Organoids are 3D biological structures constructed from stem cells in vitro. They partially mimic the function of real organs. Although the number of articles detailing this technology has increased in recent years, papers debating their ethical issues are few. In addition, many of such articles outline a mere summary of potential ethical concerns associated with organoids, although some have focused on consciousness assessment or organoid use in cystic fibrosis treatment. This article seeks to evaluate the moral status of cerebral organoids and to determine under which conditions their use should be allowed from a bioethical standpoint. We will present an overview of recent steps in developing highly advanced cerebral organoids, followed by an analysis of their ethics based on three factors: human origin, a specific biological threshold (which, once crossed, grants an entity moral status), and the potential to generate human beings. We will also make practical recommendations for researchers working in this biological field.

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Background: The use of digital technology has exponentially increased over recent years. Intraoral scanners, especially, have gained traction within orthodontics. The objective of the present review is to investigate the available evidence to create an up-to-date presentation of various clinical aspects of intraoral scanners in orthodontics. Methods: Search without restrictions in seven databases (Pubmed, CENTRAL, Cochrane Reviews, Scopus, Web of Science, Clinical Trials, Proquest) since inception, and hand searching until October 2020, were conducted. Results: The majority of studies were either cross-over or parallel group studies. The accuracy and reproducibility of intraoral scanners, in comparison to conventional methods, were investigated in several studies, with controversial results. The duration of the procedure did not report any clear outcome in favor of any method. Patients seem to prefer intraoral scanning, even though numerous studies point out the importance of operators’ experience and skills. Conclusions: Despite the innovations that intraoral scanners have brought in orthodontic clinical practice, there are still some challenges and limitations in their use. The majority of existing limitations may be overcome with experience and good clinical skills. More high-quality studies need to be conducted so that clinicians can have a clear image of this new technology.

In the recent years, engineered nanoparticles (NPs) such as PLGA or poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, have raised a substantial interest due to their possible medical applications in vaccination, diagnostic imaging procedures, cancer therapy or sustained delivery of drugs. The main aim of the present work is to evaluate key oxidative stress parameters in several organs following NPs administration in an animal model. Our data shows that acute oral administration of PLGA NPs induces a change in the antioxidant status in both rat liver and spleen, but may not induce oxidative stress damage to cell structures such as lipid or protein oxidation.

Objectives To assess the clinicopathological characteristics of a cohort of patients with oral leukoplakia (OL) managed in a Romanian dental hospital and to evaluate the risk of malignant transformation (MT). Materials and methods We conducted a hospital‐based retrospective study using the clinical charts of patients diagnosed with OL that had complete clinical and histopathological evaluation followed up for 1–16 years. Results From 120 included patients, 68 (56.7%) were females, and 71 (59.2%) were current smokers. The homogeneous form was present in 60% of cases; the buccal mucosa was the most frequently involved site. MT was observed in 9 cases, which was more common in females and in those with dysplastic leukoplakia. A significant statistical association was found between MT and dysplasia grade (χ2 test: p = 0.007). MT occurred during a mean interval of time 75 months in both treated and non‐treated patients. Conclusions In this leukoplakia cohort, most of the lesions encountered were in smokers, clinically homogeneous and 62.5% proved histologically benign. But despite the clinically benign appearance of leukoplakia, tissue diagnosis of some cases was carcinoma. The results of the current study advocate the necessity for biopsy even in apparently homogeneous, clinically benign lesions. The malignization rate was 7.5%; two‐thirds were nonhomogeneous lesions.

Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of a school‐based experiential education programme on oral health status, knowledge and behaviour among a group of schoolchildren in Bucharest. Materials and methods The study was part of an Erasmus+ project that focused on oral health promotion in schools and covered a 2‐year period. Data were collected from 120 teenagers from three schools in Bucharest, Romania. At baseline, all subjects were clinically examined and received a questionnaire. They were split into two groups at baseline: a test group with 76 schoolchildren and a control group with 44 schoolchildren. The schoolchildren included in the test group received three experiential lessons. After every lesson, they filled in the same questionnaire. At the end, all subjects were clinically examined again. Results The prevalence of dental caries was increased in the control group by 8.58% (N = 3, P = 0.31) and decreased in the test group by 1.64% (N = 1, P = 0.8). Regarding incipient carious lesions, a higher decrease was observed in the test group (D1‐2S: 0.78 vs 0.63, P = 0.867). There was a statistically significant plaque index decrease in the test group (1.32 vs 1.12; P = 0.01) and an increase in the control group (1.15 vs 1.79; P = 0.0001). More children from the test group (N = 5, 7.9%, P = 0.225) adopted twice‐daily tooth brushing compared to the control group (N = 1, 2.9%, P = 0.52). Conclusions In the group studied, the oral health programme had positive effects on oral health status, oral health knowledge and behaviour among adolescents.

Sex estimation remains one of the most important steps in a forensic anthropology context, especially when dealing with deteriorated or fragmented skeletal remains. In this respect, the need for the permanent actualisation of study database, as well of the skeletal remains is obvious. Therefore, besides classical skeletal collections an important amount of data can be obtained from computed imaging of the skeletal system, namely CT scans. The CT scans have the advantage of being virtually unlimited in number, not having any interference with secular trends, individuals being of known age and sex as well as increase in accessibility and applicability of data, for subsequent statistical and complex analysis (for instance, geometric morphometric). In the following review, we have gathered and compared some of the most significant studies in the field of physical and forensic anthropology focusing on sexual dimorphism on the skull, both on skeletal collections and CT scans. The results of the studies were similar in terms of sexing accuracy, thus allowing us to conclude that using CT scans in forensic anthropology is a viable and sometimes better option than skeletal collections, in term of data acquisition.