Probe spots seas on Saturn's moon Titan

Scientists have discovered what appear to be sea-size bodies of liquid, probably methane or ethane, on the surface of Saturn's largest moon.The discovery by the international Cassini spacecraft was welcomed by researchers, who have long theorized that Titan possessed hydrocarbon seas because of methane and other organic compounds in its thick, largely nitrogen atmosphere. Until now, Cassini had spotted only clusters of small lakes on the planet-size moon."They're very obvious. There's nothing subtle about them," said Cassini scientist Jonathan Lunine of the University of Arizona, Tucson.Researchers using visual and radar imaging uncovered evidence of at least two seas on Titan's hazy north pole.Cassini's camera last month spied a large, irregular feature stretching 680 miles long with a surface area similar to Asia's landlocked Caspian Sea. Its radar instrument swept over the feature's northern tip and determined that it likely contains liquid methane or ethane because of its smooth appearance. However, scientists do not know whether the entire area is filled with liquid.The spacecraft also discerned another body one-fifth the size of Titan's "Caspian Sea." With a surface area of about 46,000 square miles, it is larger than Lakes Superior and Ontario combined, scientists said.While there's no scientific definition of what constitutes a lake or sea on Titan, the newly found features are significantly larger than previously discovered bodies of liquid on the frigid moon and should be considered seas, Lunine said.Results were presented Tuesday at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas.Titan is one of the few objects in the outer solar system with a significant atmosphere, and scientists have long puzzled over its source. Methane is a flammable gas on Earth but is liquid on Titan because of the moon's intense atmospheric pressure and cold.Judging by their sizes and depths, the newly discovered seas likely are not responsible for replenishing the long-term methane found in the moon's atmosphere, Lunine said. Instead, the source likely is underground methane reservoirs that vent to the surface.In 2005, Cassini launched a probe that parachuted to the surface of Titan, where it found evidence of an active world with liquid methane rain and a landscape of ridges, peaks and features formed by erosion.Cassini, on a mission to study the ringed planet and its many moons, is a project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The spacecraft is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

SGS Life Science Services Selects Phase Forward as Preferred Partner

Phase Forward (NASDAQ: PFWD), a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, today announced that SGS Life Science Services, a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO), has selected Phase Forward as a preferred partner. As part of the collaboration, SGS Life Science Services will use Phase Forward's InForm(TM) electronic data capture (EDC) product to support the data collection, management and analysis for clinical trials.

SGS Life Science Services is a full-service Contract Research Organization providing services from early-stage clinical development to late-phase clinical trials throughout Europe, North America and Asia. SGS has clinical operations in North America, France, Belgium, Spain and Asia (Thailand, Singapore and India). Since its inception in 1975, SGS has performed over 2,000 clinical trials and manages 100 trials annually. As a result, SGS has developed a wide expertise in a range of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, central nervous system, infectious disease and respiratory. SGS Life Science Services Biometrics group is one of the largest EU Data Management CROs, processing over 1,000,000 CRF pages each year and offering comprehensive expertise, including in-depth experience in CDISC, and extensive high throughput capabilities.

The selection of the InForm product as SGS' preferred EDC system marks an expansion of SGS Life Science Services' relationship with Phase Forward. SGS currently uses Phase Forward's Clintrial(TM) product, a comprehensive clinical data management and analysis system that integrates both electronically captured and paper-based study data, as well as Phase Forward's Clintrace(TM) software, a highly scalable, adverse event tracking and reporting system. The InForm solution supports thousands of trial sites with near real-time data, providing end-to-end clinical development capabilities designed to improve trial safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. While SGS Life Science Services has extensive experience with the InForm software through externally hosted customers, this agreement allows SGS to offer the EDC system as an integral part of the SGS solution set.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with Phase Forward into a broader partnership with our implementation of InForm," said Florent Hediard, marketing director, SGS Life Science Services. "Time and again, Phase Forward has demonstrated expertise and in-depth knowledge in developing and delivering innovative technology solutions for clinical trials and drug safety. In addition, we were drawn to Phase Forward's global presence and experience, and the company's dedication to quality. This partnership was a natural next step."

"SGS Life Science Services' commitment to excellence mirrors our own high standards," said Bob Weiler, president and chief executive officer, Phase Forward. "The organization has consistently demonstrated its expertise in managing complex, high-volume, globally distributed trials. We look forward to further developing our partnership with additional joint bids, leveraging our respective strengths to provide full-service programs across all phases of the clinical trial process."

About SGS Life Science Services

SGS Life Science Services, a business unit of the SGS Group, has 30 years of experience as a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing a large range of services from preclinical activities to Phase I through IV trials, bio-analytical and QC testing. With more than 1,300 employees in LSS and 2,000 trials performed, SGS Life Science Services serves the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Additional information about SGS is available at www.sgs.com/clinicalresearch.

The SGS Group is the global leader and innovator in inspection, verification, testing and certification services. Founded in 1878, SGS is recognized as the global benchmark in quality and integrity. With more than 48,000 employees, SGS operates a network of more than 1,000 offices and laboratories around the world.

About Phase Forward

Phase Forward is a leading provider of integrated data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety. The company offers proven solutions for electronic data capture (InForm(TM)), clinical data management (Clintrial(TM)), clinical trials signal detection (CTSD(TM)), strategic pharmacovigilance (WebVDME(TM) and Signal Management), adverse event reporting (Clintrace(TM)) and applied data standards (WebSDM(TM)). In addition, the company provides services in the areas of application implementation, hosting and validation, data integration, business process optimization, safety data management and industry standards. Phase Forward's products and services have been utilized in over 10,000 clinical trials involving more than 1,000,000 clinical trial study participants at over 265 organizations and regulatory agencies worldwide including: AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Eli Lilly, Food and Drug Administration, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Merck Serono, U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, National Institutes of Health, Procter & Gamble, Quintiles, sanofi-aventis, Schering-Plough Research Institute and Servier. Additional information about Phase Forward is available at www.phaseforward.com.

Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the performance and features of Phase Forward's products and services, future business and operations plans of Phase Forward customers and partner, and the ability of Phase Forward's customers and partners to realize benefits from the use of Phase Forward's products and services. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Phase Forward's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the ability of Phase Forward's customers and partners to realize benefits from the use of its products and services, changes in regulatory requirements applicable to Phase Forward's customers and partners, the manner in which Phase Forward's customers and partners conduct business and the possibility that their needs or plans may change over time, and competition. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Phase Forward undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by Phase Forward, see the disclosure contained in Phase Forward's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Science, not Stance, the Arabs' Weapon in Facing Climate Change

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a 113-country UN panel responsible for studying, proposing and following up the policies and measures required to deal with the phenomenon of climate change, or global warming, has attracted undivided attention.

The report, entitled 'Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis', is a summary directed at policymakers worldwide of the results of the fourth assessment, carried out by more than 2,000 scientists and specialists from around the world. It is the first of three reports to be issued this year. The other two are expected to address the impact of climate change and the action that could be taken.

The wide-scale interest in this report shown by most decision-making centers around the world and the mass media, especially in the developed countries, is attributable to the fact that the report links, for the first time and with a high degree of certainty, the high temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago, and the human activities that emit greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and other gases, given that the previous assessments could not rule out that this phenomenon is a result of natural climatic cycle unrelated to man's activity on the planet.

The report said the atmosphere's temperature was likely to increase by 2 to 5.4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, and that an increase by 6 degrees or more should not be ruled out. An expected result of this climate change is a constant rise in the level of coastal waves, and increased intense tropical cyclone activity, with an increase in its accompanying rains and floods, the disappearance of the North Pole's ice in the summer, an increase in the level of water in the oceans by an average of 0.43 meters by the end of the century, in addition to the constant melting of the North Pole's ice.

Regionally, the temperature of Europe's Mediterranean shores are projected to rise and the Alps are expected to become a summer vacation destination, while agricultural seasons are projected to extend in temperate zones and aridity is expected to increase in the semi-desert parts of Africa and South Asia.

In light of these high-impact findings, climate change could become the first and most important determiner of international relations and the future of energy-related markets. It could also become the most prominent item on the agenda of economic and social development at local, regional and international levels.

On the other hand, the extent and impact of the climate change and the humans' ability to deal with its challenges largely depend on the nature of the world order that will be established in the years to come.

In this context, the report highlighted the potential rise in temperature and in ocean water level through scenarios assuming different, but possible, tracks of the world order in the 21st century. It also highlighted the central role technology could play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through making available clean uses of energy, developing clean energy, increasing the efficiency of production processes and the rapid shift towards knowledge economy.

This technological advancement goes hand in hand with a rapid economic growth and a decline in the world population, which peaked in mid-century, coupled with a contraction in the gap in the levels of economic and social development from one region to another and a convergence in the levels of their per capita income. All this is in the framework of civilized, cultural and social interaction between nations and peoples.

Of course, the Arab world is very much concerned with the findings of this report, not only because of the environmental and economic effects of climate change on the region or the subsequent regional and international obligations in the framework of handling this phenomenon, but also because many countries of the region produce oil and natural gas, and sit on huge reserves of them. These two materials, in addition to coal, are greenhouse gases-generating sources when they are used. In view of the scientific, objective nature of the report, particularly its balanced presentation of alternatives or tracks that can be tackled to deal with the phenomenon of climate change, although it does not rule out the possibility of a complete elimination of fossil fuel; it offers other scenarios that maintain the role of fossil fuel in future energy markets, provided that they are used in a clean way, that is to purify them of carbon dioxide emissions when used.

Thus, it is in the national interest of the Arab world to respond positively to this report, and to adopt and abide by its orientations, especially those related to founding a new world order that is characterized by fairness and communication between peoples and civilizations, and achieves convergence in the level of per capita income between different regions and territories.

It is also important for the Arab countries to strengthen their contribution to the work of the IPCC, especially that no Arab name was on the list of authors of this report. They should also develop their scientific and technological capabilities in the areas of environment, climate, and so on, take the initiative of developing and adopting clean uses of fossil energy, oil and natural gas, and contribute to the efforts of scientific research and development in this field.

As Arab fossil energy producers and other producers around the world have common interests, strengthening the cooperation and participation, and forging alliances at international and regional levels will actively contribute to safeguarding the future of these resources in the energy markets and boost their revenues of economic and social development.

The scientific and objective nature of the report will not be prevent some parties from attempting to use it to achieve personal objectives or political targets through the selection of what fits those interests and ignoring what does not fit. A 'New York Times' article by Rosenthal and Revkin provides an example of this. "Many energy and environment experts see the rise in atmospheric temperature will double unless there is a prompt and sustained shift away from the 20th-century pattern of unfettered burning of coal and oil".

As we have seen, this is neither accurate nor included in the report, which concentrated on the use of clean energy through the development of the technology required. It has also stipulated making progress on several fronts, particularly those related to fair economic and social development with equitable and enlightened global order.

Therefore, oil-producing Arab countries ought to be familiar with all aspects and dimensions of this report, and use it to develop an effective strategy that helps them play a positive role in dealing with the greenhouse effect and avoid the detrimental impacts on their interests.

Such strategy will also help them avoid falling into positions they do not want, or are not consistent with their strategic interests and objectives.

* Mr. Khalil Zahr is a Lebanese Development Affairs Adviser

Science Fairs See Fewer Entrants

ORLANDO - Science fairs used to be big deals - competitions that exercised critical-thinking, research and public speaking.

It's also a blast to set off papier-mche volcanoes and grow tiny Sea-Monkeys.

But participation in county science fairs has dropped dramatically among Florida high-school students - ironically, at the same time the state has ordered teachers to focus more intensely on biology, chemistry and other sciences.

The new science portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, in fact, is helping fuel the trend because teachers and students are so occupied with the FCAT they don't spend as much time and effort on science fairs, many educators say.

"It doesn't free them up for sustained inquiry or creativity," said Dan McFarland, a past president of the Florida Association of Science Teachers.

For example, 97 teens from seven Orange County high schools entered projects in the regional fair. That's 40 percent fewer than last year. Entries fell nearly as much in nearby Volusia County, organizers said. And in Seminole County, only two of 10 public high schools signed up. Of the two Seminole schools, one submitted just one project.

The downturn in science fairs elsewhere in the region is part of a trend - some say a national one - that started years ago, educators said. It's particularly troubling, they said, considering the nation is in dire need of chemists, engineers and others to replace those retiring en masse from science-heavy careers.

McFarland, a Plant City teacher, said high-school kids just aren't getting involved thanks in part to jobs, other academic pressures and the FCAT's science section.

Students have sat for the FCAT in reading, writing and math since 1998. Science was added in 2003, and scores to date have been dismal. This year's scores, for the first time, will be used to determine grades for schools.

McFarland said teachers are so focused on required classwork that many no longer force students to participate in science fairs. Teens don't have the same freedom to explore and inquire, which is key to building science skills.

Educators also blamed the drop in interest on competition with other contests that draw young science whizzes - for example, robotics competitions, the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search and Odyssey of the Mind.

Lake County science specialist Claudia Rowe said changes in the rules for science projects in recent years have discouraged students, too. The main complaint: paperwork.

"Instead of it being a fun thing to learn, it's become more of a paperwork thing and jumping through hoops," Rowe said.

Some educators think tough standards encourage only the smartest students - the ones who already spend weekends and summers working in cancer labs and university research institutes. That leaves a lot of students feeling as if they can't compete.

Pine Ridge High School in Volusia stopped requiring science projects several years ago and, instead, let teens do research and share it with classmates instead of judges.

"If they have no desire at all and no interest, all you're forcing them to do is as little as necessary to get that grade," said Linda Gowen, who heads Pine Ridge's science department.

Projects are not required for all kids at Deltona High in Volusia. Parent Colleen Maguire worries her daughter and her peers are missing a chance to develop important organization and communication skills.

"The teachers hate it, and they actually put that attitude onto the students," she said. "I just think it's a shame it has become that kind of a problem."

Experts across the country said no studies exist and no one collects data for science-fair participation.

But Anne Holbrook, a University of Maryland professor who teaches educators how to teach science, said based on many anecdotes, it appears to be a national problem. She thinks the problem is the national push for tests such as the FCAT. She said schools need to do a better job integrating science into other classes.

Suzy Behel, who arranges Seminole's fair, said kids need more time for research during the school day.

Of the 54 projects entered at a recent science fair there, Lake Brantley High, which offers a research class as an elective, submitted 49. The number of Lake Brantley students signing up also has grown in recent years.

Behel said the class helps students find mentors and coordinates entry into summer research programs.

That emphasis on in-school research is why science fairs thrive in Brevard, organizer Ginger Davis said.

Brevard students in grades seven to 12 can take classes specifically to conduct research. The course is so popular that students wash cars and do other fundraisers to help buy chemicals and equipment.

About 900 middle- and high-school students entered projects this year. The fair was so big that it had to be split between two locations.

Volusia officials said competitions apart from science fairs are challenging students in different ways.

"I think science fairs are still a part of American culture," said Teresa Northrup, Volusia's science specialist. "It's just a different way of approaching it.

"Sometimes, students get tired of the standard science-fair board. They might want to go to a competition with somebody else racing a car, building a bridge, or maybe they would rather solve a problem on the Internet."