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August 8, 2002
1. Keeping children safe
2. Identifying at-risk female athletes
3. $1 million to help others
4. Fighting Huntington's disease with bile acid
5. Humans before machines
6. New hazardous emissions
7. U of M Happenings
8. Links
U IN THE NEWS
Keeping children safe
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In light of recent and highly publicized child kidnappings around the country, University of Minnesota parenting expert Terrie Rose says "it's important to talk with your children about what they see on the news to help them feel at ease." According to Rose, associate director of the Irving Harris Center for Infant and Toddler Development, communication is the key to safeguarding your children.
"Asking about their worries, role-playing scenarios, and talking about available resources can help them manage their anxiety and make good decisions when they are home alone," Rose says.
When are children ready to be left home alone? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. In many states, including Minnesota, there are no laws that specify the age at which children can legally be left alone (*see note at end of article). Age is not a reliable guide. There are several additional factors that influence whether it is appropriate to leave a child alone, even for short periods of time. Among them:
Maturity--A child should show signs that he or she can be responsible, can think about options, and make decisions independently. How well children can follow instructions, how they respond in unexpected situations, and how well they control their emotions are all indicators of their maturity level. For many children, these abilities begin between the ages of 10 and 12. Most children younger than 10 are not developmentally ready to make the responsible decisions required to be left alone safely.
Neighborhood safety--If the neighborhood is unsafe, if there are no familiar adults nearby to call in case of an emergency, or if the child is afraid of being left alone, it usually is best to continue to use some form of child care.
Skills--To be left alone, children need to learn specific skills. These include things like how to respond to strangers, how to respond to emergencies and to call emergency numbers, how to safely prepare food for themselves, how to contact a nearby adult for help, and how to contact their parents. They need to know when it is not safe to enter the house and what to do when they are bored. If children are going to care for younger siblings while they are home alone, a different set of special skills is required.
Practicing these skills is also important. Just knowing what to do to be safe does not necessarily mean a child would apply that knowledge in a stressful or frightening situation. Many parents have been surprised at how easily their young child can be persuaded by strangers to violate the rules parents thought the child knew.
*NOTE: Although there are no specific Minnesota laws specifying ages at which children can be left alone, several counties have guidelines used to assess whether children are properly supervised. Contact your county child protection office to find out your county's guidelines.
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Identifying at-risk female athletes
Girls who participate in weight-related sports are 1.5 times more likely than non-participants to engage in a disordered eating behavior. This finding, which recently garnered media attention across the nation, came from research conducted at the University of Minnesota.
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The study, led by Nancy Sherwood in the University's School of Public Health also reveals other risk factors--depression; a history of sexual abuse; or abuse of cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana--that can be used to identify girls who are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders.
"Although weight-related sports involvement has been associated [in previous studies] with elevated risk for eating disorders, not all youth involved in [these sports] display symptoms," Sherwood says. Identifying what differentiates those who display eating disorder behaviors from those who do not, she explains, may help identify vulnerable youth.
To better characterize the young women at greatest risk, Sherwood and her colleagues analyzed selected data from a 1995-96 survey of adolescent health in Connecticut. The sub-sample included 5,174 female public school students in the seventh, ninth, and eleventh grades. The investigators placed a girl in the "disordered eating behavior" category if she reported attempting to lose weight or prevent weight gain during the previous week by forcing herself to vomit, using diet pills, or taking laxatives or diuretics. The researchers did not use survey data for less extreme behaviors, such as eating less to lose or keep from gaining weight, because these self-described actions do not necessarily indicate eating disorders. Their findings appear in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
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$1 million to help others
Lyle Kasprick, who was raised on a farm near Angus, Minn., and attended the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) before it became University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), said that he and his wife designated their $1 million gift for scholarships because "helping others is the right thing to do."
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The academic scholarship commitment from Lyle and Kathleen Kasprick to UMC is the largest gift ever made to the campus. Letters they received from UMC students who received scholarships funded by an earlier gift of theirs also motivated them. "The letters we've received from those kids make us feel that the world's going to be all right, as long as we give these young people a fighting chance," says Lyle Kasprick.
After graduating from the NWSA in 1950, Lyle went on to complete a degree in business administration at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He worked in public accounting and later went into business for himself as a private investor. Kathleen graduated from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. The couple reside in Orono, Minn., and have four adult children.
"These scholarships provide students with funds at a time when the cost of attending college continues to rise," says UMC Chancellor Don Sargeant. "The Kasprick gift is not only a great investment in students, it is a great investment in society."
The Kaspricks' gift will count toward Campaign Minnesota, the University's $1.3 billion fund-raising campaign that runs through June 2003. As of June 30, $1.365 billion has been raised across the University system.
With the Kaspricks' gift, the total of gifts and pledges raised during Campaign Minnesota specifically designated for the UMC campus has now surpassed $6.4 million. The goal for the campus was $5 million.
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Fighting Huntington's disease with bile acid
University of Minnesota researchers have found that a nontoxic bile acid produced in the body prevents apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in mice with Huntington's disease.
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In a study, led by Walter Low, professor of neurosurgery in the University's Medical School, a dose of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) was administered subcutaneously once every third day for six weeks to mice with the Huntington's disease (HD) gene. Researchers found TUDCA was able to cross the blood-brain barrier, something many molecules are unable to do, resulting in decreased apoptosis in the section of the brain affected by HD and improving the neurological cell function in the mice. HD is an untreatable neurological disorder caused by selective and progressive degeneration of neural cells.
"We're extremely encouraged by the neuroprotective function of TUDCA in Huntington's disease and will be examining its potential in future studies," says Low. The finding was published in the July 29 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.
The bile acid's anti-apoptotic qualities were originally discovered in the laboratory of Clifford Steer, co-author of the article and director of the University's molecular gastroenterology program.
"We determined that this bile acid was unique in its ability to maintain the integrity of mitochondria, which is so important for normal cell function," says Steer. "By so doing, the TUDCA was able to significantly reduce brain cell death in a variety of conditions, including acute stroke, in rats. We were interested to see if this would be the case in Huntington's disease as well. What's exciting about TUDCA, in addition to its remarkable anti-apoptotic quality, is that it's made in our own bodies and causes virtually no side effects when given as a drug. TUDCA may even have potential for treating other chronic neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)."
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Humans before machines
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The HumanFIRST Program's state-of-the-art VESTR driving simulator.
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To create transportation systems that can improve traffic safety, one must focus on driver performance. And it is this mortal element that lies at the heart of the University of Minnesota's new HumanFIRST Program, an interdisciplinary and scientific approach that considers the characteristics of human beings in the design of road systems.
"Data indicate that most crashes and fatalities are a direct result of driver error," says Max Donath, director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute (ITS) at the University's Center for Transportation Studies. "We need to design systems that accommodate human limitations and compensate for them. The HumanFIRST Program will try to understand the underlying issues and recommend improvements so that driver errors are significantly reduced."
Much of the research in the HumanFIRST (Human Factors Interdisciplinary Research in Simulation and Transportation) Program is conducted on one of the most advanced academic simulators in North America, the Virtual Environment for Surface Transportation Research (VESTR) driving simulator. VESTR comprises a 2002 SC2 full vehicle cab donated by Saturn, a 210-degree high-resolution visual scene, software that can project any type of road or weather environment, and a three-dimensional surround-sound system.
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Taking a spin in the VESTR, which can project various driving and weather conditions.
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The VESTR, in addition to on-the-road studies at closed test tracks, aids researchers in proposing, designing, and evaluating innovative methods to improve transportation safety based on a scientific understanding of driver performance and psychological processes associated with traffic crashes. This involves considering how a driver will accept and use a proposed system and the possibility of it producing undesirable driver responses and adaptation (e.g., distraction, complacency, fatigue, risk-taking) that could undermine a system's goal of improved safety.
The HumanFIRST program is a reconfiguration of the ITS Institute's former Human Factors Research Laboratory and has a core staff of transportation research specialists made up of cognitive psychologists and software engineers who work with research units across the University, including the Center for Transportation Studies; Center for Cognitive Science; Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory; Human/Machine Design Laboratory; Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Vision Laboratory; Regional Injury Prevention Research Center; and Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research.
"Because traffic safety is multifaceted, an interdisciplinary approach is needed to consider all relevant factors," says Nicholas Ward, HumanFIRST program director.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety are also connected to the program; a plus, says Ward, for implementing research that will influence transportation policy in response to real-world problems both regionally and nationally.
For more information about the HumanFIRST Program, see www.humanfirst.umn.edu or call 612-626-1077.
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New hazardous emissions
While great strides have been made in reducing harmful vehicle emissions in recent years, University researcher David Kittelson says much smaller and potentially more dangerous "nanoparticles" may be slipping through pollution-control devices. In fact, the highly volatile, submicron-sized particles could well be an unintended byproduct of the very systems developed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
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University researcher David Kittelson.
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Using a mobile aerosol lab, Kittelson, co-director of the University's Center for Diesel Research (CDR), has found high concentrations of ultrafine particles and nanoparticles over urban Minnesota freeways. The particles, much smaller in mass than those addressed by current emissions standards, raise new health concerns because they elude most existing filtration systems and, when inhaled, may be deposited in deep-lung tissue.
"Though the particles are volatile, they may be relatively insoluble," he says. "This could influence their behavior in biological systems." Kittelson suggests the tiny particles may play a part in causing asthma, heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, or increased hospital admissions for other reasons.
What's more, ultra-fine and nanoparticles can be tough to measure in the laboratory because they're not found in the tailpipe, but form as the exhaust dilutes and cools as it mixes with ambient air. This process is very sensitive to the environment and difficult to simulate in the atmosphere. Particle concentrations on roadways are much higher than those in downwind because roadway plumes dilute quickly, he explains.
But the most surprising result of the research, Kittelson says, is the discovery that concentrations of nanoparticles are inversely related to road congestion--high-speed, free-flowing traffic produces higher concentrations. The material that leads to nanoparticle formation, heavy hydrocarbons and sulfuric acid, appears to be stored in the tailpipe as vehicles move slowly under congested conditions. When the vehicles are operating at highway speed under noncongested conditions, the exhaust system heats up and these materials cook out, leading to the formation of large numbers of nanoparticles.
Because nanoparticle concentrations drop off rapidly as you move away from the source, they are more likely to form a "hotspot" than create a regional problem. Consequently, roadside joggers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as professional drivers who spend a lot of time on busy highways, are most at risk. Kittelson notes that the worst concentrations of nanoparticle emissions are likely to be along higher-speed roadways and freeway ramps. Larger airports where jet engines are in use may be another hotspot.
In 1999, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Coordinating Research Council awarded CDR a $1.8 million project to compare on-road and laboratory measurements of diesel engine exhaust size distributions. The overall goal is to develop methods that allow ambient highway, diesel-size distributions to be duplicated in the diesel-test laboratory.
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U OF M HAPPENINGS
Come for the Finnish tango, stay for the Finnish fun. Ralph Tuttila, a musician and dancer, will be giving tango lessons as part of FinnFest 2002, running from Wednesday, Aug. 7, to Sunday, Aug. 11, on the Twin Cities campus. Tango lessons will be Thursday at 3 p.m. in the University field house; cost is $5 (free for children 16 and younger). Not into tango? Then check out www.finnfest02.org or call 651-647-0200 for a complete list of other FinnFest events, which include a genealogy workshop and a Finnish-American variety show in the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion.
Maroon and Gold Day at the Minnesota State Fair will be Sunday, Aug. 25. There will be activities galore on the U of M stage next to the University's building on Dan Patch Avenue (halfway between the main Snelling Avenue entrance and the grandstand). So mark your calendar now and read more about University activities at the time-honored State Fair in the next issue of E-News.
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LINKS
Hey, Sports Fans! Check out sports news and schedules of the U's teams:
Gophers
Duluth Bulldogs
Morris Cougars
Crookston Golden Eagles
Campaign Minnesota: Learn more about this fund-raising effort to build excellence in every corner of the U.
University of Minnesota Alumni Association: Your membership makes a difference.
U of M Legislative Network: Read about the University's legislative request and how you can help.
University of Minnesota Systemwide Home Page
U of M E-News is a biweekly e-mail newsletter for alumni and friends of the University of Minnesota. The newsletter, a free information source prepared by University Relations, is designed to help alumni and friends stay connected to the University of Minnesota campuses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crookston, Morris and Duluth.
PRIVACY POLICY
© 2002 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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