Washington, Nov 18: Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine have established that a micro "chip" or array can prove effective in prenatal diagnosis of disorders such as Down syndrome or other diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities.

In the study, led by Dr. Arthur Beaudet and Dr. Sau Wai Cheung at BCM, researcher examined 300 cases and described use of array comparative genomic hybridization to analyze samples taken during amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling for chromosomal abnormalities.

Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling allow researchers to obtain foetal cells for testing.

Tokyo  - Stocks closed lower Tuesday in Tokyo as overnight losses on Wall Street spurred concerns over a world recession.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 194.17 points, or 2.28 per cent, to close at 8,328.41.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 15.05 points, or 1.77 per cent, to 835.44.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 96.68-73 yen, down from Monday's 5 pm quote of 97.10-12 yen.

Washington, Nov 18 : The memory of the first honeymoon has such a special place in people’s lives that they are reluctant to repeat it – thinking a repetition might taint the unforgettable moments.

That’s the conclusion of a new research in the Journal of Consumer Research, which found that people tend to treat their memories of previous special experiences as assets to be protected.

Washington, Nov 18: With the help of a few tiny particles from a comet, scientists are tracking the violent convulsions in the giant cloud of gas and dust that gave birth to the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.

These convulsions flung primordial material billions of miles from the hot, inner regions of the gas cloud that later collapsed to form the sun, out into the cold, nether regions of the solar system, where they became incorporated into an icy comet.

“If you take a gas of solar composition and let it cool down, the very first minerals to solidify are calcium and aluminum-rich,” said Steven Simon, Senior Research Associate in Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago.

Taipei  - Taiwan said Tuesday it will issue purchase vouchers to boost spending and pull the retail sector out of recession.

Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said that the government plans to allocate 82 billion Taiwan dollars (2.48 billion US dollars) to issue purchase vouchers to every citizen.

Each voucher is worth 3,600 Taiwan dollars (109 US dollars) and should be used within one year of its issuance. "We plan to issue it as soon as possible, maybe around the Chinese New Year holidays (February 2009)," he told a news conference.

Sydney  - Fea