A new discovery by University of Western Ontario scientist Graham Thompson claims to be conclusive evidence that the 'selfish gene', introduced conceptually in 1976 by British biologist Richard Dawkins, isn't just accepted as a natural extension to the works of Charles Darwin, but is now confirmed.

In studying genomes, the word 'selfish' does not refer to the human-describing adjective of self-centered behavior but rather to the blind tendency of genes wanting to continue their existence into the next generation. Ironically, this 'selfish' tendency can appear anything but selfish when the gene does move ahead for selfless and even self-sacrificing reasons.

For instance, in the honey bee colony, a complex social breeding system described as a 'super-organism,' the female worker bees are sterile. The adult queen bee, selected and developed by the worker bees, is left to mate with the male drones.

MODENA, Italy and LEGAU, Germany, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The first international One World Award (OWA) was awarded to Lal Emmanuel from Sri Lanka. The OWA statue along with a 25,000 Euro check was presented to Mr. Emmanuel for several sustainable projects. The honorary "One World Award" for lifetime achievements went to Professor Dr. Engelhard Boehncke from Germany. Patroness of the OWA ceremony in Modena (Italy) was Mrs. Renate Künast, former German Minister of Agriculture.

CALGARY, Alberta, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics") (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) announced today that following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, the Company is initiating a U.S. Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN(R) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced head and neck cancers. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Monica Mita of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas (CTRC at UTHSCSA).

If you watch popular shows like “Undress the Nation” or Gok Wan’s “How to Look Good Naked” - what, you don't watch them? That's because that guy behind American Idol hasn't brought them here yet, and in these times of strife we need shows about women in underwear - but if you live in England and watch them you may have noticed something a researcher also noticed; when women wear the right underwear, they are more confident about their bodies and about their overall appearance which, to men, is the same thing.



Who knew underwear was so important? Not me. All I know is there is 'dating' underwear - bras and panties match - and then 'dating a long time' underwear. You do the math.

Dr. Ira Sharlip, President of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) detailed a new definition of premature ejaculation. He addressed the audience of the American Urological Association during the ‘late breaking science forum’, a session designed by AUA to premier newsworthy developments in clinical urology.

The ISSM convened a panel of world experts who met in Amsterdam in the fall of 2007. Each of the 21 members of the panel was selected through a peer review process for their expertise in ejaculatory physiology, pharmacology and dysfunction. The panelists were tasked with creating a new definition of premature ejaculation (PE) based on currently available clinical evidence. Definitions of PE have previously been based on group consensus and not meeting new standards for evidence-based medicine. These definitions of PE include the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, 2002) and the AUA definition of (2005).

The knock on publicly traded companies is that they only think short term, quarter to quarter, which reduces or delays investments in risky, long term innovation projects in order to boost the firm’s stock price.

Entrepreneurs always talk about innovation while larger companies hesitate to take chances that could hurt short term profits. But do investments in innovations hurt stock prices?

Not according to Gerard J. Tellis, a professor of marketing at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, and Ashish Sood, an assistant professor at the of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. They have devised a new metric for evaluating the total stock market returns to an innovation project. “We’re assessing whether markets respond negatively to investments in innovation and whether they enforce a shorter orientation,” explains Tellis. “The key questions are: how does the stock market react to announcements about innovation and what is the total return to the innovation project?”

Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.

"It must be ice," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt. Salt can't do that."

The chunks were left at the bottom of a trench informally called "Dodo-Goldilocks" when Phoenix's Robotic Arm enlarged that trench on June 15, during the 20th Martian day, or sol, since landing. Several were gone when Phoenix looked at the trench early today, on Sol 24.

LONDON, June 20 /PRNewswire/ --

The Board of Endeavour International Corporation (Amex: END) (LSE: ENDV) confirms that on 19 June 2008 it wrote to the Board of Ithaca Energy Inc. ("Ithaca") setting out a non-binding proposed offer (the "Proposed Offer") to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Ithaca for a combination of cash and shares of Endeavour.

The Proposed Offer is at an indicative price of US$3.25 per Ithaca share, representing, at current exchange rates(1) a premium of approximately 44.2 percent to Ithaca's closing price on 18 June 2008, the last dealing day prior to the date of Endeavour's formal approach.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, June 20 /PRNewswire/ --

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced today that its corporate presentation will be webcast live during the Piper Jaffray Third Annual Europe Conference on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 8:20 a.m. local time (3:20 a.m. Eastern Time). The presentation will be webcast from The ANdAZ Hotel in London.

To access the presentation via the Web, please go to the Investor Relations tab at http://www.alexza.com or at http://www.corporateir.net/ireye/conflobby.zhtml?ticker=ALXA&item id=1870754. A replay of the webcast will be made available approximately 24 hours after the live presentation and the replay will be archived for 14 days.

LONDON, June 20 /PRNewswire/ --

EMBARGOED: Not for publication before 00:01 BST on Friday June 20

- Att'n: Scotland Editors

Administration staff working for Scotland's biggest teaching union are to strike today (Friday 20th June) over management's failure to secure a pay settlement which should have been paid from 1st April 2008.

The 32 Unite members at the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) were forced to ballot for industrial action and were to begin a continuous overtime ban when management came back with a final offer of a five year pay deal.

The deal was not in line with the real rising cost of living (as measured by the RPI). Staff rejected it, voting 100% in favour of a strike.