It was her husband's doctor, Bart Barlogie of the University of Arkansas Medical Center, who ran the first clinical trial to show Thalomid's effect in multiple myeloma.

FORBES: Health Care

But the company discovered that fingolimod had a powerful effect in multiple sclerosis, reducing the number of relapses in which patients may experience vision problems, fatigue, numbness and other symptoms.

WSJ: How One MS Drug Got Its Start in Chinese Folklore

They note that it hits only one unproven mechanism behind stroke and that it may be necessary to hit multiple biological pathways to get a significant effect.

FORBES: Brain Repair

This problem is compounded by the possible presence of multiple chemicals which together have an additive effect that greatly increases the lethal action of any single chemical.

CNN: Chemicals killing Florida birds, fish

And the ripple effect of her recommendation has continued for multiple weeks.

FORBES: Want to control $5 trillion annually? Create this Web 2.0 tool

Its authors believe entertaining e-mails are most likely to have the much sought after "viral effect" in that they are sent to multiple users quickly: "Humour spread by email is fast, " it states.

BBC: E-mail 'could win' key seats

If the acquirer's stock is trading at a richer multiple than the acquiree's, the deals will have the effect of making the acquirer's earnings per share march upward, even without any growth in any of the business operations.

FORBES: Changing the Game Plan

Can the desired effect be accomplished in one procedure, or do you anticipate multiple procedures?

CNN: Cosmetic surgery: What to know beforehand

And in either case the effect, except in a stock trading at a very high multiple of earnings, is to increase earnings per share.

FORBES: Buyback Boomlet