Background: Alveolar bone defects are usually the main concern when planning implant treatments for the appropriate oral rehabilitation of patients. To improve local conditions and achieve implant treatments, there are several methods used for increasing bone volume, among which one of the most successful, versatile, and effective is considered to be guided bone regeneration. The aim of this demonstrative study was to propose an innovative analysis protocol for the evaluation of the effect of photobiomodulation on the bone regeneration process, using rat calvarial defects of 5 mm in diameter, filled with xenograft, covered with collagen membrane, and then exposed to laser radiation. Methods: The animals were sacrificed at different points in time (i.e., after 14, 21, and 30 days). Samples of identical dimensions were harvested in order to compare the results obtained after different periods of healing. The analysis was performed by cross-linking the information obtained using histology and high-resolution synchrotron-based tomography on the same samples. A comparison was made with both the negative control (NC) group (with a bone defect which was left for spontaneous healing), and the positive control (PC) group (in which the bone defects were filled with xenografts and collagen membrane without receiving laser treatment). Results: We demonstrated that using photobiomodulation provides a better healing effect than when receiving only the support of the biomaterial. This effect has been evident for short times treatments, i.e., during the first 14 days after surgery. Conclusion: The proposed analysis protocol was effective in detecting the presence of higher quantities of bone volumes under remodeling after photobiomodulation with respect to the exclusive bone regeneration guided by the xenograft.

Advanced preservation injury (PI) after intestinal transplantation has deleterious short- and long-term effects and constitutes a major research topic. Logistics and costs favor rodent studies, whereas clinical translation mandates studies in larger animals or using human material. Despite diverging reports, no direct comparison between the development of intestinal PI in rats, pigs, and humans is available. We compared the development of PI in rat, porcine, and human intestines. Intestinal procurement and cold storage (CS) using histidine–tryptophan–ketoglutarate solution was performed in rats, pigs, and humans. Tissue samples were obtained after 8, 14, and 24 h of CS), and PI was assessed morphologically and at the molecular level (cleaved caspase-3, zonula occludens, claudin-3 and 4, tricellulin, occludin, cytokeratin-8) using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Intestinal PI developed slower in pigs compared to rats and humans. Tissue injury and apoptosis were significantly higher in rats. Tight junction proteins showed quantitative and qualitative changes differing between species. Significant interspecies differences exist between rats, pigs, and humans regarding intestinal PI progression at tissue and molecular levels. These differences should be taken into account both with regards to study design and the interpretation of findings when relating them to the clinical setting.

Background: Perforator flaps account for a fraction of reconstructive procedures despite their growing popularity. Specific microsurgical skills are required for successful harvesting of perforator flaps, which are difficult to attain through direct operating room training. Cadaver and small animal dissection cannot simulate human perforator dissection, lacking either bleeding and vessel feedback or providing too small calibers. Thus, we have developed and refined over the last ten years five perforator flaps models in living pig, described their harvesting technique and provided evidence for their effectiveness as perforator flap training models. Method: CT angiography data from ten living pigs was used for detailed examination of the integument’s vascular anatomy. Microsurgical techniques were used to standardize and harvest the perforator flaps in acute models. The same operator-assistant team, with no prior perforator flap harvesting experience, raised all flaps in a sequential manner, one animal per day, during a 7 weeks timespan. Porcine flaps were compared to human counterparts in terms of vessel caliber, dissection times. Immediate flap survival was measured as duration of perforator pulsation after completion of flap harvesting, measured every 10 minutes for up to two hours. Results: Five perforator flaps were standardized, based on the deep cranial epigastric, thoracodorsal, lateral intercostal, cranial gluteal and dorsal cervical arteries and the operative technique was described in detail. Mean pig perforator size was 1.24±0.36 mm and mean pedicle diameter was 2.78±0.8 mm, which matched closely the human calibers for each flap. Total harvesting time increased 22.4% between the first two experiments due to a more cautious approach following the lack of perforator pulsation in all flaps in the first experimental animal. A total decrease of 44.4% harvesting time between second and last experiment was observed, as expected with all repetitive surgical procedures. Post-operative perforator pulsation time revealed a steep learning curve, with no or short-term pulsatile perforators in the first five pigs, followed by a 275% increase in total perforator pulsation time between 5^th and 6^th experimental animal. Based on these findings we provide a description of the most common mistakes, their consequences and gestures which can be trained using the pig perforator flaps, in order to overcome these mistakes. Conclusion: These five pig perforator flap models provide a fast and efficient learning tool to develop perforator flap harvesting skills safely. Surgical training using these five experimental models offers a similar hands-on perforator flap dissection experience as with human tissue, based on the similar sized calibers of both perforators and pedicles with their human counterparts.

This study investigated the attitude of Romanian medical students and doctors toward business ethics by measuring the preference for a particular ethical philosophy, namely, the preference for Machiavellianism, moral objectivism, social Darwinism, ethical relativism, and legalism. At the same time, this study aimed to explore the influence of sex, age, and ethics education on the attitude toward business ethics. The data collection was performed using a voluntary self-administered online survey including the Attitudes Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) instrument. Our findings show that the values based on which Romanian medical students and doctors make business decisions belong predominantly to the moral objectivism philosophy, which is grounded on rational actions based on a set of objective moral standards.

Neoplastic disorders, particularly malignant carcinomas, are complex systemic diseases characterized by unregulated cellular proliferation, the invasion of adjacent tissues, and potential metastasis to distant bodily sites. Among the diverse spectrum of cancer subtypes, malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive form of cutaneous cancer originating in melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells resident in the skin. This malignancy is distinguished by its rapid and uncontrolled growth, as well as its propensity for metastasis to vital organs, thereby posing significant challenges to therapeutic intervention and prognostication. Early detection of melanoma is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes, as diagnosis at an advanced stage often yields a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Diagnostic modalities for melanoma encompass comprehensive clinical evaluations by dermatologists; radiological imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans; and excisional biopsies for accurate histopathological assessment. Malignant melanoma is typically treated with surgery to remove the tumor, followed by immunotherapy to enhance the immune response, targeted therapy for tumors with specific genetic mutations, chemotherapy for advanced stages, radiation therapy to manage metastasis, and other adjunct therapies. This review presents the properties and possible adjunct therapeutic effects against malignant melanoma of quercetin found in the literature and explores, based on the observed physicochemical properties and biological activity, its potential development as a topical formulation for cutaneous application. Quercetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid compound abundant in various plant-based food sources, including apples, onions, berries, and citrus fruits, and has exhibited promising antiproliferative, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Its distinctive biochemical structure enables quercetin to effectively neutralize reactive oxygen species and modulate key carcinogenic pathways, thereby rendering it a potential candidate for therapeutic intervention in managing malignant tumors, including melanoma.