Story Ideas for Media 7/21/08
Experts
The Olympics and air pollution. Because air pollution can affect the health and performance of athletes, the Chinese government has initiated efforts to reduce air pollution in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.
Qinghua Sun, a public health researcher at The Ohio State University, will lead a study to determine if targeted reduction in air pollution benefits cardiovascular health.
The Chinese government has already closed some streets and relocated large manufacturing plants away from central Beijing. The government will impose additional short-term limits on traffic and remaining manufacturing facilities during the Olympics and Paralympics.
The study will extend several months after the Games to determine if cardiovascular health worsens after the short-term improvements end. The study is sponsored by The Ohio State University and New York University, with the help of Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing, China.
Qinghua Sun, MD, PhD, The Ohio State University College of Public Health http://cph.osu.edu/divisions/ehs/ehsfacstaff/sunq/
CONTACT: Christine O'Malley, (614) 293-9406 or
Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.
A look at Olympics and controversy throughout history. Ohio State's Department of History publishes a monthly online magazine that covers and updates current events with an historical perspective. In honor of the upcoming Olympic Games, the publication, "Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective" offers "Playing Politics: Olympic Controversies Past and Present."
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have already generated a great deal of political controversy around the world. Protesters have used the Olympic torch relay as a stage from which to protest China's human rights record, and in response Chinese activists have denounced the protests.
Origins is a publication from the Public History Initiative and eHistory in the History Department at OSU. In each issue, an academic expert analyzes a particular current issue - political, cultural, or social – in a larger, deeper historical context. Recent topics include the mortgage crisis, the 2008 Taiwan elections, the meaning of 'Muslim Fundamentalist', and violence in Kenya. SEE: http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/origins/article.cfm?articleid=17
Research
Ohio State survey: Most effective dental braces are least attractive. When it comes to the attractiveness of orthodontic braces, less metal is better, according to a recent survey.
The study of the public's attitude about the attractiveness of various styles of braces indicates that the types of dental appliances with no visible metal were considered the most attractive. Braces that combine clear ceramic brackets with thin metal or clear wires were a less desirable option, and braces with metal brackets and metal wires were rated as the least aesthetic combination.
"The paradox is that the more aesthetic these dental appliances are, the more difficult they are to manage for the orthodontist," said senior study author Henry Fields, professor and division chair of orthodontics at Ohio State University. "But those are what people like the most."
The survey did not ask respondents about the attractiveness of decorative and colorful elastic modules that attach the wires to the braces, which have become popular among some teen-agers in the past few years. CONTACT: Henry Fields, (614) 292-1120. SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/metaldental.htm
Events
LIVESTRONG Summit features Presidential Town Hall on Cancer – July 24. The Lance Armstrong Foundation is collaborating with Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center to host the 2008 LIVESTRONG Summit. Champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong will be visiting Ohio State as part of the event, which takes place July 24-27. The summit includes the LIVESTRONG Presidential Town Hall on Cancer at 7 p.m. on Thursday (7/24) in Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N High St. Senator John McCain will share his cancer plan and answer questions from the audience. Lance Armstrong will moderate the event. CONTACT: www.livestrong.org.
Ohio State to host Big Ten conference on sportsmanship – July 25-27. In an effort to help improve sportsmanship in the Big Ten Conference, students from The Ohio State University will host their peers from the league July 25-27 at a conference focused on sportsmanship. Ohio State's student-led Sportsmanship Council launched the Best Fans in the Land campaign in 2006 and has taken a lead role in helping to promote good sportsmanship at athletics events.
Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee will kick off the conference at 3 p.m., Friday (7/25) in Ohio Stadium, Home Media Room (enter Gate 32), 411 Woody Hayes Dr.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany will provide a keynote address at noon on Saturday (7/26) in the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC), Room 246, 337 West 17th Ave.
More than 60 students and staff from other Big Ten universities are expected to attend the conference and to learn how to create successful programs that provide for a positive game-day experience for all fans. CONTACT: Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110.
Bio-products forum features new developments – July 23. Reporters interested in Ohio's efforts to become a leader in renewable industrial products are invited to cover the Bio-based Composite Materials Emerging Technology Forum. The forum will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday (7/23) at Ohio State's first "green" building, the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Dr. CONTACT: Mauricio Espinoza, (330) 621-6541.
The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Liz Cook, (614) 292-7276; Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748; Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110; or Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.
