decade. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a non-destructive and non-invasive technique that can provide complete structural analysis of a wide range of organic molecules in complex mixtures. This technique can be used to detect the metabolite alteration of apoptosis.

The incidence of tuberculosis is increasing. Lymphadenopathy is the most common manifestation of abdominal tuberculosis and may, in up to 55% of cases without other evidence of abdominal involvement, be easily confused with lymphomas involving abdominal lymph nodes. Clinical and radiologic differentiation between the two can be challenging. A comparison of CT findings in tuberculosis and lymphoma of the mesenteric lymph nodes has not been reported.

Chicago, IL – Leading experts in the study of hair cells and hearing loss will discuss state-of-the art developments in determining the genetic and environmental factors that cause Age-Related Hearing Impairment (ARHI) at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

p53-impaired tumors may be particularly suitable to parvovirus H-1-induced therapy. Although the p53 deficiency in tumors may induce resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, this will not affect the tumor cell susceptibility to H-1 PV-induced oncolytic infections. The parvovirus H-1 may also overcome other tumor resistance mechanisms developed in these tumor entities. So H-1 PV is a suitable agent to circumvent the resistance of p53-negative human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells to genotoxic agents, and enhances the apoptotic process which is dependent on functional PML.

Apoptosis resistance has been shown to contribute to the development of different cancer entities, such as colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Moreover, apoptosis resistance of carcinoma cells provides an explanation for low response rates in patients with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy. Thus, new treatment options to sensitize carcinoma cells to apoptosis induction are needed. It has been previously shown that anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, such as Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, are expressed in CRC.

The most popular treatment for H pylori is triple therapy but resistance to Clarithromycin is reducing its effectiveness. Courses using four drugs have been known to be more successful but are used less popular because of their side-effects. While, what is the best way for treating H pylori-related diseases.

Plants that grow more slowly stay fresh longer. In their study now published in PLoS Biology, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen have shown that certain small sections of genes, so-called microRNAs, coordinate growth and aging processes in plants. These microRNAs inhibit certain regulators, known as TCP transcription factors. These transcription factors in turn influence the production of jasmonic acid, a plant hormone.

Chicago, IL – Honey is very effective in killing bacteria in all its forms, especially the drug-resistant biofilms that make treating chronic rhinosinusitis difficult, according to research presented during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

Chicago, IL – Even as more and more people in the United States are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there remains a disconnect as to who can benefit from corrective surgery. Leading experts in the field of sleep medicine will attempt to answer the question of who could benefit from surgery, during a moderated discussion at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.