AUSTIN, Texas, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Ringdale, Inc., a technology leader in network enhancing connectivity solutions, today introduced the ModuLAN(R) FaxReceiver(TM) MFR-400, a 4-in-1 fax-to-e-mail appliance that connects directly to four analogue fax lines and a single Ethernet network and consolidates them into a data center rack space. FaxReceiver MFR-400 enables high volume incoming faxes to be sent automatically to an e-mail inbox or routed via Ringdale's FollowMe(R) Q-Server secure document output management solution.

PARIS, July 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- First Direct, High-Bandwidth Optical-Fiber Submarine Cable System From the United Kingdom to India

NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire/ --

LONDON, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Britain's largest transport operator, FirstGroup plc, has signed an agreement with Opus Energy, a leading independent supplier of electricity to UK businesses. First's 600 UK sites will benefit from Opus Energy's dynamic approach to energy management, which includes access to wholesale energy prices, a cleaner energy supply, and the technology to help keep energy consumption to a minimum. 100% of First's electricity supply for its buildings will be sourced from cleaner low-carbon sources, generated from on-shore wind, small scale hydro and biomass.

Low levels of naturally occurring antibodies may represent an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke in men. This discovery, published in Atherosclerosis, has now led to attempts to develop an immunization against cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is an inflammatory disease in which the walls of the blood vessels are thickened and become less elastic. It can cause blood clots and other cardiovascular diseases. It is not known precisely what causes atherosclerosis, but the immune system probably plays an important role.

Judging by the astonishing increase in journal papers written by scientists in China, China is finding its place as one of the world’s scientific power houses, says Michael Banks, but he also quantifies this surge in scientific output China and measures whether quality matches quantity in August’s Physics World.

Nanoscience, quantum computing and high-temperature superconductivity are three of the cutting-edge areas of physics that have seen particularly large increases. Published journal articles in nanoscience, for example, with at least one co-author based in China, have seen a 10-fold increase since the beginning of the millennium, rising to more than 10,500 in 2007.

China has already overtaken the UK and Germany in the number of physics papers published and is beginning to nip at the heels of the United States. If China’s output continues to increase at its current pace, the country will be publishing more articles in physics - and indeed all of science - than the US by 2012.

Have you ever wondered what our world would look like stripped bare of all plants, soils, water and man-made structures?

So have earth and computer scientists from 79 nations who are working together on a global project called OneGeology to produce the first digital geological map of the world.

Images of the Earth as never seen before have been unveiled in what is the world’s biggest geological mapping project ever.

Begun just over a year ago, the project is doing for the rocks beneath our feet what Google does for maps of the Earth’s surface. Pretty fast for a science that usually counts time in millions of years.

Brian May CBE, PhD, ARCS, FRAS, and a founding member of Queen, is a world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer.

May abandoned his PhD studies at Imperial College London in 1974 when Queen’s popularity first exploded but always retained a keen interest in astronomy, and has been a regular contributor to “The Sky at Night,” BBC TV’s monthly astronomy program hosted by Sir Patrick Moore.

Returning to astrophysical research in 2006, he was awarded his PhD and is now Chancellor of John Moores University, and a patron to a number of charities, including the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the British Bone Marrow Donor Association.

The value of open access is an on-going debate, at least in the science community, with some stating that it leads to greater citations and others concerned that it leads to less rigorous research outside free internet sources.

A new Cornell study says that while "open access" or free online articles get read more often, they don't get cited more often in academic literature, which goes against the conventional wisdom.

The reason, suggest Cornell graduate student Philip Davis and colleagues, is that most researchers probably already have all the access they need to relevant articles.

So free is nice but everyone still gets paid journals anyway.

LONDON, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc ("RDS") today announced an interim dividend in respect of the second quarter of 2008 of US$0.40 per A and B ordinary share, an increase of 11% over the US dollar dividend for the same quarter last year.

Dividends declared on A ordinary shares ("A shares") will be paid by default in euro, although holders of A shares will be able to elect to receive dividend in pounds sterling. Dividends declared on B ordinary shares ("B shares") will be paid by default in pounds sterling, although holders of B shares will be able to elect to receive dividend in euro. Dividends declared on American Depository Receipts ("ADRs") will be paid in US dollars.

Details relating to the second quarter 2008 interim dividend