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

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310: BUOYIPRO310PosterSp10

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310: BUOYIPRO310FinalReportSp10

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310: BUOYIPRO310Poster2Sp10

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310: BUOYIPRO310BrochureSp10

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310: BUOYIPRO310ProjectPlanSp10

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

Interactive Urban Landmark Memorial (Semester Unknown) IPRO 314: InteractiveUrbanLandmarkMemorialIPRO314FinalReportSp10

This report is a summary of IPRO 314 and the work which has been completed as of spring 2010. The continuing IPRO 314 team, consisting of undergraduates from the Illinois Institute of Technology, is a group of diverse individuals who are undertaking the planning and development stages of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Equal Housing Rights March Memorial, to be located on the south side of Chicago.Deliverable

BUOY (Semester Unknown) IPRO 310

This IPRO is working on the problem of creating an assistive device that will help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals exercise in a swimming pool and elsewhere with increased independence and also to present this technology to the community in a way that is usable to them. In the interest of achieving both of these goals the team has organized its structure into a technology team and a communication team, so that once the device has been created the methodology for teaching the community to use it will already be tested and approved.Deliverable

Interactive Urban Landmark Memorial (Semester Unknown) IPRO 314: InteractiveUrbanLandmarkMemorialIPRO314MidTermPresentationSp10

This report is a summary of IPRO 314 and the work which has been completed as of spring 2010. The continuing IPRO 314 team, consisting of undergraduates from the Illinois Institute of Technology, is a group of diverse individuals who are undertaking the planning and development stages of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Equal Housing Rights March Memorial, to be located on the south side of Chicago.Deliverable