RED Consulting (Norway)

IPMA CCT certification for consultants, coaches, and trainers in project ma­ nagement, which is part of the certification line of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), has been analyzed. The certification is based on the IPMA ICB4CCT standard requirements. In Russia, this certification is implemented by the National Project Management Association “SOVNET”. The relevance of the research stems from the growing need to ensure the quality of educational and consulting support for project activities. Implementing IPMA CCT certification is a logical response to the challenges associated with the need to confirm the competence of specialists developing project management talent. The study is based on an analysis of IPMA regulatory and methodological documentation (ICB4, ICB4CCT, and ICRCCT), as well as internal materials and practices of the SOVNET’s certification programs. Methods of system analysis, classification, and comparative description have been used. The authors define the CCT certification’s place within the IPMA-SOVNET certification system, describe its three-level structure, and outline key candidate requirements. The competencybased assessment model has been analyzed, and the end-to-end certification process has been described. It has been concluded that the CCT certification implementation in Russia expands opportunities for professional growth for consul­ tants, coaches, and trainers and contributes to improving the quality of training for project management specialists.

ABSTRACT Effective communication between schools and homes is an obligation of schools, enhancing home involvement and thus student learning. However, many parents and guardians have low English reading comprehension, making the understanding of complex English written text challenging. This research sought to determine if a sample of school newsletters met a readability benchmark aligned with expectations for sixth grade reading comprehension attainment designated for optimal understanding in the general public. Analysis of a sample of 100 newsletters found that with a median readability at 12th grade, all newsletters were substantially more complex than the readability benchmark. It was also found that newsletters produced for homes in contexts of relative socioeducational disadvantage linked with lower English reading comprehension were only very slightly easier to read on average, while still being far higher than the benchmark. This suggests that those producing newsletters in these schools may be giving limited consideration to their accessibility relative to context and audience. Findings suggest that schools should audit the complexity of their newsletters using free and accessible platforms and make adjustments to their complexity if they are found to exceed readability benchmarks to optimise communication with diverse homes, with related implications for professional development in this skillset.

Abstract Background: While progression-free survival (PFS) often serves as a surrogate endpoint in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) treatment approvals, it is unclear whether patients prefer PFS to overall survival (OS), or whether patients are willing to accept greater uncertainty in OS in exchange for more immediate PFS gains. Methods: A nationwide survey was administered to US women aged ≥ 21 years. The survey asked respondents to imagine they were a mBC patient choosing between two hypothetical mBC treatment options (Table): a “certain OS” option (PFS=5.5 months, OS=24 months) versus an “uncertain OS” option defined as having higher PFS (8 months) and uncertain OS with the possibility of both higher OS (80% chance of OS=28 months) as well as lower OS (20% chance of OS=22 months). A multiple random staircase design was used to iteratively adjust OS probabilities in the “uncertain OS” option until the respondent was indifferent between the “certain OS” treatment option with 5.5-month PFS and the “uncertain OS” treatment option with 8-month PFS. The point of indifference was estimated by taking the midpoint between the maximum and minimum expected OS values for the "uncertain OS" treatment option, as observed in the final question of the multiple random staircase. The value of the increase in PFS was the difference between the expected OS of the “uncertain OS” option at the indifference point and the risk-neutral expected OS (26.8 months). Results: The 306 respondents had an average age of 52 years, 94% were insured, 76% were white, and 52% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Among these respondents, 53% preferred the “uncertain OS” option with greater PFS over the “certain OS” option with lower PFS at baseline. However, preferences were highly heterogeneous; 19.6% preferred the “uncertain OS” treatment even when the probability of lower OS (22 months) was 90% whereas 24.8% did not choose to take any risk and always preferred the “certain OS” option, even if the probability of greater OS (28 months) was 95%. On average, respondents valued the “uncertain OS” treatment profile more as they were willing to forego 0.96 months of certain OS in exchange for a 2.5-month increase in PFS and the possibility for extended survival. Conclusion: On average, women attributed more value to increases in PFS even if this meant there was some possibility of a lower OS. However, preferences varied significantly across individuals in the sample. Because, on average, patients are willing to trade off OS for increases in PFS, shared decision-making processes should be considered to ensure mBC patient care aligns with individual preferences. Citation Format: J. Kim, K. Spurrier, M. Jakobsson, B. Hauber, J. Doan, B. Korytowsky, J. Shafrin. Quantifying the value of progression-free survival in breast cancer treatment among a general population of US women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS5-12-02.

This study investigates the seismic response of steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs) using linear time-history analysis (LTHA) to evaluate the influence of spectrum matching techniques. Three archetype buildings—3-, 9-, and 20-story—were modeled according to the SAC Steel Project (FEMA 355-C Appendix B) and analyzed using SAP2000®. The analysis employed three types of seismic spectra: the Elastic Spectrum (ES), Reduced Turkish Earthquake Code (TEC-2018) Spectrum, and Reduced ASCE Spectrum across four local soil classes (ZA–ZD). A total of 252 earthquake ground motions, including real and artificial records, were used. The results revealed that artificial records achieved smoother spectral compatibility and more stable base shear predictions, whereas real records induced higher variability owing to their natural frequency content and phase characteristics. This divergence was most significant in softer soils (ZC and ZD), with base shear variations of up to ±35%. The findings highlight the need to integrate both record types into seismic assessments and contribute to the advancement of performance-based earthquake engineering approaches.

Background Metaplastic breast cancer (MtBC) is a rare type of aggressive breast cancer. MtBChas multiple pathological subtypes, including squamous,sarcomatoid, spindle,adenosquamous, and mixed metaplastic. Given the rare nature of the disease, there is limited information available on the behaviour of this cancer and no well-defined recommendations for treatment. We aim to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics ofMtBC,including overall survival and patterns of recurrence. Methods We conducted asingle-institutionretrospective review of 91 patients with MtBC who presented from 2009 to 2024. We collected patient-specific, clinicopathological, and survival data. Recurrence-free interval, medical and surgical treatment, follow-up, and time to death were also collected.Dataisdescribed with frequency counts and percentages. Product-limit survival estimates were calculated from the time from diagnosis to last follow-up or death. Results Our population consisted of 91 patients; the mean age at diagnosis was 60 years. All patients were female; the majority were Caucasian (59, 67.1%), followed by African American (24, 27.3%). Sixty-six patients (72.5%)hada BMI >25,and 69 (78.4%) were postmenopausal. MtBCwasestrogen, progesterone, and humanepidermal growth factor(Her2)negative in 82 (90.1%), 88 (96.7%), and 80 (88.9%) of the patients, respectively. Forty-five patients(49.5%) underwent alumpectomy, 41 (45.1%) amastectomy, and one (1.1%) nosurgery. Sixty-four patients (73.6%) had undergone sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), 16 (18.4%) hadaxillarylymph nodedissection (ALND), three (3.4%) had targeted axillarysurgery, and four (4.6%) had no axillary surgery. Sixty-six patients(76.7%) underwent chemotherapy,of which 27 (40.9%) were in theneoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) setting. Of the patients who underwent NACT, seven had a completepathological response. Twoof thepathologic complete response (pCR) groupreceived Keynote-522. In ourpopulation, 29 (36.3%)patients hada recurrence, of which 12 (41.4%) haddistant recurrence,with amedian time to recurrenceof12 months. The 12-month, 36-month, and 60-month overall survival rates were 93.9% (Standard Error (SE): 2.7%), 81.3% (SE: 4.8%), and79.2% (SE: 5.1%), respectively.There wasno significant difference inthe survivalrates (p= 0.88)or recurrencerates (p=0.19)for NACT versus adjuvantcases.Subgroupanalysis comparing patients with and without recurrence who received NACT revealed no statistically significant differences in clinicopathologic featuressuch as grade, ER, PR,HER2 status,or metaplastic subtype.Moreover, 20 patientsinthis study received both chemotherapy and immunotherapy,and six (33.3%) experienced recurrences, withno significant differences in recurrence rates,recurrence pattern (p=0.40),or timing (p=0.32) between NACT and adjuvant groups. Conclusion We demonstratedthatMtBCexhibits aggressive oncologic behaviour, often with triple-negative receptor status and high Ki-67. The most common pattern ofrecurrenceis distant, mainly involving the lungs; hence, a chest tomography was essential during the one-year follow-up to detect these lesions. Seven patients (25.9%) whoreceivedNACT achieveda pCR,indicatingthatNACT can be highly beneficial for a subset of patients.Further studies investigating the effects ofNACT, especially keynote-522, in a larger population are necessary tocreate standardized treatment.

International students are often celebrated as symbols of diversity and global excellence in U.S. higher education, yet their experiences reveal a more precarious reality. This paper examines how they navigate the contradictions between institutional inclusion and systemic surveillance, shaped by visa status, accent, race, and national origin. Drawing on intersectionality, it explores how structures of immigration control, racialization, and linguistic expectations produce a form of hypervisibility one that demands cultural performance while enforcing compliance. Students from the Global South or with racialized accents often face heightened scrutiny and limited support, leading to emotional labor and self-censorship. By situating these experiences at the intersection of welcome and control, this paper calls for reimagining belonging and inclusion in higher education as issues of justice rather than adjustment.