Practical Issues in the Enforcement of Leniency Program in Korea

Since its introduction in 1997, the leniency program has played an important role in Korea in detecting cartel activities that have the clandestine nature. Recently, however, its operation by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (hereinafter KFTC) gave rise to criticism among companies and practitioners, ranging from doubts over the leniency regimes reliability or transparency to the fundamental skepticism over whether or why the leniency program itself should exist. Such criticism got intensified as statements submitted by leniency applicants have been dismissed in a number of recent cartel cases. Nevertheless, it is difficult to deny the efficacy of the leniency program, not only in detecting existing cartels but also in deterring future cartel activities. For this reason, the leniency program is indispensable for the KFTC to facilitate its investigation of cartels, which are by nature secretive. Therefore, the KFTC should continue its effort to beef up the leniency program by actively addressing practical issues that have been raised during the implementation and operation of the current leniency program. Against this backdrop, this article analyzes some practical key issues raised by the companies, the academia, and practitioners in the course of the KFTCs implementation of the leniency program, including such issues as the reliability of leniency applicants and the interpretation of key leniency requirements such as degree of necessary evidence, termination of cartel activities, coercion, and the scope of continued and sincere cooperation. It also touches upon issues related to restricting leniency immunity against repeat offenders, joint leniency application and protecting identity of leniency applicants

Controlled Synthesis of Carbon-Encapsulated Copper Nanostructures by Using Smectite Clays as Nanotemplates

Rhomboidal and spherical metallic-copper nanostructures were encapsulated within well-formed graphitic shells by using a simple chemical method that involved the catalytic decomposition of acetylene over a copper catalyst that was supported on different smectite clays surfaces by ion-exchange. These metallic-copper nanostructures could be separated from the inorganic support and remained stable for months. The choice of the clay support influenced both the shape and the size of the synthesized Cu nanostructures. The synthesized materials and the supported catalysts from which they were produced were studied in detail by TEM and SEM, powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, as well as by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

A New Classification for Idiopathic Genu Vara

PURPOSE: Past classification for the treatment of idiopathic genu vara depended simply on the measurement of distance between the knees, without attention to the rotational profile of the lower extremity. We retrospectively analyzed anatomical causes of idiopathic genu vara. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty eight patients with idiopathic genu vara were included in this study. All patients were surgically treated. To evaluate the angular deformity, a standing orthoroentgenogram was taken and the lateral distal femoral angle and the medial proximal tibial angle were measured. In order to assess any accompanying torsional deformity, both femoral anteversion and tibial external rotation were measured using computerized tomographic scans. A derotational osteotomy was performed at the femur or tibia to correct rotational deformity, and a correctional osteotomy was performed at the tibia to correct angular deformity. RESULTS: Satisfactory functional results were obtained in all cases. Genu vara was divided into 3 groups according to the nature of the deformity; group 1 (6 patients) with increased femoral anteversion, group 2 (10 patients) with proximal tibial varus deformity alone, and group 3 (12 patients) with proximal tibial varus deformity accompanied by increased external tibial rotation. CONCLUSION: The success seen in our cases highlights the importance of an accurate preoperative analysis that accounts for both rotational and angular deformities that may underlie idiopathic genu vara.ope

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of paclitaxel, albumin-binding paclitaxel, and liposomal-encapsulated albumin-binding paclitaxel upon gastric subserosal administration

Introduction: Systemic chemotherapy is typically administered following radical gastrectomy for advanced stage. To attenuate systemic side effects, we evaluated the effectiveness of regional chemotherapy using paclitaxel, albumin-paclitaxel, and liposome-encapsulated albumin-paclitaxel via subserosal injection in rat models employing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging technology.Method: Nine Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: paclitaxel (n = 3), albumin-paclitaxel nano-particles (APNs; n = 3), and liposome-encapsulated APNs (n = 3). [123I]Iodo-paclitaxel ([123I]I-paclitaxel) was synthesized by conventional electrophilic radioiodination using tert-butylstannyl substituted paclitaxel as the precursor. Albumin-[123I]iodo-paclitaxel nanoparticles ([123I]APNs) were prepared using a desolvation technique. Liposome-encapsulated APNs (L-[123I]APNs) were prepared by thin-film hydration using DSPE-PEG2000, HSPC, and cholesterol. The rats in each group were injected with each test drug into the subserosa of the stomach antrum. After predetermined times (30 min, 2, 4, 8 h, and 24 h), molecular images of nuclear medicine were acquired using single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography.Results: Paclitaxel, APNs, and L-APNs showed a high cumulative distribution in the stomach, with L-APNs showing the largest area under the curve. Most drugs administered via the gastric subserosal route are distributed in the stomach and intestines, with a low uptake of less than 1% in other major organs. The time to reach the maximum concentration in the intestine for L-APNs, paclitaxel, and APNs was 6.67, 5.33, and 4.00 h, respectively.Conclusion: These preliminary results imply that L-APNs have the potential to serve as a novel paclitaxel preparation method for the regional treatment of gastric cancer

The HIF-1/glial TIM-3 axis controls inflammation-associated brain damage under hypoxia.

Inflammation is closely related to the extent of damage following cerebral ischaemia, and the targeting of this inflammation has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. Here, we present that hypoxia-induced glial T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein (TIM)-3 can function as a modulator that links inflammation and subsequent brain damage after ischaemia. We find that TIM-3 is highly expressed in hypoxic brain regions of a mouse cerebral hypoxia-ischaemia (H/I) model. TIM-3 is distinctively upregulated in activated microglia and astrocytes, brain resident immune cells, in a hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1-dependent manner. Notably, blockade of TIM-3 markedly reduces infarct size, neuronal cell death, oedema formation and neutrophil infiltration in H/I mice. Hypoxia-triggered neutrophil migration and infarction are also decreased in HIF-1α-deficient mice. Moreover, functional neurological deficits after H/I are significantly improved in both anti-TIM-3-treated mice and myeloid-specific HIF-1α-deficient mice. Further understanding of these insights could serve as the basis for broadening the therapeutic scope against hypoxia-associated brain diseases

A Deformation of Twistor Space and a Chiral Mass Term in N=4 Super Yang-Mills Theory

Super twistor space admits a certain (super) complex structure deformation that preserves the Poincare subgroup of the symmetry group PSL(4|4) and depends on 10 parameters. In a previous paper [hep-th/0502076], it was proposed that in twistor string theory this deformation corresponds to augmenting N=4 super Yang-Mills theory by a mass term for the left-chirality spinors. In this paper we analyze this proposal in more detail. We calculate 4-particle scattering amplitudes of fermions, gluons and scalars and show that they are supported on holomorphic curves in the deformed twistor space.Comment: 52 pages, 15 figure

A Case of Anaphylaxis to Chlorhexidine during Digital Rectal Examination

Chlorhexidine is widely used as an antiseptic and disinfectant in medical and non-medical environments. Although the sensitization rate seems to be low, its ubiquitous use raises the possibility of sensitization in many patients and medical care workers. We describe a patient with anaphylaxis during digital rectal examination with chlorhexidine jelly. Urticaria, angioedema, dyspnea, and hypotension developed within a few minutes of the rectal examination. The patient fully recovered after treatment with epinephrine and corticosteroids. Skin tests for chlorhexidine were undertaken 5 weeks later, showing positive prick and intradermal skin tests. Within 30 min of the skin test, the patient complained of febrile sensation, chest tightness, angioedema, and urticaria on the face and trunk. An enzyme allergosorbent test for latex was negative. We present this case to alert clinicians about hypersensitivity to chlorhexidine that could potentially be life-threatening. We suggest that chlorhexidine should be recognized as a causative agent of anaphylaxis during procedural interventions