British parents call for a radical overhaul of the education system, saying that secondary school is not working for over a quarter (28 per cent) of children.

According to independent education foundation Edge, it is a situation that worsens with age as 40 per cent of 15-16 year olds are failing to thrive at school.

And this appears to be impacting on happiness levels as a quarter (26 per cent) of secondary school mums and dads admit they often worry their child is not happy - 23 per cent saying their offspring has not been happy since starting secondary school.

Questioning the one-size fits all approach, two fifths of parents (42 per cent) claim that only academically minded children do well at school.

In Finland, leaders in various fields have taken up the challenge presented by the increasing use of natural resources. Jointly, they have set out to find an answer to the question of how to use natural resources to enhance both national competitiveness and global responsibility. One result of this cooperation is the Natural Resource Strategy for Finland, a unique effort on a global scale.

Ounce for ounce, spinach has more nutritional value than iceberg lettuce; in general, darker colors in leafy vegetables mean more antioxidants and therefore more health benefits.

Knowing that, plant physiologists has developed a way to make lettuce darker and redder — and therefore healthier — using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

A common blood test for triglycerides – a well-known cardiovascular disease risk factor – may also for the first time allow doctors to predict which patients with diabetes are more likely to develop the serious, common complication of neuropathy. 

Triglycerides are a type of lipid, or fat, that the body makes from calories it doesn't need immediately. Triglycerides are stored in fat cells until they are needed to provide energy. When higher-than-normal amounts circulate in the blood, a person is at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Researchers comparing the fetal development of owl monkey eyes with those of the capuchin monkey have found that only a minor difference in the timing of cell proliferation can explain the multiple anatomical differences in the two kinds of eyes.  The findings help scientists understand how a structure as complex as the eye could change gradually through evolution, yet remain functional.

NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire/ --

The next generation of U.S. technologies - in energy, medical, aerospace and media - is now actively seeking Middle Eastern and other international investors. Representatives will be in the Gulf May 18-30 to meet interested partners.

MHM/global strategy is helping a select group of future technology leaders find the right global partners. These public and private technology companies offer international investors the chance to lead rather than follow the technology market - and to get in on the next wave of value creation.

All of these companies will consider placing operations in the Middle East or elsewhere, in exchange for significant investment.

CALI, Colombia, May 18 /PRNewswire/ --

LONDON, May 18 /PRNewswire/ --

The MS Society has today (18 May) called on Gordon Brown to ring-fence funds for stem cell research into multiple sclerosis (MS).

Four years ago the UK Government announced a GBP50million windfall for stem cell science but there has been no evidence of significant UK advances in research into conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

Without a commitment to target funding of UK stem cell trials, the charity has said research into the benefit of stem cells may be at risk of going down a blind alley.

And without evidence of fruitful UK trials into the benefit of stem cells, patients will continue to seek unproven therapies abroad, it warned.

NEW YORK, May 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- JOHN HANCOCK AND BABCOCK BROWN INFRASTRUCTURE FUND NORTH AMERICA'S MANAGEMENT TEAM TO ACQUIRE PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS AND MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OVER THE US$1.9BN UNLISTED INFRASTRUCTURE FUND FROM BABCOCK BROWN

The management team of Babcock Brown Infrastructure Fund North America LP, (BBIFNA or the Fund), a San Francisco based unlisted infrastructure fund that owns and manages energy and infrastructure assets throughout North America, and John Hancock Life Insurance Company (John Hancock), a diversified financial services organization and an existing limited partner of the Fund, today announced the acquisition of Babcock Brown's (BB) interests in the Fund as well as BB's management rights over the Fund.

In a previous article here I considered from a statistical standpoint the signal of Omega_b candidate decays extracted by the DZERO collaboration in a large dataset of proton-antiproton collisions -the ones produced by today's most powerful hadron collider, the Tevatron at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.