England’s pairings flew the flag with pride on the second day of the CEV U18 European Beach Championships 2024 in Kachreti Bailey Harsum and Lewis Bunton became the country’s first boys team since Javier and Joaquin Bello in 2017 to reach the quarter-finals.  And girls duo Molly Quinn and Alice Jagielska also acquitted themselves well by reaching the last 16 stage.  It is a marked improvement for both Lewis and Alice who both played in the tournament last year with different partners and finished joint 29th.  The results also saw them finishing as the best performing NEVZA country (boys) and joint best-performing NEVZA country (girls).  The two pairings will now play off tomorrow to decide their final overall position.  Having both made it out of their respective groups in third place the knockout stages saw both teams play Slovenian opponents in the round of 24.  Bailey and Lewis took to the sand first and secured a confident 2-0 victory (21-16 Molly and Alice then followed suit against Kotrun and Blatnik albeit they were made to work harder for their victory dropping the second 21-6 but then bouncing back to secure the deciding tie break 15-11.  The boys team set up a match against Ukrainians Marynin and Romanyshyn The Eastern Europeans hit back to take the second 21-14 but Bailey and Lewis were ready for the tie break and surged into a 12-2 lead before eventually closing it out 15-8.  They gave it their all but were unable to match the boys in reaching the last eight 21-7 in a match that was always going to be a tough proposition.  Bailey and Lewis’ quarter-final paired them against France’s unbeaten duo of Louis and Duval who were strong favourites going into the match.  set up a tie breaker by clinching the second 23-21 with some superb play.  But clinching a semi-final berth proved just beyond them as they missed out 15-12 in the decider.  the boys will play Austrians Boyd and Kolev while the girls meet Poland’s Przbyszewka and Wolny.  You can follow the action across Volleyball England’s social media on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.  Honorary Life President Richard Callicott OBE represented Volleyball England in Nothern Ireland at the weekend as the Queens University Belfast court was renamed after one of the country’s greatest servants in the sport.  Alan Bell will always be a man who loved volleyball and was determined to use the sport to bring the best out of young people in his local area.  Selection nominations are now open for England-qualified players for three Senior NEVZA Tournaments.  The latest achievements in relation to Volleyball England's strategic plan the battle was on to see who could come up with the goods when the pressure was really on.  with each country taking two gold medals and having to settle for two silvers too in what were terrific games to end a great three days where 115 matches were contested – all streamed live on the Volleyball England YouTube Channel.  England drew first blood in the finals fight as London-based Alice Jagielska and Molly Quinn overcame Tiri Skojld and Maren Våge in straight sets The home pair had lost to the Norwegians in the pool stages in three sets but played the windy conditions superbly to run out convincing straight sets winners “We came across Norway earlier in the tournament and lost 2-1 so to come back and win this time was great,” said Jagielska.  Quinn added: “I think the key for us today with the wind picking up was to keep the ball low and have a bit more control.”  England tasted another victory in the Men’s U18 category where the little and large combination of Bailey Harsum and Lewis Bunton won out against Norwegians Mathias Smørholm and David Stenberg.  With Harsum blocking with authority and Bunton buzzing around the backcourt they were able to maintain their unbeaten record throughout the three days – dropping just one set in the process – to run out 21-19 “We were out of our comfort zone (with the tricky conditions) so it was very pleasing to come through in the end,” said Harsum.  Bunton added: “We’re very proud to stay unbeaten especially as this is our first tournament together and we’re looking forward to playing in the CEV (in July).  it was one back for Norway in the Women’s U20 final as Tale Fosseli and Solveig Sunde turned the tables on their previously beaten English opponents who had defeated them in the pool stages.  Back in Tuesday’s first game for both pairs Maia Darling and Anja Erminio had won in straight sets but this time it was the Scandinavians who prevailed in two “We hadn’t played together before we knew about this Championships and we had only played together for about four weeks in total but it looks like it paid off!” said Sunde.  Fosseli added: “We knew more about the game our opponents would be playing this time and also we played better.”  And the talented duo of Jonah Kjemperud and Eskil Engås followed suit to make it another win for the Norwegians as they powered to a 21-17 The visiting team had to call a medical timeout at 5-5 in the second set but did not let that affect them as their all-round excellence still saw them finish the week unbeaten.  but we managed to play smart and we’re happy with the win in the end,” said Engås Kjemperud added: “They were a hard team to play against so we were delighted to get the win.”  the bronze medal matches had seen some terrific volleyball played and Iceland were rewarded for their excellent efforts over the three days of competition with a bronze medal for Heba Stefánsdóttir and Helena Einarsdóttir.  They claimed a place on the third step of the podium with a 21-14 21-10 success in the Women’s U20 category after seeing off the challenge of England’s Heidi Bright and Katie Touhey.  The Women’s U18 bronze was secured by Swedish pairing who picked themselves up from semi-final defeat to Quinn and Jagielska to see off England’s Anna Szentessy and Tilly Hutton 21-15 It was an all-England affair in the race for the Men’s U20 bronze and it produced a highly entertaining tussle between Ollie Tuck and George Ruddick and Harry Brett and Thomas Lycett.  able to edge to the first set 23-21 and that gave them the momentum to take the second more comfortably by a 21-13 margin.  it was Josh Sturland and Stuart Perry who came through a three-setter 21-16 15-10 against Maks Makowski and Josh Cosgrove.  was delighted with the way the competition ran overall and said: “I would like to than East Riding of Yorkshire Council for their superb support of the event both financial and in terms of infrastructure as well as providing a fantastic beach for us.  “I would like to say a big thank you to Skyball Volleyball Club who have done a great job of maintaining this facility and have provided a great team of volunteers who have made a brilliant contribution.  volunteers and Volleyball England staff for their efforts It’s great to see players here from seven different federations and we’d like to thank them all for sending teams to play.”  Click here to view the final standings.  Watch all the matches back on the Volleyball England YouTube Channel by clicking here NVL Divisional Winners and MVPs were recognised for their excellence during the 2024-25 season on Sunday at a presentation held on Sunday as part of Cup Finals Weekend Metrics details To determine the nature of intraocular lens (IOL) surface abnormalities seen after the injection of hydrophilic acrylic lenses (Rayner C-flex™ 570C) through their accompanying pre-packaged disposable injectors Hexagonal and round nozzle injectors from the same lens manufacturer were compared A series of lenses were injected into a petri dish using two different manufacturer-supplied disposable injectors and IOL were subsequently examined by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for defects eight out of nine lenses had linear surface abnormalities along the posterior surface of the IOL in the direction of injection These abnormalities appeared to be scratches on the surface of the IOL and there were no corresponding defects on the nozzle with an oval nozzle and a larger compressible plunger eliminated the vast majority of these surface abnormalities Manufacturer-supplied hexagonal nozzle injectors produce linear scratches on the posterior surface of the IOL These scratches did not disappear with time in vivo we describe our experiences with the Rayner C-flex™ 570C hydrophilic acrylic lens and disposable injector system Rayner packaged their IOL with a disposable injector that had a hexagon-shaped nozzle and a hard plunger Rayner packaged the same lens with a redesigned injector that had an oval-shaped nozzle and a soft-tipped plunger we had noted three recurring problems with the original hexagonal injector: haptic fractures These problems seemed to virtually disappear when we began using the new oval injector To determine the origin and nature of these injector-related problems we injected a series of lenses through both injectors and looked at the lenses and injectors using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) The Rayner C-flex 570C is a single-piece lens with a closed loop It is a hydrophilic acrylic copolymer of 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linking agent It is supplied in a 0.9% saline solution in a pouched blister pack Identical in-vitro experiments were conducted using the two injector designs Nine IOLs were selected for each injector: three of high power (28-30D) The lenses were loaded into the injectors according to the manufacturer's instructions although differing quantities of Healon (1% sodium hyaluronate AMO) were used to see whether this could influence the outcome The nozzle and loading chamber were lined with scarce according to the manufacturer's instructions into a petri dish containing balanced salt solution The injector nozzle and lens were then inspected under the operating microscope for defects (40 × magnification) Each lens with its corresponding injector was subsequently sent to the SEM department for analysis For scanning microscopy the plunger and nozzle of each injector were removed with a razor blade and plunger were then rinsed in several changes of distilled water to remove all traces of Healon and saline mounted on aluminium stubs with double-sided sticky tabs (TAAB) coated with gold using an SC500 (EMScope) sputter coater before being examined and photographed using a Philips 501 scanning electron microscope After scanning the posterior surface of the lens and the anterior surface was gold coated and scanned in a similar manner Scanning electron micrographs of the old hexagonal nozzle (a) and plunger (b) showing how much space there is between components (c) The new oval nozzle (d) and soft compressible plunger (e) are a tighter fit (f) Scanning electron micrographs of debris found in fluid taken from blister packs at low (a) and high power (b c) showing a mixture of irregular sheets (b) and fibrils (c) Scanning electron micrographs of IOLs showing linear posterior surface abnormalities at low power (a and b) At high power the surface of the lens can be seen to break up into fine wavy filaments (c) which break off to form foreign bodies (e) Some IOLs had linear surface impression (g) which at high power is actually a wrinkling of the surface (h) Scanning electron micrograph of a hexagonal nozzle (a) that has a deep gouge at the tip that can be seen clearly at high power (b) When the newer injector with its oval-shaped nozzle and larger compressible soft-tipped plunger was used, only one of the nine lenses was thought to have a visible surface abnormality under the operating microscope. Scanning electron microscopy, however, revealed the three lenses to have very minor surface abnormalities with the occasional wavy filaments similar to Figures 3c All injector nozzles and plungers were free from defects or fractures both before and after injection as judged using the operating microscope and SEM Intraocular lens design and technology are continually evolving and are driven by the competitive quest for the perfect lens implant and injection system comes a unique set of technical idiosyncrasies that need to be mastered to minimise patient risk through IOL damage Given that we are now operating on younger patients with higher visual expectations and longer life expectancies it is our professional responsibility to be vigilant when using new devices a 3-month prospective audit identified a number of recurring problems the most common of which were IOL surface abnormalities In an attempt to determine the nature and origin of these problems we conducted this in vitro experiment Our clinical impression with this new injector is that the incidence of haptic fractures is reduced surface onlays (something pressed onto the surface) We wanted to determine exactly what these abnormalities were We compare this with the decorative curling of ribbon Consistent with these defects being IOL material light and scanning electron microscopy of all plungers and nozzles showed no evidence of damage from injection Anterior segment photographs of IOL surface abnormalities (a and b) and an IOL foreign body (c) 3 months after surgery X-ray microanalysis of debris from the blister packs showed it to be composed of carbon An alternative explanation for the foreign bodies detected during our clinical practice was that the injection process might have liberated material from the IOL or injector This study suggests that the origin is most likely from the lens surface in-vitro studies have shown how using the Rayner C-flex 570C lens with the older hexagonal injector resulted in broken haptics This occurred without damage to the injector nozzle or plunger The fractured haptics may in part be because of the plunger overriding the haptic whereas the surface defects appear to represent scratches to the IOL caused by the hexagonal injector nozzle Switching to the new oval injector with soft plunger prevented IOL damage This study presents a strong case for the importance and power of clinical observation and audit in identifying problems and taking effective investigative action to reduce risk and improve the clinical outcomes Comparison of the effects of viscoelastic agents on clinical properties of the unfolder lens injection system J Cataract Refract Surg 1999; 25 (7): 953–958 Irregularities on the surface of single-piece AcrySof SA60AT intraocular lenses J Cataract Refract Surg 2006; 32 (3): 495–498 Alterations to the AcrySof intraocular lens during folding J Cataract Refract Surg 1996; 22 (Suppl 2): 1351–1354 Forceps-induced scratching of a foldable acrylic intraocular lens Scanning electron microscopic study of 12 lenses of two types of soft acrylic intraocular lenses Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 2001; 218 (10): 682–687 Cartridge cracks during foldable intraocular lens insertion J Cataract Refract Surg 1998; 24 (9): 1220–1222 Acrylic IOL implantation with the Monarch II injector Linear deposits on the surfaces of intraocular lenses implanted through a hexagonal cartridge which mimic scratches/cracks on the lenses Cracked cartridges during foldable intraocular lens implantation J Cataract Refract Surg 1996; 22 (5): 630–632 Surface abnormalities on hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses implanted by an injector J Cataract Refract Surg 2001; 27 (6): 845–849 Plastic exfoliations from the cartridge after implantation of a hydrophilic acrylic lens without viscoelastic material Folding procedure for acrylic intraocular lenses: effect on optic surfaces and bacterial adhesion J Cataract Refract Surg 2004; 30 (2): 457–463 Inflammatory cell adhesion and surface defects on heparin-surface-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lenses in diabetic patients J Cataract Refract Surg 2001; 27 (2): 239–244 Download references This work was presented in part at UKISCRS Proprietary interests or research funding: None Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Five new KWS wheats have joined the 2023/24 Recommended List (RL) bringing the total number of the company’s wheat varieties on the RL to 13 offering UK growers a range of production and marketing opportunities As an indication of the company’s success in developing wheat varieties to help producers meet the challenges of modern crop production nearly 40% of the wheats harvested in 2023 will be KWS varieties “Our new RL varieties include a top-performing soft Group 4 winter wheat a super clean Group 2 all-rounder plus three spring-sown milling varieties and these join established high-performance varieties “Our varieties span all four production groups be it premium specification Group 1 milling wheats like KWS Zyatt varieties with high untreated yields like Group 2 KWS Extase Group 3 biscuit-making options or outright barn fillers like Group 4 KWS Dawsum.” “All the new wheat varieties are examples of our Sowing for Peak Performance (SPP) thinking which continues to deliver new high performing varieties to help growers meet the challenges of the future with a focus on developing genetics that align with improved sustainability and low carbon objectives.” Group 4 soft variety KWS Zealum has an average yield of 102% in this region which rises to over 106% when drilled before September 25th it is ideally suited to the tough growing conditions from Yorkshire up through Scotland with evaluations by the Scotch Whiskey Research Institute (SWRI) showing it is ideally placed to serve the 400,000 tonne distilling market in that region KWS Zealum has a strong disease package including a 9 for yellow rust a 6 for sprouting resistance and a 7 for Fusarium resistance plus it has Orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance KWS Ultimatum brings the high yield performance growers have come to expect from the KWS Group 2 stable along with excellent grain and field performance achieving an outright yield of 101% and an untreated yield of 93% of controls for the whole of the UK – just behind the gold standard KWS Extase The variety delivers great performance in the second wheat spot where 60% of milling wheats and 40% of wheat overall is grown achieving 102% of controls and it performs equally well on heavy and light soils An excellent disease package includes a 9 for yellow rust and a 6 for brown rust giving it a better combination of rust resistances than similar varieties plus it has Eyespot and Fusarium resistances of 5 and 7 respectively and a 7 for Mildew with the best resistance to sprouting in the breadmaking sector – very important for growers targeting premium specifications and those in tougher microclimates KWS Harsum is a Group 1 variety in the same mould as existing RL variety KWS Ladum whilst KWS Alicium and KWS Lightum are exciting new Group 2 options With one of the best agronomic packages in its class KWS Harsum is the highest yielding spring-sown Group 1 variety on the RL at 102% of control – just fractionally ahead of KWS Ladum and some 7% ahead of the next variety in the class Rated by the UK Flour millers as a Group 1 thanks to its baking performance over the years in trial KWS Harsum’s good protein content is complimented by a high HFN and the best specific weight in the Group 1 spring sector at 78.3 kg/hl Group 2 KWS Alicium couples outstanding yields with fabulous grain quality breadmaking performance and OWBM resistance and represents a new type of genetics for the spring wheat milling sector thanks to its German parentage it’s a real high performer with grain quality to match HFN of 346 and specific weight of 80.3 kg/hl really do set a new benchmark for its class – plus it has a solid agronomic performance with an 8 for mildew resistance and a 7 for Septoria KWS Lightum is another spring-sown Group 2 variety which offers growers high yields and excellent grain Lightum also has OWBM resistance coupled with excellent disease resistance “These new varieties join a portfolio of varieties with a track record of superb results across a range of growing seasons.” Group 2 KWS Extase remains the variety with the highest untreated yield on the RL at 97% of controls underlining its spectacular performance seen in fields across the UK in recent years “It’s got a great agronomic package underpinning that untreated yield but it’s a variety that responds well to inputs and its physical properties make it one of the most reliable wheats out there responding well in a range of growing conditions “Group 4 KWS Dawsum is another SPP variety that we believe will have a great future excellent agronomics and the sort of overall resilience and performance that is needed for success in a more sustainable future “For a start it’s got high outright yield at 104% of control on the latest RL but it also has a high untreated yield at 95% – just 2% behind KWS Extase “This is underpinned by resistance scores of 9 for Yellow rust an 8 for Mildew and a 7 for Brown rust with robust genetics ensuring it delivers its full potential regardless of soil type drilling slot and whether it’s a first or second wheat – plus short stiff straw further adds to its overall resilience.” KWS is one of the world's leading plant breeding companies combining 165 years of heritage with leading edge technology and a commitment to develop and deliver varieties with the best yields physical traits and resistance to abiotic stress Visit our Know How centre for practical farming advice Metrics details We present a case of spontaneous dislocation of a phakic intraocular iris claw (Artisan) lens that resulted in a bullous keratopathy requiring an endothelial graft (a) Right bullous keratopathy with corneal vascularisation (b) Left Artisan lens in situ showing advanced iris atrophy nasally and minimal iris enclavation temporally (c) Right cornea 6 months post endothelial transplant He underwent right endothelial graft surgery A 9-mm disc of posterior lamellar was blunt dissected and inserted through a 5-mm scleral tunnel The patient's own endothelium was not removed A bubble of air was used to attach the donor lenticule to the endothelium at high pressure for 10 min At the last follow-up, 8 months postoperatively, vision in the right eye was 6/9 with a contact lens. Refraction was −12.00/−4.00 × 105. The cornea and graft were clear (Figure 1c) and endothelial cell density was 1353 cells/mm2 this is the first report of a spontaneous dislocation of such a lens necessitating a corneal graft There is little doubt that the late presentation of this patient to ophthalmologists was a significant factor in the degree of endothelial injury sustained Examination of the contralateral eye in this patient shows atrophic anterior iris enclaved between the haptics Surgeons should be aware of this potential devastating complication and should ensure good enclavation at the time of surgery Multicenter study of the Artisan phakic intraocular lens J Cataract Refract Surg 2000; 26 (8): 1163–1171 Traumatic dislocation of an Ophtec Artisan phakic intraocular lens Traumatic dislocation and successful re-enclavation of an Artisan phakic IOL with analysis of the endothelium Download references The authors declare no conflict of interest Download citation Metrics details Anterior segment photographs at presentation, showing (a) an injected left eye with a mixture of large mutton-fat and small granulomatous keratatic precipitates (inset). (b) Koeppe (pupil margin) iris nodules with posterior synechiae. (a) Colour fundus photograph of the left eye at presentation showing retinal vasculitis and disc neovascularisation Fluorescein angiograms during (b) early and (c) late venous phase (d) Colour fundus photograph of right eye showing the development of disc swelling 1 month after presentation Fundus photographs of right (e) and left eyes (f) 2 months after left intraocular steroids the neovascularisation and disc swelling have resolved and the first to describe disc vascularisation Granulomatous disease in common variable immunodeficiency Ann Intern Med 1997; 127 (8 Pt 1): 613–617 Uveitis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency Bilateral granulomatous uveitis in association with common variable immunodeficiency Retinal vasculitis occurring with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome Download references Download citation ​The England squads for the upcoming CEV European Beach Championships and NEVZA Beach Championships 2024 The NEVZA U18 and U20 tournaments will take place at Bridlington between 25th and 27th June.  The CEV U18 tournament will be staged in Kachreti while the CEV U20 tournament will be hosted in Myslowice Please note that all NEVZA selected players are reserve players for the CEV Championships.  All reserve players and those not selected will receive feedback in due course.  The next training camps will be staged on 15th June (girls) and 16th June (boys).  (Reserve Players – Harry Hebbard and Ben Sanders)  Daniella Tchandeu and Krystina Ngatcha  Metrics details We report a case of a patient who 4 weeks after uneventful phacoemulsification The intraocular lens was noted to be reversed Repositioning of the lens into the bag at the slit lamp lead to resolution of the pupillary block with no further recurrence A 68-year-old man with diabetes and end-stage renal failure underwent routine left phacoemulsification in March 2007 with +22.0 dioptre AcrySof MA60AC lens implantation in the capsular bag (three-piece polypropylene haptics posteriorly vaulted 10°) Four weeks postoperatively he could see 6/9 unaided and underwent dilated fundal examination At 0500 hours the following morning he woke with a severe pain in his left eye but did not present to the eye unit until 2000 hours (a) The optic of the intraocular lens (IOL) is anterior to the pupil with peaking of the pupil at 10 and 4 O'clock where the blue haptics of the lens are visible (arrows) The insertion of the haptics with the lens indicates that the lens is reversed (b) A photograph of the AcrySof MA60AC IOL showing the correct orientation The patient was managed with oral and topical hypotensive agents dilated with cyclopentolate and phenylephrine and the cornea was too oedematous for a YAG laser iridotomy there was no provision for out of hours operating The IOL was therefore relocated into the capsular bag at the slit lamp with topical anaesthesia using a nasolacrimal canula attached to a syringe filled with normal saline Normal intraocular pressure was restored immediately after which the patient had two trial dilations facilitating ocular access at the slit lamp thereby minimising risk to the IOL or ocular structures should there be unexpected movement An alternative approach could be to use a small gauge needle to reposition the IOL into the bag or even to flip the IOL in an operating theatre to the correct orientation The authors suspect that given time capsular fibrosis prevented further dislocation of the IOL In the absence of operating facilities repositioning of the IOL at a slit lamp is a feasible alternative which can be carried out to relieve pseudophakic pupil block Delayed pupillary capture and noninvasive repositioning of a posterior chamber intraocular lens after pupil dilation J Cataract Refract Surg 2002; 28 (10): 1876–1879 Pupillary block after pupillary capture of an AcrySof intraocular lens J Cataract Refract Surg 1998; 24 (9): 1271–1274 Acrysof pupillary capture without pupillary block J Cataract Refract Surg 2003; 29 (7): 1250 Pseudophakic pupillary block caused by pupillary capture after phacoemulsification and in-the-bag AcrySof lens implantation J Cataract Refract Surg 2002; 28 (7): 1291–1292 Pupillary block following posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in adults Download references Download citation