Sequences of DNA in the human genome that originated from ancient viral infections have some surprising effects on our bodies and are even essential for a healthy pregnancy, according to an article in the February issue of Microbiology Today.

Retrovirus infections represent the most intimate host-pathogen relationship. The virus inserts a copy of its genome into the DNA of the host cell, resulting in an irreversible, stable and sometimes lifelong infection. If a sperm or egg cell is infected, the virus DNA can be passed down generations, permanently fixed in the germ line. As a result, an endogenous retrovirus (ERV) can exist for millions of years.

The combined supercomputing power of the UK and US ‘national grids’ has enabled UCL (University College London) scientists to simulate the efficacy of an HIV drug in blocking a key protein used by the lethal virus. The method – an early example of the Virtual Physiological Human in action – could one day be used to tailor personal drug treatments, for example for HIV patients developing resistance to their drugs.

The study, published online today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, ran a large number of simulations to predict how strongly the drug saquinavir would bind to three resistant mutants of HIV-1 protease, a protein produced by the virus to propagate itself. These protease mutations are associated with the disease’s resistance to saquinavir, an HIV-inhibitor drug.

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer, astronomers have probed the inner parts of the disc of material surrounding a young stellar object, witnessing how it gains its mass before becoming an adult.

The astronomers had a close look at the object known as MWC 147, lying about 2,600 light years away towards the constellation of Monoceros ('the Unicorn'). MWC 147 belongs to the family of Herbig Ae/Be objects. These have a few times the mass of our Sun and are still forming, increasing in mass by swallowing material present in a surrounding disc.

MWC 147 is less than half a million years old. If one associated the middle-aged, 4.6 billion year old Sun with a person in his early forties, MWC 147 would be a 1-day-old baby [1].

LONDON, January 29 /PRNewswire/ -- At ISE 2008, specialist UK distributor of 'Advanced Products', PSCo, is announcing a partnership deal with Minicom Advanced Systems, a leader in the development of advanced multimedia signal distribution systems for digital signage.

The partnership deal gives PSCo customers access to leading-edge technology for the transmission of video, audio and RS232 control signals, delivering high resolution, high performance content distribution for digital signage applications. Minicom Advanced Systems enable high quality images and audio to be transmitted over long distances, making it an extremely powerful digital signage solution.

NORCROSS, Georgia, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Initiative Provides a New Way to Shop for Baby Products, With Information on the Best Baby Products and Easy-To-Follow Links to Major Retailers as Well

NORCROSS, Georgia, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

BabySupply.Info, has launched today their new website, http://www.babysupply.info. The comprehensive website offers new parents an opportunity to save time and money with a shopping comparison engine for baby products and more.

NEW YORK, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Organizations Worldwide Leverage SAML 2.0 Liberty Federation to Enable New Business Services, Help Meet Regulatory Requirements and Provide Users with Better Protection Against Online Fraud and Identity Theft

TORONTO, January 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Viventia Biotech Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company advancing a portfolio of novel antibody therapeutics focused on cancer, announced today it intends to explore strategic alternatives to further advance and realize value from its pipeline of therapeutic antibodies, its antibody discovery platform and its antibody manufacturing capabilities. The Company will consider potential strategic opportunities including, but not limited to, the sale or merger of the Company with another entity, and has retained HSBC to act as advisors in this process.

NEW YORK, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Elsevier's Beta Medical Wiki Invites Board-Certified Physicians to Comment, Collaborate and Update Established Medical Textbook Online.

Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and health information, announced today the beta launch of WiserWiki (http://www.WiserWiki.com), a wiki that allows board-certified physicians to collaboratively contribute and update medical information online. The site, which is open to and viewable by the public, is seeded with content from The Textbook of Primary Care Medicine (3rd Edition, 2001) by John Noble, M.D. The textbook was published by Mosby, an Elsevier imprint, and was one of Elsevier's best-selling medical textbooks.

LONDON, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Christmas Shopping Drives Traffic to Retail and Greetings Sites Facebook Breaks into U.K. Top Ten Property Rankings for First Time

comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its December rankings of the largest and fastest-growing Internet properties and site categories in the U.K. based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --

Bytemobile, Inc., the global leader in mobile internet solutions for network operators, today announced the appointment of Chris Koopmans as vice president, Product Development. Koopmans has been an engineer and architect with the company since its founding in 2000. In his new position, he is responsible for engineering, product management and information technology (IT).