Pre-Bid Run-Ups Ahead of Canadian Takeovers: How Big Is the Problem?

The authors study the price--volume dynamics ahead of the first public announcement of a takeover for 420 Canadian firms from 1985 to 2002. Pre-bid price run-ups in a target firm's shares may be caused by some combination of information leakage due to illegal insider trading or market anticipation based on rumours in the press. The authors review empirical studies of illegal insider trading and trading ahead of unscheduled announcements to generate predictions for abnormal returns and abnormal volume ahead of the takeover announcement. They observe serially correlated volume and a pattern of return reversals in their sample. Pre-bid run-ups occur shortly before the actual announcement, accompanied by significantly positive abnormal returns and share volume. The stock prices of the target firm react significantly to the actual announcement, with both positive and negative reactions. These price–volume dynamics are more consistent with the predictions of the market anticipation hypothesis than the hypothesis of illegal insider trading.Financial markets

AZF-deletion – one of the genetic causes of male infertility

Можливості дослідження причин безпліддя у чоловіків значно розширилися завдяки розшифровці генома людини, секвенуванню Y-хромосоми і впровадженню сучасних молекулярних технологій в медичну практику. Нами проведено обстеження 80 чоловіків з ідіопатичним безпліддям, яке включало в себе загальноклінічне та урологічне дослідження: загальний аналіз крові, загальний аналіз сечі, реакція Вассермана, цукор крові, біохімічні обстеження крові, гормональне обстеження (тестостерон, ЛГ, ФСГ, пролактин), каріотипування, ультразвукове дослідження органів калитки і передміхурової залози, мікроскопічне і бактеріологічне дослідження еякуляту, дослідження на інфекції, які передаються статевим шляхом. 68 пацієнтам з концентрацією сперматозоїдів в еякуляті <5x106/мл проводилося генетичне дослідження крові на наявність делецій в AZF локусі Y-хромосоми. Виділення та очистка ДНК із цільної венозної крові проходила за допомогою стандартного методу осадження нуклеїнових кислот. Для аналізу варіацій делеції регіонів гена AZF проводилася специфічна ампліфікація ДНК in vitro. У досліджуваній групі (68 хворих) делеції в локусі AZF були виявлені у 6 пацієнтів (8,8%). Згідно з даними світової літератури і за результатами власних спостережень очевидною є необхідність дослідження фактора азооспермії всім чоловікам з азооспермією/олігозооспермією важкого ступеня

Comparison of four serological assays for the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in subfertile women

Introduction: Chlamydia antibody testing (CAT) in serum has been introduced as a screening method in the infertility workup. We evaluated the test characteristics of two ELISA tests compared to micro-immunofluorescence tests (MIFs). MIFs are considered the gold standard in the C. trachomatis IgG antibodies detection. We also compared the accuracy of all CAT tests in predicting tubal subfertility, using laparoscopy as a reference. Methodology: Four commercial serological methods were used to analyse 101 serum samples for the presence of C. trachomatis IgG antibodies from patients at the Infertility Clinic of Ghent University Hospital. The diagnostic utility for prediction of tubal infertility of serological methods was evaluated based on patients' medical records. Results: A comparison of the serological assays showed little difference in the major performance characteristics: the sensitivities of all MIFs and ELISAs were 100% for all assays (except the ELISA Vircell, with a sensitivity of 90%), and the specificities ranged from 92% for MIF Ani Labsystems to 98% for the MIF Focus and ELISA Vircell. As compared to laparoscopy data, CAT positivity in subfertile women with tubal damage (n=40) did not significantly differ from that of subfertile women without tubal damage (n=61): Positive predictive values (PPV) of CAT ranged from 53% to 60% and negative predictive values (NPV) ranged from 62% to 64%. Conclusion: evaluated ELISAs are comparable to MIFs in the detection of C. trachomatis IgG antibodies and should be preferred for large serological studies, especially in resource poor settings

O Documentário como Agenciador da História

A presente dissertação direcionará a leitura analítica, crítica e reflexiva sobre os documentários Excelentíssimos, Democracia em Vertigem e O Processo, tendo em vista o documentarismo como fenômeno artístico político. Utiliza-se da expressão conceitual “tratamento criativo da realidade” para situar o documentário como agenciador da história e da política.This dissertation aims to direct the analytical, critical and reflective reading of the Excelentíssimos, Democracia em Vertigem e O Processo, with a view to documentarism as a political artistic phenomenon. It uses the conceptual expression “creative treatment of reality” to situate documentary as an agent of history and politics

Prevalence and risk factors for cancer of the uterine cervix among women living in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo : a cross-sectional study

Background: Cancer of the uterine cervix is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in Sub-Saharan Africa, but information from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is scarce. The study objectives were to: 1/assess prevalence of (pre) cancerous cervical lesions in adult women in Kinshasa, 2/identify associated socio-demographic and behavioural factors and 3/describe human papillomavirus (HPV) types in cervical lesions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa. Between 2006 and 2013, four groups of women were recruited. The first two groups were included at HIV screening centres. Group 1 consisted of HIV-positive and group 2 of HIV-negative women. Group 3 was included in large hospitals and group 4 in primary health centres. Pap smears were studied by monolayer technique (Bethesda classification). Low-or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or carcinoma were classified as LSIL+. HPV types were determined by INNO-LiPA (R). Bivariate and multivariable analyses (logistic regression and generalised estimating equations (GEE)) were used to assess associations between explanatory variables and LSIL+. Results: LSIL+ lesions were found in 76 out of 1018 participants. The prevalence was 31.3 % in group 1 (n = 131 HIV-positive women), 3.9 % in group 2 (n = 128 HIV-negative women), 3.9 % in group 3 (n = 539) and 4.1 % in group 4 (n = 220). The following variables were included in the GEE model but did not reach statistical significance: history of abortion, = 3 sexual partners and use of chemical products for vaginal care. In groups 3 and 4 where this information was available, the use of plants for vaginal care was associated with LSIL+ (adjusted OR 2.70 (95 % confidence interval 1.04 - 7.01). The most common HPV types among HIV-positive women with ASCUS+ cytology (ASCUS or worse) were HPV68 (12 out of 50 samples tested), HPV35 (12/50), HPV52 (12/50) and HPV16 (10/50). Among women with negative/unknown HIV status, the most common types were HPV52 (10/40), HPV35, (6/40) and HPV18 (5/40). Conclusion: LSIL+ lesions are frequent among women in Kinshasa. The use of plants for vaginal care deserves attention as a possible risk factor for LSIL+. In this setting, HPV16 is not the most frequent genotype in samples of LSIL+ lesions

Acetylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 inhibits Toll-like receptor signaling

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway plays a critical role in Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) inhibits the MAPK pathway and decreases TLR signaling, but the regulation of MKP-1 is not completely understood. We now show that MKP-1 is acetylated, and that acetylation regulates its ability to interact with its substrates and deactivate inflammatory signaling. We found that LPS activates acetylation of MKP-1. MKP-1 is acetylated by p300 on lysine residue K57 within its substrate-binding domain. Acetylation of MKP-1 enhances its interaction with p38, thereby increasing its phosphatase activity and interrupting MAPK signaling. Inhibition of deacetylases increases MKP-1 acetylation and blocks MAPK signaling in wild-type (WT) cells; however, deacetylase inhibitors have no effect in cells lacking MKP-1. Furthermore, histone deacetylase inhibitors reduce inflammation and mortality in WT mice treated with LPS, but fail to protect MKP-1 knockout mice. Our data suggest that acetylation of MKP-1 inhibits innate immune signaling. This pathway may be an important therapeutic target in the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Evaluation of Copan FLOQSwab for the molecular detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by Abbott RealTime CT PCR

Objectives: We evaluated Copan FLOQSwabs next to Abbott swabs for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) by Abbott RealTime PCR. Methods: We collected 1062 paired swabs from female sex workers. The study was divided in two arms, according to the order of swab collection. Results: If the Abbott swab was collected first, 501 couples were concordant and two discordant (Abbott negative and Copan positive). If the Copan swab was collected first, 537 couples were concordant and 10 discordant (eight Abbott negative and Copan positive and two Abbott positive and Copan negative). All discordant samples contained low levels of C. trachomatis. Technical issues lead to retesting of 64 Copan and 21 Abbott swabs. Conclusion: Our results show that Copan FLOQSwabs can be used interchangeably with Abbott swabs. While appearing to have an advantage in detecting more positive samples, the use of Copan swabs led to a higher retesting rate due to technical errors