What do a tree and the Eiffel Tower have in common?

According to a Duke University engineer, both are optimized for 'flow.' In the case of trees, the flow is of water from the ground throughout the trunk, branches and leaves, and into the air. The Eiffel Tower's flow carries stresses throughout the structure without collapsing under its own weight or being downed by the wind.

For most engineers, the laws governing fluid and solid mechanics like these examples are like oil and water – they just don't mix.

A theory developed by Adrian Bejan, J.A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and colleague Sylvie Lorente, professor of civil engineering at the University of Toulouse, France, explains how these disparate forces can co-exist within the same theory.

As lithographic materials and strategies come close to fundamental technical limits, increase performance and size could become prohibitively expensive.

Further advances will require a new approach that is both commercially viable and capable of meeting the demanding quality-control standards of the industry.

In a collaborative effort between academic and industry, chemical and biological engineering professors Paul Nealey and Juan de Pablo, and other colleagues from the UW-Madison NSEC partnered with researchers from Hitachi Global Storage Technologies to test a promising new twist on the traditional methods. In the Aug. 15 issue of Science, the team demonstrates a patterning technology that may revolutionize the field, offering performance improvements over existing methods even while reducing the time and cost of manufacturing.

DENVER, August 13 /PRNewswire/ --

- One in Four Dogs Dies of Cancer

- The Number One Cause of Death in Dogs Over the Age of Two

Dogster.com, the world's most popular and comprehensive Web site devoted to the health and happiness of dogs, has joined Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) in its global effort to find a cure for canine cancer. Dogster will donate US$2 for every new subscription or subscription extension, through September 30. To subscribe go to http://www.dogster.com, scroll down on the home page to "site updates" and the help cure canine cancer link. By subscribing, dog lovers will get access to tons of insightful and inspiring dog-centric content and directly help save their dog's life.

To some on the fringes, the only good planet is one without people. To some pseudo-environmentalists, a good planet is one where theirs is the only SUV. To millions more, nature is a way to escape the rigors of city life and enjoy the outdoors without being intrusive.

Ecotourism is big business these days. Convincing society that nature's beauty should be preserved and enjoyed has convinced more people than ever they should actually enjoy it.

But an examination of Californian forests says that hiking, bird-watching and other low-impact activities are linked to a sharp drop in carnivores like bobcats and coyotes. In other words, if you really care about Mother Earth you should leave nature to conservationists who get paid to monitor wildlife and instead walk around the local mall.

A multidisciplinary team at the University of Reading has developed a robot which is controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. This cutting edge research is the first step to examine how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data.

The key aim is that eventually this will lead to a better understanding of development and of diseases and disorders which affect the brain such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, stoke and brain injury.

The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot.

BASINGSTOKE, England and CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, August 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Shire Limited (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that since July 3, 2008 it has acquired 81% of the shares in Jerini AG through its wholly owned indirect subsidiary Shire Deutschland Investments GmbH (formerly Maia Elfte Vermogensverwaltungs-GmbH), which today also published an Offer Document in respect of the remaining outstanding shares in Jerini.

The intention to make the voluntary takeover offer for a cash consideration of EUR6.25 per share was announced on July 3, 2008.

The offer period will expire on 10 September 2008, 24.00 CEST and the offer can be accepted until the last day of any additional acceptance period.

LONDON, August 13 /PRNewswire/ --

- As More People Send Text Messages, Repetitive Strain Injury Cases are on the Rise

SpinVox, the leader in voice-to-content messaging, today issued new guidelines to help prevent repetitive strain injuries (RSI) caused by frequent texting.

"With people of all ages texting furiously at all hours of the day, we are starting to realise the toll texting places on our hands, fingers and wrists," said Christina Domecq, SpinVox co-founder and CEO. "There is a growing need for new behaviours and services that reduce the wear-and-tear on users without impeding their ability to communicate."

AMSTERDAM, August 13 /PRNewswire/ --

- Conference Call & Webcast Today at 2:00 p.m. CET

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT), a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today reported its results for the first half year of 2008.

LONDON, August 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Unicorn Media is a brand spanking new online entertainment hotspot offering a no strings way to make money off your artistic output. By the use of advertising, revenue is generated on a per-view / listen basis, meaning the more popular your video or song, the more money you can make - it's a method that satisfies the consumer's desire for free content and the artist's need to make some cash! The offer is non-exclusive and gives the artist a 50/50 split of the revenues associated with that content.