Digital Commons Network^™

Depressive Symptoms, Social Activity, And Physical Activity In Older Adults, Hyeon Jung (Judith) Kim

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Depressive symptoms are negatively related to mental health and quality of life. Social and physical activities have been used as indicators of depressive symptoms in older populations. Participation in high levels of social and physical activities has been associated with decreased depressive symptoms. This pilot study explored the relationship between the levels of social and physical activities and depressive symptoms among older adults living in an independent living facility. Twenty-two participants (Age M=87.50; SD=7.50; 82% women) were recruited and completed The Geriatric Depression Scale short form, the Revised Change in Activity and Interest Index (assessed social activity level), and Godin …

Perceptions Of A Service-Learning Course To Increase Physical Activity In Rural Afterschool Programs, Shane Warehime

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background: An effective method for promoting physical activity in children is by integrating physical activity into existing programming such as afterschool programs. However, afterschool programs in rural communities may not have access to the type of staff training needed to ensure optimal participation. Innovative methods are needed to train afterschool staff on how to best implement physical activity in rural settings. To address this issue, an online service-learning course was developed in a rural college for students involved in implementing physical activity in local afterschool programs. In this course, students learned methods to promote physical activity in children to maximize …

Moths' And Other Selected Poems, Ellie Zumbach

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

My Best Poems, Brett Cortelletti

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

David Kern Is The Arbiter Of His Own Discontent, Jacob Cupps

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

Modernism To Postmodernism: Jack Gladney's Transition In White Noise, Raven Durben

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

"The Spirit Of Perverseness": Determinism In The Works Of Edgar Allan Poe, Christian Mack

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

Various Poems, Jessica Dundas

Making Literature Conference

No abstract provided.

Humankind: A Perspective Collection, Madison Larimore

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

HumanKind, an ongoing project that began with FUSE funding, preserves diverse perspectives and addresses the empathy deficit in the form of creative nonfiction profiles. Profiles are an ideal, underused form for promoting empathy and establishing contact points across differences. Traditionally, profiles are written about celebrities or people of established public interest, but this oral presentation will present a collection of multimodal profiles written from the perspectives of fifteen everyday students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from diverse backgrounds. Each profile is based on the answers the students provided during an extensive interview of over 100 questions about what …

A Compartmental Network Model For The Spread Of Whooping Cough, Kimia Ameri

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Outbreaks of pertussis have increased over the past few years, drawing the attention of health care providers. Understanding the transmission mechanisms of contagious disease is critically important, but depends on many intricate factors including pathogen and host environment, exposed population, and their activities. In this work, we try to improve upon the prediction model for the exposed population. The number of whooping cough reported cases in Nebraska between 2000-2017 was gathered. The standard SEIR model is used to predict the infected numbers. The results show that the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) model prediction for the number of infected individuals is much higher …

An Exploration Of Why Healthcare Professionals Under-Report Observed Patient Aggression, Sydney Bonta

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

An Exploration of Why Healthcare Professionals Under-Report Observed Patient Aggression

Authors: Sydney Bonta & Lisa L. Scherer, Ph.D.

Advisor: Lisa L. Scherer, Ph.D.

According to the 2011 US Bureau of Justice Statistics report, medical professionals experienced the third highest proportion of workplace violence (WPV), with violence primarily emanating from patient. In a national survey of nurses employed in hospitals, 76% stated that they had encountered some sort of violence in their workplace (Speroni, Fitch, Dawson, Dugan, Atherton, & Leesburg, 2014). Similarly, patient aggression against physicians has long been a problem (Morrison, Lantos, Levinson, 1998). Despite this widespread exposure to WPV …

Collaborative Disagreement: Coming To See The Evidence In A New Light, Erin Wiebe

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Many disagreements regarding complex matters are essentially disagreements about how evidence ought to be assessed. After all, the way in which one assigns weight and strength to various pieces of evidence determines what one believes. These “evidential valuations” are the product of one’s previous experiences and background beliefs. One’s evidential valuations are determined by the ways of understanding the world one acquires from past evidence and the authority figures one recognizes. Accordingly, the greater the difference in two individuals’ background experiences, the greater the difference in their evidential valuations. Thus, disagreements over complex matters such as philosophy, religion, and politics …

Effects Of Chronic Ethanol Exposure On Stress Coping Style And Genetic States Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Alexander Goodman

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Neurotransmitter systems are important in regulating the stress response. If a behavioral response is disproportional to a stressor it is characterized as anxiety-like behavior. Many anxiolytic compounds, such as ethanol, increase stressor engagement, but how these compounds interact with an organism on a neurogenetic level is less understood. In this study, I assessed the impact of chronic ethanol treatment on behavior and gene expression of GABA_Areceptors subunits on two strains of zebrafish. Each strain was selectively bred to display the proactive or reactive stress coping style where proactive individuals will actively engage a stressor more than reactive individuals. …

From Adapting To Adoption: Social Media Use By Small-To-Medium Sized Nonprofit Organizations, Ming Xie

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This exploratory research focuses on small-to-medium-sized nonprofit organizations’ social media use. In-depth interviews with nonprofit leaders helped to understand their perceptions of social media in order to explain why nonprofit organizations and their leaders decide to adopt and use social media, the strategies developed for doing so, and the barriers encountered in the adoption/utilization processes. It finds that most of the leaders of small-to-medium sized organizations see social media as a supplementary way for organizational activities, with limited visions of how to use social media to engage with the constituencies and to advance their organizational goals.

Decreasing Technology Design Costs By Using Youtube Video To Evaluate User Acceptance, Tom Chappelear

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

User acceptance is a measure that contributes to technology feasibility which is a decision point that entrepreneurs use to help make better investment decisions (Hoffer, 2011). User acceptance testing is part of a design strategy where the system designer attempts to minimize risks and provide design information that an entrepreneur can use to make better investment decisions (Hoffer, 2011). A user acceptance testing instruments can range from a low-cost coffeeshop review to expensive lab-based user testing (Shneiderman, 2017). This study builds upon the User Acceptance of Information Technology (UTAUT) model to measure user acceptance for the system being evaluated (Venkatesh, …

Collaborative Disagreement: Coming To See The Evidence In A New Light, Erin Wiebe

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Many disagreements regarding complex matters are essentially disagreements about how evidence ought to be assessed. After all, the way in which one assigns weight and strength to various pieces of evidence determines what one believes. These “evidential valuations” are the product of one’s previous experiences and background beliefs. One’s evidential valuations are determined by the ways of understanding the world one acquires from past evidence and the authority figures one recognizes. Accordingly, the greater the difference in two individuals’ background experiences, the greater the difference in their evidential valuations. Thus, disagreements over complex matters such as philosophy, religion, and politics …

Business Value Creation Through Open Source Engagement, Vinod Kumar Ahuja

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In open source software development, individuals voluntarily contribute to the development of software. Recently, corporations like Microsoft, IBM, and others invest in open source by making their proprietary software freely available, by providing funding, and by dedicating their full-time employees to work in open source projects. This raises questions such as: Why do corporations dedicate money and resources to open source? What do they gain from it? How does this add value for their business? In sum, how do they make money engaging in open source? Literature provides various business models that companies adopted for their engagement in open source, …

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Bystander Reporting Of Sexual Assault In The Military, Jasmine Torres

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Sexual assault in the military is a pervasive problem affecting both male and females, and military sexual assault incidents are frequently observed by at least one other person, yet research by the U.S Government Accountability Office (2008) suggests that much military sexual assault is unreported. What influences bystanders to report what they have observed? The purpose of this study is to review the factors contributing to the likelihood of military bystanders, reporting incidents of military sexual assault. We will explore the influences of the culture of reporting, the type and quality of sexual assault training programs whether observers are clear …

The Possible Cognitive Confound In Olfactory Testing For Parkinson’S Disease, Attakias Mertens

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease thatcauses slowness, rigidity, and postural instability but which also has many non-motor manifestations. One of these is olfactory dysfunction, which has been found to occur in at least 90% of patients diagnosedwith Parkinson’s disease (Doty et al., 1988). This deficit tends to appear early in the onset of the disease and is even thought to appear before motor dysfunction (Haehner, Hummel, & Reichmann, 2009; Ross et al., 2008; Doty, 2012). Thus, olfaction is being assessed as one of a set of possible predictors for of the disease (Ponsen, Stoffers, Twisk, Wolters, …

Marked For Life: Young Adults Perspectives On The Impact Of Parental Military Deployment, Megan Humlicek

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This qualitative study explores the long-term impact of parental military deployment (PMD) on young adults 19-25 years of age. While the literature is abundant with studies focusing on the impact of PMD on children and adolescents, it is mute when it comes to the long-term impact on young adults. Thirty-two participants responded to an in-depth Qualtrics questionnaire and seven partook in a follow-up phone interview to gain insights into their adjustment process to PMD, its impact on their personality development, the services and support systems they utilized, and the potential influence it had on their career choice. The outcome demonstrates …

Entertainment-Education Has A Potential Source For Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Content Analysis Of The Netflix Series Big Mouth, Kristina Medero

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Health communication researchers have studied the potential for entertainment-education, to increase health literacy amongst adolescents regarding sexuality education (Moyer-Guse, 2008). This study will analyze the Netflix series Big Mouth with normative theoretical framework laid out by Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (2008) to provide support about the extent to which the series can act as a potential source for comprehensive sexuality education. This content analysis of Big Mouth will potentially provide a significant level comprehensive sexuality education to its audience, p < .05 through a one-way ANOVA that will test topics covered, relevance of social context, and inclusivity of material presented in the series.

Advancing Women & Associated Populations: The Work Of Women's Foundations & Funds, Elizabeth May Gillespie

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This is my dissertation research, which is a landscape scan of all women’s foundations and funds in the U.S. Women’s foundations and funds, which expressly award grants to programs and organizations benefiting/advancing women and associated populations (girls, children and families), have grown in number and funding scope over the past five decades. These organizations award millions in grants each year as well as contribute resources and knowledge about the status of and issues facing women and associated populations. Yet, there is a gap in knowledge about these organizations and their work to advance women and associated populations socially, politically, and …

Today's Students, Tomorrow's Terrorists: An Analysis Of Education And Extremist Participation, Clara Braun

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A growing number of studies have identified shared characteristics among homegrown violent extremists (HVEs). While these studies have focused on demographic characteristics such as age and marital status, research on the educational attainment of HVEs is underdeveloped. The current study utilizes general strain theory and examines the relationship between educational attainment and type of criminal participation using a sample of 215 HVEs who engaged in or were charged with extremist participation between 2011 and 2017. We utilized educational attainment as a measure of an individual’s strain to identify a relationship with their decision to engage in violent or nonviolent extremist …

Fourier Series Expansion Methods For The Heat And Wave Equations In Two And Three Dimensions On Spherical Domains, Matthew Eller

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Description: The Fourier series expansion method is an invaluable approach to solving partial differential equations, including the heat and wave equations. For homogeneous heat and wave equations, the solution can readily be found through separation of variables and then expansion of the solution in terms of the eigenfunctions. Solutions to inhomogeneous heat and wave equations through Fourier series expansion methods were not readily available in the literature for two- and three-dimensional cases. In my previous paper, I developed an approach for solving inhomogeneous heat and wave equations on cubic domains using Fourier series expansion methods. I shall extend my …

National Opera Association: Undergraduate Scene Repertoire, Melissa Comstock, Gina Comstock

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In January 2018, UNO students Melissa Comstock and Gina Comstock performed in a presentation at the 2018 National Opera Association Conference in New Orleans, LA. The presentation entitled “Beyond Fledermaus: Undergraduate Friendly Opera Scenes from the Golden Age of Operetta” was given by UNO Professor Shelby VanNordstrand and Iowa State University Professor Jodi Goble. The presentation included three live performances featuring the professors’ students. Comstock and Comstock will discuss the preparation and rehearsal processes for the performance and the benefits of inter-university collaboration. Video footage from one of the live performances will be shown.

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: …

Exploration Of School-Based Refugee Mental Health Intervention, Anne Marie Boose

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

ABSTRACT

EXPLORATORY STUDY OF A SCHOOL-BASED REFUGEE

MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT

Anne Marie Boose, Ed.D.

University of Nebraska, 2018

Advisor: Kay A. Keiser, Ed.D.

Immigrant and refugee youth are in our schools in greater numbers than ever. Educators are required to educate all students to the same standards, even though they have often been exposed to violence and other difficulties throughout their journey to a new home. Many continue to face many on-going barriers as they arrive in our schools. Although this population is resilient and has many strengths, for some the burden of trauma is overwhelming, threatening their mental health …

Gait Alterations After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury And Implications For Return-To-Play Testing, Lindsey Remski

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction: Reoccurring injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a major problem for individuals who undergo ACL reconstructive surgery despite them meeting current requirements for return-to-play. Previous studies have found alterations in gait kinetics and kinematics of ACL deficient and ACL reconstruction patients. It is unknown if gait parameters, such as peak joint angles and moments, provide different information about patient function from what is provided by return-to-play outcomes. Purpose: To assess the relationships between peak joint angles, peak joint moments, and return-to-play outcomes for individuals with ACL injury. Methods: 6 subjects (3 ACL reconstruction, 3 ACL deficient) performed …

Investigating Daily Variation In Lotic Prairie Ecosystems, Dominick Caniglia

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The goal of this project is to investigate the hydrochemistry of the prairie stream system at Glacier Creek Preserve, namely to determine the chemical behavior as it varies over time. Past sampling revealed annual/seasonal trends, which prompted this study investigating possible changes over the course of a day. To accomplish this, water samples were taken hourly for a twelve hour period in September and November 2018, and were analyzed at the Durham Science Center. All samples were obtained at the furthest downstream site available. The main focus was to study alkalinity and dissolved mineral content. Preliminary data suggests that alkalinity …

Screen Culture: A Closer Look At The Impact Of Screen Use On Developmental Outcomes, Dylan Leslie, Joseph Schwartz Phd

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Excessive screen time among adolescents has long been considered a potential risk factor for a host of negative physical, mental and behavioral outcomes. There are important questions surrounding this association that remain unanswered. The temporal order of the association remains unestablished, as it is fully possible that preexisting physical, mental, and behavioral issues are causing excessive screen use. Similarly, selection bias remains possible, as influences that promote excessive screen use may also, simultaneously, impact negative physical health, mental health, and behavior. Finally, the developmental impact of increased screen time remains relatively unknown, as the majority of existing studies are exclusively …