Matt Shipman

Oct 8, 2012

Researchers Develop New Way to Determine Amount of Charge Remaining in Battery

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that allows users to better determine the amount of charge remaining in a battery in real time. That’s good news for electric vehicle drivers, since it gives them a better idea of when their car may run out of juice. 

Oct 5, 2012

Bringing Bugs Into the Classroom

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Dr. David Buchwalter, a researcher in NC State’s Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. Every so often, The Abstract likes to highlight outreach efforts by NC State researchers. This one sounded like fun. Last month, I teamed up with other biological researchers to conduct a workshop for high school… 

Sep 28, 2012

Researchers Unveil New Technique to Detect Bots in Casual Online Games

Casual online games, such as FarmVille and Fantastic Contraption, have thousands of enthusiastic followers – but the use of automated “bots” to give some players an advantage is short-changing the companies behind the games. Now researchers from NC State have developed a new technique to help companies identify these bots, and take action against them. Casual… 

Sep 25, 2012

Researchers Develop New Technique for IDing Proteins Secreted by Cells

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique to identify the proteins secreted by a cell. The new approach should help researchers collect precise data on cell biology, which is critical in fields ranging from zoology to cancer research. 

Sep 24, 2012

New Research Findings Consistent With Theory of Impact Event 12,900 Years Ago

New research findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) are consistent with a controversial theory that an extraterrestrial body – such as a comet – impacted the Earth approximately 12,900 years ago, possibly contributing to the significant climatic and ecological changes that date to that time period. The paper includes… 

Sep 24, 2012

Researchers Demonstrate Cheaper Way to Produce NFO Thin Films

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a less-expensive way to create textured nickel ferrite (NFO) ceramic thin films, which can easily be scaled up to address manufacturing needs. NFO is a magnetic material that holds promise for microwave technologies and next-generation memory devices. 

Sep 21, 2012

Money Key Factor in Driving Med Students From Primary Care Careers

Primary care physicians are at the heart of health care in the United States, and are often the first to diagnose patients and ensure those patients receive the care they need. But researchers from North Carolina State University, East Carolina University (ECU) and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York… 

Sep 20, 2012

Experts: Food Safety Audits Need an Overhaul

Much of the food industry relies on third-party audits of practices, processes and facilities to ensure the food that ultimately reaches consumers is safe. But a new paper from food safety researchers at NC State and Kansas State University argues that these audits need to be overhauled in order to protect public health. Food product buyers… 

Sep 19, 2012

Fund Helps Innovation Reach the Marketplace

The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund is used for the development and advancement of ideas and discoveries at NC State. 

Sep 17, 2012

Estimating ‘Regions of Attraction’ Should Improve Computer Models of Biological Systems

Researchers have found an effective means of estimating the “regions of attraction” (ROA) when developing computer models of biological systems – improving the ability of these models to predict how a system will respond to changing conditions. But to talk about that, we probably need to explain what an ROA is – and why it… 

Sep 12, 2012

5 Things You Should Know About Parents, Teens, Sex Ed and ‘The Talk’

Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Dr. Sinikka Elliott, an assistant professor of sociology at NC State and author of the new book “Not My Kid: What Parents Believe about the Sex Lives of Their Teenagers.” The Abstract has previously featured Sinikka’s research on “hooking up” and parental views of teen sexuality. 1). Parents… 

Sep 11, 2012

Researchers Devise More Accurate Method for Predicting Hurricane Activity

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new method for forecasting seasonal hurricane activity that is 15 percent more accurate than previous techniques. 

Sep 10, 2012

Researchers Craft Program to Stop Cloud Computer Problems Before They Start

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new software tool to prevent performance disruptions in cloud computing systems by automatically identifying and responding to potential anomalies before they can develop into problems. 

Sep 7, 2012

Study Finds How BPA Affects Gene Expression, Anxiety; Soy Mitigates Effects

New research led by researchers at North Carolina State University shows that exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) early in life results in high levels of anxiety by causing significant gene expression changes in a specific region of the brain called the amygdala. The researchers also found that a soy-rich diet can mitigate these… 

Sep 5, 2012

Researchers Develop Technique to Remotely Control Cockroaches

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses an electronic interface to remotely control, or steer, cockroaches. “Our aim was to determine whether we could create a wireless biological interface with cockroaches, which are robust and able to infiltrate small spaces,” says Alper Bozkurt, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at…