This study was carried out to identify the distinguishing features of brucellosis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI examinations were performed in 14 patients with spinal brucellosis. A 1-T Magnetom (Erlangen, Siemens) was used to obtain T1-weighted (TR/TE 500/30) and T2-weighted (TR/TE 2000/80/20) spin echo sequences, in both sagittal and axial planes. Thirty-three percent of the vertebrae and 18 levels of disc were involved in the 14 brucellar spondylitis cases. Eleven patients (79.8%) with discitis revealed anterior superior vertebral body involvement. Fourteen (77.7%) of the levels with discitis displayed soft tissue swelling without presence of abscess formation. Seven facet joints of five patients with discitis displayed signal increase after contrast enhancement. Vertebral body signal changes without morphologic changes marked signal increase in the intervertebral disc on T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced sequences, and soft tissue involvement without abscess formation can be accepted as specific MRI features of brucellar spondylitis. The facet joint signal changes following contrast enhancement is another MRI sign of spinal brucellosis, which has not been mentioned so far.

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In recent years, a progressive increase in the frequency of nosocomial candidaemia has been observed, especially among the critically ill or immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend in incidence of candidaemia together with potential risk factors in an 850-bed Turkish Tertiary Care Hospital in a 4-year period. A total of 104 candidaemia episodes were identified in 104 patients. The overall incidence was 0.56 per 1000 hospital admissions and the increase in incidence of candidaemia from 2000 to 2003 was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.010). Candida albicans was the most common species (57.7%) and non-albicans species accounted for 42.3% of all episodes. The most common non-albicans Candida sp. isolated was C. tropicalis (20.2%) followed by C. parapsilosis (12.5%). The most frequent risk factors possibly associated with the candidaemia were previous antibiotic treatment (76.9%), presence of central venous catheter (71.2%) and total parenteral nutrition (55.8%). Our results show the fact that the incidence of candidaemia caused by non-albicans species is frequent and increasing significantly, although the most common isolated Candida species were C. albicans and further investigations are necessary to evaluate the mechanisms of increasing incidence of candidaemia caused by non-albicans species.

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This paper examines the merger announcements of Canadian companies between 1994 and 2000 during an exceptional merger boom. The results show that both the target companies and the acquirer companies obtain significant positive abnormal returns during this time period. Companies that acquire private targets with stock have positive returns; however, acquirers of private firms have significantly higher risk compared with those that acquire public targets, despite nonsignificant differences in returns. Acquirers pay significantly less to acquire private firms than public firms, especially with stock. Overall, the findings suggest there is support for a liquidity discount for private firms, and the market is efficient in valuing firms in asymmetric conditions. Résumé Dans cet article, nous examinons les annonces de fusions des compagnies canadiennes entre 1994 et 2000, période de grand boom de fusion. Les résultats montrent qu'au cours de cette période, les compagnies cibles et les compagnies acquéreuses obtiennent des rendements anormaux positifs. Les entreprises qui achètent des cibles privées avec des actions ont des rendements positifs; cependant, ces entreprises ont des risques considérablement plus élevés par rapport aux entreprises qui achètent des cibles publiques nonobstant des différences négligeables dans les rendements. Par ailleurs, les acquéreurs paient nettement moins pour acheter les entreprises privées que pour acheter les entreprises publiques, en particulier celles qui ont des actions. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats de l'étude révèlent qu'il est nécessaire d'escompter la liquidité pour les entreprises privées et que le marché permet de valoriser les entreprises dans les conditions asymétriques.