2008

Jul 16, 2008

New Paper Addresses Myths, Realities of Government Retiree Health-Care Crisis

While some states are taking adequate steps to address the cost of retiree health-care benefits, others – including New Jersey, New York, California and North Carolina – are facing tens of billions of dollars in so-called “unfunded liabilities.” The myths and realities of this potential crisis are laid out in a new issue brief written… 

Jul 16, 2008

Study Shows Increased Education on Nanotech, Human Enhancement Increases Public Concerns

Educating the public about nanotechnology and other complex but emerging technologies causes people to become more “worried and cautious” about the new technologies’ prospective benefits, according to a recent study by researchers at North Carolina State University. 

Jul 16, 2008

NC State Vet School Receives Gift to Fund Clinical Research

North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has received a five-year, $625,000 gift from Novartis Animal Health U.S. to help support the clinical trials program in the college’s Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research (CCMTR). The gift will fund a clinical trials veterinarian, a veterinary research technician, and laboratory space and equipment that… 

Jul 15, 2008

As Economy Slumps, New Study Highlights Tools For Avoiding Fiscal Crises in Local Government

As news reports focus on the shaky footing of the national economy, a researcher from North Carolina State University has released a study laying out several best practices that can be implemented by state governments to prevent or mitigate fiscal distress at the local government level. In his paper, Dr. Charles Coe urges state governments… 

Jul 7, 2008

Lay Your Eggs Here: NC State Scientists Discover Chemical Cues That Stimulate Egg Laying by Pregnant Mosquitoes

North Carolina State University scientists have figured out one reason why pregnant yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), one of the most important disease transmitters worldwide, choose to lay their eggs in certain outdoor water containers while eschewing others. 

Jul 2, 2008

Study Shows Quantum Dots Can Penetrate Skin Through Minor Abrasions

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles. 

Jun 25, 2008

DeSimone awarded $500,000 “Oscar for Inventors” for Materials, Life Sciences Innovations

A North Carolina State University engineering professor is the winner of this year’s $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for his pioneering inventions, entrepreneurial success and commitment to mentorship. 

Jun 19, 2008

NC State University Maps Tobacco Genome

North Carolina State University scientists have completed a nearly five-year, $17.6 million effort to map the genome of tobacco. 

Jun 16, 2008

Aquatic Insect ‘Family Trees’ Provide Clues About Sensitivity to Pollution

A North Carolina State University study published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that examining an insect’s “family tree” might help predict a “cousin” insect’s level of tolerance to pollutants, and therefore could be a reliable way to understand why certain insect species thrive or suffer under specific ecological… 

Jun 11, 2008

NC State University Experts Available to Discuss Tomatoes and Salmonella Outbreak

North Carolina State University experts can address concerns about the safety of eating tomatoes in the wake of Salmonella poisoning linked to contaminated tomatoes found in 17 states, as well as questions about what this may mean for tomato growers in North Carolina and beyond. 

Jun 2, 2008

NC State College of Engineering to Receive $1.25 Million Investment from Duke Energy

North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering will receive a $1.25 million endowment gift from the Duke Energy Foundation to support workforce development and teaching and research related to the clean generation and delivery of energy. 

May 29, 2008

NC State’s Pantula Elected President of American Statistical Association

North Carolina State University statistician Dr. Sastry Pantula has been elected as the 105th president of the American Statistical Association (ASA). Pantula, who is the head of the NC State Department of Statistics and director of the Institute of Statistics, will serve as ASA president beginning Jan. 1, 2010. The ASA is a scientific and educational… 

May 28, 2008

NC State Research Breakthrough Results In Super-Hard Nanocrystalline Iron That Can Take The Heat

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a substance far stronger and harder than conventional iron, and which retains these properties under extremely high temperatures – opening the door to a wide variety of potential applications, such as engine components that are exposed to high stress and high temperatures. Iron that is made up… 

May 23, 2008

Failed HIV Drug Gets Second Chance with Addition of Gold Nanoparticles

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that adding tiny bits of gold to a failed HIV drug rekindle the drug’s ability to stop the virus from invading the body’s immune system. The addition of gold nanoparticles to a modified version of a drug designed in the 1990s to combat HIV – but discarded… 

May 23, 2008

NC State Statistician to Look at Effect of Air Pollution on Asthma, Heart Disease in Humans

Scientists have long known that air pollution can have adverse effects on human health. Now, thanks to research from a North Carolina State University statistician, we may soon have more accurate information about how, exactly, particulate matter in polluted air affects rates of asthma and heart disease in people. Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, NC State associate professor…