Women and BIPOC in Aerospace: Where Did They Come From and How Did They Get Here?

The low number of women and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) compared to their population, is well-documented in engineering, engineering technology, and other STEM fields. Through this and ancillary documentation there is agreement that increasing the numbers of women and other minorities in these areas will enhance productivity and the breadth of new innovation. Many efforts have been made to increase the number of women and BIPOC in STEM fields. The result of those efforts has been disappointing as they have resulted in minimal growth in engineering and virtual stagnation in other areas of STEM. The aviation and aerospace industries are facing significant difficulties in filling technical positions for people with STEM credentials. One may argue that current conditions create a slowdown in the demand for people in these positions; however, the current slowdown in aerospace provides time to further develop the pipeline to be ready for the expected resurgence of need in this area. To meet this demand, targeted efforts need to be designed and implemented to attract, educate, employ, and retain these highly skilled women and the BIPOC demographic. Since these groups are historically underrepresented in STEM, an added opportunity to bridge the population gap in fields such as those identified in the aerospace industry. This study aims to review the existing research on why women and BIPOC enter technical fields, the challenges they find, what makes them stay or leave, and what are some of the alternative pathways to increase the population of women and BIPOC in the aerospace industry

APOE is a potential modifier gene in an autosomal dominant form of frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD)

Purpose: Inclusion-body myopathy, Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia is an adult-onset autosomal dominant illness (IBMPFD) caused by mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) on chromosome 9p21.1-p12. The penetrance of the gene is 82% for myopathy, 49% for Paget's disease, but may be as low as 30% for frontotemporal dementia. Modifier genes could account for decreased frontotemporal dementia penetrance. In this study apolipoprotein-E (APOE) was evaluated for this role in IBMPFD families based on its known modifier effect in Alzheimer's disease. Methods: From a database of 231 members of 15 families, 174 had APOE genotype available for analysis. Logistic regressions on APOE genotype and frontotemporal dementia were performed, using appropriate covariates. Results and Conclusion: FTD was associated with APOE 4 genotype (P ϭ 0.0002), myopathy (P ϭ 0.0006), and age (P ϭ 0.01), but not microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) H2 haplotype (P ϭ 0.5) or gender (0.09) after adjustment for membership in pedigrees with at least one APOE 4 genotype. These data suggest a potential link between APOE 4 genotype and the specific form of frontotemporal dementia found in IBMPFD. The molecular basis of this link bears further investigation. We did not observe an association of frontotemporal dementia and H2 MAPT haplotype. Genet Med 2007:9(1):9-13

APOE is a potential modifier gene in an autosomal dominant form of frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD)

PurposeInclusion-body myopathy, Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia is an adult-onset autosomal dominant illness (IBMPFD) caused by mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) on chromosome 9p21.1-p12. The penetrance of the gene is 82% for myopathy, 49% for Paget's disease, but may be as low as 30% for frontotemporal dementia. Modifier genes could account for decreased frontotemporal dementia penetrance. In this study apolipoprotein-E (APOE) was evaluated for this role in IBMPFD families based on its known modifier effect in Alzheimer's disease.MethodsFrom a database of 231 members of 15 families, 174 had APOE genotype available for analysis. Logistic regressions on APOE genotype and frontotemporal dementia were performed, using appropriate covariates.Results and conclusionFTD was associated with APOE 4 genotype (P=0.0002), myopathy (P=0.0006), and age (P=0.01), but not microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) H2 haplotype (P=0.5) or gender (0.09) after adjustment for membership in pedigrees with at least one APOE 4 genotype. These data suggest a potential link between APOE 4 genotype and the specific form of frontotemporal dementia found in IBMPFD. The molecular basis of this link bears further investigation. We did not observe an association of frontotemporal dementia and H2 MAPT haplotype