Payment systems and antitrust: can the opportunities for network competition be recognized?

Antitrust law ; Payment systems

Interchange fees : antitrust and regulatory perspectives : panel remarks

Debit cards ; Credit cards

Interchange fees : antitrust and regulatory perspectives : general discussion

Debit cards ; Credit cards

Antitrust Enfocement and High-Technology Markets

Although the antitrust laws apply to all industries, the application must be tempered in each case by the myriad ways in which competition can be modified by structural, behavioral, technological, regulatory, and other characteristics. The Commission applies the antitrust laws with sensitivity to the special characteristics of high-tech industries and of intellectual property, but also with the recognition that--as in other industries--competition plays an important role in spurring innovation and in spreading the benefits of that innovation to consumers. This focus is not new. This balanced approach has roots that go back at least to the 1977 Antitrust Guide to International Operations in the Ford Administration and the 1988 Antitrust Guidelines for International Operations in the last year of the Reagan Administration, and is set forth in the 1995 Antitrust Guidelines for the Licensing of Intellectual Property four years ago. It is also informed by the extensive hearings and detailed reporting by the Commission three years ago on antitrust in the 21st century. Of course, enforcement in this area is not entirely free from controversy. A few critics question whether the antitrust laws that were originally designed to apply to traditional manufacturing and distribution industries should be applied at all to competition in fast-moving industries where products often are quickly outmoded and market share may be ephemeral. Others express concern about the potential conflict between the antitrust laws and the laws that protect intellectual property. Are monopolies granted under U. S. patent laws fundamentally in conflict with the antimonopoly focus of the Sherman Act and later antitrust statutes? Can intellectual property rights coexist with effective antitrust enforcement

The efficacy of Salvadora persica extract in the elimination of the intracanal smear layer: A SEM study

AbstractAimTo evaluate the efficacy of an ethanolic Salvadora persica extract in removing the smear layer following a root canal procedure.MethodsSixty extracted, single-rooted human teeth were cleaned, shaped, and divided into four groups. Experimental groups 1 (n=20) and 2 (n=20) were irrigated with 1mg/ml and 5mg/ml of S. persica, respectively. The positive controls (n=10) were irrigated with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), while the negative controls (n=10) were irrigated with saline. Approximately 5ml of the irrigating solution was delivered into the root canals for 5min, and the final rinse was performed with 5ml of 1% sodium hypochlorite. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the endodontic smear layer removal at the coronal, middle, and apical thirds of the specimens.ResultsA significant difference in smear layer removal between groups 1 and 2 at the coronal and middle thirds of the canal was observed, and no significant difference was seen between group 2 and the positive control at the coronal third. At the apical third, both concentrations of S. persica had similar effects and were less effective than the positive control in removing the smear layer.ConclusionThe 5mg/ml S. persica solution was significantly more effective than the 1mg/ml solution. In addition, the 5mg/ml S. persica solution was as effective as 17% EDTA in removing the smear layer from the coronal third of the canal wall

INCURRED SAMPLE STABILITY OF METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE IN PLASMA OF SIX HEALTHY SUBJECTS USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Objective: This study aimed to measure metformin levels and evaluates the incurred stability in plasma of six healthy subjects after administration850 mg metformin hydrochloride tablet using high-performance liquid chromatography.Methods: Samples were collected from six healthy subjects who were administered 850 mg metformin hydrochloride tablet. Blood was collected fromthe subjects at up to 12-time points throughout a 12 h period. Sample stability was analyzed on days 7, 14, and 30. The analysis was conducted usingC-18 columns, a column temperature of 40°C, a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (pH 7.0; 40:60 v/v), a flow rate of 1 mL/min,the photodiode array detector set at a wavelength of 234 nm, and calcium atorvastatin as the internal standard.Results: All metformin HCl samples collected on days 7, 14, and 30 from subjects 1 to 6 met stability requirement based on the European MedicinesAgency Bioanalytical Guideline (2011), which state that the percentage difference value not >20%. In addition, the developed method for analyzingmetformin HCl in plasma was linear in the concentration range of 20.0–5000.0 ng/mL (r=0.9999).Conclusion: The incurred sample of metformin hydrochloride in plasma of six healthy subjects was stable until 30 days after drug administration

The case for multiple health behavior change interventions in multiple sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, non-traumatic disease of the central nervous system (CNS). There is a growing need for alternative approaches to managing healthcare in MS. Targeting multiple, co-occurring health risk factors represents a holistic approach for managing comorbidities and many of the neuroperformance consequences of MS. Methods: Sixty-nine participants with MS completed self-report measures of smoking status, nutrition, alcohol use, physical activity levels, comorbidity and neuroperformance outcomes and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The data were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square analyses in SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results: Of participants with two or more risk factors, 90.3% were not meeting dietary and physical activity guidelines. Total number of comorbidities (z=2.36, p=0.02), cardiovascular disease symptoms (z=2.63, p=0.01), T25FW speed (z=2.53, p=0.01), and 6MW distance (z=2.61, p=0.01) had significant differences in the cluster of co-occurring poor nutrition and insufficient levels of physical activity. There was a significant difference between those reporting two vs. one risk factor for number of comorbidities (z=2.41, p=0.02), cardiovascular disease symptoms (z=2.40 p=0.02), T25FW speed (z=2.39, p=0.02) and 6MW distance (z=2.68, p=0.01). Conclusion: Our results suggest that a clustering of insufficient physical activity and poor nutrition was reported in 90.3% of participants with two or more risk factors. The presence of that cluster further appeared to be synergistically associated with comorbidity and neuroperformance markers. This research could inform future investigations of multiple health behavior change in persons with MS