PEABODY, Oct. 1, In a move designed to boost its position in imaging software technology, Analogic Corp. (Nasdaq:ALOG) will acquire a $7.5 million (19%) stake in Canadian software company Cedara Software Corp. (TSE:CDE). Cedara enables healthcare solution providers to integrate imaging software into their systems and hardware.

WILMINGTON, Oct. 3, Arizona-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation (NYSE:MRX) and Ascent Pediatrics, Inc. (OTCBB:ASCTP), a drug development and marketing company, have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Medicis will acquire Ascent. Under the terms of the agreement, Medicis will pay approximately $60 million.

NORTH ANDOVER, Oct. 3, Watts Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) announced that it has acquired the Powers Process Controls Division of Mark Controls Corporation, a subsidiary of Crane Co. located in Skokie Illinois and Ontario, Canada. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Watts manufactures valves and other products for the water quality and water regulation and control markets.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 4, Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq:FORR) and Evaliant Media Resources, a privately held, NY-based, international provider of online advertising data, announced Evaliant's acquisition of Forrester's Internet AdWatch. As part of the agreement, Forrester will take a minority equity position in Evaliant as well as a seat on its board of directors. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

BOSTON, Oct. 4, CCBN, a provider of Internet-based shareholder communications services, has completed the acquisition of ccall.com Inc., operator of the StreetFusion global events network. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. StreetFusion, based in San Francisco, currently provides webcasting services to 700 public companies for earnings conference calls and other investor events.

BOSTON, Oct. 4, Boston-based NaviMedix, Inc. announced the acquisition of NxStep Technologies, a Boston-based healthcare technology solutions provider. NaviMedix provides online administrative transactions to some 25,000 northeast providers and many of the region's largest health plans. NxStep delivers HIPAA-compliant systems integration and Web implementation services to managed care organizations, physician groups and management service organizations.