Entornos virtuales para aprender Radiología

Se trata de una ponencia invitada cuyos objetivos docentes son: Explicar el concepto de entonos virtuales de aprendizaje y exponer las posibilidades que tienen para aprender radiología.En sentido amplio, un entorno virtual de aprendizaje es un espacio creado con tecnología electrónica en el que tienen lugar procesos de aprendizaje, un concepto difuso que, en función de la tecnológia, varía desde las aulas virtuales de una plataforma Moodle, a las teleconferencias, las redes sociales, o la enseñanza en universos o mundos virtuales. Atendiendo a este último concepto, un entorno virtual es un ambiente tridimensional generado por ordenador en el que se muestra un escenario, real o imaginario, cuyo propósito fundamental es dar al usuario la sensación de que se encuentra ahí, interactuando mediante un avatar con otros avatares o con diversos objetos o elementos programados. Uno de los mundos o universos virtuales (metaversos) más conocidos es Second Life, creado en 2003 por Linden Research Inc (San Francisco) desarrollado por los propios usuarios con finalidad lúdica, social, artística y también educativa. En Julio de 2011 se inició un proyecto en Second Life, denominado The Medical Master Island, dedicado a explorar las posibilidades formativas de este tipo de entornos en Medicina. Se trata de una isla con espacios educativos que mantienen cierta verosimilitud con un Campus Universitario en la vida real (edificios, aulas y salas de reuniones, auditorios al aire libre y otros escenarios). Durante este tiempo, se han desarrollado diversas actividades dedicadas a la formación en radiología, con más de 150 usuarios, incluyendo estudiantes de medicina, residentes y médicos de atención primaria. Técnicamente, se puede interactuar con los demás mediante chat o audio, se pueden reproducir páginas web, videos y presentaciones flash, en objetos diversos con aspecto de pantallas de proyección o estaciones de trabajo, lo que permite organizar cursos y conferencias, talleres (tanto de habilidades interpretativas como no interpretativas), trabajos en grupo, evaluaciones o tareas para resolver “inworld” de forma inmediata o diferida. La principal ventaja es la posibilidad de aprender sincrónicamente desde una ubicación remota con gran sensación de presencialidad y ahorro de costes de desplazamiento. Los requisitos mínimos de tarjeta gráfica, procesador y conexión a la red son los principales inconvenientes, pudiendo dificultar o impedir la participación en estas actividades. Actualmente se están programando cursos estables y se está explorando la programación necesaria para desarrollar actividades de aprendizaje basado en juegos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Impact of the Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Radiology: What Do Students Think?

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, and particularly in radiology, is becoming increasingly prominent. Its impact will transform the way the specialty is practiced and the current and future education model. The aim of this study is to analyze the perception that undergraduate medical students have about the current situation of AI in medicine, especially in radiology. A survey with 17 items was distributed to medical students between 3 January to 31 March 2022. Two hundred and eighty-one students correctly responded the questionnaire; 79.3% of them claimed that they knew what AI is. However, their objective knowledge about AI was low but acceptable. Only 24.9% would choose radiology as a specialty, and only 40% of them as one of their first three options. The applications of this technology were valued positively by most students, who give it an important Support Role, without fear that the radiologist will be replaced by AI (79.7%). The majority (95.7%) agreed with the need to implement well-established ethical principles in AI, and 80% valued academic training in AI positively. Surveyed medical students have a basic understanding of AI and perceive it as a useful tool that will transform radiology.This research was in part funded by IDIS (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago). Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Antisense Oligonucleotides and Magnetic Nanoparticles for Targeted Diagnostic and Cancer Treatment.

The resistance of tumors to therapeutic intervention is a major problem in the efficacy of treatments. A recent strategy to overcome this problem proposes the association of antitumor drugs with colloidal nanoparticles. Here a hypothesis is suggested concerning the potential use of antisense Oligo Deoxy Nucleotide (ODN) labeled with iron nanoparticles for tumor antisense gene detection with magnetic resonance gene imaging and cancer treatment

The current situation of radiology training in medical studies in Spain

La radiología es actualmente una parte esencial de la medicina clínica, pero la formación en pregrado no refleja su importancia en la práctica médica. En el curso actual, hay 46 facultades de medicina en nuestro país. Según la información publicada en las web institucionales, los planes de estudio son muy diferentes en cuanto a la presencia del radiodiagnóstico y a la organización de la docencia. El número de horas docentes de radiodiagnóstico estimadas (media ± desviación estándar) es de 67,0 ± 21,9 h (rango de 26 h a 137 h). Hay gran escasez de profesores universitarios clínicos y es imprescindible un recambio generacional. La situación actual plantea diversos retos, entre ellos adaptarnos a los nuevos métodos y tecnologías docentes y fomentar la presencia de la radiología en los planes de estudio de medicina, prestando especial atención a las prácticas hospitalarias, el trabajo fin de grado (TFG) y la evaluación clínica objetiva estructurada (ECOE).Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga /CBU

Relationship between heat shock proteins and cellular resistance to drugs and ageing

Background and aims Ageing is a multifactorial degenerative process which causes a decrease in the cellular capacity for repair and adaptation to external stressors. In this way, it is important to maintain the proper balance of the proteome. Heat shock proteins (HSP) will intervene in this balance, which are responsible for the correct assembly, folding and translocation of other proteins when cells are subjected to stressors. This type of protein is overexpressed in human tumor cells, while its deficit, both in function and quantity, contributes to ageing processes. The present work aims to analyze the response of cells from studies carried out in normal and tumor cells that are subjected to stressors. Methods and results A PubMed search was performed using the keywords “cell ageing, cell longevity, resistance, HSP, heat shock proteins, thermal shock proteins”. This search generated 212 articles. Subsequently, a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select the articles of interest to be evaluated. Normal cells subjected to external stressors at low doses increase the number of HSP, causing them to become more resistant. In addition, tumor cells expressing high levels of HSP show greater resistance to treatment and increased cell replication. HSP intervene in the cellular resistance of both normal and tumor cells. Conclusions In the case of normal cells, the increase in HSP levels makes them respond effectively to an external stressor, increasing their resistance and not causing cell death. In the case of tumor cells, there is an increase in resistance to treatment.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA

Training Scientific Communication Skills on Medical Imaging within the Virtual World Second Life: Perception of Biomedical Engineering Students

Second Life is a multi-user virtual world platform which enables online learning through immersive activities. This study evaluates the perception of third-year biomedical engineering students about learning activities complementary to a biomedical imaging course carried out within Second Life and focused on training in the public presentation of scientific content to their peers. Between 2015 and 2017, students gave oral presentations on medical imaging topics selected from the proposals of their classmates. Participants were invited to complete an evaluation questionnaire. In the three years of the study, 133 students enrolled in the course (48, 46, and 39 consecutively), and 97 of them delivered the questionnaire (48%, 83%, and 92%, consecutively). Attendance at the sessions ranged between 88% and 44%. The students positively value the experiences, especially the teacher, the educational content, and the virtual island environment, with mean scores greater than or equal to 8.4, 7.7, and 7.7, respectively, on a 1–10-point scale. Overall, they valued Second Life as an attractive and suitable environment for their training in science communication skills, in which they gain self-confidence and are less afraid of speaking in public. Second Life enables students to present scientific content effectively to their peers, receiving hands-on training in the tasks of collecting, organizing, and presenting data, with the benefits of remote access, collaborative work, and social interaction.This research was founded by the Educational Innovation projects of the University of Malaga PIE13-072, PIE15-150, PIE17-113 and PIE19-217. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA and Andalusian Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation (PAIDI): TIC128. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Impact of compulsory participation of medical students in a multiuser online game to learn radiological anatomy and radiological signs within the virtual world Second Life

Competitive game- based learning within Second Life enables effective teaching of basic radiological anatomy and radiological signs to medical students, with good ac-ceptance and results when students participate voluntarily, but unknown in a com-pulsory context. The objectives of this study were to reproduce a competitive online game based on self- guided presentations and multiple-choice tests in a mandatory format, to evaluate its development and student perceptions compared to a volun-tary edition in 2015 (N= 90). In 2016 and 2017, respectively, 191 and 182 third-year medical students participated in the game as a mandatory course activity. The mean (±SD) score of the game was 74.7% (±19.5%) in 2015, 71.2% (±21.5%) in 2016, and 67.5% (±21.5%) in 2017 (P< 0.01). Participants valued positively the organization and educational contents but found the virtual world less attractive and the game less interesting than in the voluntary edition. The experience globally was rated with 8.2 (±1.5), 7.8 (±1.5), and 7.1 (±1.7) mean points (±SD) in a ten- point scale, in the 2015, 2016, and 2017 editions, respectively (P< 0.05). Competitive learning games within virtual worlds like Second Life have great learning potential in radiology, but the mean score in the game decreased, acceptance of virtual world technology was lower, and opinion about the game was worse with a compulsory participation, and even worse when dropouts were not allowed. Under the conditions in which this study was con-ducted, learning games in three-dimensional virtual environments should be volun-tary to maintain adequate motivation and engagement of medical students.This work was supported by the University of Málaga Innovative Education Projects, Grant Numbers: #PIE15-150, #PIE17-113, and #PIE19-217. Financing of the open access charge: University of Malaga / CBU

Improving oral presentation skills for radiology residents through clinical session meetings in the virtual world Second Life

Background: The objective of this study was to conduct a clinical session meeting in the virtual world of Second Life to improve the oral presentation skills of radiology residents and to assess the perception of the attendees. Methods: A clinical session meeting (10 two-hour sessions over four weeks), where participants presented their own clinical sessions, followed by a turn of interventions by the attendees, was designed and carried out. Attendees were asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: Twenty-eight radiology residents attended the meeting, and 23 (81.2%) completed the evaluation questionnaire; 95.7–100% of them agreed that the virtual environment was attractive and suitable for holding the meeting and that the content was appropriate for their training as residents. They rated with ≥8.9 points (from 1 to 10) different aspects of the experience, highlighting the role of teachers (9.7 ± 0.6) and the usefulness of their training (9.4 ± 0.9). Conclusions: Second Life can be used effectively to train oral communication skills in public, in an environment perceived as attractive and suitable for learning, through an experience described by the attendees as interesting and useful, highlighting the advantages of social contact with their peersWe want to acknowledge the Asociación de Radiólogos del Sur, a subsidiary of SERAM, for its contribution to the maintenance costs of the Medical Master Island during the development of this project. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Pulsed magnetic feld increases the efect of ultraviolet C radiation and thermal shock in aged yeasts

The study of the efects of the magnetic feld (MF) on living matter continues to be a dilemma. Until now, the interaction mechanisms of MF with living matter that explain the observed phenomena are unknown. Despite the existing literature and the multiple efects described to date, there are few published articles that study the combined efect of MF with other physical agents during the cellular aging process. In this sense, the aim of this work is to study whether low frequency and intensity pulsed and sinusoidal MF exposure produce alterations in the cell killing efect of ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation and thermal shock during the chronological aging of S. cerevisiae. Yeast cells were exposed to 2.45 mT (50 Hz) sinusoidal MF and 1.5 mT (25 Hz) pulsed MF, during 40 days of aging, in combination with UVC radiation (50 J/m2 ) and/or thermal shock (52°C). Cell survival was evaluated by clonogenic assay. The exposure of yeast to pulsed MF produces an acceleration of aging, which is not observed in cells exposed to sinusoidal MF. The pulsed MF modifes the cellular response to damaging agents only in aged S. cerevisiae cells. In this sense, the pulsed MF applied increases the damage induced by UVC radiation and by thermal shock. In contrast, the sinusoidal MF used has no efect.Funding for open access publishing: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA. This study was supported by the “Plan Andaluz de Investi gación, Desarrollo e Innovación (PAIDI); Junta de Andalucía”, code CTS-181

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Tumors and Other Structural Anomalies in Brain MRI Performed to Rule out Secondary Headache: A Multicenter Observational Study

This research was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, grant number PID2020118224RB-I00.Headache disorders (HDs) are among the most common conditions of the central nervous system, with an estimated prevalence of 50% in adult population. The aim of this work is to analyze the prevalence of structural anomalies that may explain HDs in MRI exams performed to rule out secondary headache in real-world practice, as well as risk factors associated with these lesions. We conducted a retrospective observational study based on a consecutive case series of all patients that underwent brain MRI due to headache from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2019. We included patients from six MRI diagnostic centers accounting for four provinces of Andalusia (southern Spain). Bivariate and multivariate logistical regression models were performed to identify risk factors associated with the outcomes (1) presence of a structural finding potentially explaining headache, (2) presence of intracranial space-occupying lesions (SOLs), and (3) presence of intracranial tumors (ITs). Of the analyzed sample (1041 patients), a structural finding that could explain headache was found in 224 (21.5%) patients. SOLs were found in 50 (6.8%) patients and ITs in 12 (1.5%) patients. The main factors associated with structural abnormalities were female sex (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02–1.85), accompanying symptoms (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.05–1.89), use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.31–2.72) and previously known conditions potentially explaining headache (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.55–3.84). Female sex (p = 0.048) and accompanying symptoms (p = 0.033) were also associated with ITs in bivariate analyses. Our results may be relevant for different medical specialists involved in the diagnosis, management and prevention of headache. Moreover, the risk factors identified in our study might help the development of public health strategies aimed at early diagnosis of brain tumors. Future studies are warranted to corroborate our findings.MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 PID2020118224RB-I0