Browsing BIO Theses by Issue Date
Now showing items 21-40 of 87
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Application of a global screening method to probe the role of epigenetics in an experimental model of DES-induced, estrogen-dependent uterine cancer
(Wichita State University, 2011-07)Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen, was widely administered to pregnant women between 1947 and 1971 on account of a misconception that it could prevent miscarriages. Due to the wide use of this estrogen-mimicking ... -
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 ... -
Disentangling the phenotypic variation and pollination biology of the Cyclocephala Sexpunctata species complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)
(Wichita State University, 2011-07)Researching cryptic biodiversity is an integrative process that uses a “total evidence” approach to identify population-level evolutionary lineages (species). Cryptic species of aroids have been discovered but the existence ... -
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 ... -
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, ... -
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 ... -
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 ... -
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 ... -
Characterization of the bacterial community on the feathers of wild dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)
(Wichita State University, 2013-05)Wild birds rely on plumage for protection, reproductive display, and flight. Alterations to feather structure or color by symbiotic microbes may reduce survival and reproductive fitness. Feathers are waxy oligotrophic ... -
Comparative demography and behavioral comparison of the blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila cerulea) and the cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea)
(Wichita State University, 2013-05)The Neotropical-migratory Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is one of North America's strongest declining songbirds. Alterations of breeding ground habitat are a potential primary cause of decline, versus wintering and ... -
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 ... -
Dark grown chlorella kessleri fed corn, sorghum and lignocellulosic hydrosylates for algal biodiesel production
(Wichita State University, 2013-07)Biodiesel production by microalgae is typically driven by photosynthetic light harvesting. Production in open ponds is hampered by high water requirements and contamination. Photobioreactor are highly engineered systems ... -
Effects of nitrate on tissue level biomarkers in post-metamorphic xenopus laevis
(Wichita State University, 2013-12)Amphibian populations have been declining globally since the 1980's. Threats putting the populations at risk include global warming, habitat or land-use changes (including increased nitrogen application), emerging infectious ... -
Analysis of oligosaccharyltransferase isoform function in human follicle stimulating hormone via siRNA knockdown
(Wichita State University, 2013-12)Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a glycoprotein hormone with two subunits, alpha and beta, and is required for gamete development. FSH is now known to exist as a ratio of two glycoforms that varies during the menstrual ... -
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 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 ... -
Evaluation of the effects of collagen-induced arthritis and metal hypersensitivity on osteolysis and the inflammatory response to wear debris in the murine air pouch
(Wichita State University, 2014-05)The re-introduction of metal-on-metal joint replacements and their subsequent poor performance has increased interest in the biological response to metallic debris, particularly metal hypersensitivity and its relationship ... -
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, ... -
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 ... -
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 ...