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Acquisition and Development of the Infant Oral Bacteriome and Virome
No full textHealth Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research
Forum)Objective: The human microbiome is a collection of all the microscopic organisms such as bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses that reside on or within the human being. This microbiome is comprised of many sub-microbiomes such as the skin, gut, vaginal, and oral. Each of these microbiomes is a complex and dynamic system that is affected by environmental disturbances such as antibiotic use, smoking, and systemic disease. Despite the significant body of research within the human microbiome project, knowledge gaps remain for acquisition and early development of the oral microbiome. Based on previous findings, at least 45% of adult oral microbiome is established within the first two years of life. We hypothesized that maternal habits play a critical role in shaping the infant oral microbiome. Methods: Buccal swabs were collected from 37 women (healthy, natal antibiotic user, and smokers) and their infants over a 15-month period at five time points: third trimester of pregnancy, 4-6 weeks, 4 months, 8 months, and 1 year after birth. DNA was isolated and underwent whole genome shotgun sequencing. Multiple bioinformatic tools were used to analyze the sequencing data: FragGeneScan, DIAMOND, and MEGAN were used to read, translate, and determine gene identity and function as indicated in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD), and the Virulence Factor Database (VFDB). Virsorter2, DeepVirFinder, and Vibrant identified viral content. SourceTracker determined the contribution of the maternal biome to the babybiome. Results: SourceTracker revealed that the mother is the source of, on average, 83-92% of the bacteriome and 97% of the functional potential. This transmissibility was neither affected by the mother’s health status nor gestational experiences. Of bacteria that were transmitted 20-76% persisted in the infants over the first year of life. Some are known to be important contributors to periodontal disease such as Prevotella and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Children born to mothers given antibiotics during delivery had bacteria that demonstrated high levels of antibiotic resistance genes. On average, 87% of the antibiotic resistance genes transmitted persisted over a year. Similarly, children born to mothers with a history of smoking demonstrated bacteria with more virulence genes consistent with the bacteria found in smokers and, on average, 81% of these transmitted virulence genes persisted over 1 year. Lastly, maternal intra-gestational exposure was a bigger driver of the both the taxa and functional content of the babybiome than age of the child or the change in the child’s dentition across the CARD and VFDB databases (p-value = 0.041 for taxa, p-value = 0.047, 0.05 for CARD and VFDB respectively). The KEGG database did not show significant differences (p-value = 0.109). When looking at the virome, however, maternal exposures did not affect the alpha (Shannon index, p-value=0.8) and beta diversity (Aitchison index, p-value=0.7). Each infant shared a widely variable amount of the virome their cognate mothers (18-73% if mothers had been treated with antibiotics, 28-90% if the mother was healthy and 11-50% if the mother smoked). Conclusion: The baby bacteriome is derived from the maternal biome and infants exhibit a stable colonization of the oral bacteriome over 12 months, persisting through the eruption of primary teeth. Because habits and systemic influences, such as smoking, antibiotic use, and disease can create dysbiotic microbiomes, children of mothers in a state of dysbiosis may be predisposed for harm later in life. The infant oral virome, however, is only partially derived from the maternal biome. Furthermore, the virome is more heavily impacted by the age of the infant rather than maternal exposures. Further work is needed to determine which viruses comprise the majority of the virome as well as the interactions between the virome and microbiome.A three-year embargo was granted for this item
Guilt and Shame's Interaction with Existential Dread and Hope in Kendrick Lamar's Music
No full textLooking at the relationship that guilt and shame have with the complexities of existential dread and hope while using Kendrick Lamar's music as a case study and provoking example of religious practices. Lamar's Christian theology is littered throughout his music. It provides a much less orthodox look into religious practice and theology by engaging with these things while wrapped up in "sinful" behaviors and a mix of guilt and shame. His music is a great example to study how one's guilt and shame interact with their religion and how specifically it changes and morphs one's view of the afterlife which creates existential dread or hope. Along with an extensive study of Lamar's albums, I also make a case for why scholars in the fields of religious studies and Christian theology need to be engaged with these less orthodox instances of religion specifically with rap music.No embargoAcademic Major: Religious Studie
Postmodernism and Aesthetic Pluralism: Representation and Resistance in Multiverse Films
Get PDFEach narrative has a way of constructing its own fictional world or universe, but in recent years it has been nearly impossible to walk into a movie theater without entering the multiverse, an infinite array of fictional universes. Popular films in the Western world are expanding the boundaries of fiction by creating multiverse frameworks in which many cultural interactions are possible. Here, I conduct a discursive analysis of both singular and world-building multiverse narratives like A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Marvel’s Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and Sony and Marvel’s Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) to investigate their work of representation and resistance. Specifically, these films play with otherizing and demonstrate a theoretical understanding of why cultures are different from one another. Using relativism and pluralism on screen, they elaborate on representation or meaning-making. These films are also portrayed using a postmodern characteristic which I call aesthetic pluralism: a narrative tactic in which film borrows from the concepts and aesthetics of short-form media. Through their conceptual and stylistic elements, multiverse films embody postmodern pluralism, refusing any binary of high and low culture. As such, even despite the commercial interests of popular culture which may tokenize diversity and adhere to the conventional frame of film, these popular films are at once translating cultural processes and intentional in their mode of storytelling. They not merely another ‘opium of the people; pop culture audiences are not unmoving. Rather, multiverse films are impressive forms of postmodern expression which do the work of semiotic resistance, allowing audiences to theorize and critically engage with the ways that others make meaning.No embargoAcademic Major: Comparative Studie
The Missing Link - Design considerations for a 3D - printed pylon adapter in lower limb prostheses
Get PDFIn the United States, an estimated 1.9 million individuals live with limb-loss, yet fewer than half of them receive prescriptions for prosthetic devices. This number is projected to double by 2050, indicating a proportional increase in amputees without access to prescribed prostheses. Countries lacking established prosthetists face even greater challenges in providing accessible medical devices and care. To address this critical issue, there is a need to develop an affordable and functional substitute for traditional prostheses that caters to individuals across various socioeconomic statuses. As Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing technology has increased in accessibility and affordability, it has the potential to solve this issue and has been present in external research on 3-Dimensional (3D) printed prostheses. As such, this research aims to fill a gap in current studies on additive manufactured prosthetic devices by creating a 3D printed pylon for lower-limb prostheses. Using SolidWorks, I designed and simulated 3D models for FDM printed prosthetic pylons. These models underwent simulated compressive, torque, and bending tests, following ISO 10328 standards on testing lower limb prostheses. These simulations incorporated representative material properties for common FDM filaments such as polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide 11 (PA11), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), allowing for a comprehensive analysis of different material choices. Data analysis revealed that the model designed after a traditional pylon consistently exhibited lower stress and strain compared to pylon models with varying cross-sections. ABS, with its favorable performance, accessibility, physical properties, and cost, was selected for printing. The cylindrical model was then printed in multiple replicants using Kodak white 2.85mm ABS filament on an Ultimaker 2+ FDM printer. These replicants will undergo compression testing following ISO 10328 standards, with the results contributing to this report. Successful completion of this research sets the stage for further work, aggregating results from this and similar studies to develop a fully functional below-knee prosthesis. Researchers can then conduct tests to confirm its ability to replace standard devices, providing a fully functional, accessible, and low-cost prosthesis option for patients lacking access to adequate medical care or coverage.No embargoAcademic Major: Mechanical Engineerin
Extreme Mass-Ratio Inspiral Resonance Hunting
Get PDFExtreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are systems with a compact object orbiting a much more massive body. They show up frequently in the literature of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy due to many theorists predicting that the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to hear stellar-mass compact objects falling into the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the centers of most large galaxies. This scenario is of interest both as a new probe of galactic nuclei and as a precision test of general relativity. This work focuses on the effects of an external perturbation on an EMRI system in the galactic center due to a third body. This perturbation will affect the orbit most significantly when the inner body crosses a resonance with the outer body, which results in a subsequent phase shift of the waveform that builds up over time. Resonances will cause measurable changes in the GW received by LISA. This thesis presents a general method for calculating the effects of a resonance on the orbits of the inner body. This is done by demonstrating that the orbital changes are related to the GWs emitted by the two bodies at the frequency corresponding to the resonance. This allows presented here allow for the reduction of a three-body system into a two-body system, with the third body being replaced by a gravitational wave perturbation, allowing us to sidestep using intense GR calculations. These methods will generate a more realistic waveform model, and provide a more accurate comparison for future detected signals. This work will be used in future investigations of third-body effects on EMRIs and their potential impact on GWs detected by LISA.No embargoAcademic Major: Astronomy and AstrophysicsAcademic Major: Physic
The Equitable Impacts of Coaching Reports on Pre-PharmD Students Self-Directed Learning and Pharmaceutical Science Exam Performance
No full textHuman Experience (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)Title: Equitable Impacts of Metacognitive Coaching Reports on Undergraduate Students Self-Directed Learning and Pharmaceutical Science Exam Performance
Introduction/Background: Disparities persist in STEM retention rates across various demographic factors. The incidence of dropping a STEM major is higher in Black and Latine students. First generation students report not having the same exposure to time management and metacognition-driven study skills as continuous generation students, leading to disparities in examination performance and overall success in college.
Methods: Investigators captured exam performance and exit survey data from Bachelors of Science of Pharmaceutical Science (BSPS) students enrolled in a pharmaceutical sciences course from AU19-SP23. AU19-SP20 served as historic controls with 3 mid-stakes, non-cumulative exams. From AU20-SP21, investigators implemented 3 scaffolded semi-cumulative exams with metacognitive coaching reports providing individual content and Bloom's Taxonomy scores. The final iteration then implemented 6 scaffolded low-stakes semi-cumulative exams with metacognitive coaching reports with incorrect question rationales added. Self-reported student demographic data was provided along with learning strategies used after the first module exam.
Results: Exam performance scores indicated modest to dramatic improvement in all content areas following the AU21 iteration including metacognitive coaching and low stake exam coaching reports. Pharmaceutics content saw the most dramatic improvement, with >15% increase in correct answers. Student performance improved on categories of Bloom’s Taxonomy, with “Remember” and “Apply” driven questions seeing a 5-10% increase in correct answers. Metacognitive coaching revealed study strategies like randomized, repeat practice and study groups demonstrated increased studying efficiency with higher incidence of students reporting earning a satisfactory grade with satisfactory time management.
Conclusions: Individualized coaching reports that include both content and Bloom's categories combined with a scaffolded semi-cumulative exam design equitably improves student learning across multiple demographics. Findings suggest that providing coaching reports on 3 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy along with a single metacognition lecture helps students identify limitations to their current learning strategies along with guidance to optimize learning and that scaffolding exams to low stakes at the start (7%) and mid stakes (27%) at the end promotes growth mindset when assessments are more weighed toward final learning. Students benefited from assessing a topic 4-6 times throughout a semester, which provides repeat practice in addition to providing opportunity for students to respond to formative feedback.No embargoAcademic Major: Pharmaceutical Science
Ohl 97, no. 21 – Columbarium plaque for Decimus Marcius Neo, a freedman, and Marcia Chreste, a freedwoman, set up by themselves, mid-1st century–mid-2nd century CE
No full textSqueezes and photograph
CIL 6.35214 (l.) and 6.34256 (r.) – Two epitaphs on the same stone for A. Fabricius Prothymus (6.35214) and his wife, Aelia Epigone (6.34256), 1st-2nd century CE
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Measuring Seasonal Differences in Transcripts Associated with Host-Seeking in Mosquitoes
Get PDFFemale Northern house mosquitoes, Culex pipiens, seek vertebrate hosts so that they can consume their blood, and in the process may transmit pathogens. Female Cx. pipiens enter diapause, a state of arrested development, during the winter months where they accumulate fat by feeding exclusively on nectar and remain dormant until the following spring. Therefore, although non-diapausing and post-diapausing female mosquitoes feed on blood, diapausing mosquitoes do not search for hosts. Recent research has shown that in other species of mosquitoes, certain odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and odorant receptors (ORs) are upregulated and allow females to seek a host. However, we do not know which OBPs and ORs regulate host-seeking in Cx. pipiens. The goal of this experiment was to determine the impact of certain OBPs and ORs on the host-seeking behavior of mosquitoes. OBPs and ORs that regulate host seeking and were more abundantly expressed in other species of female mosquitoes relative to male mosquitoes were selected as targets of interest. I identified their homologous sequences in the genome of the Southern house mosquito, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and designed, tested, and validated primers that could accurately measure the abundance of target OBPs and ORs using Quantitative Real-Time (qRT-PCR). Mosquitoes were reared in short-day, diapausing-inducing and long-day, non-diapausing conditions. RNA was isolated from the antennae and mouthparts of female mosquitoes and then synthesized into cDNA, and qRT-PCR was used to measure the abundance of the OBPs and ORs in diapausing and non-diapausing female mosquitoes. Although the target OBPs and ORs were detected in female mosquitoes, there was no differential expression of the selected OBPs and ORs in non-diapausing and diapausing female Cx. pipiens mosquito. Therefore, additional research is needed to determine whether the selected OBP and OR are involved in host-seeking behavior in Cx. pipiens.Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship ProgramUndergraduate Research ScholarshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Neuroscienc
A2d1 as a novel molecular mediator regulating mature oligodendrocyte cell density
No full textMyelination, the process by which glial cells produce layers of myelin sheaths that wrap around neuronal axons and act as a layer of insulation for the transmission of action potentials, is essential for central nervous system (CNS) function. In the CNS, myelin sheaths are exclusively formed by oligodendrocytes, which are differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). OPCs express abundant voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), and these VGCCs are known to play a role in regulating myelination. Alpha2delta1 (A2d1) subunits, the auxiliary subunits of VGCCs, increase the membrane expression of VGCCs and subsequent Ca2+ current density. The goal of this study is to investigate how A2d1 subunits expressed in adult OPCs regulate the proliferation and differentiation of OPCs and the subsequent myelination. To knock out Cacna2d1, the gene encoding A2d1, in OPCs specifically, we crossed a tamoxifen-inducible PDGFRα-CreERT2 mouse line with Cacna2d1fl/fl mice to generate a double transgenic PDGFRα: Cacna2d1fl/fl line. In addition, we crossed the PDGFRα-CreERT2 with the TdTomato reporter mice (Ai9) to generate the control double transgenic PDGFRα:TdTomato line. Cacna2d1 was deleted in adult OPCs by administering tamoxifen in 8-week-old PDGFRα: Cacna2d1fl/fl mice (Cacna2d1KO group). We did not observe any alteration in the OPC proliferation rate via the BrdU incorporation assay. Interestingly, we saw an increase in mature oligodendrocyte density in Cacna2d1KO mice when compared to control mice. These results suggest that deleting A2d1 subunits in adult OPCs enhances oligodendrogenesis.A three-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Biomedical Engineerin