"With the flat cells, their middle legs are scrabbling continuously, so they keep their wings moving to maintain their balance, which is a lot less energy-efficient, " Dr Glover continued.

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He said the new buildings would have the best cells in the Middle East - unlike other Arab countries, where prisoners must sleep on the floor, everyone will have their own bed.

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But sudden change is not foreordained by getting tougher, whereas certain change more fissile material, more potential nuclear and missile know-how that can be sold under our noses to the bidders in the tumultuous Middle East and even to al Qaeda terrorist cells becomes more likely every day North Korea moves forward with its mass-destruction technologies.

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The nuclei of adult cells, in contrast, have settled into a quiet middle age.

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Cells of the network have been identified or suspected in countries throughout the Middle East and Africa as well as in Malaysia, the Philippines, Ecuador, Bosnia, Albania, Britain, Canada and even the United States.

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As for embryonic stem cells, Okarma said his company hopes to start the first human trials of them in the middle of next year.

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