A stunning discovery based on epigenetics (the inheritance of propensities acquired in the womb) reveals that consuming choline—a nutrient found in eggs and other foods—during pregnancy may significantly affect breast cancer outcomes for a mother's offspring. This finding by a team of biologists at Boston University is the first to link choline consumption during pregnancy to breast cancer. It also is the first to identify possible choline-related genetic changes that affect breast cancer survival rates.

"We've known for a long time that some agents taken by pregnant women, such as diethylstibesterol, have adverse consequences for their daughters," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "But there's an upside.

Wouldn't it be great to know if your three-year-old has the potential to be a soccer star or a top marathon runner? One genetic testing company is offering to tell you just that, so that all of you obsessive, controlling parents can get your toddlers in the proper training program right from the start.

I'm sure most of you are probably cringing at the thought of using genetics to decide what sort of future you're going to push your kid into before she can even brush her own teeth. But even if you are a parent who sees nothing wrong using a little prior information to get a head start on your kid's bright athletic career, DON'T DO IT! Leaving ethical arguments aside, there are good reasons to stay away from these tests: they are not good predictors of athletic performance.

A super-efficient system that has the potential to power, heat and cool homes across the UK is being developed at Newcastle University.

It works by burning vegetable oil to power a generator and provide electricity for the home. The waste heat from this process is then used to provide heating and hot water and is also converted to cool a fridge.

At each step, the waste heat that is produced from engine gases and cooling is used elsewhere to recover the maximum amount of energy from the system.

Earth's present day greenhouse scourge, carbon dioxide, may have played a vital role in helping ancient Earth to escape from complete glaciation, say scientists in a paper published online today.

In their review for Nature Geoscience, UK scientists claim that the Earth never froze over completely during the Cryogenian Period, about 840 to 635 million years ago.

This is contrary to the Snowball Earth hypothesis, which envisages a fully frozen Earth that was locked in ice for many millions of years as a result of a runaway chain reaction that caused the planet to cool.

LONDON, December 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The official opening of the world's first purpose built ePassport research and production facility took place on 26th November. The dedicated, state of the art manufacturing plant has been built on a brown-field site by De La Rue Identity Systems in the Republic of Malta. The new 2,600 square metres building lies adjacent to De La Rue Currency's banknote printing facility which is the largest commercial banknote factory in the world. The opening of the ePassport factory by Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, seals over thirty years of first-class manufacturing operations for De La Rue in Malta.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081201/330603 )

BOLZANO, Italy, December 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Robotics and Devon International Group (DIG) today announced their plans to kick-off the launch of the i.v.STATION(TM) Robot with a prototype demonstration at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Meeting in Orlando, Florida [Booth 1307], and the simultaneous start of 12 i.v.STATION(TM) Beta Installations for market validation and testing around the world.

POOLE, England, December 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently I saw some 50 or 60 new Yellow Pages directories piled up in the reception area of a smart popular business centre. It would have made a great photo opportunity but before I could organise a camera they had been collected by the recycling truck. The moral of the story obviously, who needs a great big cumbersome book when you can go online and find what and who you want so easily?

Groceries? Who needs that Saturday morning hassle when you can answer the door to the delivery man, fill up the fridge and the larder and then do something really interesting for the day instead?

LONDON, December 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Enterprises Respond - Vertical Opportunities Unveiled!

- Frost Sullivan to Host Analyst Briefing on Environmental Sustainability Initiatives in the ICT Sector on Tuesday, 9 December 2008 at 15.00 GMT

Frost Sullivan will host a live briefing on Tuesday, 9 December 2008 at 15.00 GMT to provide industry participants with an update on environmental sustainability initiatives in the ICT sector in light of a softer economy.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO )