In research conducted at the University of Calgary, climate change scientist David Keith and a team of researchers showed it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, using a relatively simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO2 present in the air at any place on the planet.

The research is significant because air capture technology is the only way to capture CO2 emissions from transportation sources such as vehicles and airplanes. These so-called diffuse sources represent more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on Earth.

Researchers in Pennsylvania report results of laboratory tests and road tests verifying that a simple, inexpensive device attached to a car engine's fuel injector can boost gas mileage by up to 20 percent. That translates into several more miles per gallon, they say, and publish their study in the November 19 issue of Energy & Fuels.

In the study, Rongjia Tao and colleagues describe development and testing of a new fuel economy booster. The small device consists of an electrically charged tube that can be attached to the fuel line of a car's engine near the fuel injector. The device creates an electric field that thins fuel, or reduces its viscosity, so that smaller droplets are injected into the engine. That leads to more efficient and cleaner combustion than a standard fuel injector, the researchers say.

Researchers are reporting that new insights into the composition of human breast milk may lead to new ways to prevent and treat stomach illnesses and other diseases in babies and adults, according to an article in the Sept. 29 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.

In the story, Jyllian Kemsley notes that human breast milk is a complex fluid composed of several key components, including lactose, a sugar that provides energy for the infant, and lipids, which are thought to provide healthy fats to infants. But scientists are just now beginning to understand the composition and function of many of the components of human breast milk.

Although the industrial compounds known as polychlorinated biphenols or PCBs have been found in previous air samples collected in the city of Chicago, a University of Iowa researcher says that a new study of Chicago air sampled between November 2006 and November 2007 found PCB11, a byproduct of the manufacture of paint pigments and a potentially toxic substance, present throughout the city.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published report of PCB11 in ambient air," said Keri Hornbuckle, UI professor of civil and environmental engineering, in the Sept. 24 online issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Shape is the most important factor affecting Christmas tree selection, followed by needle retention, species, and price, according to M. Elizabeth Rutledge, a graduate student in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University.

How many of you out there remember your father negotiating over tree shape? None of us either. But Rutledge says that is the case so we'll let it go and assume everyone picks the best tree and then looks at the price tag, rather than the other way around.

Traditionally, Americans have also preferred dense trees, she writes, whereas Europeans have preferred more natural, or "open" trees. Open trees have more space to hang ornaments, holding up to two-thirds more decorations than heavily sheared trees, and tend to weigh less than dense trees, providing advantages for growers and consumers alike.

MILTON KEYNES, England, September 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photo

A reminder has gone out to rabbit owners who took part in the first ever National Vaccination Month (March 2008) that they will need to vaccinate their pets this month in order to maintain immunity to myxomatosis.

Under the National Vaccination Month campaign owners of unvaccinated or overdue pet rabbits were offered a free dose of vaccine to protect their pets against myxomatosis - the first was given in March and the second is due now.

Currently less than one in ten owners ensure their rabbit is vaccinated against myxomatosis, a devastating killer disease spread by biting insects, which appears to be on the increase.

LONDON, September 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Businessman Launches Campaign to Ban Bullet Points and Give Work More Wit

- With Photo

Businessman Jon Moon today launched a nationwide campaign to ban bullet points from work. "We all use bullet points because we always have, yet they don't work. They don't break up dull text. They are dull text," he says. Jon, who advises companies on clarity in written and visual communications, wants us to end our love affair with black dots and instead use WiT (Words in Tables), his new way of showing information in reports and slides. "WiT has three times more impact than bullets, and it does a fantastic CV too," Jon continues.

MONTPELLIER, France, September 29 /PRNewswire/ -- AwoX, a leading provider of network entertainment solutions, today announced the signature of a distribution agreement with Japan-based Network Technology Co., Ltd.. Under the terms of this agreement, Network Technology will sell, distribute and support AwoX middleware solutions for networked audio/video applications in Japan.

It used to be that being buried under a pile of large, sweaty men was the worst thing that could happen to you playing Rugby - but then it turned out a herpes virus can cause a skin disease called "scrumpox" and it spreads through physical contact.

Researchers have discovered that a new strain could be even more pathogenic - and it's now also found among sumo wrestlers in Japan.

"Scrumpox", or herpes gladiatorum, is a skin infection caused by the herpes virus, which can cause coldsores. It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact so it is common among rugby players. Symptoms can start with a sore throat and swollen glands and the telltale blisters appear on the face, neck, arms or legs. The disease is highly infectious, so players who are infected are often taken out of competition to stop the virus from spreading.

In the fall of 2006, a strange design mysteriously appeared amongst the rows of crops in a farmer’s field. And this time, there was some serious product placement.

The large Firefox logo appeared in a farmer’s oat field outside of Amity, Oregon. But far from being a mysterious extraterrestrial communication, the design was carefully planned and executed by a group of Oregon State University students.

Two Mozilla video interns came up with the idea. Supported by the enthusiasm of fellow Mozilla staff members, things really started to take shape when the idea was presented to members of the Oregon State Linux Users Group (OSLUG). A local farmer offered up his field as the “canvas” for the creation, and the stage was set.

Firefox Crop Circle