9/29/99
9/29/99
Here is the September edition of the Ohio State University Research News Service. The stories below report on only a few of the research projects under way here. If you have any questions about this work or other Ohio State research, please call.
Researchers long believed that post-menopausal women undergoing hormone replacement therapy may also gain an added reduction in their risk of developing coronary artery disease. But when a major study released last year showed no such reduction in risk, cardiologists wondered why. Now, a new study may reveal part of the reason: The gene that’s responsible for making receptors to the hormone estrogen might be “out of service” as a consequence of atherosclerosis, preventing the formation of the receptor. (From a recent issue of the journal Cardiovascular Research.) Contact: Pascal Goldschmidt, (614) 688-5779.
As microelectronics pack more high-powered computer chips into ever-shrinking spaces, cooling these devices becomes more difficult. Ohio State researchers have developed a heat sink, or cooling system, that is more efficient than current designs. In simulations, a microelectronic circuit using the new heat sink design heated up only about one third as much as a circuit using a conventional heat sink. Makers of computers, lasers, and other devices may benefit from the new design. (From a recent issue of the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.) Contact: Kambiz Vafai, (614) 292-6560.
A drug legally given before a race to horses for a certain medical condition is suspected of having a positive effect on their performance. The drug, called furosemide, is often given to racehorses with a history of bleeding in the respiratory tract -- or exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging. The study found horses given furosemide prior to a race were 1.4 times more likely to win a race, 1.2 times more likely to finish in the top three and earned an average of $416.00 more than the horses not receiving the drug. (From a recent issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.) Contact: Kenneth Hinchcliff, (614) 292-7105.