Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Physiological Response To Exercise With Naturally-Occurring Carbon Dioxide Exposure, Megan Johnson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) plays a normal part in gas exchange and acid-base equilibrium in the human body. With added stress or exposure, CO₂ levels can accumulate in the blood and tissues, causing hypercapnia. Research has shown that exposure to CO₂ at 4% or 40,000 ppm will cause cardio-respiratory changes, both at rest and during exercise. Lower levels may still cause changes under conditions of added stress, but this has not been elucidated. Preliminary data from our laboratory chamber suggests physiological changes at levels of CO₂ reaching 0.08% or 8,000 ppm during experiments with exercising …

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 …

Targeted Therapy For The Future: The Use Of Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Against P. Aeurginosa, Matthew Froid

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Pathogenic bacteria, such as the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are becoming resistant to our current arsenal of antibiotics at an alarming rate. P. aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial acquired infections and is a primary co-morbidity in patients with compromised immune systems. One potential source of new antibiotic agents is antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins, and some have shown a high degree of efficacy and broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. An experimental AMP that has been developed by Dr. Wang at UNMC, DASamp2, has shown to be effective against virulent bacteria, including P. …

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 …

Precision Medicine: Bioinformatics Assists In Finding Accurate Treatment For Her2+ Breast Cancer In Humans, Elizabeth Russman

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a gene located on chromosome 17q12 (Ferrari et al., 2016). A HER2 mutation is known to cause breast cancer, and is responsible for approximately 20% of all breast cancers.

In this project, HER2 positive breast cancer will be examined. The goal of this project is to understand the complicated gene, HER2, and how treatment needs to be more individualized and precise using bioinformatics.

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 …

Analysis Of Clustering Algorithms, Ethan Summers

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In Bioinformatics, choosing the right algorithm for a problem is very important. Choosing the wrong algorithm or one that is less efficient can make or break a project. Analyzing algorithms beforehand is key. The goal of this project is to analyze three clustering algorithms for protein protein interaction networks and compare their function and results. A clustering algorithm takes a dataset, in this case a simulated PPI (protein-protein interaction) network and groups together similar data points based on some similarity criteria. It is important to know the difference between these algorithms to get the desired results.

Effects Of Rangeland Management On Milkweed Grazing And Monarch Conservation, Brittany Poynor

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Cattle typically avoid consuming milkweed plants that contain high levels of toxic defense compounds, and therefore many people assume cattle avoid all milkweeds. However, common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) contains only moderate levels of toxic compounds, and observations suggest that cattle regularly consume common milkweed and may even preferentially graze flowers and leaves of this species. These observations directly relate to efforts to add over one billion stems of milkweed to the central USA for monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) conservation. If cattle intentionally consume common milkweed and other milkweed species, and if certain management practices can reduce …

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 …

Effects Of 7°C Environmental Temperature During A 3-Week Training Period, Robert J. Shute

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Approximately three weeks is required for cold temperature acclimation to occur. However, the effects of cold temperature acclimation on fitness and performance remain unknown. Purpose: To determine the impact of cold environmental temperature on training adaptations, fitness measurements, and aerobic performance. Methods: Two groups of twelve inactive male subjects completed 1-hour of cycling in fourteen temperature acclimation trials of either a cold (7°C) or room temperature (20°C) environmental temperature. A performance trial and tolerance trial occurred pre- and post-acclimation. The performance trials assessed VO_2peak and body composition. Skin and core temperature were recorded during the 1-hour tolerance trials. Tympanic …

Quantitative Proteome Analysis Of Alfalfa In Drought Stress Under The Influence Of Mir156, Alpa Puri

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Medicago sativa is one of the most produced perennial forage crops in Canada. Drought stress is a major form of abiotic stress affecting the productivity and annual yield of alfalfa. A small noncoding RNA, miR156 has a role in abiotic stress tolerance, while regulating downstream SPL genes. In this study, whole leaf proteome and amino acid concentrations of miR156OE (A8) genotype of alfalfa under drought stress were quantified. In results, 3,000 proteins groups were identified using MaxQuant when searched against Medicago truncatula protein sequence database. Gene ontology analysis showed enriched proteins were involved in biological and molecular processes such as …

Data Analytics Pipeline For Rna Structure Analysis Via Shape, Quinn Nelson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a cardiovirulent enterovirus from the family Picornaviridae. The RNA genome houses an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5’ untranslated region (5’UTR) that enables cap-independent translation. Ample evidence suggests that the structure of the 5’UTR is a critical element for virulence. We probe RNA structure in solution using base-specific modifying agents such as dimethyl sulfate as well as backbone targeting agents such as N-methylisatoic anhydride used in Selective 2’-Hydroxyl Acylation Analyzed by Primer Extension (SHAPE). We have developed a pipeline that merges and evaluates base-specific and SHAPE data together with statistical analyses that provides confidence …

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.

Large Scale Dynamical Model Of Macrophage/Hiv Interactions, Matthew M. Froid

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Properties emerge from the dynamics of large-scale molecular networks that are not discernible at the individual gene or protein level. Mathematical models - such as probabilistic Boolean networks - of molecular systems offer a deeper insight into how these emergent properties arise. Here, we introduce a non-linear, deterministic Boolean model of protein, gene, and chemical interactions in human macrophage cells during HIV infection. Our model is composed of 713 nodes with 1583 interactions between nodes and is responsive to 38 different inputs including signaling molecules, bacteria, viruses, and HIV viral particles. Additionally, the model accurately simulates the dynamics of over …

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.

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 …

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 …

Pilot Study Of Empathy In Adults, Libby Moberg

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Empathy is of critical public health importance due to its association with relationship satisfaction and well-being (Davis & Oathout, 1987; Davis, 1983). There is growing evidence that bilingual individuals may have higher levels of empathy (Javor, 2016). One potential mechanism for this relationship is that bilingual individuals tend to have higher levels of executive functioning (Costa et al, 2008), which is linked to higher empathy because individuals are able to more easily adopt others’ perspectives. Previous studies examining this question have largely relied on self-report questionnaires assessing empathy as a general tendency (i.e., trait). No studies have examined differences in …

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 …

Food – Eating With My Eyes, Nadia Arévalo

The STEAM Journal

Whole foods are visually stunning while being scientifically proven to be healthy. Here I share some images and notes of my colorful preparations that embrace the knowledge of the ever-expanding Nutritional Sciences.

Mass Caffeination, Michael J. Leach

The STEAM Journal

This poem reflects on caffeine intake in modern society from the perspective of a pharmacologist. It is a free verse, concrete poem that communicates the science of caffeine through both words and visual images.

Spot-On! Exploring Comprehension Of Ecological Concepts With Abstract Art Analogies, Jane Huggins

The STEAM Journal

Students enrolled in an online general studies course [GNM 2190: Extinct and Threatened Life] at Stockton University were presented with two different pieces of abstract art. They were asked to draw analogies from each piece of art to the ecological concepts studied in the course. Students provided written responses which were submitted as assignments in the learning management software, Blackboard [Bb]. This exercise was described as ‘open-ended’ by the instructor; no grading rubrics were used. Responses to each piece of art were collected from 47 students and were subsequently uploaded into Quirkosä software for qualitative analysis. Codes representing major concepts …

Spaces Between, Sara Kapadia

The STEAM Journal

No abstract provided.

Heat Exposure And Hypohydration Exacerbate Physiological Strain During Load Carrying, Elizabeth L. Adams, Douglas J. Casa, Robert A. Huggins, Julie K. Demartini, Rebecca L. Stearns, Rachel M. Kennedy, Lindsay J. Distefano, Lawrence E. Armstrong, Carl M. Maresh

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Heat exposure and hypohydration induce physiological and psychological strain during exercise; however, it is unknown if the separate effects of heat exposure and hypohydration are synergistic when co-occurring during loaded exercise. This study compared separate and combined effects of heat exposure and hypohydration on physiological strain, mood state, and visual vigilance during loaded exercise. Twelve males (mean±SD; age, 20±2 years; body mass, 74.0±8.2 kg; maximal oxygen uptake, 57.0±6.0 mLkg-1min-1) completed 4 trials under the following conditions: euhydrated temperate (EUT), hypohydrated temperate (HYT), euhydrated hot (EUH), and hypohydrated hot (HYH). Exercise was 90 min of treadmill walking (∼50% VO2 max, 5% …

Abundance And Species Diversity Hotspots Of Tracked Marine Predators Across The North American Arctic, David J. Yurkowski, Marie Auger-Méthé, Mark L. Mallory, Sarah N.P. Wong, Grant Gilchrist, Andrew E. Derocher, Evan Richardson, Nicholas J. Lunn, Nigel E. Hussey, Marianne Marcoux, Ron R. Togunov, Aaron T. Fisk, Lois A. Harwood, Rune Dietz, Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid, Erik W. Born, Anders Mosbech, Jérôme Fort, David Grémillet, Lisa Loseto

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Aim: Climate change is altering marine ecosystems worldwide and is most pronounced in the Arctic. Economic development is increasing leading to more disturbances and pressures on Arctic wildlife. Identifying areas that support higher levels of predator abundance and biodiversity is important for the implementation of targeted conservation measures across the Arctic. Location: Primarily Canadian Arctic marine waters but also parts of the United States, Greenland and Russia. Methods: We compiled the largest data set of existing telemetry data for marine predators in the North American Arctic consisting of 1,283 individuals from 21 species. Data were arranged into four species groups: …

Escaping Death: Naloxone's Chemical Nature And Potential To Combat The Opioid Epidemic, Abigale Miller

Honors Theses

Naloxone is a life-saving drug with the ability to reverse an opioid overdose. As the opioid epidemic’s death toll rises, we can turn to Naloxone as a tool to combat the crisis. The epidemic, born of corruption, has a wide reach among the people of the United States, with especially firm grasps on middle-aged people, sufferers of chronic pain, white Americans and those living in the eastern portion of the country. Naloxone’s elegant design saves lives by effectively competing for a position on an opioid biding receptor in the brain to almost instantly end an overdose and restore normal breathing. …

Diseño, Implementación Y Evaluación De Una Dieta Estacional En La Especie Saino Pecari Tajacu Bajo Condiciones Controladas En La Fundación Zoológico Santacruz, Andrea Del Pilar Pineda

Zootecnia

El manejo nutricional de especies mantenidas bajo condiciones controladas es uno de los aspectos que comprenden el bienestar animal, ya que a través de le generación de programas nutricionales que garanticen un aporte adecuado de nutrientes con dietas balanceadas, y la posibilidad de desplegar comportamientos naturales a través de la alimentación, se disminuyen la presencia de enfermedades y mejora el repertorio comportamental de los individuos. Es por esto y con el fin de proveer nuevas herramientas de manejo nutricional se presenta este trabajo en donde se propone el desarrollo de dos tipos de dietas, establecidas para las condiciones climáticas como …