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Soon the popular social networking site Facebook will become a recruiter, as per knowledgeable sources, by launching its own job board after teaming with existing job-posting companies, the sources said.

Citing anonymous sources, media reports said that BranchOut, Jobvite and Work4Labs will be at least three of the companies that will pair with the platform.

With the rise of LinkedIn - and its aggressive moves into social-networking functionality - having Facebook enter the fray is an obvious play for them.

Whether or not the job posts will display in the news feed is unclear.

Many bigger companies have career recruitment presences on Facebook already, but a centralised engine behind job postings and searches would feed the engagement metrics.

According to recent estimates, the job-posting market is worth about USD 4.3 billion and everyone would like to have a piece of it.

Last October, the social networking site initiated its move towards becoming a source for job hunters by teaming up with the US Department of Labor and three employment-related agencies in an attempt to decrease the country's 9.1 per cent unemployment rate using social media a project that may eventually include a Facebook job posting system.

This partnership started a new era of formal job hunting content on Facebook which some recruiters already prefer over LinkedIn for the first time.

As part of the initiative, Facebook launched a "Social Jobs" portal that makes easily accessible educational content and tools from its partners at the Department of Labor, National Association of Colleges and Employers, Direct Employers Association, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

It plans to promote this page in the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates and Puerto Rico.

The most interesting aspect of the new partnership, however, is a plan to inch Facebook into job listings territory.

Facebook's statement announcing the partnership mentioned "systems where new job postings can be delivered virally through the Facebook site at no charge."

What shape such a job posting system would take, and whether Facebook has any solid plans beyond research to pursue one, are still not clear.

A job board that lives on Facebook could put the social network in direct competition with sites like LinkedIn and Monster.com.

( IANS )

Facebook Funds Asia Internet Cable Project
Facebook is investing in undersea fiber-optic Internet cabling that will connect much of Asia with the Internet, and by extension, the rest of North America. The social network has contributed an undisclosed amount to the $450 million in total funding the Asia Pacific Gateway has received, the BBC reports.

The Asia Pacific Gateway will bring Internet access to a large sectoin of Southeast Asia, running 6,200 miles from Malaysia to Japan. The project is also backed by China’s leading telecoms China Unicom and China Telecom.

• Forest Laboratories, Inc. (FRX) Slammed With $100 Million Gender Bias Suit More...

Penny stock Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd. ( NASDAQ: CHTP ) stock gained more than 25 % and trading above $1.15 with above average volumes. There was not any announcements regarding any development. Investors might be accumulating the stock for future positive developments from the company and value unlocking. One should watch the stock for possible break out.
Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. is a development stage pharmaceutical company that focuses on acquiring, developing and commercializing products for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. The Company is developing a therapeutic agent for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), associated with primary autonomic failure and falls related to NOH in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), as well as other norepinephrine-related conditions and diseases, including intradialytic hypotension (IDH), fibromyalgia, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), freezing of gait in PD and Down syndrome. In addition, the Company is developing a portfolio of metabolically inert antifolates for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is exploring potential applications in multiple other autoimmune disorders.

XOMA corporation ( NASDAQ: XOMA ), stock of the company spiked more than 15 % suddenly, traders might keep an eye on stock as there might be a big news announcement from the company.
 Company has announced an enrollment for Phase II/Phase III trials of gevokizumab to treat interleukin-1 beta-mediated inflammatory diseases

Press release read below

It has opened enrollment in two clinical trials to determine gevokizumab's potential to treat interleukin-1 beta-mediated inflammatory diseases. The first trial is XOMA's global Phase 3 study investigating the ability of gevokizumab to reduce the signs and symptoms, including vitreous haze, in patients with non-infectious uveitis (NIU) involving the intermediate and/or posterior segment of the eye. The second trial is a Phase 2 study to evaluate the potential for gevokizumab to improve pain symptoms, physical function and structural abnormalities in patients with erosive osteoarthritis of the hand. Patients currently are being screened in both trials.

In this study, titled A Randomized, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Gevokizumab in the Treatment of Active Non-infectious Intermediate, Posterior, or Pan-Uveitis, the Company intends to enroll patients with active non-infectious intermediate, posterior, or pan-uveitis with a vitreous haze score equal to or greater than 2+ on the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) / National Eye Institute (NEI) scale in at least one eye. They will be randomized to receive either one of two doses of gevokizumab or placebo. The study's primary endpoint is the proportion of patients demonstrating a significant reduction in vitreous haze score on Day 56. The study also will assess the effect of gevokizumab on additional endpoints, including response rates at other time points and changes from baseline in visual acuity.

Paul Rubin, M.D., XOMA's Senior Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer, stated, "As preclinical and clinical data have shown that IL-1 beta is an important contributor to the inflammation seen in uveitis, we believe gevokizumab's ability to potently inhibit IL-1 beta signaling could be relevant in controlling this inflammation, as well as the inflammation associated with other conditions. Because of this, we established a proof-of-concept program in November 2011 to lead us to additional indications for this antibody. Included in this program is the ongoing trial in moderate to severe acne vulgaris from which we anticipate top-line data by year end. Today, we opened enrollment in the second POC indication, erosive osteoarthritis of the hand, which we believe will complete enrollment sometime around the end of 2012."

XOMA's Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of gevokizumab in active inflammatory, erosive osteoarthritis of the hand is designed to enroll approximately 90 patients who will be randomized to receive gevokizumab or placebo. The study is designed and powered to detect a significant improvement from baseline versus placebo in the mean Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index (AUSCAN™) pain score in the target hand at three months. The study also will capture multiple outcome measures including pain, stiffness, physical function, radiographic and MRI changes, as well as changes in C-reactive protein and concomitant acetaminophen use.

About XOMA corporation:


XOMA Corporation (XOMA), formerly XOMA Ltd., discovers and develops antibody-based therapeutics. XOMA’s drug candidate gevokizumab is an antibody that binds to the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Its XOMA 3AB is a biodefense anti-botulism product candidate consists of a combination of antibodies, was developed through funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the United Sates National Institutes of Health (NIH). In June 2011, it discovery of two classes of human monoclonal antibodies, XOMA Metabolic Activating and Sensitizing (XMetA and XMetS), On January 17, 2012, it announced that it had acquired the United Sates rights to the perindopril franchise from Servier. The agreement includes ACEON, a marketed angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, and a portfolio of three fixed-dose combination product candidates where perindopril is combined with another active ingredient(s), such as a calcium channel blocker.

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc ( AMEX: RNN ) Submits an Investigational New Drug Application to the FDA for First-in-Class p68 Helicase Inhibitor, RX-5902. Stock jumped more than 15 % and trading at $0.63. It has gained more than 80% in last three trading session. There was no official announcements regarding any developments from company. Stock might see more upside in near future, Traders might track the penny stock which might explode soon.

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: RNN), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug application (IND) to the Food and Drug Administration for a first-in-human study of RX-5902 to treat advanced or metastatic solid tumors. RX-5902 is a first-in-class small molecule that inhibits the phosphorylated p68 RNA helicase, a protein that plays a key role in cancer growth, progression and metastasis. The phosphorylated form of p68 RNA helicase is only present in cancer cells and is absent in normal cells.

“RX-5902 is an exciting first-in-class p68 RNA helicase inhibitor that has considerable commercial potential,” said Rick Soni, President of Rexahn. “Pre-clinical studies have shown that RX-5902 exhibits very potent anti-tumor activity in various cancers including melanoma, renal, ovarian and pancreatic. Additional studies suggest that RX-5902 is effective in drug-resistant cancer cells and is synergistic when combined with current cancer drugs.” Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Rexahn) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing and seeking to deliver cures for cancer and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) to patients worldwide. Rexahn’s pipeline features three drug candidates in Phase II clinical trials and seven or more other drug candidates in pre-clinical development. Rexahn has three clinical stage drug candidates: Archexin, Serdaxin, and Zoraxel. Archexin, is a inhibitor of the protein kinase Akt. Archexin is developed for five cancer indications (renal cell carcinoma (RCC), glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer). Its products in the pre-clinical pipeline include RX-1792, RX-5902, RX-3117, RX-8243, RX-0201, RX-0047, RX-21101 and RX-21202

Decrying the lack of proper sanitation facilities, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday said toilets built over the last 10 years across the country are being used for storing food grain.

"In last 10 years, toilets have been built (across the country)...But toilets are not being used for the purpose for which they had been built. They are being used for storing food grain...they have been turned into storage godowns and they have been locked," Ramesh told reporters here today.

The minister chaired a regional review meeting on drinking water supply and sanitation in which representatives from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh participated.

Asked about states where toilets were being used for storing food grain, Ramesh said Punjab was one of them where this practice was being followed.

Not optimistic of achieving the target of making India an open-defecation free country in next 10 years, Ramesh said there were several big states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa where it would take at least 15-20 years to become open-defecation free.

"...I do not think that we can achieve this target...we have several big states like UP, Bihar, Orissa and MP where it seems impossible that these states will be open-defecation free by 2022. These states may take 15-20 years," he noted.

Asserting that 60 per cent people in the country still defecate in the open, Ramesh said that the Centre had set a target to become open-defecation free under the 'Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan' in the next ten years.

The financial assistance for setting up a toilet has also been hiked from Rs 3,500 to Rs 10,000 by the Centre, Ramesh said.

Noting that there was a need to bring about a change in the mindset of people, he stressed that strong political will would also be essential to make the country open-defecation free.

He said, "Sikkim has become the first state in the country which is now open-defecation free. By November, Kerala will become open-defecation free, thereafter Himachal Pradesh will in March 2013".

Though Haryana was on course to have sanitation facilities by March 2015, Ramesh said that only two per cent of Gram Panchayats in Punjab have them.

He further said that an MoU would soon be signed with DRDO to have 50,000 bio-digester to facilitate proper sanitation facilities and 1,000 Gram Panchayats would be selected in first phase to set up bio-digester based toilets.

Actress Katrina Kaif has a reason to rejoice as she has topped the list of world's sexiest woman in a poll conducted by a leading men's lifestyle magazine. Katrina, who has a string of films lined up release like 'Ek Tha Tiger', 'Dhoom 3' and Yash Chopra's untitled film with Shahrukh Khan, has for the fourth time topped the list of world's sexiest woman.

She has beaten the likes of her Bollywood contemporaries including Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Hollywood stars like Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie and Blake Lively.

"Being sexy is not about clothes. For me to wear a cotton sari without any make-up and still be desirable is sexy," Katrina said in a statement here. On being voted sexy, Katrina says, "I am really excited with the news. It feels nice. It means that people are not voting for me only based on physical looks, they are also looking at me in entirety."

About a quarter-million computer users around the world are at risk of losing Internet access on Monday because of malicious software at the heart of a hacking scam that the US authorities shut down in November, 2011.

Some blogs and news reports hyped the risk of an outage, warning of a potential "blackout" and describing the Alureon malware as the "Internet Doomsday" virus.

Yet experts said only a tiny fraction of computer users were at risk, and Internet providers would be on call to quickly restore service. They said they considered the threat to be small compared with more-prevalent viruses such as Zeus and SpyEye, which infect millions of PCs and are used to commit financial fraud.

As of this week, about 245,000 computers worldwide were still infected by Alureon and its brethren, according to security firm Deteque. That included 45,355 computers in the United States.

The viruses were designed to redirect Internet traffic through rogue DNS servers controlled by criminals, according to the FBI. DNS servers are computer switchboards that direct Web traffic.

When authorities took down the rogue servers, a federal judge in New York ordered that temporary servers be kept in place while the victims' machines were repaired. The temporary servers will shut down at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Monday, which means the infected PCs that have not been fixed will no longer be able to connect to the Internet.

Some US Internet providers, including AT&T Inc and Time Warner Cable, have made temporary arrangements so that their customers will be able to access the Internet using the address of the rogue DNS servers.

Information on how to identify and clean up infections can be found on a website that a group of security firms and other experts set up: www.dcwg.org.

"It's a very easy one to fix," said Gunter Ollmann, vice president of research for security company Damballa. "There are plenty of tools available."

Many of the machines that remain infected are probably not in active use since most victims were notified of the problem, said security expert Johannes Ullrich, who runs the Internet Storm Center, which monitors Web threats.

The United States has charged seven people for orchestrating the worldwide Internet fraud. Six were arrested in Estonia, while the seventh, who was living in Russia, is still at large. Tallinn has so far extradited two of the men to New York where they appeared in Manhattan federal court.

The case is USA v. Tsastsin et al, US District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 11-cr-878.