ESS - CIR - Comunicações em eventos científicos
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- Extended reality tools for medical training and educationPublication . Magalhães, Renato; Veloso, Rita; Magalhães, Renato; da Silva Veloso, Rita SofiaThe integration of extended reality (XR) in medical education represents a cutting-edge approach to simulation-based training. This study critically assesses XR software for medical teaching, with a focus on compatibility, medical specialization, and licensing requirements. The findings highlight the significant use in anatomy (44%) and surgical applications (26%). Virtual and mixed reality are the dominant technologies in this field, with the U.S. accounting for 62% of the companies involved. Specifically, HoloAnatomy, tested on HoloLens 2 and evaluated by seven healthcare professionals using NASA-TLX, was deemed intuitive and effective, though high device costs limit broader adoption. In conclusion, XR technologies hold substantial potential for advancing medical education, but the cost barriers must be overcome to enable wider implementation.
- Key principles involving ethical and deontological issues in military stress management training in virtual reality environmentsPublication . Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Vianez, Ana; Curado, Henrique; Marques, António; Pereira, Javier; Machado Veloso Gomes, Paulo Sérgio; Pereira da Silva Marques, António José; Curado, HenriqueThe integration of Virtual Reality in military contexts, which simulates realistic combat and high-risk operational scenarios, provides a controlled environment for developing various skills and psychological resilience. This technology has proven to be a valuable tool for enhancing soldiers’ training and preparedness. The creation and use of VR programs, especially those involving the collection of biofeedback data to study military stress, carry significant ethical and deontological responsibilities. This study examines the regulation of using powerful algorithms to analyse biofeedback data to study military stress, emphasizing informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, beneficence and nonmaleficence, transparency in data usage and compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
- Virtual immersive training model with mixed reality for prosthesis application in orthopedicsPublication . Alves, Diogo; Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Magalhães, Renato; Pereira, João; Vilaça, Adélio; Marques, António; Machado Veloso Gomes, Paulo Sérgio; Pereira da Silva Marques, António JoséTraining medical professionals in Orthopedics faces several technical challenges. The equipment required for practical, hands-on training is often restricted to operating rooms. This constraint presents a significant issue, as developing the necessary skills to perform surgeries requires substantial practice time. This work developed a virtual training model using mixed reality, using a QR code to generate a virtual opaque hemisphere, within which the user operates two virtual tools that simulate an endoscope and a drill. A virtual monitor displays the endoscope’s view to the user, who must then navigate the drill tip to successfully touch specific target cubes. The application has the potential to significantly enhance the orthopedic learning experience by reducing the time and resources.
- Effectiveness of virtual reality in reducing public speaking anxiety: A pilot studyPublication . Oliveira, Maria; Almeida, Raquel Simões de; Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Donga, João; Marques, António; Teixeira, Bruno; Pereira, Javier; Simões de Almeida, Raquel; Machado Veloso Gomes, Paulo Sérgio; Rucha das Dores da Costa Donga, João Paulo; Pereira da Silva Marques, António JoséPublic speaking anxiety (glossophobia) is a manifestation of social anxiety that affects a significant portion of the population, jeopardizing performance in academic, professional, and social contexts. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a therapeutic tool for reducing public speaking anxiety. Over six VR simulation sessions, the physiological responses of 30 participants, including heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity, were monitored alongside psychometric assessments. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in HR and improved self-efficacy. These findings recommend combining VR with traditional therapeutic approaches and emerging neuroscience-based methods, such as neurofeedback, to create more personalized treatment interventions.
- Interaction devices for multi-sensory exploration in immersive environmentsPublication . Donga, João; Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Sá, Vitor; Marques, António; Pereira, Javier; Machado Veloso Gomes, Paulo Sérgio; Sá, Vítor J.; Pereira da Silva Marques, António JoséImmersive environments, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), provide users with experiences that blend digital and physical worlds. Interaction devices play a critical role in facilitating these experiences by engaging multiple human senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, taste and vestibular. This paper explores the various interaction devices designed for multi-sensory exploration, their applications, and the challenges associated with creating a fully immersive multi-sensory experience. We analyze input and output devices, hybrid systems, and emerging technologies while addressing the challenges in synchronization, user comfort, and accessibility.
- Segmentation of the bone structure from MRI Knee Joint - A use casePublication . Silva, Vasco; Vilaça, Adélio; Veloso, Rita; Coelho, Luís; Magalhães, Renato; Magalhães, RenatoManual and automatic segmentation techniques can be applied to DICOM medical images from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to extract certain structures, such as soft tissues, but the precise extraction of bone structures may be limited. This study studies these types of knee bone tissue segmentation on MRI, to avoid the need to resort to computed tomography (CT) for obtaining the desired bone structures. Manual segmentation was done using ITK-Snap and automatic segmentation algorithms were applied in Python and the ITK library. As a result of this study, it was found that although manual segmentation allowed for precise and consistent identification of the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella, the automatic segmentation needed to achieve the same level of accuracy.
- NewBiopython library to support molecular biologyPublication . Nogueira, Patrícia; Sá, Vítor J.; Sá, Vítor J.; Nogueira, PatríciaBiopython is a library that facilitates the development of applications for Bioinformatics, using the Python programming language. Maintained by an international association of programmers - the Open Bioinformatics Foundation - since 1999, it provides tools for analyzing biological sequences and accessing online databases like NCBI. It features modules for sequence alignment, protein structures, population genetics, and more. Since the library is open-source with the collaboration of several developers, the project aimed to create a new library that used to existing API services such as Expasy, Blast, Uniprot and DrugBank. This enabled a single-call module to reference multiple services, obtain results, and generate a final report for a searched sequence. The first step to start the project was a study of existing Biopython libraries to assess their alignment with the proposed objectives. Access to the DrugBank service required a formal request. It was necessary to justify the request, explaining how and why the data would be used within the scope of the project. After the preceding steps, the entire architecture and design of the solution were conceptualized and, subsequently, we started the development. As a result of this project, there was an endpoint that, when invoked by any software or platform, returns all information found for a genetic sequence in JSON format. A small user interface was also developed to display the search results as an alternative to using only the API. Because BioPython is a free package and science is the motivation, a new library will be available for several services such as Expasy, Blast, Uniprot, and DrugBank. It will be free for all schools, labs, researchers, and developers who want to use it.
- Mixed reality in surgery: Development of a mixed reality application for surgical trainingPublication . Lima, Ana Carolina; Vilaça, Adélio; Veloso, Rita; Marques, António; Pereira, Javier; Magalhaes, Renato; da Silva Veloso, Rita Sofia; Pereira da Silva Marques, António José; Magalhães, RenatoMixed reality (MR) technology combines the real and the virtual world in an innovative way, where the users can see and interact with both worlds at the same time, having several applications in surgical practice, planning, and training. A MR application was developed to be used in a head mounted display (Microsoft HoloLens 2) for surgical training of the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, with the aim of indicating the position of the femoral tunnel. This application was tested by 11 surgeons of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, who have all completed the simulation successfully, with an average time of under a minute. These surgeons answered an inquiry of satisfaction, where they all highlighted the potential that MR has in surgical training.
- Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy for individuals with Arachnophobia: a pilot studyPublication . Lopes, Inês Ferreira; Almeida, Raquel Simões de; Marques, AntónioArachnophobia is a type of specific phobia and is defined as an extreme fear of spiders. It affects between 3.5% and 6.1% of the population. It is a chronic disorder that can have an impacto n people’s lives, as individuals with Arachnophobia tend to avoid situations where spiders are likely to be present. Through Virtual Reality, as exposure therapy, it is possible to obtain more assertive controlo f the therapeutic environment, facilitating adaptability and problem-solving and offering greater possibilities for personalization, flexibility, and control of the therapeutic process. This quasi-experimental study without a control group aimed to assess the effectiveness and impact of an intervention based on Virtual Reality in the treatment of arachnophobia. The sample consisted of 25 people. The impact of the program was measured through participation in a BAT and completion of the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Spider Phobia questionnaire (SPQ-15) before and after the intervention and after two weeks (follow-up). The results of this study suggest that exposure therapy using Virtual Reality shows positive results and is a promising approach to treating individuals with spider phobia. Although some of the results are not entirely conclusive, significant positive differences were observed in all the evaluations carried out in relation to anxiogenic situations.
- Positive effects of visual, auditory biofeedback and exergames on physical rehabilitation: A review of SHaRe clinical trialsPublication . Restivo, Maria Teresa; Abreu, Paulo; Sousa, Helena; Rodrigues, JoséThis work discusses the use of an interactive platform for physical rehabilitation, called SHaRe, that was tested in various health conditions, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, limb amputation, and acquired neurological injury. The platform uses visual and sound biofeedback and exergames to engage participants and encourage adherence to rehabilitation programs. Results from studies using the developed platform SHaRe positively impacts hand strength, prosthesis control, and object handling. Participants in all studies reported high levels of satisfaction finding it to be fun and motivating. The telerehabilitation approach was successfully used in two of the studies. Overall, the findings suggest that SHaRe is a promising platform for physical rehabilitation in a variety of physical conditions.