European polygenic risk score for prediction of breast cancer shows similar performance in Asian women

Abstract: Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been shown to predict breast cancer risk in European women, but their utility in Asian women is unclear. Here we evaluate the best performing PRSs for European-ancestry women using data from 17,262 breast cancer cases and 17,695 controls of Asian ancestry from 13 case-control studies, and 10,255 Chinese women from a prospective cohort (413 incident breast cancers). Compared to women in the middle quintile of the risk distribution, women in the highest 1% of PRS distribution have a ~2.7-fold risk and women in the lowest 1% of PRS distribution has ~0.4-fold risk of developing breast cancer. There is no evidence of heterogeneity in PRS performance in Chinese, Malay and Indian women. A PRS developed for European-ancestry women is also predictive of breast cancer risk in Asian women and can help in developing risk-stratified screening programmes in Asia

Systematic study on the collapse of CDO market in the subprime crisis

In mid 2007, the financial market was severely hit by the collapse of the housing market. This financial turmoil resulted in the collapse of big investment banks such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America and transformation of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley into bank holding companies. Many questioned: How could a housing bubble burst send Wall Street to complete chaos, thus, compel government intervention to salvage the situation? What was the key reason that led to their downfall and, subsequently the collapse of the financial market? The Collateralised Debt Obligation (CDO)market has grown rapidly over the recent years, mainly contributed by growing share of structured products (such as tranches of mortgagebacked securities or of other CDOs); signifying the rising demand for more risky investment. In view of the securitisation technology, which amplifies the impact on defaults, these complex products have been closely associated with our recent financial turbulence. With the engagement of financial intermediaries, subprime mortgage related securities had constituted a major portion in the asset base of most investment banks, which facilitated the securitisation process through Structured Investment Vehicles (SIVs). This had significantly contributed to meltdown of the financial market after the collapse of the subprime mortgage market. Therefore, this research report seeks to investigate the employment of the securitisation technology in the credit market, as well as, the mechanics and fundamental elements of CDO; revealing its sensitivity to market changes and paradox of diversified and standardised of credit exposure in a CDO; and the magnified impact of default risk on the underlying with the application of securitisation technology. This report also seeks to identify the involvement of key financial entities in the CDO securitisation process and the repercussions of their actions.BUSINES

School of communications studies : an interactive handbook.

The product is titled "The School of Communication Studies". It is an interactive CDROM handbook, on the School of Communication Studies, for PC and Macintosh platforms. Designed to be a repository of information pertaining to the School, the CDROM will provide insight into the School's mission and history, facilities, academic structure, staff and students, achievements and contributions to the industry. Content in the existing handbook, like academic programmes and write-ups on lecturing staff, will be adapted for multimedia presentation. In addition, the project medium will allow the inclusion of complementary voice-overs, graphics animation, video segments and elements such as the hyperlinking of related information and an interactive overview.Bachelor of Communication Studie

A novel variant in the tropomyosin 3 gene presenting as an adult-onset distal myopathy - a case report

Abstract Background We report a patient with a novel c.737 C > T variant (p.Ser246Leu) of the TPM3 gene presenting with adult-onset distal myopathy. Case presentation A 35-year-old Chinese male patient presented with a history of progressive finger weakness. Physical examination revealed differential finger extension weakness, together with predominant finger abduction, elbow flexion, ankle dorsiflexion and toe extension weakness. Muscle MRI showed disproportionate fatty infiltration of the glutei, sartorius and extensor digitorum longus muscles without significant wasting. Muscle biopsy and ultrastructural examination showed a non-specific myopathic pattern without nemaline or cap inclusions. Genetic sequencing revealed a novel heterozygous p.Ser246Leu variant (c.737C>T) of the TPM3 gene which is predicted to be pathogenic. This variant is located in the area of the TPM3 gene where the protein product interacts with actin at position Asp25 of actin. Mutations of TPM3 in these loci have been shown to alter the sensitivity of thin filaments to the influx of calcium ions. Conclusion This report further expands the phenotypic spectrum of myopathies associated with TPM3 mutations, as mutations in TPM3 had not previously been reported with adult-onset distal myopathy. We also discuss the interpretation of variants of unknown significance in patients with TPM3 mutations and summarise the typical muscle MRI findings of patients with TPM3 mutations

European polygenic risk score for prediction of breast cancer shows similar performance in Asian women

Abstract: Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been shown to predict breast cancer risk in European women, but their utility in Asian women is unclear. Here we evaluate the best performing PRSs for European-ancestry women using data from 17,262 breast cancer cases and 17,695 controls of Asian ancestry from 13 case-control studies, and 10,255 Chinese women from a prospective cohort (413 incident breast cancers). Compared to women in the middle quintile of the risk distribution, women in the highest 1% of PRS distribution have a ~2.7-fold risk and women in the lowest 1% of PRS distribution has ~0.4-fold risk of developing breast cancer. There is no evidence of heterogeneity in PRS performance in Chinese, Malay and Indian women. A PRS developed for European-ancestry women is also predictive of breast cancer risk in Asian women and can help in developing risk-stratified screening programmes in Asia

European polygenic risk score for prediction of breast cancer shows similar performance in Asian women.

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been shown to predict breast cancer risk in European women, but their utility in Asian women is unclear. Here we evaluate the best performing PRSs for European-ancestry women using data from 17,262 breast cancer cases and 17,695 controls of Asian ancestry from 13 case-control studies, and 10,255 Chinese women from a prospective cohort (413 incident breast cancers). Compared to women in the middle quintile of the risk distribution, women in the highest 1% of PRS distribution have a ~2.7-fold risk and women in the lowest 1% of PRS distribution has ~0.4-fold risk of developing breast cancer. There is no evidence of heterogeneity in PRS performance in Chinese, Malay and Indian women. A PRS developed for European-ancestry women is also predictive of breast cancer risk in Asian women and can help in developing risk-stratified screening programmes in Asia