The Global Exploration Roadmap: Opportunities for Lunar Science

The Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) has been developed by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG comprised of 14 space agencies) to define various pathways to getting humans beyond low Earth orbit and eventually to Mars. Such pathways include visiting asteroids or the Moon before going on to Mars. This document has been written at a very high level and many details are still to be determined. However, a number of important papers regarding international space exploration can form a basis for this document.This poster will focus on developing the Lunar Vicinity scenario by adding detail via mapping a number of recent reportsdocuments into the GER. The documents highlighted here are in no way meant to be all encompassing and other documents can and should be added, (e.g., the JAXA Space Exploration Roadmap). This exercise is intended to demonstrate that existing documents can be mapped into the GER despite the major differences in granularity, and that this mapping is a way to promote broader national and international buy-in to the Lunar Vicinity scenario.The documents used here are: the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Panel on Exploration report on developing a global space exploration program, the Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs) report from the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), the Lunar Exploration Roadmap developed by LEAG, the National Research Council report Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon (SCEM), and two journal articles, the scientific rationale for resuming lunar surface exploration, and the astrobiological benefits of human space exploration.In addition, the ISECG is in the process of developing a Science White Paper (SWP) to accompany the next edition of the GER, due in late 2016. The SWP will be an important tool to communicate science which will be able to be accomplished at human exploration destinations to policymakers. This abstract will discuss the process of developing this SWP and ways in which the global science community can become engaged in its development

An Impact Evaluation of the 'Joy Project'

This report gives an overview of research undertaken to evaluate the impact of the JOY Project which is based in the City of Worcester, England. The project is "a woman only community project which provides support to enable women to gain a variety of skills, enhance their confidence and empower them to make their own informed decisions" (WCT, 2018a). The evaluation considers the extent to which the project serves the local community by comparing data on service users with local socio-demographics and outlines the extent to which the project's aims and outcomes set by the funder, The Big Lottery Fund) are met. It highlights additional outcomes and captures the impact of project activities on service users. Ultimately, it draws conclusions about the quality, impact and value of the JOY Project

SynthETIC: an individual insurance claim simulator with feature control

Recent years have seen rapid increase in the application of machine learning to insurance loss reserving. They yield most value when applied to large data sets, such as individual claims, or large claim triangles. In short, they are likely to be useful in the analysis of any data set whose volume is sufficient to obscure a naked-eye view of its features. Unfortunately, such large data sets are in short supply in the actuarial literature. Accordingly, one needs to turn to synthetic data. Although the ultimate objective of these methods is application to real data, the use of synthetic data containing features commonly observed in real data is also to be encouraged. While there are a number of claims simulators in existence, each valuable within its own context, the inclusion of a number of desirable (but complicated) data features requires further development. Accordingly, in this paper we review those desirable features, and propose a new simulator of individual claim experience called SynthETIC. Our simulator is publicly available, open source, and fills a gap in the non-life actuarial toolkit. The simulator specifically allows for desirable (but optionally complicated) data features typically occurring in practice, such as variations in rates of settlements and development patterns; as with superimposed inflation, and various discontinuities, and also enables various dependencies between variables. The user has full control of the mechanics of the evolution of an individual claim. As a result, the complexity of the data set generated (meaning the level of difficulty of analysis) may be dialled anywhere from extremely simple to extremely complex

Identifying malaria vector breeding habitats with remote sensing data and terrain-based landscape indices in Zambia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria, caused by the parasite <it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>, is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in southern Zambia. In the Mapanza Chiefdom, where transmission is seasonal, <it>Anopheles arabiensis </it>is the dominant malaria vector. The ability to predict larval habitats can help focus control measures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A survey was conducted in March-April 2007, at the end of the rainy season, to identify and map locations of water pooling and the occurrence anopheline larval habitats; this was repeated in October 2007 at the end of the dry season and in March-April 2008 during the next rainy season. Logistic regression and generalized linear mixed modeling were applied to assess the predictive value of terrain-based landscape indices along with LandSat imagery to identify aquatic habitats and, especially, those with anopheline mosquito larvae.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately two hundred aquatic habitat sites were identified with 69 percent positive for anopheline mosquitoes. Nine species of anopheline mosquitoes were identified, of which, 19% were <it>An. arabiensis</it>. Terrain-based landscape indices combined with LandSat predicted sites with water, sites with anopheline mosquitoes and sites specifically with <it>An. arabiensis</it>. These models were especially successful at ruling out potential locations, but had limited ability in predicting which anopheline species inhabited aquatic sites. Terrain indices derived from 90 meter Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation data (DEM) were better at predicting water drainage patterns and characterizing the landscape than those derived from 30 m Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) DEM.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The low number of aquatic habitats available and the ability to locate the limited number of aquatic habitat locations for surveillance, especially those containing anopheline larvae, suggest that larval control maybe a cost-effective control measure in the fight against malaria in Zambia and other regions with seasonal transmission. This work shows that, in areas of seasonal malaria transmission, incorporating terrain-based landscape models to the planning stages of vector control allows for the exclusion of significant portions of landscape that would be unsuitable for water to accumulate and for mosquito larvae occupation. With increasing free availability of satellite imagery such as SRTM and LandSat, the development of satellite imagery-based prediction models is becoming more accessible to vector management coordinators.</p

The feasibility of measuring calprotectin from a throat swab as a marker of infections caused by group A streptococcus: a case–control feasibility study

Background Most people with sore throat do not benefit from antibiotic treatment, but nearly three-quarters of those presenting in primary care are prescribed antibiotics. A test that is predictive of bacterial infection could help guide antibiotic prescribing. Calprotectin is a biomarker of neutrophilic inflammation, and may be a useful marker of bacterial throat infections.Aim To assess the feasibility of measuring calprotectin from throat swabs, and assess whether individuals with sore throats likely to be caused by streptococcal infections have apparently higher throat calprotectin levels than other individuals with sore throat and healthy volunteers.Design & setting A proof of concept case–control study was undertaken, which compared primary care patients with sore throats and healthy volunteers.Method Baseline characteristics and throat swabs were collected from 30 primary care patients with suspected streptococcal sore throat, and throat swabs were taken from 10 volunteers without sore throat. Calprotectin level determination and rapid antigen streptococcal testing were conducted on the throat swab eluents. Calprotectin levels in the following groups were compared: volunteers without a sore throat; all patients with a sore throat; patients with a sore throat testing either negative or positive for streptococcal antigen; and those with lower and higher scores on clinical prediction rules for streptococcal sore throat.Results Calprotectin was detected in all throat swab samples. Mean calprotectin levels were numerically higher in patients with sore throat compared with healthy volunteers, and sore throat patients who had group A streptococci antigen detected compared with those who did not.Conclusion Calprotectin can be measured from throat swab samples and levels are consistent with the hypothesis that streptococcal infection leads to higher throat calprotectin levels. This hypothesis will be tested in a larger study.leukocyte L1 antigen complexpharyngitisanti-bacterial agentsgroup A streptococciprimary health carecalprotectinsore throatantibiotic

The Joy Project

Community Development for Social Change provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of community development and associated activities and discusses best practice from global experience and links that to the UK context. The book integrates the realities of practice to key underpinning theories, human rights, values and a commitment to promoting social justice. A range of practice models are described and analysed, including UK models, popular education and community organising as well as a range of practice issues that need to be understood by community development workers. For example, strategies to promote individual and community empowerment, challenging discrimination, building and sustaining groups, and critical reflection on practice. Finally, a range of case studies from the UK and overseas illustrates good practice in diverse contexts. These case studies are analysed with reference to the values of community development, the promotion of social justice and the underpinning theories. It is an essential text for those on community development courses as well as for a range of workers, including local government, national and local voluntary agencies, and community based organisations

Is rat a good model for assessment of particulate-based taste-masked formulations?

Recently there has been an increased interest to develop specialised dosage forms that are better suited to specific patient populations, such as paediatrics and geriatrics. In these patient populations the acceptability of the oral dosage form can be paramount to the products success. However, many active pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are known to cause an aversive taste response. One way to increase the acceptability and to enhance the palatability of the formulation is to design coated taste-masked particulate-based dosage forms. The masking of poorly tasting drugs with physical barriers such as polymer coatings can be utilised to prevent the release of drug within the oral cavity, thus preventing a taste response. However, currently, there are few assessment tools and models available to test the efficiency of these particulate-based taste-masked formulations. The rat brief access taste aversion model has been shown to be useful in assessment of taste for liquid dosage forms. However, the applicability of the rat model for particulate-based taste masked formulations is yet to be assessed. It is not understood whether dissolution, solubility and thus exposure of the drug to taste receptors would be the same in rat and human. Therefore, rat saliva must be compared to human saliva to determine the likelihood that drug release would be similar within the oral cavity for both species. In this study rat saliva was characterised for parameters known to be important for drug dissolution, such as pH, buffer capacity, surface tension, and viscosity. Subsequently dissolution of model bitter tasting compounds, sildenafil citrate and efavirenz, in rat saliva was compared to dissolution in human saliva. For all parameters characterised and for the dissolution of both drugs in rat saliva, a substantial difference was observed when compared to human saliva. This discrepancy in saliva parameters and dissolution of model drugs suggests that preclinical taste evaluation of particulate-based taste-masked formulations suggests rat is not a good model for predicting taste of solid dosage forms or undissolved drug where dissolution is required. Alternative preclinical in vivo models in other species, or improved biorelevant in vitro models should be considered instead