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If you’re one of the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who get an annual flu shot, Sanofi Pasteur may have some good news. Scientists at a local lab the drug company acquired eight years ago from vaccine maker Acambis PLC are working on a next-generation vaccine that could reengineer hemagglutinin — the most significant viral protein — to offer years of protection against multiple flu strains. (Weisman, 11/19)

Crosby J. Gardner has never had a girlfriend. Now 20 and living for the first time in a dorm here at Western Kentucky University, he has designed a fast-track experiment to find her. He ticks off the math. Two meals a day at the student dining hall, three courses per meal. Girls make up 57 percent of the 20,068 students. And so, he sums up, gray-blue eyes triumphant, if he sits at a table with at least four new girls for every course, he should be able to meet all 11,439 by graduation. (Hoffman, 11/19)

There’s something wrong with the brain banks created to study the dangers of repeated trauma to the head: Almost all the brains donated so far belonged to men.  It’s just one example of how the study of brain trauma in women lags behind — even though women get concussions at higher rates than men in many sports and may suffer more severe and persistent symptoms. (McFarling, 11/21)

Normally, politics doesn't come up in the exam room, but in recent days, Roth says, whether patients come in for a check-up, a sore throat or knee pain, many need to talk about how they're feeling about the election results. And many in this deep blue state are not feeling good. (Goldberg, 11/18)

It’s common to think of pain as an adult burden, the product of time-beaten joints and aged tissues, but pain also hobbles children. When that happens, youngsters’ suffering is often overlooked or dismissed. Or it gets chalked up to psychological issues — an approach especially troubling to some parents. (Freyer, 11/19)

There's new evidence that excessive screen time early in life can change the circuits in a growing brain. Scientists disagree, though, about whether those changes are helpful, or just cause problems. Both views emerged during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego this week. (Hamilton, 11/19)

Drinking colas and other sugary drinks is tied to an increased risk of pre-diabetes, but diet soda is not, a recent study suggests. Previous studies on the link between diet sodas and diabetes have been mixed; some research pointing to a potential connection has suggested this relationship may be explained at least in part by soda drinkers being overweight or obese. (11/18)

Every year, workers on both sides of the camera are maimed, burned, break bones and even die striving to deliver entertainment that packs multiplexes and commands top TV ratings. Injuries come not just from obvious risks such as stunts and explosives, but from falls off ladders, toppled equipment and machines without safety guards. Yet in an industry where virtually everything is tallied and every success is touted, set accidents remain largely hidden and the consequences usually amount to mere thousands of dollars in fines paid out of multimillion-dollar budgets. (McCartney, 11/21)