| Clues to the Cause of Difficulty with Swallowing in Children
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is disease that was first described in children only 20 years ago, but has shown a rising incidence in both children and adults. An inflammatory condition of the esophagus, its symptoms including vomiting, heartburn and difficulty in swallowing. .
Florida Lawmakers Near Agreement; Vote Expected Today on Insurance ...
Florida lawmakers tentatively agreed Saturday on a comprehensive proposal aimed at lowering Floridians' skyrocketing property insurance rates, saying they'd finalize the plan with a vote on the package on Monday. The proposal hits at high rates for wind coverage in several ways, including making more state backup coverage available to insurance companies at discount prices and calling for a direct rate rollback for the state's largest insurer, state-created Citizens Property Insurance. It was on track to be voted on Monday and sent to Gov. Charlie Crist for his signature. Lawmakers said making cheaper reinsurance from the state available for private insurance companies would lower rates for customers in the private market, although the amount of savings is still unknown.
Courier News Online - Schering-Plough posts 75 percent rise in 4th-quarter profit
KENILWORTH, N.J. (AP) -- The drugmaker Schering-Plough Corp. said Monday its fourth-quarter profit surged 75 percent as strong sales of its Remicade and Nasonex treatments helped offset rising costs. Net income totaled $182 million, or 12 cents per share, up from $104 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago. The latest quarter includes a charge of 4 cents per share to streamline the company's manufacturing operations and a charge of a penny per share to license an over-the-counter heartburn treatment.
Excluding items, the company posted profit of 17 cents per share, in line with Wall Street's consensus estimate, according to a Thomson Financial poll.
Sales grew 14 percent to $2.65 billion from $2.32 billion a year ago, beating analysts' forecast of $2.53 billion.
A Chinese Internet Play with a Defensive Twist
Are you looking to add a little Chinese Internet flavor to your investment diet, but worried about getting a case of indigestion? Look no further than shares of CDC (Nasdaq: CHINA), one of my favorite China plays. Don't let the name fool you; CDC isn't some dowdy company engaged in the manufacturing of widgets that went out of style in your grandfather's day. Quite the opposite, in fact. The company, formerly known as China.com, is a hybrid play that offers investors exposure to two red-hot sectors of the Chinese market -- the market for wireless value-added services (i.e. ringtones, text messaging, etc.) and the "traditional" Chinese Internet market (through its China.com Portal business and CDC Games). Not only that, CDC also offers a fair bit of downside protection in the form of its newly expanded global enterprise software business.
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