Life Sciences Commons^™

Determining The Optimal Tension For An Ankle-Foot Assistive Device, Cody Anderson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by atherosclerosis, a buildup of cholesterol and fatty acid deposits, which blocks blood flow to the arms, legs, and feet. Ankle assistive devices have recently been implemented in various clinical population to improve walking ability. Our group has developed an ankle assistive device to improve walking ability in patients with PAD. This study tested our newly developed assistive device with several tension assistance levels and their effect on metabolic cost.

Methodology

Ten healthy subjects were recruited for this study. A spring was attached to the posterior side of the device parallel to the …

Impacts Of Mitoquinol Mesylate Intake On Vascular Function And Cognitive Impairment In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Case Study, Lindie Strickler

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a decline in cognitive function to a greater extent than natural aging. It has been suggested that reduced brain blood flow is strongly associated with reduced cognitive function and neurodegenerative diseases, of which is partially attributed to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Mitoquinol mesylate has been shown to scavenge ROS and improve vascular function in healthy older adults. However, the effects of mitoquinol in MCI patients have not been investigated.

Purpose: to elucidate the impacts of mitoquinol intake on vascular endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation, FMD), arterial stiffness (pulse-wave velocity, PWV), and cognitive function in …

Effects Of Novel Tool Use: Cortical And Functional Measures In Children Using A Prosthetic Simulator, Chris Copeland

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

As of 2005, there were a total of 1.6 million people living with the loss of a limb, with this population projected to double to 3.6 million by 2050 [1]. While prostheses aim to enhance the function of these individuals, it is estimated that 45% of pediatric prosthetic users reject their prosthesis [2]. The literature which describes the neurological control mechanisms of prosthetic use is sparse and often low-powered due to an inadequate number of participants. However, prosthetic simulators may be a solution to chronically low-powered prosthetic-centric studies by serving as functional homologues, though this has yet to be tested. …

Taxonomic Classification Of Diplazium Molokaiense, A Fern Endemic To Hawaii, Using Molecular And Morphological Characters, Sarah Jaksich

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Diplazium molokaiense is an endangered fern species endemic to Hawaii. There are only an estimated 61 individuals left in the wild. Taxonomic classification of this species is an important element to its conservation. Using the following morphological characters: sori size and shape, scale size and shape, and frond shape, D. molokaiense was preliminarily placed into the Diplazium genus. Six regions (rbcL, matK, atpA, atpB, trnLF, and rps4-trnS) of the chloroplast genome were amplified and sequenced using Sanger-sequencing. Sequences for outgroup taxa and 20 Diplazium species were downloaded from GenBank and used to infer a phylogeny. Our data provide …

How The Foot Modulates Its Mechanics During Uphill And Downhill Walking, Jeffrey M. Patterson, Kota Z. Takahashi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The foot's biomechanical role in walking on sloped surfaces is currently unclear. While previous biomechanics studies have examined the hip, knee, and ankle, the foot is oversimplified as a rigid-body segment. This oversimplification overshadows its complex structure and function. In this project, we use an innovative multi-segment foot model to explore how the foot adapts its mechanics to incline and decline walking. Preliminary results have revealed that the foot is capable of adapting its mechanical work profile to both incline and decline walking. Specifically, the foot can increase its positive work output (i.e., increased energy generation) during inclined walking to …

The Intersection Of Neuroscience And Art, Matilde Mendes Pinto

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Interaction of Neuroscience and Art will give you an insight into how they interact with each other by analyzing visual art, musical art and theatrical art.

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sensorimotor Synchronization With Different Forms Of Rhythms, Ryan Meidinger, Vivien Marmelat

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction: Neural activity exhibits non-periodic rhythm [2] but it is unknown if neural activity synchronizes with non-periodic, as it does with periodic rhythms [1]. The purpose of this research is to determine the neural mechanisms present leading to synchronized finger tapping to varying rhythms. Methods: Twenty young healthy adults will be recruited to participate in the present study (see Figure 1 for the protocol). Electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to measure the amplitude (AE) and beats for interbeat intervals (IBIs), and a pressure sensor will be used to measure intertap intervals (ITIs). The AE will be assessed for …

Effect Of Dual-Task Walking On Long-Range Correlations In People With Parkinson's Disease, Shane Meltz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) causes gait to be more variable and more random. Gait variability is related to disease severity, and may be a marker of fall risks. Gait in PD is attention-dependent, meaning a distraction while walking could be detrimental. The effects of dual-task walking on gait variability in PD are unclear (in particular fractal fluctuations). This study will determine if dual-task walking impacts stride-to-stride variability compared to normal walking in people with Parkinson’s Disease. We predict that dual-tasking will lead to more random stride-to-stride variability in people with PD, compared to controls. Also, within the PD group, we predict …

Effects Of Environmental Temperature On Aerobic Training Adaptations, Katherine Marshall

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: Previously we have demonstrated acute effects of endurance exercise in different environmental temperatures. However, training within these temperatures has not been examined. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of exercise training in different environmental temperatures on aerobic capacity, body composition, heart rate, sweat rate, core, and skin temperature. METHODS: Thirty-six recreationally trained males made 18 visits to the lab and performed a 3-week cycling training protocol in either a 7°C, 20°C, or 33°C environment. Aerobic capacity, body composition, heart rate, sweat rate, core, and skin temperature were measured before and after the acclimation period. During …

Effect Of Handrail Use During Stair Climbing In Oa Patients: A Pilot Study, Jenna Ackerman

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction: For the patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, stairs are commonly a difficult task and may be the first thing affect by osteoarthritis.1 This population often employs altered strategies when they approach, ascend, and descend the stairs compared to a healthy population. Within 12 years, 80% of patients develop knee osteoarthritis in the contralateral limb.2 Handrails play an important role by assisting with balance, control, and confidence, but their use needs to be assessed even further to fully understand how handrails impact the contralateral limb in osteoarthritic patients and how they may be integrated optimally into gait rehabilitation.

Purpose: …

Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Response To Exercise And Cold Exposure, Camille Larson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: Aerobic exercise triggers mitochondrial biogenesis, the generation of new mitochondria, by ATP depletion and subsequent activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. This leads to enhanced expression of PGC-1α, a positive regulator of respiration, mitochondrial biogenesis, and adaptive thermogenesis. Previous research from our lab has shown that exercise followed by cold recovery enhances the transcription of genes associated with mitochondrial growth and division, however the recovery period was necessary for this response. Perhaps exercising in a colder external environment would induce a greater thermoregulatory response and gradient between ambient skin and core temperature that may lead to altered mitochondrial …

The Effects Of Swimming Training On Arterial Stiffness, Muscular Strength And Cardiorespiratory Endurance In Postmenopausal Women With Stage 2 Hypertension, Steven Scott

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Objective:

Aging is associated with progressive decreases in arterial health and function as well as overall fitness. It is crucial to prevent or reduce the negative effects of aging on vasculature and fitness components by implementing appropriate lifestyle interventions, such as exercise training. We examined the effects of a swimming (SWM) regimen on arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV), blood pressure (BP), wave reflection (AIx), muscle strength and aerobic capacity in postmenopausal women with stage 2 hypertension.

Methods:

Using a parallel experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to either a SWM (n=52) or non-exercising control group (n=48) for 20 weeks. …

Effect Of Local Cold Application During Exercise On Mitochondrial Gene Expression, Ben Meister

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: Different modes of exercise and temperatures can elicit different responses in mitochondrial gene expression. Stresses including exercise and cold exposure act to trigger the transcription of genes associated with mitochondrial growth (biogenesis). Traditional endurance exercise is known to have a potent effect on mitochondrial growth biogenesis. However, limited knowledge exists on the effect of local cold application during endurance exercise. Additionally, it is currently unknown how cold exposure impacts mitochondrial breakdown (mitophagy). PURPOSE: Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the impact of local muscle cooling during endurance exercise on human skeletal muscle gene expression related to …

Investigating Comt Influence On The Proactive-Reactive Stress Coping Axis In Zebrafish, Sean T. Bresnahan, Ryan Y. Wong

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Individuals of the same species often display differences in correlated suites of behaviors which are made conspicuous when challenges – stressful, fear-inducing, etc. – are presented. In many species, a specific suite of behaviors (risk-aversion, aggression, exploration, learning, and memory) characterize an alternative set of stress coping styles (proactive and reactive). Such behaviors are regulated in the brain by specific neurotransmitters along with proteins that regulate them. One neurotransmitter regulator protein, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) shows higher baseline whole-brain expression in proactive relative to reactive animals. However, it is not known whether its expression is a cause or a consequence of the …

Day To Day And Leg To Leg Variation In Gene Expression, Zohal Alizai

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle biopsies are extensively used in research to determine the effects of exercise. Usually, sequential biopsies are taken before and after exercise in order to determine the influence of exercise on gene expression. Often it is not clear if the results are due to exercise or as a result of damage cause by the biopsy to the muscle. Previous studies have proven that multiple biopsies in the same leg cause stress to the muscle and such stress leads to inflammation and other response pathways that alter the gene expression. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine …

Impacts Of Exercise And Environmental Temperature On Mitochondrial Quantity And Quality, Halee Keller

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Halee Keller, Robert Shute, Dustin Slivka

University of Nebraska at Omaha, School of Health and Kinesiology, Omaha, NE

BACKGROUND: Mitochondria are highly concentrated in skeletal muscle tissue, and undergo damage from ROS during metabolic processes. This damage is often left unrepaired and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been linked to many common diseases. Exercise training increases mitochondrial development within skeletal muscle tissue and thus may be protective. Environmental temperature, when paired with exercise may provide an even greater effect than exercise alone. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of three weeks of exercise …

Influence Of Hip Abductor Fatigue On Acl Loading During Single-Leg Landing, Namwoong Kim

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A musculoskeletal simulation study is necessary to identify the cause-effect relationship between hip abductor weakness and ACL loading during athletic events such as landing and jumping. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of weakness of hip abductors on lower extremity kinematics and ACL loading during single-leg landings. We hypothesized that hip abductor weakness would alter lower extremity joint kinematics. We also hypothesized that hip abductor weakness would increase ACL loading during single-leg landings. This study was a combination of a human experiment and a musculoskeletal modeling simulation. Ten healthy participants performed single-leg landing from a height …

The Time Of Slip Onset During Stance Influences The Characteristics Of The Unconstrained Perturbation, Corbin Rasmussen, Nathaniel Hunt

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Falls pose a significant health hazard, resulting in devastating injuries like broken wrists, fractured hips, and traumatic brain injuries that exceed $50 billion in U.S. medical costs. To address these risks, biomechanists have subjected individuals to simulated slips in order to study the factors that lead to falls. These studies have focused on slips that happen immediately after heel-strike and are unnaturally restricted by the methods used to cause the slip. Therefore, the effects of unconstrained slips that occur throughout stance phase are unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we examined the relationship between the timing of slip onset and …

Life In The Phyllobiome: Functional Adaptations In Novosphingobium Sp. ‘Leaf2’, A Leaf-Borne Alphaproteobacteria, Katherine Sindelar

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Plant-associated microbiomes have emerged as a significant influence on host health and development, driving interest into the functional repertoires of constituent organisms and the mechanisms of host selection on resident microbial populations. Research into plant commensal bacteria have largely focused on rhizospheric milieus - the leaf-surface phyllobiome presents a more punishing environment, where microbia are subjected to high levels of UV radiation, low water and nutrient availability, and foliar agricultural chemicals in food crops. To investigate adaptations towards success in this harsh environment, a comparative genomics analysis across a cohort of Novosphingobium species was conducted using public bioinformatics resources and …

Subthreshold Vibration Influences The Posture And Gait Of Transtibial Amputees, Charles Sloan

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Unilateral transtibial amputees lose the afferent pathways of the limb when amputation occurs. The addition of vibration has shown to increase sensation on the applied limb. This study looks into how the addition of subthreshold vibration affects amputee gait and posture. Vibration applied to the residual limb was shown to have worked in posture, but not in gait.

Skeletal Muscle Mitophagy In Response To Cold Exposure During Exercise, Megan Vande Hei

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: The signaling pathways generated during exercise elicit mitochondrial adaptation, which includes both biogenesis and removal of damaged mitochondria (also known as mitophagy). It has been established that training followed by cold exposure alters the transcription of genes associated with mitochondrial growth and division. However, it is currently unknown whether temperature intervention during exercise influences the mRNA expression of genes associated with mitophagy, which is essential to maintaining the quality of this organelle. PURPOSE: To determine the expression of PINK1, PARK2, BNIP3, and BNIP3L mRNA following exercise in a cold environmental temperature with recovery at room temperature compared to exercise …

Isolating Aspects Of Gait Through The Use Of Pacing Signals: A Pilot Study, Joel Sommerfeld

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A number of recent studies have shown that the temporal structure of pacing signals greatly influences the gait dynamics observed when coordinating with those signals. Typically, those studies have focused on autocorrelation structure (ACF). The current study builds on that work by addressing how the probability distribution (PDF) of pacing signals contributes to the process of synchronization. Results show that people use both of those sources of information when coordinating the timing of the lower limbs with an external pacing signal.

Investigating The Genetic Structure Of Northern Long-Eared Bats In Nebraska, Jonathan Korbitz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Abstract:

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is one of many species of hibernating bats in North America affected by a recently discovered fungal disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS). Northern long-eared bats seem to be extremely susceptible to the disease with mass fatalities occurring among populations in eastern North America. Researchers in the eastern distribution of this species have performed mtDNA analysis to identify the population structure of the species; however, genetic analysis has yet to be done in western parts of its distribution. The goal of this study is to create a better understanding of the genetic …

Neutrophils In The Geniculate Ganglion Following Chorda Tympani Transection In Adult Rats, Carlos Vera-Esquivel

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Neutrophils in the Geniculate Ganglion Following Chorda Tympani Transection in Adult Rats

The chorda tympani nerve (CT) innervates taste buds on the tongue. The CT’s cell bodies are in the geniculate ganglion (GG). Previous work in our lab found that severing the CT (CTX) results in a reduction of taste bud numbers, and substantial immune responses at the tongue and in the brain. However, there is limited information on how the immune system responds at the GG following CTX. Neutrophils are critical members of the first wave of immune response to nerve injury, attacking foreign pathogens and clearing debris. The …

Relationship Between The Mullen Scales Of Early Learning And Posture Control Measures, Lauren Allegra Wehrle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Key Words: postural sway, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mullen Scales of Early Learning, development

Crae Training Reduces Insulin Resistance And Central Adiposity In Obese Adolescent Females, Rebecca Cuthbert

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

CRAE Training Reduces Insulin Resistance and Central Adiposity in Obese Adolescent Females

Rebecca Cuthbert, Leena P Bharath, William W Choi, Jae-min Cho, Alexus A Skobodzinski, Alexei Wong, Ty E Sweeney, Dustin Slivka, Song-Young Park University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska

Exercise training is recommended for maintaining health and reducing the risks of developing metabolic and cardiovascular pathologies. Combined resistance and aerobic exercise (CRAE) training has been utilized to decrease metabolic risk factors in obese adults. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of CRAE on obese adolescent females with hyperinsulinemia. METHODS: Forty obese adolescent females aged 14.7 ± 1 years (BMI …

A Novel Task To Decrease Step Width Variability In Older Adults, Andreas Skiadopoulos, Katherine Allen, Nikolaos Stergiou

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Walking is the most common fall-related activity among older adults. Also, older adults experience greater step width variability when walking. Importantly, increased step width variability during walking has been found to be a strong predictor of fall risk and incidence. Therefore, an intervention for reducing increased step width variability may consequently reduce fall risk for older adults. In the present study, we proposed that lateral stepping training program improve walking in older adults by reducing the increased step width variability to normal values. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of a six-week lateral stepping …

Comparison Of Amygdalar Neuronal Networks That Regulate Fear Behaviors Among Vertebrates, Sushmita Adhikari

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction and Methods: Fear is a basic, conserved emotion that is essential for survival, yet little is known about how fear responses evolved. This research combined gene expression and behavioral analyses to study the evolution of the neuronal network that regulates fear behaviors. Using in situ hybridization, we examined the expression patterns of three genes, protein kinase C δ (prkcd), gastrin-releasing peptide (grp), and glypican 3 (gpc3), that are implicated in fear behaviors in Danio rerio (zebrafish), Xenopus tropicalis, and Gallus gallus domesticus. Additionally, anxiety behaviors were examined in young zebrafish that lacked genes for grp, grp receptor (grpr), and …

The Effects Of Vibrations On The Light Touch Perception Threshold Of Transtibial Amputees, Aaron Robinson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Sensations from the residual limb and the prosthetic socket interface may be important for mobility/balance following an amputation. One potential way to improve sensation in the residual limb-socket interface is the use of sub-threshold vibrations. We hypothesized that the application of a subthreshold pink noise vibration will improve an amputee’s ability to perceive a light touch stimulus in the residual limb surrounding the area of the amputation. 20 unilateral transtibial amputees (ages 59.7±15 yrs) and seventeen healthy control subjects (ages 54.1±16 yrs) participated. For transtibial amputees light touch sensation threshold (LTST), baseline was tested first and then across 3 conditions …

Circadian Rhythms And Stride-To-Stride Fluctuations: Is There A Connection ?, Joao R. Vaz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Several physiological systems exhibit rhythmic changes over the course of 24h. A disruption in the CR is thought to represent a risk to the human’s health (e.g., cardiac risk, diabetes). Aging and neurological diseases are known to be characterized by an increased likelihood of circadian disruption. Recently, balance and gait have been shown to exhibit diurnal variations, suggesting a possible influence of CR. Gait is also characterized by a certain level of stride-to-stride fluctuations. In addition, a breakdown in the temporal structure of these fluctuations has recently been associated with aging and neurological diseases. Therefore, it is likely that a …