Jun 8, 2023 UK-Times

Dinosaur named after the two-faced Roman god of change is unearthed in Utah

Paleontologists with North Carolina State University unearthed the nearly complete skeleton of a young, juvenile specimen of Iani smithi in Utah’s Cedar Mountain Formation, the famous dinosaur graveyard. The unusually strong jaws of the plant-eating Iani smithi were packed with gigantic spatulate or ‘shovel-like’ teeth, the scientists found, with each tooth bearing up to 12… 

Jun 8, 2023 BBC

Is climate change fuelling Canada’s wildfires?

Robert Scheller, professor of forestry at North Carolina State University, says: “The climate signal is very strong. We are seeing both a larger area burned, and more severe fires.” Spring in Canada has been much warmer and drier than usual, creating a tinder-dry environment for these vast fires. 

Jun 8, 2023 CNN

Rare North American dinosaur named for two-faced Roman god

Paleontologists excavated the fossils in 2015 at a site called the Mussentuchit Member in southern Utah, said lead study author Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and an associate research professor in biological sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. 

Jun 8, 2023

Dinosaur named “Iani smithi” lived during a time of major transition

“We had a stroke of luck finding Iani,” says Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and associate research professor at North Carolina State University. “We knew something like it inhabited this ecosystem because we had come across isolated teeth, but we didn’t anticipate finding such an impressive skeleton,… 

Jun 7, 2023 Health News

Chemical in Artificial Sweetener May Damage DNA

In a news release, corresponding author Susan Schiffman, an adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says, “When we exposed sucralose and sucralose-6-acetate to gut epithelial tissues – the tissue that lines your gut wall – we found that… 

Jun 7, 2023 USA Today

As Canada burns, smoke makes US air unhealthy and skies eerie. Is climate change to blame?

“We’re seeing events that are unknown in the historical record,” said Robert Scheller, a professor of forestry at North Carolina State University. “It’s hard to talk about without painting a grim picture.” 

Jun 7, 2023 The Naked Scientist

Will we ever see dinosaur DNA?

In recent years opinion has shifted to accept that even ancient fossils most likely also contain some of the chemicals that were present in the original lifeform, including proteins, fats and possibly DNA. This is known as molecular palaeontology. Landon Anderson works on this at North Carolina State University where he’s currently finishing his PhD. 

Jun 7, 2023 Futurity

Strava Fitness App Can Reveal Private Info

“Strava users expect their personal information to be protected, and our work shows that this is not always the case,” says Anupam Das, an assistant professor of computer science at North Carolina State University. “This could be particularly problematic for users who are concerned about stalkers or have other reasons to desire that their location… 

Jun 6, 2023

To Get More Baby Rhinos, Study Mom’s Poop

“Our work focuses on the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), because while it is not yet endangered, species numbers are declining in the wild due to poaching,” says Christina Burnham, a former graduate student at North Carolina State University and first author of the paper in the journal Animal Microbiome. “There is a significant… 

Jun 6, 2023 WRAL Tech Wire

New AI framework can improve teamwork, NCSU researchers say

“There is a great deal of interest in developing AI-powered training technologies that can understand teamwork dynamics and modify their training to foster improved collaboration among team members,” says Wookhee Min, co-author of a paper on the work and a research scientist at North Carolina State University. “However, previous AI architectures have struggled to accurately… 

Jun 6, 2023 Food Safety Magazine

Researchers Warn Against Sucralose After Finding it Damages DNA, Causes Leaky Gut

A study led by North Carolina State University suggests that popular artificial sweetener sucralose, may be genotoxic, alongside causing adverse effects to the gut. The study’s researchers are calling for the safety and regulatory status of the chemical to be revisited, and encourage people to avoid products containing the sweetener. 

Jun 6, 2023 Tech Xplore

New AI boosts teamwork training

“There is a great deal of interest in developing AI-powered training technologies that can understand teamwork dynamics and modify their training to foster improved collaboration among team members,” says Wookhee Min, co-author of a paper on the work and a research scientist at North Carolina State University. “However, previous AI architectures have struggled to accurately… 

Jun 5, 2023 Futurity

Chemical From Splenda Breaks Up DNA

“Our new work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic,” says Susan Schiffman, corresponding author of the study and an adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We also found that trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate can be found in off-the-shelf sucralose,… 

Jun 5, 2023 Technology Networks

Artificial Sweetener Metabolite Breaks DNA

A team of researchers led by Dr. Susan Schiffman, adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, published new data demonstrating that a chemical formed when we metabolize a commonly used sweetener – sucralose – is genotoxic. 

Jun 5, 2023 WXMI

Chemical in common sweetener found to possibly damage DNA

Susan Schiffman of North Carolina State University, a co-author on the study, said the researchers found trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate even in sucralose before it is ingested in the body. To get some context Schiffman compared the U.S. standard to that of Europe. She said, “Our work suggests that the trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate in…