Browsing BIO Theses by Title
Now showing items 49-68 of 98
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Indirect, plant mediated interactions of meristem miners on flower head feeders, a case for non-independence?
(Wichita State University, 2010-05)A long standing, dominant paradigm in the biological control of weeds is the independence of insect herbivore guilds' effects on their host plant. Recent work has shown stronger interactions among insect herbivore guilds ... -
Insights into the introduction and distribution of invasive Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) through whole chloroplast sequencing
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) is a vine native to the open forests of eastern Asia that has become an invasive species in the United States. Herbarium records suggest Florida or North Carolina are the initial ... -
Invasive success of Lespedeza cuneata: allelopathy and competition
(Wichita State University, 2011-12)Lespedeza cuneata is an Asian legume introduced to the U.S. in the 1930s as erosion control and forage, but it can also have strong negative effects on native species and in some cases form dense monocultures. One proposed ... -
Investigating the genetic variations among Medicago truncatula ecotypes in response to pathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina
(Wichita State University, 2012-07)Macrophomina phaseolina, an internationally distributed fungal pathogen, causes a disease known as “charcoal rot” (also known as dry-weather wilt and summer wilt) that clogs vascular tissue and produces yellow, wilted ... -
Mechanism of ovarian disruption by neonatal DES exposure: A further investigation into ovarian function in the hamster cheek pouch
(Wichita State University, 2007-07)Treatment of hamsters on the day of birth with the synthetic estrogen and prototypical endocrine disruptor, diethylstilbestrol (DES), induces severe anomalies throughout the female reproductive tract. The disruption ... -
Migration and bioscaffold interaction of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human neural stem cells for neural regeneration
(Wichita State University, 2019-07)Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are extremely debilitating conditions without an effective treatment. Several treatment plans are suggested that focus on replacement stem cells, implantable bioscaffolds, or a combination of ... -
Migration of dental pulp stem cells-derived chondrogenic cells in collagen hydrogels
(Wichita State University, 2017-12)The rapidly progressing field of regenerative medicine draws attention to various sources of adult stem cells that can be differentiated into many cellular lineages and tissues. Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are ... -
Molecular and phenetic characterization of the bacterial assemblage of Basque Lake, BC, an environment with high concentrations of magnesium sulphate, and its relevance to mars
(Wichita State University, 2017-05)Halotolerant bacteria favor environments containing high concentrations of salts. While there are a multitude of hypersaline environments containing various salts on Earth, those heavily dominated with sodium chloride ... -
Molecular interactions between the pathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina and its plant host Medicago truncatula
(Wichita State University, 2010-08)Macrophomina phaseolina is a necrotrophic soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes a disease commonly known as charcoal rot. This fungus has the potential to infect over 500 different plant species worldwide including many ... -
Navigating nuance in native bee responses to grassland restoration management: A multi-ecoregional approach in the Great Plains
(Wichita State University, 2019-12)Habitat fragmentation due to agricultural intensification leads to losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pollination. Wild bee declines pose a serious threat to pollination stability and are expected to ... -
Paracotalpa ursina species complex revealed: the true biodiversity of the California bear scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
(Wichita State University, 2014-05)The complex geology of southern California is an important mechanism that drives lineage isolation and promotes high levels of inter- and intraspecific variation. This, in combination with anthropogenic habitat fragmentation, ... -
Peripheral nerve-derived adult pluripotent stem (NEDAPS) cells for induction to osteoblast as a cell therapy in segmental bone defect fractures
(Wichita State University, 2020-12)The segmental defect fractures in bone can result from various types of causes such as primary injury, fracture, developmental deformities, after the debridement of bone in osteomyelitis, or resection of bone tumor. These ... -
Phylogenetic analysis of the scarab beetle tribe Cyclocephalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) based on adult morphological characters
(Wichita State University, 2011-07)The scarab beetle tribe Cyclocephalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) includes 15 genera and approximately 500 species that are distributed primarily in the New World. Species in the group are important pollinators ... -
Plant community changes on restored grasslands across a largescale environmental gradient
(Wichita State University, 2019-12)Identifying the factors that structure communities across an environmental gradient is a commonly studied and often debated topic in plant community ecology. Despite substantial attention, a consensus has not been reached ... -
Plant spatial structure is more dependent on endogenous processes than soil heterogeneity in an assembling community
(Wichita State University, 2017-05)Within communities, organisms potentially self-organize through endogenous processes that create non-random spatial structure as they interact with one another or modify the abiotic environment. In contrast, exogenous ... -
Plant-soil feedbacks in a grassland ecosystem: Effects of plant functional groups and soil fertility
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) occur when plants alter soil conditions, subsequently affecting plant success. This process may play a key role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Many PSF experiments have ... -
Population demographics of an invasive weed: responses to soil fertility and cattle management
(Wichita State University, 2018-07)Sericea (Lespedeza cuneata) is an invasive, perennial legume that suppresses native plant species and threatens native grasslands in the Great Plains. Although much is known about L. cuneata, population demographics ... -
Possible relationship between vocal communication system and fat reserve in wintering birds: a test of the optimal body mass theory
(Wichita State University, 2017-12)Fat reserve is a key adaptation in wintering small birds for maximizing individual fitness in a variable environment. Optimal body mass models suggest that winter fat reserve maximizes winter survival by balancing costs, ... -
Proteomic assessment of human ovarian cancer cell lines xenotransplanted into the hamster cheek pouch
(Wichita State University, 2014-07)Ovarian cancer, commonly arises from the surface epithelium, remains the fifth common cause of cancer death in women and the most lethal of gynecological cancers. One reason for such lethality is that the disease is seldom ... -
Proteomic assessment of pharynx (FADU) and tongue (CAL27) cell lines of head and neck squamous cell cancer
(Wichita State University, 2019-12)Head and neck cancer are the sixth most common cancer worldwide and its diagnostic rate is approximately 630,000 new patients a year with more than 350,000 deaths every year. The majority (approximately 90%) of head and ...