December 7, 1999

Here are descriptions of the radio stories available on the Ohio State University Info Line, December 10 through December 17, 1999. Stories are changed at noon. All feeds include one wraparound report of approximately 1:00 and at least one other actuality plus background material. If you have questions, want additional information, or need a re-feed of a missed story, call Amy Murray at 614-292-8385.

Friday 12/10-Monday 12/13 - Outgoing Columbus Mayor Gregory Lashutka will deliver the commencement address during Ohio State’s autumn ceremony on Friday (12/10). Approximately 1,400 graduates will receive degrees during the ceremony, which begins at 9:30 a.m. in St. John Arena. Lashutka earned his bachelor’s degree in history in 1967 from Ohio State, where he was co-captain of the Buckeye football team in 1965. He played football for the Buffalo Bills briefly and serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy before graduating from Capital University Law School in 1974. Lashutka was twice elected Columbus city attorney and twice elected Columbus mayor.

Monday 12/13-Wednesday 12/15 - The sounds of a race car as it tears around a track reveal not only engine performance, but the driver’s technique and racing team’s strategy. Engineers at Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have developed a method of computer analysis that ‘listens’ to the sounds coming from a car and extracts valuable information. Professor Giorgio Rizzoni, director of CAR, says deciphering useful information from engine noise isn’t easy but can provide a wealth of information.

Wednesday 12/15-Friday 12/17 - Children who use too much fluoride toothpaste before age 6 may run an increased risk of developing a condition that discolors teeth. Ohio State University Dentistry Professor Ana Karina Mascarenhas studied children who had developed fluorosis, a primarily aesthetic condition that affects adult teeth during their development. Children in the study who had used a fluoride toothpaste before the age of 6 had almost twice the rate of fluorosis as children not exposed to fluoride toothpaste. In the U.S., about 95% of children use fluoride toothpaste. Mascarenhas says the results don’t mean children shouldn’t brush with fluoride toothpaste. But parents should make sure a child uses no more than a pea-sized amount each time they brush. She also says there may be a need for a children’s strength fluoride toothpaste.

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.