Tag Archives: north carolina state university

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

By Guest PostJanuary 19, 2014Science3d id, amanda hale, ann ross, anthropology, cheekbones, contemporary skull, craniofacial surgeons, ct scans, facial characteristics, forensic database, id, kenda honeycutt, manual mapping, morton collection, museum, north carolina state university, skeletal remain, skull, unidentified remains, university of pennsylvania

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.

“As forensic anthropologists, we can map specific coordinates on a skull and use software that we developed – called 3D-ID – to compare those three-dimensional coordinates with a database of biological characteristics,” says Dr. Ann Ross, a professor of anthropology at NC State and senior author of a paper describing the work. “That comparison can tell us the ancestry and sex of unidentified remains using only the skull – which is particularly valuable when dealing with incomplete skeletal remains.” (more…)

Researchers ID Queens, Mysterious Disease Syndrome as Key Factors in Bee Colony Deaths

By Guest PostMarch 11, 2013Natureapis mellifera, bee colony, bee colony deaths, bee larvae, commercial colonies, david tarpy, dennis vanenglesdorp, eastern united states, eugene lengerich, greatest risk factor, honey bees, ibds, idiopathic brood disease, jeffery pettis, key factors, large scale infestations, mysterious disease syndrome, north carolina state university, parasitic mites, penn state, queen event, queens, syndrome, university of maryland, usda

A new long-term study of honey bee health has found that a little-understood disease study authors are calling “idiopathic brood disease syndrome” (IBDS), which kills off bee larvae, is the largest risk factor for predicting the death of a bee colony.

“Historically, we’ve seen symptoms similar to IBDS associated with viruses spread by large-scale infestations of parasitic mites,” says Dr. David Tarpy, an associate professor of entomology at North Carolina State University and co-author of a paper describing the study. “But now we’re seeing these symptoms – a high percentage of larvae deaths – in colonies that have relatively few of these mites. That suggests that IBDS is present even in colonies with low mite loads, which is not what we expected.” The study was conducted by researchers from NC State, the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (more…)

Researchers ‘Nanoweld’ by Applying Light to Aligned Nanorods in Solid Materials

By Guest PostMarch 9, 2013Scienceabsorb, fibers, gold nanorods, heat, infrared spectrum, jason bochinski, joe tracy, krystian kozek, laura clarke, light, light wavelengths, mechanical characteristics, melt, nanometers, nanoparticles, nanoscale, nm, north carolina state university, polymers, researcher, resilient nanofibers, sigma xi, somsubhra maity, wavelengths, weld, wie chen wu

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a way to melt or “weld” specific portions of polymers by embedding aligned nanoparticles within the materials. Their technique, which melts fibers along a chosen direction within a material, may lead to stronger, more resilient nanofibers and materials.

Physicists Jason Bochinski and Laura Clarke, with materials scientist Joe Tracy, placed specifically aligned gold nanorods within a solid material. Gold nanorods absorb light at different wavelengths, depending upon the size and orientation of the nanorod, and then they convert that absorbed light directly into heat. In this case, the nanorods were designed to respond to light wavelengths of 520 nanometers (nm) in a horizontal alignment and 800 nm when vertically aligned. Human beings can see light at 520 nm (it looks green), while 808 nm is in the near infrared spectrum, invisible to our eyes. (more…)

New Technique Controls Crystalline Structure of Titanium Dioxide

By Guest PostJuly 14, 2012Scienceanatase, antimicrobial coatings, atoms dictates, crystalline structure, dme, domain matching epitaxy, hydrogen production, jay narayan, m r bayati, north carolina state university, optimal structure, photovoltaic cells, r molaei, roger narayan, rutile, sapphire substrate, smart sensor, titanium dioxide

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for controlling the crystalline structure of titanium dioxide at room temperature. The development should make titanium dioxide more efficient in a range of applications, including photovoltaic cells, hydrogen production, antimicrobial coatings, smart sensors and optical communication technologies.

Titanium dioxide most commonly comes in one on of two major “phases,” meaning that its atoms arrange themselves in one of two crystalline structures. These phases are “anatase” or “rutile.” The arrangement of atoms dictates the material’s optical, chemical and electronic properties. As a result, each phase has different characteristics. The anatase phase has characteristics that make it better suited for use as an antibacterial agent and for applications such as hydrogen production. The rutile phase is better suited for use in other applications, such as photovoltaic cells, smart sensors and optical communication technologies. (more…)

Study Shows How The Brain Responds To Deceptive Advertising

By Guest PostMarch 5, 2012Science, Technologyadam craig, advertisement, brain, brain response, conscious attention, deceptive advertising, fmri, fmri images, highly deceptive, jennifer vendemia, north carolina state university, precuneus, stacy wood, sts, superior temporal sulcus, temporoparietal junction, theory of mind, tom, tpj, variable, yuliya loureiro

Several specific regions of our brains are activated in a two-part process when we are exposed to deceptive advertising, according to new research conducted by a North Carolina State University professor. The work opens the door to further research that could help us understand how brain injury and aging may affect our susceptibility to fraud or misleading marketing.

The study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to capture images of the brain while study participants were shown a series of print advertisements. The fMRI images allowed researchers to determine how consumers’ brains respond to potentially deceptive advertising. “We did not instruct participants to evaluate the ads. We wanted to mimic the passive exposure to advertising that we all experience every day,” says Dr. Stacy Wood, Langdon Distinguished Professor of Marketing at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. (more…)

New Mouse Reference Library Should Speed Gene Discoveries

By Guest PostFebruary 17, 2012Sciencecc, collaborative cross, david threadgill, francis s collins, genes, genetic information, genetic sequences, genetic variation, human disease, jackson laboratory, lab mice, manual, mice, north carolina state university, oxford university, tel aviv university

Genetic information provided by a large group of specially designed mice could pave the way to faster human health discoveries and transform the ways people battle and prevent disease.

In 15 papers published Feb. 16 in the Genetics Society of America journals Genetics and G3:Genes/Genomes/Genetics, researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Jackson Laboratory and other universities and labs across the globe highlight a new genetic resource that could aid development of more effective treatments for any number of human diseases. (more…)

Researchers Devise New Means For Creating Elastic Conductors

By Guest PostJanuary 25, 2012Sciencebuckle nanotube, carbon nanotube, conductive material, elastic conductor, elastic electronic device, elastic substrate, electric signal, feng xu, nanotubes buckle, north carolina state university, ribbons, stretchable electronics, technique, yong zhu

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new method for creating elastic conductors made of carbon nanotubes, which will contribute to large-scale production of the material for use in a new generation of elastic electronic devices.

“We’re optimistic that this new approach could lead to large-scale production of stretchable conductors, which would then expedite research and development of elastic electronic devices,” says Dr. Yong Zhu, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State, and lead author of a paper describing the new technique. (more…)

Microneedle Sensors May Allow Real-Time Monitoring of Body Chemistry

By Guest PostDecember 27, 2011Sciencebiomedical engineering, diabetic patient, electrochemical sensors, glucose, lactate, microneedle sensor, microneedles, molecules, monitor glucose levels, north carolina state university, one dimension, ph levels, philip miller, roger narayan, shelby skoog, Technology, types of sensors, university of california, variety of chemicals

Researchers from North Carolina State University, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of California, San Diego have developed new technology that uses microneedles to allow doctors to detect real-time chemical changes in the body – and to continuously do so for an extended period of time.

“We’ve loaded the hollow channels within microneedles with electrochemical sensors that can be used to detect specific molecules or pH levels,” says Dr. Roger Narayan, co-author of a paper describing the research, and a professor in the joint biomedical engineering department of NC State’s College of Engineering and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (more…)