VOL. CXVIII, NO. 148
DAILYBAROMETER.COM
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2016
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Making noise
LUKE FRANCIS | THE DAILY BAROMETER
The university let those on campus know that loud sounds on campus that sound like explosions or gunshots over the next two years may be coming from the propulsion laboratory.
Propulsion Laboratory on campus testing rocket engines, responsible for loud sounds By Ashley Yarborough Practicum Contributor
Students at the Propulsion Laboratory on the Oregon State University campus have been testing rocket engines, which has been the cause of some loud noise this past week. The noises can be compared to that of a gunshot, loud bang, or an explosion, according to an email from the university. These noises are completely normal for rocket testing, according to Nancy Squires, a senior instructor of mechanical engineering at OSU. One of the biggest problems with the propulsion laboratory is the noise as the surrounding
ity are part of the Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (MIME) major. The testing that creates the most noise is the Pulse Detonation Engine. This engine combusts at supersonic speed, which exceeds the speed of sound. This testing is being done in order to make coal a more energy-efficient resource. Nancy Squires “Coal is the number one enerSenior Instructor of Mechanical Engineering gy source used in the United States,” Blunck said. The way According to the Propulsion community will be hearing loud “Only those working directly energy is obtained from coal noises at random times. The Laboratory, nothing sinister is with testing at the lab have now could be vastly improved if Propulsion Laboratory wants to occurring at the facility, and access,” said David Blunck, an testing on the Pulse Detonation let the public know that those nothing there can be weapon- assistant professor of mechani- Engine goes well. noises are coming from them, ized. Most people don’t have cal engineering. Students or facunless stated otherwise. access to the laboratory. ulty that have access to the facilSee Noises Page 3
Before the lab, we used to test the tockets in my horse pasture.
Hidden side of hand soap Triclosan, a common antimicrobial agent, may be changing gut biomes
the first step in determining what repercussions antimicrobials could potentially have on human health. Publishing their findings in PLOS ONE, a website at which researchers can publish work for peer review, OSU researchers determined By Lauren Sluss triclosan, a common antimicrobial agent, can News Reporter disrupt bacteria found in the gut of zebrafish, Lathering up with hand soap or sanitizer and may possibly affect humans as well. may kill 99.9 percent of surface bacteria, but Triclosan, first used as a hospital scrub in these antibiotics may be affecting much more the 1970s, is now one of the most common than just skin—they may be affecting bacteria antimicrobial agents in the world. It is found in the gut. in products ranging from shampoos, hand Oregon State University researchers took soaps and toothpastes to cutting boards, trash
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bags and athletic clothing. Although triclosan works to rid harmful bacteria in the bacterial communities found in the gut, called the microbiome, it may have adverse effects on human health, according to Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Statistics Thomas Sharpton. “The antimicrobial drugs that we are exposed to every day can be useful because they eliminate microorganisms that create infections, but they also are indiscriminate,” Sharpton said. “They might eliminate microorganisms that we need, which can have an unpredictable effect on our health.”
OSU researchers were prompted to study the effects triclosan has on the microbiome due to speculation of the correlation between altered microbiomes and disease, according to Sharpton. “We were captivated by the growing literature that was indicating that an alteration of the microbiome appears to be strongly associated with, or even responsible for, chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and heart issues,” Sharpton said. The OSU researchers used 45 zebrafish
See Triclosan Page 4
DeMarco plays Portland, NEWS, PAGE 4 Beavers face UCLA, SPORTS, PAGE 5 Letter to the Editor, FORUM, PAGE 7