Digital Commons Network^™

Implications Of Diet For The Extinction Of Saber-Toothed Cats And American Lions, Larisa R.G. Desantis, Blaine W. Schubert, Jessica R. Scott, Peter S. Ungar

ETSU Faculty Works

The saber-toothed cat, Smilodon fatalis, and American lion, Panthera atrox, were among the largest terrestrial carnivores that lived during the Pleistocene, going extinct along with other megafauna ~12,000 years ago. Previous work suggests that times were difficult at La Brea (California) during the late Pleistocene, as nearly all carnivores have greater incidences of tooth breakage (used to infer greater carcass utilization) compared to today. As Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA) can differentiate between levels of bone consumption in extant carnivores, we use DMTA to clarify the dietary niches of extinct carnivorans from La Brea. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that …

Continuing Education Training Focused On The Development Of Behavioral Telehealth Competencies In Behavioral Healthcare Providers, Valerie Gifford, Britton Niles, Inna Rivkin, Catherine Koverola, Jodi Polaha

ETSU Faculty Works

Introduction: Telehealth allows behavioral health care and specialty services to be extended to rural residents. Telehealth is an important resource for the Alaskan healthcare system, which is tasked with providing services to culturally diverse populations living in remote areas. Training competent providers to deliver telehealth services is vital for the implementation of successful telehealth programs. Yet, the literature is lacking in the area of provider behavioral telehealth competency training.

Methods: This study assessed the impact of a Behavioral Telehealth Ethical Competencies Training program on 16 behavioral health providers' development of behavioral telehealth competency. A total of 14 competencies were developed, …

The First Sinomastodon (Gomphotheriidae, Proboscidea) Skull From The Quaternary In China, Yuan Wang, Chang Zhu Jin, Cheng Long Deng, Guang Biao Wei, Ya Ling Yan

ETSU Faculty Works

The first Sinomastodon (Gomphotheriidae, Proboscidea) skull of the Early Pleistocene, collected from the Renzidong Cave deposits in Anhui Province, Eastern China, is described here as S. jiangnanensis sp. nov. As the only brevirostrine trilophodont gomphotheriid known from the Old World, Sinomastodon was mainly indigenous to China from the Early Pliocene to the Pleistocene. Compared with a few single Pleistocene teeth previously found in China, S. jiangnanensis sp. nov. is represented by a relatively complete skull, mandible and dentition, which is the first discovery of a Quaternary Sinomastodon skull from China. With a brevirostrine, elephant-like skull, no lower tusks, and simple …

The Longest Night, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Supporting Teachers' Use Of Nonfiction Text In The Primary Grades Classroom: One Practical Strategy, Renee Rice Moran

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this article is to argue for the benefits of using nonfiction text in the primary grades classroom. Readers are provided with a brief theoretical framework which outlines how nonfiction may increase achieve,emt, motivation, and interest for young students. Additionally, practical strategies are included for classroom teachers which work to frontload and support students in the act of processing nonfiction text as well as increase teachers' comfort level with the implementation of a nonfiction unit of study.

2012 November 19 - Faculty Senate Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2012 November 5 - Faculty Senate Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Max Dose Opioids: How High Can You Go?, John B. Bossaer, Sarah T. Melton

ETSU Faculty Works

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the rationale for the belief that opioids have no maximum dose
• Describe the data supporting the rationale that high doses of opioids increase toxicity
• Describe the data supporting the rationale that high doses of opioids do not improve outcomes
• Identify potential safety concerns with patients taking high doses of opioids

2012 October 22 - Faculty Senate Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2012 October 8 - Faculty Senate Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Scavenger Receptor Class A Plays A Central Role In Mediating Mortality And The Development Of The Pro-Inflammatory Phenotype In Polymicrobial Sepsis, Tammy R. Ozment, Tuanzhu Ha, Kevin F. Breuel, Tiffany R. Ford, Donald A. Ferguson, John Kalbfleisch, John B. Schweitzer, Jim L. Kelley, Chuanfu Li, David L. Williams

ETSU Faculty Works

Sepsis is a frequent complication in critical illness. The mechanisms that are involved in initiation and propagation of the disease are not well understood. Scavenger receptor A (SRA) is a membrane receptor that binds multiple polyanions such as oxidized LDL and endotoxin. Recent studies suggest that SRA acts as a pattern recognition receptor in the innate immune response. The goal of the present study was to determine the role of SRA in polymicrobial sepsis. SRA deficient (SRA-/-) and C57BL/6JB/6J (WT) male mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobial sepsis. NFκB activity, myeloperoxidase activity, and co-association …

Accuracy Of Self-Reported Sun Exposure And Sun Protection Behavior, Joel J. Hillhouse, Robert Turrisi, James Jaccard, June K. Robinson

ETSU Faculty Works

The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of self-reported skin cancer risk outcome measures proposed as standards by prevention experts to aggregated estimates of behavior from weekly diaries. Weekly electronic diaries of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) behaviors, initially validated by comparison with daily electronic diaries, were used to assess the accuracy of commonly used end-of-summer self-reported measures among 250 adults. Results revealed low biases, and good correspondence between simple open-ended self-reported estimates of days outside, hours outside, sunbathing days and hours, and days outside when not protected by either sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, hats, or shade. Rating scale measures …

Reflections On The Impact Of Service-Learning/Experiential Education For The Field Of Human Services, Teresa Brooks Taylor, Jamie Branam Kridler

ETSU Faculty Works

The article addresses the importance of a holistic approach to human services by exploring the concept of community through utilizing service-learning/experiential education in human service courses. ACCESS (Achievement, Collaboration, Community, Education, Standards, and Services) illustrates that service learning/experiential education can offer a viable pedagogy for collaborative partnerships between the university, community, students, and faculty. The article reviews important elements of service-learning/experiential education to provide a thorough understanding of the concepts, including reflection on the service experience from students, community agencies, and faculty. Survey results demonstrate ways in which service learning/experiential education aids students in achieving skills and in acquiring a …

Activation Of Myocardial Phosphoinositide-3-Kinase P110Α Ameliorates Cardiac Dysfunction And Improves Survival In Polymicrobial Sepsis, Chuanfu Li, Fang Hua, Tuanzhu Ha, Krishna Singh, Chen Lu, John Kalbfleisch, Kevin F. Breuel, Tiffany Ford, Race L. Kao, Ming Gao, Tammy R. Ozment, David L. Williams

ETSU Faculty Works

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt dependent signaling has been shown to improve outcome in sepsis/septic shock. There is also ample evidence that PI3K/Akt dependent signaling plays a crucial role in maintaining normal cardiac function. We hypothesized that PI3K/Akt signaling may ameliorate septic shock by attenuating sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac function and survival were evaluated in transgenic mice with cardiac myocyte specific expression of constitutively active PI3K isoform, p110α (caPI3K Tg). caPI3K Tg and wild type (WT) mice were subjected to cecal ligation/puncture (CLP) induced sepsis. Wild type CLP mice showed dramatic cardiac dysfunction at 6 hrs. Septic cardiomyopathy was significantly attenuated in caPI3K …

On The Weak-Wind Problem In Massive Stars: X-Ray Spectra Reveal A Massive Hot Wind In Mu Columbae., David Huenemoerder, Lidia Oskinova, Richard Ignace, Wayne Waldron, Helge Todt, Kenji Hamaguchi, Shunji Kitamoto

ETSU Faculty Works

Mu Columbae is a prototypical weak-wind O star for which we have obtained a high-resolution X-ray spectrum with the Chandra LETG/ACIS instrument and a low-resolution spectrum with Suzaku. This allows us, for the first time, to investigate the role of X-rays on the wind structure in a bona fide weak-wind system and to determine whether there actually is a massive hot wind. The X-ray emission measure indicates that the outflow is an order of magnitude greater than that derived from UV lines and is commensurate with the nominal wind-luminosity relationship for O stars. Therefore, the "weak-wind problem"--identified from cool wind …

2012 September 10 - Faculty Senate Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Cilostazol Prevents Endothelin-Induced Smooth Muscle Constriction And Proliferation, Yoshifumi Kawanabe, Maki Takahashi, Xingjian Jin, Shakila Abdul-Majeed, Andromeda M. Nauli, Youssef Sari, Surya M. Nauli

ETSU Faculty Works

Cilostazol is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that has been shown to inhibit platelet activation. Endothelin is known to be the most potent endogenous growth promoting and vasoactive peptide. In patients and animal models with stroke, the level of circulating endothelin increases and complicates the recovery progress contributed by vascular constriction (an immediate pathology) and vascular proliferation (a long-term pathology). However, the effects of cilostazol on endothelin have not been explored. To demonstrate the dual-antagonizing effects of cilostazol on vasoconstriction and cell proliferation induced by endothelin, we used primary culture of mouse vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro, mouse femoral artery ex …

Word-Weaving In Tennessee: The National Storytelling Festival, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Appalachia is a storied land. Every place within the region has its own story, and virtually every person who has spent a significant amount of time in a specific Appalachian place has been affected by—indeed, has become part of—that story.

Review Of Ancestry & Ethnicity In America, 1013: A Comparative Guide To Over 200 Ethnic Backgrounds, 2nd Ed, Rebecca Tolley

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of Ancestry & Ethnicity in America, 2013 : A Comparative Guide to over 200 Ethnic Backgrounds 2nd Ed. Grey House. 2012. 2v, 1592379974, $295.00

A Graduate Student Mentoring Program To Develop Interest In Research, Mary E. Kiersma, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Aleda M.H. Chen, Brittany Melton, Marwa Noureldin, Kimberly S. Plake

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective. To assess the impact of a graduate student mentoring program on student interest in research and postgraduate education and on graduate student confidence in mentoring.

Methods. Undergraduate and pharmacy students (mentees) and graduate students (mentors) were matched and participated in the study, which required them to engage in at least 2 discussions regarding research and careers. Mentees completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions of research, postgraduate training plans, and perceptions about mentors. Mentors completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions about themselves as mentors and their confidence in mentoring.

Results. Although there were no significant differences …

Low Gene Expression Of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 In Brainstem Astrocytes In Major Depression, Gregory A. Ordway, Attila Szebeni, Michelle J. Chandley, Craig A. Stockmeier, Lianbin Xiang, Samuel S. Newton, Gustavo Turecki, Michelle M. Duffourc, Meng Yang Zhu, Hobart Zhu, Katalin Szebeni

ETSU Faculty Works

The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is the principal source of brain norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter thought to play a major role in the pathology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in the therapeutic action of many antidepressant drugs. The goal of this study was to identify potential mediators of brain noradrenergic dysfunction in MDD. Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is a critical mediator of noradrenergic neuron differentiation during development and has neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects on mature catecholaminergic neurons. Real-time PCR of reversed transcribed RNA isolated from homogenates of LC tissue from 12 …

Evolution Of Growth Habit, Inflorescence Architecture, Flower Size, And Fruit Type In Rubiaceae: Its Ecological And Evolutionary Implications, Sylvain G. Razafimandimbison, Stefan Ekman, Timothy D. Mcdowell, Birgitta Bremer

ETSU Faculty Works

During angiosperm evolution, innovations in vegetative and reproductive organs have resulted in tremendous morphological diversity, which has played a crucial role in the ecological success of flowering plants. Morindeae (Rubiaceae) display considerable diversity in growth form, inflorescence architecture, flower size, and fruit type. Lianescent habit, head inflorescence, small flower, and multiple fruit are the predominant states, but arborescent habit, non-headed inflorescence, large flower, and simple fruit states occur in various genera. This makes Morindeae an ideal model for exploring the evolutionary appearances and transitions between the states of these characters. We reconstructed ancestral states for these four traits using a …

Book Review Of Up From These Hills: Memories Anderson Of A Cherokee Boyhood, By Leonard Carson Lambert, Jr., As Told To Michael Lamber, Joanna M. Anderson

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of Lambert, L. C., Jr. & Lambert, M. (2011). Up from These Hills: Memories of a Cherokee Boyhood. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 197 pages. ISBN 978-0-8032-3536-6.

Job Hunting: One Experience, Joanna M. Anderson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: National Public Radio’s All Things Considered recently featured a piece by Annie Baxter called “Fear Is The Biggest Hurdle For Some Job Seekers” (February 16, 2012). This feature presented a hurdle that most people probably do not realize exists; namely, that for many long-term job-seekers, the fear of going back to work is quite real and intimidating.

Globalization And Counseling: Professional Issues For Counselors, Sonya Lorelle, Rebekah J. Byrd, Stephanie Crockett

ETSU Faculty Works

Scholars have examined globalization for many years in terms of its impact on individuals, but it remains a concept not often discussed in the counseling literature (Paredes et al., 2008). As counseling transforms from a Western-based practice to a global phenomenon, it is important to understand counseling within an international context. In this article, the ways in which the process of globalization are currently impacting the field of counseling, implications and future research directions are examined.

Book Review Of The Troubles And Their Aftermath: James B. Johnston's Memories Of Northern Ireland, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of The Troubles and Their Aftermath: James B. Johnston's Memories of Northern Ireland by James B. Johnson

A Constructivist Educator In A Standards-Driven World: An Interview With Marita White, L. Kathryn Sharp

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

How It Continuing Education Has Transformed Our Library, Mark Ellis, Leslie Adebonojo, Kathy A. Campbell

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Having the skills and knowledge to adequately respond to technology-based information demands has never been more important. When the library at East Tennessee State University was opened in 1999, it was the first new academic building that had been constructed on the campus in a number of years.

Anti-Neoplastic Activity Of Two Flavone Isomers Derived From Gnaphalium Elegans And Achyrocline Bogotensis, Christan M. Thomas, Robert C. Wood, Jarrett E. Wyatt, Morgan H. Pendleton, Ruben D. Torrenegra, Oscar E. Rodriguez, Sam Harirforoosh, Maria Ballester, Janet Lightner, Koyamangalath Krishnan, Victoria P. Ramsauer

ETSU Faculty Works

Over 4000 flavonoids have been identified so far and among these, many are known to have antitumor activities. The basis of the relationships between chemical structures, type and position of substituent groups and the effects these compounds exert specifically on cancer cells are not completely elucidated. Here we report the differential cytotoxic effects of two flavone isomers on human cancer cells from breast (MCF7, SK-BR-3), colon (Caco-2, HCT116), pancreas (MIA PaCa, Panc 28), and prostate (PC3, LNCaP) that vary in differentiation status and tumorigenic potential. These flavones are derived from plants of the family Asteraceae, genera Gnaphalium and Achyrocline reputed …

Phosphoinositide-3-Kinase/Akt - Dependent Signaling Is Required For Maintenance Of [Ca2+]I,ICa, And Ca2+ Transients In Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes, Bridget M. Graves, Thomas Simerly, Chuanfu Li, David L. Williams, Robert Wondergem

ETSU Faculty Works

The phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K/Akt) dependent signaling pathway plays an important role in cardiac function, specifically cardiac contractility. We have reported that sepsis decreases myocardial Akt activation, which correlates with cardiac dysfunction in sepsis. We also reported that preventing sepsis induced changes in myocardial Akt activation ameliorates cardiovascular dysfunction. In this study we investigated the role of PI3K/Akt on cardiomyocyte function by examining the role of PI3K/Akt-dependent signaling on [Ca 2+]i, Ca2+ transients and membrane Ca2+ current, ICa, in cultured murine HL-1 cardiomyocytes. LY294002 (120 μM), a specific PI3K inhibitor, dramatically decreased HL-1 [Ca 2+]i, Ca2+ transients and ICa. We also …