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Jun 15, 2010

Video Study Finds Risky Food-Safety Behavior More Common Than Thought

How safe is the food we get from restaurants, cafeterias and other food-service providers? A new study from North Carolina State University — the first study to place video cameras in commercial kitchens to see how precisely food handlers followed food-safety guidelines —  discovered that risky practices can happen more often than previously thought. 

Jun 9, 2010

On A Roll: Designing The Next Rover To Explore Mars

The concept of a wind-powered vehicle that can be used to explore the surface of Mars – a so-called “tumbleweed rover” that would roll over the surface of Mars like a tumbleweed – has been around for more than 10 years, but so far there has been no consensus on exactly what that vehicle should… 

Jun 1, 2010

NC State To Play Key Role In DOE Team On Nuclear Energy Innovation

Experimenting with new designs and operation techniques for nuclear power plants is a tricky business, since even small changes can pose significant safety and financial risks. But the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is funding a major research initiative that will use computer models to develop innovative new approaches to nuclear power that will result… 

May 27, 2010

NC State To Develop Next Generation HazMat Boots

The rubber boots that emergency personnel wear when responding to situations where hazardous materials (HazMat) are present may be functional, but they’re not very comfortable. New research coming out of North Carolina State University hopes to provide a next generation HazMat boot that meets both criteria. 

May 19, 2010

New Microneedle Antimicrobial Techniques May Foster Medical Tech Innovation

A team led by researchers from North Carolina State University has developed two new approaches for incorporating antimicrobial properties into microneedles – vanishingly thin needles that hold great promise for use in portable medical devices. Researchers expect the findings to spur development of new medical applications using microneedles. 

May 13, 2010

New Forensics Research Will Help Identify Remains Of Children

New research from North Carolina State University is now giving forensic scientists a tool that can be used to help identify the remains of children, and may contribute to resolving missing-persons cases, among other uses. Identifying skeletal remains can be a key step in solving crimes, but traditionally it has been exceptionally difficult to identify… 

May 10, 2010

Dr. M. Jayne Fleener Named Dean of NC State’s College of Education

Dr. M. Jayne Fleener, dean and E.B. “Ted” Robert Professor at Louisiana State University’s (LSU) College of Education, has been named dean of the College of Education at North Carolina State University, effective July 1. Interim Provost Warwick A. Arden announced the appointment today. 

May 3, 2010

Disease Caused By Insect Bites Can Be Transmitted To Children At Birth, NC State Researcher Finds

A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas–and potentially ticks–can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects. Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, professor of internal medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences, is among the world’s leading experts on… 

Apr 27, 2010

Trudy Mackay Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Dr. Trudy F.C. Mackay of Raleigh, William Neal Reynolds and Distinguished University Professor of Genetics and Entomology at North Carolina State University, has been elected into the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most important scientific societies. Mackay becomes the ninth current NC State faculty member to be elected into the august scientific society.… 

Apr 26, 2010

NC State Predicts Active Atlantic Hurricane Season for 2010

Researchers at North Carolina State University believe that hurricane activity will be above normal in the Atlantic basin in 2010. According to Dr. Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, and collaborators Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, professor of statistics, and graduate student Danny Modlin, 2010 should see 15 to 18 named storms forming in… 

Apr 15, 2010

NC State Study Examines Geography of Human Disease

If your home region has a hot, wet climate and a lot of different kinds of birds and mammals living in it, there’s a really good chance the region will also contain numerous kinds of pathogens that cause human diseases. A new study examining the geography of human disease, led by Dr. Rob Dunn at… 

Mar 31, 2010

Electroactive Polymer Design Opens Door To ‘Full Screen’ Displays For The Blind

Imagine if your computer only allowed you to see one line at a time, no matter what you were doing – reading e-mail, looking at a Web site, doing research. That’s the challenge facing blind computer users today. But new research from North Carolina State University is moving us closer to the development of a… 

Mar 19, 2010

Surveys Show NC State Provided $1 Billion in Value to NC Manufacturers

Four years ago, North Carolina State University set a goal to create $1 billion in economic value to manufacturers in North Carolina during calendar years 2006-2010. One year sooner than expected, the 1B4NC campaign has reached its goal, helping businesses in 75 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. 

Mar 10, 2010

Get Up, Get Out and Go!: NC State Research Tackles Childhood Obesity

Getting children involved in finding ways to become more physically active can not only make them more aware of local recreational opportunities, but can even help increase their own physical activity. 

Mar 4, 2010

From Jellybean to Licorice Whip: Tracing Development of the GI Tract

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found the method by which the “gut tube” – the primitive structure in all vertebrate embryos that eventually becomes the entire gastrointestinal tract – changes from a short, solid cylinder into an elongated hollow structure that loops and coils. Their research paves the way toward greater understanding of…