bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The ‘Consumer Welfare’ Standard As A Form Of Substantive Protection For Consumers Under European Competition Law
Authors: Marsden Philip , Whelan* Peter
Published: November 2023

The introduction of the euro and the steady development of the internal market have both led to a growing number of retail sectors operating on a pan-European basis. As retailer consolidation occurs throughout Europe, and as supermarkets and shopping centres continue to replace traditional corner shops and smaller outlets, competition problems may begin to be perceived in these sectors. Consequently, now more than ever, the proper role of competition law in regulating conduct in the retail sector—including the use of private labels by retailers— deserves detailed consideration by legal scholars. Of particular concern is the place of consumers in a given competition law assessment of a retail market. More specifically, the status of a consumer welfare standard under EC competition law needs to be examined. According to the current Director General (DG) for Competition, the primary aim of modern European competition law and policy is to protect the functioning of competition on markets in order to enhance ‘consumer welfare’.Consumer welfare, then, apparently represents the standard according to which enforcement of EC competition law should be determined. Given the abundance of official statements to similar effect, it would not be an exaggeration to state that the position of the consumer in European competition law has never been stronger. Some commentators, however, have questioned the accuracy of these claims. One often criticizes the European Commission (the Commission) in this regard for paying insufficient attention to the interests of consumers in its investigations and for producing in its decisions only a cursory note on any potential consumer benefits. The courts too can arguably be criticized on a similar basis. Furthermore, it has also been argued that in any case the decisional practice of the Commission cannot be easily changed to encompass a consumer welfare standard as this would involve either ignoring or contradicting precedents set by the European courts.
Ireland
Authors: Seymour Mairéad , Mayock Paula
Published: November 2023

In the past twenty years, Irish society has been transformed in ways that few might have anticipated. Depicted by The Economist as ‘easily the poorest country in rich north-west Europe’ in 1998, by the turn of the century, Ireland had managed to establish itself as ‘a post-industrial enclave within global capitalism’ (Peillon, 2002: 1. What has become known, both colloquially and internationally, as the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period of economic growth began in the mid-1990s, peaked around 1990, and has precipitated rapid social change. This period has also coincided with increasing rates of public disorder and violence.
Norway
Authors: Skutle Arvid , Mounteney Jane , Johannessen Vibeke
Published: November 2023

some municipalities still prohibit alcohol sales outside of the state-controlled outlets, the numbers adopting this approach are dwindling. The sale of beer and cider in supermarkets is now permitted in most areas and the traditional government wine monopolies have had a facelift, shifting from counter service to self-service, super-market-style trading formats.
Hungary
Authors: Demetrovics Zsolt
Published: November 2023

Information concerning nightlife-related crime in Hungary remains limited. Police data is recorded and analysed in relation to acts prohibited by the criminal law, but these are not categorized according to the settings in which they occur. Moreover, neither the police, nor criminologists, have identified nightlife as a particular environment in which criminal acts should be explained or analysed. Academic literature in the field is therefore very limited and the domain has yet to be systematically explored.
Canada
Authors: Graham Kathryn , Bernards Sharon
Published: November 2023

One of the earliest enactments of the Manitoba legislature had been a law to regulate and control the liquor traffic . . . During the boom everybody with a ten-or twelve-roomed house rushed to get into the hotel business, and all efforts to regulate the behaviour of the saloons collapsed as the courts split their legal hairs into the finest filaments.
The Conduct Of Civil Cartel Investigations In The Uk
Authors: O’Kane Michael
Published: November 2023

The OFT is the principal body charged with enforcing the Competition Act 1998 (‘the Competition Act’ or ‘the Act’) and is the national competition authority charged with applying and enforcing Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty in the UK. In addition, there are sectoral regulators, which have a specific role to play in promoting or facilitating competition within their sectors. Some of these regulators have the power to apply the Competition Act concurrently with the OFT, as provided in section 54 and Schedule 10, Parts I and II of the Competition Act. Section 54 provides that:
criminal immunity in the uk and us
Authors: O’Kane Michael
Published: November 2023

The history and rationale behind the use of immunity and leniency policies in anti-cartel enforcement in many jurisdictions has already been examined1 along with the OFT’s civil leniency powers under the CA 98.2 One of the main aspects behind the UK’s civil leniency regime is to reward the undertakings that come forward with information in relation to cartel conduct by eliminating or reducing their potential financial penalties. This rationale has continued into the criminal arena in the UK with the introduction of a criminal immunity regime under the EA, the clear aim being to encourage individual participants in cartel conduct to provide information in relation to their fellow cartelists in return for the provision of sufficient comfort that they will not be prosecuted.3
Legal Profession and Legal Education
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

The expression ‘jurist’ in the Russian language can be understood in the broad sense to encompass all who have a legal education and all who work in a legal speciality, whether as academician, professor, judge, procurator, arbitrator, notary, investigator, advocate, jurisconsult, ZAGS personnel, paralegal, or whatever. In this chapter we examine two types of jurist who most closely approximate the narrower Anglo-American concept of the lawyer, solicitor, barrister, or attorney- at-law, that is, those who principally advise citizens and juridical persons or appear in court on their behalf. These in the Russian legal system are the advocate and the jurisconsult.
The Administration of Legality
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

The expression ‘administration of legality’ is used in a special sense in this chapter to refer both to State and non-State bodies directly concerned in the Russian Federation with the application and enforcement of the law, excluding the advocates and jurisconsults, who have been discussed previously (see Chapter 5 above). The Russian ministries of justice in their present or past forms have no precise analogy in Britain or North America. The first RSFSR People’s Commissariat of Justice created the day after the 1917 October Revolution included among its functions the investigation of offences, the administration of prisons and camps, the administration of the separation of Church from State, and the codification of legislation, among others. In 1921 these functions were broadened to include supreme judicial control and in 1922 to embrace the Procuracy. The repeated reorganizations of the ministries need not detain us here, except to note that from 1963 to 1970 they were abolished completely and their functions dispersed among other agencies. On 31 August 1970 the USSR Ministry of Justice was formed as a union-republic ministry and the Statute on the Ministry confirmed on 21 March 1972.
Civil, Arbitrazh, and Criminal Procedure
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

Russian civil, arbitrazh, and criminal procedure represent a model of procedure which contains a number of distinctive elements not found in the Western European continental model to which the Russian system is akin. Russian legal doctrine continues to regard these types of procedure as parts of a larger whole rather than as three entirely distinct legal realms.1 In the case of civil and criminal procedure the same courts hear each type of proceeding, although at higher levels of the judicial system special divisions are created for civil and for criminal cases. However, a separate system of courts, called arbitrazh courts.
Family Law
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

Prior to the 1917 October Revolution matters of marriage and divorce were left to the canon law of each religious denomination. A religious marriage ceremony was essential, and certain restrictions were imposed on the marriage of Christians with non-Christians or pagans. The State had been content to accept the practices of each religious denomination and give effect to their ecclesiastical judgments.1 The Bolsheviks, intent upon breaking the authority of the Church, secularized marriage and divorce even before formally legislating upon the separation of Church from State and of school from Church. The family in its bourgeois manifestation, as an economic and legal entity based on the inequality of spouses and the dependence of the wife and children upon the husband, was to be transformed into a free association founded on the free will of its members. How precisely that transformation was to be realized proved to be a lively subject of debate in the early post-revolutionary years. Some urged a rapid transition to collective housekeeping and State-reared children. In the end more responsible heads prevailed.
Natural Resources And The Environment
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

Russian law, following the Soviet legal tradition, does not recognize natural resource law as a distinct branch of law or legal science. Land, water, forestry, the subsoil, the atmosphere, flora and fauna, atomic energy, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, fisheries, and others are the subject of individual federal laws, and so-called ‘ecological law’ has achieved recognition as a branch of legal science and a distinct subject of legal and general education. With the transition to a market economy, environmental legislation has received less attention than during the 1970s and 1980s. Nonetheless, private interests must contend with environmental standards, whether surviving from the Soviet era or newly-introduced. Privatization transactions typically contain an environmental component, a major concern being whether the private owner succeeds to environmental liabilities incurred, and perhaps undiscovered, from the past. Foreign participation in oil and gas exploration and exploitation in remote and ecologically-sensitive areas of the Russian Federation has given rise to environmental litigation in Russian courts and the termination of foreign involvement in large investment projects. The dismantling of the Russian nuclear missiles and naval vessels has posed novel and difficult ecological issues.
The Law Relating To Foreigners And Foreign Affairs
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

The legal regulation of Russian foreign relations in the broadest sense of the term is governed by several thousand normative acts, including international treaties of the Russian Federation. Some are directly concerned with inter-State relations, for example claims to sovereign rights, territory, the procedure for concluding international treaties, or a legal definition of aggression; whereas others touch upon foreign relations in passing, for example statutes on ministries, family, civil, criminal, citizenship, or other branches of legislation. Russian legal doctrine does not look upon foreign relations law as a separate branch of law, and there are no official efforts under way in Russia comparable to those in the United States to systematize the core principles in a Restatement of Foreign Relations Law. Although new rules regulating foreign relations have been set out in the 1993 Russian Constitution, major enactments survive from the former Soviet Union, the RSFSR, and the Russian Federation before the 1993 Constitution was adopted, complicating the legal regime of foreign relations considerably.
Foreign Investment and Trade Law
Authors: Butler William E
Published: November 2023

While a vast variety of normative legal acts regulate foreign investments in the Russian Federation, the foundation laws are the 1991 Law on Investment Activity in the RSFSR, as amended; the 1999 Federal Law on Investment Activity in the Russian Federation Effectuated in the Form of Capital Investments, as amended; the 1999 Law on Foreign Investments in the Russian Federation, as amended; and the 2008 Federal Law on the Procedure for the Effectuation of Foreign Investments in Economic Societies Having Strategic Significance for Ensuring the Defence of the Country and Security of the State. They replaced Law on Foreign Investments in the Russian Federation, adopted on 26 June 1991, as amended. Foreign investors commonly overlook the Law on Investment Activity, although this law defined in greatest detail what constitutes an investment and expressly applies to foreign investments (Article 4).
The Case of Ghana
Authors: Development Bank African
Published: November 2023

Since 2002, Ghana has been receiving debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. From 2002 to 2006, actual HIPC spending stood at / c6,812.2 billion, of which / c1,003.0 billion was allocated to domestic debt payments. Planned and actual expenditures under the MDRI, which started in 2006, are / c2,103.6 and / c1,508.9 billion, respec- tively. HIPC spending focused on four areas: human development ser- vices, private sector development, governance of the GPRS thematic areas, and domestic debt payment. Expenditures on good governance and on domestic debt payments is expected to create an enabling environment that promotes growth and social sector expenditures. Since 2003, debt relief and aid have substantially increased spending in GPRS priority areas. Expenditure planning under the GPRS placed strong emphasis on private sector development for pro-poor growth. The allocation of HIPC resources also reflected the focus of the GPRS. Since external assistance (especially non- budget support aid) was allocated overwhelmingly to human devel- opment, a major portion of MDRI receipts are now spent on growth.
Reparation
Authors: Sassoli Marco
Published: November 2023

The term ‘reparation’ is not specific to post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction. Rather, it is a general concept dating from the beginning of time and existing in all cultures, which can be found in legal systems and social relations. Indeed, ‘[i]t is a principle of international law, that the breach of an engagement involves an obligation to make reparation in an adequate form. Reparation therefore is the indispensable complement of a failure to apply a [rule]’ (Permanent Court of International Justice, 1927: 21). For traditional internationalist doctrine, responsibility for an unlawful act entails only the obligation to make reparation, whereas the International Law Commission adds the obligation to put an end to the unlawful act (which may also be understood as a kind of restitution) and, in some cases, to offer guarantees of non-repetition of the unlawful act (Draft Articles, 2001: Arts 31-9).
Transitional Administration
Authors: Caplan Richard
Published: November 2023

Transitional administration refers to the temporary assumption of responsibility of the principal governance functions of a state or territory by an international organization or organizations, often but not always led by the UN. The terms ‘international administration’, ‘international trusteeship’ (or ‘neo-trusteeship’), and ‘international protectorate’ are sometimes used interchangeably with that of ‘transitional administration’; however, only ‘international administration’ (or ‘international territorial administration’) is considered to be an acceptable substitute.
Research in the Social Sciences
Authors: Hancké Bob
Published: November 2023

Social scientists have many goals in life. Like researchers in physics or biology they want to understand a critical problem in the world: HIV or the origins of the universe for biologists and physicists, understanding the causes of poverty or discrimination for social scientists. Social scientists are flattered if their ideas show up in policy documents, or if their arguments guide governments or international organizations in setting guidelines for intervention. But, alongside developing these substantive insights into the world, we have a slightly more down-to-earth reason for doing research: we also strive to become footnotes. For many of us, one of the biggest aims in life is to be taken suficiently seriously by our peers so that they will cite us, either approvingly or disapprovingly. There are only so many footnotes that the world needs, though: the number of social science Ph.D. students in the world is now so large that it is simply impossible for all of them to make it to the status of a footnote in someone else’s work. The process by which you become a footnote is not always fair and transparent: some small groups cite each others’ work a lot and that then raises (quite artificially, in fact) their collective impact factor. But most of the time, good research helps.
Constructing a Research Design
Authors: Hancké Bob
Published: November 2023

Most, possibly all, graduate programmes in the social sciences today require students to take a basic inferential statistics class, where they learn how regression coefficients are constructed, what the meaning of significance levels is, and some general rules about how to handle (usually interpret rather than perform) regression analysis. This is generally a good thing: if a large part of your discipline relies on sophisticated statistical analysis, knowing how to read such articles is a crucial skill. But there is a problem: too often, the research skills training in graduate programmes stops there, and other research designs are treated as the weak little brother of statistical analysis.
Basic Linguistic Theory
Authors: Dixon R M W
Published: November 2023

In Basic Linguistic Theory R. M. W. Dixon provides a new and fundamental characterization of the nature of human languages and a comprehensive guide to their description and analysis. In three clearly written and accessible volumes, he describes how best to go about doing linguistics, the most satisfactory and profitable ways to work, and the pitfalls to avoid. In the first volume he addresses the methodology for recording, analysing, and comparing languages. He argues that grammatical structures and rules should be worked out inductively on the basis of evidence, explaining in detail the steps by which an attested grammar and lexicon can built up from observed utterances. He shows how the grammars and words of one language may be compared to others of the same or different families, explains the methods involved in cross-linguistic parametric analyses, and describes how to interpret the results. Volume 2 and volume 3 (to be published in 2011) offer in-depth tours of underlying principles of grammatical organization, as well as many of the facts of grammatical variation. 'The task of the linguist,' Professor Dixon writes, 'is to explain the nature of human languages - each viewed as an integrated system - together with an explanation of why each language is the way it is, allied to the further scientific pursuits of prediction and evaluation.' Basic Linguistic Theory is the triumphant outcome of a lifetime's thinking about every aspect and manifestation of language and immersion in linguistic fieldwork. It is a one-stop text for undergraduate and graduate students of linguistics, as well as for those in neighbouring disciplines, such as psychology and anthropology.
Phonology
Authors: Dixon R M W
Published: November 2023

This book focuses on grammar. But every description of a language must, of course, include a section on phonology, which interrelates with grammar in a myriad ways. As pointed out in §4.7, the first chapter to be drafted in any fieldwork-based endeavour must be phonology, since phonemes need to be recognized as the basis for an orthography in which to write the language. But the phonology chapter will be the last to be finalized, since the range of morphological alternations and conditioned variants will feed into a definitive statement of phonological structures and processes. This chapter presents just a brief overview of the most basic points which must be taken account of, to ensure a decent phonological description.
Lexicon
Authors: Dixon R M W
Published: November 2023

A language is made up of two interlocking components—grammar and lexicon. As discussed in §1.11 and §5.2, the grammar deals with closed systems: pronouns, articles, tense, gender, and so on. These are exhaustively listed and fully described within the grammar. The lexicon consists of open classes. The members of a lexical class have the same or similar grammatical properties, but differ in terms of their ranges of referents. The lexicon comprises all the lexemes (alternatively called lexical items) in the open and semi-open classes of the language—nouns, verbs, adjectives, and so on. ‘Vocabulary’ is an alternative name for lexicon; a lexicon arranged in alphabetical order is a ‘dictionary’.
Hospice and Palliative Care in Southeast Asia
Authors: Wright Michael , Hamzah Ednin , Phungrassami Temsak , Bausa-Claudio Agnes
Published: November 2023

Since the turn of the century, there has been worldwide growth in the effort to improve the quality of end of life care. Alongside these initiatives, growing interest in the international development of hospice and palliative care has created the need for an informed, in depth overview of the state of development in different world regions. A follow-up to the successful Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa: a review of developments and challenges (Wright and Clark, OUP 2006), this book provides a detailed evidence-base of the palliative care provision in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, identifies barriers to development and how these may be overcome. The book aims to stimulate a more informed debate around these issues, to improve policy-making among intergovernmental and governmental organisations on end of life care in these regions, and to encourage further research and improved practice. Hospice and Palliative Care in Southeast Asia: a review of developments and challenges in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines includes in-depth country reports that analyse the current state of hospice and palliative care. The book is written using a template that allows effective comparison between countries and regions. Data has been gathered from multiple sources, field visits, and interviews with key activists made possible by close working relations with hospice-palliative care colleagues across the region and in particular through links with the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) and the national associations of each country. This book will be of relevance to anyone interested in international palliative care, including practitioners, researchers, policy-makers, social scientist, and medical historians.
The Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome and Mortality Among Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network and Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury Network Trials*
Authors: Tea Kevin , Zu Yuanhao , Chung Cheng Han , Pagliaro Jaclyn , Espinoza-Barrera Diana , Mehta Prakriti , Grewal Himmat , Douglas Ivor S. , Khan Yasin A. , Shaffer Jeffrey G. , Denson Joshua L.
Published: November 2023

OBJECTIVES:

Metabolic syndrome is known to predict outcomes in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) but has never been studied in non-COVID-19 ARDS. We therefore aimed to determine the association of metabolic syndrome with mortality among ARDS trial subjects.

DESIGN:

Retrospective cohort study of ARDS trials’ data.

SETTING:

An ancillary analysis was conducted using data from seven ARDS Network and Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury Network randomized trials within the Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center database.

PATIENTS:

Hospitalized patients with ARDS and metabolic syndrome (defined by obesity, diabetes, and hypertension) were compared with similar patients without metabolic syndrome (those with less than three criteria).

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Among 4288 ARDS trial participants, 454 (10.6%) with metabolic syndrome were compared with 3834 controls (89.4%). In adjusted analyses, the metabolic syndrome group was associated with lower 28-day and 90-day mortality when compared with control (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.70 [95% CI, 0.55–0.89] and 0.75 [95% CI, 0.60–0.95], respectively). With each additional metabolic criterion from 0 to 3, adjusted 28-day mortality was reduced by 18%, 22%, and 40%, respectively. In subgroup analyses stratifying by ARDS etiology, mortality was lower for metabolic syndrome vs. control in ARDS caused by sepsis or pneumonia (at 28 d, aOR 0.64 [95% CI, 0.48–0.84] and 90 d, aOR 0.69 [95% CI, 0.53–0.89]), but not in ARDS from noninfectious causes (at 28 d, aOR 1.18 [95% CI, 0.70–1.99] and 90 d, aOR 1.26 [95% CI, 0.77–2.06]). Interaction p = 0.04 and p = 0.02 for 28- and 90-day comparisons, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Metabolic syndrome in ARDS was associated with a lower risk of mortality in non-COVID-19 ARDS. The relationship between metabolic inflammation and ARDS may provide a novel biological pathway to be explored in precision medicine-based trials.
Looking Beyond the Hutchinson Sign: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Factors Indicating the Presence and Invasiveness of Nail Unit Melanoma in Patients With Longitudinal Melanonychia
Authors: Lee Sang Gyun , Oh Byung Ho , Chung Kee Yang , Roh Mi Ryung
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

The data underlying this article are available in the article.

Longitudinal melanonychia (LM) presents a challenge because nail unit melanoma (NUM) must be considered as a differential diagnosis. Because nail matrix biopsy may result in nail dystrophy, it is important to distinguish NUM from LM.

OBJECTIVE

To provide evidence of previously reported clinical factors indicative of NUM in patients with LM.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients who presented with LM and had biopsy-confirmed NUM from 2005 to 2021. Benign LM was either confirmed by biopsy or considered benign if followed without the need for biopsy. Clinical factors associated with LM and NUM were compared by multivariate regression.

RESULTS

A total of 177 patients (97 LM and 80 NUM) were included. Multivariate regression showed that high band color intensity (p = .0031), variegation (p = .0005), nail plate splitting (p = .0017), Hutchinson sign (p = .0027), and band change (p = .001) correlated with malignancy. Nail plate splitting was associated with Breslow thickness.

CONCLUSION

Malignancy should be suspected and biopsy performed in patients with LM and high band color intensity, variegation, nail plate splitting, Hutchinson sign, and band change.
Industry Payments Comparison Between Female and Male Mohs Surgeons From 2015 to 2021
Authors: Rosales Santillan Monica , Guzman Anthony , Waldman Abigail H.
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

There are limited data on female Mohs surgeon industry relationships.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate industry payment activity between female and male Mohs surgeons.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services open payments data was performed between 2015 and 2021 for Mohs surgeons in the United States. Gender, academic affiliation, practice region, annual total payment, cumulative payment, and industry payment type was collected.

RESULTS

Male Mohs surgeons received higher mean total payments than female Mohs surgeons (p = .04), which persisted when data were stratified based on industry payment type and practice region. Both genders had similar median total payments (p = .4). Females in academic practice received higher mean total payments than those in private practice. Females experienced a significant lower mean total payment compared with males in the South (p = .03).

CONCLUSION

High total payments received by male Mohs surgeons skewed the data, which is supported by a significant mean total payment difference despite a similar median total payment distribution. Female Mohs surgeons receiving the top payments may address this mean payment difference. Females seem to have higher payments if they practice in the Northeast and are in academics. Further studies are needed to evaluate this payment gap.
Second-trimester Abortion
Authors: Swantic Vanessa , Hawley Darell , Zipp Christopher , Lee Nancy , Praditpan Piyapa
Published: November 2023

In 2019, the US Centers for Disease Control reported that 7% of abortions were performed after 13 weeks of pregnancy, a small proportion of all terminations. However, the need for second-trimester abortions will increase commensurate with restrictions to access nationwide. Second-trimester abortions are performed with medications or through a procedure. Health care practitioners serving persons at risk of pregnancy should understand how abortions are performed and how to deliver evidence-based postabortion care. The purpose of this article is to provide a foundation for caring for individuals before, during, and after second-trimester abortion.
SCLEROMYXEDEMA ASSOCIATED WITH MACULAR EDEMA AND RETINAL HEMORRHAGE
Authors: Willett Keirnan L. , Comfere Nneka , Bakri Sophie J.
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

We discuss a case of macular edema and retinal hemorrhage associated with scleromyxedema.

Methods:

A case report is presented.

Results:

A 64-year-old man with history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism presented with new-onset rash in the setting of switching anticoagulation treatments. He developed blurred vision, was found to have macular edema and dot blot retinal hemorrhages that improved with systemic and topical corticosteroids.

Conclusion:

Systemic autoimmune conditions including scleromyxedema should be considered in the workup of occult cystoid macular edema.
Pseudophakic cystoid macular edema after posterior capsular rent: role of ranibizumab as prophylaxis
Authors: Deka Amarendra
Published: November 2023

To evaluate the outcome of prophylactic use of intravitreal ranibizumab in cases of complicated phacoemulsification surgery, ranibizumab was injected through intravitreal route in 7 cases of complicated phacoemulsification cases. An intraocular lens was implanted in the capsular bag or in the sulcus. Ophthalmic viscosurgical device was aspirated, and 0.05 mL of ranibizumab was injected in middle vitreous space. Cases were followed up, and optical coherence tomography was performed. The first postoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 in 3 cases, 20/80 in 3 cases, and 20/120 in 1 case. Considering the prevalence of cystoid macular edema after complicated cataract surgeries, this might be an alternative treatment modality.
Inverse atoll sign as preoperative indicator of posterior capsular defects in posterior lenticonus
Authors: Balyan Monika , Malhotra Chintan , Jain Arun Kumar
Published: November 2023

Two children with unilateral posterior lenticonus and cataract underwent lens matter aspiration with implantation of a 3-piece intraocular lens. Posterior capsular defect (PCD) was suspected on preoperative slitlamp examination, which was supported by swept-source optical coherence tomography and subsequently confirmed intraoperatively. Based on the findings observed in these 2 cases, an inverse atoll sign for preoperative detection of a PCD is described.
Management of incision failure due to suction loss in SMILE
Authors: Kodavoor Shreesha Kumar , V Preethi , Sachdeva Gitansha Shreyas , Ramamurthy Shreyas , Dandapani Ramamurthy
Published: November 2023

Small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) has become one of the most commonly performed modern-day refractive procedures, with one of the intraoperative surgical complications being suction loss. In this study, incision failure due to suction loss in SMILE and its management with manual incision are reported. In all cases, lenticule was extracted from the manually placed incision with surgical blade. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed, with significant visual outcome of 20/20 in all cases. Hence, manual incision could be considered as an option for the management incision failure during SMILE.
Hyperopic shifts and anterior curvature flattening after Descemet-stripping endothelial keratoplasty and cataract surgery in 2 patients with a history of myopic LASIK
Authors: Doherty Terrence J.
Published: November 2023

Two patients with a history of myopic laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) experienced larger-than-expected hyperopic results after cataract surgery and Descemet-stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Although an anticipated hyperopic shift from DSEK-related posterior curvature steeping was taken into account during IOL power calculations, the refractive outcome was still more hyperopic than expected. Postoperative analysis revealed significant and unexpected flattening of the anterior corneal curvature that is not common after standard DSEK. Central anterior stromal ablation from myopic LASIK might make the cornea more prone to swelling and anterior steepening as Fuchs dystrophy progresses, increasing corneal power. A subsequent reduction in swelling might then cause central flattening and contribute to hyperopic errors after combined cataract–endothelial keratoplasty surgery.
Paracentral sterile ring infiltrate after corneal crosslinking in a child
Authors: Ozcan Sait Coskun , Ozarslan Ozcan Deniz
Published: November 2023

A child with a paracentral sterile ring infiltrate presenting 3 days after corneal crosslinking (CXL) surgery for keratoconus is reported. The uninterrupted ring-shaped infiltration was seen along the epithelial healing margin in the paracentral cornea. The infiltration was approximately 120 µm deep in the anterior stroma and had sharply defined edges. Swab samples showed negative results. Sterile corneal infiltrate was diagnosed, and the patient was started on topical steroids in addition to the current treatment. The infiltration gradually resolved in the follow-up examinations. Visual loss or permanent corneal haze was not observed at the first month postoperatively. Patients should be carefully evaluated for complications such as sterile infiltrates in the short-term after CXL. An immune response mechanism triggered by the combination of epithelial healing, individual's hypersensitivity, and UV-A irradiation may be etiologically responsible.
Silicone oil obscuring vision by migrating behind an intraocular lens in an intact capsular bag after previous retinal detachment surgery
Authors: Monaghan Mary-Therese , Franka Mustafa , Nardeosingh Siddarth , Lyall Douglas
Published: November 2023

Silicone oil is used on a regular basis during vitrectomy for the surgical management of complex or recurrent retinal detachment. Incomplete removal of particles can cause postoperative complications. A 68-year-old pseudophakic patient with previous retinal detachment surgery presented with reduced vision. On examination, silicone oil could be visualized lodged between the hydrophobic intraocular lens (IOL) and intact posterior capsule. YAG laser capsulotomy was performed to clear the visual axis and disperse the oil droplets into the vitreous cavity. Corrected distance visual acuity improved to 6/6 and symptoms resolved. Silicone oil can accumulate in the capsular bag after vitrectomy even in patients with an intact posterior capsule. It is important to ascertain the type of IOL material used during cataract surgery and to properly identify the positioning of the oil droplets to safely treat the patient and avoid unnecessary complications.
Improving Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Function of Korean Firefighters
Authors: Kim Ji-Been , Xiang Ying-Ying , Kim Chae-Been , Seo Dongil , Song Wook , Lee Hanjoon , Kang Hyunjoo , Lee Chung Gun , Ahn Yeon-Soon , Park Jung-Jun
Published: November 2023

Objective

This study addresses declining physical fitness among Korean firefighters due to a low exercise participation rate caused by the absence of exercise instructors. The research explores Virtual Mate (VM), a Kinect-based mixed reality device, as a potential solution, but its capacity to replace training instructors in enhancing physical fitness remains uncertain.

Methods

Twenty Korean male firefighters were divided into two groups: the exercise group received an 8-week intervention using VM, while the control group maintained regular physical activity. Cardiopulmonary function and muscle function were measured.

Results

After 8 weeks, the exercise group demonstrated a significant improvement in VO2peak. Furthermore, there were notable enhancements in the strength and endurance of most knee, shoulder, and trunk flexors and extensors.

Conclusions

Integrating VM into an exercise program can effectively improve cardiorespiratory and muscular function in Korean firefighters.
Tranexamic Acid for Bleeding Management in Adult Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Jakowenko Nicholas D. , Seelhammer Troy G. , Nabzdyk Christoph G. S. , Macielak Robert J. , Nei Scott D. , Kalvelage Errin L. , Wieruszewski Patrick M.
Published: November 2023

This study described the outcomes of patients receiving topical, nebulized, endobronchial, or systemic tranexamic acid (TXA) for bleeding events while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We performed a single-center case series including adult patients >18 years old supported on either venovenous (VV) or venoarterial (VA) ECMO from January 1, 2014, to April 21, 2021. The primary outcome was hemostatic control defined as a composite of initial cessation of therapeutic interventions to mitigate bleeding or resumption of anticoagulation if previously held. Secondary outcomes included changes in transfusion requirements and lysis at 30-minute (LY30) values, venous thromboembolism (VTE) events, and seizures. In total, 47 patients were included for full analysis. There were 19 patients with surgical bleeds, 18 patients with medical bleeds, and 10 patients with multiple bleeds. Overall, initial hemostatic control was achieved in 79%, 67%, and 90% of patients, respectively. Pre- and post-TXA transfusion requirements were not significantly different (p = 0.2), although the intraindividual change in median LY30 was −5.1% compared with baseline (95% confidence interval [CI], −12.4% to −1.5%, p = 0.005). The occurrence of VTE and seizures was relatively low and similar among patient bleeding groups. Tranexamic acid provided initial hemostatic control in roughly three quarters of patients with bleeding events on ECMO and side effects were infrequent.
Aerococcus agrisoli sp. nov., isolated from paddy soil
Authors: Sun Lina , Qiu Wen , Gao Xinhua , Cheng Zechao , Huang Kaihua , Chen Wei
Published: November 2023

A non-spore-forming, Gram-stain-positive, short rod-shaped strain, designated SJQ22T, was isolated from a paddy soil sample collected in Shanghai, PR China. A comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SJQ22T fell within the genus

Aerococcus

, forming a clear cluster with the type strains of

Aerococcus viridans

(98.6 % sequence similarity) and

Aerococcus urinaeequi

(98.5 % sequence similarity). Strain SJQ22T grew at 30–45 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and with a NaCl concentration of 0–4 % (optimum, 1 %). Cells were negative for oxidase and catalase activity. Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that strain SJQ22T possessed C16:0 and C18:1 ω9c as the predominant fatty acids. The DNA G + C content was 39.0 mol%. Strain SJQ22T exhibited DNA–DNA relatedness levels of 13±2 % with

A. viridans

ATCC 11563T and 9±2 % with

A. urinaeequi

IFO 12173T. Based on the data obtained, strain SJQ22T represents a novel species of the genus

Aerococcus

, for which the name Aerococcus agrisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SJQ22T (=JCM 33111T=CCTCC AB 2018283T).
Genomic analyses of Bacteroides fragilis: subdivisions I and II represent distinct species
Authors: English Jamie , Newberry Fiona , Hoyles Lesley , Patrick Sheila , Stewart Linda
Published: November 2023

Introduction.

Bacteroides fragilis

is a Gram-negative anaerobe that is a member of the human gastrointestinal microbiota and is frequently found as an extra-intestinal opportunistic pathogen.

B. fragilis

comprises two distinct groups – divisions I and II – characterized by the presence/absence of genes [cepA and ccrA (cfiA), respectively] that confer resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by either serine or metallo-β-lactamase production. No large-scale analyses of publicly available

B. fragilis

sequence data have been undertaken, and the resistome of the species remains poorly defined.

Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Reclassification of divisions I and II

B. fragilis

as two distinct species has been proposed but additional evidence is required.

Aims. To investigate the genomic diversity of GenBank

B. fragilis

genomes and establish the prevalence of division I and II strains among publicly available

B. fragilis

genomes, and to generate further evidence to demonstrate that

B. fragilis

division I and II strains represent distinct genomospecies.

Methodology. High-quality (n=377) genomes listed as

B. fragilis

in GenBank were included in pangenome and functional analyses. Genome data were also subject to resistome profiling using The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database.

Results. Average nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analyses showed

B. fragilis

divisions I and II represent distinct species: B. fragilis sensu stricto (n=275 genomes) and

B. fragilis

A (n=102 genomes; Genome Taxonomy Database designation), respectively. Exploration of the pangenome of B. fragilis sensu stricto and

B. fragilis

A revealed separation of the two species at the core and accessory gene levels.

Conclusion. The findings indicate that

B. fragilis

A, previously referred to as division II

B. fragilis

, is an individual species and distinct from B. fragilis sensu stricto. The

B. fragilis

pangenome analysis supported previous genomic, phylogenetic and resistome screening analyses collectively reinforcing that divisions I and II are two separate species. In addition, it was confirmed that differences in the accessory genes of

B. fragilis

divisions I and II are primarily associated with carbohydrate metabolism and suggest that differences other than antimicrobial resistance could also be used to distinguish between these two species.
Vaccine Induction of Heterologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody B Cell Lineages in Humans
Authors: Williams Wilton B. , Alam S. Munir , Ofek Gilad , Erdmann Nathaniel , Montefiori David , Seaman Michael S. , Wagh Kshitij , Korber Bette , Edwards Robert J. , Mansouri Katayoun , Eaton Amanda , Cain Derek W. , Martin Mitchell , Parks Robert , Barr Maggie , Foulger Andrew , Anasti Kara , Patel Parth , Sammour Salam , Parsons Ruth J. , Huang Xiao , Lindenberger Jared , Fetics Susan , Janowska Katarzyna , Niyongabo Aurelie , Janus Benjamin M. , Astavans Anagh , Fox Christopher B. , Mohanty Ipsita , Evangelous Tyler , Chen Yue , Berry Madison , Kirshner Helene , Van Itallie Elizabeth , Saunders Kevin , Wiehe Kevin , Cohen Kristen W. , McElrath M. Juliana , Corey Lawrence , Acharya Priyamvada , Walsh Stephen R. , Baden Lindsey R. , Haynes Barton F.
Published: November 2023

A critical roadblock to HIV vaccine development is the inability to induce B cell lineages of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) in humans. In people living with HIV-1, bnAbs take years to develop. The HVTN 133 clinical trial studied a peptide/liposome immunogen targeting B cell lineages of HIV-1 envelope membrane proximal external region (MPER) bnAbs (NCT03934541). Here, we report MPER peptide-liposome induction of polyclonal HIV-1 B cell lineages of mature bnAbs and their precursors, the most potent of which neutralized 15% of global tier 2 HIV-1 strains and 35% of clade B strains, with lineage initiation after the second immunization. Neutralization was enhanced by vaccine-selection of improbable mutations that increased antibody binding to gp41 and lipids. This study demonstrates proof-of-concept for rapid vaccine induction of human B cell lineages with heterologous neutralizing activity and selection of antibody improbable mutations, and outlines a path for successful HIV-1 vaccine development.
How to train a post-processor for tandem mass spectrometry proteomics database search while maintaining control of the false discovery rate
Authors: Freestone Jack , Käll Lukas , Noble William Stafford , Keich Uri
Published: November 2023

Decoy-based methods are a popular choice for the statistical validation of peptide detections in tandem mass spectrometry proteomics data. Such methods can achieve a substantial boost in statistical power when coupled with post-processors such as Percolator that use auxiliary features to learn a better-discriminating scoring function. However, we recently showed that Percolator can struggle to control the false discovery rate (FDR) when reporting the list of discovered peptides. To address this problem, we introduce Percolator-RESET, which is an adaptation of our recently developed RESET meta-procedure to the peptide detection problem. Specifically, Percolator-RESET fuses Percolator’s iterative SVM training procedure with RESET’s general framework of determining the list of reported discoveries in a target-decoy competition setup, where each putative discovery is augmented with a list of relevant features. Percolator-RESET operates in both a standard single-decoy mode and a two-decoy mode, the latter requiring the generation of two decoys per target. We demonstrate that Percolator-RESET controls the FDR in both modes, both theoretically and empirically, while typically reporting only a marginally smaller number of discoveries than Percolator in single-decoy mode. The two-decoy mode is marginally more powerful than both Percolator and the single-decoy mode and exhibits less variability than the latter.