GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) will begin a hostile $2.6 billion tender offer this week for Human Genome Sciences Inc. (HGSI) after the U.S. company, its partner on the Benlysta drug for lupus, rebuffed a takeover approach.
Human Genome Sciences Inc |
Glaxo will offer $13 a share in cash, or 81 percent above Human Genome’s closing price on April 18, the London-based drugmaker said in a statement today. Rockville, Maryland-based Human Genome announced April 19 that Glaxo had offered to buy the company for that price. Human Genome said the offer was too low, and the company said it would begin a review of strategic alternatives.
“GSK values the long relationship it has with HGS and has clearly stated its preference to complete a transaction on a friendly basis in a timely fashion,” Glaxo said in today’s statement. “GSK remains willing to meet and review its offer with HGS at any time.”
The bid became public last month after Human Genome shares slid 76 percent from their 2011 peak. Sales growth for Benlysta, Human Genome’s first drug on the market, has disappointed investors, and the company may not become profitable for years.
Glaxo won’t participate in Human Genome’s review in part because the U.K. company wants Human Genome shareholders to know that it’s committed to proceeding with the offer, Glaxo said.
The four weeks that have passed since Glaxo made its offer on April 11, together with the 20 business days that the tender offer must remain open, gives Human Genome enough time to complete its review of alternatives, Glaxo said.
Human Genome hired Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as financial advisers and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and DLA Piper LLP as legal counsel, the company said last month.
Lazard Ltd. (LAZ) and Morgan Stanley (MS) are acting as financial advisers to Glaxo, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz are providing legal advice, Glaxo said in April.
If a report is to be believed, Cupertino giant Apple is mulling over launching a $799 MacBook Air model in the third quarter of this year.
According to a report from Digitimes, Apple is "considering responding to the upcoming second-generation ultrabooks by launching a $799 MacBook Air."
Currently, Apple's MacBook Air series starts at $999 for the 11-inch 64GB model and goes up to $1599.
But such a move from Apple seems to be unlikely as ultrabooks have not posed any threat to Apple's MacBook Air.
According to a report from Digitimes, Apple is "considering responding to the upcoming second-generation ultrabooks by launching a $799 MacBook Air."
Currently, Apple's MacBook Air series starts at $999 for the 11-inch 64GB model and goes up to $1599.
But such a move from Apple seems to be unlikely as ultrabooks have not posed any threat to Apple's MacBook Air.
Besides generally making you healthy, a new study found that eating yogurt has some surprising benefits (at least in mice) including making their testicles, er, quite impressive.
In the mid-2000s, when scientists questioned whether the campaign to rid the world of polio could succeed, skeptics pointed to a problem that some called PAIN. Last summer a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set out to better understand the effects of yogurt on obesity. They were following up on the results of a long-term study from the Harvard School of Public Health that had suggested yogurt, more than any other food, helped to prevent age-related weight gain. The M.I.T. team, led by cancer biologist Susan Erdman and evolutionary geneticist Eric Alm, wanted to replicate the work in mice. The researchers took a group of 40 males and 40 females and either fed the animals a high-fat, low-fiber, low-nutrient diet meant to mimic junk food or fed them standard mouse meals. They then supplemented half of each diet group with vanilla-flavored yogurt.
Their goal was to understand how a probiotic diet affects rates of obesity and its related complications, including cancer. But "the most entertaining aspects of all this were things we didn’t anticipate," Erdman says.
First, the scientists noticed that the yogurt-eating mice were incredibly shiny. Using both traditional histology techniques and cosmetic rating scales, the researchers showed that these animals had 10 times the active follicle density of other mice, resulting in luxuriantly silky fur.The mice projected their testes outward, which endowed them with a certain "mouse swagger."
Then the researchers spotted something particular about the males: they projected their testes outward, which endowed them with a certain "mouse swagger," Erdman says. On measuring the males, they found that the testicles of the yogurt consumers were about 5% heavier than those of mice fed typical diets alone and around 15 percent heavier than those of junk-eating males.
Yogurt might be good for you as is, but imagine if you dropped a little Prozac in it.
More important, that masculinity pays off. In mating experiments, yogurt-eating males inseminated their partners faster and produced more offspring than control mice. Conversely, females that ate the yogurt diets gave birth to larger litters and weaned those pups with greater success. Reflecting on their unpublished results, Erdman and Alm think that the probiotic microbes in the yogurt help to make the animals leaner and healthier, which indirectly improves sexual machismo.
The findings could have implications for human fertility. In ongoing work, a team led by Harvard nutritional epidemiologist Jorge Chavarro has looked at the association between yogurt intake and semen quality in men. "So far our preliminary findings are consistent with what they see in the mice," Chavarro says.
This article was published in print as "Mice That Eat Yogurt Have Larger Testicles."
From ScientificAmerican.com Click here for the original article
In the mid-2000s, when scientists questioned whether the campaign to rid the world of polio could succeed, skeptics pointed to a problem that some called PAIN. Last summer a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set out to better understand the effects of yogurt on obesity. They were following up on the results of a long-term study from the Harvard School of Public Health that had suggested yogurt, more than any other food, helped to prevent age-related weight gain. The M.I.T. team, led by cancer biologist Susan Erdman and evolutionary geneticist Eric Alm, wanted to replicate the work in mice. The researchers took a group of 40 males and 40 females and either fed the animals a high-fat, low-fiber, low-nutrient diet meant to mimic junk food or fed them standard mouse meals. They then supplemented half of each diet group with vanilla-flavored yogurt.
Their goal was to understand how a probiotic diet affects rates of obesity and its related complications, including cancer. But "the most entertaining aspects of all this were things we didn’t anticipate," Erdman says.
First, the scientists noticed that the yogurt-eating mice were incredibly shiny. Using both traditional histology techniques and cosmetic rating scales, the researchers showed that these animals had 10 times the active follicle density of other mice, resulting in luxuriantly silky fur.The mice projected their testes outward, which endowed them with a certain "mouse swagger."
Then the researchers spotted something particular about the males: they projected their testes outward, which endowed them with a certain "mouse swagger," Erdman says. On measuring the males, they found that the testicles of the yogurt consumers were about 5% heavier than those of mice fed typical diets alone and around 15 percent heavier than those of junk-eating males.
Yogurt might be good for you as is, but imagine if you dropped a little Prozac in it.
More important, that masculinity pays off. In mating experiments, yogurt-eating males inseminated their partners faster and produced more offspring than control mice. Conversely, females that ate the yogurt diets gave birth to larger litters and weaned those pups with greater success. Reflecting on their unpublished results, Erdman and Alm think that the probiotic microbes in the yogurt help to make the animals leaner and healthier, which indirectly improves sexual machismo.
The findings could have implications for human fertility. In ongoing work, a team led by Harvard nutritional epidemiologist Jorge Chavarro has looked at the association between yogurt intake and semen quality in men. "So far our preliminary findings are consistent with what they see in the mice," Chavarro says.
This article was published in print as "Mice That Eat Yogurt Have Larger Testicles."
From ScientificAmerican.com Click here for the original article
Splashgain Technologies (ST), a software firm has introduced an Android application, called ePravesh to help institutions and students to facilitate the admission process better. Free for those who've registered themselves with www.epravesh.com, the application provides students with admission details, like relevant information on brochures, course details and access to the respective school or college website among others. The application is available across all Android-enabled smartphones. ( image by universitiesnews.com )
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Update 1: Nifty has moved lower again, those who have extended their short positions from yesterday can exit 75% or full positions ( Nifty at 4960 )
Tips & Outlook
Nifty continued a downward movement in the morning trade today. Our last two recommendation was to be on short side on Nifty. We suggested sell on rise strategy that will make traders a handsome return in two days.
Today we expect a quiet day on Markets, for those who have already shorted Nifty, they can either hold positions or square off. New short positions only created once Nifty move upwards. So that, risk reward ratio is favorable. We maintain our sell on rise strategy on Nifty and short when Nifty rallies towards 5200.
Caution: There is only worry in above strategy is US markets, as we have seen that Dow Jones and S&P 500 showing strength and after a steep fall ( feared by Greek Election outcome and bail out deal at risk ) in early morning yesterday .US markets didn't sell off and recovered at the end of the day. If US markets are holding up gains for a year, then other markets gain strength and momentum and downfall may be reversed.
See our yesterday's Tip Here
Tips & Outlook
Nifty continued a downward movement in the morning trade today. Our last two recommendation was to be on short side on Nifty. We suggested sell on rise strategy that will make traders a handsome return in two days.
Today we expect a quiet day on Markets, for those who have already shorted Nifty, they can either hold positions or square off. New short positions only created once Nifty move upwards. So that, risk reward ratio is favorable. We maintain our sell on rise strategy on Nifty and short when Nifty rallies towards 5200.
Caution: There is only worry in above strategy is US markets, as we have seen that Dow Jones and S&P 500 showing strength and after a steep fall ( feared by Greek Election outcome and bail out deal at risk ) in early morning yesterday .US markets didn't sell off and recovered at the end of the day. If US markets are holding up gains for a year, then other markets gain strength and momentum and downfall may be reversed.
See our yesterday's Tip Here
There is a lot of buzz on a wall street about a multi billion dollar IPO of Facebook Inc, a social network giant will start trading soon. All the analysts have started covering a price discovery and target for the company. All of them are bullish on the particular stock. According to our analyst team, we are looking to short Facebook shares in terms of Investment. There are few rationale behind it, according to our team.
Few years back, when there was no Facebook, Social networking sites were existing and having similar theme to engage their users to different online activities and get advertisement revenues. After the launch of Facebook, all of a sudden people started realizing that Social Network are existing and everyone should participate to get connected. Why others failed and Facebook Inc succeeded. Its not that Facebook has something that others can't provide in a Social Network site, but the restrictions and visualization that helped Facebook to gain wide public interest.
But can any one be sure that there might be nothing better than Facebook that can emerge in such a fast moving technology world. As few years ago, when nobody expected ( Even not companies like Google Inc ) that Social Network can be such a big hit, as the idea was already exist.
The another reason is we are living in such a fast moving technology world, that everyday there is a new discovery of gadgets and systems. People have to accustomed to it on a daily basis means they have to keep tracking and learning meanwhile being involved in day to day activity as well. It is not the students from computer science who are learning these technology, but end users also have to keep tracking those changes. In a long term, it might be hatred by the users as they were tired of such a fast change. If we see, few users were already spending less time on Facebook than they were when it was new to them, means the excitement was fading. Again, The same thing felt when Facebook introduced a timeline in user's page, people didn't like it much.
Another reason is technology is changing in such a way that there might be something bigger than Facebook will exist tomorrow. As tech giant like Google Inc even didn't expected Facebook will grow such a big, another small idea might came up down the few years and might grow bigger than currently Facebook is.
Facebook Inc has to keep innovating new concepts without loosing public interest and let the public give enough time to learn them. "It is like making users' life easier without get noticed by them". It might be little difficult for Facebook in a coming years with the use of only Social Network. Company has to engage in different intellectual property based research program to get monopoly businesses in coming years to keep growing.
So, it may be a possibility that Facebook might end up with less market valuation than it might have now. Because new technology have to make sure that it should be simplify the life, then only people can accept change, not like changing technology every other day so, that no one can keep track of what's coming and going and which one is the best.
Also, Facebook IPO demand is weaker than expected Read More
It is the point of view of our team and might be based on our knowledge.
Few years back, when there was no Facebook, Social networking sites were existing and having similar theme to engage their users to different online activities and get advertisement revenues. After the launch of Facebook, all of a sudden people started realizing that Social Network are existing and everyone should participate to get connected. Why others failed and Facebook Inc succeeded. Its not that Facebook has something that others can't provide in a Social Network site, but the restrictions and visualization that helped Facebook to gain wide public interest.
But can any one be sure that there might be nothing better than Facebook that can emerge in such a fast moving technology world. As few years ago, when nobody expected ( Even not companies like Google Inc ) that Social Network can be such a big hit, as the idea was already exist.
The another reason is we are living in such a fast moving technology world, that everyday there is a new discovery of gadgets and systems. People have to accustomed to it on a daily basis means they have to keep tracking and learning meanwhile being involved in day to day activity as well. It is not the students from computer science who are learning these technology, but end users also have to keep tracking those changes. In a long term, it might be hatred by the users as they were tired of such a fast change. If we see, few users were already spending less time on Facebook than they were when it was new to them, means the excitement was fading. Again, The same thing felt when Facebook introduced a timeline in user's page, people didn't like it much.
Another reason is technology is changing in such a way that there might be something bigger than Facebook will exist tomorrow. As tech giant like Google Inc even didn't expected Facebook will grow such a big, another small idea might came up down the few years and might grow bigger than currently Facebook is.
Facebook Inc has to keep innovating new concepts without loosing public interest and let the public give enough time to learn them. "It is like making users' life easier without get noticed by them". It might be little difficult for Facebook in a coming years with the use of only Social Network. Company has to engage in different intellectual property based research program to get monopoly businesses in coming years to keep growing.
So, it may be a possibility that Facebook might end up with less market valuation than it might have now. Because new technology have to make sure that it should be simplify the life, then only people can accept change, not like changing technology every other day so, that no one can keep track of what's coming and going and which one is the best.
Also, Facebook IPO demand is weaker than expected Read More
It is the point of view of our team and might be based on our knowledge.
Google's self-driven cars will soon be appearing on Nevada roads after the state's Department of Motor Vehicles approved on Monday the nation's first autonomous vehicle license.
The move came after officials rode along on drives on highways, in Carson City neighborhoods and along the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Nevada DMV said in a statement.
The Nevada legislature last year authorized self-driven cars for the state's roads, the first such law in the United States.
That law went into effect on March 1, 2012.
Google's self-driven cars rely on video cameras, radar sensors, lasers, and a database of information collected from manually driven cars to help navigate, according to the company.
The DMV licensed a Toyota Prius that Google modified with its experimental driver-less technology, developed by Stanford professor and Google Vice President Sebastian Thrun.
Google's self-driving cars have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and driven along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway, according to the company.
Autonomous vehicles are the "car of the future," Nevada DMV director Bruce Breslow said in a statement.
The state also has plans to eventually license autonomous vehicles owned by the members of the public, the DMV said.
Legislation to regulate autonomous cars is being considered in other states, including Google's home state of California.
"The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error. Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely," California state Senator Alex Padilla said in March when he introduced that state's autonomous car legislation.
Other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in Nevada, the DMV said.
The move came after officials rode along on drives on highways, in Carson City neighborhoods and along the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Nevada DMV said in a statement.
The Nevada legislature last year authorized self-driven cars for the state's roads, the first such law in the United States.
That law went into effect on March 1, 2012.
Google's self-driven cars rely on video cameras, radar sensors, lasers, and a database of information collected from manually driven cars to help navigate, according to the company.
The DMV licensed a Toyota Prius that Google modified with its experimental driver-less technology, developed by Stanford professor and Google Vice President Sebastian Thrun.
Google's self-driving cars have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and driven along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway, according to the company.
Autonomous vehicles are the "car of the future," Nevada DMV director Bruce Breslow said in a statement.
The state also has plans to eventually license autonomous vehicles owned by the members of the public, the DMV said.
Legislation to regulate autonomous cars is being considered in other states, including Google's home state of California.
"The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error. Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely," California state Senator Alex Padilla said in March when he introduced that state's autonomous car legislation.
Other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in Nevada, the DMV said.
Facebook Changes Its IPO Roadshow After Zuckerberg's Session In New York
Facebook is sensitive to the fact its first IPO roadshow event in New York didn't go as well as hoped, and has changed it significantly for today's pitch in Boston. The breakfast meeting with shareholders didn't involve the 30 minute video those attending in New York saw, leaving much more time for questions and discussions from attendees to Facebook's management--one of the criticisms leveled at Facebook after yesterday's pitch. Mark Zuckerberg was conspicuous in his absence, and Reuters reports no reason was given, but COO Sheryl Sandberg faced questions that included the company's strategy in China.
Facebook is sensitive to the fact its first IPO roadshow event in New York didn't go as well as hoped, and has changed it significantly for today's pitch in Boston. The breakfast meeting with shareholders didn't involve the 30 minute video those attending in New York saw, leaving much more time for questions and discussions from attendees to Facebook's management--one of the criticisms leveled at Facebook after yesterday's pitch. Mark Zuckerberg was conspicuous in his absence, and Reuters reports no reason was given, but COO Sheryl Sandberg faced questions that included the company's strategy in China.
GigFunder Crowdsources Artist's Tour Funding To Fans Anywhere
A new site called GigFunder is positioning itself to be a boon to star-struck fans who want a visit from their favorite band, and cash-strapped artists who are looking for funding for their next tour. The website helps bands and fans crowdsource digital donations from across the country. It's not just bands--comedians, magicians, DJs and more can register to get funding campaigns started. Campaigns last a maximum of 30 days, and if the visit isn't fully funded the backers aren't charged. Also, it's a two-way street. An artist can make an announcement to fans, and fans can connect with artists to invite them to a gig. If a campaign is successful, fans can be rewarded with merchandize from the band or artist.
RIM to shake up executive management team with new COO, CMO.
Embattled BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, has just revealed it's overhauling its executive team once again, with a new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. Kristian Tear is the new COO, and seems himself to be fallout from the recent Sony and Ericsson machinations, being formerly EVP at Sony Mobile Comms and having before that held a "variety of operational leadership positions" in Ericsson. Frank Boulben, the new CMO, is formerly EVP of Strategy, Marketing and Sales for LightSquared (itself embroiled in some complex business issues right now) and before that working for Vodafone and Orange. The moves come after RIM's co-founders finally departed the company as its marketshare is gobbled by Apple and Android, and RIM is accused of a bizarre anti-Apple PR campaign in Australia that has badly backfired.
Social Video App Viddy Gains 26 Million Users
Via TheNextWeb: Video recording app Viddy has hit 26 million users since it launched one year ago, and adding users at about 1 million per day. Viddy counts Biz Stone, Shakira, Jay-Z as backers, and even Mark Zuckerberg is a recent convert. With those numbers, Viddy's edging closer to another social video startup SocialCam, which has tacked on 36 million users in the 14 months it's been around--although Viddy's grwoth rate is higher, reminding us of Instagram's swift growth pre-purchase.The hot question thus seems to be: Which of the two will be the Instagram of video?
Zuckerberg Defends His Billion-Dollar purchase of Instagram.
Late yesterday Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced questions from potential investors in the first part of his pre-IPO whirlwind roadshow. At the New York meeting, Zuckerberg dealt with a lot of questions about his impulsive purchase of Instagram. The deal involved a huge billion-dollar payout for a company that was less than 500 days old and was carried out without board involvement--facts that unsettle investors who are looking for stable, responsible corporate governance. Zuckberg explained that Instagram had grown past a tipping point (which we can assume was the million-users-in-a-day growth after the Android app hit) and was being pursued by other parties like Twitter, necessitating fast negotiations. The young CEO also explained his position on entering China--a willingness to talk with Chinese officials, as the site is currently blocked.
Young women simulated oral sex with a Greek statue at a party hosted by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, a witness said on Monday at a trial where he is accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute.
Chiara Danese, a 20-year-old beauty contest winner, had tears in her eyes as she told a Milan court that Berlusconi asked the women to play sex games with a nude statue of the ancient fertility god Priapus.
"He touched the girls while they simulated oral sex with the statue," she said.
"Then Berlusconi, whom the girls called 'daddy' and he called 'my babies', also had them kiss him in his private parts. The girls meanwhile chanted 'thank God for Silvio'. I and (fellow guest) Ambra were shocked."
Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini offered Danese a tissue to wipe away her tears while she testified about the August 2010 party.
Berlusconi, 75, is charged with paying for sex with Moroccan-born Karima El Mahroug in 2010, when she was 17, and then abusing the powers of his office by getting her freed from police custody after she had been arrested for theft.
Prosecutors say that dozens of showgirls and aspiring starlets received cash and other gifts for taking part in sex games at his Milan home.
Berlusconi, who denies the charges, says he was only helping the young women out of generosity and accuses magistrates of mounting a politically biased campaign against him. He says his parties were "elegant, convivial dinners".
Danese and her friend Ambra Battilana are seeking damages in a separate trial where three associates of Berlusconi are accused of procuring prostitutes for him.
They said they lost job opportunities because of the bad publicity surrounding the women who attended the former prime minister's parties.
Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, was forced from power in November after his repeated failure to pass tough austerity measures led to a crisis on bond markets alarmed at the weakness of the government in the euro zone's third largest economy.
Silvio Berlusconi |
"He touched the girls while they simulated oral sex with the statue," she said.
"Then Berlusconi, whom the girls called 'daddy' and he called 'my babies', also had them kiss him in his private parts. The girls meanwhile chanted 'thank God for Silvio'. I and (fellow guest) Ambra were shocked."
Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini offered Danese a tissue to wipe away her tears while she testified about the August 2010 party.
Berlusconi, 75, is charged with paying for sex with Moroccan-born Karima El Mahroug in 2010, when she was 17, and then abusing the powers of his office by getting her freed from police custody after she had been arrested for theft.
Prosecutors say that dozens of showgirls and aspiring starlets received cash and other gifts for taking part in sex games at his Milan home.
Berlusconi, who denies the charges, says he was only helping the young women out of generosity and accuses magistrates of mounting a politically biased campaign against him. He says his parties were "elegant, convivial dinners".
Danese and her friend Ambra Battilana are seeking damages in a separate trial where three associates of Berlusconi are accused of procuring prostitutes for him.
They said they lost job opportunities because of the bad publicity surrounding the women who attended the former prime minister's parties.
Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, was forced from power in November after his repeated failure to pass tough austerity measures led to a crisis on bond markets alarmed at the weakness of the government in the euro zone's third largest economy.