Gene expression could yield treatment decisions up to 72 hours earlier than conventional means.

Researchers at the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis have demonstrated the potential of gene expression in the early identification of ventilator associated pneumonia, signaling a potential revolution in the speed and accuracy with which life-threatening infections can be identified. However, its potential as a viable product needs further consideration.

Continue reading “Bacterial Diagnostics: Gene Expression Signals Way Forward” »

The biofuels sector has seen increased activity over the past few years. Recently, it has been in the eye of a veritable media storm. While Governments across the world have put in place mandates and subsidy schemes to encourage production of biofuels, there have also been a number of cautioning voices, warning of the dangers of biofuel production. There was clear evidence of diverging opinions and diverse points of view surrounding the issue at a recent conference in London.

Several of these issues were addressed at Bioenergy Europe 2008, a two-day conference organised by Environmental Finance. Dr Kyriakos Maniatis, DG Energy and Transport, European Commission outlined the EU policy, targets and provided an update on developments. He spoke of the upcoming directive on fuel quality which is currently in discussion in the Commission and the need to ensure that biofuels fulfil the sustainability criteria.

Continue reading “Bioenergy Europe 2008 Highlighted the Infancy of the Debate Surrounding Biofuels” »

Enjoying a pint at your local, or an evening of drinking and dancing in a nightclub is seemingly as much a part of the fabric of British society as queuing or supporting the national football team, as it is in many countries throughout the world. But while the majority of people are able to consume alcohol in moderation, in a proportion of the population alcohol use can develop into alcoholism, or alcohol dependence.

Continue reading “Shift in Disease Perception Required to Fully Utilise Available Drug Treatments for Alcoholism” »

Higher education institutions are turning to customer relationship management (CRM) technology solutions to differentiate themselves in a bid to compete more aggressively with one another to recruit and retain the “right” students. The report,‘CRM in the Higher Education Market’ by independent market analysts Datamonitor, predicts IT revenue from CRM solutions in the higher education markets of the US, UK, Germany, France and Australia will grow from $184.9 million in 2007 to $324.5 million in 2012. This growth will be driven both by the purchase of new solutions and the expansion of existing installations.

Continue reading “CRM Solutions on Brink of Widespread Adoption Across the Higher Education Market” »

While the disastrous floods of summer 2007 were obviously devastating for all those whose homes were destroyed or damaged, they were also a disaster for household insurers. According to a new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor, household insurers suffered an estimated loss of over £300million in 2007 due to the severe flooding experienced in the summer. However, the market is forecast to return to a profitable state in 2008.

Continue reading “Household Insurers’ Losses Exceed £300m for 2007″ »

A new report shows that the focus of wireless broadband, and in particular WiMAX has now shifted towards the area of mobility, although there will still be some opportunities in the fixed broadband markets.

WiMAX is well suited to the mobile sector as the future of wireless/mobile rests very much with ‘personal broadband’ - where broadband is delivered to individual personal devices which are enabled for mobility.

Continue reading “Wireless Broadband Better Potential for the Delivery of VoIP” »

Diageo is set to launch a GBP2 million marketing campaign for its Smirnoff Vodka brand. The campaign will focus on the brand’s history and heritage to create a feeling of authenticity, while also offering consumers the chance to win unique prizes. Although this widens the sensory appeal of the beverage, it may be more effective to experiment with the intrinsic attributes of the brand.

Following a packaging re-design of its Smirnoff black vodka, Diageo has announced the launch of a new advertising campaign for its Smirnoff vodka brand. The alcoholic beverage producer is anticipating that the campaign will directly increase sales of the drink by 18%. Marketing activity will focus on the brand’s heritage, and includes an off-trade ’signature’ promotion that offers consumers the opportunity to win a “Journey of a Lifetime“. Continue reading “Smirnoff Vodka to Focus on it’s Brand Heritage” »

A robotic arm that refuels cars in service stations has been launched in the Netherlands. However, the product is unlikely to become a widespread success given that because most European markets have unmanned pumps, the new technology equates to an extra cost that is likely to make it prohibitive for many fuel retailers.

A group of Dutch inventors has unveiled the ‘TankPitstop’, a robot that automatically refuels a car when it arrives at the forecourt. The E75,000 (GBP56,000) machine works by reading a car’s number plate and matching it to a database of fuel cap designs and fuel types. Continue reading “Robotic Fuel Dispensing Arm Unveiled in the Netherlands” »

Despite consumers making active attempts to eat healthier, the threat of obesity shows no sign of slowing down. Once confined to high income countries and households, obesity is now just as much of a problem as malnutrition in developing countries. A new report explores the contradiction between attempts to eat healthier and rising obesity levels. Ultimately, food choice is determined by sensory attributes such as taste and pleasure, and consumers will not sacrifice these attributes in favour of nutritional goodness. Furthermore, changes in people’s lifestyles mean that they find it difficult to exercise on a daily basis. As a result, shoppers are consuming more ‘bad’ nutrients and are exercising less.

Continue reading “Rising Obesity Levels Contradict Consumer Attempts to Eat Healthier” »

A new study shows that type 2 diabetes poses one of the greatest public health threats of the 21st century. The majority of the western world is in the grips of a diabetes epidemic, driven by type 2 diabetes, which goes hand in hand with the escalating incidence of obesity. Alarmingly, in some working class and poor communities, the disease is so prevalent that its victims almost take it as a matter of course.

Diabetes is one of the principal causes of blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and strokes, as well as non-traumatic amputations. The diabetes epidemic has unfolded in conjunction with the ageing global population and rapid cultural changes such as increasing urbanisation, dietary changes and decreased physical activity. The report found that diagnosis rates for type 2 diabetes across the seven major markets ranged from 58% in Germany to a worryingly low 37% in France.

Continue reading “Is it Time to Start Thinking About Your Health? -Diabetes Poses Biggest Health Risk of 21st century” »