A female perspective: Experiences of fashion, textiles, clothing and design

BACKGROUND: Carole Hunt (Art, Design, and Fashion) and Gayle Brewer (Psychology) at the University of Central Lancashire are currently investigating the extent to which female designers’ personal experiences impact on the design process of women’s clothing. The research is driven by theme rather than discipline, and focuses on a combination of clothing, textiles, visual appearance, gender and identity. Participants are final year Fashion Design students, who have had a year’s experience in industry. There are two key themes. 1. Body image, appearance and dissatisfaction are positioned within debates on subjectivity and identity, and are associated with a range of negative consequences including anxiety and depression. The fashion industry is said to have created a toxic environment that increases the likelihood of eating disorders. There is little research into the experience of those, other than models, who work in the fashion industry. 2. How do social, cultural and symbolic experiences of clothing, beauty and the body, affect design practice and the finished garment? METHOD: Participants complete a questionnaire identifying demographic status, professional training and experience of design. Semi-structured interviews are then conducted inviting participants to narrate and reflect on their experiences. Visual data is collected from participants’ studio work. How are designers’ social, cultural, and symbolic experiences of textiles, clothing and physical appearance conveyed and communicated through the fashion design visually, as well as through language? FINDINGS: Four distinct themes are emerging: 1. Differences between the University studio, and being “out there” in industry: being judged on appearance has had a negative impact on selfimage. 2. Social and cultural influences informing perceptions of women’s’ physical appearance. Students sought to challenge stereotypes through their design work. 3. A dichotomy between negative self-image and customer, described as in her twenties, strong, confident, financially independent; a woman unafraid to stand out. 4. Clothing as shelter, a protection from value judgements. Clothing as a ‘stylish fortress’ is a common theme. DISCUSSION: 1. Issues of health and well-being of fashion design students including physical appearance, disordered eating and weight related issues. 2. Social and cultural influences on gender identity. 3. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research methods

Prostate Cancer Risk by BRCA2 Genomic Regions

A BRCA2 prostate cancer cluster region (PCCR) was recently proposed (c.7914 to 3') wherein pathogenic variants (PVs) are associated with higher prostate cancer (PCa) risk than PVs elsewhere in the BRCA2 gene. Using a prospective cohort study of 447 male BRCA2 PV carriers recruited in the UK and Ireland from 1998 to 2016, we estimated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) compared with population incidences and assessed variation in risk by PV location. Carriers of PVs in the PCCR had a PCa SIR of 8.33 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.46-15.6) and were at a higher risk of PCa than carriers of other BRCA2 PVs (SIR = 3.31, 95% CI 1.97-5.57; hazard ratio = 2.34, 95% CI 1.09-5.03). PCCR PV carriers had an estimated cumulative PCa risk of 44% (95% CI 23-72%) by the age of 75 yr and 78% (95% CI 54-94%) by the age of 85 yr. Our results corroborate the existence of a PCCR in BRCA2 in a prospective cohort. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this report, we investigated whether the risk of prostate cancer for men with a harmful mutation in the BRCA2 gene differs based on where in the gene the mutation is located. We found that men with mutations in one region of BRCA2 had a higher risk of prostate cancer than men with mutations elsewhere in the gene.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access it via the publisher's site.This work was supported by Cancer Research UK grants C12292/A20861 and C12292/A22820. EMBRACE was supported by Cancer Research UK grantsC1287/A23382 and C1287/A26886. D. Gareth Evans is supported by a National Institute for Health Research grant to the Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester (IS-BRC-1215-20007). Rosalind Eeles is supported by Cancer Research UK grant C5047/A8385, and by National Institute for Health Research support to the Biomedical Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trustpublished version, accepted version (12 month embargo), submitted versio

Carole Brewer and Amelia Carter in a Junior Recital

This is the program for the junior recital of soprano, Amelia Carter, accompanied by pianist, Carolyn Yeldell, and junior piano recital of Carole Brewer. The recital was held on April 7, 1967

Polygenic risk scores and breast and epithelial ovarian cancer risks for carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants

Purpose: We assessed the associations between population-based polygenic risk scores (PRS) for breast (BC) or epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) with cancer risks for BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. Methods: Retrospective cohort data on 18,935 BRCA1 and 12,339 BRCA2 female pathogenic variant carriers of European ancestry were available. Three versions of a 313 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) BC PRS were evaluated based on whether they predict overall, estrogen receptor (ER)-negative, or ER-positive BC, and two PRS for overall or high-grade serous EOC. Associations were validated in a prospective cohort. Results: The ER-negative PRS showed the strongest association with BC risk for BRCA1 carriers (hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation = 1.29 [95% CI 1.25-1.33], P = 3×10-72). For BRCA2, the strongest association was with overall BC PRS (HR = 1.31 [95% CI 1.27-1.36], P = 7×10-50). HR estimates decreased significantly with age and there was evidence for differences in associations by predicted variant effects on protein expression. The HR estimates were smaller than general population estimates. The high-grade serous PRS yielded the strongest associations with EOC risk for BRCA1 (HR = 1.32 [95% CI 1.25-1.40], P = 3×10-22) and BRCA2 (HR = 1.44 [95% CI 1.30-1.60], P = 4×10-12) carriers. The associations in the prospective cohort were similar. Conclusion: Population-based PRS are strongly associated with BC and EOC risks for BRCA1/2 carriers and predict substantial absolute risk differences for women at PRS distribution extremes.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access it via the publisher's site.P20 GM130423/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United Statespublished version, accepted version (6 month embargo), submitted versio

Exposure to the Fashion Industry: A Design Student Perspective

It has been argued that the fashion industry represents a ‘toxic’ environment, which increases the incidence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders amongst both fashion models and consumers [Treasure, J. L., Wack, E. R., & Roberts, M. R. (2008). Models as a high-risk group: The health implications of a size zero culture. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 243–244]. There is,however, a paucity of information investigating the experiences of designers working in the fashion industry. The present study addresses this limitation and considers the experiences of female fashion design students. Interviews were conducted with eight students and subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three master themes emerged from the analysis. These were: Personal Style; Body Dissatisfaction; and Design. Two sub-themes formed the Personal Style theme: Casual and Comfortable and Covered and Protected. The Body Dissatisfaction theme contained two sub-themes: Personal Experience and Industry Exposure. The Design theme contained three sub-themes: Strength and Confidence; Differences Between Personal Style and Design; and Gender. Findings have important implications for the recruitment, retention, and well-being of female fashion design students

Evaluation of polygenic risk scores for breast and ovarian cancer risk prediction in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 94 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer (BC) risk and 18 associated with ovarian cancer (OC) risk. Several of these are also associated with risk of BC or OC for women who carry a pathogenic mutation in the high-risk BC and OC genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. The combined effects of these variants on BC or OC risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers have not yet been assessed while their clinical management could benefit from improved personalized risk estimates. Methods: We constructed polygenic risk scores (PRS) using BC and OC susceptibility SNPs identified through population-based GWAS: for BC (overall, estrogen receptor [ER]-positive, and ER-negative) and for OC. Using data from 15 252 female BRCA1 and 8211 BRCA2 carriers, the association of each PRS with BC or OC risk was evaluated using a weighted cohort approach, with time to diagnosis as the outcome and estimation of the hazard ratios (HRs) per standard deviation increase in the PRS. Results: The PRS for ER-negative BC displayed the strongest association with BC risk in BRCA1 carriers (HR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23 to 1.31, P = 8.2 x 10(53)). In BRCA2 carriers, the strongest association with BC risk was seen for the overall BC PRS (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.28, P = 7.2 x 10(-20)). The OC PRS was strongly associated with OC risk for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. These translate to differences in absolute risks (more than 10% in each case) between the top and bottom deciles of the PRS distribution; for example, the OC risk was 6% by age 80 years for BRCA2 carriers at the 10th percentile of the OC PRS compared with 19% risk for those at the 90th percentile of PRS. Conclusions: BC and OC PRS are predictive of cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. Incorporation of the PRS into risk prediction models has promise to better inform decisions on cancer risk management

Risks of breast or ovarian cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 predictive test negatives: findings from the EMBRACE study.

Purpose BRCA1/BRCA2 predictive test negatives are proven noncarriers of a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation that is carried by their relatives. The risk of developing breast cancer (BC) or epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in these women is uncertain. The study aimed to estimate risks of invasive BC and EOC in a large cohort of BRCA1/BRCA2 predictive test negatives. Methods We used cohort analysis to estimate incidences, cumulative risks, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Results A total of 1,895 unaffected women were eligible for inclusion in the BC risk analysis and 1,736 in the EOC risk analysis. There were 23 incident invasive BCs and 2 EOCs. The cumulative risk of invasive BC was 9.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.9-15%) by age 85 years and the corresponding risk of EOC was 0.6% (95% CI 0.2-2.6%). The SIR for invasive BC was 0.93 (95% CI 0.62-1.40) in the overall cohort, 0.85 (95% CI 0.48-1.50) in noncarriers from BRCA1 families, and 1.03 (95% CI 0.57-1.87) in noncarriers from BRCA2 families. The SIR for EOC was 0.79 (95% CI 0.20-3.17) in the overall cohort. Conclusion Our results did not provide evidence for elevated risks of invasive BC or EOC in BRCA1/BRCA2 predictive test negatives. Genetics in Medicine advance online publication, 22 March 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2018.44

Tumour risks and genotype-phenotype correlations associated with germline variants in succinate dehydrogenase subunit genes SDHB, SDHC and SDHD.

BACKGROUND: Germline pathogenic variants in SDHB/SDHC/SDHD are the most frequent causes of inherited phaeochromocytomas/paragangliomas. Insufficient information regarding penetrance and phenotypic variability hinders optimum management of mutation carriers. We estimate penetrance for symptomatic tumours and elucidate genotype-phenotype correlations in a large cohort of SDHB/SDHC/SDHD mutation carriers. METHODS: A retrospective survey of 1832 individuals referred for genetic testing due to a personal or family history of phaeochromocytoma/paraganglioma. 876 patients (401 previously reported) had a germline mutation in SDHB/SDHC/SDHD (n=673/43/160). Tumour risks were correlated with in silico structural prediction analyses. RESULTS: Tumour risks analysis provided novel penetrance estimates and genotype-phenotype correlations. In addition to tumour type susceptibility differences for individual genes, we confirmed that the SDHD:p.Pro81Leu mutation has a distinct phenotype and identified increased age-related tumour risks with highly destabilising SDHB missense mutations. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the penetrance (cumulative risk of clinically apparent tumours) in SDHB and (paternally inherited) SDHD mutation-positive non-probands (n=371/67 with detailed clinical information) by age 60 years was 21.8% (95% CI 15.2% to 27.9%) and 43.2% (95% CI 25.4% to 56.7%), respectively. Risk of malignant disease at age 60 years in non-proband SDHB mutation carriers was 4.2%(95% CI 1.1% to 7.2%). With retrospective cohort analysis to adjust for ascertainment, cumulative tumour risks for SDHB mutation carriers at ages 60 years and 80 years were 23.9% (95% CI 20.9% to 27.4%) and 30.6% (95% CI 26.8% to 34.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall risks of clinically apparent tumours for SDHB mutation carriers are substantially lower than initially estimated and will improve counselling of affected families. Specific genotype-tumour risk associations provides a basis for novel investigative strategies into succinate dehydrogenase-related mechanisms of tumourigenesis and the development of personalised management for SDHB/SDHC/SDHD mutation carriers

Технология и техника сооружения поисково-оценочных скважин на Майском месторождении алмазов (Республика Саха (Якутия))

Объектом исследования является кимберлитовая руда на объекте "Майское". Цель работы: составление проекта на бурение поисково-оценочных скважин; геологическое изучение объекта; разработка технологии проведе-ния поисковых работ на участке; разработка управления и организации работ на объекте. В процессе проектирования проводились: выбор бурового оборудования; поверочный расчет выбранного оборудования; расчет режимных параметров; анализ вредных и опасных факторов при проведении геологоразведочных работ и меры по их предупреждению; выбор вспомогательного оборудования и организации работ; сметно-финансовый расчет.The object of the study is kimberlite ore at the Mayskoye facility. The purpose of the work: preparation of the project for the drilling of exploration and evaluation wells; geological study of the object; development of technology for prospecting works on the site; development of management and organization of works on the site. In the process of design were carried out: selection of drilling equipment; calibration calculation of the selected equipment; calculation of operating parameters; analysis of harmful and dangerous factors during exploration and measures to prevent them; selection of auxiliary equipment and organization of wo