Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Pilot Study To Assess The Readiness And Barriers As Correlates To Participation In Rural Worksite Health Promotion Programming, Kayte L. Tranel

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

An increased risk of lifestyle-related conditions (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer) is associated with overweight and obesity, which affect approximately two in three American adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009). Worksite health promotion programming (WHPP) may be effective for reducing disease risk. Reaching adults in the worksite seems logical considering most spend approximately 40 hours each week in that setting. WHPP is linked to improved effectiveness for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, but often struggles with low participation and high attrition rates. Research regarding barriers to WHPP and physical activity is available, …

Generation Of A Kupffer Cell-Evading Adenovirus For Systemic And Liver-Directed Gene Transfer, Reeti Khare, Shannon M. May, Francesco Vetrini, Eric A. Weaver, Donna Palmer, Amanda Rosewell, Nathan Grove, Philip Ng, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

As much as 90% of an intravenously (i.v.) injected dose of adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is absorbed and destroyed by liver Kupffer cells. Viruses that escape these cells can then transduce hepatocytes after binding factor X (FX). Given that interactions with FX and Kupffer cells are thought to occur on the Ad5 hexon protein, we replaced its exposed hypervariable regions (HVR) with those from Ad6. When tested in vivo in BALB/c mice and in hamsters, the Ad5/6 chimera mediated >10 times higher transduction in the liver. This effect was not due to changes in FX binding. Rather, Ad5/6 appeared to …

Pregnancy Loss And Distress Among U.S. Women, Karina M. Shreffler, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although pregnancy loss—especially miscarriage— is a relatively common experience among reproductive-aged women, much of our understanding about the experience has come from small clinic-based or other nonrepresentative samples. We compared fertility-specific distress among a national sample of 1,284 women who have ever experienced a stillbirth or miscarriage. We found that commitment/attachment to pregnancy that ended in loss as well as current childbearing contexts and attitudes were associated with distress following pregnancy loss. Practitioners working with women or couples who have experienced pregnancy loss should be aware of the importance of characteristics associated with higher distress, such as whether the pregnancy …

Intervention To Increase Knowledge And Consumption Of Folate-Rich Foods Based On The Health Belief Model, Lindsay M. Labrosse

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Folate is important in the prevention of birth defects and in the maintenance of general health. Even after mandatory fortification, many people are still not consuming the RDA of 400 mcg/day. Consuming a diet rich in naturally high-folate foods, as opposed to supplementation, may offer additional health benefits and promote an overall healthy diet.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the hypothesis that a learner-centered educational intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) will successfully increase knowledge and consumption of folate-rich foods, while increasing positive beliefs about folate and health. A two group parallel control trial …

Farm To School: A Case Study Of Four Rural Nebraska Schools Before Initiating Locally Grown Foods In School Food Service, Morgan Swisher

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

More than 25% of children in the U.S. are overweight. Farm to School is a program that encourages schools to procure local produce and nutrition education in an effort to improve childhood nutrition. A case study involving four schools has examined the attitudes of food service managers, food service staff members, and educators who are about to incorporate this program into their schools. Food service managers were interviewed about the foods they intend to purchase, food safety, menu planning, expected costs and receiving, additional training, and staff interest. From the qualitative study, the following themes were found: “More work for …

Interictal Magnetoencephalographic Findings Related With Surgical Outcomes In Lesional And Nonlesional Neocortical Epilepsy, Rui Zhang, Ting Wu, Yingying Wang, Hongyi Liu, Yuanjie Zou, Wen Liu, Jing Xiang, Chaoyong Xiao, Lu Yang, Zhen Fu

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose: To investigate whether interictal magnetoencephalography (MEG) concordant with other techniques can predict surgical outcome in patients with lesional and nonlesional refractory neocortical epilepsy (NE).

Methods: 23 Patients with lesional NE and 20 patients with nonlesional NE were studied. MEG was recorded for all patients with a 275 channel whole-head system. Synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) with excess kurtosis (g2) and conventional Equivalent Current Dipole (ECD) were used for MEG data analysis. 27 Patients underwent long-term extraoperative intracranial video electroencephalography (iVEEG) monitoring. Surgical outcomes were assessed based on more than 1-year of post-surgical follow-up using Engel classification system.

Results: As we …

Understanding Of Functions Of Selenoproteins And Dietary Selenium By Using Animal Models, Marina V. Kasaikina

Department of Biochemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Selenium (Se) is a trace element that is incorporated into proteins in the form of the 21^st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec). Se supplementation was reported to have beneficial roles in prevention of cardiovascular and muscle disorders, cancer prevention and enhancement of the immune function. However, recent studies also showed that excessive dietary Se increases the risk of development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, better understanding of Se and selenoprotein functions is required. We used three approaches to address this problem.

First, we used high-throughput sequencing to examine composition of the gut microflora in mice maintained on selenium-deficient, selenium-sufficient, …

Time Course Of The Attenuation Effect Of Repeated Antipsychotic Treatment On Prepulse Inhibition Disruption Induced By Repeated Phencyclidine Treatment, Ming Li, Erik He, Nick Volf

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Antagonism of prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits produced by psychotomimetic drugs has been widely used as an effective tool for the study of the mechanisms of antipsychotic action and identifying potential antipsychotic drugs. Many studies have relied on the acute effect of a single administration of antipsychotics, whereas patients with schizophrenia are treated chronically with antipsychotic drugs. The clinical relevance of acute antipsychotic effect in this model is still an open question. In this study, we investigated the time course of repeated antipsychotic treatment on persistent PPI deficit induced by repeated phencyclidine (PCP) treatment. After a baseline test with saline, male …

Immune Evasion Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Through Glycan Shielding Involves Both Glycoprotein 5 As Well As Glycoprotein 3, Hiep Vu, Byungjoon Kwon, Kyoung-Jin Yoon, William W. Laegreid, Asit K. Pattnaik, Fernando A. Osorio

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Passive administration of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) can effectively protect pigs against PRRSV infection. However, after PRRSV infection, pigs typically develop a weak and deferred NAb response. One major reason for such a meager NAb response is the phenomenon of glycan shielding involving GP5, a major glycoprotein carrying one major neutralizing epitope. We describe here a type II PRRSV field isolate (PRRSV-01) that is highly susceptible to neutralization and induces an atypically rapid, robust NAb response in vivo. Sequence analysis shows that PRRSV-01 lacks two N-glycosylation sites, normally present in wild-type (wt) PRRSV strains, …

Child/Adolescent Sexual Abuse And Alcohol: Proposed Pathways To Problematic Drinking In College Via Ptsd Symptoms, Emotion Dysregulation, And Dissociative Tendencies, Alicia K. Klanecky

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research has discussed the use of alcohol to self-medicate posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms following child/adolescent sexual abuse (CASA). Less research has examined the self-medication hypothesis in college students. Further, investigation of the self-medication hypothesis generally precludes the integration of additional psychological vulnerabilities that may impact students’ alcohol consumption. Supported by the “dynamic” stress-diathesis perspective, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties and insufficient dissociative tendencies existing prior to and potentially altered after CASA exposure may relate to problematic alcohol use. The current study aimed to provide an initial, cross-sectional examination of 1) the relations between CASA exposure severity and alcohol use, 2) the …

Perceptual And Acoustical Comparisons Of Motor Speech Practice Options For Children With Childhood Apraxia Of Speech, Amy Nordness

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) need intensive and accurate practice to establish an accurate motor plan and improve their speech production. Computer-led practice led to a greater quantity of practice and was preferred over parent-led practice. Further knowledge regarding children’s accuracy of speech during independent practice is needed to determine if computer-led practice is a viable practice tool. Twelve children diagnosed with CAS, between 3-0 and 7-11 years of age, participated in speech practice during computer-led, parent-led, and clinician-led practice. Comparisons of perceptual accuracy of consonants and vowels, acoustical accuracy of stops, vowels, and fricatives, and variability of …

Interventions For Families Victimized By Child Sexual Abuse: Clinical Issues And Approaches For Child Advocacy Center-Based Services, Poonam Tavkar, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Child sexual abuse poses serious mental health risks, not only to child victims but also to non-offending family members. As the impact of child sexual abuse is heterogeneous, varied mental health interventions should be available in order to ensure that effective and individualized treatments are implemented. Treatment modalities for child victims and non-offending family members are identified and described. The benefits of providing on-site mental health services at Child Advocacy Centers to better triage and provide care are discussed through a description of an existing Child Advocacy Center-based treatment program. Recommendations for research and clinical practice are provided.

A Mark–Recapture Technique For Monitoring Feral Swine Populations, Matthew M. Reidy, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Techniques to monitor populations of feral swine (Sus scrofa) relative to damage control activities are needed on rangelands. Our objectives were to describe and assess a mark–recapture technique using tetracycline hydrochloride (TH) for monitoring feral swine populations. We established bait stations at study sites in southern and central Texas. During 1 d, we replaced normal soured corn bait with bait containing TH and counted the number of feral swine that consumed bait with observers. We conducted feral swine removal using box-style traps and helicopters, at which time we collected teeth for TH analysis. In southern Texas, we estimated …

Reassessing The Architecture Of The Health Beliefs Models In Low-Income Diverse Families, Krista B. Highland

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Health beliefs contribute to health outcomes. These health beliefs extend to include health beliefs parents have regarding their children’s health. However, the role of parental health beliefs remains unexplored among a low-income population. This study aims to assess these beliefs and the effects they have on child health. Furthermore, this study aims to delineate potential belief differences between socioecological-level groups (e.g. population density, Latino identification, and insurance coverage). The long-term goal is to understand the relationships among various personal health beliefs and parental health beliefs, psychosocial factors, community factors, cultural factors, organizational factors, and healthcare perceptions among this at-risk population. …

Regulation Of Immediate Early And Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Genes Expression By Adipocytokines In The Female Reproductive Tract, Zhufeng Yang

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Individuals who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for cancer. However, the mechanistic link between obesity and cancer is poorly defined. Adipose tissue produces hormones and pro-inflammatory cytokines with mitogenic properties. Many of these hormones and cytokines are altered in obese individuals and may lead to disruption of the normal balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how adipocyte-derived factors regulate the expression of genes that contribute to cell proliferation and migration. To compare immediate early gene (cell proliferation) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (cell migration) gene expression between untreated and …

A New Single Workbout Test To Estimate Critical Power And Anaerobic Work Capacity, Haley Bergstrom

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to develop a new 3-min, single workbout test to estimate critical power (CP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) using the Monark cycle ergometer with the resistance based on the individual’s body weight. Twelve moderately-trained adults (6 men and 6 women; mean age ± SD = 23.2 ± 3.5 yr) performed an incremental cycle ergometer test to exhaustion. The CP and AWC were estimated from the original work limit (W_lim) versus time limit (T_lim) relationship (CP_PT) and a 3-min all-out test (CP_3min) against a fixed resistance …

Intent Of Expecting Fathers To Encourage Breastfeeding, Perceptions Of Support And Barriers To Encouraging Breastfeeding, Katrina Harwood

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Breastfeeding is well known to be the optimal feeding method for healthy infants. Although the benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 2010 breastfeeding report card, breastfeeding rates at 3months, 6 months and 12 months post-partum have fallen below the objectives set by Healthy People 2010. A mother’s decision to breastfeed has been associated with a variety of factors including, income, education level, geographic location and level of breastfeeding support provided by health care professionals, her mother and the infant’s father. The father of the unborn child has been identified as being …

The Good, The Bad, And The Rare: Memory For Partners In Social Interactions, Jenny Volstorf, Jörg Rieskamp, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

For cooperation to evolve via direct reciprocity, individuals must track their partners’ behavior to avoid exploitation. With increasing size of the interaction group, however, memory becomes error prone. To decrease memory effort, people could categorize partners into types, distinguishing cooperators and cheaters. We explored two ways in which people might preferentially track one partner type: remember cheaters or remember the rare type in the population. We assigned participants to one of three interaction groups which differed in the proportion of computer partners’ types (defectors rare, equal proportion, or cooperators rare). We extended research on both hypotheses in two ways. First, …

Identification And Engineering Of Human Variable Regions That Allow Expression Of Stable Single-Chain T Cell Receptors, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Francis K. Insaidoo, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

Single-chain antibody fragments (scFv), consisting of two linked variable regions (V_H and V_L), are a versatile format for engineering and as potential antigen-specific therapeutics. Although the analogous format for T cell receptors (TCRs), consisting of two linked V regions (Vα and Vβ; referred to here as scTv), could provide similar opportunities, all wild-type scTv proteins examined to date are unstable. This obstacle has prevented scTv fragments from being widely used for engineering or therapeutics. To further explore whether some stable human scTv fragments could be expressed, we used a yeast system in which display of properly folded …

Regulation Of Sterol Transport By Dietary Phytosterol Esters, Trevor J. Carden

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LDL cholesterol is associated with the development of atherosclerosis and is therefore considered an important target for intervention to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The inhibition of cholesterol absorption in the small intestine is an attractive approach to lowering plasma cholesterol, one that is exploited by drug therapy as well as dietary supplementation with plant sterols. The mechanism of action of plant sterol esters (PSE) is still incompletely understood, therefore this study was conducted to test the hypothesis that hydrolysis of plant sterol esters is necessary for their cholesterol-lowering effects to be realized.

Male Syrian hamsters were fed diets containing no PSE, …

Human Papillomavirus Genotype Concordance Within Zambian Couples, Kgomotso Makhaola

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly associated with the development of cervical cancer, and has also been identified in other anogenital cancers such as penile, oral, and anal cancers. In regions like Sub Saharan Africa where the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, increased rates of HPV infections have also been observed, however the effect of HIV/AIDS on the transmission of HPV is not yet well understood. In this study specimens for HIV, HPV testing and pathology were collected from male participants and their female partners at a Urology department in Lusaka University Teaching Hospital, Zambia. Seventy four samples were collected but …

Exploring Student Perceptions To Explain The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Academic Achievement In Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study, Megan J. Hylok

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A nationwide survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control in 2007 reported 65% of high school students did not meet the recommendation that youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week (CDC, 2008). While research has focused its attention primarily on bodily health, growing evidence supports the benefits of physical activity on brain health (Ratey & Hagerman, 2008). Physical activity is important and many adolescents are not meeting the recommendation, therefore, it is important to explore the adolescent perceptions to understand which factors influence physical activity participation. The significance of this study …

Healthy Performance Practice For Male Barbershop Singers, Jacob K. Bartlett

Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts: Student Research, Performance, and Creative Activity

Barbershop singing is a hobby enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of men and women across the world. We attend conventions, shows, competitions, and educational outreach programs each year at our own expense to preserve a style we truly love.

Most singers of the style are amateur musicians. This constitutes somewhat of a challenge when we consider the need for healthy singing in light of certain assumptions about the vocal technique required of the barbershop style. Most do their best to make a healthy sound but end up doing more harm than good to their own voices after a lengthy rehearsal. …

Molecular Structures Of Prrsv That Contribute To Prrsv Protective Immunity, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

One of the objectives of the proposal is to delineate the regions of the two glycoproteins (GP2 and GP4) of PRRSV that interact with CD163. Other objectives of the proposal are to generate antibodies to these small regions of the glycoproteins as well as to the full-length proteins for future studies to determine if any of these antibodies possess PRRSV neutralizing activity.

To carry out the studies in the proposed objectives, we generated a series of mutants of GP2 as well as GP4 proteins in which various regions were specifically removed by manipulating the plasmids encoding these proteins. We then …

Examining Physiological, Physical, And Cognitive Changes Over A Thirteen Week Training Program, Vanessa L. Roof

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ten members of Lincoln Fire and Rescue in Lincoln, Nebraska agreed to participate in a thirteen week tactical strength and conditioning fitness program conducted by Athology Inc. that included a Physiological, Physical, and Cognitive Component. Participants completed three workouts per week lasting approximately 90 minutes each, conducted by fitness trainers from Athology Inc. Participants completed lab draws at the beginning and end of the program as well as an EKG at the onset of the program, conducted off-site at a local hospital. Participants completed performance and agility testing at the onset and end of the program. Lastly, participants completed cognitive …

Understanding Mesosystemic Influences On Reported Health Among Rural Low-Income Women: A Structural Equation Analysis, Tiffany Wigington

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While ensuring access to health insurance and health care services is important, emerging research indicates that individual health and well-being result from a complex array of environmental, social, and psychological factors. The delineation of how factors of health and well-being unfold and impact rural low-income women is particularly salient for social workers who provide services to rural residents and who work within a rural context. Utilizing components from the ecological systems perspective, this study explored how the factors associated with health risk influenced reported health and mesosystemic processes among rural low-income women. This sample (n=304) for this study was drawn …

Spatial Discounting Of Food And Social Rewards In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Nelly Mühlhoff, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Simon M. Reader

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In temporal discounting, animals trade off the time to obtain a reward against the quality of a reward, choosing between a smaller reward available sooner versus a larger reward available later. Similar discounting can apply over space, when animals choose between smaller and closer versus larger and more distant rewards. Most studies of temporal and spatial discounting in non-human animals use food as the reward, and it is not established whether animals trade off other preferred stimuli in similar ways. Here, we offered female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) a spatial discounting task in which we measured preferences for a larger reward …

Content Validation Of A Standardized Language Diagnosis By Certified Specialists In Gerontological Nutrition, Paula K. Ritter-Gooder, Nancy M. Lewis, Kent M. Eskridge

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Validation of the nutrition standardized language assures the language is accurate for use in practice, policy, and research, but few validation studies have been reported. The purpose of this descriptive study was to validate content of all components of the nutrition diagnostic term involuntary weight loss using experts providing care for older adults in health care settings. A Nutrition Diagnosis Validation Instrument was developed that contained the definition, etiologies, and signs and symptoms of the diagnosis plus items added from literature review. Questions on clarity and completeness of the language were included. The Nutrition Diagnosis Validation Instrument used a Likert-type …

Omega-3 Dietary Intakes, Knowledge, And Attitudes In Patients Screened For Colon Cancer, Cindy Kaminski

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid intakes in colonoscopy patients and to examine knowledge and attitudes held about dietary fats.

Subjects/Methods: Men (n=32) and women (n=47) patients were recruited from a Midwestern gastroenterology clinic. A dietitian obtained informed consent, a food recall and response from a 152-item n-3 food frequency questionnaire (n-3 FFQ) at the clinic using visuals and food models. Two additional 24-h recalls, including a weekend recall, were returned by mail. A questionnaire measuring diet fatty acids knowledge, diet attitudes and beliefs was also obtained.

Results: Daily intake of n-3 fatty …

Preschool Children’S Willingness To Try And Preference For Docosahexaenoic Acid Omega-3 Foods, Bethany Joann Bettenhausen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the preschool years, obesigenic eating habits are formed which are strongly associated with risk of developing chronic diseases later in life particularly cardiovascular disease. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acid is a polyunsaturated fat with known benefits for heart health, brain cell structure, and retinal development. Current intakes of DHA are below recommended levels. United States (US) Midwestern children may be particularly at risk for suboptimal intakes of DHA. However, foods fortified with life’sDHA^TM, a product of Martek Biosciences and omega-3 eggs may provide culturally acceptable sources of DHA to Midwestern children.

Very little is known about …