Matt Shipman

Mar 4, 2014

New Technique Targets C Code to Spot, Contain Malware Attacks

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new tool to detect and contain malware that attempts root exploits in Android devices. The tool improves on previous techniques by targeting code written in the C programming language – which is often used to create root exploit malware, whereas the bulk of Android applications are… 

Feb 26, 2014

Superabsorbing Design May Lower Manufacturing Cost of Thin Film Solar Cells

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a “superabsorbing” design that may significantly improve the light absorption efficiency of thin film solar cells and drive down manufacturing costs. 

Feb 25, 2014

Study Shows Mentally Ill More Likely to Be Victims, Not Perpetrators, of Violence

New research shows that almost one-third of adults with mental illness are likely to be victims of violence within a six-month period, and that adults with mental illness who commit violence are most likely to do so in residential settings. The study also finds a strong correlation between being a victim of violence and committing… 

Feb 5, 2014

Ants…In…Space

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by David Hunt, a writer in NC State’s News Services office. When NC State postdoc Clint Penick collected a group of pavement ants in a small mountain community in Western North Carolina last summer, he never dreamed they’d travel farther than his biology lab in Raleigh. Today, as they orbit… 

Feb 5, 2014

Vanadium Dioxide Research Opens Door to New, Multifunctional Spintronic Smart Sensors

Research from a team led by North Carolina State University is opening the door to smarter sensors by integrating the smart material vanadium dioxide (VO2) onto a silicon chip and using lasers to make the material magnetic. The advance paves the way for multifunctional spintronic smart sensors for use in military applications and next-generation spintronic… 

Feb 3, 2014

Murderers Who Killed During Robberies More Likely to Return to Crime When Paroled

Murderers who committed homicide during robberies are more likely to commit crimes again when they are paroled, compared to murderers who committed homicide under other circumstances, according to research from North Carolina State University and Harvard University. 

Jan 31, 2014

Forensic Experts Compile Guide on How to ID Child Abuse, Starvation

Forensic science experts from North Carolina State University are publishing a comprehensive overview of forensic research that can be used to identify child abuse and starvation. 

Jan 30, 2014

Antibiotic ‘Smart Bomb’ Can Target Specific Strains of Bacteria

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a de facto antibiotic “smart bomb” that can identify specific strains of bacteria and sever their DNA, eliminating the infection. The technique offers a potential approach to treat infections by multi-drug resistant bacteria. 

Jan 27, 2014

Media Coverage Drives Some Misperceptions About Cancer

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ryan Hurley, a health communication researcher and assistant professor of communication at NC State, on two papers related to news media, cancer, and public perception. People need and want recent information about cancer in order to make decisions about how they might manage their personal prevention, detection, treatment,… 

Jan 23, 2014

New Microscopy Technique Improves Imaging at the Atomic Scale

When capturing images at the atomic scale, even tiny movements of the sample can result in skewed or distorted images – and those movements are virtually impossible to prevent. Now microscopy researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that accounts for that movement and eliminates the distortion from the finished product. 

Jan 22, 2014

Why a New Catalyst for Hydrogen Production May Be a Big Deal

A research team led by Linyou Cao at NC State has shown that a one-atom thick film of molybdenum sulfide (MoS2  ) may work as an effective catalyst for creating hydrogen. Hydrogen holds great promise as an energy source, but the production of hydrogen from water electrolysis – freeing hydrogen from water with electricity – currently… 

Jan 22, 2014

Atomic-Scale Catalysts May Produce Cheap Hydrogen

Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown that a one-atom thick film of molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) may work as an effective catalyst for creating hydrogen. The work opens a new door for the production of cheap hydrogen. 

Jan 21, 2014

Study: Electric Drive Vehicles Have Little Impact on U.S. Pollutant Emissions

A new study from North Carolina State University indicates that even a sharp increase in the use of electric drive passenger vehicles (EDVs) by 2050 would not significantly reduce emissions of high-profile air pollutants carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. 

Jan 16, 2014

Silver Nanowire Sensors Hold Promise for Prosthetics, Robotics

North Carolina State University researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including new prosthetics, robotic systems and flexible touch panels. The sensors can measure strain, pressure, human touch and bioelectronic signals such as electrocardiograms. 

Jan 14, 2014

Study: CT Scans Could Bolster Forensic Database to ID Unidentified Remains

A study from North Carolina State University finds that data from CT scans can be incorporated into a growing forensic database to help determine the ancestry and sex of unidentified remains. The finding may also have clinical applications for craniofacial surgeons.