A related editorial will be published today in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery () providing recommendations to optimize the use of CROs by academia and small companies. The authors of this article were expert participants in a recent advisory panel convened by the ADDF to provide recommendations for identifying, contracting and managing partnerships with CROs.

"Improving the efficiency of this interaction will accelerate drug discovery programs, improve their quality and efficiency, increase the probability of success and add value to attract pharmaceutical partners and investors," said Rachel Lane, PhD, Assistant Director, Scientific Affairs at the ADDF.

"ADDF ACCESS is a virtual networking program that effectively brings together academic and industry drug discovery scientists to create interdisciplinary teams that are essential for success in the development of new drugs," said Howard Fillit, MD, Executive Director for the ADDF and Chief Science Officer. "As a foundation, ADDF is strategically positioned to facilitate these critical interactions through ADDF ACCESS."

About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation ()

The ADDF's mission is to accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease, related dementias, and cognitive aging. The ADDF has granted more than $60 million to fund almost 400 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs in academic centers and biotechnology companies in 18 countries.

SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Navarra Hospital chief Javier Sesma said three people were injured but no one was gored in the crazed, two-minute dash Wednesday in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

National television replays showed two separate runners being caught between the horns of bulls and being flung to the ground, narrowly escaping being gored.

Thousands of thrill-seekers race daily with the bulls along a 930-yard (850-meter) route from a holding pen to the city bull ring.

The runs are the highlight of the nine-day street partying festival made world famous with the 1926 publication of Ernest Hemingway's novel "The Sun Also Rises."

Dell shareholders are scheduled to vote on the offer July 18. Several large investors have been pushing for improved terms.

"The ISS seal of approval makes the Silver Lake/Michael Dell deal more likely to receive shareholder approval," Brian White, analyst at Topeka Capital Markets said, adding that ISS views Icahn's bid "as coming with too much uncertainty."

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc is the biggest shareholder advisory firm, and its recommendations can sway investors looking for direction.

ISS on Monday said Michael Dell's offer "transfers the risk of the deteriorating PC business and the company's ongoing business transformation to the buyout group."

It said shareholders cannot immediately accept Icahn's bid even if they vote down Michael Dell's proposed buyout.

Another proxy advisory firm Egan-Jones also put out a report on Monday supporting Michael Dell

Billionaire Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management have made a rival bid that would see shareholders tender 1.1 billion shares at $14 each. But for the bid to be put to a vote, shareholders first must reject Michael Dell's proposal and then elect a new slate of directors put up by Icahn.

"They must also vote to replace the entire board and the CEO through a proxy contest at a subsequent annual meeting, and even then may end up with cash and equity if the envisioned self tender is oversubscribed," ISS said.

Icahn and Southeastern said they disagree with the ISS recommendation and would vote against Michael Dell's buyout offer. The two partners reiterated that they believe the offer price of $13.65 undervalues the company.

"Based on numerous conversations with our fellow Dell stockholders, we are confident that many of Dell's significant owners share our view," they said in a statement.

Michael Dell has said the company's shift from a computer maker to a provider of enterprise computing services is best done away from public scrutiny.

Michael Dell, whose offer is backed by equity financing from buyout firm Silver Lake, does not plan to raise the $13.65 per share bid, people familiar with the matter said last week.

Dell is investing aggressively in research and sales to retain customers as it looks to grab market share from established players such as International Business Machines Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co.

Dell's profit for the fiscal first quarter ended in April dropped 79 percent from a year earlier, and revenue fell 2 percent.

The CEO owns 15.7 percent of the company he started in 1984 out of his college dorm room with $1,000. Under his take-private deal, Michael Dell and his investment firm would own 75.9 percent of the company, with Silver Lake owning the rest.

Dell has said Michael Dell's and Silver Lake's post-buyout plan anticipated adding a significant number of sales personnel and boosting spending on research and development. And the restructuring plan envisioned would not be palatable to shareholders if carried out as a public company.

Dell shares were up 3 percent to $13.42 in Nasdaq trading on Monday.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta in San Francisco; Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, John Wallace and Leslie Gevirtz)

(Reuters) - Students at all Boston public high schools will soon be able to obtain free condoms at school - as long as they sit through a few minutes of counseling about safe sex - under a policy approved Wednesday by the school board.

Condoms are already available in 19 high schools with on-site health centers. The policy, endorsed on a 5-0 vote by the Boston School Committee, expands distribution to all 32 high schools and their 17,000 students.

Parents will have the right to exempt their children.

Several U.S. urban districts, including New York and Los Angeles, make condoms widely available in high schools. So do many suburban school districts around Boston.

The expansion in Boston will not cost the district anything since the contraception is donated by public health agencies, district spokesman Lee McGuire said. Schools will distribute the condoms on request, after a brief counseling session with the nurse or another staff member.

The Archdiocese of Boston issued a statement calling condom distribution misguided, but did not organize formal protests.

Bill Albert, chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said parents often fear easy access to contraception will encourage teens to have sex earlier or more frequently. Studies have shown that isn't the case, he said.

"That is one they can cross off their worry list," Albert said. "The science is absolutely clear."

It's less clear, Albert said, whether students consistently practice safer sex when they have access to free condoms.

The condom policy is part of a broader wellness initiative in Boston schools, including expanded sex education, better nutrition and more physical activity for students.

(Reporting by Stephanie Simon; Editing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Gary Hill)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who report eating the most red and processed meat before being diagnosed with colon cancer are more likely to die during the next eight years, according to a new study.

"It's another important reason to follow the guidelines to limit the intake of red and processed meat," said Marjorie McCullough, the study's lead author from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta.

While the new study can't prove eating red or processed meats - such as beef, hot dogs and sausages - causes colon cancer deaths, previous studies have found that eating the meats is tied to an increased risk of developing the cancer.

There's less evidence, however, on how people's diets after colon cancer diagnoses affect their chances of survival.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health estimates that about 143,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers in 2013, and about 51,000 people will die from them.

For the new research, McCullough and her colleagues used data from a different study on 184,000 Americans who didn't have cancer between 1992 and 1993, and who were periodically asked about what they ate.

After excluding people, who had - among other things - multiple types of cancer, unverified diagnoses and missing information, the researchers had data on 2,315 men and women who were diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer between the start of the study and June 30, 2009.

Overall, 966 of them died between the start of the study and December 31, 2010.

The researchers found no link between how much red or processed meat a person ate after their diagnosis and their risk of death, but the amount of meat a person ate before their diagnosis was tied with their risk of dying during the study.

About 43 percent of the 580 people who ate about 10 servings of red or processed meat per week at the start of the study died during the follow up period. That compared to about 37 percent of the 576 people who ate about two servings per week.

The researchers also found that people who consistently ate more red or processed meat before and after their colon cancer diagnosis were more likely to die from that cancer during the study, compared to those who at the least before and after diagnosis.

THREE OR FOUR TIMES PER WEEK'

Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, said it's possible that the link between red and processed meats and colon cancer comes from cancer-causing compounds found in cooked meat or preservatives.

"The primary message is a confirmation that increased intake of red or processed meat can have detrimental effects on the development of colon cancer, the type of cancer and other health effects of patients in the long term," Meyerhardt, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said.

McCullough said about three or four servings of red or processed meats per week is a good target for people.

"We're not saying people need to be vegetarians. It's really just limiting intake and making it more the exception than the rule," she said.

Dr. Elisa Bandera, associate professor of epidemiology at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, said in an email to Reuters Health that maintaining a healthy weight, healthy diet and regular exercise likely has benefits for cancer prevention and survival.

But she cautioned that these are only findings from one study.

"We need more studies evaluating the impact of meat and other dietary factors on cancer survival before any recommendations can be made to cancer survivors," wrote Bandera, who was not involved with the new study.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/W1OrcD Journal of Clinical Oncology, online July 1, 2013.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian Anthony Bennett, a power forward who played one year at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, leaped over a pair of touted centers to emerge as number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Thursday's NBA Draft.

While many draft analysts predicted Nerlens Noel of Kentucky or Ukrainian Alex Len of Maryland would go No. 1, the versatile, 6-foot-8 Bennett was the surprise top choice of a Cavs team that finished last season with a 24-58 record.

"I'm just as surprised as everybody else," Bennett, who averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as a freshman at Las Vegas last season, told reporters at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.

"I heard everything was up for grabs. But I'm just real happy, glad that I have this opportunity, and I just got to thank God for everything."

Injuries to Noel (knee) and Len (foot) may have cooled the Cavs to those young big men, but Toronto native Bennett himself required shoulder surgery at the end of his college season and that did not deter the Cavaliers.

"It's just crazy. Made history," said an excited Bennett. "It's just like a long-time dream that I had since I first started playing basketball.

"It's just crazy."

Bennett may be a touch smaller than classic the NBA power forward size, but he is strong, has a wide wingspan and good finishing moves around the rim, along with an accurate jumper that allows him to work from the outside as well.

"I can contribute at the four, at the three," said the 20-year-old. "There's things I still need to work on, but I feel like I'm a great team mate, unselfish. I think I can fit in right away."

Bennett said he had no clue he was going number one overall.

"When they said my name, that's when I knew," he said. "I had no idea before."

Bennett will be joining compatriot Tristan Thompson on the Cavs, who took the Canadian forward with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Thompson averaged 11.7 points and 9.4 rebounds a game last season for Cleveland.

"He's just a great guy,' said Bennett. "He seems real cool. Both from the same area. I'm going to be seeing him a lot."

Bennett was the first UNLV player to be voted Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 13 seasons and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors after leading the Rebels in scoring, rebounding and three-point percentage.

The Canadian scored in double figures in his first 17 games as a collegian, racking up 12 double-doubles, and scored 20 or more points 13 times.

Bennett's coach, Dave Rice, gave a sterling recommendation of his young forward before the draft.

"There's not much that he can't do on a court," said Rice.

"He can score from the perimeter. He can score in the post. He's a fabulous rebounder. The only thing that he lacked coming in was just experience."

Bennett predicted Canadians could go back-to-back atop the NBA Draft with Andrew Wiggins looming as a dominant player at Kansas.

"Next year with Wiggins, hopefully he does well at Kansas," said Bennett. "I'm rooting for him. I'm pretty sure he'll get that No. 1 spot."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

The impact of the decision striking down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act is clear in the 13 states and the District of Columbia where gay marriage is currently legal or soon will be: Same-sex married couples must be treated the same as other spouses under federal laws governing tax, health care, pensions and other federal benefits.

But employee benefit experts say the effect of the ruling remains murky in the other 37 states. The court left intact another provision of the federal anti-gay marriage law that allows one state not to recognize a same-sex marriage performed elsewhere.

"What's the federal government going to do when you have a valid marriage in New York and the couple moves to Texas? We don't know the answer to that," said Scott Macey, president of the ERISA Industry Committee that represents large employers.

The confusion is creating uncertainty for many companies that operate nationwide and want to administer benefit plans in a uniform manner.

"My members are all across the country," Macey said. "Most, if not all of them, would prefer to have a consistent rule across the country. They don't want to worry about changing things from state to state."

For workers living in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court's decision means gay spouses are entitled to a host of benefits they were denied previously. The decision extends pension and Social Security survivor benefits to same-sex spouses, grants equal access to the Family and Medical Leave Act and gives employees married to same-sex spouses the guarantee of uninterrupted health care coverage under the federal COBRA health benefits program.

Same-sex couples can also get the same tax break on health coverage that other couples have been receiving. Before the court's ruling, same-sex spouses covered by employer health plans had to pay taxes on the benefits they received, which on average added up to an extra $1,000 year. And employees now will be able to seek reimbursement from flexible health spending accounts for the medical expenses of gay spouses.

"This affects a thousand laws and regulations that touch employee benefits," said Bruce Elliott, manager of compensation and benefits at the Society for Human Resource Management, an industry association.

But many questions were left unanswered by the court. What happens if an employee lives in Maryland, which allows same-sex marriages, but works in neighboring Virginia, which doesn't? What happens to an employee who has a valid gay marriage in Iowa, but then moves to Alabama, which doesn't recognize same-sex marriages?

"It answers one question and raised many more," said Susan Hoffman, a Philadelphia attorney who focuses on employee benefits. "There may be pressures on the employer, but there is no legal mandate."

About 62 percent of Fortune 500 companies already offer same-sex domestic partner health benefits, according to the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. More of those companies, and perhaps smaller firms, could decide to extend those benefits in light of the court's decision.

Several companies that already offer domestic partner benefits told The Associated Press that they did not plan any immediate changes. That includes Ford Motor Co., which has offered same-sex benefits to hourly and salaried employees since 2000, spokesman Jay Cooney said.

At glass manufacturer Corning Inc. in New York, spokesman Daniel Collins said the company has been in the process of revising its policies as different states legalize gay marriage. For now, though, it plans to keep its domestic partner benefits until it has more guidance.

"It's so new and actions are occurring so quickly," Collins said.

Verizon spokesman Ray McConville said the company was still evaluating the decision.

Hoffman said the legal ambiguities will have to be resolved in future court decisions as gay couples seek to protect their benefits in states that don't recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Macey said the federal government could go a long way in clarifying things when it issues regulations establishing how the court ruling should be implemented. The court seemed to leave it up to the Internal Revenue Service and other various federal agencies to decide how to resolve conflicts between states over gay marriage.

President Barack Obama said he's directed the attorney general and members of his Cabinet "to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly."

It's possible the Obama administration could say that federal benefits should be granted equally to all spouses in same-sex marriages, even if they live in a state that won't recognize the union, Macey said. But such a ruling would not prevent the continued denial of state benefits to gay couples in states where same-sex marriages are not legal.

Macey said most companies will probably wait to see how the federal government is going to interpret the decision.

___

Follow Sam Hananel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SamHananelAP

Businesses won't have to provide health insurance to employees for another year.

2. MORSI DEFIANT AS MILITARY DEADLINE LOOMS

The Egyptian president's fate hangs in the balance as he vows to protect "constitutional legitimacy."

3. INTELLIGENCE CHIEF APOLOGIZES FOR 'ERRONEOUS' NSA CLAIM

James Clapper had told Congress the government does not collect data on millions of Americans.

4. WHAT HOTSHOTS SAW BEFORE THEY DIED

A photograph taken by a firefighter shows the Arizona crew approaching the wildfire that would kill them.

5. WHY THE BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT HAD TO STOP IN VIENNA

Evo Morales' plane was diverted on its way home from Russia because of suspicions it was carrying NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

6. GUNS WON'T FLY, BUT PASSENGERS STILL TRY

Airport security officials tell the AP more passengers are trying to bring loaded firearms onto planes.

7. FEDS STICK TO FLIGHT 800 STORY

The NTSB stands by the conclusion of its yearslong probe: The TWA jumbo jet explosion and crash was an accident, not a missile strike.

8. UNIONS TALK, COMMUTERS WALK

Talks will resume to end a strike by San Francisco Bay area rail workers that threw commutes into chaos.

9. WHERE YOU'LL PAY MORE FOR LESS AND LIKE IT

Two new Android phones are replicas of Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's One, except they lack most of the bells and whistles, simplifying their use.

10. REDS PITCHER THROWS FIRST NO-HITTER IN MAJORS THIS SEASON

It was also Homer Bailey's second no-hitter in 10 months, as Cincinnati beat the slumping San Francisco Giants 3-0.

Scientists at Britain's John Innes Centre said plants adjust their rate of starch consumption to prevent starvation during the night when they are unable to feed themselves with energy from the sun.

They can even compensate for an unexpected early night.

"This is the first concrete example in a fundamental biological process of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation," mathematical modeller Martin Howard of John Innes Centre (JIC) said.

During the night, mechanisms inside the leaf measure the size of the starch store and estimate the length of time until dawn. Information about time comes from an internal clock, similar to the human body clock.

"The capacity to perform arithmetic calculation is vital for plant growth and productivity," JIC metabolic biologist Alison Smith said.

"Understanding how plants continue to grow in the dark could help unlock new ways to boost crop yield."

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; editing by Keiron Henderson)