Progress of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Neural and Retinal Diseases

Complex circuitry and limited regenerative power make central nervous system (CNS) disorders the most challenging and difficult for functional repair. With elusive disease mechanisms, traditional surgical and medical interventions merely slow down the progression of the neurodegenerative diseases. However, the number of neurons still diminishes in many patients. Recently, stem cell therapy has been proposed as a viable option. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a widely-studied human adult stem cell population, have been discovered for more than 20 years. MSCs have been found all over the body and can be conveniently obtained from different accessible tissues: bone marrow, blood, and adipose and dental tissue. MSCs have high proliferative and differentiation abilities, providing an inexhaustible source of neurons and glia for cell replacement therapy. Moreover, MSCs also show neuroprotective effects without any genetic modification or reprogramming. In addition, the extraordinary immunomodulatory properties of MSCs enable autologous and heterologous transplantation. These qualities heighten the clinical applicability of MSCs when dealing with the pathologies of CNS disorders. Here, we summarize the latest progress of MSC experimental research as well as human clinical trials for neural and retinal diseases. This review article will focus on multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, autism, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration

Western Australian Radiology Departments’ Views on Australian Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record

Introduction: Since the last decade, many countries have started developing a national electronic health record (EHR). The national EHR in Australia is called Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR). It has been available for use since 1 July 2012. A federal government’s review of its implementation was conducted in late 2013 because it failed to meet the set targets. The purpose of this study was to investigate Western Australian radiology departments’ views on the PCEHR complementary to the government’s review report. Methods: Chief medical imaging technologists (n=18) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) administrators (n=18) from public and private hospitals in Western Australian were invited to participate in this study in May 2014. The response rate for participation was 22.2 percent (8/36). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants to obtain their perceptions of PCEHR. The interviews were analysed inductively and thematically. Results: There were eight people (n=8) who agreed to participate. They believed the PCEHR would enhance efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services if barriers to its implementation were addressed. The major barriers identified were concern of individual privacy, increase of staff workload, inadequate system functionalities and training, lack of involvement of stakeholders and money. The use of Medicare to provide both positive and negative incentives to the stakeholders was suggested as a viable solution to address the current barriers. Conclusion: This study investigated four Western Australian radiology departments’ perceptions of PCEHR. Although their perceptions were similar to the ideas in the government’s review report in general, new insights were also provided by the participants. These findings could potentially complement the government’s review

Pluripotent Adult Stem Cells: A Potential Revolution in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering

Stem cells have generated a lot of excitement among the researchers, clinicians and the public alike. Various types of stem cells are being evaluated for their regenerative potential. Marginal benefit resulting by transplanting autologus stem cells (deemed to be absolutely safe) in various clinical conditions has been proposed to be a growth factor effect rather than true regeneration. In contrast, various pre-clinical studies have been undertaken, using differentiated cells from embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells have shown promise, functional improvement and no signs of teratoma formation. The scientists are not in a rush to reach the clinic but a handful of clinical studies have shown promise. This book is a collection of studies/reviews, beginning with an introduction to the pluripotent stem cells and covering various aspects like derivation, differentiation, ethics, etc., and hence would provide insight into the recent standing on the pluripotent stem cells biology. The chapters have been categorized into three sections, covering subjects ranging from the generation of pluripotent stem cells and various means of their derivation from embryonic as well as adult tissues, the mechanistic understanding of pluripotency and narrating the potential therapeutic implications of these in vitro generated cells in various diseases, in addition to the associated pros and cons in the same.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cnso_bio_facbooks/1014/thumbnail.jp

Optimum Tube Voltage for Pelvic Direct Radiography: A Phantom Study

Pelvic radiography is a frequently performed radiological examination. Its average effective dose (E) is 0.53 mSv which is comparable to the annual per caput dose from diagnostic radiology, 0.6 mSv. However, existing studies on optimum tube potential for pelvic X-rays tend to be limited to screen-film and computed radiography. The purpose of this study was to determine the tube voltage for dose-image optimisation in pelvic direct radiography (DR). Fifty-four pelvic phantom images were acquired using 50-135 kV at 5 kV increments (three images taken at each kV level) and milliampere seconds determined by automatic exposure control. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dose were measured for each image. Figure of merit (FOM) defined as the ratio of SNR2 to E was used to determine the optimum tube potential. The FOM indicates 135 kV is the optimum setting for pelvic DR. Using the European Commission tube voltage recommendation (75-90 kV) as a reference point, there was only a slight (5.56%) decrease of image quality in the femoral neck region at 135 kV. However, its E was 0.054 mSv. This appreciable dose reduction potential could be attributed to the improvement of detective quantum efficiency and image processing technology of the recent DR system

PLASER: Pronunciation Learning via Automatic Speech Recognition

PLASER is a multimedia tool with instant feedback designed to teach English pronunciation for high-school students of Hong Kong whose mother tongue is Cantonese Chinese. The objective is to teach correct pronunciation and not to assess a student's overall pronunciation quality. Major challenges related to speech recognition technology include: allowance for non-native accent, reliable and corrective feedbacks, and visualization of errors

University Staff’s Perceptions of Community College Transfer Students’ Transition Experiences Within a “2+2” Pathway in an Asian Educational Context

Various countries have alternative pathway policies for 2-year community college graduates to articulate to 2-year university study, forming a “2+2” pathway. However, few studies have explored university staff members’ perceptions of this “2+2” transfer pathway and their understanding of transfer students’ (TSs) transition experiences. This descriptive qualitative study addressed this research gap. Forty-two academic and supporting staff participated in the focus group interviews. Specifically, the study explored the assets and challenges of the “2+2” pathway from the university staff perspective in Hong Kong. The articulation pathway and TSs are highly recognized for their prior learning, academic performances, and the value of the second chance. However, while the university staff were sympathetic to the challenges filling these transfer pathways, their offering of help was limited by government funding and policies restrictions. It is recommended that policies should be established at government and university levels to recognize and tackle TSs’ unique needs to alleviate their heavy workloads through better articulation between community college and university studies. Improving articulation will allow TSs time for social involvement in university life and thus enhance their mental well-being

Pain Controlling and Cytokine-regulating Effects of Lyprinol, a Lipid Extract of Perna Canaliculus, in a Rat Adjuvant-induced Arthritis Model

Using an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model, we investigated the effects of a lipid extract of Perna canaliculus (Lyprinol®) on pain. Radiological examinations, as well as levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory (AI) cytokines, were measured aiming to provide independent objective data to the pain controlling investigation. We confirmed the ability of Lyprinol® to control pain at the initial phase of its administration; with similar efficacy to that observed with Naproxen. The pain scores slowly increased again in the group of rats treated with Lyprinol® after day 9–14. The Naproxen-treated rats remained pain-free while treated. Both Naproxen and Lyprinol® decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ, and increased that of IL-10. Extra-virgin olive oil was ineffective on cytokine secretion. Rats treated with Lyprinol® were apparently cured after 1 year. This study confirms the AI efficacy of this lipid extract of P. canaliculus, its initial analgesic effect, its perfect tolerance and its long-term healing properties

Laboratory Diagnosis of SARS

The virologic test results of 415 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were examined. The peak detection rate for SARS-associated coronavirus occurred at week 2 after illness onset for respiratory specimens, at weeks 2 to 3 for stool or rectal swab specimens, and at week 4 for urine specimens. The latest stool sample that was positive by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was collected on day 75 while the patient was receiving intensive care. Tracheal aspirate and stool samples had a higher diagnostic yield (RT-PCR average positive rate for first 2 weeks: 66.7% and 56.5%, respectively). Pooled throat and nasal swabs, rectal swab, nasal swab, throat swab, and nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens provided a moderate yield (29.7%–40.0%), whereas throat washing and urine specimens showed a lower yield (17.3% and 4.5%). The collection procedures for stool and pooled nasal and throat swab specimens were the least likely to transmit infection, and the combination gave the highest yield for coronavirus detection by RT-PCR. Positive virologic test results in patient groups were associated with mechanical ventilation or death (p < 0.001), suggesting a correlation between viral load and disease severity