Education Commons^™

Ne Stem 4u Afterschool Intervention Leads To Gains In Stem Content Knowledge For Middle School Youth, Christine E. Cutucache, Taylor Boham, Jamie Luhr, Amie Sommers, Nikolaus Stevenson, Erkko Sointu, Kati Mäkitalo‐Siegl, Sirpa Kärkkäinen, Teemu Valtonen, Neal Grandgenett, William Tapprich

Biology Faculty Publications

Afterschool interventions in STEM are linked to learning gains during the school day. These opportunities engage and excite students about STEM concepts since they observe a more hands-on, project-oriented approach. Often these opportunities for afterschool interventions are infrequent in nature and leave gaps for students in their maturation and understanding. Herein we describe the first report of an afterschool intervention, named NE STEM 4U, targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged middle school youth via a twice weekly, year-long intervention, studied across two years. We assessed the impact of this program on i.) short-term, individual student gains in STEM content knowledge and ii.) delivery …

The Effects Of A 12-Week Jump Rope Exercise Program On Abdominal Adiposity, Vasoactive Substances, Inflammation, And Vascular Function In Adolescent Girls With Prehypertension, Ki-Dong Sung, Elizabeth J. Pekas, Steven D. Scott, Won-Mok Son, Song-Young Park

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction

Childhood obesity is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. It is necessary to combat unfavorable outcomes of obesity at a young age by utilizing effective interventions, such as exercise.

Purpose

We sought to examine the effects of a jump rope exercise program on CVD risk factors, including body composition, vasoactive substances, inflammation, and vascular function in prehypertensive adolescent girls.

Methods

Forty girls (age 14–16) were recruited and randomly assigned to a jump rope exercise group (EX, n = 20) or control group (CON, n = 20). Body composition, nitrate and nitrite levels, endothelin-1 (ET-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), systolic …

Acute High-Intensity Exercise Impairs Skeletal Muscle Respiratory Capacity, Gwenael Layec, Gregory M. Blain, Matthew J. Rossman, Song-Young Park, Corey R. Hart, Joel D. Trinity, Jayson R. Gifford, Simranjit K. Sidhu, Joshua C. Weavil, Thomas J. Hureau, Markus Amann, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose

The effect of an acute bout of exercise, especially high-intensity exercise, on the function of mitochondrial respiratory complexes is not well understood, with potential implications for both the healthy population and patients undergoing exercise-based rehabilitation. Therefore, this study sought to comprehensively examine respiratory flux through the different complexes of the electron transport chain in skeletal muscle mitochondria before and immediately after high-intensity aerobic exercise.

Methods

Muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis were obtained at baseline and immediately after a 5-km time trial performed on a cycle ergometer. Mitochondrial respiratory flux through the complexes of the electron transport chain was …

Vascular Mitochondrial Respiratory Function: The Impact Of Advancing Age, Soung Hun Park, Oh-Sung Kwon, Song-Young Park, Joshua C. Weavil, Robert H. I. Andtbacka, John R. Hyngstrom, Van Reese, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Little is known about vascular mitochondrial respiratory function and the impact of age. Therefore, skeletal muscle feed arteries were harvested from young (33 ± 7 yr, n = 10), middle-aged (54 ± 5 yr, n = 10), and old (70 ± 7 yr, n = 10) subjects, and mitochondrial respiration as well as citrate synthase (CS) activity were assessed. Complex I (CI) and complex I + II (CI+II) state 3 respiration were greater in young (CI: 10.4 ± 0.8 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 12.4 ± 0.8 pmol·s−1·mg−1, P < 0.05) than middle-aged (CI: 7 ± 0.6 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 8.3 ± 0.5 pmol·s−1·mg−1) and old (CI: 7.2 ± 0.4 pmol·s−1·mg−1 and CI+II: 7.6 ± 0.5 pmol·s−1·mg−1) subjects and, as in the case of complex II (CII) state 3 respiration, were inversely correlated with age [r = −0.56 (CI), r = −0.7 (CI+II), and r = 0.4 (CII), …

Taekwondo Training Reduces Blood Catecholamine Levels And Arterial Stiffness In Postmenopausal Women With Stage-2 Hypertension: Randomized Clinical Trial, Sang-Ho Lee, Steven D. Scott, Elizabeth J. Pekas, Seungyong Lee, Seok Hoon Lee, Song-Young Park

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective: Menopause is associated with a progressive impairment of vascular function and muscular strength in women. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine if Taekwondo training could improve blood catecholamine levels, arterial stiffness, blood pressure (BP) and skeletal muscle strength in postmenopausal women with stage-2 hypertension.

Methods: 20 postmenopausal women (70 ± 4 years old) with stage-2 hypertension were randomly assigned to a 1) Taekwondo training (TT; n = 10) or 2) Control (CON; n = 10) group. Taekwondo training was performed for 60 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 12-weeks.

Results: There were significant (P …

The Relationship Between Acute Pain And Dynamic Postural Stability Indices In Individuals With Patellar Tendinopathy, Adam B. Rosen, Jupil Ko, Cathleen N. Brown

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background

Patellar tendinopathy is a common condition resulting in persistent pain, frequently reported during physical activity. The relationship between dynamic postural stability and pain in these individuals is unclear and how it may affect postural stability.

Research Question

Is there a relationship between acute pain and dynamic postural stability indices in individuals with patellar tendinopathy?

Methods

Twenty-two recreationally active individuals with patellar tendinopathy participated. Participants performed a two-legged jump and landed on a single test-limb on a force platform. They completed 100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS) before and after landing trials. Anterior-posterior (APSI), medial-lateral (MLSI), vertical (VSI), and composite …

Functional Performance Deficits In Adolescent Athletes With A History Of Lateral Ankle Sprain(S), Jupil Ko, Adam B. Rosen, Cathleen N. Brown

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective

To determine if adolescent athletes with a history of lateral ankle sprain(s) (LAS) displayed deficits on functional performance tests (FPTs) and if deficits on FPT were related to the number of previous LAS.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Biomechanics Laboratory.

Participants

The injured group (n = 24) had a history of ≥1 moderate-severe LAS. The uninjured group (n = 34) had no history of LAS.

Main outcome measure(s)

The average reach distance of three trials in each direction of the star excursion balance test (SEBT) was normalized to leg length (%). The average of two trials of single-leg-hop test (SLHT) …

Socioeconomic Status And Cigarette Expenditure Among Us Households: Results From 2010 To 2015 Consumer Expenditure Survey, Mohammed Siahpush, Paraskevi A. Farazi, Shannon I. Maloney, Danae Dinkel, Minh N. Nguyen, Gopal K. Singh

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objectives To examine (1) the association between household socioeconomic status (SES) and whether a household spends money on cigarettes and (2) socioeconomic variations in proportion of total household expenditure spent on cigarettes among smoking households.

Methods We pooled data from six consecutive years, 2010–2015, of the Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey. The interviews involved a structured questionnaire about household income, demographics and expenditures including expenditure on cigarettes. Households that reported cigarette expenditure in the previous 3 months were distinguished as smoking households. SES indicators were household poverty status, education and occupation of the head of household. Logistic regression was used to …

Comparison Of Wearable Trackers’ Ability To Estimate Sleep, Jung-Min Lee, Wonwoo Byun, Alyssa Keill, Danae Dinkel, Yaewon Seo

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Tracking physical activity and sleep patterns using wearable trackers has become a current trend. However, little information exists about the comparability of wearable trackers measuring sleep. This study examined the comparability of wearable trackers for estimating sleep measurement with a sleep diary (SD) for three full nights. A convenience sample of 78 adults were recruited in this research with a mean age of 27.6... 11.0 years. Comparisons between wearable trackers and sleep outcomes were analyzed using the mean absolute percentage errors, Pearson correlations, Bland–Altman Plots, and equivalent testing. Trackers that showed the greatest equivalence with the SD for total sleep …

The Effect Of Telehealth Interventions On Quality Of Life Of Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jamie L. Larson, Adam B. Rosen, Fernando A. Wilson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction:In 2016, ∼1.7 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed. Cancer patients can have physical, functional, and psychosocial issues when dealing with cancer treatment. Telehealth has been effectively introduced to help deliver treatment to patients suffering from chronic disease; however, there is little consensus on its effectiveness in administering sociobehavioral cancer treatments. Thus, this study determines the benefits of telehealth-based interventions providing emotional and symptom support in improving quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients.

Methods:Two researchers conducted comprehensive searches on PubMed, SCOPUS, Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC, Psychology and Behavioral Collection, and Medline Complete. Key search terms included telehealth …

Combined Resistance And Aerobic Exercise Training Reduces Insulin Resistance And Central Adiposity In Adolescent Girls Who Are Obese: Randomized Clinical Trial, Leena P. Bharath, William W. Choi, Jae-Min Cho, Alexus A. Skobodzinski, Alexei Wong, Ty E. Sweeney, Song-Young Park

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction

Exercise training is recommended for improving health and protecting against the development of metabolic and cardiovascular pathologies. Combined resistance and aerobic exercise training (CRAE) has been shown to provide unique benefits in older adults with cardiovascular diseases.

Purpose

We sought to determine the beneficial effects of CRAE in adolescent girls who are obese and hyperinsulinemic.

Methods

Forty adolescent girls who are obese (age 14.7 ± 1 years; BMI 30 ± 2) were randomly assigned to a “no exercise” (CON n = 20) or combined exercise group (EX n = 20). The EX group performed resistance and aerobic exercise for …

Altered Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Phenotype In Copd: Disease Vs. Disuse, Jayson R. Gifford, Joel D. Trinity, Oh-Sung Kwon, Gwenael Layec, Ryan S. Garten, Song-Young Park, Ashley D. Nelson, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit an altered skeletal muscle mitochondrial phenotype, which often includes reduced mitochondrial density, altered respiratory function, and elevated oxidative stress. As this phenotype may be explained by the sedentary lifestyle that commonly accompanies this disease, the aim of this study was to determine whether such alterations are still evident when patients with COPD are compared to control subjects matched for objectively measured physical activity (PA; accelerometry). Indexes of mitochondrial density [citrate synthase (CS) activity], respiratory function (respirometry in permeabilized fibers), and muscle oxidative stress [4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) content] were assessed in muscle fibers biopsied …

Genuine Faculty-Mentored Research Experiences For In-Service Science Teachers: Increases In Science Knowledge, Perception, And Confidence Levels, Christine E. Cutucache, Heather D. Leas, Neal F. Grandgenett, Kari L. Nelson, Steven N. Rodie, Robert Duncan Shuster, Chris Schaben, William E. Tapprich

Biology Faculty Publications

The overall purpose of this multifocused study was to explore how participation in genuine mentored scientific research experiences impacts in-service science teachers and the knowledge and skills needed for their own science teaching. The research experiences resulted from a partnership between the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha Public School District. This Teacher- Researcher Partnership Program facilitated opportunities in inquiry, science content, interaction with laboratory instrumentation and technologies, critical discussion of literature, and dissemination of findings for participating in-service science teacher professional development utilizing an inquiry-based theoretical framework wherein we examined science teacher preparation via inquiry-based methods in …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha 2018-2019 Course Catalog, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Undergraduate Catalogs

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness, and community engagement efforts.Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

Improving The Physical Activity And Outdoor Play Environment Of Family Child Care Homes In Nebraska Through Go Nutrition And Physical Activity Self-Assessment For Child Care, Danae Dinkel, Dipti Dev, Yage Guo, Emily Hulse, Zainab Rida, Ami Sedani, Brian Coyle

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment in Child Care (Go NAP SACC) intervention was effective in improving best practices in the areas of infant and child physical activity and outdoor play and learning in family child care homes (FCCHs) in Nebraska. Methods: FCCHs (n = 201) participated in a pre–post evaluation using the Infant and Child Physical Activity and Outdoor Play and Learning assessments from the Go NAP SACC validated measure to assess compliance with best practices. Results: At post, FCCHs demonstrated significant differences in 85% …

A Wellness Approach To Investigating Student Veterans’ Career Goals, Thomas C. Seguin, Abby L. Bjornsen-Ramig, Ashley J. Blount, Danae M. Dinkel

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

A qualitative methodology was utilized to assess the wellness factors student Veterans (N = 10) perceived as influential to their decision to separate from the military and choice of intended career path. Participants included prior enlisted student Veterans pursuing undergraduate degrees at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Interview transcripts were coded according to the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-Wel; Myers & Sweeney, 2004) and analyzed phenomenologically. Participants referenced Control and Self-Worth as motivators for separation from military service; Work and Thinking were the main themes regarding choice of future profession. Additional themes emerged in reference to how Veterans’ priorities changed …

Effectiveness Of Tai Chi On Cardiac Autonomic Function And Symptomatology In Women With Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Alexei Wong, Arturo Figueroa, Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Won-Mok Son, Oksana P. Chernykh, Song-Young Park

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the effects of a 12-week Tai Chi (TC) training regimen on heart rate variability (HRV), symptomatology, muscle fitness and body composition in women with fibromyalgia. Participants were randomly assigned to either a TC training group (n = 18) or a control group (n = 19). HRV, symptomatology, muscle fitness and body composition were measured before and after 12 weeks. There were significant decreases (p < 0.05) in sympathovagal balance (LnLF/LnHF), sympathetic tone (LnLF, nLF), pain, and fatigue, and significant increases (p < 0.05) in parasympathetic tone (LnHF, nHF), strength and flexibility following TC compared with no changes after control. The changes in LnLF and LnLF/LnHF were correlated with changes in pain. There were no significant changes in HR, sleep quality and body composition after TC or control. TC may be an effective therapeutic intervention for improving sympathovagal balance, pain, fatigue, strength and flexibility in women with fibromyalgia.