Browsing BIO Theses by Title
Now showing items 73-92 of 102
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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. ... -
The effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and sub-lethal nitrate concentrations on Xenopus laevis
(Wichita State University, 2013-12)The pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidus (Bd) is responsible for mass disruption of amphibian species and causes the disease known as chytridiomycosis which disrupts the amphibian skin resulting in high mortality ... -
The impact of electrical signal on brain tumor cell migration and the study of molecular mechanism
(Wichita State University, 2022-05)Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor, often causes poor prognosis, and high mortality rate. The malignancy of glioblastoma is mainly result in high invasiveness behavior of glioma cells. Although surgery is ... -
The influence of soil heterogeneity on plant species richness
(Wichita State University, 2013-12)Environmental heterogeneity is often cited as one of the driving mechanisms behind community species composition and diversity. However, its contribution to species composition in plant communities remains unclear because ... -
The investigation of regulation of glioma cell migration in a three-dimensional model
(Wichita State University, 2017-12)The invasion of glioblastoma is a complex process that involves coordinated interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix. Biomaterial scaffolds now show promise in forming in vitro and in vivo three-dimensional ... -
The link between susceptibility to Macrophomina phaseolina and three phytohormones in Medicago truncatula
(Wichita State University, 2015-07)Macrophomina phaseolina is a major agricultural pest causing the disease charcoal rot in many species of crops. The disease manifests as yellowing (chlorosis) and death (necrosis) of plant tissue by secreting plant toxins ... -
The temporal response of a generalist soil-borne fungal plant pathogen in native grassland communities
(Wichita State University, 2023-07)Soil-borne fungal plant pathogens (SFPP) occupy the soils of ecosystems globally, but the ecology of individual species is often not well understood. One approach to help better understand a SFPP is to examine its temporal ... -
Toxic effects of a combined exposure to nitrate and the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
(Wichita State University, 2011-07)The purpose of this study was to examine the synergistic effects of Bactrachochytrium dendrobatidis (chytrid fungus) and sub-lethal nitrate concentrations on fitness response of the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis. The ...