UK and Ireland Joint Advisory Group (JAG) consensus statements for training and certification in diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

Background and Aims: International endoscopy societies vary in their approach for credentialing individuals in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to enable independent practice; however, there is no consensus in this or its implementation. In 2019, the Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy (JAG) commissioned a working group to examine the evidence relating to this process for EUS. The aim of this was to develop evidence-based recommendations for EUS training and certification in the UK.Methods: Under the oversight of the JAG quality assurance team, a modified Delphi process was conducted which included major stakeholders from the UK and Ireland. A formal literature review was made, initial questions for study were proposed and recommendations for training and certification in EUS were formulated after a rigorous assessment using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation tool and subjected to electronic voting to identify accepted statements. These were peer reviewed by JAG and relevant stakeholder societies before consensus on the final EUS certification pathway was achieved.Results: 39 initial questions were proposed of which 33 were deemed worthy of assessment and finally formed the key recommendations. The statements covered four key domains, such as: definition of competence (13 statements), acquisition of competence (10), assessment of competence (5) and postcertification mentorship (5). Key recommendations include: (1) minimum of 250 hands-on cases before an assessment for competency can be made, (2) attendance at the JAG basic EUS course, (3) completing a minimum of one formative direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) every 10 cases to allow the learning curve in EUS training to be adequately studied, (4) competent performance in summative DOPS assessments and (5) a period of mentorship over a 12-month period is recommended as minimum to support and mentor new service providers.Conclusions: An evidence-based certification pathway has been commissioned by JAG to support and quality assure EUS training. This will form the basis to improve quality of training and safety standards in EUS in the UK and Ireland.</p

Impact of reader-to-tag interference and forward link fading on RFID system performance

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system uses the principle of radiative power transfer between the reader and the tag antenna. Usually, it operates in a forward-link limited regime where the read range is limited by the ability to deliver power to the tag. Most of current researches consider the reader interrogation zone to be determined only by its read range assuming omni-directional antennas. However, the reliable interrogation zone also depends on interference effect, channel fading and the relative reader-tag antennas orientations. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the passive RFID systems taking into consideration reader antennas orientation and forward link fading for both desired signal and multiple RFID interferers. Using our model, we examine the effect of constructive and destructive (i.e. tag jamming) interferences in passive RFID system from the RF point of view. We also analyze the tag detection rate at different fading environments modeled by Rician distribution

Terminal Miocene lacustrine Ostracoda from Salar (NW edge of the Granada Basin, Spain)

Three main episodes have been distinguished in the late Turolian lacustrine deposits of Salar (Granada Basin, Spain) on the basis of the ostracod faunaI assemblages. The first episode corresponds probably to a deep lacustrine (sublittoral) environment, with oligohaline and relatively cold waters. The second corresponds to a shallow (littoral) environment, with oligohaline to mesohaline waters, recording a chloride character. The late episode is that of a very shallow environment, partially of palustrlne type, with mesohaline to polyhaline waters and strong variations of salinit

The upper Pliocene lacustrine ostracodes of Saïss Basin (N of Morocco): Main palaeoenvironmental features

Three main environment types have been distinguished in the Upper Pliocene deposits ofSaiss Basin (N of Morocco) on the basis of the ostracod fauna! assemblages. Fluvio-lacustrine in the northern edge, with oligohaline to mesohaline NaCI-dominant water. Lacustrine to palustrine at the top, in the central area of the basin and palustrine to the western, with oligohaline bicarbonate-rich wate

Benthic foraminifers from the Tahadart estuary (NW Morocco)

Foraminifer assemblages from several surface samples of the Tahadart estuary, in the Atlantic coast of Northwestern Morocco, have been analysed for the first time. A total of seventy seven species have been taxonomically identified, fortytwo of which contained live specimens in the time of sampling. Dominant assemblage is composed of the species Ammonia tepida and Haynesina germanica, which are accompanied by Lobatula lobatula and Bolivina pseudoplicata in the mouth of the estuary and by Jadammina macrescens in the middle and higher marsh areas. The high diversity index and the great number of species coming from the marine shelf are indicative of the strong energy of this estuary, with an open connection to the sea, even in channels far from the coastal are

An overview of Neogene brackish leptocytherids from Italy and Spain: Biochronological and palaeogeographical implications

An overview of the Neogene euryhaline leptocytherids from Italian and Spanish basins is reported, together with their chronological and geographical distributions. Eight genera (or subgenera) have been considered: Mediocytherideis s.s., M. (Sylvestra), Chartocythere, Leptocythere, Tavanicythere, Amnicythere, Euxinocythere s.s. and E. (Maeotocythere). The study has shown that these leptocytherids could be a valuable biochronological tool in both marginal marine and the athalassic saline environments, since, even at generic level, they show separate temporal distributions. For example, the presence of Chartocythere and Euxinocythere s.s. in the Mediterranean seems to be limited to the Late Serravallian; Tavanicythere seems to have been exclusively distributed during the Late Miocene, with different species spanning the Late Tortonian and Early Messinian; M. (Sylvestra) seems to attain its maximum diversity in the same time-interval; the widespreading of Amnicythere and E. (Maeotocythere) in the Mediterranean marks the Latest Messinian lago-mare event (about 5.5–5.3 Ma); the important radiation of Leptocythere characterises the Pliocene. Moreover, a comparative analysis between Neogene Mediterranean and Paratethyan leptocytherids has shown that the geographical and stratigraphical distribution of the eight genera analysed matches the palaeogeographic events that affected the Peri-Tethyan realm during Neogene