Qualitative easing and risk transfer from corporations to central banks

When economies face deflation and de-growth, Central Banks can only activate unconventional monetary policies.Quantitative easing inflates the Central Bank balance sheet, printing money and adding liquidity to the system while qualitative easing modifies the asset composition. With qualitative easing, Central Banks absorb the risk, flattening the yield curve. Consequences for banks and corporate borrowers may be substantial.Both measures increase inflation and reduce borrowing risk premiums, with an impact on company’s balance sheet, widening economic and financial margins and decreasing the real value of debt. Corporate governance implications concern credit risk pooling, as well as (de)leverage, asset substitution and duration risk.This paper provides unprecedented analysis of the impact of ECB unconventional monetary policy on Euro-zone governance equilibriums.

De Ortega a Zambrano: Las huellas de un maestro

Intentamos desentranar en la obra de Maria Zambrano algunas de las huellas dejadas por su maestro Jose Ortega y Gasset, importantes en la construccion del eje de su filosofar, cual es la razon poetica. Para tal fin acudimos a las obras Horizonte del liberalismo, Hacia un saber sobre el alma, y Delirio y destino, entre otros; textos que aportan claves al momento de intentar comprender los elementos sustantivos que acompanaron a la filosofa, en su transito de la razon vital a la razon poetica.

Volaemic resuscitation in critical patients with severe haemorrhagic shock. Complications due to impaired microvascular system andischaemia/reperfusion syndrome: A Case Report

Severe trauma is one of the most common causes of death all around the world. Complications of haemorrhagic shock, such as coagulopathy, hypothermia and metabolic acidosis, form the lethal triad in trauma. In this case report we present a male patient admitted with severe haemorrhagic shock – haemoglobin (Hb) 5.6 mg/dL, arterial pressure (AP) 60/53 mmHg, heart beat (HB) 140 bpm, hypothermia (35 0 C), lactic acidosis pH 7.21, lactates (Lac) 3.9 mmol/L, excess bases BE(E) – 12.8 mmol/L. Volume resuscitation was started in the emergency department (ED), and continued in the operating room (OR). Fluid resuscitation was guided taking into account a number of factors, such as maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, protecting the microcirculation, avoidance of ischaemia / reperfusion syndrome, minimization and inhibition of free radical synthesis, responsible for oxidative stress, by administration of high doses of antioxidants. During Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, the patient developed severe left lower limb ischaemia. After clinical and laboratory investigations, it was decided to perform a femoral-popliteal bypass. Failure of the bypass resulted in amputation of the left lower limb. The patient was discharged from ICU after 27 days of intensive therapy and nursing. In conclusion, we can affirm that the adjustment of fluid management, as well as administration of substances with antioxidant properties, improved the clinical status of the patient and chance of survival.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Species in a cardiac surgical intensive care unit

Objective. Multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, in particular when Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is involved, have become a relevant problem in both general and specialized intensive care units. The aim of this study was to identify the epidemiology of MRSA infections in a Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit, to assess their impact on mortality and to identify predictors of MRSA infection and mortality in this population. Design and settings. A 7-year observational study in a cardiac surgery teaching center. Participants. Eight thousand, one hundred and sixty-two microbiological samples were obtained from 7,313 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in the study period. Interventions. None. Variables of interest and main results. Twenty-eight patients (0.38%) had MRSA infection. The most frequent site of MRSA isolation was from bronchoalveolar samples. Hospital mortality was 50% in patients with MRSA infection and 2% in patients without MRSA infection (p<0.001). Few preoperative independent predictors of MRSA infection and hospital mortality were found at multivariate analysis. Outcomes were found to be most influenced by perioperative variables. MRSA infection was the strongest predictor of mortality, with an odds ratio of 20.5 (95% CI 4.143101.626). Conclusions. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections following cardiac surgery still have a strong impact on the patients’ outcome. More efforts should be directed toward the development of new risk analysis models that might implement health care practices and might become precious instruments for infection prevention and control.

Continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation training compared to single training by laypersons

Background. Compression-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(COCPR) has been broadly studied during the last few years and specially introduced into lay rescuers’ training. The aim of the study was to compare the quality of COCPR performed by laypersons (Group A) who attended a single cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course, and those (Group B) who underwent regular CPR training every 6 months.Methods. Both groups completed the “Heartsaver CPR AED” course of the American Heart Association. After 30 minutes they were required to perform COCPR on a manikin with a skills reporter system.Results. Comparing the 76 once only trained laypersons to the 74 continuously trained lay rescuers, we found that average age (20 versus 40 years old), male gender (54% versus 93%), body mass index (BMI)(24.9 versus 27.3 kg/m2) and regular physical exercise (55% versus 36%) proved significant predictors, p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01 and p=0.04 respectively. Regarding COCPR-quality, the percentage of efficient chest compressions (43% versus 58%), average depth of compression (45 versus 50 mm) and percentage of error-free compressions (36% versus 50%) indicated a significant statistical difference, with p=0.01, p=0.01 and p<0.01 respectively. However, the average frequency of compressions per minute (121 versus 124), the percentage of correct hand positioning during chest compressions (87% versus 90%) and the average duty cycle (47% versus 45%) did not display a significant difference.Conclusion. The continuous CPR training group obtained better results regarding quality of chest compressions when compared with single CPR training.

Construcción de un equipo para desgaste abrasivo según norma ASTM G–65

El acoso escolar

Este reporte de investigacion bibliografica tiene como objetivo presentar un analisis teorico, alrededor del tema acoso escolar. La exploracion se hace con la intencion de mostrar al lector el resultado de la revision en torno a interrogantes como ?que es el acoso escolar o bullying?, ?cuales son sus posibles causas?, ?como se manifiesta en sus protagonistas?, ?cuales son las modalidades y tipos de acoso escolar? y ?que consecuencias se presentan tras la aparicion de este fenomeno? . El proceso de recoleccion de informacion se ejecuto en dos fases. En la primera, las categorias empleadas de manera deductiva, fueron las palabras clave acoso escolar, bullying, causas, consecuencias, escuela, que llevaron a la seleccion de 83 documentos y articulos procedentes de diferentes bases de datos. En la segunda fase el proceso de seleccion se realizo de manera inductiva, utilizando las categorias construidas a partir del analisis de los resumenes de la primera fase, seleccionando para ello un total de 55 documentos que orientaron la construccion general del texto. Desde esta perspectiva el articulo recoge diferentes posturas teorico-conceptuales orientadas a establecer una mirada global del fenomeno que afecta la calidad de vida de los sujetos implicados y los procesos de ensenanza - aprendizaje que se desarrollan en los contextos educativos.

Genital Skin Diseases and Their Expression in Sexual Functionality

Gay-Related Smartphone Applications: Potential and Risk- A Review of the Medical Literature in the Field

Sexual Dysfunctions in Psoriatic Patients