Risk assessment-led characterisation of the SiteChar UK North Sea site for the geological storage of CO2

Risk assessment-led characterisation of a site for the geological storage of CO2 in the UK northern North Sea was performed for the EU SiteChar research project as one of a portfolio of sites. Implementation and testing of the SiteChar project site characterisation workflow has produced a ‘dry-run’ storage permit application that is compliant with regulatory requirements. A site suitable for commercial-scale storage was characterised, compatible with current and future industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) sources in the northern UK. Pre-characterisation of the site, based on existing information acquired during hydrocarbon exploration and production, has been achieved from publicly available data. The project concept is to store captured CO2 at a rate of 5 Mt per year for 20 years in the Blake Oil Field and surrounding Captain Sandstone saline aquifer. This commercial-scale storage of 100 Mt CO2 can be achieved through a storage scenario combining injection of CO2 into the oil field and concurrent water production down-dip of the field. There would be no encroachment of supercritical phase CO2 for more than two kilometres beyond the field boundary and no adverse influence on operating hydrocarbon fields provided there is pressure management. Components of a storage permit application for the site are presented, developed as far as possible within a research project. Characterisation and technical investigations were guided by an initial assessment of perceived risks to the prospective site and a need to provide the information required for the storage permit application. The emphasis throughout was to reduce risks and uncertainty on the subsurface containment of stored CO2, particularly with respect to site technical performance, monitoring and regulatory issues, and effects on other resources. The results of selected risk assessment-led site characterisation investigations and the subsequent risk reassessments are described together with their implications for the understanding of the site. Additional investigations are identified that could further reduce risks and uncertainties, and enable progress toward a full storage permit application. Permit performance conditions are presented as SiteChar-recommended useful tools for discussion between the competent authority and operator

Exploring the Process of Preservice Teachers' Diagnostic Activities in a Video-Based Simulation

Formative assessment of student learning is a challenging task in the teaching profession. Both teachers’ professional vision and their pedagogical content knowledge of specific subjects such as mathematics play an important role in assessment processes. This study investigated mathematics preservice teachers’ diagnostic activities during a formative assessment task in a video-based simulation. It examined which mathematical content was important for the successful assessment of the simulated students’ mathematical argumentation skills. Beyond that, the preservice teachers’ use of different diagnostic activities was assessed and used as an indicator of their knowledge-based reasoning during the assessment situation. The results showed that during the assessment, the mathematical content focused on varied according to the level of the simulated students’ mathematical argumentation skills. In addition, explaining what had been noticed was found to be the most difficult activity for the participants. The results suggest that the examined diagnostic activities are helpful in detecting potential challenges in the assessment process of preservice teachers that need to be further addressed in teacher education. In addition, the findings illustrate that a video-based simulation may have the potential to train specific diagnostic activities by means of additional instructional support

2016 update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of early arthritis

Objectives: Since the 2007 recommendations for the management of early arthritis have been presented, considerable research has been published in the field of early arthritis, mandating an update of the 2007 EULAR recommendations for management of early arthritis. Methods: In accordance with the 2014 EULAR Standardised Operating Procedures, the expert committee pursued an approach that was based on evidence in the literature and on expert opinion. The committee involved 20 rheumatologists, 2 patients and 1 health professional representing 12 European countries. The group defined the focus of the expert committee and target population, formulated a definition of “management” and selected the research questions. A systematic literature research (SLR) was performed by 2 fellows with the help of a skilled librarian. A set of draft recommendations was proposed on the basis of the research questions and the results of the SLR. For each recommendation the categories of evidence were identified, the strength of recommendations was derived and the level of agreement was determined through a voting process. Results: The updated recommendations comprise 3 overarching principles and 12 recommendations for managing early arthritis. The selected statements involve the recognition of arthritis, referral, diagnosis, prognostication, treatment (information, education, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions), monitoring and strategy. Eighteen items were identified as relevant for future research. Conclusion: These recommendations provide rheumatologists, general practitioners, health professionals, patients and other stakeholders with an updated EULAR consensus on the entire management of early arthritis

Die Rolle von Lernvoraussetzungsprofilen bei der Diagnose mathematischer Beweiskompetenz von Schüler*innen

Beweise sind in der Fachmathematik von zentraler Bedeutung. Entsprechend wichtig erscheint es, Beweiskompetenz auch bei Schüler*innen adäquat aufzubauen (Reiss & Ufer, 2009). Um Schüler*innen dabei optimal zu unterstützen, müssen Lehrkräfte deren aktuellen Leistungsstand im Beweisen prozessbegleitend diagnostizieren können. Als wichtige Indikatoren für diese Diagnose haben sich Basiswissen, Methodenwissen sowie Wissen um Problemlösestrategien der Schüler*innen herausgestellt (Reiss & Ufer, 2009). Basiswissen entspricht dem Wissen über zentrale Definitionen und Zusammenhänge; es umfasst dabei Wissen um den Begriffsinhalt, den Begriffsumfang und das Begriffsnetz (Weigand et al., 2014). Methodenwissen umfasst Wissen über den korrekten Aufbau von Beweisen, insbesondere Wissen über Beweisschema, Beweisstruktur und Beweiskette (Heinze & Reiss, 2003). Im Hinblick auf Wissen über Problemlösestrategien haben sich einerseits das Wissen über heuristische Strategien, aber auch Wissen um metakognitive Strategien wie erfolgreiche Monitoring-Strategien als hilfreiche Indikatoren erwiesen (Codreanu et al., 2022; Schoenfeld, 1992)

The relation between learners' experience in simulations and diagnostic accuracy: generalizability across medical and teacher education

Simulation-based learning is being increasingly implemented across different domains of higher education to facilitate essential skills and competences (e.g. diagnostic skills, problem-solving, etc.). However, the lack of research that assesses and compares simulations used in different contexts (e.g., from design perspective) makes it challenging to effectively transfer good practices or establish guidelines for effective simulations across different domains. This study suggests some initial steps to address this issue by investigating the relations between learners' experience in simulation-based learning environments and learners' diagnostic accuracy across several different domains and types of simulations, with the goal of facilitating cross-domain research and generalizability. The findings demonstrate that used learners' experience ratings are correlated with objective performance measures, and can be used for meaningful comparisons across different domains. Measures of perceived extraneous cognitive load were found to be specific to the simulation and situation, while perceived involvement and authenticity were not. Further, the negative correlation between perceived extraneous cognitive load and perceived authenticity was more pronounced in interaction-based simulations. These results provide supporting evidence for theoretical models that highlight the connection between learners' experience in simulated learning environments and their performance. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of the relationship between learners’ experience in simulation-based learning environments and their diagnostic accuracy, paving the way for the dissemination of best practices across different domains within higher education

A Cross-Sectional Study of Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Insights from Romanian Physical Education Male Students and Non-Professionals

Obesity is a growing global public health issue linked to reduced life expectancy. While genetic predisposition, physical activity, demographic factors, and energy intake are recognized as key contributors, the specific determinants of overweight remain de-bated. This study examines body composition and cardiovascular capacity differences among university students at "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galați, comparing students from the Faculty of Non-Professional Studies (MSNP, n=116) and the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (MSPE, n=51). Body composition was assessed using the InBody 720 (Biospace, Ko-rea), analyzing total body water, intracellular and extracellular water, protein, minerals, body fat mass (BFM), skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage (PBF), BMI, waist-hip ratio, and InBody score. Cardiovascular capacity was measured via the Ruffier Test, and data were analyzed using SPSS v26 (α = 0.05). MSNP participants had significantly greater BFM (16.55 ± 5.46 kg vs. 12.58 ± 4.98 kg, p = 0.003, Cohen’s d = 0.78) and PBF (20.71% ± 5.32 vs. 15.57% ± 4.89, p < 0.001, d = 1.03) compared to MSPE students. BMI classification revealed a higher proportion of overweight students in MSPE (33.3%) than in MSNP (25%), whereas obesity rates were higher in MSNP (10.3% vs. 5.9%). However, the difference was not statistically significant (χ² = 2.84, p = 0.09). In the MSNP group, 55.2% were advised to lose weight, while 44% required increased muscle mass, compared to 12% of MSPE students recommended for weight loss and 26% for muscle gain (p < 0.001). Ruffier Index scores indicated better cardio-vascular fitness in MSPE students (8.76 ± 1.92) compared to MSNP students (10.92 ± 2.11, p < 0.01, d = 1.05). The significantly higher body fat and lower cardiovascular capacity in MSNP students highlight the urgent need for targeted physical activity interventions and nutritional education to mitigate obesity risk. Integrating structured exercise programs and lifestyle modifications into university curricula could enhance long-term metabolic health outcomes in young adult

Förderung von Zukunftskompetenzen durch videobasierte Simulationen für die Lehrkräftebildung am Beispiel des Projekts Visit-Math

Der Beitrag widmet sich dem Projekt »Visit-Math«, das auf die Ausbildung angehender Lehrkräfte fokussiert, welche eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Vermittlung von zukünftig relevanten Zukunftskompetenzen spielen. Die Debatten um die Verknüpfung von Theorie und Praxis in der Lehrkräfteausbildung aufgreifend werden Konzeption und Validierung einer Simulation zur Förderung der Diagnosekompetenz angehender Mathematiklehrkräfte vorgestellt. (DIPF/Orig.

Tiled Amplicon Sequencing Enables Culture-free Whole-Genome Sequencing of Pathogenic Bacteria From Clinical Specimens

Pathogen sequencing is an important tool for disease surveillance and demonstrated its high value during the COVID-19 pandemic. Viral sequencing during the pandemic allowed us to track disease spread, quickly identify new variants, and guide the development of vaccines. Tiled amplicon sequencing, in which a panel of primers is used for multiplex amplification of fragments across an entire genome, was the cornerstone of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing. The speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of this method led to its implementation in academic and public health laboratories across the world and adaptation to a broad range of viral pathogens. However, similar methods are not available for larger bacterial genomes, for which whole-genome sequencing typically requires in vitro culture. This increases costs, error rates and turnaround times. The need to culture poses particular problems for medically important bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which are slow to grow and challenging to culture. As a proof of concept, we developed two novel whole-genome amplicon panels for M. tuberculosis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Applying our amplicon panels to clinical samples, we show the ability to classify pathogen subgroups and to reliably identify markers of drug resistance without culturing. Development of this work in clinical settings has the potential to dramatically reduce the time of diagnosis of drug resistance for multiple drugs in parallel, enabling earlier intervention for high priority pathogens

EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to rheumatoid arthritis

Copyright © 2017 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism. All rights reserved.Background: During the transition to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) many patients pass through a phase characterised by the presence of symptoms without clinically apparent synovitis. These symptoms are not well-characterised. This taskforce aimed to define the clinical characteristics of patients with arthralgia who are considered at risk for RA by experts based on their clinical experience. Methods: The taskforce consisted of 18 rheumatologists, 1 methodologist, 2 patients, 3 health professionals and 1 research fellow. The process had three phases. In phase I, a list of parameters considered characteristic for clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA) was derived; the most important parameters were selected by a three-phased Delphi approach. In phase II, the experts evaluated 50 existing patients on paper, classified them as CSA/no-CSA and indicated their level of confidence. A provisional set of parameters was derived. This was studied for validation in phase III, where all rheumatologists collected patients with and without CSA from their outpatient clinics. Results: The comprehensive list consisted of 55 parameters, of which 16 were considered most important. A multivariable model based on the data from phase II identified seven relevant parameters: symptom duration <1 year, symptoms of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, morning stiffness duration ≥60 min, most severe symptoms in early morning, first-degree relative with RA, difficulty with making a fist and positive squeeze test of MCP joints. In phase III, the combination of these parameters was accurate in identifying patients with arthralgia who were considered at risk of developing RA (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.92, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.96). Test characteristics for different cut-off points were determined. Conclusions: A set of clinical characteristics for patients with arthralgia who are at risk of progression to RA was established.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio