Prospectus, October 6, 2010

STUDENTS WOULD BUY TIME, BUT WITH WHAT MONEY?; Obama urges students to remain informed in political processes; Chuck Shepherd\u27s News of the Weird; Visionary pop star is trying to redefine music with her high concepts; Adult Education offers a second chance; Power packs: Teens today prefer friendship in groups; What Confucius says is useful to China\u27s rulers; Alcohol And Your Body: How Drinking Can Affect Weight, Sleep, and Memory; Student Spotlight: Magnolia Talavera; Prospectus Pick: Halo Reach; Cobras Volleyball winn three straight against Lewis and Clark; 60 Years of Peanutshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2010/1024/thumbnail.jp

Atmospheric neutron measurements with the SONTRAC science model

–The SOlar Neutron TRACking (SONTRAC) telescope was originally developed to measure the energy spectrum and incident direction of neutrons produced in solar flares, in the energy range 20 - 250 MeV. While developed primarily for solar physics, the SONTRAC detector may be employed in virtually any application requiring both energy measurement and imaging capabilities. The SONTRAC Science Model (SM) is presently being operated at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a ground-based instrument to investigate the energy spectrum, zenith and azimuth angle dependence of the cosmic-ray induced sea-level atmospheric neutron flux. SONTRAC measurements are based on the non-relativistic double scatter of neutrons off ambient protons within a block of scintillating fibers. Using the n-p elastic double-scatter technique, it is possible to uniquely determine the neutron’s energy and direction on an event-by-event basis. The 3D SM consists of a cube of orthogonal plastic scintillating fiber layers with 5 cm sides, read out by two CCD cameras. Two orthogonal imaging chains allow full 3D reconstruction of scattered proton tracks

Urinary Metabolic Phenotyping Reveals Differences in the Metabolic Status of Healthy and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Children in Relation to Growth and Disease Activity.

Growth failure and delayed puberty are well known features of children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in addition to the chronic course of the disease. Urinary metabonomics was applied in order to better understand metabolic changes between healthy and IBD children. 21 Pediatric patients with IBD (mean age 14.8 years, 8 males) were enrolled from the Pediatric Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic over two years. Clinical and biological data were collected at baseline, 6, and 12 months. 27 healthy children (mean age 12.9 years, 16 males) were assessed at baseline. Urine samples were collected at each visit and subjected to ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Using ¹H NMR metabonomics, we determined that urine metabolic profiles of IBD children differ significantly from healthy controls. Metabolic differences include central energy metabolism, amino acid, and gut microbial metabolic pathways. The analysis described that combined urinary urea and phenylacetylglutamine-two readouts of nitrogen metabolism-may be relevant to monitor metabolic status in the course of disease. Non-invasive sampling of urine followed by metabonomic profiling can elucidate and monitor the metabolic status of children in relation to disease status. Further developments of omic-approaches in pediatric research might deliver novel nutritional and metabolic hypotheses

Variations in sea surface roughness induced by the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami

Observations of tsunamis away from shore are critically important for improving early warning systems and understanding of tsunami generation and propagation. Tsunamis are difficult to detect and measure in the open ocean because the wave amplitude there is much smaller than it is close to shore. Currently, tsunami observations in deep water rely on measurements of variations in the sea surface height or bottom pressure. Here we demonstrate that there exists a different observable, specifically, ocean surface roughness, which can be used to reveal tsunamis away from shore. The first detailed measurements of the tsunami effect on sea surface height and radar backscattering strength in the open ocean were obtained from satellite altimeters during passage of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami. Through statistical analyses of satellite altimeter observations, we show that the Sumatra-Andaman tsunami effected distinct, detectable changes in sea surface roughness. The magnitude and spatial structure of the observed variations in radar backscattering strength are consistent with hydrodynamic models predicting variations in the near-surface wind across the tsunami wave front. Tsunami-induced changes in sea surface roughness can be potentially used for early tsunami detection by orbiting microwave radars and radiometers, which have broad surface coverage across the satellite ground track

Prospectus, October 27, 2010

GIVING FUTURE GENERATIONS A CHANCE TO LEARN; The College Students Guide to Statewide Elections; Chuck Shepherd\u27s News of the Weird; The Perfect Soundtrack for Your Halloween Party; The Origin of Halloween; What Should You do This Halloween?; A Trend That is Taking Over Faster Thank Skinny Jeans: Kindness; Skinny Celebrity Chefs Can\u27t be Trusted; Zuckerberg Left With Plenty of Success, but Not Many Friends : Facebook Creator Shown as More than a Computer Genius in New Film, The Social Network; How to Stay Safe This Halloween Weekend; Former Parkland Instructor Wins Gold Medal; Nebraska Brings Tradition to Big Ten Table; In Search of Spiritshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2010/1027/thumbnail.jp

Detection of the 2010 Chilean Tsunami Using Satellite Altimetry

Tsunamis are difficult to detect and measure in the open ocean because the wave amplitude is much smaller than it is closer to shore. An effective early warning system, however, must be able to observe an impending tsunami threat far away from the shore in order to provide the necessary lead-time for coastal inhabitants to find safety. Given the expansiveness of the ocean, sensors capable of detecting the tsunami must also have very broad areal coverage. The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami was definitively detected in the open ocean from both sea surface height and sea surface roughness measurements provided by satellite altimeters. This tsunami, however, was exceptionally strong and questions remain about the ability to use such measurements for the detection of weaker tsunamis. Here we study the 2010 Chilean tsunami and demonstrate the ability to detect the tsunami in the open ocean. Specifically, we analyze the utility of filtering in extracting the tsunami signal from sea surface height measurements, and, through the use of statistical analyses of satellite altimeter observations, we demonstrate that the 2010 Chilean tsunami induced distinct and detectable changes in sea surface roughness. While satellite altimeters do not provide the temporal and spatial coverage necessary to form the basis of an effective early warning system, tsunami-induced changes in sea surface roughness can be detected using orbiting microwave radars and radiometers, which have a broad surface coverage across the satellite ground track

Prospectus, December 8, 2010

THE UNITED STATES DRAFT AND YOU; Looking out for college students; Spirituality finds a home at college; Chuck Shepherd\u27s News of the Weird; Eminem gets 10 Grammy nominations; Remember, its the thought that counts; Parkland Theatre presents: Nuncrackers: Bringing a whole lotta\u27 Nunsense to the community; Decoding Your Final Exam; America\u27s young scientists at risk; 5 ways to avoid family during the holidays; How to survive the winter; Prospectus Pick: Halford III: Winter Songs; Harry Potter\u27s magic brings full house to local theaters; Ask MNN: Is it better to idle or turn your car off?; Gadgets: Headphones, gear to haul your gadgets, a do-it-all printer and a book on best apps; A guide to events over holiday break; Starting teens on plastic can be costly; Cobra Men\u27s winning streak hits 5 with pair of wins; Cobra athletics food drive; #10 Parkland Women surprise #6 Lake Land; Access Success: Meteorologist Jennifer Ketchmark; A dying trend: Holiday movieshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2010/1032/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, January 26, 2011

DRIVERS BEWARE!; Is bigger always better?; New fitness center plans shaping up; Chuck Shepherd\u27s News of the Weird; Album Review: Ben Folds and Nick Hornby\u27s Lonely Avenue; DREAM Act poster child stirs controversy; Study: Many students not thinking critically; Health care, one more time; The best little-known planetarium in Illinois; Moore than just a teacher - Behind the scenes with John Moore; Prospectus Pick: Shock Totem; Bonus Stage! The official Prospectus gaming column; Lady Cobras improve streak to 8; State of the Art 2011https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2011/1025/thumbnail.jp