The impact of frozen sections on final surgical margins in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and lips: a retrospective analysis over an 11 years period

Taking intraoperative frozen sections (FS) is a widely used procedure in oncologic surgery. However so far no evidence of an association of FS analysis and premalignant changes in the surgical margin exists. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of FS on different categories of the final margins of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and lips.

First report of a multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae of sequence type 11 causing sepsis in a free-ranging beaver (Castor fiber).

Klebsiella pneumoniae of sequence type (ST) 11 is a hyper-epidemic nosocomial clone spreading worldwide among humans and also emerging in pets. In this report, we describe a clinical case of fatal sepsis due to this multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen in a Eurasian beaver. The isolate showed resistance to six different classes of antimicrobials including third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. This is the first report describing the detection of a MDR K. pneumoniae ST11 in a free-ranging animal. Our finding highlights the potential for environmental dissemination of hyper-epidemic clones of K. pneumoniae and possible spread in wildlife and cause epizootics.

Direct electrospinning of 3D auricle-shaped scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Thirty-two poly(ε)caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds have been produced by electrospinning directly into an auricle-shaped mould and seeded with articular chondrocytes harvested from bovine ankle joints. After seeding, the auricle shaped constructs were cultured in vitro and analysed at days 1, 7, 14 and 21 for regional differences in total DNA, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen (COL) content as well as the expression of aggrecan (AGG), collagen type I and type II (COL1/2) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 and 13 (MMP3/13). Stress-relaxation indentation testing was performed to investigate regional mechanical properties of the electrospun constructs. Electrospinning into a conductive mould yielded stable 3D constructs both initially and for the whole in vitro culture period, with an equilibrium modulus in the MPa range. Rapid cell proliferation and COL accumulation was observed until week 3. Quantitative real time PCR analysis showed an initial increase in AGG, no change in COL2, a persistent increase in COL1, and only a slight decrease initially for MMP3. Electrospinning of fibrous scaffolds directly into an auricle-shape represents a promising option for auricular tissue engineering, as it can reduce the steps needed to achieve an implantable structure.