Search

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and are central to human, animal, environmental, and planetary health. They play a particularly important role in the food chain and the production of high-quality, safe, and health-promoting foods, especially fermented foods. This important role is not always apparent to members of the public. Here, we describe Kefir4All, a citizen science project designed to provide the general public with an opportunity to expand their awareness, knowledge, and practical skills relating to microbiology, introduced through the medium of producing fermented food, i.e., milk kefir or water kefir. During the course of Kefir4All, 123 citizen scientists, from second-level school and non-school settings, participated in a study to track changes in the microbial composition of kefirs, by performing and recording details of milk kefir or water kefir fermentations they performed in their homes or schools over the21-week project. At the start of the study, the citizen scientists were provided with milk or water kefir grains to initiate the fermentations. Both types of kefir grain are semi-solid, gelatinous-like substances, composed of exopolysaccharides and proteins, containing a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast. The experimental component of the project was complemented by a number of education and outreach events, including career talks and a site visit to our research center (Kefir Day). At the end of the study, a report was provided to each citizen scientist, in which individualized results of their fermenting activities were detailed. A number of approaches were taken to obtain feedback and other insights from the citizen scientists. Evaluations took place before and after theKefir4All project to gauge the citizen scientist's self-reported awareness, knowledge, and interest in microbiology and fermented foods. Further insights into the level of citizen science participation were gained through assessing the number of samples returned for analysis and the level of participation of the citizen scientists throughout the project. Notably, the survey results revealed a self-reported, increased interest in, and general knowledge of, science among the Kefir4All citizen scientists after undertaking the project and a willingness to take part in further citizen science projects. Ultimately, Kefir4Allrepresents an example of the successful integration of citizen science into existing education and research systems.

This article revisits the Mincer earnings function and presents comparable estimates of the average monetary returns associated with an additional year of education across different regions worldwide. In contrast to the traditional Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method commonly employed in the literature, this study applied a cutting-edge approach known as Support Vector Regression (SVR), which belongs to the family of machine learning (ML) algorithms. SVR is specifically chosen to address the bias arising from underfitting inherent in OLS. The analysis focuses on recent data spanning from 2010 to 2018, ensuring temporal homogeneity across the examined regions. The findings reveal that each additional year of education, on average, yields a private rate of returns of 10.4%. Notably, Sub-Saharan Africa exhibits the highest returns to education at 17.8%, while Europe demonstrates the lowest returns at 7.2%. Moreover, higher education is associated with the highest returns across the regions, with a rate of 12%, whereas primary education yields returns of 10%. Interestingly, women generally experience higher returns than men, with rates of 10.6 and 10.1%, respectively. Over time, the returns to education exhibit a modest decline, decreasing at a rate of approximately 0.1% per year, while the average duration of education demonstrates an increase of 0.16 years per year (1% per year). The application of the state-of-the-art ML technique, SVR, not only improves the accuracy of estimates but also enhances predictive performance measures such as the coefficient of determination (R[superscript 2]) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) when compared to the OLS method. The implications drawn from these findings emphasize the need for expanding university education, as well as investments in primary education, along with significant attention toward promoting girls' education. These findings hold considerable importance for policymakers who are tasked with making informed decisions regarding education expenditure and the implementation of education financing programs.

To ensure quality of education, a language framework should be the foundation on which second language curricula are developed. In 2010, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), as suggested by Vandergrift (2006a, 2006b), recommended the use of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in the K-12 Canadian school context and presented several considerations for adaptation before it should be adopted and used. Although the CEFR is partially used across Canada, few of the CMEC's considerations have been met to date. Given this state of affairs, we suggest the made-in-Canada, Canadian Language Benchmarks and "les Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens" (CLB/NCLC) as an alternative. We argue that the CLB/NCLC, profoundly revised in 2012, best embrace the Canadian context and, using Vandergrift's criteria for a valid language framework, that CLB/NCLC are now superior to the CEFR in many aspects.

Satisfaction with the detection process of autism and its determinants was investigated using data from the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (2015-2018) network. A total of 1342 family members, including 1278 parents, completed an online survey collecting information about their experience and satisfaction with the early detection of autism in their child. Overall, the level of satisfaction varied considerably from one respondent to another. Difficulty in finding information about detection services, lack of professional guidance and support in response to first concerns, finding a diagnostic service on one's own, and a delay of more than 4 months between the confirmation of concerns and the first appointment with a specialist were all experiences individually associated with greater odds of being less satisfied. Using a dominance analysis approach, we further identified professional guidance and support in response to first concerns as the most important predictor of the level of satisfaction. These findings highlight the aspects of the process that need to be improved to enhance the experience of the detection process and are therefore relevant to guide health administrations toward actions to be implemented to this effect.

Research exploring the challenges department chairs face has long suggested the role is difficult and lacks tangible reward (Buller, 2012, 2015; Gmelch et al., 2017). Yet, as higher education demographics, settings, and organizational expectations change and chairs function in more uncertain and increasingly complex institutional environments, it is important to understand how chairs describe the challenges they encounter, the ways in which they respond to those challenges, and the knowledge and skills they draw on to do so. Drawing on 45 interviews with chairs across a variety of institution types, this study focuses on chairs' perceptions of their role, contextualization of their learning, and understanding how orientations toward faculty, staff, and students contribute to their work. Findings suggest chairs struggle to balance their approaches to the work, striving to employ common sense while decision making, humanity when working with others, and savvy when approaching an unavoidable and often overwhelming political landscape, all while possessing limited institutional authority. These are expressed as tensions of task, organization, and role, and the people and relationships that chairs must reconcile, rather than resolve, if they are to be successful.

Student learning outcomes assessment examines whether programs cover the material stated in their learning goals, whether students are learning the material, and the impact on student retention, graduation, post-graduation outcomes, and institutional accreditation, with the aim of providing faculty with data that can be used to help programs evolve or improve. While there is a plethora of research regarding effective methods of assessment used in the United States, little has been written regarding cross-national comparisons of assessment methodologies. This paper examines the current state of assessment in several nations and regions, and draws parallels in practices across countries. A literature search using the term "outcomes assessment" yielded 228 articles, of which, only 35 described practices outside the United States. Generally, searches on the terms "outcomes assessment" and "global" tend to return studies of outcomes assessment of teaching about global issues as it is practiced in the United States, rather than results about outcomes assessment practices used in other countries.

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a summary of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES)-related activities in 2021. Manuscripts submitted: In 2021 original submissions (i.e., not counting revised manuscripts) increased by [approximately]20% as compared to 2020. Fifty-eight countries were represented across the 464 original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2022. Manuscripts submitted by section: The seven sections of MPEES are: (1) exercise science, (2) physical activity, (3) physical education pedagogy, (4) psychology, (5) research methodology and statistics, (6) sport management and administration, and (7) tutorial and teacher's toolbox. More than three-fourths of the manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 were submitted to one of three sections: exercise science or physical activity or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022. Review process: Each of the original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 had received an initial decision by April 4, 2022 (i.e., 464 of the 464 manuscripts received). When an immediate decision (e.g., desk-rejection) was rendered by the editor-in-chief it always (i.e., for 369 of 369 manuscripts) occurred within 10 days of receiving the manuscript. When a manuscript was assigned to a section editor by the editor-in-chief it typically (i.e., for 91 of 95 manuscripts) received an initial decision within 90 days of receiving the manuscript. Twenty-four countries were represented across reviewers for the original manuscripts sent out for external review by MPEES in 2021. We gratefully acknowledge, and list in the Appendix, the many scholars (N = 151) from around the world who served as a reviewer for MPEES in 2021. Manuscripts published: Volume 25 (i.e., the volume published in 2021) of MPEES published a total of 37 manuscripts. More than two-thirds of the published manuscripts were submitted to one of two sections: exercise science or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022. Fourteen countries were represented across the manuscripts published in Volume 25 of MPEES. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts written by one or more authors from around the world in 2022. Impact factor: The 2020 impact factor for MPEES was 2.30 representing an increase of [approximately]31% compared to 2019 when the journal's impact factor was 1.75. The value of the 2020 impact factor placed MPEES in the second quartile (i.e., ranked #131 out of 265 journals) within the Education & Educational Research category of Clarivate Analytics. The 2021 impact factor for MPEES is expected to be released in [approximately]June 2022.

"Experience design" is a term that has risen to the forefront in a variety of professional fields and has relevance for the field of park and recreation. Park and recreation professionals are primarily focused on providing experiences and thus could naturally consider themselves experienced designers. Surprisingly, experience design is not a topic often discussed within park and recreation publications or curriculum. This absence is at least in part attributable to the fact that experience design is an emerging field that has grown independently out of multiple disciplines. Consequently, the fields of park and recreation and experience design overlap in a variety of mutually beneficial ways which deserve further consideration. The purpose of this paper is to provide leisure educators a brief introduction to the practice of experience design and present information drawn from experience designers across a variety of fields about the skills, certifications, and resources necessary to become an experienced designer.

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the drivers of English Language Competence (ELC) in a representative sample of European adolescents. School factors -- such as English instruction time and English onset -- are found to play an important role, especially in countries whose official languages are more distant from English. However, schools do not fully compensate for disparities in ELC. Gender, parental education and parental socioeconomic status are strongly associated with students' ELC. Particularly, girls and children from more privileged social backgrounds show systematically higher ELC, even net of school factors and reading ability in their own country language. The role of family background is stronger in countries with languages that are more distant from English, suggesting that family resources are needed more when the skills are more difficult to acquire elsewhere. Finally, informal English exposure through media and cultural products is strongly and positively associated with ELC. This holds true in countries with both high and low linguistic distance from English, suggesting that schools should promote more informal English learning to increase overall ELC and reduce social disparities.

Background: Knowledge about the quality of assessment methods used in the support of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) is scarce. This study aimed to provide an overview of the assessment methods used in practice and to examine whether these instruments were studied for their psychometric properties for people with PIMD. Method: Professionals (N = 148) from three European countries completed a survey on assessment practices. We performed a literature search to find information about the psychometric properties of the instruments that were identified in the survey. Results: Of the participants, 78.1% used assessments that were not developed for people with PIMD. Documentation on psychometric properties was found for 8 out of 116 instruments. Conclusions: Most of the instruments in use were not designed for people with PIMD, and information about their quality is lacking. Guidelines are needed regarding the use and development of assessment methods for people with PIMD.

The proposed paper seeks to add a different dimension to the educational borrowing, lending, and transfer literature by examining the consequences of educational reforms that are implemented under dictatorships and their lasting impacts. In using Tunisia as an example, we assess the effects of the 2008 Licence-Maitrise-Doctorat ([LMD] Bachelor-Master-PhD) reform under Tunisia's former dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (from 1987 to 2011). The use of coercive transfer and subsequent implementation of LMD reforms by Ben Ali's government were in response to the creation of the European Higher Education Area in 1999 under the Bologna Declaration, which was adopted by twenty-nine European countries. The justification for the indirect coercive transfer of the Bologna model was to ensure the quality of higher education, to encourage student and teacher mobility, to facilitate both the equivalence of diplomas and young people's integration into the labor market. In what follows, we seek to construct a typology of the consequence of wholesaling adopting a reform without tailoring it to the local needs. In this typology, we account for the processes of policy mobilization, local articulation and ownership, structural factors, and path dependency by discussing the power relations through which indirect coercive transfer occur. In doing this, methodologically, we use a comparative-historical approach to Tunisia's higher education policy discourse. Theoretically, we seek to advance the literature of indirect coercive transfer by concluding as to the different factors that should be considered in North-South policy borrowing and transfer.

This examination emanates from the rise in nativist populism across the United States and Europe. Nativist populism is fueled by charismatic leaders who advocate isolationist, neoliberal policies that ostensibly aim to help the economic fortunes of those left behind by rapid globalization; however, these same policies could very well be creating even worse conditions for those individuals, their nations, and the world. One such condition is the state of public education, which plays an integral role in the creation and sustainment of social stability within nations and across the globe. This article explores the rise of nativist populism and the turmoil it creates, negatively affecting public education as well as the social stability of the United States and Europe.

Research indicates that parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health can improve safe sex practices among adolescents, but barriers to such communication exist. In this systematic review, we thematically synthesised qualitative data in 37 articles on parent-child sexual and reproductive health communication barriers conducted on five continents and in 19 different countries. We identified both barriers to communication and barriers to effective communication reported by parents and/or children. Internationally, both parents and children experienced personal barriers, such as embarrassment, discomfort and fear; communal barriers, such as outside sources and responsibility shift; and cultural barriers, such as sex as taboo, focus on abstinence and age/generational differences. Implications for future family communication interventions and measurement that could help parents navigate this form of sexual education are discussed.

Evidence suggests that children struggle to acquire age-appropriate fundamental movement skills (FMS), despite their importance for facilitating physical activity. This has led to calls for routine school-based screening of children's FMS. However, there is limited research exploring schools' capacity to conduct such assessments. This study investigated what factors might affect the adoption and implementation of FMS assessments in primary schools. School staff (n = 853) completed an online questionnaire developed using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) model. A majority reported that knowledge of pupils' FMS ability would be beneficial (65.3%), and 71.8% would assess FMS if support was provided. Barriers included: Capability -- few possessed knowledge of FMS (15%); Opportunity -- teachers reported 30-60 minutes as acceptable for assessing a class, a substantially shorter period than current assessments require; Motivation -- 57.2% stated FMS assessments would increase workload stress. Solutions to these issues are discussed using the COM-B theoretical framework.

Early services for ASD need to canvas the opinions of both parents and professionals. These opinions are seldom compared in the same research study. This study aims to ascertain the views of families and professionals on early detection, diagnosis and intervention services for young children with ASD. An online survey compiled and analysed data from 2032 respondents across 14 European countries (60.9% were parents; 39.1% professionals). Using an ordinal scale from 1 to 7, parents' opinions were more negative (mean = 4.6; SD 2.2) compared to those of professionals (mean = 4.9; SD 1.5) when reporting satisfaction with services. The results suggest services should take into account child's age, delays in accessing services, and active stakeholders' participation when looking to improve services.

Since the sudden emergence of COVID-19 global pandemic, all educational institutions have looked to move resources and delivery online. Some institutions had already embraced delivering instruction in this way; however, broader adaptation to this teaching style is new to many educators. While the teaching of theoretical concepts is more easily transferred to a blended learning environment, the teaching of practical chemistry poses significant challenges, yet it is crucial to the chemist's identity. Here we describe the establishment of a new, international, network to consider how practical chemistry can be taught outside of the traditional laboratory environment and invite readers of this special edition of the journal to join. Meeting fortnightly and maintaining links through a shared networked drive between meetings, the network has been accessed by over 100 delegates in the U.K., mainland Europe, North America, and Australasia. The traditional siloes of chemistry have not defined the discussions, which have instead focused on logistical aspects such as social distancing and the pastoral role of the laboratory environment. Initial evaluation shows the network is valued by its members and is making progress toward its aims.

To find a balance between learning analytics research and individual privacy, learning analytics initiatives need to appropriately address ethical, privacy, and data protection issues. A range of general guidelines, model codes, and principles for handling ethical issues and for appropriate data and privacy protection are available, which may serve the consideration of these topics in a learning analytics context. The importance and significance of data security and protection are also reflected in national and international laws and directives, where data protection is usually considered as a fundamental right. Existing guidelines, approaches, and regulations served as a basis for elaborating a comprehensive privacy and data protection framework for the LEA's BOX project. It comprises a set of eight principles to derive implications for ensuring ethical treatment of personal data in a learning analytics platform and its services. The privacy and data protection policy set out in the framework is translated into the learning analytics technologies and tools that were developed in the project and may be used as best practice for other learning analytics projects.

This mixed methods study examined holistic, analytic, and part marking models (MMs) in terms of their measurement properties and impact on candidate CEFR classifications in a semi-direct online speaking test. Speaking performances of 240 candidates were first marked holistically and by part (phase 1). On the basis of phase 1 findings--which suggested stronger measurement properties for the part MM--phase 2 focused on a comparison of part and analytic MMs. Speaking performances of 400 candidates were rated analytically and by part during that phase. Raters provided open comments on their marking experiences. Results suggested a significant impact of MM; approximately 30% and 50% of candidates in phases 1 and 2 respectively were awarded different (adjacent) CEFR levels depending on the choice of MM used to assign scores. There was a trend of higher CEFR levels with the holistic MM and lower CEFR levels with the part MM. Although strong correlations were found between all pairings of MMs, further analyses revealed important differences. The part MM was shown to display superior measurement qualities particularly in allowing raters to make finer distinctions between different speaking ability levels. These findings have implications for the scoring validity of speaking tests.

There is little evidence on the association between child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) policies and adolescent mental health. This study examined this association using data on indicators of adolescent mental health--aggressive behavior, life satisfaction, and psychosomatic symptoms--in 172,829 eleven- to fifteen-year-olds from 30 European countries in the 2013-2014 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study. Individual records were linked to national-level policies for CAMH, controlling for national-level adult violence, adult well-being, and income inequality. Multilevel analyses revealed lower adolescent aggressive behavior in countries with more CAMH policies, even after controlling for other national-level indicators. Adolescent life satisfaction and psychosomatic symptoms were not associated with CAMH policies. Results may inform policy recommendations regarding investments in adolescent mental health.

This article discusses the tension between quality assurance and quality enhancement in engineering education at a programme level. It acknowledges that accreditation has evolved for many years, but does not agilely support innovation or implement changes in educational programmes. Existing quality assurance systems, institutional collaboration networks, as well as new innovative quality enhancement models and processes are described, contrasted and synthesised. Quality enhancement is analysed based on its function as a source of inspiration and dissemination of good practice. The article reflects on a novel and more collaborative approach to quality enhancement, built on the foundations of specific pedagogical standards and rubrics (e.g. CDIO). One solution leading to real continuous quality enhancement could be flexible and agile evaluation processes. These are founded on measurement and rating frameworks and complemented with quality assurance for engineering education. Incremental enhancement is based on relevant needs identified collaboratively between programmes.

Future dynamics of biological invasions are highly uncertain because they depend on multiple social–ecological drivers. We used a scenario‐based approach to explore potential management options for invasive species in Europe. During two workshops involving a multidisciplinary team of experts, we developed a management strategy arranged into 19 goals relating to policy, research, public awareness, and biosecurity. We conceived solutions for achieving these goals under different plausible future scenarios, and identified four interrelated recommendations around which any long‐term strategy for managing invasive species can be structured: (1) a European biosecurity regime, (2) a dedicated communication strategy, (3) data standardization and management tools, and (4) a monitoring and assessment system. Finally, we assessed the feasibility of the management strategy and found substantial differences among scenarios. Collectively, our results indicate that it is time for a new strategy for managing biological invasions in Europe, one that is based on a more integrative approach across socioeconomic sectors and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International studies suggest that the U.S. ranks below many Asian and European countries in the 21st century in terms of mathematics and science achievement. Few have looked beyond the classroom to understand these differences. Absolute and relative time spent in various out-of-school time (OST) activities may provide one explanation. This study used the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which includes data on the OST and achievement of 8th graders from nearly 50 countries worldwide. OST variables included technology-based (e.g., using the internet), labor (e.g., chores), and leisure activities (e.g., sports, playing with friends). Students completed an internationally standardized mathematics and science achievement test. Results for absolute OST suggest that, beyond the large contribution of a country's human development index, OST is an important predictor of achievement. Further, relative OST is an important predictor, such that, those countries whose profile of time use was highest in technology also had the highest achievement scores. Future research should consider a broader view of education and related contexts that includes understanding the variability in OST use both within and between nations.

Research on sex-related differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been impeded by small samples. We pooled 28 datasets from 18 sites across nine European countries to examine sex differences in the ASD phenotype on the ADI-R (376 females, 1763 males) and ADOS (233 females, 1187 males). On the ADI-R, early childhood restricted and repetitive behaviours were lower in females than males, alongside comparable levels of social interaction and communication difficulties in females and males. Current ADI-R and ADOS scores showed no sex differences for ASD severity. There were lower socio-communicative symptoms in older compared to younger individuals. This large European ASD sample adds to the literature on sex and age variations of ASD symptomatology.

This article employs the Common European Framework Reference for Language Acquisition (CEFR) as a basis for evaluating writing in the context of machine scoring. The CEFR was designed as a framework for evaluating proficiency levels of speaking for the 49 languages comprising the European Union. The intent was to impact language instruction so that "mastery" of one language has the same meaning as it does in another. A second objective is to provide a crosswalk for what one automated writing evaluation (AWE) system does in attending to the dimensions of the framework. The CEFR Framework is divided into five traits and different proficiency levels. The question then becomes: Does the AWE system attempt to measure these dimensions of writing? And, if so, how is this operationalized? Is it measuring aspects of communication that are not specified? The goal here is to create a common vocabulary between the writing community and those interested in AWE systems as to what is actually being measured by their software, and mapping that to a developmental scale of writing performance.

Although often thought of as a contemporary practice, audience development and pedagogies for listener education can be traced throughout the history of the public concert where their origins were forged. This paper unpacks how western listening and audience practices have developed over time, the changes in listening and behaviour norms, the emergence of early practitioners who developed ideas and pedagogies for listener education within the concert hall in Europe, and exposes the current paucity of research on the educational dimension of audience development and pedagogies of listening in the contemporary orchestral concert hall. It is argued that by understanding the past we can better understand the current concert hall and the ways we ourselves actively participate and create our own histories in the ongoing evolution of classical music performance. The paper concludes that this cultural inheritance has implications for arts organisations, educators, audiences, and listeners alike.

The purpose of this annual report is to provide a summary of measurement in physical education and exercise science-related activities in 2017. A recent trend for an annual increase in manuscript submissions to measurement in physical education and exercise science continued in 2017. Twenty-nine countries were represented (i.e., corresponding author) with the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, and Australia collectively accounting for slightly more than two-thirds of the submissions. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2018. More than three-quarters of the manuscripts that were submitted to measurement in physical education and exercise science in 2017 were submitted to the exercise science section or the physical activity section or the research methodology and statistics section. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2018. We also gratefully acknowledge the many scholars from around the world who served as a reviewer for measurement in physical education and exercise science in 2017. Twenty-two countries were represented with the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany collectively accounting for more than 85% of the total number of reviewers. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality manuscript reviews from around the world in 2018. Volume 21 (i.e., the volume published in 2017) of measurement in physical education and exercise science published a total of 26 manuscripts. More than three-quarters of the published manuscripts were submitted to the research methodology and statistics section or the physical education pedagogy section or the exercise science section or the physical activity section. Twelve countries were represented with the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia collectively accounting for approximately three-fourths of the publications. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts from around the world in 2018.

Virtual reality-based technologies have been used in dentistry for almost two decades. Dental simulators, planning software and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) systems have significantly developed over the years and changed both dental education and clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of VRBT among dental students and educators in one European dental school using a paper-based questionnaire and the KAP among students and dental practitioners from 35 countries using an online survey. Dental students, educators and practitioners have overall positive attitudes towards VRBT but very few have used VRBT in education and practice. The majority of respondents plan to use VRBT in their future clinical practice and believe that those technologies will be widely adopted by dental practices within 22 years. Learning about VRBT and using them as part of undergraduate and continued education programmes could affect dental practitioners' willingness to implement new technologies and enhance critical assessment of new trends in dentistry.

Cardiac physiologic pacing (CPP), encompassing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and conduction system pacing (CSP), has emerged as a pacing therapy strategy that may mitigate or prevent the development of heart failure (HF) in patients with ventricular dyssynchrony or pacing‐induced cardiomyopathy. This clinical practice guideline is intended to provide guidance on indications for CRT for HF therapy and CPP in patients with pacemaker indications or HF, patient selection, pre‐procedure evaluation and preparation, implant procedure management, follow‐up evaluation and optimization of CPP response, and use in pediatric populations. Gaps in knowledge, pointing to new directions for future research, are also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse teachers' health views in order to obtain general trends in factors influencing health and health education and to fit them into the negative-positive model of health proposed by Downie and collaborators. Method: This large international study involved 15 countries from Western and Eastern Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South America, with high socioeconomic and cultural diversity. The questionnaire constructed and validated by the European FP6 project BIOHEAD-CITIZEN was applied in each country to a balanced sample of pre-service teachers (Pre) and in-service teachers (In) of primary schools (P) and secondary schools, teaching biology (B) or national language (L). Results: Women, older persons, those having longer higher university education, primary school teachers (compared to secondary teachers) and language teachers (compared to biology teachers) have a more positive view of health. The major difference was found between countries, rather than religion, where five groups emerged from cluster analysis. Conclusion: The study does not lead to a comprehensive view of factors influencing teachers' perceptions of health but results showed that there is a variety of variables associated with health and health education views. These findings can contribute to facilitate developing appropriate specific health education teachers' training courses.

Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous, neglected disease with few multicentre studies exploring the causes, severity, microbiology, and treatment of the disease across Europe. This aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of bronchiectasis and compare between different European countries. EMBARC is an international clinical research network for bronchiectasis. We report on a multicentre, prospective, observational, non-interventional, cohort study (the EMBARC registry) conducted across 27 European countries and Israel. Comprehensive clinical data were collected from adult patients (aged ≥18 years) at baseline and annual follow-up visits using electronic case report form. Data from individual countries were grouped into four regions (the UK, northern and western Europe, southern Europe, and central and eastern Europe according to modified EU EuroVoc classification). Follow-up data were used to explore differences in exacerbation frequency between regions using a negative binomial regression model. Between Jan 12, 2015, and April 12, 2022, 16 963 individuals were enrolled. Median age was 67 years (IQR 57–74), 10 335 (60·9%) participants were female and 6628 (39·1%) were male. The most common cause of bronchiectasis in all 16 963 participants was post-infective disease in 3600 (21·2%); 6466 individuals (38·1%) were classified as idiopathic. Individuals with bronchiectasis experienced a median of two exacerbations (IQR 1–4) per year and 4483 (26·4%) patients had a hospitalisation for exacerbation in the previous year. When examining the percentage of all isolated bacteria, marked differences in microbiology were seen between countries, with a higher frequency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and lower Haemophilus influenzae frequency in southern Europe, compared with higher H influenzae in the UK and northern and western Europe. Compared with other regions, patients in central and eastern Europe had more severe bronchiectasis measured by the Bronchiectasis Severity Index (51·3% vs 35·1% in the overall cohort) and more exacerbations leading to hospitalisations (57·9% vs 26·4% in the overall cohort). Overall, patients in central and eastern Europe had an increased frequency of exacerbations (adjusted rate ratio [RR] 1·12, 95% CI 1·01–1·25) and a higher frequency of exacerbations leading to hospitalisations (adjusted RR 1·71, 1·44–2·02) compared with patients in other regions. Treatment of bronchiectasis was highly heterogeneous between regions. Bronchiectasis shows important geographical variation in causes, microbiology, severity, and outcomes across Europe. European Union–European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative. For the Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Irish, Russian and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive House were made for the first time in Germany, this concept is used later in other different climates of the south, west and southwest Europe. To determine whether an area is suitable for this concept of the passive house will use software Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) 2007 by which we determine the needs for heat and total consumption of primary energy of a home preset depending on latitude, longitude and climatic conditions. For a home to be considered passive house it must be within the maximum allowable on heating requirements is 15 kWh/m² year nor the total primary energy consumption of 120 kWh/m² year. In this paper we will determine whether such Passive House concept according to German requirements for passive houses a predetermined pattern can be implemented in northern area of Europe. To achieve this experiment, we calculate the amount of heating and total primary energy consumption in Moscow, Russia. From these results we can determine whether this area can be used such houses and buildings and which modifications can be made to the houses to be implemented in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Researchers focused on mental health of conflict-affected children are increasingly interested in the concept of resilience. Knowledge on resilience may assist in developing interventions aimed at improving positive outcomes or reducing negative outcomes, termed promotive or protective interventions. Methods: We performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed qualitative and quantitative studies focused on resilience and mental health in children and adolescents affected by armed conflict in low- and middle-income countries. Results: Altogether 53 studies were identified: 15 qualitative and mixed methods studies and 38 quantitative, mostly cross-sectional studies focused on school-aged children and adolescents. Qualitative studies identified variation across socio-cultural settings of relevant resilience outcomes, and report contextually unique processes contributing to such outcomes. Quantitative studies focused on promotive and protective factors at different socio-ecological levels (individual, family-, peer-, school-, and community-levels). Generally, promotive and protective factors showed gender-, symptom-, and phase of conflict-specific effects on mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Although limited by its predominantly cross-sectional nature and focus on protective outcomes, this body of knowledge supports a perspective of resilience as a complex dynamic process driven by time- and context-dependent variables, rather than the balance between risk- and protective factors with known impacts on mental health. Given the complexity of findings in this population, we conclude that resilience-focused interventions will need to be highly tailored to specific contexts, rather than the application of a universal model that may be expected to have similar effects on mental health across contexts. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of hospitalisation in infants. The burden of RSV infection in healthy term infants has not yet been established. Accurate health-care burden data in healthy infants are necessary to determine RSV immunisation policy when RSV immunisation becomes available. We performed a multicentre, prospective, observational birth cohort study in healthy term-born infants (≥37 weeks of gestation) in five sites located in different European countries to determine the health-care burden of RSV. The incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations in the first year of life was determined by parental questionnaires and hospital chart reviews. We performed active RSV surveillance in a nested cohort to determine the incidence of medically attended RSV infections. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03627572. In total, 9154 infants born between July 1, 2017, and April 1, 2020, were followed up during the first year of life and 993 participated in the nested active surveillance cohort. The incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations in the total cohort was 1·8% (95% CI 1·6–2·1). There were eight paediatric intensive care unit admissions, corresponding to 5·5% of 145 RSV-associated hospitalisations and 0·09% of the total cohort. Incidence of RSV infection in the active surveillance cohort confirmed by any diagnostic assay was 26·2% (24·0–28·6) and that of medically attended RSV infection was 14·1% (12·3–16·0). RSV-associated acute respiratory infection causes substantial morbidity, leading to the hospitalisation of one in every 56 healthy term-born infants in high-income settings. Immunisation of pregnant women or healthy term-born infants during their first winter season could have a major effect on the health-care burden caused by RSV infections. Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking, with support from the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kill rates are a central parameter to assess the impact of predation on prey species. An accurate estimation of kill rates requires a correct identification of kill sites, often achieved by field‐checking GPS location clusters (GLCs). However, there are potential sources of error included in kill‐site identification, such as failing to detect GLCs that are kill sites, and misclassifying the generated GLCs (e.g., kill for nonkill) that were not field checked. Here, we address these two sources of error using a large GPS dataset of collared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), an apex predator of conservation concern in Europe, in three multiprey systems, with different combinations of wild, semidomestic, and domestic prey. We first used a subsampling approach to investigate how different GPS‐fix schedules affected the detection of GLC‐indicated kill sites. Then, we evaluated the potential of the random forest algorithm to classify GLCs as nonkills, small prey kills, and ungulate kills. We show that the number of fixes can be reduced from seven to three fixes per night without missing more than 5% of the ungulate kills, in a system composed of wild prey. Reducing the number of fixes per 24 h decreased the probability of detecting GLCs connected with kill sites, particularly those of semidomestic or domestic prey, and small prey. Random forest successfully predicted between 73%–90% of ungulate kills, but failed to classify most small prey in all systems, with sensitivity (true positive rate) lower than 65%. Additionally, removing domestic prey improved the algorithm's overall accuracy. We provide a set of recommendations for studies focusing on kill‐site detection that can be considered for other large carnivore species in addition to the Eurasian lynx. We recommend caution when working in systems including domestic prey, as the odds of underestimating kill rates are higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many children from Eastern European orphanages have been adopted by families in the United States. When children begin life with their new families, they experience an abrupt language shift in which the learning of their native language halts as the learning of the new language commences. Without the support of their native language, their language-learning experiences differ from those of most children learning English as a second language. To better support these children in their language learning, the language and reading achievement of 44 children adopted from Eastern European orphanages were clinically assessed with standardized tests and natural-language samples to determine the extent and types of problems present in the areas of language (i.e., overall spoken language, receptive language, morphology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics) and reading. Orphanage, adoption, and individual factors that might be associated with language/reading achievement were also explored. As a group, the adopted children performed lower than age expectations on all measures. Language impairments and reading deficits were apparent in about one third of the children, with nearly 14% demonstrating significant deficiencies in both language and reading. Several orphanage and adoption factors were associated with reading outcomes. Recommendations for assessment and intervention are provided. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)

Rett Syndrome (RS) is an X-linked, neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs primarily in females and causes significant impairment in cognition, motor control, and communication. Teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) encounter girls with RS with increasing frequency as awareness of the disorder increases, yet the literature on clinical interventions with this population is limited. Parents, teachers, and SLPs were surveyed regarding the communication abilities of these girls. Respondents reported that girls with RS use multiple modalities to communicate, with eye gaze the most frequently used modality, followed by picture/symbol systems and body movements. This study provides clinical information for professionals working with girls with RS, and supports the need for additional research on strategies to improve communication in RS. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)

Describes discussion at the Salzburg Seminar on the meanings of autonomy in European and American higher education, and explores why, for eastern European and former Soviet universities, the quest for academic freedom is complicated: greater institutional and faculty autonomy has brought more dependence on external funding. (EV)

Higher education is fundamental to both national and global contemporary knowledge economies. It is also a driver for social change (see for example) which crucially includes making higher education available and relevant to a wider section of society and improving the mobility and relevance of its graduates in the workplace. New tools are required to integrate such developments with the sector's traditional functions of teaching and research. However, every student is different, each programme is different, each university is different and the needs of professions and nations also differ. Therefore, research leading to the development of such tools is fundamental to the development of modern society. One such tool, whose importance has recently been recognised, is the use of profiles at institutional, regional (geographic, cultural or discipline) and programme levels. Such profiles are a concise, precise and portable description of the particular academic entity. They have diverse uses ranging from ranking of institutions, aiding academic programme selection by a student, facilitating graduate mobility and as a tool for professional accreditation. We have, therefore, selected the topic of profiles for the first issue of the Tuning Journal for Higher Education. Whilst we cannot hope to cover the totality of this subject in one issue, we trust that it will stimulate debate and further promote research on the types, design and uses of profiles. The first and perhaps the most important question we address is what should be profiled?

In the former East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, striking educational changes have occurred, including elimination of communist-oriented curricula, textbooks, and instruction; reintroduction of religious studies, resurgence of private and alternative schools, elimination of Russian as a mandatory second language, decentralization of management systems, diversification of secondary school programs, and deterioration of apprenticeship programs. (MLH)

Background: Filgotinib has been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults who respond inadequately to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in Europe and Japan. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated its efficacy and safety in adult patients with RA. This meta-analysis aimed to study the efficacy and safety of filgotinib in patients with RA with an inadequate response to methotrexate or other DMARDs. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from inception to December 1, 2021. Outcomes of interest included ACR20/50/70 responses, DAS28-CRP ≤ 3.2, SF-36 PCS Score, FACIT-fatigue, SDAI,CDAI, and HAQ-DI, which were assessed after treatment. The safety outcomes included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious TEAEs. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled for categorical variables, and the mean difference with 95%CI were pooled for continuous variables. We used Review Manager 5.3 for the standard meta-analysis. This study followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Results: Four RCTs comparing filgotinib (200 and 100 mg once daily) with placebo were identified. Compared with placebo, 200 and 100 mg filgotinib was more effective in achieving ACR20/50/70 responses and other outcomes at weeks 12 and 24 (P < 0.05), with no significant difference in safety outcomes (P > 0.05). Filgotinib 200 mg performed better than filgotinib 100 mg in terms of ACR20/50 responses, DAS28-CRP ≤ 3.2, SDAI, and CDAI at weeks 12 and 24, and caused fewer serious TEAEs than the 100 mg dose. Conclusions: Filgotinib is effective in the treatment of RA, and the 200 mg dose has a more beneficial profile than the 100 mg dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the World Health Organization announced the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor airflows became a synonym for virus super-spreaders and the focus point for the scientific community and professional associations across the globe, disrupting all daily life dimensions. Europe's quick response to control the disease led the REHVA board to address mitigation guidelines, reassessed by each member association's following national specifics. The present study aims to quantify the energy consumption and CO 2 emissions of "large office" buildings in top-five European economies under the COVID-19 guidelines under the post-pandemic telework forecast. Methodology resorted to a standard model under Building Energy Simulation assessment to compare prior and posterior scenarios. The latter displays a tendency to increase energy and CO 2 emissions in all locations, in the first form 10.18% (Rome) to 69.48% (Paris); and second 5.80% (Rome) and 120.61% (Paris), which will affect national energy production and imports, urban pollution and business competitiveness. On a different scope, future HVAC guidelines need to address the incoming figures, particularly in highly dense urban areas. Also, to comply with the goals set by the Paris Accord. • Europe promptly reacts to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 in indoor spaces. • REHVA publishes the COVID-19 guidelines although these are understood differently in the community. • COVID-19 guidelines under BES reveal the impact on European large office building. • COVID-19 guidelines tend to an overall increase energy consumption and CO2 emissions. • Warm to hot locations show energy and CO2 savings under COVID-19 guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]