Tech

For space research as well as climate observation and weather forecasting satellites need increasingly powerful optical measurement and recording devices. They often consist of several aspherically shaped mirror elements which through their precise interplay provide the desired reflection of the incident light. »All the mirrors must be produced and characterized with extreme precision, that is to an accuracy of less than one micrometer.

English is increasingly becoming the world common language, being used in commerce, the Internet, science and many other areas of human endeavor. Learning English is critical to international success for countless individuals in non-English speaking countries. As mobile technologies have matured so have the possibilities for learning. Researchers in Australia and Taiwan suggest that podcasting could be used to foster a positive attitude in learning English as a foreign language.

The progression from the Neolithic solid stone wheel with a single hole for an axle to the sleek wheels of today's racing bikes is the result of human ingenuity but it also represents how animals, including humans, have come to move more efficiently and quicker over millions of years on Earth, according to a Duke University engineer.

The scientific community already knew that many carnivores eat fruit, but had thought this was something purely anecdotal. Now researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) have shown that carnivorous animals such as foxes and martens play an important role in helping fruiting plants to reproduce and disperse their seeds.

A new analysis has found that two million cancer survivors did not get needed medical services in the previous year because of concerns about cost. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study raises the concern that the long-term health and well-being of cancer survivors could suffer because patients have financial worries about their care.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Monday, June 14, 2010 – A new study led by a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher shows that millions of cancer survivors are forgoing needed medical care because of concerns about cost.

Published early online today in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study raises the concern that the long-term health and well-being of cancer survivors could suffer because patients have financial worries about their care.

A flyover of Belize's thick jungles has revolutionized archaeology worldwide and vividly illustrated the complex urban centers developed by one of the most-studied ancient civilizations -- the Maya.

University of Central Florida researchers led a NASA-funded research project in April 2009 that collected the equivalent of 25 years worth of data in four days.

COLLEGE STATION, June 11, 2010 – Researchers at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences have achieved another cloning first with the successful delivery of a foal using oocytes from a live mare, the first such clone in the world. The delivery of the foal highlights Texas A&M's long tradition of leading science in equine reproduction, and has been a great experience for the owner of the new foal.

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, June 10 at 19:05 UTC (3:05 p.m. EDT) and the satellite's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured an image of the thickest part of the oil slick.

When applied to HIV care, the community-based model of directly observed therapy (DOT) has no effect on virologic outcomes, but significantly improves patient survival. This is according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in collaboration with colleagues at University of Cape Town, South Africa, who conducted the first randomized controlled trial of patient-nominated treatment-supporters providing partial DOT in resource-limited settings.

The chaos caused by the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption in Iceland April 2010 and the dispersal of its ash cloud across European airspace was a reminder of the tremendous forces of nature that exist below the ground. Not all subterranean heat sources have such sinister power but across Europe there are plentiful sources of geothermal energy: heat stored in the ground which can be tapped to provide a renewable and inexhaustible energy supply.

An inexpensive, but unlicensed drug to help prevent severe sight loss in older people has been shown to be safe and effective, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) is licensed as a treatment for bowel cancer, but it is widely used "off label" as a considerably cheaper alternative to the approved drug ranibizumab (Lucentis) to prevent wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) and several large trials comparing the two drugs are now underway.

Family carers need to be supported throughout the whole illness of their loved ones as they witness and share much of the experience of the dying person, according to research published on bmj.com today.

It has already been established that individuals dying from cancer experience distress particularly at four key time points – at diagnosis, at home after initial treatment, at recurrence, and during the terminal stage, says the study.