An international team writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) say anthropogenic forcing could push the Earth’s climate system past critical thresholds, so that important components may “tip” into qualitatively different modes of operation. They say even small changes can have large long-term consequences on human and ecological systems.

“Society may be lulled into a false sense of security by smooth projections of global change,“ the researchers around Timothy Lenton from the British University of East Anglia in Norwich and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research report. Global change may appear to be a slow and gradual process on human scales. However, in some regions anthropogenic forcing on the climate system could kick start abrupt and potentially irreversible changes. For these sub-systems of the Earth system the researchers introduce the term “tipping element”.

LONDON, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Long-time director Andrew Reicher takes over as CEO

Globeleq Generation Limited, the developer of new power generation focused solely on the emerging markets of Africa, the Americas and Asia, announced today the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer and a new Chairman of its Board of Directors.

Torbjorn Caesar, CEO of the Globeleq business since June 2006, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors and Andrew Reicher, a director of the Globeleq business since 2004, was named as CEO. Both appointments are effective immediately.

In a first-of-its-kind imaging study, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play.

More than 230 million video and computer games were sold in 2005, and polls show that 40 percent of Americans play games on a computer or a console. According to a 2007 Harris Interactive survey, young males are two to three times more likely than females to feel addicted to video games, such as the Halo series so popular in recent years.

"These gender differences may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become 'hooked' on video games than females," the researchers wrote in their paper, which was recently published online in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

MedImmune announced today it submitted to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on January 30 a Biologics License Application (BLA) for motavizumab, an investigational monoclonal antibody (MAb) derived from recombinant DNA technology. The motavizumab BLA is supported by clinical trial data from more than 6,000 patients in which safety and efficacy in prevention of serious disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk pediatric patients were evaluated.

DUBLIN, Ireland and WASHINGTON, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- 14 .mobi premium names to be made available at Moniker's T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West Live Auction on Feb. 20, 2008

Following an incredibly successful series of .mobi domain name auctions this past year, dotMobi is reaching further into its set of "premium names" to bring 14 adult and entertainment-related names to Moniker's T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West Live Auction on Feb. 20, 2008.

The adult domain names to be auctioned at this event are naked.mobi and the highly anticipated porn.mobi while the entertainment and hobby names include broadway.mobi, cards.mobi, geneology.mobi, hollywood.mobi, lottery.mobi, tickets.mobi and vegas.mobi.

SAN DIEGO, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Deal follows positive phase I data from novel product candidate AM103 for the oral treatment of respiratory disease

Amira Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline today announced they have entered into a worldwide exclusive agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize FLAP (5-Lipoxygenase Activating Protein ) inhibitors for the treatment of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

WARRINGTON, England, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- dise3G transformed into diseMP: MultiPlay for total convergence

Martin Dawes Systems, an international provider of billing, customer care and business assurance solutions for the communications market, today announced diseMP (MultiPlay), the latest enhanced version of its widely used subscriber management platform, which was previously known as dise3G.

HONG KONG, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Maximizing Shareholder Interests Optimizing Future Development

One of the leading game developers and operators in the PRC, NetDragon Websoft Inc. ("NetDragon" or the "Company", with its subsidiary collectively the "Group"; Stock Code: 8288.HK) is pleased to announce that it has bought back 271,000 of its shares on 31 January 2008.

The total number of shares bought back up to 31 January 2008 now amounts to 4,276,000 shares, and the total amount paid is about HK$56,493,900 at prices of between HK$12.40 and HK$14.48 per share.

DÜSSELDORF, Germany, February 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Sales up by 48% at EUR958 Million - EBITDA Margin Reaches High Level of 19%

- Another Acquisition in the Target Segment of Pharmaceutical Plastics in South America: Brazilian Market Leader for Pharma Plastic Taken Over

According to provisional figures, Gerresheimer AG has just completed another record year. In 2007 the company achieved sales of EUR957.7m, up by 48.1%; the adjusted Group EBITDA margin reached 19%. "This gratifying development completely and fully confirms our strategy," says Dr. Axel Herberg, Chief Executive Officer of Gerresheimer AG: "With the help of acquisitions we have successfully expanded our global presence and set the course for further growth."