Re-Modelling Fashion through Scenario Planning: Conceptual scenarios informing design practices

This research explores methodologies for transformation design as a means to extend the value of fashion encompassing social, economic, environmental and cultural dimension. This is realised through ideation, design and business model development for fashion products, services and systems. Foresight and scenario planning are proposed as valuable tools for imagining models that are relevant in a contemporary context. The initial results of the study presented here is based on a broad review of literature and practice exemplifying plausible trajectories for fashion. This review identified four critical uncertainties as key to co-creating the future of fashion. Using Schwartz’s (1991) scenario planning matrix approach, we construct eight scenarios based on these themes. In turn, these scenarios will be used as tools in collaborative workshops involving a range of stakeholders in the field of fashion to imagine and prototype concepts for new fashion practices and business models. This study is part of a wider program: The Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology (BFTT). It is a five-year UKRI funded, industry-led project, which focusses on delivering sustainable innovation within the entire fashion and textile supply chain. This short paper reports on initial findings specifically from the BFTT Challenge 3: Re-Modelling Fashion: design practices and business models for sustainability bringing together researchers from University of the Arts London’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion, and from the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at the Institute for Manufacturing of the University of Cambridge

Accuracy and Longevity of an Implantable Continuous Glucose Sensor in the PRECISE Study: A 180-Day, Prospective, Multicenter, Pivotal Trial

It is known that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems can lower mean glucose compared with episodic self-monitoring of blood glucose. Implantable CGM systems may provide additional benefits. We studied the Eversense (Senseonics Inc.) implantable CGM sensor in 71 participants aged 18 years and older with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in a 180-day multinational, multicenter pivotal trial. Participants used the CGM system at home and in the clinic. CGM accuracy was assessed during eight in-clinic visits with the mean absolute relative difference (MARD) for venous reference glucose values >4.2 mmol/L as the primary end point. Secondary end points included Clarke Error Grid Analysis and alarm performance. The primary safety outcome was device-related serious adverse events. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02154126. The MARD value against reference glucose values >4.2 mmol/L was 11.1% (95% CI 10.5, 11.7). Clarke Error Grid Analysis showed 99.2% of samples in the clinically acceptable error zones A and B. Eighty-one percent of hypoglycemic events were detected by the CGM system within 30 min. No device-related serious adverse events occurred during the study. Our results indicate the safety and accuracy of this new type of implantable CGM system and support it as an alternative for transcutaneous CG

Optical mapping as a routine tool for bacterial genome sequence finishing

Background: In sequencing the genomes of two Xenorhabdus species, we encountered a large number of sequence repeats and assembly anomalies that stalled finishing efforts. This included a stretch of about 12 Kb that is over 99.9% identical between the plasmid and chromosome of X. nematophila. Results: Whole genome restriction maps of the sequenced strains were produced through optical mapping technology. These maps allowed rapid resolution of sequence assembly problems, permitted closing of the genome, and allowed correction of a large inversion in a genome assembly that we had considered finished. Conclusion: Our experience suggests that routine use of optical mapping in bacterial genome sequence finishing is warranted. When combined with data produced through 454 sequencing, an optical map can rapidly and inexpensively generate an ordered and oriented set of contigs to produce a nearly complete genome sequence assembly

Building our worlds: co-developing future scenarios as a methodology for fashion researchers and designer-innovators

In the context of climate and social injustice at global and local scales; commitment to change is being translated into resource efficiency and problem-minimising activities. These actions are not enough to make a required radical shift from the current trajectory of fashion industry-related impacts. This paper presents interim insights from collaborative research, undertaken by academic researchers with designer-innovators, in designing context, over designing in the current context of fashion. Thus product, services and business models are part of transformation design that extends the value of fashion’s social, economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions. Designing is an iterative, dynamic process, responding and shaping context, based on key concerns and areas of interest and opportunity. The research describes a scaffolding of context through a scenarios methodology, in which participants are co-contributors, practicing in flux, designing products, services, systems, and contexts in which we might thrive together

Units of plasticity in bacterial genomes: new insight from the comparative genomics of two bacteria interacting with invertebrates, <em>Photorhabdus</em> and <em>Xenorhabdus</em>

International audienceBackground Flexible genomes facilitate bacterial evolution and are classically organized into polymorphic strain-specific segments called regions of genomic plasticity (RGPs). Using a new web tool, RGPFinder, we investigated plasticity units in bacterial genomes, by exhaustive description of the RGPs in two Photorhabdus and two Xenorhabdus strains, belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae and interacting with invertebrates (insects and nematodes). Results RGPs account for about 60% of the genome in each of the four genomes studied. We classified RGPs into genomic islands (GIs), prophages and two new classes of RGP without the features of classical mobile genetic elements (MGEs) but harboring genes encoding enzymes catalyzing DNA recombination (RGPmob), or with no remarkable feature (RGPnone). These new classes accounted for most of the RGPs and are probably hypervariable regions, ancient MGEs with degraded mobilization machinery or non canonical MGEs for which the mobility mechanism has yet to be described. We provide evidence that not only the GIs and the prophages, but also RGPmob and RGPnone, have a mosaic structure consisting of modules. A module is a block of genes, 0.5 to 60 kb in length, displaying a conserved genomic organization among the different Enterobacteriaceae. Modules are functional units involved in host/environment interactions (22-31%), metabolism (22-27%), intracellular or intercellular DNA mobility (13-30%), drug resistance (4-5%) and antibiotic synthesis (3-6%). Finally, in silico comparisons and PCR multiplex analysis indicated that these modules served as plasticity units within the bacterial genome during genome speciation and as deletion units in clonal variants of Photorhabdus. Conclusions This led us to consider the modules, rather than the entire RGP, as the true unit of plasticity in bacterial genomes, during both short-term and long-term genome evolution

CVOT Summit 2022 Report:new cardiovascular, kidney, and glycemic outcomes

The 8th Cardiovascular Outcome Trial (CVOT) Summit on Cardiovascular, Kidney, and Glycemic Outcomes was held virtually on November 10–12, 2022. Following the tradition of previous summits, this reference congress served as a platform for in-depth discussion and exchange on recently completed outcomes trials as well as key trials important to the cardiovascular (CV) field. This year’s focus was on the results of the DELIVER, EMPA-KIDNEY and SURMOUNT-1 trials and their implications for the treatment of heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and obesity with glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. A broad audience of primary care physicians, diabetologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, and nephrologists participated online in discussions on new consensus recommendations and guideline updates on type 2 diabetes (T2D) and CKD management, overcoming clinical inertia, glycemic markers, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), novel insulin preparations, combination therapy, and reclassification of T2D. The impact of cardiovascular outcomes on the design of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) trials, as well as the impact of real-world evidence (RWE) studies on the confirmation of CVOT outcomes and clinical trial design, were also intensively discussed. The 9th Cardiovascular Outcome Trial Summit will be held virtually on November 23–24, 2023 (http://www.cvot.org).</p

Optical mapping as a routine tool for bacterial genome sequence finishing-0

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Optical mapping as a routine tool for bacterial genome sequence finishing"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/8/321</p><p>BMC Genomics 2007;8():321-321.</p><p>Published online 14 Sep 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2045679.</p><p></p>ent, red regions indicate sequence that is present on at least two contigs, and yellow regions indicate inversions. Lines between maps indicate the position of identical sequences on the two maps, and can be used to visually identify misassemblies and inversions. : An early comparison of an optical map derived from digestion of the genome to the assembled contigs generated by traditional sequencing technologies. All contigs could be ordered for gap closure. In addition, the optical map indicated an overlooked misassembly. : The finishing strategy, including gap closure and misassembly resolution, was simplified using the optical map as an assembly model. The optical map derived from an digestion of the chromosome is presented as a single contig in the center. The sequenced genome contains nine contigs that have a corresponding match to the optical map. The plasmid is 158 Kb and is too small to be identified using the current optical map technology. Nonetheless, small sections of the plasmid can be identified as regions that do not have corresponding optical map locations (white in figure). : Comparison of the final assembly of the genome (bottom) to the optical map (top) for the digest. The non-aligned contig represents the plasmid, which was generated by traditional sequencing technologies. : Comparison of the finished sequence of to the optical map revealed a large inverted region of the genome. The red regions indicate regions of repeats within the genome that cannot be resolved by optical mapping. These regions were resolved using traditional sequencing methods. The sequenced genome was easily re-oriented to correct the assembly