Theses/Dissertations - Biology
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Multi-modal delivery of microRNA-203 to suppress migration and stemness in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines via repression of distinct target profiles.
(2021-04-28)Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial embryonic program and an important mechanism for cancer cells to facilitate cellular dissociation from the primary tumor and entry into the blood circulation to drive ... -
Using community metabolism to define the riverine, transition, and lacustrine zones of a reservoir, Lake Waco, Texas
(2001)Community metabolism of the pelagic region of Lake Waco was measured in different areas in order to define the riverine, transition, and lacustrine zones with a biological indicator. Community metabolism was measured ... -
Constructing a nectar delivery system for mosquito control using Impatiens walleriana.
(2020-11-18)Mosquitoes are vectors of numerous human pathogens. These pathogens are spread when female mosquitoes blood feed to lay eggs. Since males do not feed on blood and females mostly need blood to produce eggs, both consume ... -
Are aquatic food webs vulnerable to copper and gold engineered nanoparticles?
(2020-11-04)Freshwater ecosystems are exposed to engineered nanoparticles through municipal and industrial wastewater-effluent discharges and agricultural non-point source runoff. These same anthropogenic waste streams which contain ... -
Nutrient gradients, and physical stream characteristics control benthic periphyton enzyme production in freshwater ecosystems.
(2020-10-28)One of the largest concerns to freshwater ecosystems worldwide is nutrient enrichment. Benthic periphyton are generally nutrient limited with regards to their ability to reproduce and accrue biomass in streams prior to ... -
The extracellular matrix of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans : a model to study the role of cell-matrix interaction in animal development.
(2020-07-08)This study is to address the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in animal development. During development, cells have to gain positional or environmental information either from other cells or their environment. The ECM ... -
Hemicentin’s role in phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic tail of beta integrin in Caenorhabditis elegans.
(2019-11-11)The soil nematode C. elegans is an important model organism that has been widely studied and has yielded many important discoveries in biology. Our lab studies integrins in C. elegans. Integrins are a heterodimeric ... -
Nutrient enrichment modulates the structure and temporal assembly of riverine benthic algal and macroinvertebrate assemblage.
(2019-05-29)Nutrient enrichment has become one of the most widespread anthropogenic forces impacting freshwater biodiversity worldwide. Stream communities are frequently limited by nutrient availability, and enrichment over natural ... -
Effect of oncomodulin on cytoskeletal actin dynamics.
(2019-07-22)Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) contribute to the fine sensitivity of the mammalian auditory system by serving as a feedback mechanism in response to sound. Regulation of filamentous and globular actin may contribute to ... -
Phenotypic plasticity : temporal, spatial, and behavioral effects on wing morphology of damselflies in Central Texas.
(2018-11-15)In winged animals, flight morphology must be adapted for optimum behavioral efficiency. Behaviors such as foraging, predator avoidance, and mating are stongly influenced by wing morphology and influenced by environmental ... -
Interactions between titanium dioxide nanoparticle exposure and grazing organisms on periphyton biomass and community composition.
(2018-10-12)Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) are important contaminants of emerging concern, due to their ubiquity and use in such a broad range of consumer products. Freshwater ecosystems represent the most important aquatic ... -
From landscapes to streams : the pattern and function of labile dissolved organic carbon.
(2018-07-16)Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a broadly important component of stream water chemistry, yet the patterns and the roles of the labile fraction of the DOC pool remain understudied at appropriate scales. I used a whole ... -
Genomic anlysis of stenogmay mating behavior in the Culex pipiens complex.
(2018-07-25)The Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes are major vectors for several arboviruses including West Nile virus in the United States. Within Cx. pipiens complex there are three biotypes that differ mainly in eco-physiological and ... -
Microbial community gene and environmental relationships in phosphorus biogeochemical cycling within streams.
(2018-03-05)Microbial communities of Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi are known to play integral roles in phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycles. P is a vital ecosystem nutrient due to its utilization in many of the biological molecules and ... -
Niche and neutral factors affecting bird community assembly at multiple spatial scales.
(2017-11-29)Neutral theory suggests communities are assembled based on demographic stochasticity and dispersal distance, while niche theory suggests that communities are assembled based on habitat requirements and interspecific ... -
The growth patterns of woody vegetation in Central Texas woodlands in response to industrial atmospheric carbon dioxide.
(2017-05-12)Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change. Climate change influences plants within ecosystems; however, plant growth may mitigate climate change consequences. In southern and central Texas, recent ... -
Lycophyte Huperzia lucidula morphological, physiological, and modeling response to paleozoic environmental conditions.
(2017-03-27)An extant lycophyte, Huperzia lucidula, was studied to determine its response to higher atmospheric pressure and oxygen. This study answers two central questions: Do extant lycopsids respond to the atmospheric conditions ... -
Investigating ecological tolerances of submerged aquatic vegetation in two spring-fed Central Texas rivers for the purpose of informing ecological restoration.
(2017-04-18)Efforts to restore native aquatic vegetation in two ecologically unique spring-fed streams in Central Texas have elucidated the need to characterize conditions under which these restored communities might persist under ... -
Understanding key factors influencing habitat quality for the endangered fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola) in the Comal River.
(2017-03-22)The research in this thesis was divided into 3 main studies that took place in Landa Lake: water column, sediment, and plant nutrient analyses, an herbivory and soil fertility experiment, and a spatial study of diel dissolved ... -
Establishing the foundation of Impatiens walleriana as a nectar model system.
(2016-11-28)Rapid proliferation of mosquito‐vectored viruses require affordable and effective methods are necessary in poor, urbanized tropical regions. Designing a plant‐based drug‐delivery system would provide this technology. ...
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