Some Examples of Family Floer Mirrors

In this article, we give explicit calculations for the family Floer mirrors of some non-compact Calabi-Yau surfaces. We compare it with the mirror construction of Gross-Hacking-Keel for suitably chosen log Calabi-Yau pairs and the rank two cluster varieties of finite type. In particular, the analytifications of the later two give partial compactifications of the family Floer mirrors that we computed.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figures, comments are welcom

Isolation and Characterisation of Yeasts with Biotechnological Properties

The primary aim of this research was to identify and characterise novel non-Saccharomyces species from a vineyard and assess their potential use as starter cultures, either as an alternative or complement to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The first step towards this aim was to access the vast potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts to produce desired oenological characteristics which may be absent in S. cerevisiae with a view towards their application in winemaking. In particular, their ability to produce high levels of aroma compounds (esters, higher alcohols) and secrete enzymes (β-glucosidases, esterases, lipases, proteases) releases aroma compounds from odourless precursors to positively enhance the sensorial profile of wines. The 77 yeast isolates previously isolated from a South Australian vineyard were identified by sequencing the internal transcribed space regions of the 5.8S rRNA gene (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region. The isolates consisted of 7 species belonging to 5 genera (Aureobasidium, Kazachstania, Meyerozyma, Wickerhamomyces and Torulaspora). The indigenous isolates were evaluated for oenological properties, specifically ethanol tolerance, enzymatic activities, and hydrogen sulfide production. To improve the overall wine aroma complexity, research has devised various techniques from cultivation and harvesting (of grapes) to vinification. One such method is the use of mixed starter cultures (non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae) to impart distinctive aroma/flavour profiles. Whilst commercial non-Saccharomyces belonging to Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Lachancea thermotolerans and Torulaspora delbrueckii are available as commercial wine starter cultures there is a diverse range of indigenous non-Saccharomyces unexplored. The next step was to conduct fermentation trials with 17 representative strains from each species in chemically defined grape juice media (CDGJM). None of the isolates could complete fermentation (as monocultures) in CDGJM (200 g/L sugar), with T. delbrueckii isolates utilising sugar the fastest, following by Kazachstania aerobia, Kazachstania servazzii and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. Based on their fermentation profile in CDGJM, 7 isolates were selected for use in sequential fermentation with a commercial S. cerevisiae strain in sterile Viognier juice to evaluate their contribution to fermentation kinetics and production of key metabolites, including volatile compounds. These laboratory-scale fermentations showed that species belonging to Kazachstania (K. aerobia and K. servazzii) produced wines with elevated levels of phenylethyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol, as well as their corresponding acetate esters. The Kazachstania spp. sequential wines also reduced alcohol (ethanol), by ~1% (v/v) compared to the S. cerevisiae control. Because of this interesting result the fermentative efficiency of Kazachstania spp. in non-sterile red musts (Merlot and Shiraz) was evaluated. Three isolates of Kazachstania spp. (2x K. aerobia and 1x K. servazzii) were inoculated in sequential fermentations with S. cerevisiae. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, Kazachstania spp. wines had significantly increased phenylethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in both Merlot and Shiraz, as well as increased glycerol concentrations and decreased ethanol concentration (Merlot only, not in Shiraz due to the high initial °Brix of Shiraz must). With respect to Shiraz wines, Kazachstania spp. treatments enhanced the wine sensory appeal; the wines were perceived as ‘jammy’, ‘red fruit’ and higher aroma intensity compared to S. cerevisiae control (‘cooked vegetable’, ‘earthy’, ‘forest floor’ and ‘savoury’). In addition to the collection of 77 isolates, 5 isolates belonging to Hanseniaspora uvarum isolated from a Victorian vineyard were included for characterisation. The effects of H. uvarum on the terpene content of white wines were initially evaluated in Viognier, which was overall lower in the sequential wines compared to the S. cerevisiae control. To further validate this phenomenon, tests were conducted in chemically defined grape juice medium spiked with linalool, and two more aromatic varietals (Muscat and Riesling), which included uninoculated treatments as negative controls. The results show that H. uvarum neither increased or reduced the linalool concentrations, except in Riesling which had higher linalool concentration, but still lower compared to the S. cerevisiae control. These findings suggest that the terpene content in white wines could be matrix- and/or temperature-dependent. As Kazachstania spp. consistently produced higher concentrations of acetate esters compared to S. cerevisiae in both white and red wines, their genomic and metabolic features (particularly acetate ester biosynthesis) were investigated. Complete genome sequences of K. aerobia and K. servazzii isolates were obtained at contig level (de novo assembly) based on PacBio sequencing reads. The genome size and GC content was 12.5 Mb and 35.8% for K. aerobia and 12.3 Mb and 34.4% for K. servazzii. Furthermore, comparative analyses were performed with putative orthologous genes involved in acetate ester and higher alcohol formation. Unlike S. cerevisiae, where both alcohol acetyltransferase (AATase) encoding genes ATF1 and ATF2 are present, both K. aerobia and K. servazzii have only one orthologue in their genome. This study will expand the knowledge on the application of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking, particularly Kazachstania spp. which have demonstrated their potential to be employed as pure or mixed-starter cultures.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 202

Differences in the Fine Motor Performance of Children in Hong Kong and the United States on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency

ObjectiveCross-cultural differences in motor development is an important issue for occupational therapists to address in the assessment process. The cultural variability of performance in scores interpretation can mislead therapists in their decisions regarding the need for intervention. This study aimed to investigate the differences in fine motor performance on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) between school-aged children of Hong Kong and the United States.MethodsThe four fine motor subtests of the BOTMP were administered to a random sample of 264 Hong Kong children aged 6–10 years. The performance scores of participants were compared with those of the American normative samples.ResultsNo significant difference was found in the scores between the two groups in Upper Limb Coordination and Response Speed subtests. However, the Hong Kong children performed significantly better in the subtests of Visual-Motor Control and Upper Limb Speed and Dexterity. In addition, significant gender difference was also present in all subtest scores except for the subtest of Upper Limb Speed and Dexterity.ConclusionThe results suggest that occupational therapists should be cautious of cross-cultural differences when interpreting fine motor performance scores using the BOTMP for Hong Kong school- aged children

State resolved rotational excitation cross sections and rates in H2+H2 collisions

Rotational transitions in molecular hydrogen collisions are computed. The two most recently developed potential energy surfaces for the H2-H2 system are used from the following works: 1) A.I. Boothroyd, P.G. Martin, W.J. Keogh, M.J. Peterson, J. Chem. Phys., 116 (2002) 666, and 2) P. Diep, J.K. Johnson, J. Chem. Phys., 113 (2000) 3480; ibid. 112, 4465. Cross sections for rotational transitions 00->20, 22, 40, 42, 44 and corresponding rate coefficients are calculated using a quantum-mechanical approach. Results are compared for a wide range of kinetic temperatures 300 K < T < 3000 K.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrafast Brain MRI for Evaluation of Abusive Head Trauma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging with sedation is commonly used to detect intracranial traumatic pathology in the pediatric population. Our purpose was to compare nonsedated ultrafast MR imaging, noncontrast head CT, and standard MR imaging for the detection of intracranial trauma in patients with potential abusive head trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 24 pediatric patients who were evaluated for potential abusive head trauma. All patients received noncontrast head CT, ultrafast brain MR imaging without sedation, and standard MR imaging with general anesthesia or an immobilizer, sequentially. Two pediatric neuroradiologists independently reviewed each technique blinded to other modalities for intracranial trauma. We performed interreader agreement and consensus interpretation for standard MR imaging as the criterion standard. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated for ultrafast MR imaging, noncontrast head CT, and combined ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT. RESULTS: Interreader agreement was moderate for ultrafast MR imaging (κ = 0.42), substantial for noncontrast head CT (κ = 0.63), and nearly perfect for standard MR imaging (κ = 0.86). Forty-two percent of patients had discrepancies between ultrafast MR imaging and standard MR imaging, which included detection of subarachnoid hemorrhage and subdural hemorrhage. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were obtained for any traumatic pathology for each examination: ultrafast MR imaging (50%, 100%, 100%, 31%), noncontrast head CT (25%, 100%, 100%, 21%), and a combination of ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT (60%, 100%, 100%, 33%). Ultrafast MR imaging was more sensitive than noncontrast head CT for the detection of intraparenchymal hemorrhage (P = .03), and the combination of ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT was more sensitive than noncontrast head CT alone for intracranial trauma (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In abusive head trauma, ultrafast MR imaging, even combined with noncontrast head CT, demonstrated low sensitivity compared with standard MR imaging for intracranial traumatic pathology, which may limit its utility in this patient population

Scattering diagrams from holomorphic discs in log Calabi-Yau surfaces

We construct special Lagrangian fibrations for log Calabi-Yau surfaces, and scattering diagrams from Lagrangian Floer theory of the fibres. Then we prove that the scattering diagrams recover the scattering diagrams of Gross-Pandharipande-Siebert and the canonical scattering diagrams of Gross-Hacking-Keel. With an additional assumption on the non-negativity of boundary divisors, we compute the disc potentials of the Lagrangian torus fibres via a holomorphic/tropical correspondence. As an application, we provide a version of mirror symmetry for rank two cluster varieties.First author draf

Fexofenadine and rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics in mice with targeted disruption of organic anion transporting polypeptide 2b1

Organic anion transporting polypeptide 2B1 (OATP2B1) is a widely expressed membrane transporter with diverse substrate specificity. In vitro and clinical studies suggest a role for intestinal OATP2B1 in the oral absorption of medications. Moreover, OATP2B1 is highly expressed in hepatocytes where it is thought to promote liver drug clearance. However, until now, a shortcoming of studies implicating OATP2B1 in drug disposition has been a lack of in vivomodels.Here,we report the development of a knockout (KO) mousemodel with targeted, global disruption of the Slco2b1 gene to examine the disposition of two confirmed mOATP2B1 substrates, namely, fexofenadine and rosuvastatin. The plasma pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered fexofenadine was not different between KO and wildtype (WT) mice. However, after oral fexofenadine administration, KO mice had 70% and 41% lower maximal plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasmaconcentration-timecurve (AUC0-last) than WT mice, respectively. In WT mice, coadministration of fexofenadine with grapefruit juice (GFJ) or apple juice (AJ) was associated with reduced Cmax by 80% and 88%, respectively, while the AUC0-last values were lower by 35% and 70%, respectively. In KO mice, AJ coadministration reduced oral fexofenadine Cmax and AUC0-last values by 67% and 59%, respectively, while GFJ had no effects. Intravenous and oral rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics were similar among WT and KO mice. We conclude that intestinal OATP2B1 is a determinant of oral fexofenadine absorption, as well as a target for fruit juice interactions. OATP2B1 does not significantly influence rosuvastatin disposition in mice

A signal-seeking Phase 2 study of olaparib and durvalumab in advanced solid cancers with homologous recombination repair gene alterations

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy of PARP plus PD-L1 inhibition (olaparib + durvalumab, O + D) in patients with advanced solid, predominantly rare cancers harbouring homologous recombination repair (HRR) defects. Patients and methods: In total, 48 patients were treated with O + D, 16 with BRCA1/2 alterations (group 1) and 32 with other select HRR alterations (group 2). Overall, 32 (66%) patients had rare or less common cancers. The primary objective of this single-arm Phase II trial was a progression-free survival rate at 6 months (PFS6). Post hoc exploratory analyses were conducted on archival tumour tissue and serial bloods. Results: The PFS6 rate was 35% and 38% with durable objective tumour responses (OTR) in 3(19%) and 3(9%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Rare cancers achieving an OTR included cholangiocarcinoma, perivascular epithelioid cell (PEComa), neuroendocrine, gallbladder and endometrial cancer. O + D was safe, with five serious adverse events related to the study drug(s) in 3 (6%) patients. A higher proportion of CD38 high B cells in the blood and higher CD40 expression in tumour was prognostic of survival. Conclusions: O + D demonstrated no new toxicity concerns and yielded a clinically meaningful PFS6 rate and durable OTRs across several cancers with HRR defects, including rare cancers

Determinants of R-loop formation at convergent bidirectionally transcribed trinucleotide repeats

R-loops have been described at immunoglobulin class switch sequences, prokaryotic and mitochondrial replication origins, and disease-associated (CAG)n and (GAA)n trinucleotide repeats. The determinants of trinucleotide R-loop formation are unclear. Trinucleotide repeat expansions cause diseases including DM1 (CTG)n, SCA1 (CAG)n, FRAXA (CGG)n, FRAXE (CCG)n and FRDA (GAA)n. Bidirectional convergent transcription across these disease repeats can occur. We find R-loops formed when CTG or CGG and their complementary strands CAG or CCG were transcribed; GAA transcription, but not TTC, yielded R-loops. R-loop formation was sensitive to DNA supercoiling, repeat length, insensitive to repeat interruptions, and formed by extension of RNA:DNA hybrids in the RNA polymerase. R-loops arose by transcription in one direction followed by transcription in the opposite direction, and during simultaneous convergent bidirectional transcription of the same repeat forming double R-loop structures. Since each transcribed disease repeat formed R-loops suggests they may have biological functions