May 21, 2001

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Ohio State's news, experts and events give you more on the news

News
“Cold” laser beam improves welding, saves money – Arc welding has been used for decades to join metal parts on everything from cars to boats to airplanes. The basic method has remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Now, engineers at Ohio State have devised a way to improve the precision of arc welding, and even to help manufacturers save energy and equipment costs. Charles Albright, a professor of industrial, welding and systems engineering, and his colleagues found a way to guide the position of welds with a special low-power laser beam. They call the newly patented technique Laser Assisted Arc Welding (LAAW). Albright says the real payoff of using the LAAW system would likely come from lower equipment costs. Contact Charles Albright, (614) 292-2570.

Experts
New cholesterol guidelines call for stricter health practices – Physicians are going to expect better adherence to treatment guidelines from their patients who risk heart disease because of high cholesterol levels, thanks to new guidelines recently released by the National Institutes of Health. Ohio State University cardiologist David Frid says the new guidelines – which call for higher HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lower LDL cholesterol, may be hard for people to meet. But the new guidelines give a more thorough picture of a person’s likelihood of developing heart disease. The new cholesterol guidelines have been long awaited. The last update came in 1993. Contact David Frid, (614) 293-7777.

Events
Lecture presents “Sassy Women” – May 22. The College of Humanities presents its tenth Inaugural Lecture of the year on Tuesday (5/22) at the Faculty Club, 181 S. Oval Drive. Professor Jacqueline Jones Royster, Department of English, will present “Sassy Women,” discussing how the rhetoric of African-American women can influence socio-political belief to carry out an agenda for social reform. Contact Shari Lorbach, Humanities, (614) 292-1882.