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Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a common malignancy of dogs with characteristic early, aggressive metastasis. Diagnosis of HSA is challenging because of lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests. Specific proteins that are increased in serum of dogs with HSA might represent useful biomarkers of the disease. Thirty-four dogs with HSA and 42 healthy dogs from the Ontario Veterinary College Teaching Hospital. This case-control study compared serum proteins in dogs with HSA and healthy dogs. Proteins were separated by 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and identified by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis showed that serum collagen XXVII peptide concentration in serum of dogs with large metastatic HSA burdens (1,488, 231 -3,754 DU; median, minimum-maximum); was, on average, 9.5-fold higher than in healthy dogs (156; 46-2,101 DU). While concentrations for dogs with osteosarcomas (678; 124-3,251 DU), lymphomas (423; 92-2,777 DU), carcinomas (1,022; 177-3,448 DU), and inflammatory disease were also increased, values were consistently lower than those for HSA. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed an estimated area under the curve of 83% for HSA cases whereas areas for other neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases were nondiscriminatory. Serum collagen XXVII peptide concentration before splenectomy (1,350; 1,156-1,929 DU) was reduced after tumor removal (529; 452-562 DU) and chemotherapy but increased in 2 dogs with tumor recurrence (511-945 DU; 493-650 DU). Collagen XXVII peptide might be useful for diagnosis and monitoring of advanced HSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study aimed to determine whether a 'straight to test'(STT) strategy for 2-week wait (2wk) referrals for suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) reduced the time to diagnosis and treatment for patients with CRC. Method Consecutive 2-week referrals for suspected CRC over a period of 2 years from February 2007 were analysed. The times to the first diagnostic test and treatment and the cancers identified were analysed for those going to STT or the outpatient clinic. Results Of 662 patients having a 2wk referral, 519 (78.4%) were suitable for the hospital colorectal telephone triage service, 121 (18.3%) patients went to STT and 502 (75.8%) were seen in the clinic. Of these 401 (79.8%) underwent diagnostic tests and 25 (6.2%) had CRC and in 12 (2.9%) patients other cancers were detected. In the STT group, 7 (5.8%) patients were diagnosed with CRC. The median time to first diagnostic test was 12 days (IQR 9-13) in the STT pathway, compared with 23 days (17-31) in those seen in the clinic ( P < 0.0001). The median time to first treatment was 40 (32-48) days for those via STT, compared to 46 (28-55) days for those seen in the clinic ( P = 0.004). A total of 162 CRC were diagnosed during the study period of whom 34 (20.9%) were 2wk referrals (5.1% of all suspected CRC 2 wk referrals), and 14 (2.1%) other cancers were detected via this pathway. Conclusion STT speeds up the patient pathway by reducing the time to diagnosis and treatment for patients with CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the determinants of inside spreads and their behaviour around corporate earning announcement dates, for a sample of UK firms over the period 1986–94. The paper finds that closing daily inside spreads are affected by order processing costs (proxied by trading volumes), inventory control costs (trading volumes and return variability) and asymmetric information (unusually high trading volumes). Inside spreads start to narrow 15 days before an earnings announcement, and narrow further by the end of the announcement day. We also identify a puzzling phenomenon. There is only a ‘sluggish’ recovery of spreads after the announcement: inside spreads continue to remain at relatively narrow levels, and take up to 90 days to recover to their pre–announcement width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]