http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. VISTA is the latest telescope to be added to ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It is housed on the peak adjacent to the one hosting the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) and shares the same exceptional observing conditions. VISTA's main mirror is 4.1 metres across and is the most highly curved mirror of this size and quality ever made -- its deviations from a perfect surface are less than a few thousandths of the thickness of a human hair -- and its construction and polishing presented formidable challenges. http://www.physorg.com/news179739402.html Space & Earth Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:10:02 EST news179739402 (PhysOrg.com) -- University of Rochester optics professor Chunlei Guo made headlines in the past couple of years when he changed the color of everyday metals by scouring their surfaces with precise, high-intensity laser bursts. http://www.physorg.com/news179504199.html Physics Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:17:11 EST news179504199 (PhysOrg.com) -- Driving hydrogen fueled SUVs for 431 miles per fill-up is no longer a California dream. Researchers from NREL and Toyota recently completed a 331 mile round trip drive between Torrance and San Diego in two Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles. And, with the fuel remaining, those SUVs easily crossed the 400 mile mark. http://www.physorg.com/news177688856.html Technology Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:33:07 EST news177688856 While the researchers can't promise delivery to a parallel universe or a school for wizards, books like Pullman's Dark Materials and JK Rowling's Harry Potter are steps closer to reality now that researchers in China have created the first tunable electromagnetic gateway. http://www.physorg.com/news169373038.html Physics Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:04:48 EST news169373038 A student team in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering is providing the blind with an opportunity many never thought possible: The opportunity to drive. http://www.physorg.com/news166887787.html Technology Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:43:37 EST news166887787 (PhysOrg.com) -- The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Jazz Semiconductor, a Tower Group Company, today announced that they have collaborated to develop a two-antenna quad-beam RFIC phased array receiver covering the 11-15 GHz frequency range. First time success was achieved using Jazz Semiconductor`s high performance 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process and its own proprietary models, kit and DIRECT MPW (Multiproject Wafer) program. The chip was designed and tested by the Electrical and Computer Engineering School at UCSD. http://www.physorg.com/news165768262.html Technology Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:45:24 EST news165768262 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Herschel Space Observatory has snapped its first picture since blasting into space on May 14, 2009. The mission, led by the European Space Agency with important participation from NASA, will use infrared light to explore our cosmic roots, addressing questions of how stars and galaxies are born. http://www.physorg.com/news165511407.html Space & Earth Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:24:01 EST news165511407 High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) carries a high predictive value for future diagnosis of prostate cancer. Research published in the open access journal BMC Urology has shown that 41.8% of patients whose extended core biopsy led to an initial diagnosis of HGPIN were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer. http://www.physorg.com/news162626585.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 May 2009 07:03:49 EST news162626585 Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have created the first carbon nanotube device that can detect the entire visible spectrum of light, a feat that could soon allow scientists to probe single molecule transformations, study how those molecules respond to light, observe how the molecules change shapes, and understand other fundamental interactions between molecules and nanotubes. http://www.physorg.com/news160318604.html Nanotechnology Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:57:21 EST news160318604 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have already known that carbon nanotube thin films have mechanical and conductive advantages that could make them useful as electrodes in solar cells, solid state lighting, and electronic displays. However, studies so far have focused on how well nanotube films transmit light in the visible range, but have not explored the films` infrared properties. http://www.physorg.com/news155993510.html Nanotechnology Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:32:47 EST news155993510 (PhysOrg.com) -- Up until now, George Grüner tells PhysOrg.com, most of the studies regarding the properties - and uses - of carbon nanotubes have been restricted to the visible spectral range. `We, however, were interested in the properties in infrared range, in the window of the electromagnetic spectrum that is gaining increased prominence.` http://www.physorg.com/news155816845.html Nanotechnology Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:28:22 EST news155816845 Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) have documented that a variety of North American bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, adding to concerns about climate change, according to a study published by the journal Global Change Biology. http://www.physorg.com/news154793277.html Biology Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:09:40 EST news154793277 (PhysOrg.com) -- Most wild species are expected to colonise northwards as the climate warms, but how are they going to get there when so many landscapes are covered in wheat fields and other crops? A study published today (Wednesday 25 February 2009) shows it is possible to predict how fast a population will spread and reveals the importance of habitat conservation in helping threatened species survive environmental change. http://www.physorg.com/news154767897.html Biology Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:05:43 EST news154767897 (PhysOrg.com) -- `People are interested in the mid-infrared,` Dan Wasserman tells PhysOrg.com. Infrared light has a wavelength longer than visible light, and many molecules have numerous very strong optical resonances in the midinfrared. `Because of this, the midinfrared is an important wavelength range for trace gas sensing applications.` In addition the midinfrared is also of interest for applications such as thermal imaging, countermeasures, and even free space communication. http://www.physorg.com/news154609081.html Physics Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:59:14 EST news154609081 Species are adapting slowly to climate change and 'assisted colonisation' can play a vital role in helping wildlife to survive in a warming world. http://www.physorg.com/news154121546.html Biology Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:33:00 EST news154121546 Chickens kept in litter-based housing systems, including free-range chickens, are more prone to disease than chickens kept in cages, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. http://www.physorg.com/news151225332.html Biology Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:02:12 EST news151225332 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have determined the optimal dose-management strategy to derive maximal benefit from warfarin therapy and improve patient outcomes. Results of the study appear online in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. http://www.physorg.com/news149168990.html Medicine & Health Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:49:50 EST news149168990 (PhysOrg.com) -- The University of Manchester has teamed up with Manchester based licensed textile company Character World and brand management firm Brand 360 to produce an innovative range of 3D Spider-Man duvet covers and bed linen. http://www.physorg.com/news146930496.html Technology Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:01:36 EST news146930496 Identifying a single, common variation in a person's genetic information improves prediction of his or her risk of a heart attack or other heart disease events and thus, choice of the best treatment accordingly, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. http://www.physorg.com/news145640215.html Medicine & Health Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:36:55 EST news145640215 (PhysOrg.com) -- Why are some species of plants and animals favored by natural selection? And why does natural selection not favor other species similarly? http://www.physorg.com/news144947425.html Biology Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:10:25 EST news144947425 [B]More than 4 in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research[/B] More than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research. http://www.physorg.com/news143635478.html Medicine & Health Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:44:38 EST news143635478 A U.S.-led, multinational team of scientists this month will investigate one of the Earth's last major unexplored places, using sophisticated airborne radar and ground-based seismologic tools to virtually peel away more than 2.5 miles of ice covering an Antarctic mountain range that rivals the Alps in elevation. http://www.physorg.com/news143294934.html Space & Earth Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:08:54 EST news143294934 Female spiders are voracious predators and consume a wide range of prey, which sometimes includes their mates. A number of hypotheses have been proposed for why females eat males before or after mating. Researchers Shawn Wilder and Ann Rypstra from Miami University in Ohio found, in a study published in the September issue of the American Naturalist, that the answer may be simpler than previously thought. http://www.physorg.com/news140280426.html Biology Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:47:06 EST news140280426 Burmese Pythons - one of the largest snakes in the world - may have chosen Florida as a vacation destination, but are unlikely to expand further, according to a study released August 13 by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY), published in the online, open access journal PLoS ONE. Although the United States Geological Survey (USGS) earlier this year released 'climate maps' indicating that the pythons could potentially inhabit up to thirty two states in the continental U.S., new research indicates that the snakes are unlikely to expand out of south Florida. http://www.physorg.com/news137834163.html Biology Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:16:03 EST news137834163 Extreme heat or cold is not only uncomfortable, it can be deadly -causing proteins to unravel and malfunction. For many years now, scientists have understood the molecular mechanisms that enable animals to sense dangerous temperatures; such as extremely high temperatures that directly trigger heat sensor proteins known as TRP channels. However, much more poorly understood is how animals sense very small temperature differences in the comfortable range, and choose their favorite temperature. http://www.physorg.com/news136568799.html Biology Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:46:39 EST news136568799 People living near vulnerable creeks and rivers along Colorado's Front Range may soon get advance notice of potentially deadly floods, thanks to a new forecasting system being tested this summer by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo. http://www.physorg.com/news135958046.html Technology Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:07:26 EST news135958046 Healthy individuals with higher levels of albumin excretion, even levels considered normal, are at increased risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a study appearing in the October 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The study suggests that to prevent cardiovascular disease, the definition of "normal" urinary albumin excretion should be reconsidered. http://www.physorg.com/news133618353.html Medicine & Health Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:12:33 EST news133618353