Diffusion Enhances Chirality Selection

Diffusion effect on chirality selection in a two-dimensional reaction-diffusion model is studied by the Monte Carlo simulation. The model consists of achiral reactants A which turn into either of the chiral products, R or S, in a solvent of chemically inactive vacancies V. The reaction contains the nonlinear autocatalysis as well as recycling process, and the chiral symmetry breaking is monitored by an enantiomeric excess $\phi$. Without dilution a strong nonlinear autocatalysis ensures chiral symmetry breaking. By dilution, the chiral order $\phi$ decreases, and the racemic state is recovered below the critical concentration $c_c$. Diffusion effectively enhances the concentration of chiral species, and $c_c$ decreases as the diffusion coefficient $D$ increases. The relation between $\phi$ and $c$ for a system with a finite $D$ fits rather well to an interpolation formula between the diffusionless(D=0) and homogeneous ($D=\infty$) limits.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Amplifier enhances ring-down spectroscopy

In recent years, investigators have adapted the principles of ringdown spectroscopy (see sidebar, facing page) to fiber optic configurations by placing high reflectors on each end of a fiber and observing the ringdown time of an injected pulse. But a major drawback is the difficulty of creating a low-loss, high-Q resonator in an optical fiber

Optical output enhances flowmeter accuracy

Magnetic flowmeter with a direct-coupled optical output increases accuracy and operates independently of other system inputs. The design includes simple external adjustment and signal amplitude control

BPTF Enhances Chemotherapy Induced Cytotoxicity

BPTF Enhances Chemotherapy Induced Cytotoxicity Valentina Posada, Depts. of Biology, Chemistry, & Religious Studies, with Dr. Joseph Landry, Dept. of Human Molecular Genetics New chemotherapies and immunotherapy treatments have greatly improved the outcomes of many cancers. However, for Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), existing therapies are not very effective long term as the disease becomes resistant and has low immunogenicity. Here we show the early development of a new way to treat the disease by combining existing chemotherapies with depletion of the Nucleosome Remodeling Factor (NURF). NURF is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex that is over-expressed in cancers and has shown to inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. The largest and essential subunit of the complex, BPTF is required for function. BPTF shRNA-mediated knockdown (KD) was done as a way to deplete cells of NURF. Our first aim was to determine if BPTF-KD cells showed enhanced sensitization to chemotherapies most prominently Doxorubicin. The results from completing this aim showed sensitization to several chemotherapies which correlated with enhanced therapy-induced autophagy. Our second aim was then to investigate the role of autophagy in the sensitization of BPTF-KD cells to chemotherapies. Autophagy is a process by which cells undergoing stress consume their cellular components. This process is mediated in part by the ATG5 protein. ATG5 KD was done through lentivirus transfection, and in turn, functional blockade of autophagy was achieved as confirmed by Western blotting. Results showed that BPTF-KD cells did not have enhanced sensitivity to Doxorubicin through the blockade of autophagy, which suggested a non-protective role in autophagy, while the BPTF-WT cells that had autophagy blocked did show an enhanced sensitization, suggesting a cytoprotective role. Aims were then tested in vivo to determine the role of autophagy in BPTF-KD cells in vivo. BPTF-KD and ATG5-KD 4T1 cells were transplanted into mice and tumor volume over time was measured. Syngeneic mouse models showed that the BPTF-KD tumors had significantly smaller tumor volumes than the control when treated with Doxorubicin, and therefore showed sensitization to Doxorubicin. Results for the ATG5 KD mice show tumors growing better in the WT while growing worse in the KD1/ KD2 mice suggesting that autophagy is required for sensitization of BPTF-KD tumors to Doxorubicin in vivo. The third aim of the project was to determine the possible immune-modulatory consequences of treating BPTF KD cells with chemotherapies. Natural Killer (NK) cells were depleted in mice to see if there would be a change in the sensitization to therapies. Results showed that once we depleted NK cells in mice with a mAb-depletion strategy, the sensitization to Doxorubicin was lost. Furthermore, a metabolomics screening was conducted and reductions in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were discovered in the therapy treated BPTF-KD cells. PGE2 is a well know immune suppressive metabolite produced by tumor cells to suppress the anti-tumor immune response. Further results showed PGE2 reductions when autophagy was blocked by ATG5 KD in the BPTF-KD cells. This result could explain the improvements in tumor growth within the mice since PGE2 is a known NK cell inhibitor. Together, these results suggest that NURF could be a therapeutic target for enhancing clinical outcomes in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1328/thumbnail.jp

High reward enhances perceptual learning.

Studies of perceptual learning have revealed a great deal of plasticity in adult humans. In this study, we systematically investigated the effects and mechanisms of several forms (trial-by-trial, block, and session rewards) and levels (no, low, high, subliminal) of monetary reward on the rate, magnitude, and generalizability of perceptual learning. We found that high monetary reward can greatly promote the rate and boost the magnitude of learning and enhance performance in untrained spatial frequencies and eye without changing interocular, interlocation, and interdirection transfer indices. High reward per se made unique contributions to the enhanced learning through improved internal noise reduction. Furthermore, the effects of high reward on perceptual learning occurred in a range of perceptual tasks. The results may have major implications for the understanding of the nature of the learning rule in perceptual learning and for the use of reward to enhance perceptual learning in practical applications

Nurturing talent through curriculum integration

In this paper I discuss the benefits of curriculum integration for gifted and talented students in the regular classroom setting. Although this approach to curriculum delivery enhances learning for all learners, the focus of this article is the gifted and talented student. In this paper I begin by describing the approach and the teacher's role in the process. I then explore how curriculum integration differentiates learning, enhances cultural inclusiveness and crosses traditional subject boundaries. Examples of integrated units are woven throughout this paper to illustrate how this approach can be implemented in practice

Technology that enhances without inhibiting learning

Technology supported information sharing could be argued to both enhance and inhibit learning. However, social and affective issues that motivate learners' technology interactions are often overlooked. Are learners avoiding valuable learning applications because of privacy fears and trust issues? Will inaccurate technology assumptions and awareness inhibit information sharing? Do learners need control over technology enhanced safe creative spaces or can they be motivated to overcome badly designed systems because sharing is 'valuable' or 'fun'. This presentation details a model of privacy and trust issues that can be used to enhance elearning. Several OU case-studies of multimedia, mobile and elearning applications (conducted within IET, KMI and the Open CETL) are evaluated using this model. The model helps to identify trade-offs that learners make for technology enhanced or inhibited learning. Theories of control, identity, information sensitivity and re-use are discussed within the context of these elearning examples

A Daple-Akt feed-forward loop enhances noncanonical Wnt signals by compartmentalizing β-catenin.

Cellular proliferation is antagonistically regulated by canonical and noncanonical Wnt signals; their dysbalance triggers cancers. We previously showed that a multimodular signal transducer, Daple, enhances PI3-K→Akt signals within the noncanonical Wnt signaling pathway and antagonistically inhibits canonical Wnt responses. Here we demonstrate that the PI3-K→Akt pathway serves as a positive feedback loop that further enhances noncanonical Wnt signals by compartmentalizing β-catenin. By phosphorylating the phosphoinositide- (PI) binding domain of Daple, Akt abolishes Daple's ability to bind PI3-P-enriched endosomes that engage dynein motor complex for long-distance trafficking of β-catenin/E-cadherin complexes to pericentriolar recycling endosomes (PCREs). Phosphorylation compartmentalizes Daple/β-catenin/E-cadherin complexes to cell-cell contact sites, enhances noncanonical Wnt signals, and thereby suppresses colony growth. Dephosphorylation compartmentalizes β-catenin on PCREs, a specialized compartment for prolonged unopposed canonical Wnt signaling, and enhances colony growth. Cancer-associated Daple mutants that are insensitive to Akt mimic a constitutively dephosphorylated state. This work not only identifies Daple as a platform for cross-talk between Akt and the noncanonical Wnt pathway but also reveals the impact of such cross-talk on tumor cell phenotypes that are critical for cancer initiation and progression

INTRODUCING JAVANESE WEBLOGS ENHANCES PARTICIPATION TOWARDS JAVANESE DISCOURSE

Weblogs have powerful effects on the society, millions of people read blogs daily. English is the main language used, but indigenous languages including Javanese are also used to blog. Javanese blogs need to be introduced especially to young generations to maintain the existence of this old language as they tend not to use it in school and at home. The method used in this study is descriptive, the data are mainly taken from internet. By visiting the suggested blogs, readers will realize that Javanese still exists and needs to be maintained by participating themselves in any of these Javanese blogs