Does numerical modelling of the onset of dissolution-convection reliably reproduce this key stabilization process in CO2 storage?

Dissolution of carbon dioxide into water is a key medium-term CO2 plume stabilization process. It proceeds much more quickly when aided by convection than when driven by diffusion alone. The onset of the convection process is not well understood, so laboratory experiments using a Hele-Shaw cell containing a porous medium were used to reproduce the process of CO2 dissolution and convection in water. High resolution numerical flow models were then used to replicate the laboratory results. They show a remarkably good match in terms of convective plume temporal and spatial development. This suggests that numerical models of dissolution-convection at much larger reservoir scales can reliably predict the onset of dissolution-convection

Using pressure recovery at a depleted gas field to understand saline aquifer connectivity

A key uncertainty facing Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) in saline aquifers is long term injectivity, which is primarily a function of the connected aquifer pore-volume within which formation brine can be displaced as the CO2 is injected. Protracted injection testing to interrogate and prove the far-field connected pore-volume would increase the lead-in times for commissioning of storage sites and would significantly increase appraisal costs. Here we use natural gas production and subsequent reservoir recharge legacy data from the Esmond gas field in the UK sector of the southern North Sea to gain an understanding of the dynamic behaviour of the Bunter Sandstone, a major saline aquifer. Results suggest that Esmond has a connected pore volume of 1.83x1010 m3, suitable for injecting CO2 at a rate of up to 2 million tonnes per year for at least 55 years. 3D seismic data suggest that Esmond reservoir properties are likely to be replicated across the wider Bunter Sandstone aquifer, notably around the Endurance structure which was, until recently, proposed for a full-chain CCS project

Interrater reliability of directly-observed stepping and reclining in lower limb amputees in a laboratory setting

Introduction: Accurate measurement of physical behaviours in adults with lower limb absence is essential to report true patterns of physical behaviour and the effectiveness of interventions. Observation methods are often used for criterion-related validation. Establishing interrater reliability within direct observation methods is an important and necessary precursor to criterion-related validitystudies. Purpose: To assess the interrater reliability for quantifying steps and reclining time in simulated lifestyle activities in adults with unilateral lower limb absence. Methods: 15 adults completed three trials of a simulated set of lifestyle activities including kitchen work, sitting and lying and purposefulwalking. Trials were video recorded and subsequently analysed independently by three trained raters for three types of behavioural event (incidental stepping, purposeful stepping and reclining). Data were analysed using oneway intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and oneway repeated measures ANOVAand effect sizes (Cohen's d). Results: Reliability was high for the reliability of three raters (ICCs ranged from .98-1.00 for the three types of physical behaviours), and also when adjusted for a single rater (ICCsranged from .93-.99). Although there were significant (p < .05) mean differences among raters for incidental steps, total steps, and reclining time, these corresponded to small effect sizes (d = 0.08-0.29).Conclusions: Trained raters are able to consistently judge brief, incidental stepping and more prolonged stepping events as well as sitting and lying events performed by adults with unilateral lower limb absence in controlled laboratory simulations. Multiple raters are not needed in order to obtain reliable data. These data can be used to obtain a reliable record of physical behaviours for criterion-related validation of other measures such as accelerometers

Reliability and validity of the activPAL for measuring stepping and reclining in unilateral lower limb amputees

Introduction: Valid, reliable measurement of physical behaviours in adults with limb absence is essential to accurately describe physical behaviour patterns and intervention effects. Purpose: To assess parallel forms reliability and criterion-related validity of the activPAL for measuring steps and reclining time in simulated lifestyle activities in adults with unilateral lower limb absence. Methods: 15 adults completed three circuits of simulated kitchen work, sitting, lying and purposeful walking on level ground and stairs. Three trained raters independently analysed video recorded trials for incidental stepping, purposeful stepping and reclining. Simultaneous data were obtained from two activPAL monitors placed on the sound and prosthetic side. Data were analysed using oneway intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC; parallel forms reliability), and with Pearson correlations, oneway repeated ANOVAs, and Cohen's d (criterion-related validity). Results: Parallel forms reliability (prosthetic side vs. sound side) was poor for incidental steps (ICC = .05, d = 0.41) but acceptable for all other measures (ICC = .69-.98; d = 0.02-0.17). Correlations between direct observation and activPAL ranged from r = .65-.98 (activPAL on sound side) and from r = .30-.99 (activPAL on prosthetic side). Mean differences between observed measures and activPAL measures were generally large for all stepping variables (d = 0.56-4.22); observed mean scores were systematically higher than from the activPAL. Correlations were higher for reclining time (r = .98- .99), and differences were smaller (d = 0.25-0.28), although the pattern was similar (observed scores were higher). Conclusions: activPAL data from the sound side and prosthetic side are similar for adults with unilateral lower limb absence. Validity of the activPAL in this population seems poor in simulated lifestyle activities. These results may be at least partly due to the brief sampling period or the simulated activity protocol

Narratives from the road to social justice in PETE: teacher educator perspectives

Developing teacher education programmes founded upon principles of critical pedagogy and social justice has become increasingly difficult in the current neoliberal climate of higher education. In this article, we adopt a narrative approach to illuminate some of the dilemmas which advocates of education for social justice face and to reflect upon how pedagogy for inclusion in the field of physical education (PE) teacher education (PETE) is defined and practiced. As a professional group, teacher educators seem largely hesitant to expose themselves to the researcher's gaze, which is problematic if we expect preservice teachers to engage in messy, biographical reflexivity with regard to their own teaching practice. By engaging in self- and collective biographical story sharing about ‘our’ teacher educator struggles in England and Norway, we hope that the reader can identify ‘her/his’ struggles in the narratives about power and domination, and the spaces of opportunity in between

Working towards inclusive physical education in a primary school: ‘some days I just don’t get it right’

© 2018 Association for Physical Education Background: In Aotearoa New Zealand, as it is internationally, there is a desire to ensure physical education is inclusive of all students regardless of their abilities. Yet, medical discourses associated with disability continue to position students who are perceived as not having the capacity to participate fully in traditional physical education programmes as the teacher’s ‘helper’, ‘helped’, or ‘helpless’. As a result, these students may have negative experiences of physical education and this can impact on future involvement in movement-related activities within school and community settings. Methodology: Drawing on the data from a larger critical participatory action research project, we explore how one primary school teacher, Joel, attempted to work more inclusively within physical education. Specifically, we draw from personal journaling, student work and records of dialogical conversations to shed light on Joel’s experiences. Conclusion: Joel’s experience demonstrates that there is not one singular solution to inclusion within physical education and it is a combination of actions that support this process. In Joel’s case, this included becoming a reflexive practitioner, getting to know his students, being receptive as opposed to respective to difference in positive ways rather than seeing this as limiting, working imaginatively to reconsider what constitutes learning in physical education, and sharing ownership for curriculum design and learning with his students. Working in this way illustrates how a multi-layered approach can make a difference to how all the students in a class experience inclusion, including students positioned as disabled

Prevalence and architecture of de novo mutations in developmental disorders.

The genomes of individuals with severe, undiagnosed developmental disorders are enriched in damaging de novo mutations (DNMs) in developmentally important genes. Here we have sequenced the exomes of 4,293 families containing individuals with developmental disorders, and meta-analysed these data with data from another 3,287 individuals with similar disorders. We show that the most important factors influencing the diagnostic yield of DNMs are the sex of the affected individual, the relatedness of their parents, whether close relatives are affected and the parental ages. We identified 94 genes enriched in damaging DNMs, including 14 that previously lacked compelling evidence of involvement in developmental disorders. We have also characterized the phenotypic diversity among these disorders. We estimate that 42% of our cohort carry pathogenic DNMs in coding sequences; approximately half of these DNMs disrupt gene function and the remainder result in altered protein function. We estimate that developmental disorders caused by DNMs have an average prevalence of 1 in 213 to 1 in 448 births, depending on parental age. Given current global demographics, this equates to almost 400,000 children born per year

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

SummaryBackground Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatoryactions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospitalwith COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients wererandomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once perday by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatmentgroups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment andwere twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants andlocal study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to theoutcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treatpopulation. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936.Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) wereeligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomlyallocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall,561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days(rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days(rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, nosignificant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilationor death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24).Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or otherprespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restrictedto patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication