The pea is an important crop species but it is unsuited to the Agrobacterium-based genetic modification techniques that are commonly used to work with crops. Researchers have now discovered the first high-throughput forward and reverse genetics tool for the pea (Pisum sativum) and it could have major benefits for crop breeders around the world.

Researchers from the INRA Plant Genomics Research Unit at Evry, and the INRA Grain Legumes Research Unit at Bretenières, both in France, developed a high-quality genetic reference collection of Pisum sativum mutants within the European Grain Legumes Integrated Project.

Abdelhafid Bendahmane and colleagues used plants from an early-flowering garden pea cultivar, Caméor, to create a mutant population, which they then systematically phenotyped for use in both forward and reverse genetics studies.

An intrepid archaeologist is well on her way to dislodging the prevailing assumptions of scholars about the people who built and used Maya temples.

From the grueling work of analyzing the “attributes,” the nitty-gritty physical details of six temples in Yalbac, a Maya center in the jungle of central Belize – and a popular target for antiquities looters – primary investigator Lisa Lucero is building her own theories about the politics of temple construction that began nearly two millennia ago.

Her findings from the fill, the mortar and other remnants of jungle-wrapped structures lead her to believe that kings weren’t the only people building or sponsoring Late Classic period temples (from about 550 to 850), the stepped pyramids that rose like beacons out of the southern lowlands as ea

Malignant Melanoma is the most aggressive of malignant cutaneous tumours. Cases with lymphonode involvement, and distant metastases, carry a very poor prognosis, (50% and 20% respectively alive in 5 years), while those presenting without evident lymphonode involvement have a much better survival rate (60% alive in 5 years).

It is therefore extremely important to do early malignant melanoma diagnosis. There are several criteria that may lead to the diagnosis of a malignant melanoma. The most important one is the ABCD rule.

The ABCD diagnosis of Malignant Melanoma -

BRISBANE, California and NEW YORK, February 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- In a Separate Announcement, Glam Raises US$85 Million In Private Strategic Financing

The case of a 47 year-old woman presenting a wide abdominal zone with vitiligo like hypopigmentation is reported.

In 1977 she underwent, in the same site, melanoma (III Clarke's level) extirpation and local immunotherapy by DNCB ( dinitrochlorobenzene ).

Moshe Inbar et Al. ( Melanoma Research 1996/6/457-459 ) refers a case of melanoma, treated by DNCB in 1973, showing, the new skin, over the back, characterized by vitiligo like hypopigmentation and lack of hair.

REDMOND, Washington, February 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- New approach allows advertisers to map and assign value to various touch points, gaining a more complete picture of a campaign.

Microsoft Corp today announced Engagement Mapping, a new approach to managing and measuring the effectiveness of online campaigns that goes beyond the current "last ad clicked" standard. For the last decade, virtually all ad campaign reporting methodologies associate sales, leads and web traffic simply to the last click or ad exposure. Engagement Mapping takes into account for the first time all the various online touchpoints and interactions a consumer experiences before an eventual sale.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

ATLANTA, February 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- Innovative new B2B connectivity service adopted by 16 customers during the first three months of collaboration between Crossgate and SAP

Crossgate, AG, the global expert for business-to-business (B2B) integration and electronic data interchange (EDI), today announced a strong positive response to its recently announced B2B 360 Degree Services for use with SAP(R) solutions. Customers around the globe are eager to learn about this new Business Ready Network solution that has the potential to effect profound changes to the landscape of the B2B infrastructure market, and 16 end users are already reaping the benefits.

Scientists have discovered Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), a shrimp-like crustacean thought to live only in the upper ocean, are living and feeding down to depths of 3000 metres in the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. The discovery completely changes scientists’ understanding of the major food source for fish, squid, penguins, seals and whales.

Antarctic krill feed on phytoplankton and are in turn eaten by a wide range of animals including fish, penguins, seals and whales. Phytoplankon are the starting point for the marine food chain and use photosynthesis to extract carbon from carbon dioxide.

AUSTIN, Texas and SAN FRANCISCO, February 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- Code Suite Full Featured Evaluation Tools Now Available For All Popular Stellaris Evaluation Kits

Code Red Technologies (www.Code-Red-Tech.com), a developer of innovative and powerful software development tools for 32-bit microcontrollers, and Luminary Micro (www.LuminaryMicro.com), creators of the award-winning Stellaris(R) Cortex(TM)-M3-based microcontrollers (MCUs), announce today the immediate availability of Code Suite(TM) development tools for Stellaris. Additionally, the companies announce immediate availability of Stellaris evaluation kits featuring an evaluation version of Code Suite development tools which is always unrestricted when used with the evaluation board.

SAN JOSE, California, February 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- MICRF218 RF Solution Escapes From Jamming Source, Goes To Alternate Frequency

Micrel Inc., (Nasdaq: MCRL), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth and Ethernet IC solutions, today announced that it is launching the world's first programmable receiver featuring jam avoidance. The MICRF218, which is part of Micrel's QwikRadio(R) family, is targeted at garage door openers and tire pressure monitoring systems. It is the world's first integrated ASK/OOK receiver with selectable IF bandwidth for 300 to 450 MHz operation. The IC is currently available in volume with pricing starting at US$1.71 for 10K quantities.