A multi-institutional team of researchers has reported the sequences for all of the 99 known strains of cold virus, nature's most ubiquitous human pathogen. The feat exposes, in precise detail, all of the molecular features of the many variations of the virus responsible for the common cold, the inescapable ailment that makes us all sneeze, cough and sniffle with regularity. 

Conducted by teams at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the J. Craig Venter Institute, the work to sequence and analyze the cold virus genomes lays a foundation for understanding the virus, its evolution and three-dimensional structure and, most importantly, for exposing vulnerabilities that could lead to the first effective cold remedies. 

BARCELONA, Spain, February 13 /PRNewswire/ --

Stantum Technologies (www.stantum.com), a pioneer developer of multi-touch sensing technology, is introducing a new version of its SMK series of multi-touch demo, evaluation and development kits, which enable vendors and OEMs to evaluate the performance of Stantum's technology and develop their own multi-touch applications.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090212/LA70551)

Within the next few years it may be possible to go to Walmart, pick up a gallon of milk, and then stop by and have your genome sequenced while you wait. Sound unbelievable? Recent developments in the sequencing of your genome may make this a reality in the near future.

A company called Complete Genomics has recently announced that they intend to market the $5000 complete genome sequencing package. $5000 is not cheap, but it is definitely cheaper than some of the earlier efforts at genome sequencing.

FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey, February 12 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC), a leading global IP solutions provider, will conduct a conference call on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. EST. CEO John Legere and CFO John Kritzmacher will discuss the company's financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2008.

NOTE: Global Crossing will issue the earnings press release on Monday, February 16, 2009 after 4:00 p.m. EST.

BARCELONA, Spain, February 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Leading international developer partners show carriers the very latest 'must have' video-enabled mobile applications as video becomes the new voice

Dialogic Corporation (Dialogic), a global provider of world-class products and technologies for media and signal processing (http://www.dialogic.com/products), and several of its world-class developer partners, will be demonstrating examples of their latest multimedia VAS solutions for carriers and mobile operators on the Dialogic stand at Mobile World Congress, February 16-19, 2009.

When people think of a refrigerator, magnetism isn't necessarily the first thought that comes to their minds. We've all become accustomed to the loud humming noise of the compressor and blowing fan that keeps our food nicely chilled, and anybody with even a cursory knowledge of thermodynamics knows basically how their refrigerator keeps the temperature down. A new development in materials science, however, may render our current refrigeration design obsolete and lead to far more efficient designs.

Parents and advocates who believe vaccines cause autism were dealt a double blow this week. On the scientific front, a discredited 1998 study that launched the vaccine-autism debate onto the forefront made headlines, and on the legal front, a special U.S. court ruled that vaccines are not to blame for the disease.

COLUMBIA, Maryland and BILLERICA, Massachusetts, February 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Pay-Per-Patient Pricing Available to Reduce Start-Up Barriers for Cancer Centers

Nucletron, a knowledge-based leader in radiation oncology, and Advanced Radiation Therapy (ART) announced today an exclusive global, strategic partnership to offer the AccuBoost(R) system with the microSelectron(R) high- dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy afterloader treatment delivery solution for the treatment of breast cancer. The partnership will enable clinicians all over the world to deliver boost brachytherapy as part of the whole breast irradiation procedure, providing a superior treatment option with the ultimate goal of improving clinical outcome.

LONDON, February 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite, the largest union in the country, is seeking ministerial clarification on what the new children's plan means in terms of the immediate employment of health visitors.

Unite is concerned that the Vision for a 21st century children's health service is vague on the numbers needed for what is described as 'stronger and better joined up support during the crucial early years of life including more health visitors'.

Unite's National Officer for Health, Karen Reay said: 'This strategy for children is long on aspirations and thin on detail, at a time when - according to the NHS's own workforce statistics - a full-time health visitor post is lost every 27 hours.'