Applied Physics

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) evaluates research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies using the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART), a set of questions that asks agencies about many aspects of their programs, including whether they can measure and demonstrate annual improvements in efficiency. Based on the answers, OMB rates research programs as effective, ineffective, or somewhere in between. An "ineffective" rating can have serious adverse consequences for a program or agency. After experiencing difficulty meeting OMB's…

Based on the rapid evaporation of solvent from simple “inks,” University of Illinois researchers have demonstrated a process for fabrication of complex, three-dimensional nanoscale structures and shown the ability to grow individual nanowires of unlimited length. The process has been used to fabricate freestanding nanofibers, stacked arrays of nanofibers and continuously wound spools of nanowires. Potential applications include electronic interconnects, biocompatible scaffolds and nanofluidic networks. “The process is like drawing with a fountain pen – the ink comes out and quickly dries or ‘…

REDMOND, Washington, January 30 /PRNewswire/ -- - First eight languages available for new release as global launch tour begins. Microsoft Corp today began the global launch of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 by announcing the availability of the first eight languages, including English, Spanish, simplified Chinese and French. As part of its commitment to a rapid global rollout, Microsoft is kicking off a 12-week global launch tour today to give organisations worldwide the opportunity to experience Microsoft Dynamics CRM for themselves. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO…

Scientists at University College London say they have established a link between changes in the temperature of the sea’s surface and increases in North Atlantic hurricane activity. They say their research shows that a 0.5°C increase in sea surface temperature can be associated with a ~40 per cent increase in hurricane activity. The study, conducted by Professor Mark Saunders and Dr Adam Lea of the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre and the UCL Tropical Storm Risk forecasting venture, finds that local sea surface warming was responsible for about 40 per cent of the increase in Atlantic…

For most people, the name “E. coli” is synonymous with food poisoning and product recalls, but a professor in Texas A&M University’s chemical engineering department envisions the bacteria as a future source of energy, helping to power our cars, homes and more. By genetically modifying the bacteria, Thomas Wood, a professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, has “tweaked” a strain of E. coli so that it produces substantial amounts of hydrogen. Specifically, Wood’s strain produces 140 times more hydrogen than is created in a naturally occurring process, according to…

Building upon several years of research into the gecko's uncanny ability to climb sheer walls, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley writing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface have developed an adhesive that is the first to master the easy attach and easy release of the reptile's padded feet. The material could prove useful for a range of products, from climbing equipment to medical devices. Unlike duct tape or glue, the new material is crafted from millions of tiny, hard, plastic fibers that establish grip; a mere square two centimeters on a side can support 400…

LONDON, January 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Polarion Software, creators of fully integrated application lifecycle management solutions and services based on Subversion, will launch two workshop series in the United Kingdom: How to Ramp Up to Subversion Fast and Application Lifecycle Management with Subversion. The Stuttgart, Germany based software company has been conducting these workshops regularly in Germany and other European countries for the past two years. According to Polarion CEO Frank Schroeder, Forrester Research's (http://www.forrester.com) report Software Change and Configuration…

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, January 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Bytemobile, Inc., the global leader in mobile internet solutions for network operators, today announced the appointment of Chris Koopmans as vice president, Product Development. Koopmans has been an engineer and architect with the company since its founding in 2000. In his new position, he is responsible for engineering, product management and information technology (IT). "This appointment recognizes Chris Koopmans' many years of service and rich history of leadership with Bytemobile," said Hatim Tyabji, executive chairman. "We will now…

First results from a new NASA-funded scientific instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii are helping scientists overturn long-standing assumptions about powerful explosions called novae and have produced the first unified model for a nearby nova called RS Ophiuchi. "We were getting ready for a routine engineering run when all of a sudden the nova went off. It was very bright and easy to observe, so we took this opportunity and turned it into gold," says team member Marc Kuchner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Kuchner and his colleagues used the "nulling"…

NEW YORK, January 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanotech Briefs has announced a Call for Nominations for its fourth annual Nano 50 awards competition, which launched on January 7. The Nano 50 recognizes the top 50 technologies, innovators, and products with the greatest potential to advance the commercialization of nanotechnology. Nominations are accepted at no cost via an online submission form at the official awards Web site: www.nanotechbriefs.com/nano50. The awards categories are: -- Technology -- A nanotechnology breakthrough that has, or is expected to have, a significant impact in one or more…