Jet engines operate at temperatures of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit and blades in the most advanced aircraft engines are coated with a thin layer of temperature-resistant, thermally-insulating ceramic to protect the metal. The coating -- referred to as a thermal-barrier coating -- is designed like an accordion to expand and contract with the metal.

The problem: When sand hits the hot engine blade it melts -- and becomes glass. “Molten glass is one of the nastiest substances around. It will dissolve anything,” says Nitin Padture, professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State.

Writing in PNAS, a group of researchers says they have determined the first pervasive 'rule' of evolution - that animals become increasingly more complex.

Examining the last 550 million years of the fossil catalog, the team investigated the different evolutionary branches of the crustacean family tree. They were seeking examples along the tree where animals evolved that were simpler than their ancestors.

Instead they found organisms with increasingly more complex structures and features, suggesting that there is some mechanism driving change in this direction.

LONDON, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- NHS Choices (http://www.nhs.uk), the digital 'front door' to the NHS, launches a new Live well bundle on child health 0-1 aimed at helping people find out more about keeping their baby healthy and well.

Based on NHS accredited information, the child health 0-1 bundle (http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/ChildHealth0-1/Pages/Childhealth01home.aspx ) provides users with information about child health from birth, including sleeping, eating, learning, dealing with accidents and recognising a medical emergency.

This Live well bundle is the latest addition to the NHS Choices' extensive Live well section.

The bystander effect suggests that the more witnesses there are to an emergency, the less likely an individual bystander is to intervene. This phenomenon was identified as a particular consequence of the assault and murder of Kitty Genovese in New York in 1964, which was witnessed by some 38 people, all of whom remained bystanders and failed to come to Kitty’s aid.

Scientists have been unable to study the bystander effect, even under controlled conditions, due to ethical and practical reasons. However, researchers say advanced animated humans and environments created by the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) at Bournemouth, University will give scientists a unique opportunity to test the bystander effect in the context of a ‘controlled’ immersive virtual environment.

Does Coke in a glass bottle taste better? Perhaps. A chemical combination can certainly interact different with glass than it does with plastic. If the can for your cream soda changes its design, you make like it less, detracting from the overall experience, but that doesn't mean it tastes different.

When it comes to taste, containers make a difference in actual flavor. Not so with sight, though a good design may entail a more positive reception. A study in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research says that 'touch' also falls into the important category when it comes to flavor.

It may be only St. Patrick's Day but it's never too early to think about July 4th fireworks. Plus, 'green' has two meanings today.

Most kids love fireworks. They make pretty colors and loud noises - but they're not terribily friendly toward the environment. A group of researchers is working on that.

“No other application in the field of chemistry has such a positive association for the general population as fireworks,” says Thomas Klapötke from the University of Munich. “However, pyrotechnical applications are significant polluters of the environment.”

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, March 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- General Forum Meeting, WLCSP Specific Tracks and Papers to be Presented

The WLCSP Forum today announced a general meeting to be held at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at IMAPS' 4th Annual International Conference and Exhibition on Device Packaging, March 17 through 20, 2008. The WLCSP Forum is also hosting two WLCSP specific tracks, featuring numerous technical papers and panel discussions.

HURST, Texas, March 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Deal Launches Handango's Expansion into Retail

HORSHOLM, Denmark, March 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Results Show Highly Significant Effect on Rhinoconjunctivitis (Hay Fever) and Asthma Symptoms in Children from age 5 to 16 Years-old

ALK-Abelló yesterday presented successful Phase III clinical study results with GRAZAX(R) in children at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI 2008) taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this week.

The main results from the GRAZAX(R) GT-12 study were presented to the scientific community. More than 250 patients participated in the randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, March 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Revenues Grew 72% to Reach AED 8.3 Billion and Profit Exceeds AED 1 Billion

The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC, a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Market (ADSM: TAQA), today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2007.

Key highlights of the results for Q4 2007:

- Total revenue reached AED 3.0 billion compared with AED 2.5 billion for the same period in 2006, an increase of 23 per cent.

- Revenue from the electricity and water business grew by 57 per cent to AED 1.3 billion, from AED 0.8 billion for the same period in 2006. This does not include supplemental fuel sales to allow for a like-for-like comparison.