Browsing BIO Theses by Title
Now showing items 61-80 of 95
-
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 ... -
Reassessment of intra- and extra-ovarian expression of growth differentiation factor-9
(2006-05)Mammalian ovarian organogenesis is characterized temporally by oogonial mitosis, oogonial apoptosis, rescue of germ cells via interaction with somatic cells to form primordial follicles, and entrance into meiosis. Recent ... -
Reducing invasion by targeting vulnerable life stages: effects of fire on survivorship of Lespedeza cuneata
(Wichita State University, 2011-12)There is growing interest in whether invasive species may be controlled by targeting key life stages or by tailoring different management strategies to the specific characteristics of particular life stages. In this study, ... -
Relative experimental effects of exogenous and endogenous heterogeneity on plant community composition during community assembly
(Wichita State University, 2021-05)Species diversity is expected to increase with environmental heterogeneity, and this pattern has been confirmed by numerous observational studies. For plants, this spatial heterogeneity is likely driven by differences in ... -
Response of aquatic microinvertebrates within isolated tallgrass prairie stream pools to experimental drying
(Wichita State University, 2021-07)Intermittent streams experience varying drying and rewetting cycles that influence the organisms that are able utilize these systems. These disturbance regimes are expected to be greatly impacted by climate change and other ... -
Reversing songbird decline: The effect of food supplementation on the overwinter survival of the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)
(Wichita State University, 2014-07)Decline of songbirds is widespread in North America. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are hypothesized to be a primary cause of avian decline. The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), a granivorous, migratory ... -
The role of altered microRNA expression in an experimental model of estrogen-dependent uterine cancer
(Wichita State University, 2009-07)This project screened for altered expression of small RNA species, microRNAs (miRNA), in the hamster uterus following neonatal exposure to the potent synthetic estrogen and established endocrine disruptor diethylstilbestrol ... -
The role of auxin in the compatible interaction between macrophomina phaseolina and its plant host medicago truncatula
(Wichita State University, 2012-05)Macrophomina phaseolina (M. phaseolina) is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes charcoal rot disease in many plant species. This disease causes many problems to the soy industry as no consistently effective control is ... -
Soil community analysis along a salt gradient using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16s rRNA genes
(2006-05)Many studies of hyper saline environments have been performed, mainly on aquatic systems. However, the microbial community in terrestrial thallasohaline environments has not been studied extensively. To our knowledge, this ... -
Study of charcoal rot disease using the model plant Arabidopsis Thaliana
(Wichita State University, 2013-07)Macrophomina phaseolina is a warm climate fungal pathogen of the Botryosphaeriaceae family that causes charcoal rot disease in over 700 plant species including commercially grown plants such as soybean, maize, peanut and ... -
Sucretolerance in oligosaline soils and halotolerant bacteria
(Wichita State University, 2014-12)It is well established that microbial growth is decreased with the reduction of available water in a given environment. The availability of water is referred to as water activity and is expressed in aw values, that provide ... -
Suppression of growth of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Macrophomina Phaseolina through application of Exogenous Sirnas
(Wichita State University, 2019-07)Macrophomina phaseolina, causative agent of the plant disease charcoal rot, impacts over 500 plant species, causing devastating crop failures worldwide. In Kansas, it is the biggest cause of soybean crop loss, and disease ... -
Survival of salinotolerant bacteria in brines relevant to Mars at low temperatures nonpermissive for growth
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)The limits at which life can occur in our world may not be the same in other worlds. A common theme in astrobiology is to search for potential habitable regions beyond Earth, and by developing a better understanding of ... -
Testing the hamster cheek pouch as a potential patient-derived xenograft model system for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)Human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is highly prevalent with approximately 890,000 new diagnosed cases and 450,000 deaths annually. Lack of early detection and high tumor metastasis, recurrence, and drug ... -
The biological interaction of astrocytes and collagen/soy protein based biocompatible matrices for assistance in neural recuperation
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)Astrocytes play significant roles in various cell processes of the central nervous system (CNS), that actively participate in neuronal regulation for functional regeneration and repair of brain or spinal cord injuries. ...