For countries without their own environmental monitoring systems, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) can be useful for working out where there is a need for action in environmental policy making, but otherwise there are already better ways of getting results, says the conclusions of a study conducted by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).

According to the study authors, Germany, for example, already has more accurate and appropriate instruments than the 2008 EPI – such as the European Environment Agency´s State of the Environment Report and the Federal Environmental Agency´s Umweltbarometer.

One difficulty is the legitimacy of the targets set for each indicator. The EPI employs a distance-to-target method which requires explicit target values, against which the countries are measured. According to the EPI 2008 report, only 5 out of 25 target values have been set in international agreements or guidelines, all others represent expert judgement taken from scientific literature. Augustin Berghöfer, one of the analysts at the UFZ says, "the EPI lacks crucial legitimacy as an instrument for benchmarking. Why should governments measure themselves against target values which they may not even have heard of so far?"

Charles Darwin maintained that the domesticated chicken derives from the red jungle fowl, but new research from Uppsala University now shows that the wild origins of the chicken are more complicated than that.

The researchers mapped the genes that give most domesticated chickens yellow legs and found to their surprise that this genetic heredity derives from a closely related species, the grey jungle fowl.

“Our studies show that even though most of the genes in domesticated fowls come from the red jungle fowl, at least one other species must have contributed, specifically the grey jungle fowl,” says Jonas Eriksson, a doctoral student at Uppsala University.

Many areas of research and medicine rely critically upon knowing a person’s individual immune system proteins, as they determine an individual’s ability to fight disease or mistakenly attack their own tissues. However, obtaining this information is costly and difficult.

In a new study, Listgarten et al demonstrated how statistical modeling can help researchers obtain this information more easily and cost effectively.

SAN MATEO, California, February 29 /PRNewswire/ --

NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), a leading vendor of on-demand, integrated business software suites that include Accounting / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and Ecommerce software for small and midsized businesses and divisions of large companies, today announced that its 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders has been scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2008. The record date for determining eligibility to vote at the 2008 Annual Meeting will be March 31, 2008.

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Schizophrenia emerges from an altered pattern of brain development and researchers have long searched for genes that cause the brain to develop along a path that ultimately leads to schizophrenia.

In a new Biological Psychiatry article, researchers report their findings on a new genetic link to schizophrenia.

A prior genetic mapping study indicated that a particular gene, multiple epidermal growth factor-like domains 10 or MEGF10, may be associated with schizophrenia.

In this new paper, Chen and colleagues directly studied this particular MEGF10 gene in both schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects.

CALGARY, Canada, February 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Amendments to the Production Sharing Contract for the Taq Taq License Area

Using “virtual peers” -- animated life-sized children that simulate the behaviors and conversation of typically developing children -- Northwestern University researchers are developing interventions designed to prepare children with autism for interactions with real-life children.

Justine Cassell, professor of communication studies and electrical engineering and computer science, recently presented a preliminary study on the work at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“Children with high-functioning autism may be able to give you a lecture on a topic of great interest to them but they can’t carry on a ‘contingent’ -- or two-way -- conversation,” said Cassell, director of Northwestern’s Center for Technology and Social Behavior.

ST. DAVID'S, Bermuda, February 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Continued year over year growth driven by Loestrin 24 Fe and Taclonex

LONDON, February 29 /PRNewswire/ -- ReusaBags.com - a UK based wholesaler of 'bags for life' - welcomes Marks & Spencer's announcement yesterday that they will charge for plastic bags; however, says this is not enough. Plastic bags are not recyclable and environmentally friendly alternatives - such as non-woven polypropylene bags - need to be the only carrier bags offered to customers.

CROYDON, England, February 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- ATTN. Southern Regional Editors

CROYDON, England, February 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Entertainment Lounge Opens New Three Floor Harman/Kardon(R) Technology Store in London's Royal Exchange

Owned and operated by Harvard Technology Ltd, 'Entertainment Lounge' the premium high street retailer of Harman products, opens its latest concept store dedicated to four of the groups flagship brands including Harman/Kardon(R), JBL(R), Infinity(R) and AKG(R), in the heart of the City of London.