Digital morphology network for effective teaching of cytology, histology and histopathology for medical and biology curriculum. VM3.0 Erasmus+ project.

INTRODUCTION: Digital microscopy transformation, the basis for the virtual microscopy applications, is a challenge but also a requirement in modern Medical Education. This paper presents the scope, background, methods, and results of the project "Digital Transformation of Histology and Histopathology by Virtual Microscopy (VM) for an Innovative Medical School Curriculum", VM3.0, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ framework (ref.no.2022-1-RO01-KA220-HED-000089017). The project was initiated at Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania, with the support of Euroed Foundation, Iași, and cooperation of University partners from Gdansk (Poland), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Alicante (Spain), and Patras (Greece) aimed to implement digital histology and histopathology teaching in a common network. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The backbone of the project was the development of a Digital Slide Platform based on the scans of histological slides collected from all the partners of the participating universities and the creation of a simple and fast digital/internet communication tool that could be used to improve histology and histopathology teaching of medical and natural sciences students. The construction of a Virtual Microscopy Library (VML) has been based on the acquisition of whole scans of high-quality histological slides stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and other classical staining methods and description of the details in English as well as respective languages of the project's partners. The VML can be used for different approches, both for students' instruction in classes as well as for individual students' work and self-testing. Universities from other countries could use the modal structure of the developed VML system on the condition that more slides are provided and the implementation of national language(s) is implemented. CONCLUSIONS: The combined efforts of all university partners allowed to establish the dynamic low-cost virtual microscopy educational system. The VM system could help unify the standards of cytology, histology, and histopathology teaching in a quest for the digital transformation of the European educational system.

Semen parameters can be predicted from environmental factors and lifestyle using artificial intelligence methods.

Fertility rates have dramatically decreased in the last two decades, especially in men. It has been described that environmental factors as well as life habits may affect semen quality. In this paper we use artificial intelligence techniques in order to predict semen characteristics resulting from environmental factors, life habits, and health status, with these techniques constituting a possible decision support system that can help in the study of male fertility potential. A total of 123 young, healthy volunteers provided a semen sample that was analyzed according to the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. They also were asked to complete a validated questionnaire about life habits and health status. Sperm concentration and percentage of motile sperm were related to sociodemographic data, environmental factors, health status, and life habits in order to determine the predictive accuracy of a multilayer perceptron network, a type of artificial neural network. In conclusion, we have developed an artificial neural network that can predict the results of the semen analysis based on the data collected by the questionnaire. The semen parameter that is best predicted using this methodology is the sperm concentration. Although the accuracy for motility is slightly lower than that for concentration, it is possible to predict it with a significant degree of accuracy. This methodology can be a useful tool in early diagnosis of patients with seminal disorders or in the selection of candidates to become semen donors.

Sperm immobilized before intracytoplasmic sperm injection undergo ultrastructural damage and acrosomal disruption.

The aim of this study was to describe morphologic sperm changes observed via scanning electron microscopy and the acrosomal status resulting from immobilization and micromanipulation. The manipulations made on sperm before intracytoplasmic sperm injection were the possible cause of sperm ultrastructural damages and could trigger an acrosome reaction.