WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Girls ages 10-12 are being recruited to participate in a mini-Camp Calcium at Purdue University.

The camp will include three clinical campus visits, six weeks apart. For three weeks before each campus visit, participants will consume a fiber product in a yogurt-like drink.

During a previous Camp Calcium, Technician Leslie Ann Hawrysz, clinical research coordinator in foods and nutrition at Purdue, conducted a bone density scan on a student participating in Camp Calcium. The study ultimately concluded too much salt in the diet reduces bone density in both African-American and Caucasian adolescent girls. (Purdue file photo/Richard Myers-Walls.)

Participants will then stay on campus for two days to complete a calcium absorption test, blood collections, physical fitness tests and bone density measurements.

A minimum three-week “wash-out” period will follow the campus visit before beginning the next study treatment phase.

The girls will be paid for each study phase completed.

Eligibility requirements include a healthy weight, pre-menarche status, no broken bones in the last six months and no medications that influence calcium absorption.

Registration deadline is June 6. For more information about the study or schedule, or to receive an application packet, contact Berdine Martin at 1-800-830-0175, 765-494-6559 or fnbone@purdue.edu

Researchers will study the effect of added fiber on the absorption of calcium in dairy products in preteen girls.

During adolescence, maximum bone growth occurs and a high percentage of calcium is taken into the bone. Purdue’s Department of Foods and Nutrition is studying dietary factors that influence calcium absorption and bone health. Previous studies in adults have shown a positive effect of a particular kind of fiber called galacto-oligosaccharide on calcium absorption. Since maximum bone strength is achieved in adolescence, this short study will be studying preteens.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University researcher is looking for adults to participate in a speech perception study in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.

Participants will participate in a listening session that is one to three hours, and the compensation is $10 per hour. People interested in participating must be 18 years or older, be native speakers of American English, have normal hearing and normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Karen Iler Kirk, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences, is leading the study. To participate, or for more information on the study, contact Lindsay Prusick, a graduate research assistant, at (765) 494-0948 or lprusick@purdue.edu

The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The Department of Speech, Languages and Hearing Sciences is housed in the College of Liberal Arts.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University researcher is seeking adults to participate in a listening study in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.

Karen Iler Kirk, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences, is leading the study. Participants will participate in four sessions, with each session lasting 60-90 minutes. Hearing and vision screenings will be completed during the first visit. Those who pass the screenings will be asked to identify voices while listening to sentences spoken by several different talkers.

People interested in participating must be ages 18-65, have no reported speech or hearing difficulties, have normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and be a native speaker of general American English. Compensation is $40 upon completion of four sessions.

To participate, or for more information on the study, contact Vidya Krull, a research assistant, at vganesh@purdue.edu .

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The College of Education is looking for middle and high school science teachers interested in utilizing computer-based simulations in the classroom.

The educational technology program in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is looking for feedback on how the program can improve its understanding of technology integration, said Minchi Kim, assistant professor of Educational Technology.

Participating teachers will be asked to use online simulations prepared by the program for two or three class periods. The program will provide teaching materials, such as lesson plans, student activity guidelines and other necessary support from the Purdue Education Research in Scientific Inquiry and Technology research group, which is directed by Kim and Peg Ertmer, professor of educational technology. Teachers can earn up to $100 for participating.

“The focus of the research will be on the effectiveness of scaffolding that Web-based simulations provide in the science classroom,” Kim said. “Teachers can see if technology can really help students learn science.”

Teachers interested in participating should contact Kim at minchi@purdue.edu for more information.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Researchers in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies are recruiting families with children from 3.5 to 4 years old for a study on child-mother relationships and children’s behavior with peers and other adults.

The primary investigators are Germán Posada, associate professor, and Ting Lu, doctoral student researcher.

Participation in the study includes two contacts 1.5 years apart, when children are 3.5 and 5 years of age. In each contact year, child- mother dyads will participate in one home visit and two playground visits. Also, teachers and mothers will answer questionnaires about child behavior in the preschool setting.

Participating families will receive a monetary gift after each visit as a token of appreciation for their time. At the end of each contact year, children will also receive a book.

For more information, please contact Ting Lu at jtinglu@purdue.edu or 765-430-2125, or Germán Posada at gposada@purdue.edu or 765-49-41029.