The Role of PET-CT in Gastric Cancer – A Narrative Review

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most common and leading causes of cancer death worldwide, with an increasing risk and prevalence. Although the usage of 18-FDG PET-CT in gastric cancer evaluation remains a matter of debate and is not consistently recommended by international guidelines, our descriptive review aims to highlight its actual role in the diagnostic accuracy, staging, therapeutic management, and relapse monitoring of this malignancy. Methods: The current research was conducted using scholarly databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar by searching useful science journals, references, and abstracts on the topic. The keywords used were “gastric cancer” AND “PET-CT”. Results: 18-FDG PET-CT remains a promising method with increasing clinical utility not only across a wide variety of malignancies, but also among gastric cancer patients. Conclusions: We are certain that with further improvements, this technique could improve the diagnosis and evaluation of gastric cancer, and make it more approachable and accurate. Keywords gastric cancer (GC), PET-CT, 18-FDG PET-CT, 18F-FDG uptake, ceCT (contrast-enhanced CT

Insights into mesh placement in contaminated surgical fields for abdominal wall repair – from prohibition to possibility

Surgical field contamination is a critical concern during abdominal wall prosthetic repair, as it significantly affects the risk of postoperative infections. This review paper combines an extensive analysis of relevant literature with personal experience to explore the challenges and advancements in the placement of mesh in contaminated surgical fields for the management of abdominal wall defects. Historically, the presence of any surgical field contamination was considered a contraindication for prosthetic placement due to the high risk of infection. However, with evolving understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of biologic reaction around the mesh, as well as the development of various mesh types, the landscape has changed. The emerging understanding of hostmesh interaction, biofilm formation, and local tissue response has contributed to the development of innovative mesh designs that improve outcomes in challenging surgical scenarios. With meticulous surgical technique, adherence to infection prevention protocols, and the appropriate choice of mesh, successful abdominal wall prosthetic repair in contaminated fields is now feasible, opening new possibilities for patients with ventral and incisional hernias

The switch from patented medicine to the generic one: an option or a necessity?

This paper assesses the influence of a number of factors taken into account when a brand name drug is replaced by a generic one. It also evaluates responses of health professionals – physicians and pharmacist—and patients regarding the issue of switching. We compared and contrasted their responses in order to identify new points of cooperation for the intended benefit of the patient. Thus, the sample drew from all three groups, consisting of 50 doctors, 50 pharmacists, and 50 patients. We collected information regarding the age, residence, income level, and education level for the patients, and age and experience for the specialists. Based on responses to the survey, replacing the original medication with a generic one raises many issues, such as lack of information for the patient and specialist, lack of collaboration between physician and pharmacist, ineffective communication between specialist and patient, and the influence of the overall profit motive

The switch from patented medicine to the generic one: an option or a necessity?

This paper assesses the influence of a number of factors taken into account when a brand name drug is replaced by a generic one. It also evaluates responses of health professionals – physicians and pharmacist—and patients regarding the issue of switching. We compared and contrasted their responses in order to identify new points of cooperation for the intended benefit of the patient. Thus, the sample drew from all three groups, consisting of 50 doctors, 50 pharmacists, and 50 patients. We collected information regarding the age, residence, income level, and education level for the patients, and age and experience for the specialists. Based on responses to the survey, replacing the original medication with a generic one raises many issues, such as lack of information for the patient and specialist, lack of collaboration between physician and pharmacist, ineffective communication between specialist and patient, and the influence of the overall profit motive

The switch from patented medicine to the generic one: an option or a necessity?

This paper assesses the influence of a number of factors taken into account when a brand name drug is replaced by a generic one. It also evaluates responses of health professionals – physicians and pharmacist—and patients regarding the issue of switching. We compared and contrasted their responses in order to identify new points of cooperation for the intended benefit of the patient. Thus, the sample drew from all three groups, consisting of 50 doctors, 50 pharmacists, and 50 patients. We collected information regarding the age, residence, income level, and education level for the patients, and age and experience for the specialists. Based on responses to the survey, replacing the original medication with a generic one raises many issues, such as lack of information for the patient and specialist, lack of collaboration between physician and pharmacist, ineffective communication between specialist and patient, and the influence of the overall profit motive

Recent Developments in Metallic Nanomaterials for Cancer Therapy, Diagnosing and Imaging Applications

Cancer continues to represent a global health concern, imposing an ongoing need to research for better treatment alternatives. In this context, nanomedicine seems to be the solution to existing problems, bringing unprecedented results in various biomedical applications, including cancer therapy, diagnosing, and imaging. As numerous studies have uncovered the advantageous properties of various nanoscale metals, this review aims to present metal-based nanoparticles that are most frequently employed for cancer applications. This paper follows the description of relevant nanoparticles made of metals, metal derivatives, hybrids, and alloys, further discussing in more detail their potential applications in cancer management, ranging from the delivery of chemotherapeutics, vaccines, and genes to ablative hyperthermia therapies and theranostic platforms

How much do Romanian medical students know about research ethics? A survey

Background: Although scientific research in Romania has continued to expand over the past 20 years, it is unclear how prepared the country’s students are to be involved in research and to publish the results of their work.Objectives: To assess Romanian medical students’ level of knowledge about research integrity and research ethics.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 187 medical students (of which 70% were women) from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, was performed between September 2017 and June 2018. The survey consisted of self-evaluation with respect to three aspects, namely knowledge of research in general, that of research integrity, and that of publication integrity. The self-evaluation was followed by a set of 17 questions that tested the respondent’s knowledge.Results: On average, the proportion of correct answers was 34% (range, 12%–65%). Whereas those who had assigned low grades to themselves (a score below 5) fared poorly (fewer correct answers) in the test that followed, those who rated themselves highly (a score of 5 or higher) did not fare as well as they were expected to. The majority of respondents (83%) were willing to learn more about research integrity through courses, workshops, training programmes, etc.Conclusion: The respondents showed a low level of knowledge related to both research integrity and current standards of reporting scientific research. This lacuna demonstrates the need to train students at the beginning of their academic life because more and more of them, both undergraduate and postgraduate, are likely to be involved in scientific research

The Impact of Incisional Hernia Repair on the Quality of Life: A Narrative Review

Abstract Background: Incisional hernias represent a common complication following a midline incision, generating impairment, lower quality of life, and social costs. The aim of this narrative review is to determine in which manner risk factors – such as age, gender, postoperative complications, and even the overall health system – impact the satisfaction and expectations of the patients. Methods: A literature search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, and SpringerLink, addressing both international and national articles. Only full-text articles published in the last 12 years were chosen. Each individual positive or negative factor was then targeted. Results: Statistically, the majority of patients were satisfied with the outcomes of the reparative surgery. Even so, complications can still occur, which are more likely to appear in the early postoperative stages. In most of these cases, the patients complained of strenuous movement, chronic pain, or recurrence, leaving the option of another surgical repair up to the patient's wishes. On the one hand it seems that robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), absorbable sutures, suture fixation without tacks, and the male gender were associated with a better quality of life and less recurrence or other complications. On the other hand, lack of communication between patients and health personnel, chronic health diseases, and the female gender were linked to a tendency of developing more complications and therefore, a lower quality of life. Conclusion: Statistically, in most of the cases, the patients were satisfied with the results. While it is safe to say that an incisional hernia repair increases the quality of life, there is still a small, but significant percentage of people that do not benefit from it as much as they expected. More awareness should be raised and the communication between patients and health personnel improved

Plagiarism detection in manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Surgical Sciences between 2020 and 2021: a case study

The aim of this study was to share our experience with plagiarism detection in manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Surgical Sciences, a Romania-based medical journal, between 2020 and 2021. We analyzed similarity score reports from 200 articles submitted consecutively for publication between 2020 and 2021 generated by PlagScan, a software tool for plagiarism detection. The similarity score ranged from 0% to 92.4%, and 45 articles presented scores over 25.0%. According to PlagScan’s results, more than half of the submitted articles had a similarity score of more than 10% and one-third of them had a similarity score above 20%. Among submitted manuscripts with a similarity score of less than 20%, a larger proportion of the original research and review manuscripts than case reports used more than 10 sources. All articles with a similarity score below 20% were evaluated qualitatively before the final decision of rejection