February 9, 1999

Here are descriptions of the radio stories available on the Ohio State University Info Line, February 12 through February 19, 1999. Stories are changed at noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you need a re-feed of a missed story, please call Amy Murray at 614-292-8385.

Friday 2/12-Monday 2/15 - Bacteria from contaminated meat products has sickened and killed many in Ohio and 10 other states since December. The Centers for Disease Control has traced the listeria bacteria to hot dogs and deli meat handled at a plant in Zeeland, Michigan. Listeriosis is treatable with antibiotics, but can be fatal in people with weak immune systems, elderly, pregnant women or newborns. Winston Bash, director of Ohio State’s Food Industries Center, says listeria can be found in raw or processed foods. He says the effort to recall possibly tainted meat has grown over the past few weeks.

Monday 2/15-Wednesday 2/17 - Contrary to common belief, most youths who refuse offers to join a gang do so without suffering serious physical harm. In fact, young people are more likely to be hurt in gang initiation rituals than they are by refusing to join. Ron Huff, director of Ohio State’s Criminal Justice Research Center, studied gangs in four cities. He says the most common initiation ritual for new members is getting beaten up. And most gang members get involved in criminal activity. Huff has tips for ‘politely’ refusing gang membership.

Wednesday 2/17-Friday 2/19 - A combination of an insecure man with a dismissive woman may make domestic violence more likely in a relationship. Patrick McKenry, a professor of human development and family science at Ohio State, studied 149 couples to see how their attachment style--the way each partner thought about and responded to the other--was related to violence by men against their wives. McKenry says violence was most likely to occur when a man felt unsure about his partner’s love, and was extremely jealous and fearful of rejection.

All feeds include one wraparound report of approximately 1:00 and at least one other actuality plus background material. If you have questions or want additional information, call Amy Murray at 614-292-8385.

Many news outlets are getting our news releases electronically. Would you like to receive your weekly Info Line rundown via e-mail? It’s faster than the postal service and offers less chance for bad addresses, lost or damaged mail. We can e-mail this and other news releases directly to your computer. E-mail Amy at murray-goedde.1@osu.edu or call 614-292-8385 to make arrangements.

www.osu.edu is Ohio State’s Internet address. News releases (including this rundown sheet) from University Communications and many other offices are posted on the website. The site is also a great source for answers to frequently asked questions about OSU.