Life Sciences Commons^™

Changes In Human Walking Dynamics Induced By Uneven Terrain Are Reduced With Ongoing Exposure, But A Higher Variability Persists, Jenny A. Kent, Joel H. Sommerfeld, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

During walking, uneven terrain alters the action of the ground reaction force from stride to stride. The extent to which such environmental inconsistencies are withstood may be revealed by the regulation of whole-body angular momentum (L) during walking. L quantifies the balance of momenta of the body segments (thigh, trunk, etc.) about their combined center of mass, and remains close to zero during level walking. A failure to constrain L has been linked to falls. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of young adults to orchestrate their movement on uneven terrain, illustrated by the …

Salt Restriction Lowers Blood Pressure At Rest And During Exercise Without Altering Peripheral Hemodynamics In Hypertensive Individuals, Stephen M. Ratchford, Ryan M. Broxterman, Taylor La Salle, Oh-Sung Kwon, Song-Young Park, Paul N. Hopkins, Russell S. Richardson, Joel D. Trinity

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Dietary salt restriction is a well-established approach to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk in hypertensive individuals. However, little is currently known regarding the effects of salt restriction on central and peripheral hemodynamic responses to exercise in those with hypertension. Therefore, this study sought to determine the impact of salt restriction on the central and peripheral hemodynamic responses to static-intermittent handgrip (HG) and dynamic single-leg knee extension (KE) exercise in individuals with hypertension. Twenty-two subjects (14 men and 8 women, 51 ± 10 yr, 173 ± 11 cm, 99 ± 23 kg) forewent their antihypertensive medication use for …

Abstract 482: Differences In Ground Reaction Forces And Chest Compression Release Velocity In Professional And Lay Rescuers With And Without The Use Of Real-Time Cpr Feedback, Lyra Clark, Ben Senderling, Jeff R. Gould, Chris Kaufman, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Purpose: Chest compression release velocity (CCRV) has been associated with survival and favorable neurological outcome after cardiac resuscitation. Both complete chest release and high CCRV contribute to improved venous return during CPR. Differences in compression forces delivered by professional and lay rescuers are reported, which may contribute to differences in CCRV. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate differences in ground reaction force (GRF) and CCRV between professional and lay rescuers during CPR performed on a manikin with and without real-time feedback.

Methods: Professional (n = 5) and lay rescuers (n = 11) performed two minutes of continuous …

Effect Of Sampling Frequency On Fractal Fluctuations During Treadmill Walking, Vivien Marmelat, Austin Duncan, Shane Meltz

Journal Articles

The temporal dynamics of stride-to-stride fluctuations in steady-state walking reveal important information about locomotor control and can be quantified using so-called fractal analyses, notably the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). Gait dynamics are often collected during treadmill walking using 3-D motion capture to identify gait events from kinematic data. The sampling frequency of motion capture systems may impact the precision of event detection and consequently impact the quantification of stride-to-stride variability. This study aimed i) to determine if collecting multiple walking trials with different sampling frequency affects DFA values of spatiotemporal parameters during treadmill walking, and ii) to determine the reliability …

Running Economy - A Comprehensive Review For Passive Force Generation, Christos Ziliaskoudis, Song-Young Park, Sang-Ho Lee

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Running economy is considered a major determinant of distance running performance. Enhancing the body’s ability for passive force generation could have a positive effect on running economy by minimizing the energy cost required for the propulsion of the body. Thus, the purpose of this comprehensive review was to provide a list of modifiable factors that promote this ability. The interest was focused on lower-limb stiffness, as it is a factor of great influence and at the same time can be modified with training and specific biomechanical adjustments. Although it appears that no clear instructions can be provided to athletes and …

Impacts Of Aquatic Walking On Arterial Stiffness, Exercise Tolerance, And Physical Function In Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Song-Young Park, Elizabeth J. Pekas, Yi-Sub Kwak

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease that is associated with attenuated vascular function, cardiorespiratory capacity, physical function, and muscular strength. It is essential to combat these negative effects on health by incorporating lifestyle interventions to slow disease progression, such as exercise. We sought to examine the effects of aquatic walking exercise on cardiovascular function, cardiorespiratory capacity [maximal volume of oxygen consumption (V̇o2max)], exercise tolerance [6-min walking distance (6MWD)], physical function, muscular strength, and body composition in patients with PAD. Patients with PAD (n = 72) were recruited and randomly assigned to a 12-wk aquatic walking training group …

Ankle And Midtarsal Joint Quasi-Stiffness During Walking With Added Mass, Andrew M. Kern, Nikolaos Papachatzis, Jeffrey M. Patterson, Dustin A. Bruening, Kota Z. Takahashi

Journal Articles

Examination of how the ankle and midtarsal joints modulate stiffness in response to increased force demand will aid understanding of overall limb function and inform the development of bio-inspired assistive and robotic devices. The purpose of this study is to identify how ankle and midtarsal joint quasi-stiffness are affected by added body mass during over-ground walking. Healthy participants walked barefoot over-ground at 1.25 m/s wearing a weighted vest with 0%, 15% and 30% additional body mass. The effect of added mass was investigated on ankle and midtarsal joint range of motion (ROM), peak moment and quasi-stiffness. Joint quasi-stiffness was broken …

Digital Divide Among Caregivers Of Chronic Disease Patients, Ayokunle Olagoke, Harveen Kaur, Ashley M. Hughes

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Expansive and rapid growth of technology creates unprecedented patient access to health information, including timely communication with care providers via patient portals and the ability to access information regarding specific disease(s) (e.g., cancer). However, several forms of digital engagement with health providers require access and use of reliable internet access. A “digital divide” is used to describe demographic differences which contribute to a patient’s use or disuse of patient portals; prior research have noted disparities in lack of reliable internet access. Despite the prevalence of informal caregivers in patient care, little is known about internet access and use among informal …

Kinematic Differences Between Professional And Lay Rescuers With And Without The Use Of Real-Time Cpr Feedback, Lyra Clark, Ben Senderling, Jeff R. Gould, Chris Kaufman, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Purpose: Guideline-compliant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance can be achieved with training and use of real-time feedback. Kinematic differences are reported between experts and novices in various motor tasks. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate differences in kinematics between professional and lay rescuers during CPR performed on a manikin with and without feedback.

Methods: Professional (n = 5) and lay rescuers (n = 11) performed two minutes of continuous chest compressions on a manikin for two trials. Real-time CPR feedback provided by a defibrillator was disabled in the first trial and enabled in the second. CPR …

A Low-Cost, Wireless Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device Detects The Presence Of Lower Extremity Atherosclerosis As Measured By Computed Tomographic Angiography And Characterizes Walking Impairment In Peripheral Artery Disease, Matthew A. Fuglestad, Hernan Hernandez, Yue Gao, Henamari Ybay, Molly Schieber, Katyarina E. Brunette, Sara A. Myers, George P. Casale, Iraklis Pipinos

Journal Articles

Background

Methods

Supervised Walking Exercise Therapy Improves Gait Biomechanics In Patients With Peripheral Artery Diseas, Molly Schieber, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason M. Johanning, George P. Casale, Mark A. Williams, Holly Despiegelaere, Ben Senderling, Sara A. Myers

Journal Articles

Objective

Methods

Incidence, Trends And Predictors Of Palliative Care Consultation Among Patients Admitted For Lvad Implantation In The United States, Olakanmi Olagoke, Olisa Ezegwu, Ayokunle Olagoke, Yasmeen Golzar

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Aim

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have become an important part of advanced heart failure management either as a bridge to transplantation or destination therapy. Patients with advanced heart failure have a poor prognosis and may benefit from palliative care (PC) services. However, there is scarce data regarding the incidence, trends, and predictors of palliative care consultation among patients undergoing LVAD implantation. The main objective of this study is to assess the incidence, trends, and predictors of PC referral in LVAD recipients using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2010 till 2014.

Methods

We conducted a weighted analysis on …

Exploring Rural And Urban Go Nap Sacc Trained Child Care Providers Perceptions And Needs Regarding The Promotion Of Physical Activity And Healthy Eating, Kailey Snyder, Zainab Rida, Emily Hulse, Dipti Dev, Danae Dinkel

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Early childhood is an optimal time to support the development of physical activity and healthy eating behaviors. As over half of children are cared for in family child care homes and child care centers it is crucial to ensure these behaviors are being supported in the childcare setting. One such process that supports provider’s education and implementation of healthy behaviors in the childcare setting is the Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment in Child Care (Go NAP SACC). However, after participation in Go NAP SACC, little is known regarding how to further support providers in their promotion of healthy behaviors. …

Locomotor Patterns Change Over Time During Walking On An Uneven Surface, Jenny A. Kent, Joel H. Sommerfeld, Mukul Mukherjee, Kota Z. Takahashi, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

During walking, uneven surfaces impose new demands for controlling balance and forward progression at each step. It is unknown to what extent walking may be refined given an amount of stride-to-stride unpredictability at the distal level. Here, we explored the effects of an uneven terrain surface on whole-body locomotor dynamics immediately following exposure and after a familiarization period. Eleven young, unimpaired adults walked for 12 min on flat and uneven terrain treadmills. The whole-body center of mass excursion range (COM_exc) and peak velocity (COM_vel), step length and width were estimated. On first exposure to uneven terrain, …

The Foot And Ankle Structures Reveal Emergent Properties Analogous To Passive Springs During Human Walking, Erica Hedrick, Steven J. Stanhope, Kota Z. Takahashi

Journal Articles

An objective understanding of human foot and ankle function can drive innovations of bio-inspired wearable devices. Specifically, knowledge regarding how mechanical force and work are produced within the human foot-ankle structures can help determine what type of materials or components are required to engineer devices. In this study, we characterized the combined functions of the foot and ankle structures during walking by synthesizing the total force, displacement, and work profiles from structures distal to the shank. Eleven healthy adults walked at four scaled speeds. We quantified the ground reaction force and center-of-pressure displacement in the shank’s coordinate system during stance …

Alterations In Cortical Activation Among Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability During Single-Limb Postural Control, Adam Rosen, Jennifer M. Yentes, Melanie L. Mcgrath, Arthur C. Maerlender, Sara A. Myers, Mukul Mukherjee

Journal Articles

Context

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is characterized by repetitive ankle sprains and perceived instability. Whereas the underlying cause of CAI is disputed, alterations in cortical motor functioning may contribute to the perceived dysfunction. Objective

To assess differences in cortical activity during single-limb stance among control, coper, and CAI groups. Design

Cross-sectional study. Setting

Biomechanics laboratory. Patients or Other Participants

A total of 31 individuals (10 men, 21 women; age = 22.3 ± 2.4 years, height = 169.6 ± 9.7 cm, mass = 70.6 ± 11.6 kg), who were classified into control (n = 13), coper (n = 7), and CAI …

Strong Relationship Between Vascular Function In The Coronary And Brachial Arteries: A Clinical Coming Of Age For The Updated Flow-Mediated Dilation Test?, Ryan M. Broxterman, Melissa A. Witman, Joel D. Trinity, H. Jonathan Groot, Matthew J. Rossman, Song-Young Park, Simon Malenfant, Jayson R. Gifford, Oh-Sung Kwon, Soung Hun Park, Catherine L. Jarrett, Katherine L. Shields, Jay R. Hydren, Angela V. Bisconti, Theophilus Owan, Anu Abraham, Anwar Tandar, Charles Y. Lui, Brigham R. Smith, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Early detection of coronary artery dysfunction is of paramount cardiovascular clinical importance, but a noninvasive assessment is lacking. Indeed, the brachial artery flow-mediated dilation test only weakly correlated with acetylcholine-induced coronary artery function (r=0.36). However, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation methodologies have, over time, substantially improved. This study sought to determine if updates to this technique have improved the relationship with coronary artery function and the noninvasive indication of coronary artery dysfunction. Coronary artery and brachial artery function were assessed in 28 patients referred for cardiac catheterization (61±11 years). Coronary artery function was determined by the change in artery diameter with …

Synchronization Dynamics Modulates Stride-To-Stride Fluctuations When Walking To An Invariant But Not To A Fractal-Like Stimulus, Joao R. Vaz, Boman Groff, Douglas Rowen, Brian Knarr, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Walking with different types of cueing/stimulus (i.e. auditory, visual) has been shown to alter gait variability, thus emerging as an innovative therapeutical tool to restore abnormal gait variability in clinical populations. However, the majority of the research in this area has focused on auditory stimuli while visual stimuli are an understudied alternative that needs more attention, particularly due to the natural dependence on vision during walking. Furthermore, the time differences between the occurrences of the walking steps and the sensory cues, also known as asynchronies, have also received minimal attention, even though the ability to synchronize with different stimuli is …

The Effects Of Stiffness Of A Prosthetic Shock-Absorbing Pylon On Mechanical Work During Walking, Jenny Anne Maun

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Name: Jenny Anne Maun

Title: The effects of stiffness of a prosthetic shock-absorbing pylon on mechanical work during walking

Degree: Masters

Faculty Advisor: Kota Z. Takahashi, PhD

Co-authors: Steven A. Gard, PhD; Matthew J. Major, PhD

A prosthetic shock-absorbing pylon (SAP) is intended to attenuate impact forces, provide comfort, and reduce residual limb pain for prosthesis users. However, the effect of an SAP and its spring stiffness on the mechanical work done by the prosthetic limb during walking remains unclear. The purpose of this study: to investigate the effects of SAP spring stiffness and walking speed on the mechanical work …

Walking Adaptations To An Ankle Foot Orthosis In Individuals With Peripheral Artery Disease, Todd Leutzinger, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason Johanning, Mahdi Hassan, Holly Despiegelaere, Mukul Mukherjee, Sara Myers

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Single Session Walking Adaptations to an Ankle Foot Orthosis in Patients with Claudication and Peripheral Artery Disease

Todd Leutzinger^{1, 2}, Iraklis Pipinos^{2, 3}, Jason Johanning^{2, 3}, Mukul Mukherjee¹, Sara Myers^{1, 2}

¹Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA

²Nebraska and Western Iowa Veterans Affairs’ Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA

³Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA

Email: tleutzinger@unomaha.edu

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease affecting the arteries of the lower extremities [1]. The primary symptom of PAD is …

How Prosthetic Ankle Stiffness & Load Carriage Affect Metabolic Energy Expenditure During Walking, Erica A. Hedrick, Philippe Malcolm, Jason M. Wilken, Kota Z. Takahashi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The ankle structures play a key role in body support, forward propulsion and leg swing. One important property of the human ankle is its ‘quasi-stiffness’, or resistance to angular motion. The ankle joint stiffness can play a role in aiding the lower leg as its rocks over the foot. Human biological ankle stiffness changes in response to changes in the mechanical demands of walking (e.g. added load or changes in speed), using active muscle contractions. However, the role of ankle stiffness in regulating metabolic energy across walking conditions is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine how …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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: …

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. …

3d Prosthetics Effects On Standing Posture In Unilateral Upper Limb Deficient Children, Keaton Young

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

3D Prosthetics Effects on Standing Posture in Unilateral Upper Limb Deficient Children

Keaton Young

Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Introduction

Upper Limb Reduction Deficiency (ULD) is a congenital disability that affects the upper limb, which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1,500 babies are born with ULD in the United States yearly ^1,2. Prior research has focused on functional treatment of the upper limbs but has lacked observance of the effects that prosthetics and limb loss incur to the trunk. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects …

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 …

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.

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.