Personal Corruption & Corrupting Laws: Montesquieu’s Twofold Theory of Corruption

Traditional views tend to identify the problem of corruption in the dishonesty of public officials. The main purpose of the research is to recover Montesquieu’s view of corruption and show that there are at least two different causes of corrupt behaviors. In The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu distinguishes “two kinds of corruption: one, when the people do not observe the laws, the other when they are corrupted by the laws; the latter is an incurable ill because it lies in the remedy itself.” Recent studies about Montesquieu’s account of corruption do not pay much attention to this distinction

Comparación de distintas estrategias para la predicción de muerte a corto plazo en el paciente anciano infectado

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of a post hoc lactate added to SIRS and qSOFA score to predict 30-day mortality in older non-severely dependent patients attended for infection in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods. We performed an analytical, observational, prospective cohort study including patients of 75 years of age or older, without severe functional dependence, attended for an infectious disease in 69 Spanish ED for 2-day three seasonal periods. Demographic, clinical and analytical data were collected. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality after the index event. Results. We included 739 patients with a mean age of 84.9 (SD 6.0) years; 375 (50.7%) were women. Ninety-one (12.3%) died within 30 days. The AUC was 0.637 (IC 95% 0.587-0.688; p= 2 and 0.698 (IC 95% 0.635- 0.761; p= 2. Comparing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) there was a better accuracy of qSOFA vs SIRS (p=0.041). Both scales improve the prognosis accuracy with lactate inclusion. The AUC was 0.705 (IC95% 0.652-0.758; p<0.001) for SIRS plus lactate and 0.755 (IC95% 0.696-0.814; p<0.001) for qSOFA plus lactate, showing a trend to statistical significance for the second strategy (p=0.0727). Charlson index not added prognosis accuracy to SIRS (p=0.2269) or qSOFA (p=0.2573). Conclusions. Lactate added to SIRS and qSOFA score improve the accuracy of SIRS and qSOFA to predict short-term mortality in older non-severely dependent patients attended for infection. There is not effect in adding Charlson index

Personal Corruption & Corrupting Laws: Montesquieu’s Twofold Theory of Corruption

Traditional views tend to identify the problem of corruption in the dishonesty of public officials. The main purpose of the research is to recover Montesquieu’s view of corruption and show that there are at least two different causes of corrupt behaviors. In The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu distinguishes “two kinds of corruption: one, when the people do not observe the laws, the other when they are corrupted by the laws; the latter is an incurable ill because it lies in the remedy itself.” Recent studies about Montesquieu’s account of corruption do not pay much attention to this distinction

Efeito do acondicionamento térmico ambiental sobre o desempenho reprodutivo da fêmea suína Effect of a system with thermic acondition environment on reproductive efficiency of female swine

O objetivo deste experimento foi avaliar um sistema de acondicionamento térmico artificial para salas de porcas em gestação, em Ponte Nova-MG. Foram utilizadas 95 porcas Cambourough 22® (matriz comercial da Agroceres®), de segundo parto em diante, distribuídas em dois tratamentos. No tratamento 1, foram utilizadas 46 matrizes, submetidas, nos primeiros 35 dias de gestação, a um sistema de acondicionamento térmico artificial com o uso de ventiladores e nebulizadores, acionados automaticamente de acordo com a temperatura do ar (VFN). No tratamento 2, foram utilizadas 49 porcas submetidas, nos primeiros 35 dias de gestação, a um ambiente sem qualquer sistema de acondicionamento térmico artificial (SVFN). Após os 35 dias de gestação, todos os animais receberam o mesmo manejo até o parto. A temperatura média ambiente, para os tratamentos VFN e SVFN, foi de 22,6 e 23,4ºC, respectivamente. Nas horas mais quentes do dia, o sistema de acondicionamento térmico foi eficiente em reduzir a temperatura do ar em 2ºC. Apesar dessa diferença, o VFN não foi eficiente em reduzir a temperatura ambiente para a temperatura de conforto dos animais (18-20ºC); em ambos os tratamentos, os animais apresentaram frequência respiratória elevada. Entretanto, esta foi eficiente na manutenção da temperatura retal, o que significa que as porcas não foram submetidas a uma condição muito severa de estresse por calor, que justificasse a utilização do sistema de acondicionamento empregado. Ainda, para os parâmetros de eficiência reprodutiva, não foi observada diferença entre os tratamentos. Os níveis de progesterona no 6º e 13º dia pós-cobertura estavam dentro da normalidade para a espécie suína. Assim, para a época do outono, na região de Ponte Nova-MG, o sistema de acondicionamento térmico constituído por ventilação e nebulização não incrementou a eficiência reprodutiva.<br>The objetive of this experiment was to evaluate a system of thermal artificial condition for gestation sow housing, at Ponte Nova-MG. A total of 95 Cambourough 22® sows from the second parturition were assigned to two treatments. Forty-six sows of treatment one were submitted, during the first 35 days of gestation, to a system of controlled thermal artificial condition (fans and aspersion) which were automatically turned on according to the air temperature (VFN). In treatment two, during the same period 49 sows of the same variety as the first ones were submitted to any artificial thermal condition (SVFN). From 35 days on of gestation to the parturition, all the animals received the same management. The average room temperature for treatments VFN and SVFN were 22.6ºC and 23.4ºC, respectively. During the hottest hours of the day, this system was efficient to reduce the temperature by 2ºC. In spite of such difference, the system could not reduce the room temperature to an adequate level to these animals (18-21ºC). For this reason the animals showed high breathing frequency in both treatments, but this was capable to maintain the body temperature of the sows. There were no differences on the evaluated parameters of reprodutive efficiency and progesterone levels. That is why the ventilation and nebulization systems during the autumn is not justified since the temperatures at this time of the year is not high enough to take the animals to a stress condition which could directly affect their reproductive performance

Exigências de treonina digestível para leitoas mantidas em ambiente termoneutro dos 15 aos 30 kg Digestible threonine requirement for gilts maintained in thermoneutral environment from 15 to 30 kg

Este estudo foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar as exigências de treonina digestível em rações para leitoas no período de 15 aos 30 kg, mantidas em ambiente termoneutro. Setenta leitoas, mestiças, com peso inicial de 15,1 ± 0,4 kg, foram distribuídas em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos (níveis de treonina digestível), sete repetições e dois animais por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos corresponderam aos níveis de 0,54; 0,58; 0,61; 0,65 e 0,69% de treonina digestível. Os níveis de treonina digestível da ração aumentaram o ganho de peso diário de forma quadrática até o nível de 0,61% e a conversão alimentar até o nível de 0,62%. As deposições de proteína e gordura na carcaça dos animais também se elevaram de forma quadrática, atingindo valor máximo no nível de 0,61%. Constatou-se efeito linear dos tratamentos sobre os pesos absoluto e relativo do intestino. O nível calculado de 0,62% de treonina digestível, correspondente a uma relação com a lisina digestível de 67% e a um consumo diário de 7,11 g, proporcionou melhor desempenho de leitoas mantidas em ambiente termoneutro dos 15 aos 30 kg.<br>This study was carried out to evaluate the requirements of digestible threonine in diets of gilts from 15 to 30kg, maintained in thermoneutral environment. Seventy crossbreed gilts with an initial weight of 15.1 ± 0.4 kg were used in a randomized blocks design, with five treatments (levels of digestible threonine), seven replicates and two animals per experimental unity. The treatments corresponded to the levels of 0.54, 0.58, 0.61, 0.65, e 0.698% of digestible threonine. Digestible threonine levels in the diet increased the daily weight gain in a quadratic way up to the level of 0.61% and the feed:gain ratio up to the level of 0.62%. Protein and fat deposition rates also increased in a quadratic way reaching maximum value up to the level of 0.61%. A linear effect of the treatments was evidenced on the absolute and relative weights of the intestine. The calculated level of 0.62% of digestible threonine corresponding to a relation with digestible lysine of 67% and a daily intake of 7.11 g, provided better performance of gilts maintained in a thermoneutral environment from 15 to 30 kg

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium report, data summary of 50 countries for 2010-2015: Device-associated module

•We report INICC device-associated module data of 50 countries from 2010-2015.•We collected prospective data from 861,284 patients in 703 ICUs for 3,506,562 days.•DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance were higher in the INICC ICUs than in CDC-NHSN's.•Device utilization ratio in the INICC ICUs was similar to CDC-NHSN's. Background: We report the results of International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2010-December 2015 in 703 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. Methods: During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 861,284 patients hospitalized in INICC hospital ICUs for an aggregate of 3,506,562 days. Results: Although device use in INICC ICUs was similar to that reported from CDC-NHSN ICUs, DA-HAI rates were higher in the INICC ICUs: in the INICC medical-surgical ICUs, the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection, 4.1 per 1,000 central line-days, was nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.8 per 1,000 central line-days reported from comparable US ICUs, the overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher, 13.1 versus 0.9 per 1,000 ventilator-days, as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 5.07 versus 1.7 per 1,000 catheter-days. From blood cultures samples, frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (29.87% vs 10%) and to imipenem (44.3% vs 26.1%), and of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (73.2% vs 28.8%) and to imipenem (43.27% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC ICUs compared with CDC-NHSN ICUs. Conclusions: Although DA-HAIs in INICC ICU patients continue to be higher than the rates reported in CDC-NSHN ICUs representing the developed world, we have observed a significant trend toward the reduction of DA-HAI rates in INICC ICUs as shown in each international report. It is INICC's main goal to continue facilitating education, training, and basic and cost-effective tools and resources, such as standardized forms and an online platform, to tackle this problem effectively and systematically

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p &lt; 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection