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First Edition: November 1, 2012

Today's headlines include highlights from the campaign trail, from the top of the ticket to some of the attention-grabbing Senate races across the country, as well as a report that the Obama administration will not oppose efforts to reopen the religious challenge to the health law.

1 Nov 2012

Array BioPharma first quarter 2013 revenue decreases to $15.8 million

Array BioPharma Inc. today reported results for the first quarter of its fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

30 Oct 2012

Researchers use baker's yeast to identify new therapies for Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a devastatingly cruel neurodegenerative disorder that robs sufferers of the ability to move, speak and, finally, breathe.

29 Oct 2012

Study describes how Dbr1 gene halts toxic buildup of TDP-43-a protein

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered how modifying a gene halts the toxic buildup of a protein found in nerve cells. These findings point to a potential new tactic for treating a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease)-a fatal disease for which there is no cure.

29 Oct 2012

‘Virtual language therapist’ set to benefit aphasia patients

Portuguese researchers have developed an online speech recognition tool for the treatment of word naming difficulties in patients with aphasia.

26 Oct 2012

Project identifies mechanism behind rapid evolution of male genitals

A new collaborative project among researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Cincinnati has, for the first time, demonstrated experimentally the evolutionary force behind the rapid evolution of male genitals, focusing on a species of seed beetle.

26 Oct 2012

UC Riverside entomologists reconstruct the evolutionary history of assassin bugs

Assassin bugs, so named because these insects lie in ambush for prey that they attack with speed and precision, are found all over the world. Nearly 140 species of these bugs are blood-sucking; because they can bite humans around the mouth, they are also called kissing bugs. All kissing bugs can spread Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that imposes an economic burden on society.

26 Oct 2012

Longer looks: Controversial raffle for IVF treatment; New role for community health workers; Romney, health care and the free market

"That's right, one lucky woman will win the ultimate chance at starting or building her family," said a contest announcement issued in April by Long Island I.V.F., a clinic in Melville that offers in vitro fertilization to women who are having difficulty conceiving. Contestants were asked to submit "the most emotional or entertaining essays and homemade amateur videos" explaining why they wanted a free round of I.V.F.

26 Oct 2012

New study finds bacteria cue single-celled choanoflagellates to form colonies

Bacteria have a bad rap as agents of disease, but scientists are increasingly discovering their many benefits, such as maintaining a healthy gut.

25 Oct 2012

GlaxoSmithKline introduces Complete the Cycle Recycle Program for GSK Respiratory Inhalers

GlaxoSmithKline plc has introduced a new program to help consumers recycle their empty GSK respiratory inhalers and keep waste out of landfills.

25 Oct 2012

Study looks at DNA sequences for receptors in T lymphocytes

Our immune system must be tremendously complex to respond to the unending assault of viruses, bacteria and cancerous cells. One of the mechanisms used by the immune system to cope with the huge variety of possible threats is to randomly combine DNA segments for the production of receptors on lymphocytes - a type of white blood cell.

23 Oct 2012

Researchers discover how HIV-infected people develop very powerful antibody responses

Wits researchers have played a pivotal role in an AIDS study published today in the journal, Nature Medicine, which describes how a unique change in the outer covering of the virus found in two HIV infected South African women enabled them to make potent antibodies which are able to kill up to 88% of HIV types from around the world.

23 Oct 2012

AAP to host seminar on child health disparities

A day before pediatricians gather in New Orleans for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition, the AAP will host a day-long seminar on health disparities.

19 Oct 2012

Recurrent patterns of genomic imbalances determine evolution of invasive breast cancer

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is considered a precursor lesion for invasive breast cancer if untreated, and is found in approximately 45% of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Patients with DCIS only (not accompanied by invasive disease) have a 5-year-survival of nearly 100%, compared to 89% for all stages of invasive breast cancer (24% for patients with distant metastasis).

17 Oct 2012

UAF scientists discover evolutionary origin of air breathing in vertebrates

University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists have identified what they think is the ancestral trait that allowed for the evolution of air breathing in vertebrates. They will present their research at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience Oct. 17 in New Orleans.

17 Oct 2012

eLife journal publishes first four research articles

eLife, the new open-access journal for outstanding scientific advancements, has published its first four research articles.

16 Oct 2012

Critical Diagnostics signs agreements with four new European distributors

Critical Diagnostics, a U.S.-based biomarker company focused on cardiovascular diseases, today announced that it has signed agreements with four new European distributors in Germany, Spain, France and Turkey.

15 Oct 2012

Females having multiple sexual partners may be more fertile

Researchers have discovered that females that have multiple sexual partners can be more fertile than those that are monogamous and, very surprisingly, that this is the result of an "overproduction" of sons. The study - still only published as a provisional article but already one of the most accessed in BCM Evolutionary Biology - helps to explain a puzzle that has been haunting evolutionary biologist for decades: why during a mating season so many females chase multiple sexual partners when one is enough to fertilize all her eggs and to do it is costly and dangerous.

15 Oct 2012

Abertay lecture to reveal how computer games can help discover new drugs for cancer

How can computer games technology help discover new drugs to treat cancer? This surprising step forward for science will be revealed at a free public lecture at the University of Abertay Dundee this Wednesday at 6pm.

15 Oct 2012

Bad news articles increase women's sensitivity to stressful situations

Bad news articles in the media increase women's sensitivity to stressful situations, but do not have a similar effect on men, according to a study undertaken by University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.

11 Oct 2012