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Fat Forecast: Obesity rates rising
A new report released May 8 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that up to 42 percent of Americans will suffer from obesity by 2030, with an increase as well in the number of citizens who are severely obese. ECU professor Kimberly Heidal in the Department of Nutrition Science is an expert on obesity and can speak on its effects. Contact Heidal. Read ABC news story that outlines the CDC Obesity report.
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Amendment One drawing large numbers of voters
Record numbers of voters are already streaming to the polls for early voting in North Carolina's May 8 election, which includes the controversial Amendment One. If approved, the amendment would add to the state constitution a measure defining marriage between one man and one woman as the only legally valid domestic union in the state. ECU sociology professor Dr. Melinda Kane is an expert on gay and lesbian politics and social movements. Kane spoke with ECU News Services about the proposed amendment.
What is Amendment One?
Amendment One is a proposed amendment to the North Carolina state constitution that will be included on the May primary ballot. Voters will get to vote “for” or “against” the amendment.
According to Senate Bill 514, voting “for” the amendment means that you agree with adding the following language to the North Carolina constitution:
“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
Voting against the amendment means you do not want to add that language to the state constitution.
How would passage of Amendment One change the laws that are already in place in North Carolina?
Amendment One, whether it passes or not, will have no affect on the ability of same-sex couples to marry within the state of North Carolina or to have same-sex marriages performed in other states recognized by the state of North Carolina. North Carolina already has a law that says marriages between people of the same “gender” are not valid in North Carolina. This law remains in effect whether Amendment One is passed or not.
However, the passage of Amendment One would have implications for several city and county laws. A handful of local governments in North Carolina, including Mecklenberg County and the City of Durham, provide employment benefits such health care to employees and their domestic partners, including same-sex partners. The passage of Amendment One would likely invalidate these local laws, regardless of the local governments’ desire to provide these benefits to their employees.
There is also some concern that the amendment, if passed, will have legal implications for unmarried heterosexual couples. Because the amendment uses the language “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized…,” legal scholars at UNC-Chapel Hill argue that protections currently extended to people in unmarried, heterosexual relationships, including child custody claims and domestic violence protection, would no longer be granted since the couples are not married.
Why did the North Carolina legislature include Amendment One on the May ballot if a state law already exists prohibiting same-sex marriage?
Some North Carolina legislators and residents are concerned that the existing state law could be challenged in state court. By changing the constitution to explicitly limit marriage to “one man and one woman,” state courts would be unable to rule the existing law unconstitutional.
What efforts are under way to fight against or for the Amendment?
There are significant efforts on both sides of the Amendment debate. An umbrella organization called The Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families includes a range of North Carolina businesses, student associations, political groups, religious organizations and citizens groups that oppose Amendment One. There are also several organizations working in support of Amendment One, including the North Carolina Family Policy Council and Vote for Marriage NC.
For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact Kane.
Vampires: Drawn to Dark Shadows?
The long-popular vampire will again rise to the big screen with the May 11 release of "Dark Shadows," starring Johnny Depp (pictured). The film draws on the late '60s daytime soap opera by the same name, which starred Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins. Frid died last week at the age of 87. ECU English professor James Holte is a vampire expert. He can speak on the popularity, origination and attractiveness of the vampire in popular culture. Contact Holte.
N.C. ranks high on pre-K education
A national report released April 10 listed North Carolina as one of only five states that met all quality benchmarks in its state-run pre-kindergarten program last year, although the program for at-risk 4-year-olds was cut by 20 percent. ECU early childhood education professor Dr. Archana Hegde is an expert on early childhood care and education. She can speak on the importance of early childhood education in the overall development of the child. Contact Hegde. Obesity surgery reverses diabetes
A USA Today article last week announced that weight loss surgery can put diabetes into remission. ECU professor Dr. Walter Pories has identified similar results with the "Greenville Gastric Bypass" weight-loss surgery he developed at the Brody School of Medicine. That surgery results in durable weight loss and long-term remission of type 2 diabetes in patients. Pories is a recent recipient of a lifetime achievement award at ECU. Read more about his work. Contact Pories.
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Plenty of Pirates peeved by pollen
Few residents of eastern North Carolina can escape the springtime affliction that accompanies rising levels of pollen. The yellow dust collects on nearly every outdoor surface, triggering seasonal allergies that leave many residents suffering. East Carolina University assistant professor of family medicine Dr. Jonathan Firnhaber spoke with ECU News Services about pollen and springtime allergies.
Q: What is the primary source of the pollen?
A: Most springtime pollen comes from trees, with oak, juniper/cedar and maple/box elder topping the pollen count list this week. While pine pollen is one of the most obvious contributors, pollen grains from pines are generally too large to trigger seasonal allergies. It can act as a nasal irritant and further aggravate existing nasal symptoms.
Q: Can allergy sufferers expect to see more pollen than usual this year?
A. Pollen levels are increasing across the nation, particularly in the Southeast. Pollen counts are only slightly higher than usual at this time of year, largely due to warmer weather.
Q: What are the best medications that allergy sufferers may use to control their responses to pollen?
A. Over-the-counter allergy medication options continue to improve, with Allegra (fexofenadine) now available. Allegra offers the lowest risk of drowsiness of all the available antihistamines. Zyrtec (cetirizine) is also highly effective but it does pose a low risk of drowsiness. Claritin (loratadine) is less likely to cause drowsiness, but may not be effective for all patients. The older antihistamines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) are effective but can cause sedation, dry mouth, dry eyes and difficulty with urination.
For additional information, contact Jonathan Firnhaber, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University.
Controversial Amendment One coming up for vote
A recent march in Raleigh and a statement issued by President Barack Obama are headlining the opposition to Amendment One, scheduled to appear on North Carolina’s ballot May 8. If approved, the amendment would add to the state constitution a measure defining marriage between one man and one woman as the only legally valid domestic union in the state. ECU sociology professor Dr. Melinda Kane is an expert on gay and lesbian politics and social movements. Kane spoke with ECU News Services about the proposed amendment.
What is Amendment One?
Amendment One is a proposed amendment to the North Carolina state constitution that will be included on the May primary ballot. Voters will get to vote “for” or “against” the amendment.
According to Senate Bill 514, voting “for” the amendment means that you agree with adding the following language to the North Carolina constitution:
“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
Voting against the amendment means you do not want to add that language to the state constitution.
How would passage of Amendment One change the laws that are already in place in North Carolina?
Amendment One, whether it passes or not, will have no affect on the ability of same-sex couples to marry within the state of North Carolina or to have same-sex marriages performed in other states recognized by the state of North Carolina. North Carolina already has a law that says marriages between people of the same “gender” are not valid in North Carolina. This law remains in effect whether Amendment One is passed or not.
However, the passage of Amendment One would have implications for several city and county laws. A handful of local governments in North Carolina, including Mecklenberg County and the City of Durham, provide employment benefits such health care to employees and their domestic partners, including same-sex partners. The passage of Amendment One would likely invalidate these local laws, regardless of the local governments’ desire to provide these benefits to their employees.
There is also some concern that the amendment, if passed, will have legal implications for unmarried heterosexual couples. Because the amendment uses the language “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized…,” legal scholars at UNC-Chapel Hill argue that protections currently extended to people in unmarried, heterosexual relationships, including child custody claims and domestic violence protection, would no longer be granted since the couples are not married.
Why did the North Carolina legislature include Amendment One on the May ballot if a state law already exists prohibiting same-sex marriage?
Some North Carolina legislators and residents are concerned that the existing state law could be challenged in state court. By changing the constitution to explicitly limit marriage to “one man and one woman,” state courts would be unable to rule the existing law unconstitutional.
What efforts are under way to fight against or for the Amendment?
There are significant efforts on both sides of the Amendment debate. An umbrella organization called The Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families includes a range of North Carolina businesses, student associations, political groups, religious organizations and citizens groups that oppose Amendment One. There are also several organizations working in support of Amendment One, including the North Carolina Family Policy Council and Vote for Marriage NC.
For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact Kane.
ECU professors study “Tina Fey effect”
With the U.S. presidential race ramping up, politicians are spending millions to enhance their image and affect voters’ choices. At the same time, political humorists lampoon the candidates nightly on popular television shows. ECU political science professors Dr. Jody Baumgartner and Dr. Jonathan Morris, along with ECU undergraduate Natasha L. Walth, have determined that humorous portrayals and caricatures of political figures are an important factor in how political figures are perceived among young adults.
The researchers examined young voters’ perceptions of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin following impersonations of her by comedian Tina Fey on the popular television program, Saturday Night Live. Their study, “The Fey Effect: Young Adults, Political Humor, and Perceptions of Sarah Palin in the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign,” was published in the spring 2012 issue of Public Opinion Quarterly. Read the article.
To arrange an interview, contact Morris at http://www.ecu.edu/polsci/faculty/morris.html.
Colonscopy cuts cancer risks in half
New research offers evidence that colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer deaths. The study showed that removing precancerous growths spotted during colonoscopy cut the risk of dying from colon cancer in half. ECU professor and gastroenterology specialist Dr. Hossam Kandil said that colon cancer is preventable because most occur in benign colon polyps that can be removed during colonoscopy. Compared to other screening tools, he said, colonoscopy can detect more colon polyps. He said the test is recommended for healthy individuals beginning at age 50. Read more about the study. Contact Kandil.
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HPV shot recommended for boys 
The vaccine that protects girls from the virus that causes cervical cancer and other cancers is now being recommended for boys starting at age 11.
That's the message from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and it's good advice, said Dr. David Holder, a clinical associate professor and adolescent health specialist at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
With the previous recommendation focusing on girls, doctors were giving the vaccine "all the while knowing 50 percent of the map was not being covered," Holder said. "In some settings, one in four or one in five kids have this disease and don't know they have it."
Human papillomaviruses cause a large number of cancers of the mouth and throat, cervix and genital organs, the AAP said. HPV are the most common sexually transmitted viruses in the United States, and the highest prevalence of HPV infection is found in sexually active adolescents and young adults.
The AAP on Monday published a revised policy statement that recommends routine vaccination against human papillomaviruses for males and females at 11 to 12 years of age. The vaccine is most effective if administered before the onset of sexual activity, and antibody responses to the vaccine are highest at ages 9 through 15, the academy said.
The recommendation is published in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Holder said some parents might be opposed to their children receiving the vaccine, believing that it will encourage sexual activity.
"I've never heard of anything that substantiates that," he said. "Look at the facts and less at the fire."
Every year in the United States, approximately 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and almost 4,000 die from this disease, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases of cervical cancer and all cases of genital warts are caused by human papillomavirus.
Men can also contract cancer of the penis, anus and throat from HPV.
Estimates are that most sexually active people will contract genital HPV at some point, but in most it will not show any symptoms and go away on its own, according to the CDC. But certain types might cause genital warts and, in rare cases, cancer.
Holder recommended that parents talk with their children about the vaccine, sex and sexually transmitted diseases.
The vaccine is sold under two trade names, Gardasil, made by Merck, and Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline and not yet approved for boys. The three-shot regimen for Gardisil costs approximately $360. No serious side effects have been found other than soreness at the injection site.
"The take home message here is get it early, girls and boys," Holder said.
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To arrange an interview with Dr. Holder, contact Doug Boyd at boydd@ecu.edu or at 252-744-2482.
Stebnicki speaks on Ohio high school shooting
A high school shooting was reported today in suburban Ohio’s Chardon High School, with news reports indicating one killed and four students wounded.
East Carolina University rehabilitation counseling professor Dr. Mark Stebnicki is an expert on crisis response, and served on the crisis response team for the Westside Middle School shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1998. Stebnicki spoke with ECU about today’s shootings:
Q: News reports have indicated that the gunman is possibly a fellow student at the school. Is this the most likely scenario?
A: The majority of shootings that take place in school and workplace settings are perpetrated by students who attend that school, or in the situations of workplace violence- perpetrated by either a current or former employee.
Q: What would lead a young person to commit this sort of crime? What kinds of thought processes go into this behavior?
A: The vast majority of shooters have multiple mental health issues that are longstanding and have been either ignored or not recognized by parents, the schools, and others in the community. Researchers who study risk factors in adolescents at risk look at four primary domains: (a) the individual (e.g., interplay of personality and behavioral characteristics that show high pathology, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders, and those that show disorders of conduct/oppositional defiant) (b) the family (e.g., physical violence or sexual abuse within the family), (c) the community environment which they live (e.g, access to firearms, drugs, gangs), and (d) the school setting (e.g., kids that are bullied by others).
Q: What will be the best course of action for school officials in dealing with the aftereffects for the surviving students?
A: There have been significant advances in therapeutic strategies to help schools and communities cope with critical incidents such as school shootings. Immediate interventions such as critical incident stress debriefings and then later interventions such as individual, group, and family counseling has been successful. Communities pulling together through grieving the loss, making some meaning of the critical incident, spiritual support, and using multiple resources to heal have been important for long term successful healing.
Stebnicki is available for media interviews. He can be reached by e-mail at stebnickim@ecu.edu.
Read more about Stebnicki.
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Qnexa, new anti-obesity medication
The FDA has endorsed an anti-obesity medication, Qnexa, that in trials helped obese patients lose more than 10% of their body weight in the first year of use. Brody School of Medicine professor Dr. Walter Pories, a pioneer in weight-loss surgery, can speak about the medicine and its potential impact on the obesity epidemic in the U.S. Contact Pories. Read more about Qnexa. | |
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ECU Career Fair reflects growing economy
Employers are stepping up their presence at annual university career fairs such as the one scheduled Feb 21 at East Carolina University, a national trend experts say is indicative of an upsurge in employment.
Filled to capacity
Karen Thompson, director of the ECU Career Center, reported a 23 percent increase in the number of employers registered for ECU’s Feb. 21 fair. That event is filled to capacity, she said, with 160 employers registered — a significant increase from the 134 employers that participated in 2011.
Thompson said employers are flocking to university career fairs because these events offer a high return for a minimum of investment. Employers may send one or two recruiters to a career fair and in return receive broad exposure to a large and diverse population of students.
Seeking student interns
Employers scouting out student interns are on the rise as well. In her 26 years working in university career centers, Thompson said she has seen a huge increase in the internship trend.
“It makes good sense,” Thompson said. “With a one-semester investment in an intern, employers have the opportunity to evaluate the skills and strengths of a potential employee at a lower expense for salary and benefits” than hiring that person full time.
“The internship is where the future will be,” Thompson said.
ECU affiliation required
The Feb. 21 event will be held at the Greenville Convention Center from 9 a.m. to noon for education majors and from 10 am to 2 p.m. for others. It’s open to ECU students and graduates. Professional dress, along with proof of enrollment or graduation from ECU, is required for admittance.
For a list of employers attending, visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-studentaffairs/career/students/career_fairs.cfm. For more information on the fair, visit www.ecu.edu/career.
Thompson is available for interviews about the student employment outlook. Contact her at 328-6050 or by e-mail, thompsonkar@ecu.edu.
'Bringing on the puppies' :
Good choices for Super Bowl advertising
Advertisers paid an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second television commercial slot during the Super Bowl game Feb. 5. East Carolina University marketing professor Tracy Tuten, an expert on advertising and consumer behavior, spoke with ECU News Services about the importance of Super Bowl time slots and the ads’ effectiveness.
Q. Why are advertisers willing to pay so much for a time slot during the Super Bowl?
A. Super Bowl is the most important night for advertising because it represents the one chance during the year when the advertiser can reach an audience via television akin to what they were able to reach back in television advertising’s heyday. Once upon a time, consumers tuned in to one of three big networks and television advertisers could reach a large audience with media buys during prime time on one or more of those networks.
Those days are long gone. Advertisers now vie for consumer attention and the entertainment market is fragmented with competition from hundreds of stations, on demand programming, internet programming, and more. The Super Bowl is their one shot at the golden audience in any given year. No wonder then there is so much attention focused on the advertising.
Q. Super Bowl ads are available on the Internet long before and after the actual spot is shown on television. What effect does this have on the decision to buy Super Bowl advertising time?
A. The Internet has made Super Bowl advertising even more valuable by allowing brands to extend their exposure reach and time spent with the message well beyond the time purchased during the actual game with video posts online.
Q. Super Bowl ads are usually discussed for weeks after the game, with television viewers comparing how effective and memorable the ads were. What makes for an effective Super Bowl ad?
A. Some of the principles of effective advertising include the notions that advertising is more memorable if it is congruent with the programming alongside which it is shown, if it includes some novelty to catch attention, and if it utilizes peripheral cues to enhance attention even in low involvement products. And of course, there are the long held beliefs that consumers respond positively and emotionally to puppies and babies.
Anyone watching the Super Bowl on Sunday evening saw all of these principles reflected among the ads shown. The most likable ads were entertaining, surprising, novel (even shocking in some cases), and utilized the creative appeals of humor and sex, among others. Many were calling the advertising component “the puppy bowl.” That’s right – bring on the puppies to ensure success with audiences.
For more insights from Tuten, including additional comments about Super Bowl advertising, visit tracytuten.com.
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Take blood pressure in both arms, study recommends
A new study published in the medical journal The Lancet recommends that physicians take patients' blood pressure in both arms. The study demonstrated that a significant difference between the readings in a patient's right and left arm could be an indicator of serious vascular or heart disease.
Dr. Michael Stoner, a surgery professor and specialist in vascular surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, spoke with ECU News Services about the recommendations. The key point brought out in the study, he said, is that "blood pressure differential is a marker of atherosclerosis and patients who need medical risk factor modification."
Stoner said that the different readings for most patients do not indicate a blockage that needs to be repaired but "rather the factors that caused the blockage (hypertension, hypercolesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking) need to be addressed."
Read the Lancet article. Read a New York Times story about the findings.
To arrange an interview with Stoner, contact Doug Boyd at boydd@ecu.edu or 252-744-2482.
Sidelined for Super Bowl?
With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, New England Patriots and New York Giants fans are abuzz about the health of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose high ankle sprain may affect the game.
Whether the game-breaking Gronkowski will be able to run, cut and jump with as much power as he has all season will depend on how well his ankle has healed.
Dr. Brock Niceler is a board-certified sports medicine specialist and clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. He spoke with ECU News Services about this common football injury.
High ankle sprain is different from a normal sprain
“With a regular ankle sprain the foot inverts and tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle,” Niceler said.
“With a high ankle sprain, the foot is forced into flexion while the foot externally rotates.
“There is connective tissue called a syndesmosis between the tibia and fibula which helps to holds the two bones together,” he said. “This connective tissue tears when the foot is forced into this movement.”
Recovery time varies with severity of the sprain
Athletes will usually complain of pain with walking, made worse with running and even worse with cutting, Niceler said. Recovery varies.
“Mild high ankle sprains can recover within a week; severe high ankle sprains may take months,” Niceler said.
“The majority of high ankle sprains recover in about four weeks. The severity of the high ankle sprain dictates the recovery and limitations of the athlete.
Sports participation will be painful
Most likely an athlete participating in sports two weeks after a high ankle sprain is still in pain. How much pain and how much limitation the athlete has depends on the severity of the injury.”
Treatment, Niceler said, consists of rest, ice and elevation, and when participating in sports the athlete will be taped for extra support.
Read more about Gronkowski’s injury.
To arrange an interview with Niceler, contact ECU News Services – Doug Boyd at 252-744-2482 or boydd@ecu.edu.
Gender, class attendance
ECU professor Dr. Ron Cortright found in his research that poor attendance caused female students' grades to drop more than those of their male counterparts. Read more...
SOPA protests leave Internet users in the dark
Many web users found their favorite web sites out of operation or hosting protest banners this week. Web sites such as Wikipedia and Google joined in the protest of the SOPA/PIPA bills under consideration by lawmakers in Washington, D.C. ECU copyright officer Beth Winstead has studied the bills and their impact. SOPA has been indefinitely tabled by the House, she said, while in the Senate three co-sponsors have withdrawn their support. Here's her take on how passage of the bills might affect the average Internet user.
(For more details, contact her at http://libguides.ecu.edu/profile.php?uid=19152)
Q: Why are web sites like Wikipedia and Google protesting by going dark today?
A: These sites have gone dark to protest the potential of Internet censorship in the SOPA/PIPA bills. Some sites are operating but have banners to bring awareness, while other sites like Wikipedia and Wordpress are totally down for the day.
Q: What are the SOPA/PIPA bills and how will they affect the average Internet user?
A: SOPA/PIPA could mean that sites like Google or Youtube themselves could be taken down without due process if one person published something that infringes on copyright. In Youtube, frequently videos are posted to music without permission to use that music. Youtube takes those down and notifies the creator. Under the proposed bills, the hosting site could be taken down and if anyone posts something knowingly or unknowingly that infringes on copyright they can be prosecuted as a federal criminal.
Q: How might passage of the bills affect research on the Internet? Could it negatively affect tools that students and faculty use for learning?
A: The purpose of copyright was originally in place to increase creativity but to protect the creator. The Internet makes breaking copyright law unintentionally easy. While many people realize they are breaking the law, many who are comment on a story while citing portions of it are in fact breaking the law. Wikipedia has been found to be as accurate if not more accurate than Britannica, so many rely on that information daily. However if someone posts an entry in Wikipedia that infringes on someone else’s copyright, Wikipedia could be shut down immediately for that post. This would be true for other sites that students and scholars depend on for information.
Q: Are there any alternatives to prevent online piracy without such severe limitations?
A: There has been another bill introduced in Congress OPEN (Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act) that seems to have more promise and would place the responsibility for enforcement in the International Trade Commission instead of the Justice Department.
This is a great way to sum this up – in our country we believe a person is innocent until proven guilty. Both SOPA and PIPA do the opposite – they assume the entire website is guilty and the website could be removed immediately without due process.
Diabetes and cooking with Paula Deen
Celebrity Southern chef Paula Deen, famous for her high-fat, high-sugar recipes, announced Tuesday on the Today Show that she was diagnosed three years ago with type-2 diabetes, for which obesity and high caloric diets are a major risk factor. ECU professor of nutrition and dietetics Roman Pawlak is an expert on weight management and community-based approaches to reverse diabetes. He can speak on the impact of a healthy lifestyle on diabetes. Contact Pawlak. View the Today Show announcement.
The Year of the Dragon - 2012
The Chinese New Year, one of the most important and extensive celebrations in the Chinese calendar, begins this year on Jan. 23. Celebrations will usher in the Year of the Dragon. Popular elements for the festivities include the wearing of red clothing, giving children lucky money in red envelopes, enjoing family gatherings and fireworks. ECU anthropology professor Christine B. Avenarius is an expert on Asia and Asian culture and can speak in detail about the annual celebration. Contact Avenarius. Read more about the Chinese New Year.
Gas prices jump in 2012
Following a steady drop before the holiday season, gas prices jumped in North Carolina with the arrival of the new year. That increase was driven in part by changes in state and federal taxes. ECU economics professor Dr. Carson Bays is an expert on factors affecting the price at the pump. He discussed additional factors that affect the price of gas in a Dec. 27 interview on WNCT-TV News. Read and/or listen to Bays' WNCT interview. For additional information, download Bays' research on the topic. Contact Bays.
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