Objectives: The International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) definition of agitation in cognitive disorders set standard guidance for recognizing agitation behaviors in research and clinical care. Patients and caregivers were involved in developing a vocabulary to describe these behaviors and, per the IPA, additional studies will offer insights into application of the criteria in diverse cultural and linguistic populations. Based on the IPA criteria, the Agitation in Alzheimer’s Screener for Caregivers (AASC™) was developed in collaboration with clinical experts, patient advocates, and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia to support caregivers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in communication and recognition of agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia. This study aims to translate and linguistically validate the AASC™ in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese in US populations.

Methods: According to best practices outlined by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) (Figure 1), linguistic validation of the AASC™ includes translation and validation through cognitive debriefing interviews for each target language. This process applies rigorous Methods to obtain translations that are conceptually relevant to the original tool, culturally relevant to each target language, and easily understood by those to whom the tool will be administered. For each target language, lay subjects (n = 5) over 40 years old and representative of the target population (e.g., reside in the US and fluent in Spanish, Traditional Chinese, or Simplified Chinese) will be recruited for cognitive debriefing.

Results: The specific Methods will be used to produce the linguistically validated versions of the AASC™ tool in Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Translatability review, forward and back translations, clinician and linguist review, harmonization, and cognitive debriefing will ensure the accuracy and consistency of the translated tool. If needed, the original tool language will be updated to account for cultural differences.

Conclusions: The AASC™ is the first screener developed for agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia based on the IPA criteria. Translation and linguistic validation of the AASC™ in Spanish and Traditional and Simplified Chinese aim to ensure clear and culturally relevant translations for each target language. Ongoing and future studies will optimize the effectiveness and cultural acceptance of the AASC™ tool.

Complex human–environmental processes form identifiable, lasting features on the landscape that can illuminate past human behavior and human–environment interactions. We examine the anthropogenic landscape of the ancient port of Macurany, located along the middle Amazon River in Parintins, Brazil, and identify four classes of anthropogenic landscape features at the site: wharfs, middens, terra preta (dark or black earths), and cultural forests. Middens, terra preta, and cultural forests have been found at archaeological sites in regions surrounding Macurany, but wharfs have not previously been reported in Amazonian contexts predating European contact. Taken together, these features are clearly the result of anthropogenesis and represent a range of subsistence, settlement, and infrastructure-building activities pointing to an ancient society that was actively engaged in modifying the surrounding landscape for purposes beyond settlement and subsistence. Evidence for a permanent, extensive, continuously settled society practicing intensive landscape engineering in this region of Amazonia reinforces findings of dense habitation, infrastructure, and early urbanization in Amazonia prior to European contact. This research helps expand our understanding of human–environment interactions, landscape formation processes, and settlement organization in ancient Amazonia.

Aphidophagous hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae, Syrphinae) are common flower visitors and aphid predators in a range of flowering plants, including fruit crops. Here, we investigate whether aphid prey DNA can be detected in the gut contents of hoverfly larvae from a commercial strawberry field as a proof of concept that a molecular approach can be used to measure agricultural biocontrol. We used high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to target insect DNA and compared the resulting data to reference databases containing aphid and hoverfly DNA sequences. We explored what impact incorporating wildflowers within polythene-clad tunnels may have on aphid DNA detection rates in hoverfly larvae. In a randomized block experiment, coriander (Coriandrum sativum), field forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) and corn mint (Mentha arvensis) plants were inserted in rows of strawberries. Their effect on aphid DNA detection rates was assessed. Aphid DNA was found in 55 of 149 specimens (37%) validating the method in principle for measuring agricultural services provided by hoverflies. Interestingly, detection rates were higher near plots with forget-me-not than plots with coriander, though detection rates in control plots did not differ significantly from either wildflower species. These findings confirm that hoverflies predate aphids in UK strawberry fields, and that HTS is a viable method of identifying aphid DNA in predatory hoverflies. We comment on the need for further method development to narrow down identifications of both predator and prey. We furthermore provide some evidence that there is an effect of intercropping strawberry crops with wildflowers which may affect aphid consumption in hoverfly larvae.

The science of extra-solar planets is one of the most rapidly changing areas of astrophysics and since 1995 the number of planets known has increased by almost two orders of magnitude. A combination of ground-based surveys and dedicated space missions has resulted in 560-plus planets being detected, and over 1200 that await confirmation. NASA's Kepler mission has opened up the possibility of discovering Earth-like planets in the habitable zone around some of the 100,000 stars it is surveying during its 3 to 4-year lifetime. The new ESA's Gaia mission is expected to discover thousands of new planets around stars within 200 parsecs of the Sun. The key challenge now is moving on from discovery, important though that remains, to characterisation: what are these planets actually like, and why are they as they are?

In the past ten years, we have learned how to obtain the first spectra of exoplanets using transit transmission and emission spectroscopy. With the high stability of Spitzer, Hubble, and large ground-based telescopes the spectra of bright close-in massive planets can be obtained and species like water vapour, methane, carbon monoxide and dioxide have been detected. With transit science came the first tangible remote sensing of these planetary bodies and so one can start to extrapolate from what has been learnt from Solar System probes to what one might plan to learn about their faraway siblings. As we learn more about the atmospheres, surfaces and near-surfaces of these remote bodies, we will begin to build up a clearer picture of their construction, history and suitability for life.

The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory, EChO, will be the first dedicated mission to investigate the physics and chemistry of Exoplanetary Atmospheres. By characterising spectroscopically more bodies in different environments we will take detailed planetology out of the Solar System and into the Galaxy as a whole.

EChO has now been selected by the European Space Agency to be assessed as one of four M3 mission candidates.

Three handbooks have been developed, in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders toassist in the management of contaminated food production systems, inhabited areas anddrinking water following a radiological incident. The handbooks are aimed at national andlocal authorities, central government departments and agencies, emergency services,radiation protection experts, the agriculture and food production sectors, industry andothers who may be affected. The handbooks include management options for application inthe different phases of an incident. Sources of contamination considered in the handbooksinclude nuclear accidents and radiological dispersion devices; the most relevantradionuclides are included. The handbooks are divided into several sections which providesupporting scientific and technical information; an analysis of the factors influencingrecovery; compendia of comprehensive, state-of-the-art datasheets for around 100management options and guidance on planning in advance. A decision-aiding frameworkcomprising colour coded selection tables, look-up tables and decision trees and severalworked examples are also included. The handbooks can be used as a preparatory tool, undernon-crisis conditions, to engage stakeholders and to develop local and regional plans. Thehandbooks can also be applied as part of the decision-aiding process to develop a recoverystrategy following an incident. In addition, the handbooks are useful for trainingpurposes and during emergency exercises. To realise their full potential, the handbooksshould be customised at national, regional and local levels.