A risk governance approach to managing antitrust risks in the banking industry

Competition law compliance has become increasingly important in the banking industry as the number of infringements and the associated fines imposed by the European Commission are rising. This article shows that not only governments and regulators, but also shareholders and managers, should be interested in managing antitrust risks in banks in order to avoid competition law infringements. Therefore, this article sets out an approach to assessing the residual risk of antitrust non-compliance as well as the costs associated with such conduct, in order to be able to identify the required intensity of risk management activities. It also shows how antitrust risk management can be implemented in banks’ governance structures using the Three Lines of Defence model and the COSO ERM framework. As a result, it demonstratesn how to integrate antitrust risk management activities into existing structures and processes, thus improving the efficiency and effectiveness of overall risk management, in particular antitrust risk management

Routine lumbar puncture in children with febrile seizures in Ghana: should it continue?

SummaryObjectives:Performing routine lumbar punctures in children with febrile seizures has been controversial. This study aimed to determine the positive yield of lumbar punctures in a setting where routine lumbar puncture is routinely carried out and to determine if any other parameter could help differentiate bacterial meningitis from the various other diagnoses of children who presented with a febrile seizure.Design:A prospective study was carried out among children aged three months to 15 years of age, hospitalized at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, between July and August 2000.Results:There was a 10.2% (n = 19) positive yield for bacterial meningitis with a case fatality rate of 36.8% (n = 7). Cerebral malaria, which is not easily distinguishable from bacterial meningitis, accounted for 16.1% (n = 30) of the children. Twenty percent of bacterial meningitis patients had a positive blood smear for malaria. The indication for doing a lumbar puncture was similar in both cerebral malaria and bacterial meningitis patients. Signs of meningism were not the primary reason for carrying out a lumbar puncture, even in the group of children who had bacterial meningitis.Conclusion:Performing routine lumbar punctures may still have a role to play in the management of children with febrile seizures

Polymer–Ceramic Composite Cathode with Enhanced Storage Capacity Manufactured by Field-Assisted Sintering and Infiltration

Polymer–ceramic all-solid-state Li batteries (ASSLBs) combine the advantages of fully inorganic and polymer-based ASSLBs. In particular, the application of proposed polymer–ceramic composite cathodes could be essential for the enhancement of the energy storage capacity of ASSLBs. The use of a modified field-assisted sintering technique with adjustable pressure and with alternative mica foil enables the fabrication of porous cathodes at a reduced sintering temperature and without side phase formation. This allows sintering of a porous LiCoO2/Li7La3Zr2O12:Ta composite network suitable for polymer infiltration and assembly in an ASSLB from the cathode side. The ceramic LiCoO2/Li7La3Zr2O12:Ta composite cathodes infiltrated with an ion-conducting polymer have shown an enhanced areal storage capacity

A Randomized and Blinded Multicenter Trial of High-Dose Fluconazole plus Placebo versus Fluconazole plus Amphotericin B as Therapy for Candidemia and Its Consequences in Nonneutropenic Subjects

A randomized, blinded, multicenter trial was conducted to compare fluconazole (800 mg per day) plus placebo with fluconazole plus amphotericin B (AmB) deoxycholate (0.7 mg/kg per day, with the placebo/AmB component given only for the first 5-6 days) as therapy for candidemia due to species other than Candida krusei in adults without neutropenia. A total of 219 patients met criteria for a modified intent-to-treat analysis. The groups were similar except that those who were treated with fluconazole plus placebo had a higher mean (± standard error) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (16.8 ± 0.6 vs. 15.0 ± 0.7; P = .039). Success rates on study day 30 by Kaplan-Meier time-to-failure analysis were 57% for fluconazole plus placebo and 69% for fluconazole plus AmB (P = .08). Overall success rates were 56% (60 of 107 patients) and 69% (77 of 112 patients; P = .043), respectively; the bloodstream infection failed to clear in 17% and 6% of subjects, respectively (P = .02). In nonneutropenic subjects, the combination of fluconazole plus AmB was not antagonistic compared with fluconazole alone, and the combination trended toward improved success and more-rapid clearance from the bloodstream