Tracey Peake

Nov 27, 2012

For Some Feathered Dinosaurs, Bigger Not Necessarily Better

Every kid knows that giant carnivores like Tyrannosaurus rex dominated the Cretaceous period, but they weren’t the only big guys in town. Giant plant-eating theropods – close relatives of both T. rex and today’s birds – also lived and thrived alongside their meat-eating cousins. Now researchers have started looking at why dinosaurs that abandoned meat… 

Nov 12, 2012

Pet Rehab: Goat on a Treadmill

It’s not an uncommon story:  A family pet comes down with a serious illness. The pet’s owners pursue treatment and rehabilitation, the pet improves and everyone gets a happy ending. Except in this case the pet is a goat, and the rehabilitation is being done – in part – on an underwater treadmill normally used… 

Nov 2, 2012

Piedrahita to Lead NC State’s Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research

Jorge Piedrahita, a professor of genomics in North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has been appointed director of the NC State Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research (CCMTR). Piedrahita’s appointment by Dr. Paul Lunn, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, follows a national search. Piedrahita will oversee CCMTR initiatives based on the… 

Oct 29, 2012

NC State Tips for Keeping Pets Safe This Halloween

Halloween is near and Dr. Rita Hanel has timely advice to help pet owners avoid emergency trips to the veterinarian. “Halloween is a fun time for both children and adults with neighborhood trick-or-treating, visitors and parties,” says Hanel, professor of clinical sciences at North Carolina State University and director of the Small Animal Emergency Service… 

Oct 29, 2012

In Particulate Matter, the Particulars Matter

When statisticians start talking about PM, they aren’t referring to political leadership. PM stands for particulate matter, and it’s important because it has a direct effect on the health and well-being of anyone who breathes. Statistician Montserrat Fuentes has built a career on looking at the effects of PM 2.5 (the 2.5 means that the… 

Oct 23, 2012

Analysis of Dinosaur Bone Cells Confirms Ancient Protein Preservation

A team of researchers from North Carolina State University and the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has found more evidence for the preservation of ancient dinosaur proteins, including reactivity to antibodies that target specific proteins normally found in bone cells of vertebrates. These results further rule out sample contamination, and help solidify the case for… 

Oct 23, 2012

NC State Chancellor Woodson Delivers State of the University Address

North Carolina State University Chancellor Randy Woodson delivered an impassioned state of the university address Tuesday in which he bridged the past and present – celebrating 125 years of impact as a land-grant institution and praising students, faculty and staff for a variety of recent first-time successes. “NC State continues to transform lives on campus, in… 

Oct 22, 2012

Additive Restores Antibiotic Effectiveness Against MRSA

Researchers from North Carolina State University have increased the potency of a compound that reactivates antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant form of Staphylococcus that is notoriously difficult to treat. Their improved compound removes the bacteria’s antibiotic resistance and allows the antibiotic to once again become effective at normal dosage levels. NC State chemist… 

Oct 15, 2012

Probing the Brain’s Chemistry

Our brains are constantly awash in chemicals that serve as messengers, transporting signals from one neuron to another.  It’s a really nifty system, although scientists still aren’t clear on how, exactly, those chemical messages end up being converted into behaviors like kicking a ball or doing really complicated mathematical computations. If scientists could get a… 

Oct 4, 2012

Researchers Reveal How Solvent Mixtures Affect Organic Solar Cell Structure

Controlling “mixing” between acceptor and donor layers, or solar cell domains, in polymer-based solar cells could increase their efficiency, according to a team of researchers that included physicists from North Carolina State University. Their findings shed light on the inner workings of these solar cells, and could lead to further improvements in efficiency. Polymer-based solar… 

Sep 17, 2012

Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens Persist in Antibiotic-Free Pigs

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter Coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free (ABF) and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers. Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, assistant professor of population health and… 

Sep 11, 2012

Putting the “Fore” in Forecasting

People love to complain about the weather – and especially about weather forecasters. But real, accurate forecasting beyond five to seven days is immensely complicated, due to the sheer volume of atmospheric processes and factors. Fortunately for us, advances in computing are making it possible for mathematicians, atmospheric scientists and statisticians to create “models of… 

Sep 4, 2012

A Blueprint for ‘Affective’ Aggression

A North Carolina State University researcher has created a roadmap to areas of the brain associated with affective aggression in mice. This roadmap may be the first step toward finding therapies for humans suffering from affective aggression disorders that lead to impulsive violent acts. Affective aggression differs from defensive aggression or premeditated aggression used by… 

Aug 30, 2012

21st Annual NC State Dog Olympics Set for Sept. 8

What: North Carolina State University’s Dog Olympics is an annual charitable event organized by veterinary students. Dogs of all breeds, shapes, and sizes are invited to participate in athletic and non-athletic competitions including musical sit, frisbee toss, high jump, longest tail, look-a-like, best beggar, best trick, and other contests. A Paralympic competition for dogs with… 

Aug 28, 2012

NC State Experts Can Discuss Hurricane, Disaster Issues

With Hurricane Isaac making landfall this week, media looking for information on a variety of hurricane topics can contact the following North Carolina State University experts: Storm Surge and Flood Prediction Marine meteorologist Dr. Lian Xie can discuss research on hurricane formation. Specifically, Xie can talk about hurricane climatology and seasonal prediction; storm surge and…