MS, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

To date, little to no scientific literature exists on the role of the gut microbiota on athletic performance. This scarcity of research and application may be preventing athletes from achieving peak physical potential. With more research, dietitians may be capable of educating the athletic population toward improving gut health and toward alleviating gastrointestinal detriments via targeted nutritional treatments. This, in turn, may allow improvement in sport performance by addressing gut microbiota imbalance symptoms. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and severity of gut microbiota imbalance symptomology in male and female NCAA Division I, collegiate athletes at a large Midwestern university. The participants were male and female college athletes at Kent State University who were ≥18 years old. An electronic survey was distributed which included demographical, foundational health and training, and gastrointestinal/gut microbiota related components and questions. Current study found 100.0% (n=18) of participants experienced one or more gut microbiota imbalance symptoms, with 75.0% (n=3) of males experiencing nine to 13 symptoms and 71.4% (n=10) of females experiencing nine to 13 symptoms. Present study also found that a wide range in severity of gut microbiota imbalance symptoms exists, with 12 of the 13 associated symptoms showing varied levels of moderate or severe impairments to sport performance. These findings suggest that gut microbiota imbalance symptoms are highly prevalent within the collegiate athlete population, that there exists a wide range in severity of associated symptoms, and that varying degrees of impairment to sport performance exists from such symptoms.

Committee: Amy Miracle (Advisor); Jamie Matthews (Committee Member); Natalie Caine-Bish (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Health Care; Health Sciences; Nutrition

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Biological Sciences

Globally abused phenethylamine drugs can cause “phenethylamine-induced-hyperthermia” (PIH), a serious health concern associated to sequela of complications including rhabdomyolysis, coagulopathy, kidney failure and death. In general, PIH is known to occur via activation of host sympathetic nervous system (SNS) leading to increased release of norepinephrine (NE) post phenethylamine exposure. NE then acts as signal to activate pathways which generate heat in various thermogenic tissues or prevent heat loss through vasoconstriction. Besides NE, recent research from our laboratory pointed towards potential involvement of gut bacteria in PIH, shown by altered PIH following gut microbial modulations such as via antibiotic treatment or fecal microbial transplantation (FMT). Here, we aimed to investigate the functional role of gut microbiome and bile acids as signal in PIH. We applied targeted LC-MS/MS, first time to our knowledge, to quantify serum concentrations of three important bacteria metabolized/associated bile acid species (BAs): cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) prior to and post (hyperthermic dose of) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (a phenethylamine) treatment. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided either sterile or antibiotic-water for five days prior to MDMA (20 mg/kg, sc)/saline administration. On day six BAs and body temperatures were measured at 0 minute before and 30 minutes and 60 minutes post MDMA/Saline challenge. We found all three focal BAs in serum to deplete significantly in MDMA treated rats compared to saline group at 60-minute, exactly the same time point when peak rise in core body temperature occurred, indicating contribution of these three BAs in PIH. While prior antibiotic cocktail (vancomycin, bacitracin and neomycin) treated groups had greatly reduced serum level of all three BAs and reversal of hyperthermia after MDMA. We also inferred metagenomic functions applying PICRUSt2 on 16S rRNA ge (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Ward Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Benjamin Ward Ph.D. (Other); Raymond Larsen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Vipaporn Phuntumart Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jon Sprague Ph. D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Microbiology

Cockroaches as a model system allow us to explore a self-contained microbial community of incredible complexity, with the gut alone housing numerous members of the Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea, often in close symbiotic association with one another. This diversity provides us with the opportunity to examine a plethora of microbe/microbe and microbe/host interactions, with recent work in this area reviewed here. The ease of rearing the cockroach and its great resilience allows us to look at the cockroach as a blank slate, in the absence of gut microbiota, and set a baseline for growth through the establishment of germ-free insects. Assembling an aseptic isolation habitat of low cost and complexity is shown to aid in the maintenance of germ-free insects and allows for the selective reintroduction of gut bacterial isolates to the cockroach. The germ-free cockroach provides the potential to systematically examine interactions between the cockroach and the diversity of life that can be isolated from within the gut of the insect. In this work the germ-free cockroach is inoculated with gut microbiota through coprophagy and compared to wild-type cockroaches to examine the degree to which this behavior serves to provision the gut with symbiotic taxa, and examine the extent of bacterial stimulation of growth and development in wild-type compared to germ-free insects. A brief inoculation by coprophagy appears to endow cockroaches with a subset of the wild-type microbial community that is sufficient to induce growth phenotypes of the hindgut that are significantly different from, but intermediate to germ-free and wildtype cockroaches. Histological sectioning along the gut further refines the site of microbial stimulation of host gut development to the posterior midgut and anterior hindgut. Finally, several closely related and strongly host-associated cockroach gut Bacteroides are examined in relation to common mammalian gut Bacteroides, to examine to what (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Zakee Sabree PhD (Advisor); Kelly Wrighton PhD (Committee Member); Virginia Rich PhD (Committee Member); Adams Rachelle PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Evolution and Development; Microbiology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Microbiology

Human-associated microbiomes refer to the diverse communities of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, microbial eukaryotes, and viruses that reside in various niches within a human host, such as the gut, skin, mouth, and respiratory tract. These microbiomes play crucial roles in the host's health, influencing processes like digestion, immune function, physiological development, and protection against pathogens. The composition of these microbial communities is influenced by factors such as genetics, diet, environment, and lifestyle. Disruptions in the balance of these microbiomes, known as dysbiosis, have been linked to a range of health issues, including infections, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders. Understanding host-associated microbiomes is critical for developing targeted therapies and interventions to maintain or restore health. Most studies have focused on bacteria due to their dominance in the human host and available tools for investigation. Accumulating evidence suggests microbial eukaryotes in the microbiome play pivotal roles in host health, but our understandings of these interactions is limited to a few readily identifiable taxa because of technical limitations in microbial eukaryote exploration. In the chapter 2, we combined cell sorting, optimized eukaryotic cell lysis, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to accelerate discovery and analysis of host-associated microbial eukaryotes. Using synthetic communities with a 1% microbial eukaryote representation, the eukaryote optimized cell lysis and DNA recovery method alone yielded a 38-fold increase in eukaryotic DNA. Automated sorting of eukaryotic cells from stool samples of healthy adults increased the number of microbial eukaryote reads in metagenomic pools by up to 28-fold compared to commercial kits. Read frequencies for identified fungi increased by 10,000x on average compared to the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) and allowed for the identification of novel taxa, de novo assemb (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Virginia Rich (Advisor); Karen Dannemiller (Committee Member); Vanessa Hale (Committee Member); Matt Anderson (Committee Member) Subjects: Microbiology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Microbiology

Signal transduction is an essential part of how bacteria sense and respond to their internal and external environments. Signal transduction is mediated by three different types of systems: one-component systems, two-component systems, and chemosensory systems. Each system receives an input through a sensory domain resulting in the creation of a signal that leads to a cellular response. Extracytoplasmic sensory domains are important for how bacteria sense their external environment. Two major families of extracytoplasmic domains are the Cache Superfamily and the Four Helical Bundle Superfamily. We are interested in studying signal transduction is the human gut microbiome. The human gut is extremely diverse and varies between individuals making it difficult to study. Human gut commensals are widely unexplored because many of the organisms in the microbiota cannot be cultured. Here, we begin to explore signal transduction pathways that are found in common bacterial commensals found in the human gut microbiota. We identify thousands of extracellular sensory domains, and we characterize binding motifs for several dCache_1, sCache_2, and Cache _ 3-Cache _ 2 domains. By better understanding extracellular sensory domains in these organisms, we can learn more about what molecules in the gut contribute to commensal proliferation. Interestingly, in the gut commensal Akkermansia muciniphila, the only Verrucomicrobiota member commonly found in the gut, we have found only one histidine kinase that potentially contains a putative extracytoplasmic sensory domain. Structural modeling suggests that this hypothetical domain resembles a dCache domain. This domain should be further investigated to determine its functionality.

Committee: Igor Jouline (Advisor); Jesse Kwiek (Committee Member); Patrick Bradley (Committee Member); Irina Artsimovitch (Committee Member) Subjects: Microbiology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Microbiology

The human gut microbiome is the collection of the microbiota that reside in the human intestinal tract. Imbalances in the gut microbiome are associated with multiple diseases, so studying this is important for preventing and treating these conditions. These imbalances can have multiple causes, such as changes in core temperature. Previous work has indicated that the gut microbiome could play a role in mitigating negative effects of temperature on epithelial tissues, which could have profound effects on human health. Research into the human gut is normally performed by way of animal models, or by using a synthetic model involving the use of human cells on transwells. The goal of this study was to collect preliminary data to determine if gene expression in gut epithelial cells is influenced by the presence of a fecal sample at hypoxic, hyperthermic conditions. An experiment was performed on 36 gut-on-a-chips over the course of 48 hours at three different temperature levels: 30°C, 37°C, and 42°C. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) was performed to determine gene expression in the human epithelial cells when comparing the introduction of a fecal sample to the chip in low-oxygen conditions at 42°C. Most genes in the host cells were upregulated when exposed to the fecal sample, with the majority being involved in immune system responses, as well as cell growth and differentiation, host metabolism, and enzymatic activity, which is consistent with what would be expected when the gut bacteria are present. The gut-on-a-chip can be used to study temperature effects on the human epithelial cells, as well as test ways to counteract any negative effects that come with this shift. Future studies can elucidate the role that the gut microbiome may play in the response of the human body to changes in core temperature.

Committee: Karen Dannemiller (Committee Chair); Joshua Hagen (Committee Member); Justin North (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Molecular Medicine

The gut microbiome constitutes billions of microorganisms consisting of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archea which colonize the gastrointestinal tract. These microbes have a profound impact on host physiology due to their ability to modulate immune responses, metabolize dietary compounds, and produce metabolites which can enter circulation. As a result, the microbiome can influence the pathogenesis of various diseases, including alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). ALD remains one of the most prevalent liver diseases worldwide, contributing to increases in mortality through its ability to affect multiple organs in the host. Recently, much attention has been brought to the role of alcohol-induced disruptions to the microbiome, and the subsequent modulations which either prevent or promote the progression of this disease. However, the vast mechanisms by which the microbiome can influence disease means that much is still left unanswered in regard to this axis. In this dissertation, our objective was to further elucidate mechanisms by which ALD-associated disruptions to the microbiome influence the course of disease. To do so, we employ clinical data from patients with ALD along with novel methodologies of targeting microbial metabolites for the elucidation of microbiome-related mechanisms in mice exposed to ethanol. In Chapter 2, we use mass-spectrometry to profile changes in circulating microbial metabolites in patients with ALD. We find that meta-organismal metabolites are decreased in patients with severe ALD and the exploration of bulk RNA-seq datasets unveil that this is potentially a result of dysregulated hepatic phase II metabolism in patients with ALD. In Chapter 3, we use synthetic bacterial communities to test the effects of the deletion of a bacterial tryptophanase gene. Here, we identify bacterial species susceptible to ethanol as well as a mechanism by which bacterial tryptophanase expression protects against ethanol administration through the promotio (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Brown (Advisor); Laura Nagy (Advisor); Daniela Allende (Committee Member); Philip Ahern (Committee Member); Christine McDonald (Committee Chair) Subjects: Biomedical Research; Immunology; Microbiology; Molecular Biology

MS, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) are prevalent in both freshwater and marine environments and are notorious for producing cyanotoxins and forming dense, visible blooms. Specifically, MCs, which are primarily synthesized by Microcystis, Anabaena, and Planktothrix, stand out as cyclic peptides characterized by a unique amino acid, ADDA, that is pivotal for their toxic effects. Despite robust monitoring and mitigation strategies, incidents related to surging MC concentrations occur frequently. Moreover, conventional water treatment facilities might fall short of completely eliminating MCs, potentially leaving traces in drinking water distributed globally. This poses specific public health risks, making the ramifications of cyanotoxin exposure a subject of ongoing research and heightened public health alertness. Gut microbiome, a diverse community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, is a crucial component of human health. With trillions of bacteria contributing to these processes, it is involved in vital processes like digestion, immunological control, and nutrition synthesis. However, this intricate system could be disturbed, leading to several health issues, especially if disturbed by the exposure to MC-LR exposure. Guided by this idea, the primary aim of this thesis was to dissect the potential dynamics of gut microbiome alterations in mice during MC-LR exposure through drinking water. This thesis aimed to understand the relationship between consumption or exposure to MC-contaminated water and changes in the gut microbiome. The first part of this study focused on short-term (weeks) exposure to low MC concentrations. Here, we hypothesized that even brief MC exposure would cause significant alterations in the gut microbiome community and its structure. However, our short-term study found no significant changes in gut microbiome diversity or community structure after MC-LR exposure. There were changes in the microbial taxa but (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Xiaozhen Mou Dr. (Advisor); Sangeet Lamichhaney Dr. (Committee Member); Wilson Chung Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Microbiology

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2020, English

Flora: A Cookbook is a hybrid creative writing project that functions as both a cookbook and a memoir of the author's diagnosis with Crohn's disease, a chronic, inflammatory bowel condition. The project';s 18 recipes are entirely dairy-free in order to match the author's restricted diet. They are connected to stories, which tell of the author';s upbringing, his personal health, his love of food, his Jewish identity, and, more generally, the history of Crohn's disease in the United States. Themes explored in Flora include the visible and invisible body, self-actualization, cultural inheritance, and romantic anxiety.

Committee: Daisy Hernandez (Committee Chair); TaraShea Nesbit (Committee Member); Joseph Bates (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Microbiology

The diversity and function of the human microbiome have been extensively studied over the last 10 years. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays an essential role in a wide range of human diseases, including acute, traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Previous work has characterized gut dysbiosis in SCI, correlating changes to clinical outcomes or other biomarkers. However, the study of the gut virome in health and disease remain largely unknown, because viruses lack universal marker genes for taxonomic assignment. This work represents the first time the gut virome has been characterized in SCI and provides the first look at potential functional changes in the gut microbiome in SCI at the level of gene loss. As with our previous work, we present a unique multi-level SCI model, allowing us to compare partially preserved sympathetic enteric enervation (T10) with a total loss of sympathetic enteric enervation (T4). Our results reveal level-specific patterns of gut dysbiosis, which may inform microbe-based predictions of severity and locomotor outcome in SCI. Further, this research is the first time that the viral and functional components of the gut microbiome have been characterized in SCI areas, which represent possible therapeutic targets for improving outcomes in SCI.

Committee: Matthew Sullivan (Advisor); Phillip Popovich (Committee Member); Virginia Rich (Committee Member) Subjects: Microbiology

Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Biology

The “mycobiome" refers to the composition of both bacterial and fungal communities in the human gut microbiome and has been the focus of disease-state correlations investigated by researchers and pursued with commercial interests by biotech startups. A microbiome startup currently sells direct-to-consumer at-home microbiome sequencing kits and probiotics that aim to balance the gut biofilm that contributes to the dysbiosis-associated conditions. This company has expressed an interest in developing new business strategies to leverage their intellectual and technical strengths. This thesis is composed of two parts: The first section is a scientific and technical investigation of the micro- and myco-biome, sequencing techniques and strategies (16S, ITS, WGS, and Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing) that play a role in the characterization and identification of fungal and bacterial colonies in the gut. These strategies aim to overcome challenges in characterizing and quantifying microbiota composition. Next, this sequencing data can form a robust database of patient data that plays a role in disease identification, and this thesis identifies some of the bioinformatic analyses to achieve this goal. The section concludes with how insights derived from patient data can be used in the optimization of cohort design in clinical trials for various diseases. The second section investigates three different business models that a microbiome startup has expressed interest in exploring for future development: (1) medical foods; (2) a therapeutic pipeline; and (3) a data-licensing and discovery platform for drug development. A detailed analysis of the market dynamics, competitive landscape, regulatory issues, and other nascent concerns was performed for each potential vertical as a foundation to develop future business strategy of a microbiome-related startup. The thesis is concluded on a holistic analysis of the scientific and technical assets and business opportunities and str (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Cullis (Committee Member); Emmitt Jolly (Committee Member); Neema Mayhugh (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Entrepreneurship

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Type 1 Diabetes is a disease that has exhibited increasing incidence rates worldwide and is not effectively predicted by genetic factors. While many of the genetic components of T1D development are well studied, the multifactorial nature of the disease has made attempts to predict development problematic. Recently, the increasing sophistication of omics fields, such as metabolomics and metagenomics, has allowed for effective examination of the relationship between bacterial population and metabolites to T1D development. First, this dissertation describes the development of a new ranked confidence schema for metabolite reporting in NMR metabolomics studies. The ranking scheme, entitled RANCM, is also described and utilized. Also detailed are a series of studies examining the NOD mouse model, which is considered a standard animal model for studying T1D development due to numerous similarities to the human disease and involves fecal metagenomic analysis performed alongside metabolomic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies. Several cohorts of NOD mice were prepared alongside NOR control animals and fecal extracts demonstrated significant alterations in the bacterial populations as well as bacterial metabolites which were observed in fecal samples between animals that developed the T1D at differing ages and controls. Additional comparisons showed significant alterations between fecal extracts due to aging and between different categories of NOD mice based on disease onset which was found to be distinct from other observed metabolic shifts. These data supported the conclusion that the NOD mouse demonstrates a characteristic series of bacterial alterations alongside shifts in the bacterial metabolic profile based on age and disease onset. A parallel immunohistochemical (IHC) study details the relationship between the expression of a zonulin analog protein in the intestines of NOD mice, showing significant increases in expression during T1D development when compared with (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Kennedy PhD (Advisor); Danielson Neil PhD (Committee Chair); Crowder Michael PhD (Committee Member); Page Richard PhD (Committee Member); Robinson Michael PhD (Other) Subjects: Biochemistry; Biology; Chemistry

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2018, Animal Sciences

Necrotic enteritis (NE) and coccidiosis are two of the most economically devastating diseases currently challenging the global poultry industry. Both diseases are known to result in performance losses within flocks that manifest as decreased body weight (BW), decreased feed intake, mild to severe enteric damage, and worsened feed conversion ratio. With the restrictions placed on subtherapeutic antibiotic usage, there is an urgent need for the development of new methods of controlling these pervasive diseases, and recombinant vaccine technologies may provide an ideal strategy. Eimeria infection is a major predisposing factor for NE, but the primary etiologic agent of disease is Clostridium perfringens (CP), a pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria that possesses an arsenal of toxins and glycoside hydrolases (GH) that are key virulence factors in the onset of NE. Importantly, the GH of CP are used to break down mucin in the host gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as an energy source. Two separate experiments were completed that proposed ideal NE vaccine candidates sourced from conserved peptide sequences of carbohydrate binding module 32 (CBM32) in specific GH (mucinases) in vitro, and later evaluated the efficacy of the selected antigenic peptides in vivo when included in an antibody-guided vaccine complex (AGC). In experiment 3.1, a total of 37 antigens were sequenced and evaluated based on ability to obstruct the growth of CP in vitro. Total CFU of CP were measured at 4h, 6h, and 8h to determine growth rate in the presence of anti-mucinase hyper-immune serum. Peptides 4, 5, 22, 24, and 30 were selected for further in vivo testing based on conservation or the ability to inhibit CP growth by over 50% at the 6 and 8 hour time points. In experiment 3.2 broilers were given an Eimeria maxima (EM) and CP induced NE challenge to evaluate the protective capabilities of CD40-targetting AGCs containing the agonistic 2C5 antibody and selected peptides from Exp. 3.1. Treatment groups cons (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Bielke (Advisor); Billy Hargis (Committee Member); Michael Cressman (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Biological Sciences

The gut microbiome is known to be home to 105 to 106 micro-organisms which are known to be phylogenetically diverse. There is growing evidence that the composition of the gut microbiota plays a large role in the health and well-being of its host. Changes gut microbial populations are associated with the pathogenesis of variety of metabolic, malignant, and inflammatory diseases. Evidence suggests the existence of a `gut-brain axis' as the involving interactions between gut microbiome and the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known about the involvement of this axis in modulating gut microbial populations in response to drugs of abuse. The present study investigates the effect of 3,4 methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the gut microbiome of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Treatment with MDMA resulted in a rapid compositional shift of the cultivatable bacterial population in the rat cecum. Specifically, the cecal contents of normal MDMA-treated rats yielded a large number of swarming bacteria when cultured on nutrient agar at dilutions suitable for colony counting, whereas organisms with a swarming phenotype were not present at levels detectible in similarly diluted cecal contents from animals that did not receive MDMA. When plated on media containing bile salts, swarming was inhibited, allowing recovery of pure isolates. These isolates were found to be gram-negative rods and non-lactose fermenting rods. Bioinformatic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene from these isolates confirmed then to be members of the genus Proteus.

Committee: Vipaporn Phuntumart Dr. (Advisor); Raymond Anthony Larsen Dr. (Committee Member); Jon Eric Sprague Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Microbiology; Molecular Biology

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical-Bioanalytical Chemistry, Cleveland State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences

Phenolic acids are microbial products of non-absorbed fibers that are fermented by bacteria using indigestible components that reach the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It has been shown that phenolic acid compounds significantly impact the human body, particularly their microbial metabolism and their ability to influence several aspects of gut homeostasis. For this reason, more attention should be placed on investigating these metabolites. Multiple factors may influence the biosynthesis of phenolic acids, including age, medications, and several environmental factors, but the production of gut metabolites is primarily affected by diet. In this research we aim to enhance the knowledge on the synergistic relationship between gut microbes, diets, and the biosynthesis of phenolic acids. Chapter I summarizes our current understanding of phenolic acid in the GI tract, fermentative pathways, etiology, and beneficial impacts of phenolic acids. In chapter II we aim to construct an in vitro fermentation model to find efficient ways to increase the generation of phenolic acids in the gut using different combinations of probiotics, prebiotics, and other factors, including fats, sugars, and amino acids. Chapter III discusses the development and complete validation of a high-throughput, fast, and reliable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method to quantify phenolic acids (ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid) in biological samples. In conclusion, there are many studies that support the benefits of prebiotics on our health, but further investigations are needed to understand the interactions between prebiotics and the gut microbiota as they alter the biosynthesis of phenolic acids, which may be vital in enhancing health benefits, including reduced levels of oxidative stress, reduction of inflammation, enhancement of gut microbiota composition, improvement of metabolic health, and contribution to the prevention of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascula (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Baochuan Guo (Advisor); Christopher Boyd (Committee Member); David Anderson (Committee Member); Aimin Zhou (Committee Member); Tobili Y Sam-Yellowe (Committee Member) Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Chemistry

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

The objective of this dissertation was to examine the burden and influence of food insecurity (FI) on disease condition among patients presenting with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms suggestive of Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGB) and GI motility disorders. This project aimed to reduce the critical gap in understanding the relationship between FI and GI disease, as well as gain insight on unmet health-related social needs (HRSN) in the GI patient population. This work aligns with growing national policy efforts towards establishing robust Social Care systems as an approach to advancing health equity and the reducing national burden of disease. Chapter 1 reviews FI as a multifaceted and persistent social problem that is highly sensitive to the experience of other HRSN. It also explains the mechanisms through which FI influences health outcomes. The specific aims for this work were to (1) Describe the burden of FI and its relation to often co-occurring HRSN and GI symptom burden among patients presenting at a GI dysmotility clinic (Chapter 2). and (2) Examine the relationship between FI risk, GI symptom profile, and presence/risk of co-morbid conditions known to be exacerbated by FI and closely linked with development and worsening of GI symptoms including: T1/2 DM and risk of eating disorders (ED) and mental health (MH) conditions (Chapters 3 and 4). Key findings and implications for future research and clinical practice and social care programming are summarized in Chapter 5.

Committee: Jennifer Garner (Advisor); Amy Darragh (Advisor); Kristen Roberts (Committee Member); Subhankar Chakraborty (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Health; Health Care; Health Sciences; Medicine; Mental Health; Nutrition; Public Health; Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2024, Biology

CHAPTER 1: Nutrient excretion by fish supports a variable but significant proportion of lake primary productivity over 15 years. This chapter analyzes the long-term importance of excretion from gizzard shad for primary production in a midwestern reservoir using a supply:demand (S:D) approach and considers environmental and population variables that best predict the S:D ratio. Gizzard shad excretion supported a variable proportion of phytoplankton phosphorus demand, and it supported more demand during the summer than spring. Stream discharge, temperature, and gizzard shad population biomass best predicted S:D during the spring, while the biomass of the young-of-year best predicted S:D in the summer. CHAPTER 2: Combined influence of parasites and temperature on nutrient excretion rates and body stoichiometry of a freshwater fish. The rates of excretion from fish and the ratios of the nutrients excreted are expected to change as aquatic ecosystems warm. An experiment examined the excretion rates from bluegill under three climate scenarios and a range of natural parasite intensity. Carbon and phosphorus excretion increased with temperature but declined with parasite load, and the C and N concentrations in fish bodies declined with parasite load. CHAPTER 3: Ontogenetic changes in the gut microbiomes of Gizzard Shad and Bluegill and their relationship to nutrient excretion. The microbial communities within the guts of animals contribute to their health, but little is known about how these communities change with development and contribute to ecosystem processes. We conducted an exploratory study to learn about the gut microbiome of larval, young-of-year, and adult gizzard shad and bluegill as well as the relationship between microbiomes and excretion. We found that the two fish species had similar microbial communities as larvae, but the communities were different in the adults. The guts of adult gizzard shad contained taxa that are believed to fix nitrogen as well as s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Vanni (Advisor); Melany Fisk (Committee Member); Matthew Saxton (Committee Member); Roxane Maranger (Committee Member); Christopher Myers (Committee Member); María González (Committee Member) Subjects: Biogeochemistry; Biology; Environmental Science; Limnology; Science Education

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Medicine: Development, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) rises from the endoderm and once mature, it consists of multiple organs including esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The small intestine is the main site for nutrient digestion and absorption, which is done by several specialized cells divided in absorptive and secretory cells. The GI tract and specifically the small intestine are patterned by a combination of signaling pathways that establish the early anterior-to-posterior axis by turning on specific transcription factors that drive region-specific gene regulatory networks. These transcription factors along with the gradient of signaling pathways orchestrate the patterning cell fate decisions that give rise to organogenesis and the segmentation of these organs to carry out their functions. The loss of function of one these transcription factors, such as RFX6 and PDX1 can lead to abnormal patterning of the GI tract, resulting in chronic disease. A recent development, has allowed researchers to study organ development using human cells, specifically stem cells, to understand the different stages that are required for organogenesis in iPSC-derived organoids. These organoids can be generated from embryonic stem cells and from patient cells that have gone through induced pluripotency. The goal of this dissertation is to use human induced-Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) to generate intestinal organoids to further understand the mechanisms that control intestinal patterning and investigate cell-specific functions to mimic development in vitro.

Committee: James Wells Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Aaron Zorn Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kelli VanDussen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Chris Mayhew Ph.D M.A B.A. (Committee Member); Brian Gebelein Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Biology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Food Science and Technology

In the human gut, there are trillions of microorganisms shaping complex networks, so-called ‘human gut microbiota'. The members of human gut microbiota are linked to each other by metabolic interactions and the functions encoded in their genome, which is called ‘human gut microbiome'. The gut microbiome interacts with humans, the host, in various paths. For example, their metabolites modulate cellular physiology by being attached to surface receptors or involving in epigenetic modifications. In addition, cellular components of gut microorganisms work as a ligand of pattern recognition receptors, which is important in host immunological modulation. Moreover, those kinds of exposures in a proper time window of the human growth stage are crucial in early life development. Hence, gut microbiome affects human health from one's birth to death. There are multiple factors affecting the human gut microbiome, which can be classified into two, internal (e.g., genetic) and external (e.g., environmental, social, behavioral, cultural) factors. Based on the internal attributes of the host, gut microbiota colonizes and changes via interacting with external factors. Among external factors, delivery mode, breastfeeding, antibiotics treatment, lifestyle, and diet have been studied extensively. Yet, the most important factors affecting gut microbiome has been agreeable to be diet in many studies. As an energy source of gut microbiota, foods, administered into large intestine shapes gut microbial composition. Properties of macronutrients and micronutrients in food, such as digestibility and physicochemical characteristics are important in shaping gut microbiome. However, since many people still do not have such profound knowledge of nutrition, their dietary behavior is determined by social factors, including socioeconomic status, demographical, belief and philosophy, culture, or religion. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was examining how such social and environmental (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jiyoung Lee (Advisor); Vanessa Hale (Committee Member); Ahmed Yousef (Committee Member) Subjects: Food Science

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Art

This collection of short stories and poems, accompanied by a glossary, is an ongoing diary about love, intimacy, domesticity, emotional maturation, and maternal inheritance, and is largely inspired by my Great Aunt Marge—major matriarch of the family, avid gardener, and hoarder. She had no children, but she was a mother. Psychic Garden considers the gut microbiome as one kind of garden and the gut as home to intuition. This writing is in close dialogue with, and perhaps in narration to, a body of work installed at Urban Arts Space from February 13th to March 16th, 2024, as part of The Ohio State University's MFA Thesis Exhibition titled Sun Spell.

Committee: Laura Lisbon (Advisor); Christopher Stackhouse (Committee Member); Dani ReStack (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts