Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. The combination of new molecular classifications with clinicopathological data could contribute to the individualization of patients and to the development of new therapeutic strategies. We examined the various associations in two molecular types of GC: HER2-positive (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) and microsatellite instability (MSI), assessing their influence on treatment and prognosis. A retrospective study of 142 GC patients was performed with molecular characterization through HER2 overexpression and DNA repair protein expression for MSI. The percentage of HER2-positive tumors was 13.4%, predominantly in men. Correlations were found with intestinal type, metastases, advanced stages and chemotherapy. Almost 75% of HER2-positive patients died. MSI occurred in 16.2%, associated with advanced age, female sex, distal location and intestinal type. These patients had few metastases and low stages. The percentage of deaths was higher among MSI patients who received perioperative chemotherapy. The determination of HER2 and MSI status in GC is important for their association with specific clinicopathological features and for their prognostic and predictive value.

Background: Student development is currently taking place in an environment governed by new technologies and social media. Some platforms, such as Instagram or X (previously known as “Twitter”), have been incorporated as additional tools for teaching and learning processes in higher education, especially in the framework of image-based applied disciplines, including radiology and pathology. Nevertheless, the role of social media in the teaching of core subjects such as histology has hardly been studied, and there are very few reports on this issue. Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of implementing social media on the ability to learn human histology. For this purpose, a set of voluntary e-learning activities was shared on Instagram as a complement to traditional face-to-face teaching. Methods: The proposal included questionnaires based on multiple-choice questions, descriptions of histological images, and schematic diagrams about the subject content. These activities were posted on an Instagram account only accessible by second-year medical students from the University of Malaga. In addition, students could share their own images taken during the laboratory practice and interact with their peers. Results: Of the students enrolled in Human Histology 2, 85.6% (143/167) agreed to participate in the platform. Most of the students valued the initiative positively and considered it an adequate instrument to improve their final marks. Specifically, 68.5% (98/143) of the student body regarded the multiple-choice questions and image-based questions as the most useful activities. Interestingly, there were statistically significant differences between the marks on the final exam (without considering other evaluation activities) for students who participated in the activity compared with those who did not or barely participated in the activity (P<.001). There were no significant differences by degree of participation between the more active groups. Conclusions: These results provide evidence that incorporating social media may be considered a useful, easy, and accessible tool to improve the learning of human histology in the context of medical degrees.

Airway clearance therapy (ACT) is considered an important approach to improve airway clearance in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Daily ACT administration requires substantial commitments of time and energy that complicate ACT and reduce its benefits. It is crucial to establish ACT as a positive routine. Music therapy (MT) is an aspect of integrative strategies to ameliorate the psycho-emotional consequences of chronic diseases, and a MT intervention could help children with CF between the ages of 2 and 17 develop a positive response. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of specifically composed and recorded instrumental music as an adjunct to ACT. We compared the use of specifically composed music (Treated Group, TG), music that the patient liked (Placebo Group, PG), and no music (Control Group, CG) during the usual ACT routine in children with CF aged from 2 to 17. The primary outcomes, i.e., enjoyment and perception of time, were evaluated via validated questionnaires. The secondary outcome, i.e., efficiency, was evaluated in terms of avoided healthcare resources. Enjoyment increased after the use of the specifically composed music (children +0.9 units/parents +1.7 units; p<0.05) compared to enjoyment with no music (0 units) and familiar music (+0.5 units). Perception of time was 11.1 min (±3.9) less than the actual time in the TG (p<0.05), 3.9 min (±4.2) more than the actual time in the PG and unchanged in the CG. The potential cost saving related to respiratory exacerbations was €6,704.87, while the cost increased to €33,524.35 in the CG and to €13,409.74 in the PG. In conclusion, the specifically composed, played and compiled instrumental recorded music is an effective adjunct to ACT to establish a positive response and is an efficient option in terms of avoided costs. Trial registered as ISRCTN11161411. ISRCTN registry (www.isrctn.com).

Gamification and social networking can be used as active learning tools, as they have been shown to increase learner motivation. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether they impact students’ knowledge acquisition. This study aimed to share an educational experience for medical students using Kahoot and TikTok as active teaching/learning tools and assessed whether they improve academic performance. A retrospective quasi-experimental study was conducted with 176 students enrolled in radiation oncology in the 2021/22 academic year (control group), who received traditional teaching, and 166 students in the 2022/23 academic year (experimental group), where Kahoot and TikTok were added to traditional teaching. Final exam results of both groups were compared to assess learning differences, as well as those of the experimental group in terms of participation in Kahoot and TikTok and their relationship with the final grade. Comparing the average exam scores of the experimental group to the control group showed an increase of 12.9% in the first group compared to the traditional group (6.02 vs. 7.31 points, p = 0.0001). In the experimental group, students who participated in Kahoot or TikTok increased their mean score by 0.54 points ( p = 0.021) and 1.57 points ( p = 0.040), respectively, compared to those who did not. A correlated increase in mean test scores was observed based on tool usage: none, Kahoot or TikTok, or both (6.19, 6.88 ± 1.48, and 7.51 ± 1.20 points, p = 0.019). Using Kahoot and TikTok as active learning tools for medical students improved academic performance when integrated with traditional methodology.