Story Ideas for Media 8/12/08
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.
Research
Ohio State researchers explore more benefits of aspirin. For decades, physicians have been prescribing aspirin for patients experiencing heart attack symptoms or as a preventive measure for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease. A recent study by medical researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center indicates that aspirin may also increase the amount and quality of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol, the body produces, which could have significant benefits beyond its common use. Study results are published in the August issue of the Journal of Lipid Research.
"We were able to show that aspirin might induce the production of the protein components of HDL, which takes cholesterol out of the plaque and moves it back to the liver where it can be utilized," said Sampath Parthasarathy, a researcher in the division of cardiothoracic surgery at OSU Medical Center. "While aspirin has been used for its anti-inflammatory properties, we are hoping to create a new level of interest in its potential benefits."
Parthasarathy is leading a team of researchers, using a five-year, $1.88 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, to continue the study and determine in what other ways aspirin can be beneficial. CONTACT: Doug Flowers, Medical Center Communications, (614) 293-3737, SEE: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/press/article.cfm?ID=4155
Events
Buckeye Cheerleaders report to camp – Aug. 15. Ohio State's 2008-09 cheerleading team reports to fall camp this week. The cheerleaders, who promote spirit and support for the university and to encourage positive crowd participation at Ohio State events, are fan favorites and appear at university events throughout the year. Cheerleaders report on Friday (8/15). Media are welcome to their first practice, which begins at 2 p.m. at French Field House, 460 Woody Hayes Dr. CONTACT: Judy Bunting, (614) 688-3038.
Media invited to "Operation: Military Kids' camp on Kelleys Island – Aug. 13 and 15. For the fourth consecutive year, an "Operation: Military Kids" summer camp will be held at the Kelleys Island 4-H Camp, Aug. 11-15. A total of 168 campers age 9 -14 from military families across Ohio will attend. Most have a parent who is currently deployed or preparing to deploy in the near future. Campers will participate in traditional camp activities and workshops including archery, digital photography, bottle rockets, crafts and canoeing. But there are also features built into camp that make it special for children of military parents. The camp is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program, "Operation: Military Kids" and the Ohio National Guard Family Readiness Program.
Media are invited to visit the camp and are encouraged to attend Wednesday (8/13) or Friday (8/15). To visit the camp, media must make pre-arrangements so they can be met at the Kelleys Island dock and taken to the camp. CONTACT: Sue Ann Carroll, State Youth Coordinator, Ohio National Guard, (614) 336-7456 or (614) 302-8227 (cell).
Ohio State hosts international conference on Shroud of Turin – Aug. 14-17. Scientists, scholars and researchers from around the world will gather at Ohio State for a conference to discuss the controversial Shroud of Turin, the reputed burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth and one of the most intensely-studied artifacts in human history. "The Shroud of Turin: Perspectives on a Multifaceted Enigma" takes place Thursday – Sunday (8/14-17) at The Blackwell, 2110 Tuttle Park Place. The event commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Shroud of Turin Research Project group's investigation and the 20th anniversary of the Carbon-14 (C-14) dating of the Shroud. The conference, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the Shroud Science Internet Group. More information is at the conference website. CONTACT: Latina A. D. Rockhold, (614) 688-3310.
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.
