Strategic intent of OBOR: Enhancing energy supply resilience

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise progra

Discovery of large genomic inversions using long range information.

BackgroundAlthough many algorithms are now available that aim to characterize different classes of structural variation, discovery of balanced rearrangements such as inversions remains an open problem. This is mainly due to the fact that breakpoints of such events typically lie within segmental duplications or common repeats, which reduces the mappability of short reads. The algorithms developed within the 1000 Genomes Project to identify inversions are limited to relatively short inversions, and there are currently no available algorithms to discover large inversions using high throughput sequencing technologies.ResultsHere we propose a novel algorithm, VALOR, to discover large inversions using new sequencing methods that provide long range information such as 10X Genomics linked-read sequencing, pooled clone sequencing, or other similar technologies that we commonly refer to as long range sequencing. We demonstrate the utility of VALOR using both pooled clone sequencing and 10X Genomics linked-read sequencing generated from the genome of an individual from the HapMap project (NA12878). We also provide a comprehensive comparison of VALOR against several state-of-the-art structural variation discovery algorithms that use whole genome shotgun sequencing data.ConclusionsIn this paper, we show that VALOR is able to accurately discover all previously identified and experimentally validated large inversions in the same genome with a low false discovery rate. Using VALOR, we also predicted a novel inversion, which we validated using fluorescent in situ hybridization. VALOR is available at https://github.com/BilkentCompGen/VALOR

Effects of Age on Plasma Glucose Levels in Non-diabetic Hong Kong Chinese

Aim: To analyze the relationship between age and plasma glucose levels in Hong Kong Chinese population. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with 15 603 non-diabetic subjects from the community of Hong Kong. Plasma glucose concentration was measured in blood specimens from the subjects. The time of blood taking varied, depending on the availability of the patients. Results: There were 11 148 (71.4%) women and 4455 (28.6%) men (mean age: 50.1 ± 16.1 years). There were 6901 (44.2%) patients who had plasma glucose measured in the fasting condition, 2999 (19.2%) who were 2-hour post-prandial, and 5703 (36.6%) who had plasma glucose measured at a random time. The correlation coefficients between age and plasma glucose levels in fasting, 2-hour post-prandial, and random group of patients were 0.159, 0.169, and 0.114, respectively (adjusted for body mass index, smoking, and gender; all P values <0.001). Fasting and random plasma glucose level increased by 0.15 mmol/L, while 2-hour post-prandial plasma glucose level increased by 0.26 mmol/L per decade-increase in age. Conclusion: Plasma glucose levels progressively increase with age in Hong Kong Chinese non-diabetic subjects

Relationships between some maternal variables and lexical diversity in three-year-old Cantonese-speaking children

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007.Also available in print.Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Studies on the Vitamin C transporter gene SLC23A2 and cardiac conduction

This thesis considers the role of Vitamin C genes on cardiac conduction. Firstly we performed a systematic literature review to ascertain the protective effects of Vitamin C dosing in preventing in-hospital onset atrial fibrillation post cardiac surgery. We noted considerable heterogeneity across published studies on Vitamin C dosing and AF outcomes in cardiac surgery. We wondered if this heterogeneity may be due to genetic polymorphisms in the Vitamin C transporter, responsible for Vitamin C uptake into cardiac tissues. There are no studies that we are aware of that have explored Vitamin C transporter polymorphisms and cardiac conduction. It is known that 6 week dosing of Vitamin C reportedly decreases electrocardiogram (ECG) QRS duration in young healthy volunteers. Our aims were to explore genetic polymorphisms in the Vitamin C transporter on cardiac ventricular conduction. We used a retrospective rural bio-bank where ECG derived QRS duration was available. Specifically we determined Vitamin C transporter rs1776964 genotyping using DNA (derived from blood samples) from 274 Australian rural subjects (with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus) aged 21 years and over. We demonstrated that the ECG QRS duration had no significant association across rs1776964 genotypes. In conclusion further Vitamin C transporter genotype studies may be required to understand associations between Vitamin C dosing and QRS duration. Vitamin C transporter polymorphisms may explain the heterogeneity in atrial fibrillation outcomes in post cardiac surgery, although we cannot demonstrate an association in our study with ventricular conduction

To assess the feasibility of constructing developmental relationships as a relevant mentoring model for the diploma in business & social enterprise

This thesis arises from a personal conviction that education transforms not only the\ud intellect, but can inspire a change of heart and values, towards the betterment of self and\ud society, and that the process of mentoring offers this transformational potentiality.\ud Hence, the concept of mentoring is examined and expanded beyond that of the\ud traditional mentor, to "developmental relationships" which recognises the different\ud significant individuals that could potentially influence the development of a mentee.\ud This notion forms the basis of the construction of a mentoring model in this thesis.\ud Situated within the diploma in Business & Social Enterprise at the Ngee Ann\ud Polytechnic of Singapore, the research adopts the qualitative case study approach. The\ud aim of the study is to explore in an evidenced fashion the feasibility and efficacy of\ud constructing a mentoring model based on developmental relationships; this could, I\ud argue, enable students from the course to integrate formal learning with experiences\ud encountered beyond the classroom setting. Social entrepreneurial traits were highlighted\ud as some of the desirable attributes of a graduate from the course, which could be\ud nurtured by the proposed network of developmental relationships. The thesis discusses\ud findings from focus groups and interviews conducted with management, faculty,\ud students and business partners (particularly social entrepreneurs), that would help shape\ud the construction of the model.\ud I conclude by reviewing the ways in which the proposed mentoring model offers a\ud unique multi-dimensional mentoring approach, capable of being implemented in a\ud flexible manner, to accommodate a diversity of learners