BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic forced academic institutions to suspend face-to-face activities, causing a drastic shift to a remote and online setting for learning and teaching. While necessary, the sudden change created a lasting effect on the constituents of medical schools whose curriculum relied on lectures, clinical skills, and hospital experience in teaching its students. This study aims to describe the effect of the rapid digitalization on the medical faculty at the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM) in Metro Manila, Philippines.

METHODS

Members of the medical faculty of the college were invited to participate in focus group discussions (FGDs) where four frames were discussed, namely content, pedagogy, technology, and mindset. Responses taken in the FGDs underwent thematic analysis to find commonalities and patterns among the concerns and comments of the faculty.

RESULTS

Analysis of faculty feedback regarding the four frames revealed a spectrum of responses, encompassing both positive and negative sentiments. Content-related feedback predominantly focused on strategies for effectively segmenting and synthesizing information within the online environment. Pedagogical concerns are primarily centered on adapting teaching methods and delivery styles to the online format. Technological feedback highlighted the perceived advantages and limitations of online platforms and tools, as well as the role of technological support in facilitating the transition to online instruction. Finally, a significant portion of the feedback addressed the psychological effects of the pandemic on faculty members as medical educators, with responses ranging from expressions of fear to statements of confidence.

CONCLUSION

In the context of the evolving educational landscape, particularly the accelerated adoption of online and hybrid learning models in medical education, faculty recognition of the necessity of digitalization is paramount. Despite the inherent challenges of this transition, the faculty's demonstrated openness to change and innovation presents a significant opportunity for institutional growth. By continuing to invest in these technologies, institutions can not only enhance the medical curriculum but also prepare future physicians for the increasingly digital nature of healthcare delivery.

Faculty ; Education, Medical ; Technology

Continuous manufacturing, as an innovative pharmaceutical production model, offers advantages such as high production efficiency and ease of control compared to traditional batch production, aligning with the future trend of drug production moving toward greater efficiency and intelligence. However, the development of continuous manufacturing technology in wet granulation has been slow. On one hand, this is closely related to its high technical complexity, substantial equipment investment costs, and stringent process control requirements. On the other hand, the long-term use of the traditional batch production model has created strong path dependence, and the lack of mature standardized processes further increases the difficulty of technological transformation. To promote the deep integration of wet granulation technology with continuous manufacturing, this review systematically outlines the current application of wet granulation in continuous manufacturing. It focuses on the development of key technologies such as online detection, process modeling, and process scale-up, with the aim of providing a reference for process innovation and application in wet granulation.
Drug Compounding/instrumentation* ; Technology, Pharmaceutical/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Models, Theoretical

Heart failure (HF) is the end-stage of all cardiac diseases, characterized by high prevalence, high mortality, and heavy social and economic burden. Early warning of HF exacerbation is of great value for outpatient management and reducing readmission rates. Currently, remote dynamic monitoring technology, which captures changes in hemodynamic and physiological parameters of HF patients, has become the primary method for early warning and is a hot research topic in clinical studies. This paper systematically reviews the progress in this field, which was categorized into invasive monitoring based on implanted devices, non-invasive monitoring based on wearable devices, and other monitoring technologies based on audio and video. Invasive monitoring primarily involves direct hemodynamic parameters such as left atrial pressure and pulmonary artery pressure, while non-invasive monitoring covers parameters such as thoracic impedance, electrocardiogram, respiration, and activity levels. These parameters exhibit characteristic changes in the early stages of HF exacerbation. Given the clinical heterogeneity of HF patients, multi-source information fusion analysis can significantly improve the prediction accuracy of early warning models. The results of this study suggest that, compared with invasive monitoring, non-invasive monitoring technology, with its advantages of good patient compliance, ease of operation, and cost-effectiveness, combined with AI-driven multimodal data analysis methods, shows significant clinical application potential in establishing an outpatient management system for HF.
Humans ; Heart Failure/physiopathology* ; Monitoring, Physiologic/methods* ; Wearable Electronic Devices ; Remote Sensing Technology ; Early Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Hemodynamics

OBJECTIVES: To explore potential keywords, research clusters, collaborative pattern, and research trends in the field of medical technology management (MTM) through bibliometric analysis, providing insights for researchers, policy makers, and hospital administrators. METHODS: A retrieval formula was applied to the title, abstract, and keywords in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, along with system-recommended terms, to identify articles on MTM. A total of 181 articles published between 1974 and 2022 were retained for quantitative analysis. The global trend of research output; total citations, average citations, and H-index; and bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, and keyword co-occurrence were analyzed using VOSviewer. RESULTS: The number of articles on MTM has been steadily increasing year by year. The focus of research has shifted from addressing basic medical needs to prioritizing emergency response and medical information security. The United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom emerged as the main contributors, with the United States leading in both volume of publications (60 articles) and academic impact (H-index = 21). Authors from the United Kingdom and the United States led the way in cross-border cooperation. The top five institutions, ranked by total link strength among cross-institutional authors, were primarily located in Canada and Spain. CONCLUSIONS The field of MTM has experienced stable growth over the past three decades (1993-2022). The shift of research focus has prompted a heightened emphasis on protecting patient privacy and ensuring the security of medical data. Future research should emphasize interdisciplinary and professional collaboration, as well as international cooperation and open sharing of knowledge.
Bibliometrics ; Humans ; Biomedical Technology

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application progress and clinical value of digital technologies in the surgical treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: By systematically reviewing domestic and international literature, the study summarized the specific application scenarios, operational procedures, and technical advantages of digital technologies [including preoperative three-dimensional (3D) planning, intraoperative real-time navigation, robot-assisted surgery, and 3D printing] in AS surgery, and analyzed their impact on surgical accuracy, complication rates, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Digital technologies significantly improve the precision and safety of AS surgery. Preoperative 3D planning enables personalized surgical protocols; intraoperative navigation systems dynamically adjusts surgical trajectories, reducing the risk of iatrogenic injury; robot-assisted surgery can minimize human errors and enhance implant positioning accuracy; 3D-printed anatomical models and guides optimize the correction of complex spinal deformities. Furthermore, the combined applications of these technologies shorten operative time, reduce intraoperative blood loss, decrease postoperative complications (e.g., infection, nerve injury), and accelerate functional recovery. CONCLUSION Through multidimensional integration and innovation, digital technologies provide a precise and minimally invasive solution for AS surgical treatment. Future research should focus on their synergy with biomaterials and intelligent algorithms to further refine surgical strategies and improve long-term prognosis.
Humans ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/diagnostic imaging* ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Digital Technology ; Models, Anatomic

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the repeatability and reliability of a self-developed domestic wireless surface electromyography (sEMG) system (Oralmetry) in assessing the activity of the temporalis and masseter muscles to provide theoretical support for its clinical application. METHODS: Twenty-two volunteers were recruited. Through multiple repeated measurements, the sEMG signals of bilateral anterior temporalis and masseter muscles during maximum voluntary clenching were collected using the self-developed sEMG device, Oralmetry, and two commercial sEMG devices (Zebris and Teethan), filtered, screened, and standardized. Seven sEMG indicators for assessing masticatory muscle function were calculated. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the repeatability of the measurements from the three sEMG devices, and statistical analysis was conducted to compare the consistency of the seven sEMG indicators obtained from the devices. RESULTS: Among the 22 participants, the ICC values of the repeated measurements from the three sEMG devices ranged from 0.88 to 0.99. The measurements of three sEMG indicators (antero-posterior coeffificient, percentage overlapping coeffificient_MM, and percentage overlapping coeffificient_TA) obtained by Zebris were significantly different from those obtained by Oralmetry and Teethan (P<0.05). No significant differences in the measurements of the seven sEMG indicators were found between Oralmetry and Teethan. CONCLUSIONS Oralmetry and the two commercial sEMG devices demonstrated good repeatability in capturing sEMG indicators for evaluating masticatory muscle function. In particular, Oralmetry showed the highest ICC values. All three devices also exhibited good consistency in measuring sEMG indicators, and a high agreement was observed between the two wireless sEMG devices (Oralmetry and Teethan). These findings provide theoretical support for the clinical application of Oralmetry.
Humans ; Electromyography/methods* ; Masseter Muscle/physiology* ; Masticatory Muscles/physiology* ; Wireless Technology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Temporal Muscle/physiology* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Young Adult

To explore the feasibility of using UAV-LiDAR for measuring the leaf area index (LAI) of crop canopies, we employed UAV-LiDAR to scan sugarcane canopies during the tillering and elongation stages, acquiring canopy point cloud data. Subsequently, features such as average row height, projected row area, point cloud density at different canopy layers, and the ratios between these parameters were extracted. Three feature selection methods-partial least squares regression (PLSR), XGBoost feature importance (XGBoost-FI), and random forest-recursive feature elimination (RF-RFE)-were adopted to evaluate and identify the optimal input variables for modeling. With these selected variables, LAI inversion models were developed based on random forest (RF) and adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) algorithms, and their performance was assessed. Among the extracted features, the projected row area S_p and the total row point count C_total exhibited strong correlations with LAI, with correlation coefficients of 0.73 and 0.72, respectively. The AdaBoost-based LAI inversion model, using the projected row area S_p, average height H_avg, mid-layer point cloud density C_m, and total row point count C_total as input variables, achieved the best performance, with a coefficient of determination (R_v²) of 0.713 and a root mean square error (RMSE_v) of 0.25 on the validation set. This study provides an effective method for high-throughput acquisition of LAI in field crops, offering valuable scientific support for sugarcane field management and breeding efforts.
Plant Leaves/growth & development* ; Saccharum/growth & development* ; Algorithms ; Unmanned Aerial Devices ; Remote Sensing Technology/methods* ; Crops, Agricultural/growth & development*

BACKGROUND: Adolescence was associated with suboptimal diabetes control. Studies supporting the use of mobile technology to improve glycemic control and adherence to treatment had mixed results.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SMS reminders on improving glycemic control in adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM)

METHODOLOGY: A randomized control study among adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus was done. Data were processed from 56 out of 64 subjects who were randomized into control (N=29) who received standard of care and SMS group (N=27), who received standard of care and a daily SMS reminder regarding diabetes self-care for 12 weeks. An adherence form was answered by all participants and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) before and after intervention was compared.

RESULTS: HbA1c did not significantly differ between SMS and control groups after 12 weeks of intervention (SMS 9.98+2.12 vs control 10.54+2.13, p value of 0.305). Post intervention, there was no significant difference between SMS and control group in terms of adherence to insulin injection (no p value), blood glucose (BG) monitoring (p value 0.106), and diabetic diet (p value 0.803). However, adherence on exercise was significantly higher among control group than SMS group (p value 0.003).

CONCLUSION: A 12-week SMS intervention reminder in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus did not significantly improve glycemic control and adherence to standard of care (insulin injection, blood glucose monitoring, diet and exercise).

RECOMMENDATION: Future researches could include a bigger study population and longer duration of intervention. Other forms of mobile technology could also be used as a form of reminder.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Child: 6-12 Yrs Old ; Adolescent: 13-18 Yrs Old ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Text Messaging ; Glycated Hemoglobin ; Therapeutics ; Technology ; Standard Of Care ; Self Care

BACKGROUND

Leprosy continues to pose significant health challenges globally, leading to stigma and disability when left untreated. Patient education is crucial in addressing these challenges. While traditional health lectures (THL) are widely used, they face limitations such as inconsistent delivery and low patient engagement. Video-based education (VBE) offers a more modern, scalable alternative, enhancing learning through immersive technology.

OBJECTIVES

This study compared the effectiveness of VBE versus THL in improving leprosy patients’ understanding, perspectives, and quality of life (QoL) in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial with 1:1 allocation ratio was conducted among 57 leprosy patients, divided into VBE and THL groups. Baseline and post-intervention questionnaires measured understanding, patient perspectives, and QoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index, collected immediately after and two weeks post-intervention. Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests, t-tests, and Pearson’s correlations.

RESULTS

VBE significantly improved patients’ understanding, perspectives, and QoL compared to THL. Post-intervention, 43% of VBE participants showed a high level of understanding, versus 24% in the THL group (p = 0.048). VBE had greater positive impact on patient perspectives and QoL (p = 0.011 and p = 0.046). Knowledge retention was higher in VBE group after two weeks (p = 0.0373), with improvements in understanding strongly linked to better perspectives and QoL (r = 0.54 and r = 0.65).

CONCLUSION

VBE proved more effective than THL in enhancing understanding and retention, perspectives, and QOL. With its multi-sensory, scalable format, VBE offers a promising and efficient tool for patient education, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Leprosy ; Health Education ; Educational Technology ; Multimedia

Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.
Calcium ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Technology