Adding just the right dash of nanoparticles to standard mixes of lubricants and refrigerants could yield the equivalent of an energy-saving chill pill for factories, hospitals, ships, and others with large cooling systems, suggest the latest results from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research that is pursuing promising formulations.

NIST experiments with varying concentrations of nanoparticle additives indicate a major opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of large industrial, commercial, and institutional cooling systems known as chillers. These systems account for about 13 percent of the power consumed by the nation’s buildings, and about 9 percent of the overall demand for electric power, according to the Department of Energy.

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Exit represents nearly 3x firm's initial investment, highlights strength of mobile telecommunications in Africa

Emerging Capital Partners LLC (ECP), an international private equity firm focused on investing across the African continent, today announced the sale of its entire position in Starcomms, a leading Nigerian mobile telecommunications operator. ECP's exit was made through a private placement of the company's shares. The shares were then listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), making Starcomms the first listed Nigerian telecom company on the NSE. The exit represents 2.9x ECP's initial investment, with total proceeds of U.S. $99.1 million.

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, July 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Tellabs Reports Second-Quarter Revenue Of US$432 Million

Tellabs' second-quarter 2008 revenue totaled US$432 million, down 19% from US$535 million in the second quarter of 2007. International revenue rose 20% to US$145 million, up from US$121 million in the year-ago quarter.

Tellabs earned US$39 million or 10 cents per share on a GAAP (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) basis, including a one-time benefit of US$35 million or 9 cents per share resulting from the favorable completion of IRS audits. In the second quarter of 2007, Tellabs earned US$30 million or 7 cents per share on a GAAP basis.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, FTTH Council APAC, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced it has been selected by Suo Cable Net, a Japanese cable-TV operator, to design, integrate and deploy a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) solution. This new network, which will enable Suo Cable Net to begin rolling out high-speed Internet and video services this month, will be the first commercial GPON deployment in Japan.

ISLAMABAD, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Wärtsilä Corporation, a leading power solutions supplier, and the Manara Consortium (Manara) have formed a unique joint venture - Manara Wartsila Power Ltd (MWP), which aims to become the leading developer of decentralized independent power producer (IPP) projects in Islamic countries. MWP will develop, sponsor and invest in IPPs utilizing Wärtsilä's leading edge reciprocating engine technology.

KINGSTON, England, July 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Bausch & Lomb Promotes the THINK EYEGIENE(TM) Programme as the Solution for Healthy Eyes

A new fossil discovery, the first of its kind from the whole of the Antarctic continent, provides scientists with new evidence to support the theory that the polar region was once much warmer.

The discovery by an international team of scientists was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B and involved researchers from the University of Leicester, North Dakota State University, the British Geological Survey, Queen Mary University of London, and Boston University.

The team made a new fossil discovery in the Dry Valleys of the East Antarctic region. The fossils (ostracods) come from an ancient lake - 14 million years old - and are exceptionally well preserved, with all of their soft anatomy in 3-dimensions.

In any country, some place has to be the deadliest. In the United Kingdom, that place is Scotland. The key reason is drug abuse, accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate, according to a study published on bmj.com today.

Traditionally, higher death rates compared to England and Wales have been blamed on the higher levels of deprivation in Scotland. Yet over half the difference between Scottish and English deaths cannot be accounted for by higher levels of deprivation. This puzzling "excess" of Scottish deaths has become referred to as the "Scottish effect."

Professor Bloor and colleagues from the University of Glasgow, analysed how many of these unaccounted-for deaths were the result of drug abuse.

EAST GRINSTEAD, England, July 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Innovators in Performance and Reliability Technologies(TM)

Diskeeper Corporation has published independent tests showing that its breakthrough technology InvisiTasking(TM) automatically keeps the busiest servers free of fragmentation at all times without intruding on systems' demands, making the essential task of defragmenting hassle free for IT managers and completely transparent to end users.