COVID-19 and the mental well-being of Australian medical students: impact, concerns and coping strategies used.

Objective: Medical students are vulnerable to poor mental well-being. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted student life and had significant effects on curricula delivery at medical schools around Australia. The study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on medical student mental well-being, assess concerns and determine activities used by students to help with the situation.

No evidence for the need of a routine renal transplant ultrasound after elective transplant ureteric stent removal-A retrospective cohort study.

Transplant ureteric stent insertion reduces the incidence of MUCs, but it is not known whether routine PSRGU is needed to detect unmasked MUCs. This study evaluated whether routine PSRGU in the pRTR is a useful tool to identify MUCs before they become clinically apparent. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of the clinical outcomes following elective stent removal from pediatric kidney-only transplant recipients at two London centers between 2012 and 2016.

Current lung cancer screening practice amongst general practitioners in Western Australia: a cross-sectional study.

Lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) is recommended in the USA and Canada for high-risk smokers but not in Australia. We administered a cross-sectional survey to Western Australian general practitioners (GP). The majority (64/93, 69%) reported requesting a screening chest X-ray (42/93, 45%) and/or LDCT (38/93, 41%) in the past year.

Cardiac troponin testing for diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes in primary care.

Objective: To examine the use of cardiac troponin (cTn) testing for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis in primary care.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study; general practitioner-initiated cTn tests conducted from 24 September 2009 to 3 September 2010 in Perth, Western Australia. Patient outcomes were obtained from linked data sources for up to 12 months after the final test.

An inclusive approach to raising standards in general practice: working with a 'community of practice' in Western Australia.

Background: In this study we explored the challenges to establishing a community of practice (CoP) to address standards in general practice. We focused on the issue of improving referral letters which are the main form of communication between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists. There is evidence to suggest that the information relayed to specialists at the time of referral could be improved.

Biocompatibility of acellular human pericardium.

Background: Previous studies have shown successful decellularization of human pericardium without affecting the major structural components and strength of the matrix. The aim of this study was to assess the biocompatibility and reseeding potential of the acellular human pericardial scaffold.

Materials And Methods: Pericardia were treated sequentially with hypotonic buffer, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and a nuclease solution.

Development and characterization of an acellular human pericardial matrix for tissue engineering.

This study aimed to produce an acellular human tissue scaffold with a view to recellularization with autologous cells to produce a tissue-engineered pericardium that can be used as a patch for cardiovascular repair. Human pericardia from cadaveric donors were treated sequentially with hypotonic buffer, SDS in hypotonic buffer, and a nuclease solution. Histological analysis of decellularized matrices showed that the human pericardial tissue retained its histioarchitecture and major structural proteins.

Tissue engineering of cardiac valves: re-seeding of acellular porcine aortic valve matrices with human mesenchymal progenitor cells.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Tissue-engineered heart valves have the potential to overcome the limitations of present heart valve replacements. This study investigated the potential for re-seeding an acellular porcine heart valve matrix using human mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC).

Methods: MPC were isolated from the bone marrow of patients undergoing hip replacement operations.

In-vitro assessment of the functional performance of the decellularized intact porcine aortic root.

Background And Aims Of The Study: Tissue-engineered heart valves offer the potential to deliver a heart valve replacement that will develop with the young patient. The present authors' approach is to use decellularized aortic heart valves reseeded in vitro or in vivo with the patient's own cells. It has been reported that treatment of porcine aortic valve leaflets with 0.

Biocompatibility and recellularization potential of an acellular porcine heart valve matrix.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Tissue-engineered heart valves have the potential to overcome the limitations of present heart valve replacements. The study aim was to investigate the biocompatibility and recellularization potential of an acellular porcine valve matrix.

Methods: Acellular porcine valve matrix contact and extract cytotoxicity was tested against porcine fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (SMC).

Tissue engineering of cardiac valve prostheses II: biomechanical characterization of decellularized porcine aortic heart valves.

Background And Aims Of The Study: For both young patients with congenital heart disease and young, growing adults there is a need for replacement heart valves that will develop with the patient. Tissue-engineered heart valves coupled with in-vitro recellularization have this potential. One approach is to use acellular tissue matrices, but the decellularization treatment must not affect the biomechanical integrity of the valvular matrix.

Tissue engineering of cardiac valve prostheses I: development and histological characterization of an acellular porcine scaffold.

Background And Aims Of The Study: Several deficiencies in current heart valve prostheses make them problematic for use in younger patients. Tissue valve substitutes are non-viable with a life expectancy of only 10-15 years, while mechanical valves require long-term anti-coagulation therapy. A solution to these problems would be to develop a tissue-engineered heart valve containing autologous cells, enabling the valve to maintain its biochemical and mechanical properties, yet grow with the patient.