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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Development And Implementation Of A Coarse-Grained Markov State Model, Brian Chen
Development And Implementation Of A Coarse-Grained Markov State Model, Brian Chen
Theses and Dissertations
Markov State Models (MSMs) are constructed from Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation data, high-resolution spatial and temporal information stored in the form of trajectories, of biological processes, such as ligand-receptor bonding, as a model to understand detailed kinetic information. Traditional MSM implementations involve a clustering step that clusters the MD trajectories into thousands of experimentally unverifiable clusters known as "microstates" before lumping them together into "macrostates". This work details a novel software implementation, using a combination of R, Python, and Tcl, that I have created for the purpose of creating a coarse-grained MSM that directly clusters the MD trajectories into a …
Ndrg1 And Myelin-Related Disease: Alcoholism And Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy, Guy Harris
Ndrg1 And Myelin-Related Disease: Alcoholism And Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy, Guy Harris
Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disease with profound health, social, and economic consequences. With an estimated 50% heritability, identifying genes that engender risk and contribute to the underlying neurobiological mechanisms represents an important first step in developing effective treatments. Gene expression studies are an important source of candidate genes for studying AUD, providing windows into the molecular machinery engaged by the brain in response to ethanol. Our laboratory has implicated N-myc down-regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) as a potential candidate gene that modulates ethanol-induced changes in myelin-related gene expression and acute sensitivity to ethanol. Analysis of …
Interspecific Gene Flow Potentiates Adaptive Evolution In A Hybrid Zone Formed Between Pinus Strobiformis And Pinus Flexilis, Mitra Menon
Theses and Dissertations
Species range margins are often characterised by high degrees of habitat fragmentation resulting in low genetic diversity and higher gene flow from populations at the core of the species range. Interspecific gene flow from a closely related species with abutting range margins can increase standing genetic diversity and generate novel allelic combinations thereby alleviating limits to adaptive evolution in range margin populations. Hybridization driven interspecific gene flow has played a key role in the demographic history of several conifer due to their life history characteristics such as weak crossability barriers and long generation times. Nevertheless, demonstrating whether introgression is adaptive …