Design and Development of a Plasmid Vector for Protein Expression and Purification

Production and isolation of proteins are difficult, costly and time-consuming processes. The aim of this project is for the development of plasmids, which allow for streamlined production and isolation of proteins. To allow for modular insertion of varying segments of DNA we are using ‘recursive directional ligation by plasmid reconstruction’. This technique uses type II restriction endonucleases, which cut downstream from their recognition site allowing multiple insertions without losing a restriction site. Using this process, we can ligate multiple DNA sequences together and express them to be able to construct a scar less fusion protein. In order to accomplish this, we have used techniques such as restriction digestion, ligation, dephosphorylation and transformation in order to ligate our vector, pET 25B+, and different DNA inserts together and inserted them into competent cells. To screen whether proper ligation has occurred we have used techniques such as colony PCR and running diagnostic restriction digestions on agarose gels. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the successful insertion of individual sequences in our plasmid, which will allow for different modes of purification of any protein of choic

Anisotropic dehydration of hydrogel surfaces

Efforts to develop tissue-engineered skin for regenerative medicine have explored natural, synthetic, and hybrid hydrogels. The creation of a bilayer material, with the stratification exhibited by native skin is a complex problem. The mechanically robust, waterproof epidermis presents the stratum corneum at the tissue/air interface, which confers many of these protective properties. In this work we explore the effect of high temperatures on alginate hydrogels, which are widely employed for tissue engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties and cellular compatibility. In particular, we investigate the rapid dehydration of the hydrogel surface which occurs following local exposure to heated surfaces with temperatures in the range 100-200 oC. We report the creation of a mechanically strengthened hydrogel surface, with improved puncture resistance and increased coefficient of friction, compared to the unheated surface. The use of a mechanical restraint during heating promoted differences in the rate of mass loss; the rate of temperature increase within the hydrogel, in the presence and absence of restraint, is simulated and discussed. It is hoped that the results will be of use in the development of processes suitable for preparing skin-like analogues; application areas could include wound healing and skin restoration

Quantum phase retrieval of a Rydberg wave packet using a half-cycle pulse

A terahertz half-cycle pulse was used to retrieve information stored as quantum phase in an $N$-state Rydberg atom data register. The register was prepared as a wave packet with one state phase-reversed from the others (the "marked bit"). A half-cycle pulse then drove a significant portion of the electron probability into the flipped state via multimode interference.Comment: accepted by PR

Apportionment of primary and secondary organic aerosols in Southern California during the 2005 Study of Organic Aerosols in Riverside (SOAR-1)

Ambient sampling was conducted in Riverside, California during the 2005 Study of Organic Aerosols in Riverside to characterize the composition and sources of organic aerosol using a variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation and source apportionment techniques. The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass is estimated by elemental carbon and carbon monoxide tracer methods, water soluble organic carbon content, chemical mass balance of organic molecular markers, and positive matrix factorization of high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer data. Estimates obtained from each of these methods indicate that the organic fraction in ambient aerosol is overwhelmingly secondary in nature during a period of several weeks with moderate ozone concentrations and that SOA is the single largest component of PM1 aerosol in Riverside. Average SOA/OA contributions of 70−90% were observed during midday periods, whereas minimum SOA contributions of ~45% were observed during peak morning traffic periods. These results are contrary to previous estimates of SOA throughout the Los Angeles Basin which reported that, other than during severe photochemical smog episodes, SOA was lower than primary OA. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed

PTCOG Head and Neck Subcommittee Consensus Guidelines on Particle Therapy for the Management of Head and Neck Tumors

Purpose: Radiation therapy is a standard modality in the treatment for cancers of the head and neck, but is associated with significant short- and long-term side effects. Proton therapy, with its unique physical characteristics, can deliver less dose to normal tissues, resulting in fewer side effects. Proton therapy is currently being used for the treatment of head and neck cancer, with increasing clinical evidence supporting its use. However, barriers to wider adoption include access, cost, and the need for higher-level evidence.Methods: The clinical evidence for the use of proton therapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer are reviewed here, including indications, advantages, and challenges.Results: The Particle Therapy Cooperative Group Head and Neck Subcommittee task group provides consensus guidelines for the use of proton therapy for head and neck cancer.Conclusion: This report can be used as a guide for clinical use, to understand clinical trials, and to inform future research efforts.</p

Quantum Nonlocality without Entanglement

We exhibit an orthogonal set of product states of two three-state particles that nevertheless cannot be reliably distinguished by a pair of separated observers ignorant of which of the states has been presented to them, even if the observers are allowed any sequence of local operations and classical communication between the separate observers. It is proved that there is a finite gap between the mutual information obtainable by a joint measurement on these states and a measurement in which only local actions are permitted. This result implies the existence of separable superoperators that cannot be implemented locally. A set of states are found involving three two-state particles which also appear to be nonmeasurable locally. These and other multipartite states are classified according to the entropy and entanglement costs of preparing and measuring them by local operations.Comment: 27 pages, Latex, 6 ps figures. To be submitted to Phys. Rev. A. Version 2: 30 pages, many small revisions and extensions, author added. Version 3: Proof in Appendix D corrected, many small changes; final version for Phys. Rev. A Version 4: Report of Popescu conjecture modifie

Intravitreal ranibizumab, photodynamic therapy, and vitreous surgery for the treatment of juxtapapillary retinal capillary hemangioma

published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Quantum strategies

We consider game theory from the perspective of quantum algorithms. Strategies in classical game theory are either pure (deterministic) or mixed (probabilistic). We introduce these basic ideas in the context of a simple example, closely related to the traditional Matching Pennies game. While not every two-person zero-sum finite game has an equilibrium in the set of pure strategies, von Neumann showed that there is always an equilibrium at which each player follows a mixed strategy. A mixed strategy deviating from the equilibrium strategy cannot increase a player's expected payoff. We show, however, that in our example a player who implements a quantum strategy can increase his expected payoff, and explain the relation to efficient quantum algorithms. We prove that in general a quantum strategy is always at least as good as a classical one, and furthermore that when both players use quantum strategies there need not be any equilibrium, but if both are allowed mixed quantum strategies there must be.Comment: 8 pages, plain TeX, 1 figur