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Advances in Bayesian Modeling of Protein Structure Evolution
(2018)
This thesis contributes to a statistical modeling framework for protein sequence and
structure evolution. An existing Bayesian model for protein structure evolution is
extended in two unique ways. Each of these model extensions ...
The Behavior and Energetics of Ritualized Weapon Use in Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda)
(2018)
Contests are essential parts of an animal’s life history, as they dictate access to
critical resources like mates, food, or territory. Studying how animals efficiently
assess competitive ability to resolve contests is a ...
The Visual Ecology of the Cleaner Shrimp-Client Fish Mutualism
(2018)
Cleaner shrimp are small, brightly-colored tropical crustaceans that attract reef
fish clients to set locations on a reef called cleaning stations and then "clean"
them by removing ectoparasites from their scales, gills, ...
Molecular Mechanisms Governing the Untoward Tumor Growth Promoting Effects of Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators
(2018)
Luminal breast cancer is among the most prevalent diseases in women in the United
States and worldwide. Historically, luminal cancers have been effectively managed
with treatments that alter the availability of estrogens ...
Application of Phylogenetic Analysis in Cancer Evolution
(2018)
Cancer is a major threat to human health and results in 1 in 6 deaths globally. Despite
an extraordinary amount of effort and money spent, eradication or control of advanced
disease has not yet been achieved. Understanding ...
A Role for Gic1 and Gic2 in Promoting Cdc42 Polarization
(2018)
The Rho GTPase Cdc42 is a master regulator of cell polarity that orchestrates reorganization
of the cytoskeleton. During polarity establishment, active GTP-Cdc42 accumulates at
a part of the cell cortex that becomes the ...
Activation and Subversion of MDA5-Dependent Immune Responses by the Engineered Oncolytic Poliovirus PVSRIPO
(2018)
Cancer-specific cytopathogenicity of oncolytic viruses is often defined by viralsensitivity
to innate antiviral immune responses, e.g. type I Interferons (IFNs), limitingcytotoxicity
to cells lacking these responses. However, ...
The Evolution of Adipocytes During Human Origins: An Integrative Genomic, Cellular, and Molecular Approach
(2018)
Until recently, understanding of the evolutionary and molecular basis of many uniquely
human traits has largely been hampered by the limited ability to perform experiments
on, and access to samples from non-human primates. ...
Molecular, Morphological, and Functional Characterization of Pigmented Cells in the Sea Urchin Embryo
(2018)
This dissertation combines live imaging, embryological manipulations and computational
analysis to understand the development of pigmented immunocytes in the sea urchin.
Three areas received special attention: the mechanism ...
Modelling the Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Microbiomes within a Population of Hosts
(2018)
Microbial communities associated with animals and plants (i.e., microbiomes) are implicated
in the day-to-day functioning of their hosts, and there has been an explosion of research
on them. Much of this research has focused ...