New spray-on films developed by UC San Diego chemists will be the basis of portable devices that can quickly reveal trace amounts of nitrogen-based explosives.

Contaminated fingerprints leave dark shadows on the films, which glow blue under ultraviolet light. One of the films can distinguish between different classes of explosive chemicals, a property that could provide evidence to help solve a crime, or prevent one.

A recent episode of CSI: Miami featured the technology, which linked fingerprints left on a video camera to a bomb used in a bank heist, revealing the motive for the robbery. In real life, the security systems company RedXDefense has developed a portable kit based on the technology that security officers could use with minimal training.

In the contentious political debate over embryo stem (ES) cell research, both proponents and opponents begin with the premise that "embryos are destroyed for their cells," as President Bush claims and non-partisan journalists repeat frequently in stem cell news stories.

It's only when partisans get beyond this premise that opinions diverge. Proponents of ES cell research argue that embryo destruction is justified based on the promise of extraordinary medical advances. In contrast, the President and his supporters describe ES cell derivation as "the taking of innocent human life," which is "always immoral." And yet, in strictly biological terms, the conventional wisdom is wrong. No life is being "taken" or destroyed when embryos are transformed into ES cells.

To understand the relationship between embryos and ES cells, it is critical to understand the process of development that is initiated by fertilization. The single-cell embryo undergoes multiple rounds of division giving rise to about 100 cells after five to six days. At this stage, the cells along the surface undergo biochemical changes that eliminate their potential to differentiate into anything other than the placenta. And in the center of the embryo, only about two dozen cells retain the ability to develop into every tissue and organ that makes up the human body proper.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a vaccine development company, congratulates Dr. Ramila Philip for being recognized as one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business. Dr. Ramila Philip, Co-Founder and President of Immunotope Inc., received the honors from Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell.

"Ramila is a champion in the biotech industry. Her clinical work in antigen discovery for ovarian and breast cancer is inspiring," commented Dr.  Randal Chase, President and CEO of IVT.

Do scalar fields exist across the whole universe? Unlike gravitational or magnetic fields, which have both strength and direction, scalar fields have strength alone, varying from point to point.

They definitely exist within some closed systems, such as the temperature distribution within the earth’s atmosphere, but it is not yet known whether they exist on the scale of the universe.

It's a vital question because the existence of scalar fields could help explain how the universe developed after the Big Bang and became as we observe it today. For example scalar fields could explain the existence of dark matter and energy, which can only be observed indirectly from their gravitational effects on the part of the universe we can see.

PARIS, May 23 /PRNewswire/ --

- Building on Innovation to Support Leadership in IP DSLAM and VDSL

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that, following the publication of the Dell'Oro 1Q'08 access report*, the company remains the worldwide leader in DSL with 6.6 million DSL lines shipped in 1Q'08. With a cumulative market share in DSL port shipments of more than 40%, more than three times that of its nearest competitor, and a worldwide installed base of 166 million DSL lines, Alcatel-Lucent continues to lead the fixed broadband access market.

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Cornwall, UK, have modified a photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment that combines a topically applied cream with visible light to destroy cancer cells while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed.

The cream is applied directly to skin cancers and pre-cancers, which then naturally produces a photosensitive drug. A special red light is then shone on the tumour a few hours later, to activate this light sensitive compound. This results in cellular damage and the destruction of the tumour.

This technique results in reduced scarring and little or no damage to the surrounding healthy cells.

As Indiana Jones races against time to find an ancient crystal skull in his new movie adventure, he should perhaps take a moment to check its authenticity.

New research suggests that two well-known crystal skulls, in the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, did not, after all, come from ancient Mexico. Academics now believe the British skull was made in 19th century Europe and the American one even more recently.

The British Museum bought its skull, a life-size carving from a single block of rock crystal from Tiffany and Company, New York in 1897. Its origins were unknown but there were suggestions it was of ancient Mexican origin. Human skulls worn as ornaments and displayed on racks were known to have featured in Aztec art. The skull attracted a lot of public attention and speculation it was once thought to have healing powers. Crystal skulls have since featured in many books, articles and films, most recently in the new Steven Spielberg movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

LONDON, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Morodo Ltd is pleased to announce that its popular low-cost calling service, MO-Call, can now be used from the Apple iPhone.

Morodo's Managing Director, Andrew Reid, stated, "The iPhone is a very desirable object but I think everyone agrees that there's not much to like about Mobile Network Operator call charges. MO-Call for the iPhone provides a great money-saving alternative for consumers. This is yet another step towards our goal of becoming a global Virtual International Mobile Network Operator."

ISTANBUL, Turkey, May 23 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Studies Provide Clinical Support for More Flexible and Convenient Dosing Options for Patients

New data from key clinical trials presented today at the 5th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Spring Symposium in Istanbul, demonstrate that Enbrel(R) (etanercept) is a convenient and effective treatment which helps patients achieve sustained and repeatable reprieve from the physically and psychologically debilitating symptoms of psoriasis.

NEW YORK, May 23 /PRNewswire/ --

- Global Identity Experts to Evaluate Established and Emerging Enterprise, Web 2.0 and Multi-Protocol IDDY Award Nominations