In the first chapter we analyze profits and efficiency implications of a relation between an upstream duopoly and downstream monopoly in Hotelling linear city model. While exclusive contracts maximize the monopolist's profit, at the same time socially they are inefficient. Linear prices, while more efficient, usually also do not achieve...
Polarized epithelial cells are divided by tight junctions into an apical membrane domain, which faces the lumen of an organ, and a basolateral domain, which is in contact with underlying connective tissues. To establish and maintain polarity, newly synthesized and recycling transmembrane proteins are sorted to either the apical or...
Chagas heart disease, caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is still regarded as a major public health problem in Central and South America. The finding of cardiac specific autoimmunity during infection in both humans and experimental animals has provided a basis for investigation of its potential role...
Phagocytosis is an essential mechanism for clearance of pathogens, dying cells, and other unwanted debris in order to maintain tissue health in the body. Macrophages execute this process in the peripheral immune system, but in the brain microglia act as resident macrophages to accomplish this function. In the peripheral immune...
The Witten Laplacian corresponding to a Morse function on the circle is studied using methods of complex WKB and resurgent analysis. It is shown that under certain assumptions the low-lying eigenvalues of the Witten Laplacian are resurgent.
Cells are regulated by a combination of soluble stimuli and adhesive interactions with other cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). We are developing systems to present ECM and cytokine receptor ligands in a defined manner for applications in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) culture. We hypothesize that the controlled,...
In this thesis we study protein folding with external force. In Part I we simulate the folding or unfolding procedure based on the two-state model. For constant-velocity experiments, the simulation results fit the experimental results. For constant-force experiments, we introduce cooperativity between domains to explain the different behavior between single...
The growing worldwide threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has necessitated a constant search for new classes of antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are integral components of innate immunity in virtually every living organism, and, due to their proven efficacy over millions of years of evolution, are considered promising leads for new antibiotic...
This dissertation contains three essays that investigate various factors affecting firms' choice of quality in the context of nursing homes.
The first essay examines how strategic interactions with competitors affect quality levels selected by nursing homes. I explore nursing homes' responses to minimum nurse staffing standards imposed in two large...
In this work, electron beam induced current (EBIC) and scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) were used to quantitatively investigate the electronic properties of silicon nanowire devices. For the first time, it was shown that minority carrier diffusion lengths in phosphorous-doped silicon nanowires are significantly reduced from their bulk values because of...