Wichita State News: Research

WSU research could improve prognosis for battlefield injuries

Mon, 6 May 2013 15:30:00 CST

Leg and arm injuries sustained in the battlefield are made worse when splinting devices used by military medics don't provide ideal stabilization of the injured extremity.

But a project under way by Wichita State University research engineer Kim Reuter aims to change that. Reuter is working on the development of novel materials for a fast-setting composite stabilization device.

It would initially enable shape manipulation and then harden to create a stiff, protective, custom-shaped splint. The splint would provide more stability than current devices being used today, Reuter said.

The important features of the splint include portability, ease of use and improved support and protection.

Why is this so important?

Reuter said protecting injured limbs from further vascular, neural and soft tissue damage during transport to a medical treatment center will result in less bleeding, less pain, and faster recovery.

It could also provide a potentially life-altering benefit to the injured person.

"The increased protection and support during transport could mean the difference between keeping or losing a limb," Reuter said.

Along with use in the battlefield, the improved splints could be used in daily life – added to first aid kit for emergency responders, athletic trainers, school nurses, outdoor enthusiasts, or parents.

Outperforming traditional splints

The project is paid for by a $1.39 million grant from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. The grant was awarded in 2011 to WSU, and the work is being completed by NIAR's Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopedic Research (CIBOR).

The composite materials being researched for the splint include a resin that instantly begins to cure when it comes in contact with the reinforcement fabric; and a resin that is mixed in a closed-air environment and, when exposed to oxygen, begins to polymerize.

In preliminary trials, these composite splints outperformed the traditional splint currently being used by the military. Reuter, who is in her second year working in this project, said the next steps are to finalize the material selection, fabricate prototypes and perform testing.

"This is just one of the many ways that the composite technology of the aerospace industry can be applied to the medical industry," Reuter said. "The CIBOR team is excited to be exploring composites for orthopedic applications."

Veteran still breaking ground after 30 years of research

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:02:00 CST

Ken Pitetti, a professor of physical therapy at Wichita State University, has dedicated his career to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities — a career that, he supposes, began as a platoon leader of the 101st Airborne, when he lost part of his right leg in the jungles of Vietnam.

The post-Vietnam War era was a hard time in America for veterans such as Pitetti.

"This country spat on us, literally and figuratively, after the war," Pitetti said, lamenting the poor treatment of veterans — able and disabled alike.

In 1983, while working on his doctoral dissertation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, his prosthetic leg began to deteriorate. Pitetti went to the prosthetic clinic at the VA Medical Center in Dallas to see about getting a replacement. It just so happened that he had his text books with him.

Frank Gottschalk, attending physician of the prosthetic clinic, noticed his biochemistry book and started and talking with him about the frequency with which disabled veterans were showing up at hospitals with signs of heart disease and early onset diabetes. Gottschalk offered Pitetti the chance to helm a research study on the subject on the spot, which led to the two of them co-authoring a study on aerobic training improving fitness in lower extremity amputees.

That study began a prolific career of research and study covering a spectrum of physical and mental disabilities, from the effects of treadmill training on children with cerebral palsy to a study of physical fitness and activity in children with Down Syndrome.

An impressive work ethic

Pitetti's body of work, as well as his work ethic, continue to impress and inspire his Wichita State colleagues, including Dr. Cam Wilson, chair of the department of Physical Therapy.

"He is an amazing individual," she said, "If you looked up master teacher in the dictionary, there ought to be a picture of Ken's face."

Some of Pitetti's current research, in keeping with much of the rest of his career, is involved in developing a manual to evaluate the balance and coordination of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

In addition to his work at Wichita State, Pitetti also works with the Association of Retarded Citizens of Sedgwick County's Youth Education Summer Socialization Program (YESS.) YESS is a 9-week summer education and recreation program designed to help students retain information learned in school and to improve social and communicative skills.

Prime of his career

Pitetti's work has helped more than just students in Sedgwick County — his work, and the work of his colleagues, has provided indispensable to the field.

"Twenty years ago we had no insight into the physical capabilities of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities," he said. "Since then, volumes have been written and published, and much is known about the truly amazing capacities of these young people."

At 66, Pitetti's career has shown no signs of slowing down — having co-authored nearly 40 research studies since 2002 alone with no plans of calling it quits any time soon.

"I feel in the prime of my career right now," Pitetti said. "I'm getting paid to do what I love, so why stop?"

He wasn't always so sure though. Pitetti had contemplated retirement in the past, and talked it over with friends and family, but jokingly attributes Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder as his inspiration to stay on.

"He's 74 years old and he just signed on for five more years," Pitetti said, laughing.

WSU releases revised Wichita metropolitan area indices

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:00 CST

The Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University has compiled the current and leading indices to provide insights into the present and future state of the Wichita economy.

The WSU Current Conditions Index is designed to give an indication of the present conditions of the Wichita metropolitan area economy.

The WSU Leading Economic Indicators Index is designed to give an indication of where the Wichita economy is headed over the next six months.

Click here to read the full report.

Patenting activity on the rise in Kansas

Tue, 7 May 2013 08:41:00 CST

In 2012 there were 2,756 patents granted to inventors living in Kansas. This represented 1.90 patents per 1,000 workers, slightly below the national average of 1.96 patents per 1,000 workers.

Although the current level of patenting activity in Kansas is below the national average, the growth in patenting activity of 6.3 percent in Kansas between 1980 and 2012 was above the average annualized rate, among the states, of 5.3 percent.

The Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research has analyzed the Strumsky Patent Database of The Brookings Institution for each Metropolitan Statistical Area in Kansas.

Go here to read the full report.

WSU group helps Wichita City Hall reduce electricity use, costs

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:47:00 CST

Wichita State University industrial and manufacturing engineering faculty Bill Wentz, Michael Overcash and Janet Twomey led the Industrial Sustainability Initiative group that collaborated with Wichita City Hall to lower lighting use and cost at the building.

The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, allowed City Hall's team, led by Rebecca Lewis, environmental services, and Kay Johnson, manager of environmental initiatives, to purchase and install occupancy sensors in offices on eight floors in the building. The Wichita State group analyzed the effects and results of the automatic lights.

The WSU team projected $280,000 in savings over the next 10 years for City Hall—the result of a 10 percent light electricity reduction, or 620,000 pounds less carbon dioxide emissions per year at Westar Energy power plants.

Wichita State College of Engineering's involvement in the project was sponsored by the Sam Bloomfield Chair in Sustainable Engineered Systems—a part of WSU's Sam and Rie Bloomfield Foundation.

WSU professors' research could enhance quality of human life

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 15:35:00 CST

Coronary stents have saved a lot of lives over the years, but there is a growing interest in what happens when a stent stays inside the body for too long.

With that in mind, Wichita State assistant industrial and manufacturing engineering professor Anil Mahapatro is focusing his research on the investigation of biodegradable metallic stents.

Mahapatro, who came to WSU in August 2011, is collaborating with associate mechanical engineering professor Ramazan Asmatulu and Li Yao, assistant biology professor.

The goal of their research is to someday develop metallic implants, including cardiovascular stents, that will safely dissolve inside a person's body.

"There exists a critical clinical need, as well as a growing interest, in development of biodegradable stents," Mahapatro said.

About biodegradable stents

A biodegradable metal is a metal that would degrade inside the body without causing any harm to the human body. Biodegradable metallic implants are being explored for applications that currently use permanent metallic implants but do not required those implants to be in the body lifelong.

Examples include cardiovascular stents and orthopedic fracture fixation devices. Coronary stents are placed during a percutaneous coronary intervention procedure, better known as an angioplasty, for treating coronary artery diseases resulting from narrowing of coronary arteries.

A stent is a tubular mesh-like scaffold that is placed and expanded inside a coronary artery during angioplasty.

There have been many arguments within the medical research community over the potential benefits of having the stent removed after 12-18 months, by which time most of stents have fulfilled their purpose.

Mahapatro said the most obvious argument for stent removal is the fact that the stent is a foreign object, and its presence is associated with the potential for inflammatory reactions and other damage.

Researchers also worry that the long-term presence of a stent could cause remodeling of the arterial wall in a person's heart.

But a biodegradable stent would provide a temporary opening to a narrowed arterial vessel. When the vessel is fixed, the stent would progressively disappear.

A successful biodegradable stent could possibly phase out other long-term clinical problems sometimes associated with traditional metallic implants, Mahapatro said.

Contributing to society's well-being

The research being done by Mahapatro, Asmatulu and Yao includes the testing of magnesium-based alloys as possible metallic biodegradable stent material.

Typically, pure magnesium corrodes too quickly, losing its mechanical integrity before the tissue has had time to heal.

One of the focuses of their research is to develop surface coatings and modification strategies to control and slow the biodegradation rates of magnesium-based materials.

Mahapatro's interest in this line of work started with casual discussions with clinicians and slowly evolved from there.

"Being involved in biomaterials and biomedical engineering research enables me not only to be involved in basic and applied research, but also in contributing to the well-being of the society by developing medical technologies that improve and enhance the quality of human life."

WSU: Airline performance in 2012 second best ever

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:30:00 CST

Airline performance in 2012 was the second highest in 23 years that researchers have tracked the performance of airlines. Passengers are experiencing better performance by the airlines, although it might cost more to fly.

The performance of the nation's leading carriers in 2012 was nearly identical to the best year ever in 2011 (http://airlinequalityrating.com), according to the 23rd annual national Airline Quality Rating.

The rankings released today (Monday, April 8) at the National Press Club show that of the 14 carriers rated for performance in both 2011 and 2012, seven airlines improved, five airlines declined and two are new to the rankings, including the overall No. 1 performing airline, Virgin America.

The Airline Quality Rating is a joint research project funded as part of faculty research activities at Wichita State University and Purdue University.

The industry improved in two of the four elements of the AQR: on-time performance and baggage handling. Involuntary denied boardings and the customer complaint rate were higher in 2012.

The AQR score reflects commendable efforts by the airline industry to serve customers in a capacity limited air travel system, according to Dean Headley, associate professor of marketing at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University.

"As the system adjusts to increasing demand for air travel with a limited capacity of seats available, operations must be carefully handled for things to go as planned for travelers," said Headley. "During 2012, the industry improved the mishandled baggage rate by 8 percent, suggesting that most airlines are working hard to accommodate customers. Still, nearly a third of the customer complaints for 2012 were for flight problems, such as unplanned schedule changes, delays and cancellations.

"When you look at the past 13 years, you find that the airline industry performs most efficiently when the system isn't stressed by high passenger volume and high number of airplanes in the air. Every time there are more planes in the sky and more people flying, airline performance suffers," said Headley.

The challenge is whether airline performance quality improvements can be maintained as more people choose to fly. Or does the infrastructure and air traffic control technology limit what the airlines can do?

"Further airline consolidation will continue to reduce the number of air carriers ranked in the AQR," said Brent Bowen, professor and head of the Department of Aviation Technology at Purdue University.

"Past AQR data suggests that the combining of two large air carrier operations often results in subsequent decreases in AQR rankings," said Bowen. "We will be carefully watching to see if two highly rated carriers, such as former No. 1 AirTran and Southwest will reverse this trend."

An electronic version of the full report, with details on each airline, is available at http://airlinequalityrating.com.

Inside this year's rating
Below is the 2013 numerical ranking of the nation's leading 14 airlines, according to the Airline Quality Rating, with the 2012 ranking in parentheses:

1. Virgin America (new to the ranking this year)
2. JetBlue (3)
3. AirTran (1)
4. Delta (6)
5. Hawaiian (2)
6. Alaska (5)
7. Frontier (4)
8. Southwest (7)
9. US Airways (8)
10. American (10)
11. American Eagle (15)
12. SkyWest (9)
13. ExpressJet (not rated in 2011)
14. United (12)

The rankings changed most noticeably for American Eagle Airlines (from 15 up to 11) for 2012. Virgin America came into the rankings as the top rated airline. JetBlue (2) and AirTran (3) both maintained their top tier positions for 2012.

On-time performance
Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance (93.4 percent) for 2012, and ExpressJet and American had the worst (76.9 percent).

Eight airlines improved their on-time arrival performance in 2012. Nine of the 14 airlines rated had an on-time arrival percentage of better than 80 percent. On-time for the industry in 2012 was 81.8 percent compared to 80.0 percent in 2011.

Denied boardings
JetBlue had the lowest involuntary denied boardings at 0.01 per 10,000 passengers. SkyWest had the highest involuntary denied boarding rate at 2.32 per 10,000 passengers.

Overall, five airlines improved their denied boardings rate in 2012. American Eagle recorded the greatest improvement, and SkyWest had the largest decline. JetBlue and Virgin American are clearly the industry leaders in avoiding denied boarding incidents.
Industry performance was worse in 2012 (0.97 per 10,000 passengers) than it was in 2011 (0.78).

Baggage handling
Virgin America had the best baggage handling rate (0.87 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers) of all airlines, and American Eagle had the worst baggage handling rate (5.80 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers) of all the airlines.
Seven of 14 airlines improved their mishandled baggage performance for the year. The rate for the industry decreased from 3.35 per 1,000 passengers in 2011 to 3.07 in 2012.

Consumer complaints
Southwest again had the lowest consumer complaint rate (0.25 per 100,000 passengers) of all airlines. United had the highest consumer complaint rate (4.24 per 100,000 passengers) of all airlines rated.

Customer complaints per 100,000 passengers increased from 1.19 in 2011 to 1.43 in 2012. The majority of complaints were for flight problems (32.7 percent), reservations, ticketing and boarding (14.6 percent), customer service (14.3 percent) and baggage (12.4 percent).

More about the Airline Quality Rating
As the nation's most comprehensive study of airline performance and quality, the Airline Quality Rating (http://airlinequalityrating.com) sets the industry standard, providing consumers and industry watchers a means to compare performance quality among airlines using objective performance-based data.

No other study in the country is based on performance measures like the AQR. Criteria included in the report are screened to meet two basic elements: They must be readily obtainable from published data sources for each airline, and they must be important to consumers regarding airline quality. The resulting criteria include areas such as baggage handling, customer complaints, denied boardings and on-time arrivals.

Reports from consumers to the AQR researchers have become increasingly popular during the past several years, say Bowen and Headley. The co-authors invite the flying public to participate in the Annual Passenger Survey at http://www.wichita.edu/aqrconsumersurvey.

Podcast: 2012 was second best ever for airline performance

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:30:00 CST

This WSU Newsline Podcast is available at http://www.wichita.edu/newslinepodcast. See the transcript below:

You're listening to the podcast edition of the Wichita State University audio newsline. Learn more about WSU — the home of Thinkers, Doers, Movers and Shockers — on the Web at wichita.edu.

The airline industry fared well in 2012, according to the 23rd annual national Airline Quality Rating. The rating is conducted annually by researchers Dean Headley of Wichita State University and Brent Bowen of Purdue University. Headley says airline quality nearly matched last year's record-setting performance.

Dean Headley

Headley: "In 2012, the airlines performed just slightly worse than they did in 2011, hardly noticeable, few hundredths of a point difference. So, we're looking at the second best year ever for airline performance."

Virgin America made quite a debut in the rating, according to Headley.

Headley: "This year we have a new No. 1 airline, and that's Virgin America. And it's actually the first time in the ratings system for us. They've come on the radar. Typically that has been for the last five or six years it's either been Hawaiian or AirTran as the No. 1, but Virgin America beat them out this year."

But that wasn't the only notable change in the rankings, as Headley explains.

Headley: "When you look at the actual AQR scores, we can see that American Eagle is the most improved airline. Their rating numbers show that, as well as the ranking. They went from 15 to 11. Others that kind of went the right direction were Delta. They did very well. They moved up in the rankings. But Hawaiian went the other direction. They went from second to fifth in the rankings."

The airlines continue to do well in on-time performance. According to the Airline Quality Rating, Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance, 93.4 percent for 2012, and ExpressJet and American had the worst at 76.9 percent.

Headley: "On-time performance for the industry was actually better this year, about 82 percent as opposed to 80 percent in 2011. And about eight of the airlines actually improved their on-time performance. The worst of the batch were around 77 percent, so even at that we aren't really that bad off."

Headley says the airlines didn't do quite as well last year with involuntary denied boardings.

Headley: "Involuntary denied boardings is an area where the airline industry actually got worse. With fewer seats and more people demanding those seats you'd expect some hiccups, if you would, in the availability of seats. And that actually went from like .8 to almost 1.0, so it's a noticeable increase in the number of denied boardings."

JetBlue had the lowest involuntary denied boardings at .01 per 10,000 passengers. SkyWest had the highest involuntary denied boarding rate at 2.32 per 10,000 passengers. Headley says the airlines are continuing to improve in the area of mishandled bags.

Headley: "From a customer's perspective, I guess mishandled bags is one you look at a lot, and that actually got a little bit better, just slightly, about three tenths of a point better in baggage handling, mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers. So the industry is at least paying attention and going in the right direction."

Virgin America had the best baggage handling rate, and American Eagle had the worst baggage handling rate of all the airlines. Headley says there was an increase in the area of customer complaints.

Headley: "As you might guess with higher demand more things go wrong, so customer complaints got worse this year, noticeably worse, from about 1.2 to 1.4 complaints per 100,000 passengers."

What is the flying public complaining about? Headley explains.

Headley: "The complaints typically are primarily, about a third of them, are for things called flight problems, schedule changes, cancellations, delays, hiccups if you would in the planning of a consumers travel, followed by reservations, ticketing and boarding which is the process of getting a ticket and executing. And then the third biggest area is customer complaints other than what we can capture elsewhere, so there are still some things not working well in the system."

During the past decade or so, there have been a number of airline mergers, but those may be coming to an end.

Headley: "Since the early 2000s or so, in the last 10 or 12 years, we've had kind of the age of mergers, if you would. And we'll still see a couple more, American and USAir still to execute and Southwest and AirTran still to execute all that, but generally speaking this is probably near the end. We don't have that many more to merge, and we're still trying to figure out exactly how well they're going."

Headley says the challenge is whether airline performance quality improvements can be maintained as more people choose to fly. Or does the infrastructure and air traffic control technology limit what the airlines can do?

For more information on the Airline Quality Rating, go to airlinequalityrating.com.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for Wichita State University.

National Airline Quality Rating to be announced April 8

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:29:00 CST

The results of the 23rd annual national Airline Quality Rating (AQR) will be announced at 9:30 a.m. EDT, Monday, April 8, at a news conference at the National Press Club, Murrow Room, in Washington, D.C.

The AQR is the most comprehensive study of the performance and quality of the 14 largest airlines in the United States. The study helps sort out the difference in airline performance for the business community, the media and the general public.

The rating is conducted annually by researchers at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and the Department of Aviation Technology at Purdue University.

The rating is a multifactor look at the overall performance quality of the airlines based on elements such as on-time performance, denied boardings, mishandled baggage and customer complaints. It is the only rating to include multiple criteria by which airline performance is measured in a quantitative and unbiased manner.

The new findings cover the 2012 calendar year. The following airlines, listed in alphabetical order, are rated: AirTran, Alaska, American, American Eagle, Delta, ExpressJet, Frontier, Hawaiian, Jet Blue, SkyWest, Southwest, United, US Airways and Virgin America.

Additional issues the researchers will speak to reporters about include:
— How 2012 airline performance compares to 2011.
— How on-time performance, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled bags and customer complaints have changed during the past year.
— How airline performance is affected by airline mergers.
— How the airline industry has performed over the past two decades.
— How key industry elements have changed since 1991.

Researchers also will address how much impact sequester-mandated FAA cutbacks are having on airline performance.
For more information about the Airline Quality Rating, go to www.airlinequalityrating.com.

Research helps WSU sophomore prepare for grad school, career

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:28:00 CST

Wichita State University sophomore Matt Conklin is taking advantage of opportunities usually pursued by graduate students.

He recently conducted a research project titled "The Future of the Aerospace Industry in Kansas: State Politics and Middle East Influence" for the Kansas Undergraduate Research Forum.

The goal was to show Kansas' elected officials the negative economic impact of decreasing higher education funding by relating it to the aerospace industry. Conklin, who is majoring in history and economics, integrated his personal interest in Middle East development, which highlighted how new markets can play a role in the state's success.

"My work for the Undergraduate Research Forum project is specifically tailored as a policy recommendation to state legislators, persuading them to preserve and hopefully increase current levels of higher education funding," said Conklin.

His argument includes several main points.

• Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) institutions, such as WSU, contribute billions of dollars to the state's economy.

• The Kansas aerospace industry, one of the highest Gross Domestic Product percentages in the country, relies on KBOR schools to produce competitive graduates prepared to enter the global workforce.

• Cutting higher education funding at a time when the government faces a future revenue shortfall will not stimulate economic growth; relying on private investment in education will also hurt growth.

• Emerging markets in the Middle East are an example of how supportive higher education policies are necessary to maintain Kansas' competitive advantage in the global aerospace industry.

The research process

Within the past year, Conklin traveled to Jordan, Israel and Morocco. The trip helped him legitimize his cultural perspective. He also gathered supporting quantitative information from consultant reports, industry forecasts, governmental materials and media outlets.

Clyde Stoltenberg, professor in the W. Frank Barton School of Business, was Conklin's research adviser for the project.

"My role was to serve as a sounding board to help identify a good project that would make sense to Matt based on his experience, knowledge and interest," said Stoltenberg. "It also needed to be feasible in scope and of interest to the business and public policy community."

On April 3, Conklin will present his findings to state legislators in Topeka, Kan.

Enhancing university experience

Conklin, from Winfield, Kan., began pursuing research opportunities in order to prepare for law school after graduation and to get an advantage when applying for national scholarships.

"By gaining exposure to research and practicing various methods at this point in my undergraduate career, I hope to gain the skills and credentials to be a competitive candidate for the caliber of programs I would like to attend," he said.

Stoltenberg said that students should pursue studies that interest them and have the possibility of benefiting the public.

"For undergraduates, research helps to form the link between learning and application," said Stoltenberg.

Conklin is excited that Wichita State is focusing more on undergraduate research. He is now in the beginning stages of a project on relations between the United States and United Arab Emirates for WSU's honors research seminar class.

"Providing opportunities for students interested in research is instrumental in preparing us for success in graduate school and beyond," said Conklin. "More students should pursue research at WSU because it greatly enhances the overall university experience."

Tomblin named interim VP for research and technology transfer

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:54:00 CST

Because of a new emphasis on research and technology transfer, Wichita State University President John Bardo has renamed the Office of Research Administration.

It is now the Office of Research and Technology Transfer. The renamed office will report directly to the president.

John Tomblin

In addition, Bardo announced that John Tomblin will be interim vice president for research and technology transfer effective immediately. Tomblin will continue in his role as executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research.

Tomblin's role in technology transfer will be expanded to enhance the transfer of intellectual property out of the university, to increase partnerships with businesses, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. It also is the first step in readying the university for potential development of a public/private research and development center on campus.

According to Bardo, Tomblin and the incoming vice president for academic affairs will work closely with the college deans, Faculty Senate and Research Council to assure that the new structure enhances support for faculty and staff researchers.

New tech transfer director

In addition, a director of technology transfer position will be established and a search will begin later this spring.

The director will focus on business spinouts and partnerships. Patenting and licensing will be outsourced to specialists, according to Bardo.

Since becoming president at Wichita State in July 2012, Bardo has emphasized five key areas for development, two of which are research and technology transfer.

"Moving this office to the university level is an important step in enhancing our capacities in these two critical areas," said Bardo. "WSU already does more than $55 million in funded research each year, and we intend to increase that amount substantially.

"At the same time, we recognize that taking the products of research, as well as good ideas from students, faculty and staff to the market to create new businesses and jobs is an important activity for universities today."

WSU archaeologist focuses research on ancient social change

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 15:19:00 CST

After only one year, assistant anthropology professor Lisa Overholtzer is making a name for herself at Wichita State University.

Overholtzer, who joined the WSU faculty in 2012 after holding adjunct instructor positions at Northwestern University and DePaul University, has been in the scientific news recently for her research in central Mexico.

Together with experts from the University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University, Overholtzer is researching whether the Aztecs who conquered the city of Xaltocan in ancient Mexico around the year 1435 changed the genetic makeup of those who lived there.

The study – called the Xaltocan Archaeological Project – was published in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

UT Austin graduate student Jaime Mata-Miguez is first author on the paper. Other collaborators include Deborah Bolnick (director of the DNA lab at UT Austin); Enrique Rodriguez-Alegria (archaeologist at UT Austin); and Brian Kemp (DNA expert at Washington State).

"I was interested in how the lives of ordinary people changed when they were conquered and then incorporated into the Aztec empire," Overholtzer said.

Significant research

Colonial documents recount that when the site was conquered, all of its original Otomi inhabitants fled, leaving the site empty for 40 years until the Aztec king sent taxpayers to repopulate the island.

Overholtzer's archaeological excavations, though, suggest that there was continuity in occupants.

"Houses were built, and burials were interred in the exact same spot in the houses I excavated, and radiocarbon dates showed that there was no 40-year abandonment period," she said.

Overholtzer thought some of the answers might lie at the molecular level in the DNA of the family members buried underneath the house patios.

To further investigate that question, she collaborated with ancient DNA experts at the University of Texas at Austin. So far, they have conducted mitochondrial DNA sequencing, which shows there was indeed some form of demographic shift in at least some households.

The reason for that shift is unclear, Overholtzer said. One theory is that there might have been some demographic change, but not a complete replacement of the population.

Overholtzer points out that her study is preliminary and that ancient DNA analyses are ongoing.

The research is significant, though, because it is the first to examine the genetic impact of Aztec imperialism and is using molecular anthropology techniques to address new questions of social dynamics and demographic shift in the region.

For more information on Overholtzer's research, go to http://loverholtzer.wordpress.com/ or http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2061.

WSU engineering lab advances research with Kawasaki robot

Mon, 4 Mar 2013 15:55:00 CST

A new Kawasaki refill integral fastening system at Wichita State University's Advanced Joining and Processing Lab (AJPL) is enhancing research to reduce weight and increase performance capabilities in aerostructures.

Only two of these systems exist in the world, one in Japan and the other at Wichita State's AJPL. Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and AJPL are collaborating to implement the joining technology in aerostructural manufacturing.

Integral fastening is a solid state forging process in which two or more metals are joined together without an external heat source. With the technology, the lab is aiming to reduce the use of mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, in aircraft wing panels, skin panels and fuselage joints.

"Integral fastening will be an innovative way to join aerostructure components," said Michael McCoy, engineering professor and director of AJPL. "This process forges materials together to form an 'in situ join' stronger than that of traditional mechanical fasteners of the same size."

McCoy said the KHI refill system produces a fastener with no head, hole, indention or upset in the aircraft skin, which strengthens metal connections. Also, the elimination of rivets means lower manufacturing costs and airframe weight, leading to lower operational costs.

Valuable student experience

The lab installed the Kawasaki integral fastening system at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester and has been running tests on the robot since Jan. 22.

Other AJPL capabilities include continuous friction stir welding and various robotic applications.

Adam Wiley, a Wichita State senior majoring in mechanical engineering, has worked in the lab for more than a year. He values the experience because he has learned how different robots operate and works on projects from start to finish.

"Students get to work in all parts of the lab and perform a variety of tasks," said Wiley. "It's not a place where you do the same monotonous task day in and day out; students have to be intuitive to overcome complications in each project."

WSU's Advanced Joining and Processing Lab is located in the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) in northeast Wichita.

Podcast: Historian provides perspective on this flu season

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 09:00:00 CST

This WSU Newsline Podcast is available at http://www.wichita.edu/newslinepodcast. See the transcript below:

You're listening to the podcast edition of the Wichita State University audio newsline. Learn more about WSU on the Web at wichita.edu.

We all know the signs: chills, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, coughing. The flu bug has seemingly bit a lot of people this winter and this flu season is far from over. However, if you compare this year to other years, this winter's influenza outbreak isn't as bad as you might think. George Dehner, an associate professor of history at Wichita State University and author of the book "Global Flu and You – A History of Influenza," explains.

George Dehner

Dehner: "Compared to usual years of influenza, this is kind of very transmissible, but it's not out of the run of normal years of influenza. It's well within the parameters of a normal year of influenza infections."

Knowing how many people get the flu bug sounds simple, but Dehner says not everyone always correctly identifies the flu.

Dehner: "People have a tendency to use flu to describe diseases or illnesses they have that are not true influenza. And so, when you have this false identification of flu, it doesn't always refer to a true influenza case."

Medical science has come a long way, but according to Dehner, it's still difficult to predict how severe any flu season is going to be.

Dehner: "There's no way of knowing prior to the outbreak of influenza how transmissible or how deadly it's going to be, so it makes it very difficult for public health officials to know what the next flu season's going to be like."

Dehner is a strong proponent of getting a flu shot and he says the vaccines are very safe.

Dehner: "The only protection against an influenza illness is actually the protection of a vaccine. So I believe, and many public health officials believe, that everyone should be vaccinated to protect against influenza."

"Influenza vaccines are very safe vaccines, and very rarely are there adverse reactions to it."

Nevertheless not everyone gets a flu shot for a variety of reasons, as Dehner explains.

Dehner: "I think there are two reasons why people don't get flu shots. One is that there's a resistance among adults to get protective shots and vaccines. And two, there's a widespread belief that influenza illnesses are not particularly dangerous or anything to be concerned about."

In his research about the history of influenza, Dehner says the flu virus is remarkable.

Dehner: "The virus is a remarkable organism. It is very changeable and it's very infectious, and throughout history it has popped up and impacted in communities repeatedly in greater or lesser volume."

While the flu may seem harmlessly similar to the common cold, influenza results in 250,000 to 500,000 deaths every year in epidemics that can spread rapidly around the world. According to Dehner, the challenge is that each time it appears that science has figured out its secrets, the virus pulls a new trick out of its sleeve. He says we may have gained a great amount of knowledge about influenza in the last few generations – knowledge that would stagger our ancestors – but, as the Swine flu of 2009 has reminded us yet again, we still have much to learn.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for Wichita State University.

Faculty spotlight: George Dehner's flu research

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 15:26:00 CST

The flu: It's a popular topic of conversation lately, as most people probably know someone who has gotten sick this winter.

But for Wichita State associate professor George Dehner, the flu is a year-round focus. Dehner, who teaches world and environmental history, recently wrote two books about the flu.

"Influenza: A Century of Science and Public Health Response," which Dehner said is aimed at the academic market, and "Global Flu and You: A History of Influenza," a more general book on the subject.

"They're written for different audiences, but there's a lot of overlap," Dehner said.

Dehner received his Ph.D. from Northeastern University and came to Wichita State in 2004 on a visiting professorship. The next year, he changed directions and started on the tenure track.

His interest in influenza research, though, started more than a dozen years ago when reading about the Spanish Flu pandemic of the early 20th century.

"That set me off on my research path, and I've been plugging away ever since," he said.

Separating fact from fiction

Dehner's focus in both of his books is on the history of the flu and how the public and health officials have responded. He also aims to expose the facts and fiction surrounding the illness.

As for what most of the country is experiencing this season, Dehner is quick to point out that it is not a pandemic, and that most of what people call the flu is in fact something else entirely.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that comes on suddenly, can last a week or more and can include symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat.

Vomiting and other stomach problems are not typically seen with the flu, except sometimes in small children.

In terms of the flu itself, this year is a rough one, but nothing to be concerned about – especially if you get your flu shot, Dehner said.

"This is a particularly strong year for influenza, but it's not out of the realm of normal influenza," he said. "This particular year just happens to be more transmissible. There's no way of predicting it."

Dehner said throughout history, the flu virus has been very changeable and infectious.

"The virus is a remarkable organism," he said. "It is very changeable, and it's very infectious, and throughout history it has popped up and impacted in communities repeatedly in greater or lesser volume."