Structuring visual exploratory analysis of skill demand

The analysis of increasingly large and diverse data for meaningful interpretation and question answering is handicapped by human cognitive limitations. Consequently, semi-automatic abstraction of complex data within structured information spaces becomes increasingly important, if its knowledge content is to support intuitive, exploratory discovery. Exploration of skill demand is an area where regularly updated, multi-dimensional data may be exploited to assess capability within the workforce to manage the demands of the modern, technology- and data-driven economy. The knowledge derived may be employed by skilled practitioners in defining career pathways, to identify where, when and how to update their skillsets in line with advancing technology and changing work demands. This same knowledge may also be used to identify the combination of skills essential in recruiting for new roles. To address the challenges inherent in exploring the complex, heterogeneous, dynamic data that feeds into such applications, we investigate the use of an ontology to guide structuring of the information space, to allow individuals and institutions to interactively explore and interpret the dynamic skill demand landscape for their specific needs. As a test case we consider the relatively new and highly dynamic field of Data Science, where insightful, exploratory data analysis and knowledge discovery are critical. We employ context-driven and task-centred scenarios to explore our research questions and guide iterative design, development and formative evaluation of our ontology-driven, visual exploratory discovery and analysis approach, to measure where it adds value to users’ analytical activity. Our findings reinforce the potential in our approach, and point us to future paths to build on

Gas market developments and their effect on relations between Russia and the EU

The changes on the EU gas market are likely to affect Europe's relations with its natural gas suppliers who are facing increasing competition. Heading this list of producing countries is Russia. Gas relations between Russia and the EU are characterized by strong interdependence. But these relations are currently being hampered by serious lack of understanding, making it difficult for the two parties to reach agreement on a new energy partnership. The aim of this article is to analyse the effects of this new European gas context on Gazprom's strategy and how the issues of energy security and cooperation between Russia and the EU will be affected by this new order.INTERNATIONAL GAS MARKET ; ENERGY SECURITY ; GAS SUPPLY ; RUSSIA ; EUROPEAN UNION

2b-RAD genotyping for population genomic studies of Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in Ecuador

Background: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the main triatomine vector of Chagas disease, American trypanosomiasis, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. Genomic approaches and next generation sequencing technologies have become powerful tools for investigating population diversity and structure which is a key consideration for vector control. Here we assess the effectiveness of three different 2b restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) genotyping strategies in R. ecuadoriensis to provide sufficient genomic resolution to tease apart microevolutionary processes and undertake some pilot population genomic analyses. Methodology/Principal findings: The 2b-RAD protocol was carried out in-house at a non-specialized laboratory using 20 R. ecuadoriensis adults collected from the central coast and southern Andean region of Ecuador, from June 2006 to July 2013. 2b-RAD sequencing data was performed on an Illumina MiSeq instrument and analyzed with the STACKS de novo pipeline for loci assembly and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery. Preliminary population genomic analyses (global AMOVA and Bayesian clustering) were implemented. Our results showed that the 2b-RAD genotyping protocol is effective for R. ecuadoriensis and likely for other triatomine species. However, only BcgI and CspCI restriction enzymes provided a number of markers suitable for population genomic analysis at the read depth we generated. Our preliminary genomic analyses detected a signal of genetic structuring across the study area. Conclusions/Significance: Our findings suggest that 2b-RAD genotyping is both a cost effective and methodologically simple approach for generating high resolution genomic data for Chagas disease vectors with the power to distinguish between different vector populations at epidemiologically relevant scales. As such, 2b-RAD represents a powerful tool in the hands of medical entomologists with limited access to specialized molecular biological equipment. Author summary: Understanding Chagas disease vector (triatomine) population dispersal is key for the design of control measures tailored for the epidemiological situation of a particular region. In Ecuador, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is a cause of concern for Chagas disease transmission, since it is widely distributed from the central coast to southern Ecuador. Here, a genome-wide sequencing (2b-RAD) approach was performed in 20 specimens from four communities from Manabí (central coast) and Loja (southern) provinces of Ecuador, and the effectiveness of three type IIB restriction enzymes was assessed. The findings of this study show that this genotyping methodology is cost effective in R. ecuadoriensis and likely in other triatomine species. In addition, preliminary population genomic analysis results detected a signal of population structure among geographically distinct communities and genetic variability within communities. As such, 2b-RAD shows significant promise as a relatively low-tech solution for determination of vector population genomics, dynamics, and spread

IIX Women's Livelihood Bond: IIX Sustainability Bonds: Changing Finance, Financing Change

Impact investing has been revolutionary in the history of capital markets. The concept refers to investments with the intention of generating positive social impact over and above financial returns. Over the last six years, impact investing has moved from the margins to the mainstream with an estimated market size of $46 billion in 2014 (World Economic Forum, 2014), shifting the paradigm on how the world blends impact with financial returns. But there is more to be achieved. A 55$1 trillion by 2020 (J.P. Morgan, 2010). This exponential growth can be achieved only by unlocking mission-oriented capital at scale, by bringing in new actors from the private sector to support sustainable development and by developing innovative financial products that can channelize resources to high impact entities - which in turn can deliver scalable and sustainable market-based solutions. Leveraging its expertise in innovative finance, Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX) sets out to achieve this by developing a new financial product that seeks to bridge the current gap between development and finance: the IIX Sustainability Bond (ISB). ISBs are debt securities that pool together in a single portfolio, a group of high-impact entities that have undergone a rigorous due diligence process based on both social and financial criteria. This unique pooled structure allows underlying borrowers to access large amounts of capital that they would not otherwise have been able to raise individually. ISBs are designed to be sustainable instruments, offering attractive rates of risk-adjusted returns to impact investors who are interested in a double bottom line. ISBs will be listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius, adding an additional layer of secondary liquidity, mission protection and transparency. IIX's commitment-to action to the Clinton Global initiative, the first ISB, is the Women's Livelihood Bond (WLB), a $20 million debt security designed to unlock capital for Impact Enterprises (IEs) and Microfinance Institute (MFIs) that are part of the sustainable livelihoods spectrum for women in South-East Asia. The WLB is projected to empower over half a million women with access to credit, to market linkages, to natural resources and to affordable goods and services. This will, in turn, help them transition from subsistence to sustainable livelihoods and redefine the dominant narrative from viewing women as victims to recognizing them as solutions to development, change and progress. This Blueprint Paper, developed by IIX's sister non-profit entity Shujog, aims to provide an overview of the bond mechanics by outlining the key steps involved in the bond structuring process. Supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, a visionary catalyst in the impact investing space, this preliminary paper will capture the progress made to date by IIX on product, pipeline and partnership development. A subsequent paper will be published post bond issuance which will capture the key steps involved in selling the bond to investors and listing it on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. Shujog hopes this paper will act as a roadmap for other stakeholders in the space to create similar instruments that are designed to change finance and finance change

Trusting in Change

Describes the background to a series of changes that led the foundation, beginning in 2000, to implement a new grantmaking approach

Multiobjective strategies for New Product Development in the pharmaceutical industry

New Product Development (NPD) constitutes a challenging problem in the pharmaceutical industry, due to the characteristics of the development pipeline. Formally, the NPD problem can be stated as follows: select a set of R&D projects from a pool of candidate projects in order to satisfy several criteria (economic profitability, time to market) while coping with the uncertain nature of the projects. More precisely, the recurrent key issues are to determine the projects to develop once target molecules have been identified, their order and the level of resources to assign. In this context, the proposed approach combines discrete event stochastic simulation (Monte Carlo approach) with multiobjective genetic algorithms (NSGAII type, Non-Sorted Genetic Algorithm II) to optimize the highly combinatorial portfolio management problem. In that context, Genetic Algorithms (GAs) are particularly attractive for treating this kind of problem, due to their ability to directly lead to the so-called Pareto front and to account for the combinatorial aspect. This work is illustrated with a study case involving nine interdependent new product candidates targeting three diseases. An analysis is performed for this test bench on the different pairs of criteria both for the bi- and tricriteria optimization: large portfolios cause resource queues and delays time to launch and are eliminated by the bi- and tricriteria optimization strategy. The optimization strategy is thus interesting to detect the sequence candidates. Time is an important criterion to consider simultaneously with NPV and risk criteria. The order in which drugs are released in the pipeline is of great importance as with scheduling problems

The Data Processing Pipeline for the Herschel-HIFI Instrument

The HIFI data processing pipeline was developed to systematically process diagnostic, calibration and astronomical observations taken with the HIFI science instrumentas part of the Herschel mission. The HIFI pipeline processed data from all HIFI observing modes within the Herschel automated processing environment, as well as, within an interactive environment. A common software framework was developed to best support the use cases required by the instrument teams and by the general astronomers. The HIFI pipeline was built on top of that and was designed with a high degree of modularity. This modular design provided the necessary flexibility and extensibility to deal with the complexity of batch-processing eighteen different observing modes, to support the astronomers in the interactive analysis and to cope with adjustments necessary to improve the pipeline and the quality of the end-products. This approach to the software development and data processing effort was arrived at by coalescing the lessons learned from similar research based projects with the understanding that a degree of foresight was required given the overall length of the project. In this article, both the successes and challenges of the HIFI software development process are presented. To support future similar projects and retain experience gained lessons learned are extracted.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure