Economic renewal and the gendered knowledge economy in Wales

The Welsh Assembly Government's Economic Renewal Strategy aims to develop Wales into a 'knowledge economy'. 'Knowledge economies' depend upon close networks and effective collaboration between the members of the 'triple helix' of universities, government and industry. The Assembly Government is obliged, under the Government of Wales Act (2006), to pay due regard to equality of opportunities in all its policies, a commitment underlined by the requirements for equality impact assessments under new British equalities legislation. In this paper, we conduct a political arithmetic of the gender of key players in the 'triple helix' in Wales. Will the Economic Renewal Strategy promote equality or unintentionally reproduce already rigid patterns of gender segregation in the labour market

Psychosocial impact of undergoing prostate cancer screening for men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

OBJECTIVES: To report the baseline results of a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the IMPACT study, a multi-national investigation of targeted prostate cancer (PCa) screening among men with a known pathogenic germline mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. PARTICPANTS AND METHODS: Men enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a questionnaire at collaborating sites prior to each annual screening visit. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and the following measures: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale (IES), 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer, Cancer Worry Scale-Revised, risk perception and knowledge. The results of the baseline questionnaire are presented. RESULTS: A total of 432 men completed questionnaires: 98 and 160 had mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, respectively, and 174 were controls (familial mutation negative). Participants' perception of PCa risk was influenced by genetic status. Knowledge levels were high and unrelated to genetic status. Mean scores for the HADS and SF-36 were within reported general population norms and mean IES scores were within normal range. IES mean intrusion and avoidance scores were significantly higher in BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers than in controls and were higher in men with increased PCa risk perception. At the multivariate level, risk perception contributed more significantly to variance in IES scores than genetic status. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report the psychosocial profile of men with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations undergoing PCa screening. No clinically concerning levels of general or cancer-specific distress or poor quality of life were detected in the cohort as a whole. A small subset of participants reported higher levels of distress, suggesting the need for healthcare professionals offering PCa screening to identify these risk factors and offer additional information and support to men seeking PCa screening

Mainstreaming gender equality in science in the European Union: 'The ETAN Report'

This article examines the position of women in science in academe in the European Union. It draws upon some of the data collected for the 'ETAN' (European Technology Assessment Network) report, Science Policies in the European Union: promoting excellence through mainstreaming gender equality, published recently by the European Commission. The data demonstrate how irrespective of discipline, proportion of female undergraduates in the discipline, and country, women leave scientific careers in disproportionate numbers at every stage, but particularly after the post-doctoral level. The article outlines three approaches to developing gender equality: equal treatment, positive action and gender mainstreaming, and shows how the position of women in science might be improved by the application of these three approaches by universities and research institutes. It concludes by asking some questions about whether more women at the top in science would make a difference to how science is done, what science is done and what is regarded as excellent in science