Could a hereditary illness ever spread by contamination? Researchers at the CNRS Laboratoire d’enzymologie et biochimie structurales, studying Huntington’s disease in collaboration with Professor Ron Kopito’s team at Stanford University, have shown that the normal form of huntingtin protein can acquire an abnormal form without any modification of its genetic code. These researchers observed that clumps of abnormal huntingtin protein, characteristic of Huntington’s disease, could induce clumping in the normal form of the protein.

Think there's not enough time to do everything you need to do?   You may just need to change your perception, says Michael DeDonno, a doctoral student in psychology at Case Western Reserve University.

If you don't think you have enough time, you've already given up.

DeDonno recently studied 163 subjects performing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a popular psychological assessment tool, to investigate the effect of perceived time pressure on a learning-based task. His study, the first to look at the relationship between perceived time pressure and IGT performance, was published in the December issue of Judgment and Decision Making. 

Scientists have used a computer simulation to predict what the very early Universe would have appeared like 500 million years after the Big Bang.  The images, produced by scientists at Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology, show the "Cosmic Dawn" - the formation of the first big galaxies in the Universe.


Universe 590 million years after the Big Bang. Credit:Alvaro Orsi, Institute for Computational Cosmology

TOKYO and READING, England, February 10 /PRNewswire/ --

- Verizon Private IP, Data Centre Co-Location and Managed Services Improve Komatsu's Network Visibility and Boost Efficiency Around the World

Komatsu, one of the world's largest mine- and construction-equipment makers, has partnered with Verizon Business for the support and management of Komatsu's global IP communications solutions.

Verizon Private IP will provide voice and data links across Komatsu's 25 key global sites. In addition, Komatsu has fully outsourced the support and management of its global network to Verizon Business, which will use Verizon Managed WAN to provide Komatsu with enhanced network visibility and management capabilities and thus help improve its operational efficiency.

Demands on telescope technology are rapidly increasing as astronomers look at fainter and fainter objects in the night sky. The large amount of light collection area required to view very dim objects poses a number of significant engineering problems to future telescope designers. To collect short-wavelength radio waves, for instance, an antenna miles across would be required. This has led engineers to construct multiple small telescopes whose signals can be integrated, providing the necessary level of detail.

Physicians have known for years that there exists a link between cardiac surgery and a subsequent decline in cognitive function of patients.  According to recent research, “previous studies have reported an 11% to 75% incidence of postoperative cognitive decline among cardiac surgery patients” (Slater et. al). However, until recently, the cause for this link was largely unknown.  Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery, continues to produce clinical results demonstrating cognitive decline in some patients despite improved surgery practices.

ROCHESTER, New York, February 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- SEGway(TM) Platform Delivers Highest Density at Industry's Lowest Per Link Cost

Performance Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTIX), a leading provider of innovative communications solutions, today announced the expansion of its SEGway(TM) x401 signalling platform to 1500 links, tripling its throughput, and resulting in the largest capacity signalling solution available in a single carrier grade 12U chassis.

CALGARY, Canada, February 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Orcrist Bio Inc. (ORC) a biotech company developing stem cell-mobilizing pharmaceuticals, announced today that it has filed with the European Competent Authority in Seville, Spain, a Phase I, open-label, single-ascending-dose, safety study of HYC750 in healthy male volunteers. The goal of the study is to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (induction of hematopoiesis) of HYC750, a patent-protected formulation of hyaluronan. ORC utilized the regulatory expertise and experience of Kinesis Pharma BV (Breda, Netherlands) to develop the clinical trial submission. The planned study is to be conducted by InPEC BV (Breda, Netherlands) at their clinical trial site in Malaga, Spain.

SAN FRANCISCO, February 9 /PRNewswire/ --

CfMC is rapidly approaching its 2009 release of an interface with Asterisk-based solutions for predictive dialing of participants in opinion research. This entry into telephony services continues CfMC's pioneering ways in the research world which began with developing the first software packages for CATI interviewing and data analysis.

Opinion research is dependent on the vitality and affordability of functional products such as CfMC's core Survent and webCATI data collection and predictive dialer modules. This development will give CfMC users a combined software solution for data collection with predictive dialer efficiencies.

HONG KONG, February 9 /PRNewswire/ --

Tiger Renewable Energy Limited (OTCBB: TGRW.OB) announces that it has acquired a 30% working interest in the GP Project located in Northern Texas for a total purchase price of US$1,000,000.

The project consists of 7 leases covering approximately 323 net acres and has over 50 existing well bores. The acquisition was made from Wellington Capital, a portfolio management company with substantial investments in the Oil and Gas sector.