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Stem cells are undifferentiated cells showcasing a remarkable capacity of self-replenishing and differentiating into mature cells. Their ability to proliferate connotes that a designated stem cell source is capable of generating an unrestricted number of mature cells. The ever-increasing comprehension of position, activity, and function of ocular stem cells has led to rapid progress and incessant improvement of possible procedures and therapies. A narrative review was conducted to summarize the current evidence on clinical trials and respective literature, regarding current evolution in the field of ocular regenerative medicine. We tried to ascertain the safety of experimental and clinical procedures, their effectiveness, and the ethical repercussion of their use., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Purpose The EU-funded research project EVOTION has brought together clinical, technical, and public health experts with the aim to offer a solution for the holistic management of hearing loss. This report presents the challenges, strengths, and key take-home messages of working in this multidisciplinary consortium. Method Fifteen consortium members completed an online survey with 6 open-ended questions. Responses were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results Analysis identified 4 main themes: (a) communication , that is, cross-disciplinary communication difficulties but also range of expertise; (b) opportunities , that is, innovation, learning, and collaborations; (c) technology , that is, technical requirements and data collection and management issues; and (d) local constraints , that is, institutional limitations, resources, and planning. Conclusions Although the challenges reported differed by country and specialty, there was consensus about the value, expertise, and opportunities of the project. It is recommended that in future similar multidisciplinary projects in audiology, researchers establish a common language and assess technical requirements and local constraints prior to initiating research activities.

We review the anatomical variations of the hypoglossal nerve and their surgical and clinical significance, and we report multiple diseases that affect function of the nerve leading to paresis, either unilateral or bilateral. The hypoglossal nerve is the 12th cranial nerve, and knowledge of the detailed anatomy and relationship with critical structures is of paramount importance in neurosurgery, head and neck surgery, and vascular surgery. Numerous studies have depicted conventional landmarks in the cervical part of the hypoglossal nerve, but their findings have not been consistent reliable. We analyze and review these critical landmarks used to identify and preserve the hypoglossal nerve during surgery and to minimize iatrogenic complications in head and neck, neurosurgical, and vascular procedures. We performed an online database search during January and February 2019 to pinpoint the diseases that affect function of the nerve. According to this literature review, apart from iatrogenic injury during surgery, the most frequently observed cause of paresis is pressure due to the presence of tumours and head injury. Furthermore, motor neuron degenerative conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis or tooth infection and presence of an aberrant vessel in the hypoglossal canal can affect the function of the nerve.

Purpose: The scarcity of health care resources calls for their rational allocation, including within hearing health care. Policies define the course of action to reach specific goals such as optimal hearing health. The process of policy making can be divided into 4 steps: (a) problem identification and issue recognition, (b) policy formulation, (c) policy implementation, and (d) policy evaluation. Data and evidence, especially Big Data, can inform each of the steps of this process. Big Data can inform the macrolevel (policies that determine the general goals and actions), mesolevel (specific services and guidelines in organizations), and microlevel (clinical care) of hearing health care services. The research project EVOTION applies Big Data collection and analysis to form an evidence base for future hearing health care policies., Method: The EVOTION research project collects heterogeneous data both from retrospective and prospective cohorts (clinical validation) of people with hearing impairment. Retrospective data from clinical repositories in the United Kingdom and Denmark will be combined. As part of a clinical validation, over 1,000 people with hearing impairment will receive smart EVOTION hearing aids and a mobile phone application from clinics located in the United Kingdom and Greece. These clients will also complete a battery of assessments, and a subsample will also receive a smartwatch including biosensors. Big Data analytics will identify associations between client characteristics, context, and hearing aid outcomes., Results: The evidence EVOTION will generate is relevant especially for the first 2 steps of the policy-making process, namely, problem identification and issue recognition, as well as policy formulation. EVOTION will inform microlevel, mesolevel, and macrolevel of hearing health care services through evidence-informed policies, clinical guidelines, and clinical care., Conclusion: In the future, Big Data can inform all steps of the hearing health policy-making process and all levels of hearing health care services.

Introduction: The holistic management of hearing loss (HL) requires an understanding of factors that predict hearing aid (HA) use and benefit beyond the acoustics of listening environments. Although several predictors have been identified, no study has explored the role of audiological, cognitive, behavioural and physiological data nor has any study collected real-time HA data. This study will collect 'big data', including retrospective HA logging data, prospective clinical data and real-time data via smart HAs, a mobile application and biosensors. The main objective is to enable the validation of the EVOTION platform as a public health policy-making tool for HL., Methods and Analysis: This will be a big data international multicentre study consisting of retrospective and prospective data collection. Existing data from approximately 35 000 HA users will be extracted from clinical repositories in the UK and Denmark. For the prospective data collection, 1260 HA candidates will be recruited across four clinics in the UK and Greece. Participants will complete a battery of audiological and other assessments (measures of patient-reported HA benefit, mood, cognition, quality of life). Patients will be offered smart HAs and a mobile phone application and a subset will also be given wearable biosensors, to enable the collection of dynamic real-life HA usage data. Big data analytics will be used to detect correlations between contextualised HA usage and effectiveness, and different factors and comorbidities affecting HL, with a view to informing public health decision-making., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval was received from the London South East Research Ethics Committee (17/LO/0789), the Hippokrateion Hospital Ethics Committee (1847) and the Athens Medical Center's Ethics Committee (KM140670). Results will be disseminated through national and international events in Greece and the UK, scientific journals, newsletters, magazines and social media. Target audiences include HA users, clinicians, policy-makers and the general public., Trial Registration Number: NCT03316287; Pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Oticon A/S, which manufactures the HAs used in this study, is an EVOTION project partner but not the sponsor. The EVOTION HA is a research-only extension based on the Oticon Opn HA made specifically for this project., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) on serum lipid profile, plasma sex steroid levels, and ventral prostate structure in rats., Methods: Beginning at 120 days of age, male Wistar rats were fed for 5 months with either standard rat chow (15 animals) or standard chow enriched with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid (15 animals). The body and ventral prostate weights (VPWs), plasma sex steroid levels, and lipid profiles were determined, and prostate morphology in fixed tissue sections were studied., Results: The body weight of rats fed with HD did not differ from that of controls. However, both absolute and relative VPWs of HD animals were significantly lower than those of controls. HD resulted in significant elevation in total serum cholesterol and LDL levels, whereas HDL and triglyceride levels were comparable. Plasma total testosterone and estriol levels did not differ between groups, but their free fraction, along with sex hormone-binding globulin levels, were significantly affected. HD also affected the microscopic structure of the ventral prostate. Epithelial cells of the distal area formed papillary projections within the acinar lumen and had more cytoplasm than controls. In most cases, vesicular formations within the cytoplasmic area were also noted., Conclusions: Hypercholesterolemia causes marked changes in the ventral prostate, serum lipid profile, and plasma sex steroid profile in rats and possibly alters prostate morphology by affecting the sex steroid axis, thus contributing to prostatic disease pathogenesis., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The use of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) is well known in clinical medical practice. In vitro studies of cell cultures infected by HIV and H5N1 virus have shown that PVP-I has an antiviral action, while the cell hosts were not affected and survived. It is therefore worth investigating whether PVP-I, diluted with Ringer's solution, may have a therapeutic effect by parenteral administration. Specifically, the question is whether small concentrations of intravenous PVP-I could be well tolerated by the human organism, and in addition, if it would be possible to detect a beneficial activity. Its intravenous use may have a potential value against infections (by microbes, viruses, fungi and parasites), as well as an anti-inflammatory activity, especially in cases where antibiotics are ineffective. It could be used as a blood disinfectant, for treating burns, for the prevention of cancer, for the therapy of H5N1 influenza after its mutation, and other potential applications.