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Artificial Intelligence to Improve Neurological Prognosis for Premature Infants Researchers from UCA and INiBICA are participating in the “PARENT” project alongside ten other leading research groups in Europe Researchers from the University of Cádiz and the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Cádiz (INiBICA) are participating in a European project to develop artificial intelligence tools that improve the diagnosis and prediction of motor and cognitive impairments in premature newborns. The project, called PARENT (short for “Premature newborn motor and cognitive impairments: early diagnosis”), focuses on the risk that premature birth poses to neurological development in childhood and adolescence. To carry out this project, a working group has been formed comprising scientists from the Perinatal Brain Injury group in the Pediatrics Department at Puerta del Mar Hospital (affiliated with INiBICA) and from the GOAL (Graphical Methods, Optimization, and Learning) and SIC (Intelligent Computing Systems) groups at the University of Cádiz (UCA), who are part of a multidisciplinary network that includes 10 other leading research groups in Europe. In this regard, and within the framework of the 2020 MSCA ITN-ETN call under the European Horizon 2020 program, scientists at Cádiz have secured 1,250,000 euros in funding to hire five doctoral students who will join the Team to conduct the research. Although advances in neonatal care over the past few decades have greatly improved the chances of premature infants surviving without sequelae—even at extremely low gestational ages—researchers have observed that there is a plateau beyond which no further improvements in long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are achieved. The impact of these sequelae not only affects individuals and families but also places a significant burden on society. “Early diagnosis of brain injury or impaired brain development, as well as early detection of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, are important strategies for improving the well-being of infants and their families, as they enable appropriate neurological and psychomotor development monitoring and the implementation of more specific strategies that optimize treatment options,” explains Dr. Isabel Benavente Fernández, project lead at INiBICA. In this context, PARENT provides a multidisciplinary approach to developing diagnostic and predictive platforms focused on perinatal and neuroimaging data during the neonatal period and the subsequent monitoring of potential motor and cognitive deficits that premature newborns may present. The goal is to develop an open software infrastructure for diagnosing abnormalities in brain maturation and neurological damage by integrating disciplines such as clinical data, neuroimaging data collection and processing, biomarkers, data fusion, machine learning applied to clinical data, and new predictive algorithms. For his part, Dr. Lionel Cervera Gontard, the project lead at UCA, highlights “the importance of harnessing the potential of medical data using artificial intelligence techniques.” In this regard, PARENT envisions a user-friendly software infrastructure that provides integrated databases, validated algorithm components, and platforms built upon them. This vision can be framed within the broader paradigm of evidence-based medicine, personalized medicine, and patient- and family-centered care, as well as decision-support systems in the clinical setting. The 2020 European ITN-ETN MSCA call for proposals is providing a total of 3,825,000 euros in funding to 15 doctoral students from various countries to pursue their research careers within the institutions that make up the network developing this project. INiBICA is the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation of Cádiz, composed of researchers and healthcare professionals from the SAS and the UCA, with the aim of promoting research in the biomedical and health sciences fields in the province of Cádiz. It currently employs 85 staff members directly and oversees the activities of 72 research groups comprising more than 800 researchers, managing an annual budget of nearly 5 million euros. 🔗 More information: Diario de Cádiz

Aplican en ratones una terapia de regeneración con células progenitoras en vasos sanguíneos obstruidos Un equipo de investigación de la UCA y del INiBICA ha demostrado la eficacia en modelos animales de células endoteliales progenitoras para frenar el avance de la isquemia periférica grave Un equipo de investigación del departamento de Biomedicina, Biotecnología y Salud Pública de la Universidad de Cádiz y del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Cádiz INIBICA ha demostrado en ratones la capacidad regeneradora de células endoteliales progenitoras extraídas de sangre o médula ósea en tratamientos contra la isquemia periférica grave. Esta enfermedad cardiovascular puede llegar a suponer la amputación de pies o piernas del paciente en sus estadios avanzados. Este grupo ha estudiado los mecanismos de acción de estas células en ratones a los que se ha simulado la isquemia periférica, en el artículo titulado ‘Identification of the initial molecular changes in response to circulating angiogenic cells-mediated therapy in critical limb ischemia’, publicado en la revista Stem Cell Research & Therapy. En esta investigación, concluyen que las células administradas son capaces de promover la formación de nuevos sanguíneos, según han certificado estos ensayos in vivo, es decir, con modelos animales, en este caso los ratones isquémicos. Estos trabajos desarrollados en laboratorio por la UCA con ratones han certificado que el uso de estas células pueden ayudar a la revascularización, esto es, a la formación de nuevos vasos mediante procesos conocidos como angiogénesis, o al engrosamiento de las ya existentes (arteriogénesis). La regeneración y el aumento de los vasos impulsan la recuperación del flujo sanguíneo. “Facilitan así el paso del oxígeno y los nutrientes y el freno progresivo del avance de la enfermedad y de la necrosis de los tejidos”, ha explicado la investigadora de la UCA, Mª Carmen Durán, autora principal de los trabajos. Cuatro grupos de ratones: Estas células se podrían usar como terapia alternativa en pacientes isquémicos. En este estudio, el equipo investigador trabajó con cuatro grupos de ratones. En dos de ellos, reprodujo un modelo de isquemia grave, bloqueando las arterias femorales como ocurre en los pacientes humanos que sufren esta enfermedad. “Al pincharles las células endoteliales progenitoras, éstas promueven la formación de vasos colaterales adyacentes a la arteria femoral por los que puede seguir circulando la sangre hasta el destino final”, ha señalado Mª Carmen Durán. Sin embargo, en los ratones isquémicos a los que se produjo el bloqueo del flujo de sangre pero no se administraron células progenitoras, no se observó esta mejora. Cabe señalar que no todos los pacientes con isquemia periférica pueden someterse a cirugía, que es lo que prioriza hoy día el tratamiento, debido a la situación crítica en la que se encuentran. Por otro lado, muchos de los pacientes que se someten a cirugía requieren de reintervención. Para estos pacientes, el uso de terapia celular constituye, por tanto, una alternativa, puesto que no requiere de una cirugía invasiva y permite la recuperación del flujo sanguíneo, reduciendo la posibilidad de amputaciones. “Los primeros resultados observados empleando terapia celular en pacientes son prometedores”, ha señalado Durán. Así, este trabajo con modelos animales permite abrir la posibilidad de que se puedan reproducir en el laboratorio células que se encuentran en el propio individuo en un número limitado y que puedan funcionar contra la isquemia en unas condiciones óptimas similares a las autólogas, esto es, las extraídas del cuerpo del propio paciente. Otros trabajos: Más allá de esta investigación, dentro de este mismo ámbito, hay en marcha trabajos en los que colabora este mismo equipo con una empresa que está aplicando terapia celular en un ensayo clínico en fase 3 –la última antes de que se pueda comercializar–, en pacientes críticos de isquemia periférica en centros hospitalarios como el Puerta del Mar, también en Cádiz. Utilizan en este caso células mononucleares, extraídas de la médula ósea del propio paciente. Estas investigaciones habrán de ser complementadas en el futuro con nuevos ensayos con pacientes. “La necesidad de utilizar estas terapias ha acelerado el desarrollo de estudios en humanos y en nuestro trabajo con ratones, estamos viendo, entre otras cuestiones, cómo funcionan las células en situaciones patológicas e intentar modularlas fuera del individuo y luego poder administrarlas”, ha indicado Durán. Además, los investigadores de la UCA se centran en analizar también las proteínas que resultan alteradas en el tejido dañado por la isquemia, y en la respuesta al tratamiento celular, para tratar de entender los mecanismos de acción de estas células y abrir opciones con las mismas. Estos trabajos han contado con financiación del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, dependiente del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, y del Programa Operativo de Andalucía Feder, de la Iniciativa Territorial Integrada 2014-2020 y de la Consejería de Salud y Familias. 🔗 Más información: UCA

Dr. Escribano and his INIBICA group received the 2nd SEMERGEN Award for the best original paper published in the SEMERGEN journal, sponsored by Laboratorios VIR and accompanied by a prize of 2,000 euros, for the paper titled: “Agreement between the ‘Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiological Collaboration’ and ‘Modification of Diet in Renal Disease’ equations and the ‘Berlin Initiative Study’ for estimating renal function in older adults.” From the Authors: J. Escribano-Serrano, C. Casto-Jarillo, E. Berruguilla-Peìrez, M. Gonzaìlez-Borrachero, J. D. Santotoribio, C. CanÞavate-Solano, M. M. Calero-Ruiz, A. Michaìn-DonÞa. Workplace: San Roque Clinical Management Unit (UGC). Cádiz. UGC Laboratory, Hospital La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz. UGC Laboratory, Punta Europa Hospital, Algeciras Cádiz . UGC Laboratory, University Hospital of Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz. UGC Laboratory, Hospital de Puerto Real, Cádiz. UGC Laboratory, Puerta del Mar Hospital, Cádiz. UGC Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Jerez de la Frontera, University of Cádiz. GERVA Group, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation of Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz. 🔗 More information: SEMERGEN

It includes an increase of 50 million euros compared to 2019, in accordance with the Emergency Plan for Science and Innovation presented last July. With two categories, “Knowledge Generation” and “Research Challenges,” this is the most significant call for proposals for the scientific community, in terms of funding and the diversity of fields covered. The Council of Ministers today approved authorization to publish the main call for proposals for R&D& Projects , which will be funded by the State Research Agency (AEI) in the amount of 412 million euros. This call for proposals—the most significant for the Spanish scientific community—includes a €50 million increase in funding compared to 2019, which is part of the Emergency Plan for Science and Innovation approved last July. This increase in grants for research Projects is part of the goal to transform the Science and Innovation System and to attract and retain talent, one of the central pillars of the Emergency Plan. Specifically, it is part of a set of measures to increase funding for research groups in Spain, following a decade of budget cuts. The R&D&I grant program Projects is the most important for the scientific community due to the quality of the research Projects , the diversity of scientific fields, and the amount of funding. It consists of two categories, “Knowledge Generation” and “Research Challenges,” which, since 2019, have been published under a single call for proposals and a single budget, with the goal of allocating funding more efficiently based on the quality of the proposals, for both basic and applied research. The “Knowledge Generation” category covers research- Projects s without a predefined thematic focus, which are driven by scientific curiosity and have as their primary objective the advancement of knowledge, regardless of the time horizon or scope of application. Meanwhile, under “Research Challenges,” research Projects —as well as their applications in subsequent phases of technological development and experimentation—are geared toward solving problems linked to the major societal challenges included in the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation. In the coming weeks, the government plans to approve the calls for grant applications for the Ramón y Cajal and “ Juan de la Cierva ” postdoctoral programs, which will also see increased funding this year. Specifically, they will receive 28 million euros more than in 2019—a 30% increase—bringing total funding for these grants to 121.9 million euros. These budgets include the consolidation of the 50 million euro increase for the “ Projects ” (National Research Grants) call for R&D&I, as well as new calls for scientific and technical equipment, totaling 180 million euros, also provided for in the Emergency Plan. Additionally, they include an additional 78 million euros for “ Projects ” (Research Grants) focused on knowledge transfer and European cooperation. 🔗 More information: GlobAqua

El Hospital Clínico de Puerto Real participa en ensayos nacionales para tratar el coronavirus El Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real prueba la eficacia de varias alternativas terapéuticas frente al coronavirus Los estudios necesitan reclutar a pacientes con la infección o que la hayan pasado El INIBICA participa en una media de 80 ensayos clínicos al año en toda la provincia Casi al mismo tiempo que el mundo comenzaba a ser azotado por la pandemia del coronavirus, los proyectos de vacunas para acabar con él se multiplicaban. La Organización Mundial de la Salud reconoce, a fecha de 29 de octubre, 156 proyectos que ya han encontrado un candidato a vacuna y se encuentran en fase preclínica. Además, hay otros 45 que la han superado y están en fase clínica, con pruebas en humanos. De ellos, diez están en la fase 3, previa a la comercialización. También se buscan otras alternativas, centradas en mejorar el pronóstico de las personas que ya se han infectado, y en algunas de las investigaciones participan hospitales como el de Puerto Real. Cuando hablamos de la Covid-19 hay que diferenciar dos fases de la infección. La primera es la fase virémica (los 8 o 10 primeros días de infección) donde la sintomatología deriva fundamentalmente de la propia acción del virus, apareciendo la fiebre, malestar general, pérdida de olfato y/o gusto o cefalea, entro otros síntomas. Una vez pasado estos 8-10 días, algunos pacientes desarrollan la temida la fase hiperinflamatoria, donde es el propio organismo del paciente el que, consecuencia de la infección vírica, genera una respuesta inflamatoria desmedida para este tipo de infección, que termina teniendo consecuencias muy graves como son la inflamación pulmonar extrema (conocida como síndrome de distress respiratorio del adulto) y una mayor tendencia a generar trombos arteriales. En cada una de estas fases cada vez más estudiadas y diferenciadas, las dianas terapéuticas son diferentes: en la primera hay que “atacar” fundamentalmente al virus y en la segunda lo que se busca es frenar la respuesta inflamatoria descontrolada que desarrollan ciertos pacientes. Actualmente no existe ningún medicamento autorizado para tratar o prevenir la COVID-19 en ninguna de sus fases. Lo dice la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Pero sí hay en marcha varios ensayos clínicos de medicamentos y se están coordinando esfuerzos para desarrollar y evaluar distintos fármacos que frenen el avance de la enfermedad. Un ejemplo de ello se encuentra en el Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, donde la Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas participa de forma activa en dos ensayos clínicos de ámbito nacional, que pretenden probar la eficacia de diferentes alternativas terapéuticas para el coronavirus. El primero busca precisamente bloquear la acción del virus en la primera fase de la infección. Cuando un paciente se infecta (por coronavirus o cualquier otro patógeno) su sistema inmune produce anticuerpos, unas proteínas que tienen la misión de destruir a estos patógenos o bien de “marcarlos” para que otras células del sistema inmune se encarguen de su destrucción. Pero la fabricación de estos anticuerpos no es inmediata, y puede durar de días a semanas, según el tipo de patógeno. En el ensayo clínico en el que participa la Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas del Clínico, emplean en los pacientes hospitalizados que tienen la infección activa, el plasma rico en anticuerpos frente al virus de pacientes ya curados. La idea es que dichos anticuerpos (producidos por otro paciente ya curado) neutralicen precozmente la acción del virus en el paciente actualmente infectado. De ser eficaz esta estrategia, es de esperar que el paciente no desarrolle la fase inflamatoria, o si lo hace, sea más leve. Esta estrategia no es nueva en las enfermedades infecciosas y ya se ha probado eficaz en otras infecciones virales como el ébola. Este estudio necesita reclutar a pacientes con la infección (en su fase más precoz), pero también a pacientes que ya la hayan pasado, para donar el plasma con los anticuerpos. Para poder ser donante de plasma convaleciente, se debe tener una edad comprendida entre los 18 y los 60 años (hasta los 65 si ya era donante de sangre) y un peso mínimo de 50 kilogramos. Otro de los requisitos es que deben de haber transcurrido al menos 14 días desde la recuperación de la Covid-19, preferiblemente 28 días. Previo a la donación, un facultativo del Centro de Transfusión, Tejidos y Células le practicará un reconocimiento y una entrevista para comprobar que se encuentra en condiciones físicas idóneas y el paciente deberá firmar un consentimiento informado. El segundo de los ensayos clínicos multicéntricos en los que participa la Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas se centra en la segunda fase de la enfermedad (inflamatoria). En él, se pretende averiguar si la medicación en estudio (un fármaco llamado Sarilumab) consigue reducir la hiperinflamación y mejorar así el pronóstico de los pacientes. No es el único fármaco de este tipo que se está probando para esta fase de la enfermedad. El empleo de este tipo de medicamentos “moduladores de la respuesta inflamatoria” no deja de ser algo paradójico, ya que implica el manejo una enfermedad infecciosa con fármacos inmunosupresores, aunque hay que aclarar que su empleo se limita a la segunda fase de la enfermedad, donde predomina el componente inflamatorio sobre el infeccioso del propio virus. A priori, parece una contradicción pero tiene base fisiopatológica y los resultados que han demostrado algunos estudios son favorables. Con la puesta en marcha de estos dos ensayos clínicos, la Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas ha montado una infraestructura que le ha abierto las puertas a participar en otros dos ensayos clínicos de índole internacional. En concreto, en los próximos días se evaluará la posibilidad de participar en un ensayo que busca probar la eficacia de una nueva terapia antivírica de administración intranasal en pacientes hospitalizados y de otro ensayo que probará la eficacia de un novedoso medicamento a emplear en la fase inflamatoria de la enfermedad. En caso de aprobarse la inclusión del Hospital Puerto Real en estos dos nuevos ensayos, supondría una oportunidad única para los pacientes ingresados

The Regional Government of Andalusia will allocate a total of 11.1 million euros to biomedical and health sciences research in the province of Cádiz during the 2017–2020 period, drawn from grant calls for funding in this area under the Integrated Territorial Initiative (ITI) 2014–2020. This week, the General Secretariat for Research, Development, and Innovation in Health published its resolution granting grants to fund biomedical and health sciences research and innovation under the ITI for the province of Cádiz, in response to the call for proposals issued on July 23, 2019. The 2019 call for proposals was the second and final one under the Integrated Territorial Initiative for this province and complements the previous call issued in 2017, which totaled 7.6 million, which highlights “the Andalusian Regional Government’s significant commitment to this strategic sector, which directly contributes to improving and resolving the health issues faced by citizens and the healthcare challenges that particularly affect the province of Cádiz.” The grants awarded are intended to fund Projects biomedical and health sciences research, development, and innovation projects at R&D&I centers that strengthen human capital in healthcare for Projects carried out at both public and private institutions in the province. RESEARCH GROUPS Through the funding of these R&D&I Projects , the aim is to boost biomedical and health sciences research in the province, with a particular focus on enhancing the capacity of research groups and improving their competitiveness and excellence by hiring additional research and technical staff. This call for proposals is expected to result in the hiring of 25 researchers and research technicians (14 postdoctoral researchers, 10 pre-doctoral researchers, and one research technician), which, combined with the 63 from the first call, totals 88 contracts, “thereby strengthening the human capital of this strategic activity in the province.” INiBICA: Funding for these grants, co-financed with appropriations allocated to the Regional Ministry of Health under the Andalusia ERDF Operational Program 2014–2020, is administered through INiBICA, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences of the Province of Cádiz. This entity was created in 2016 through a collaboration agreement between the Regional Ministries of Health and Economy and Knowledge of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Andalusian Health Service, the University of Cádiz , and the Foundation for the Management of Biomedical Research at Cádiz, with the latter two entities being the primary beneficiaries of this funding. 🔗 More information: La Vanguardia

This initiative is seeking crowdfunding through the Precipita platform. The project, in which INDESS is participating, aims to create an app to monitor patients’ quality of life in real time. Researchers from the University of Cádiz, led by Rocío Guil Bozal, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University School, Rocío Guil Bozal, are participating in an initiative by the Institute for Biomedical Research of the Province of Cádiz (INiBICA) and the Institute for Research on Sustainable Social Development (INDESS), whose main objective is to create a mobile app that provides real-time information on the health status and quality of life of breast cancer patients. This project aims to “identify potential areas for psychological counseling, based on the stage of the disease, type, and phase of treatment,” as the researchers explain. At the same time, “the research findings obtained through this work will make it possible to develop clinical practice guidelines and protocols so that both healthcare professionals and the patients themselves can address the emotional and psychological impact of the disease from an interdisciplinary perspective.” The researchers start from the premise that currently “there are no studies or assessment tools—either nationally or internationally—that comprehensively address both the clinical situation of patients and their quality of life.” For this reason, these experts have deemed it appropriate to optimize care for these women through e-health, that is, by leveraging the support offered by new technologies in healthcare and related fields. To this end, this multidisciplinary research group will collect information on the condition of all patients treated at hospitals in the “ SAS ” in the province of Cádiz who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and who voluntarily wish to participate. Specifically, the study will be conducted at the Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera, the Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar in Cádiz , and the Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real. “The expected results will apply not only to the study population but to any patient, regardless of their place of residence,” as the researchers note. Furthermore, the knowledge and products generated “could easily be applied to any type of cancer and/or medical condition treated in hospitals within the public health system.” Overall, this project aims to contribute to “improving the exchange of information between public administration bodies in the fields of oncology and psychology—and, more broadly, among healthcare professionals—through the creation of e-health platforms, enabling data utilization and the creation of a more comprehensive and shared knowledge base.” In this context, this research seeks to pave the way for the creation of psycho-oncology services within the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) that provide psychological care to patients throughout the course of their illness, as well as to improve the quality of the services provided. Crowdfunding for Science: This project, titled “E-Health for the Promotion of Health and Quality of Life in Breast Oncology,” is part of the Precipita platform, promoted by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT)—Ministry of Science and Innovation—which fosters the collective funding of science through crowdfunding. The minimum funding required to carry out this initiative, which is to be raised through the Precipita platform, is 25,000 euros. This amount will be used, among other purposes, to adapt the app to the iOS operating system, to design a forum that serves as a support network for all patients, to include geolocation features to identify nearby points of interest, and to expand the use of this platform to other types of cancer or chronic diseases. However, if a minimum budget of 3,000 euros is reached, the project leaders will be able to optimize the app in terms of usability, design, and the automatic export of collected data to statistical software. Those interested in participating can make a donation through Precipita and contribute to the project’s development. 🔗 More information: UCA

European and American experts are attending the 11th International Congress on the History of Statistics and Probability at the UCA. AHEPE, in collaboration with the University of Cádiz, INiBICA, and INDESS, is organizing this scientific conference at the Jerez Campus. The Spanish Association for the History of Statistics and Probability (AHEPE), in collaboration with the departments of Statistics and Operations Research and Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health at the University of Cádiz, the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Cádiz (INiBICA), and the University Institute for Research on Sustainable Social Development (INDESS), is holding the 11th International Congress on the History of Statistics and Probability at the Jerez Campus from today through October 24. UCA Rector Francisco Piniella, alongside Jerez Mayor Mamen Sánchez—accompanied by AHEPE President Miguel Ángel Gómez and INDESS Director José Antonio López—presided over the opening ceremony in the INDESS auditorium. The aim of this conference is to showcase the latest research and promote teaching and professional development for faculty on topics related to the history of statistics and probability in Spain and Europe, as well as to contribute to the preservation of all types of historical sources and to stimulate interest and vocations in the discipline among students. The UCA rector welcomed the attendees and thanked the organizers for the trust they have placed in this university to host an in-person international conference. For Francisco Piniella, this conference is even more important given the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which these specialists and their work are essential to combating the virus: “Your contribution is key to unraveling the behavior of this invisible enemy. You are indispensable allies for public health. This contribution comes with a great deal of responsibility. Proper data management has turned Big Data experts into true modern-day saviors.” He concluded by reiterating the shared commitment to turn to “science—including the fields of statistics and probability—to find useful and humane solutions amid the turmoil of this crisis.” The mayor of Jerez emphasized the importance of data management in today’s society and told attendees that “Jerez is a safe and highly attractive city.” She also highlighted the significance of the inclusive bid for the European Capital of Culture in 2031, in which the UCA must play a role: “A city and a university cannot turn their backs on each other; there are many shared studies and Projects .” The director of AHEPE expressed gratitude for the institutional welcome and noted that “statistics and mathematics are in vogue, and we are ready to collaborate on anything within our field.” Finally, the director of INDESS highlighted the unique nature of this event, as it faced a “double challenge: being an international event and the complications of the pandemic, which forced us to postpone it.” Over the course of three days, in the mornings and afternoons, plenary lectures and oral and online presentations will be held by Spanish, European, and American researchers on topics related to the history of statistics and probability, along with social events. The conference languages are Spanish, French, and English. Daniel Peña, professor of statistics at Carlos III University of Madrid, delivered the opening lecture, titled “Akaike, Box, and Efron: The Beginnings of Big Data Analysis.” 🔗 More information: Cádiz News

UCA Researchers Develop an App to Improve the Quality of Life for Women with Breast Cancer They have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to carry out the project A multidisciplinary Team from the University of Cádiz (UCA) is developing a mobile app, to assess and improve the quality of life for women with breast cancer “from a holistic perspective based on Quality of Life and Health,” they note. This group of researchers consists of psychologists, physicians, and computer scientists affiliated with the Institute for Research on Sustainable Social Development (INDESS) at the University of Cádiz and the Institute for Research in Biomedical Sciences of the Province of Cádiz (INIBICA), which is part of the Regional Ministry of Health under an agreement with the UCA. Their goal is to develop the “E-Health for Health Promotion and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer” project under the Health Innovation initiative through the Foundation for Biomedical Research Management at Cádiz, in line with Andalusia’s Comprehensive Plan for Oncology and Mental Health, which would allow them to optimize the app. “To this end, and in collaboration with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT),” they explain, “we have launched a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of raising funds so we can continue with our project. The campaign will run for three months starting this Monday, October 19, and we will carry out various outreach activities of interest.” As these researchers explain, with regard to breast cancer, Cádiz is one of the Andalusian provinces that, despite having a declining mortality trend, has a higher relative mortality rate when compared both to Andalusia as a whole and to Spain in general. This is because “breast cancer is the most common neoplasm (tumor) worldwide, accounting for 16% of all cancers diagnosed in women (Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, 2017). In Andalusia, approximately 4,900 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year; however, survival rates have increased considerably over the past 25 years and currently stand at 85.6%, according to the latest data from the Andalusian Cancer Registry.” Hospitals in Cádiz, Puerto Real , and Jerez: Given this situation, the goal of this group of researchers from Cádiz is “to develop a mobile app that provides real-time information on the health status and quality of life of breast cancer patients. It will be aimed at both women living with the disease and the healthcare professionals responsible for their care.” Similarly, they aim to “identify potential areas for psychological counseling, based on the stage of the disease and the type and phase of treatment. The goal is to improve patients’ quality of life and help them adapt to the disease.” The results of this research may “lead to the development of clinical practice guidelines and protocols that address the impact of the disease on emotional and psychological well-being—both for healthcare professionals, from an interdisciplinary perspective, and for the patients themselves.” And its ultimate goal is for this research to serve as a stepping stone toward the creation of psycho-oncology services within the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) that provide psychological care to patients throughout the course of their illness. “The uniqueness and novelty of our project lie in the fact that there are no studies or assessment tools—either nationally or internationally—that jointly address patients’ clinical status and the various domains and dimensions of quality of life specified by the WHO,” explains the “ Team ” in its fundraising campaign. Initially, this study will be conducted at the Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera, the Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar of Cádiz , and the Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real , which collectively treat an estimated total of 600 new cases each year. The study sample will consist of patients diagnosed with breast cancer who voluntarily wish to participate. However, the goal is for the knowledge and products generated to be applied to any type of cancer and/or medical condition treated in hospitals within the public health system. To achieve this, the first step is to raise the 3,000 euros needed to optimize the app through a crowdfunding campaign. 🔗 More information: La Voz Digital

The “BAHÍA” WOMEN WITH CANCER ASSOCIATION is joining efforts to promote research at the Institute for Biomedical Research and Cancer Research ( Projects ) related to metastatic breast cancer through a collaboration with INiBICA for the Oncology Clinical Management Unit at the Hospital de la Ciudad de Bilbao ( Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar), led by Dr. Jose Manuel Baena Cañada.