ETD -- Doctoral Dissertations
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For information about submitting electronic theses and dissertations, please see the ETD information page.
Recent Submissions
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QUASINORM REGRESSION FOR LOCALIZATION ESTIMATION
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-11-29)This dissertation is about improving security through signal-agnostic localization of uncooperative RF sources in an indoor environment. The work focuses on utilizing classical signal processing measurements through ... -
The writing, reading and chromatin signatures of histone H3K23 on mammalian chromatin
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-28)The DNA of eukaryotes is wrapped around histone proteins to form the nucleosome, the fundamental repeating unit of chromatin. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone proteins can act to regulate chromatin ... -
Using Nanopore Sequencing to Interrogate the Genome and Epigenome
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-17)This work involves using native RNA nanopore sequencing to directly characterize the transcriptome of a human cell line, GM12878. We demonstrated several new methods, and findings, including newly discovered isoforms, ... -
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LATENT RESERVOIR IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV-1 AND NON-HUMAN PRIMATES INFECTED WITH SIMIAN-HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (SHIV)
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-07)Present-day combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) is highly effective in blocking Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) replication and can prevent HIV-1-infected individuals from progressing to acquired immunodeficiency ... -
PLK4 DRIVES CENTRIOLE AMPLIFICATION AND APICAL SURFACE AREA EXPANSION IN MULTICILIATED CELLS
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-05)Multiciliated cells (MCCs) are terminally differentiated epithelia that assemble multiple motile cilia used to promote fluid flow. To template these cilia, MCCs dramatically expand their centriole content during a process ... -
MYOSIN II ASSEMBLY REGULATION THROUGH THE MYOSIN PHOSPHATASE TARGETING SUBUNIT 1 DETERMINES CORTICAL MECHANICS FUNCTION ACCORDING TO MYOSIN ASSEMBLY AND MECHANORESPONSE POTENTIAL IN PANCREATIC CANCER CELLS
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-03)Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers as the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths with a 5-year survival rate of 10.8%. A critical need is to develop new PDAC-specific ... -
Role of ERK Signaling Dynamics During Oncogenesis
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-10-03)Cells sense and respond to their environment using signaling pathways. The ERK pathway responds to growth factors to influence migration, gene expression, and proliferation. Because of these roles, the ERK pathway is ... -
Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Techniques for Surgical Guidance Inside and Around the Spine
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-28)Technological advances in image-guidance have made a significant impact in surgical standards, allowing for safer and less invasive procedures. Ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging are promising options for surgical guidance ... -
ENGINEERING BIOMIMETIC TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENTS WITH CONTROLLABLE STROMAL TOPOGRAPHY FOR STUDYING CANCER CELL DISSEMINATION
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-27)Metastasis resulting from unrestrained dissemination of cancer cells is the primary cause of cancer death. Disseminated cancer cells, especially multicellular clusters, are distinct from their main tumor in various respects ... -
LIQUID BIOPSY APPROACHES FOR CANCER DETECTION
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-27)Cell-free DNA (cfDNA), acquired through non-invasive liquid biopsies, provides a new opportunity for cancer detection and monitoring of therapeutic response. To evaluate the utility of cfDNA for cancer detection and ... -
The effects of HIV-1 infection, viral particle production, and proviral integration site on CD4+ T cell proliferation
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-16)The latent reservoir of HIV is the major barrier to cure. Stimulation of latently-infected T cells results in the nuclear translocation of key transcription factors that are required for both cellular activation and ... -
EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR SINGLE-CELL LINEAGE TRACING OF THE RETINA
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-14)The retina is the layer of cells lining the back of the eye that is responsible for the detection of light and transduction of visual stimuli to the brain. During retinal development, seven classes of cells differentiate ... -
Stuck Knowledge: Medicine and Immobility in Portuguese Goa, 1510-1759
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-15)This dissertation investigates the medical knowledge, labor, social networks, and bureaucratic systems that remained “stuck” in early modern Portuguese Goa. These culturally-embedded forms of everyday healing were critical ... -
Telomere Profiling Provides a High Resolution Method To Probe Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-22)Telomeres are the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and protect chromosomal ends from DNA damage and end-replication loss. Short telomeres activate DNA damage signaling and result in cell senescence or apoptosis. Telomerase ... -
Germ granule dynamics and roles in germ cell fate specification in C. elegans embryos
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-14)Germ granules are conserved assemblies of RNA and proteins that are unique to the germline. In this work, we have studied two distinct germ granule types in the C. elegans germ plasm. First, we used P granules to investigate ... -
FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AUDITORY CORTEX OF THE COMMON MARMOSET INVESTIGATED BY OPTICAL IMAGING METHODS
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-14)The auditory cortex of non-human primates is composed of three hierarchies: core, belt and parabelt. While previous studies have extensively investigated the core region of the auditory cortex with tonal stimuli, how the ... -
DISSECTING TRANSCRIPTIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORIES WITH SINGLE-CELL RESOLUTION IN C. ELEGANS
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-14)One of the most intriguing questions in developmental biology is how cells acquire their specific cell identities during embryonic development. With the significant development of methods in molecular biology during the ... -
Nanopore sequencing for infectious disease applications
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-07)While next generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled massively parallel DNA sequencing for lower and lower cost, the development of third generation nanopore sequencing offers several key advantages over older sequencing ... -
Contrast enhanced MRI for the measurement of dynamic signal changes in the CSF and cerebral lymphatic vessels
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-08)Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation is critical for waste clearance from the brain parenchyma. Dysfunction of the system has been linked to abnormal protein deposition in patients with Alzheimer’s (Aβ, tau) and Parkinson’s ... -
FUNCTIONS OF RNA BINDING PROTEINS WITHIN THE MECHANORESPONSIVE NETWORK
(Johns Hopkins UniversityUSA, 2022-09-01)Cell shape regulation is important for many biological processes. Some cell shape regulating proteins harbor mechanoresponsive properties that enable them to sense and respond to mechanical cues, allowing for cell adaptation. ...