Image Guided Frontal Sinus Mapping: Our Technique |
Author : Premjit S Randhawa*, Gentle Wong and William E Grant |
Abstract | Full Text |
Abstract :Access to the frontal sinus is challenging and both external and endoscopic approaches are described in the literature. Where an external approach is indicated, a bicoronal osteoplastic flap procedure is generally preferred as this reduces fronto-ethmoidal recess stenosis and allows obliteration if required [1]. Precise demarcation of the anatomy of the frontal sinus is crucial when using this technique to avoid inadvertently entering the anterior cranial fossa. |
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Middle Ear Surgery: Pointers and Pitfalls |
Author : Lee KJ* |
Abstract | Full Text |
Abstract :Careful preoperative selection of patients is one of the most important aspects to avoid complications. First, accurate audiology is essential. Audiological studies can contain inaccuracies as a result of machine, human, or calibration error. The otolaryngologist can use tuning forks judiciously to efficiently check results of the audiology. The 256, 512, and 1024 tuning forks, used in conjunction, can determine the degree of conductive hearing loss. In this way, otolaryngologists can operate on patients who have conductive hearing loss, not nerve hearing loss, which naturally leads to better results. |
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Alteration of the Methylation Status of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA) is involved in Proliferation and Invasion of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Cells |
Author : Ju-Hong Yang, Chun-Sheng Lu and Song Zhang* |
Abstract | Full Text |
Abstract :The extracellular matrix degradation is the most important step in the process of tumor cell metastasis. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) can catalyzes the conversion of the inactive zymogen plasminogen to the active broad-spectrum plasmin, which degrades a number of matrix proteins and also activates other proteases, including some matrix metalloproteinases. In this study, we evaluated that effect of methylation status of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) on invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal cancer cells. Methylation status of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) was detected by Methylation-specific PCR in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to detect the expression of uPA mRNA in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell. Invasive and proliferation capacity of CNE2 cell was detected by using Boyden chamber Matrigel invasion assay and Cell proliferation assay after MBD2 knockdown. Our data demonstrated that uPA gene promoter hypomethylation is related to strong uPA mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal cancer cell, uPA mRNA expression was significantly reduced after MBD2 knockdown in the CNE2 cells, the proliferation and invasion capacity of CNE2 cells was significantly inhibited after MBD2 knockdown. Our data suggest that reversal of uPA gene hypomethylation will become a novel therapeutic approach for blocking nasopharyngeal cancer progression and metastatic. |
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A Cephalometric Analysis of Hemifacial Microsomia |
Author : Xiaoli Li, Zhenghui Wang*, Zhuangqun Yang and Min Xu |
Abstract | Full Text |
Abstract :Objective: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the facial asymmetry systematically using the cephalometric method, so as to demonstrate the difference on both sides of Hemifacial microsomia(HFM) in adult. |
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Risk Factors for Asthma Hospitalization among Adults and Elderly |
Author : László Makra*, István Matyasovszky, Beatrix Bálint, Károly Bodnár and Gábor Tusnády |
Abstract | Full Text |
Abstract :Joint effect of biological (pollen) and chemical air pollutants on asthma emergency room (ER) visits was analyzed for Szeged region of Southern Hungary. Our database of a nine-year period (1999-2007) includes daily number of asthma emergency room (ER) visits, and daily mean concentrations of CO, PM10, NO, NO2 , O3 and SO2 , furthermore two pollen variables (Ambrosia and total pollen excluding Ambrosia), as well. The analysis was performed for ER visits of asthma bronchiale using two age groups (adults and the elderly) of males and females for three seasons. Factor analysis was performed in order to clarify the relative importance of the pollutant variables affecting asthma ER visits. Asthma ER visits denote notably stronger associations with the pollutants in adult male than in adult female patients both for the pollen season of Ambrosia and the pollen-free season. Furthermore, adults are substantially more sensitive to severe asthma attack than the elderly for the season of total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen. The joint effect of the chemical and pollen variables is the highest for the asthma ER cases in the pollen season of Ambrosia, basically due to the extra impact of the total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen and partly due to Ambrosia pollen. A nonparametric regression technique was applied to discriminate between events of ER visit – no ER visit using pollen and chemical pollutants as explaining variables. Based on multiple correlations, the strongest relationships between ER visits and pollutants are observed during the pollen-free season. The elderly group with asthma bronchiale is characterized by weaker relationships between ER visits and pollutants compared to adults. Ratio of the number of correct decisions on the events of ER visit – no ER visit is lowest for the season of total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen. Otherwise, similar conclusions hold as those received by multiple correlations. |
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