What is a gene?

You'll be forgiven if you have a few definitions. Even scientists define ‘a gene’ in different ways, so it may come as little surprise that the media also have various ways of 'framing' the concept of a gene.

But how journalists 'frame' what you might think are common terms has a very real impact on what readers think, and since more and more readers are becoming accustomed to making voting decisions based on science policy ones, how terms are used, and their context, has become ever more important.

Ferocious debates on genetically modified crops or stem cell research illustrate the importance that genetics and molecular biology have gained in everyday life so it's important that people understand the terms being used; and how they are sometimes misused.

SAN DIEGO, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

Helix Wind, Inc., a San Diego, CA based manufacturer of small wind turbines, today entered into a firm sales agreement with EDAL RE, Inc., (Energy Development Argentina Limited), a leading cell phone tower construction and services provider and renewable energy distributor in Argentina.

A new study found that trained sexologists could infer a woman's history of vaginal orgasm by observing the way she walks. The study is published in the September 2008 issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Led by Stuart Brody of the University of the West of Scotland in collaboration with colleagues in Belgium, the study involved 16 female Belgian university students. Subjects completed a questionnaire on their sexual behavior and were then videotaped from a distance while walking in a public place. The videotapes were rated by two professors of sexology and two research assistants trained in the functional-sexological approach to sexology, who were not aware of the women's orgasmic history.

ABBOTT PARK, Illinois, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Abbott Only U.S.-based Fortune 100 Health Care Manufacturer to Be Listed on Both North America and World Indexes

Abbott (NYSE: ABT), the global health care company, announced today that it was recognized on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the fourth consecutive year. This selection recognizes Abbott's continued global leadership in economic, environmental and social performance.

Abbott was the only U.S.-based, Fortune 100-ranked health care manufacturer in its category to be listed on both the North America and World Indexes. Fortune 100 magazine rankings are based on company revenues and reported annually.

DETROIT, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

"Combine two of the most popular things out there today - YouTube with reality TV - and you have a new Web site, www.YOBI.tv. This site offers cash prizes for posting videos showcasing the creator's talents and expertise to the world. The site combines user-generated videos and reality television in a contest forum. People don't have to wait for the opportunity to get others to see their talents but instead can use this site to expose and display their work." - Greg Ellman, Star- Telegram

MAIDENHEAD, England, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Prevenar Vaccine to Help Protect Children Against the Leading Vaccine-Preventable Cause of Death in Young Children Worldwide

MAIDENHEAD, England, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

Wyeth today announced that Cyprus and the Republic of Ireland have initiated national immunisation programmes (NIPs) for infants and young children against pneumococcal disease by adding Prevenar(TM) (Pneumococcal Saccharide Conjugated Vaccine, Adsorbed), also called PCV7, to their national immunization schedules.(1) Including Ireland and Cyprus, this now makes 26 countries across the world that have included Prevenar in their NIPs.(1)

The National Medal of Science is the nation's highest honor for science and engineering.

President George W. Bush has named the recipients of the 2007 National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and engineering. Honorees will receive the medals at a White House ceremony on Sept. 29, 2008.

"The 2007 National Medal of Science laureates have contributed to American science with their superb research," said Arden L. Bement, Jr., director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). "Their legacies have impacted our lives in numerous ways, from developing new therapies for diseases such as cancer to contributing to the development of the Internet and wireless communications. Their accomplishments reflect the high significance of this award."

BOSTON, CHICAGO, LONDON, NEW YORK, NORWICH, England and ONGAR, Ireland, September 4 /PRNewswire/ --

Schofield Publishing, a division of Schofield Media Europe Ltd, announced on the 29th August that it has acquired Health and Safety Monitor publication from Silverdog Publishing.

WASHINGTON -- A new NASA competition is challenging students in high school and college to research and describe a small, supersonic airliner that could enter commercial service in the next decade.

During the upcoming academic year, individuals and teams of high school students will prepare well-documented short papers describing what needs to be accomplished to make supersonic flight available to commercial passengers by 2020. Advanced curriculum high school students and college participants will prepare longer papers that depict a highly efficient, environmentally friendly commercial aircraft that would emit only low sonic booms and be ready for initial overland service in 2020.

PARIS, September 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that it has been awarded the WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) seal of approval for its WiMAX 802.16e Compact Base Station at 2.5GHz. This achievement further confirms Alcatel-Lucent's leadership in WiMAX and its commitment to accelerate the development of a global and open WiMAX(TM) eco-system.

Alcatel-Lucent's infrastructure portfolio is made up of products that strictly comply with the 802.16e-2005 standard (also called Rev-e), which supports fixed, nomadic and mobile services. The company's "Open CPE Program" is helping to accelerate the availability of terminals by encompassing comprehensive interoperability testing programs with WiMAX chipset and end-user device suppliers.