A Maximum Entropy Approach to Defining Cell State

The past few decades have seen great leaps in technologies to analyze cells and tissues. Omics methods in particular now allow us unprecedented access to their the molecular composition where the base-level resolution of transcripts and their numbers can be determined at a single cell level. Existing methods to analyze the resulting data make use of the count data while discarding the information present in the sequences themselves. In this paper we used a maximum entropy approach to develop a method to analyze RNA-seq data using both the sequence and count information. By mapping sequences to vectors of spins and defining an energy function on them, we were able to identify specific states in a biological process using mean energies and their associated Boltzmann-probabilities. This approach opens up new avenues in the quantitative analysis of -omics data and analysis of biological function

Cancer stem cells and tumor transdifferentiation: implications for novel therapeutic strategies

Abstract: Highly malignant tumors mostly consist of rapidly proliferating cells. However, tumors also contain a few cells in a quiescent state that can be characterized as slow-cycling, expressing markers of stem cells and possessing the ability to initiate new tumors. These quiescent cells, now generally termed 'cancer stem cells' (CSC) (or 'cancer initiating cells'), are capable of regenerating the entire tumor-as it occurs in metastatic spread. This process of tumor initiation by stem-like cells presumably involves differentiation of quiescent CSC into rapidly proliferating tumor cells. An important implication of the presence of slow cycling, quiescent stem-like cells in the tumor and their ability to initiate tumors is that they contribute to the resistance to treatments by conventional chemo-and radiotherapy directed toward killing rapidly dividing cells. However, similar to normal stem cells, the CSC could also potentially transdifferentiate into cell lineages other than the original lineage from which the tumor arose. Therefore, transdifferentiation of CSC offers a possible therapeutic strategy which has not yet been fully exploited. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the concepts in tumor cell transdifferentiation and discuss the mechanisms of transdifferentiation with emphasis on their relevance to potential novel treatment strategies

Improving Global Supply Chain Management (Semester Unknown) IPRO 306: ImprovingGlobalSupplyChainManagementIPRO306FinalPresentationF10

IPRO 306 team is tasked with assisting a major plumbing manufacturer, Sloan Valve, in improving the global chain supply as well as the overall effectiveness and efficacy of their equipment and processes. Sloan Valve has three projects with IPRO 306 will be involved, and they range in three different fields of the manufacturer.Sponsorship: SLOANDeliverable

Improving Global Supply Chain Management (Semester Unknown) IPRO 306: ImprovingGlobalSupplyChainManagementIPRO306BrochureF10

IPRO 306 team is tasked with assisting a major plumbing manufacturer, Sloan Valve, in improving the global chain supply as well as the overall effectiveness and efficacy of their equipment and processes. Sloan Valve has three projects with IPRO 306 will be involved, and they range in three different fields of the manufacturer.Sponsorship: SLOANDeliverable

Improving Global Supply Chain Management (Semester Unknown) IPRO 306: ImprovingGlobalSupplyChainManagementIPRO306FinalReportF10

IPRO 306 team is tasked with assisting a major plumbing manufacturer, Sloan Valve, in improving the global chain supply as well as the overall effectiveness and efficacy of their equipment and processes. Sloan Valve has three projects with IPRO 306 will be involved, and they range in three different fields of the manufacturer.Sponsorship: SLOANDeliverable

Improving Global Supply Chain Management (Semester Unknown) IPRO 306: ImprovingGlobalSupplyChainManagementIPRO306ProjectPlanF10

IPRO 306 team is tasked with assisting a major plumbing manufacturer, Sloan Valve, in improving the global chain supply as well as the overall effectiveness and efficacy of their equipment and processes. Sloan Valve has three projects with IPRO 306 will be involved, and they range in three different fields of the manufacturer.Sponsorship: SLOANDeliverable