Two stars, each with the same mass and in orbit around each other, are twins that one would expect to be identical. So astronomers were surprised when they discovered that twin stars in the Orion Nebula, a well-known stellar nursery 1,500 light years away, were not identical at all. In fact, these stars exhibited significant differences in brightness, surface temperature and possibly even size.

The study published in the June 19 Nature suggests that one of the stars formed significantly earlier than its twin. Because astrophysicists have assumed that binary stars form simultaneously, the discovery provides an important new challenge for today's star formation theories, forcing theorists to reexamine their models to see if the models can indeed produce binaries with stars that form at different times.

PARIS, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Valeo today announced the signing of a contract with OSEO, the French state financing group dedicated to supporting innovation, for 61 million euros in funding for its research program LOwCO2MOTION(R), which aims to improve vehicle engine efficiency and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.

This funding, granted by the French Industrial Innovation Agency (Agence de l'Innovation Industrielle, AII) which is now part of OSEO, was authorized by the European Commission on June 17.

SAN DIEGO, California, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany is on the cutting edge in biotechnology R&D and is a top player in large- and clinical-scale production. Companies located in Germany are poised to profit from the latest developments in biomanufacturing. These were the results of an expert panel, at the BIO International Convention (BIO 2008) in San Diego, California on June 18th. Invest in Germany co-chaired the panel along with the CEO of a major transatlantic biotech consultancy.

SAN DIEGO, California and CALGARY, Canada, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Findings Demonstrate Clear Trends of Proof of Principle of Reverse Cholesterol Transport in Human Volunteers

SAN DIEGO, California and CALGARY, Canada, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

Resverlogix Corp. ("Resverlogix" or the "Company") (TSX: RVX) announced today that it has completed the planned exploratory efficacy analysis of the data from the Phase I, 7 day RVX-208 treatment subjects. Analysis from two independent and external laboratories of blinded serum samples showed consistent improvements of key biomarkers for the RCT (reverse cholesterol transport) pathway.

The pageantry of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, the Coca-Cola empire, Michael Jackson’s turn from the King of Pop into an iconic global recluse: American pop culture – Hollywood cinema, television, pop music – dominates the rest of the world through its hegemonic presence. Does that make everyone a hybridized American, or do these elements find mediation within the other cultures that consume them?

Fabricating the Absolute Fake. America in Contemporary Pop Culture by Jaap Kooijman applies concepts of postmodern theory – Baudrillard’s hyperreality and Eco’s “absolute fake,” among others – to this globally mediated American pop culture in order to examine both the phenomenon itself and its appropriation in the Netherlands, as evidenced by such diverse cultural icons as the Elvis-inspired crooner Lee Towers, the Moroccan-Dutch rapper Ali B, musical tributes to an assassinated politician, and the Dutch reality soap opera scene.

IRVINE, California and LONDON, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Companies Utilize Proof of Concept as Trial SaaS Platform for ISVs

Endeavors Technologies, the pioneer in application streaming and virtualization technology, and its parent company, Tadpole Technology plc, today announced a strategic partnership with NTT Europe Online. The companies are building a proof-of-concept (POC) based on Application Jukebox that will be used to help ISVs transition their applications to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. The POC offers ISVs a 30 day trial, allowing them to experience the benefits of a hosted, SaaS model, without having to re-architect their existing windows-based application.

Bacteria survive everywhere. Under the sea, in the air, even in some of the hottest environments on Earth.

How are microbes seemingly so smart? Bacteria don't just react to changes in their surroundings, say Princeton University researchers, they anticipate and prepare for them. The findings, reported in the June 6 issue of Science, challenge the prevailing notion that only organisms with complex nervous systems have this ability.

"What we have found is the first evidence that bacteria can use sensed cues from their environment to infer future events," says Saeed Tavazoie, an associate professor in the department of Molecular Biology, who conducted the study along with graduate student Ilias Tagkopoulos and post-doctoral researcher Yir-Chung Liu.

BERLIN, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Fleet to be Reduced in the Winter and dba Administration to be Dissolved

In order to absorb part of the increased kerosene cost, Air Berlin PLC has designed a cost reduction package to be implemented at the start of the winter flight schedule. The program comprises capacity reductions as well as organizational measures. Instead of having 134 airplanes in service, as originally planned, only 120 are to remain in service at the end of the year. Nevertheless, as CEO Joachim Hunold stated in Berlin on Wednesday, the fact that Air Berlin aims to increase its fleet capacity utilization does not necessarily entail a reduction in the anticipated number of passengers transported.

LONDON, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUU), a leading global publisher of mobile games, today announced a partnership with SEGA(R) Europe Ltd. to publish Beijing 2008(TM) - The Official Mobile Phone Game of the Olympic Games and Sonic at the Olympic Games(TM) throughout EMEA, Australia and New Zealand.

SAN DIEGO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Sophisticated Infrastructure and Skilled Manpower Support Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Activities

Singapore has firmly established itself as a leading manufacturing hub in Asia with its strong track record, sophisticated infrastructure, superior IP protection and reliability. Its biomedical sciences manufacturing output expanded four-fold from US$4.4 billion in 2000 to US$17 billion in 2007 at a compounded annual growth rate of 21%, far surpassing the industry's global growth rate.