An association between depression and altered immune and hormonal systems has been suggested by the results of many studies. In the present study we carried out immune and hormonal measurements in 40 non-medicated, ambulatory adult patients with depression determined by CID-10 criteria and compared with 34 healthy nondepressed subjects. The severity of the condition was determined with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Of 40 depressed patients, 31 had very severe and 9 severe or moderate depression, 29 (72.5%) were females and 11 (27.5%) were males (2.6:1 ratio). The results revealed a significant reduction of albumin and elevation of a-1, a-2 and ß-globulins, and soluble IL-2 receptor in patients with depression compared to the values obtained for nondepressed subjects (P<0.05). The decrease lymphocyte proliferation in response to a mitogen was significantly lower in severely or moderately depressed patients when compared to control (P<0.05). These data confirm the immunological disturbance of acute phase proteins and cellular immune response in patients with depression. Other results may be explained by a variety of interacting factors such as number of patients, age, sex, and the nature, severity and/or duration of depression. Thus, the data obtained should be interpreted with caution and the precise clinical relevance of these findings requires further investigation.
The importance of atmospheric lead in environmental global contamination is receiving increasing scientific attention. The main exposure monitoring approach is biological, but the environmental one has a key role, since the environment is the major source of exposure. The study aimed to identify the contamination sources and potential risk factors of the exposure in a 64 subject group formed by 0-16 years-old children from an economically deprived community in Rio de Janeiro. Lead concentrations in soil, water, dust and air were determined and neurological and carcinogenic risk factors for ingestion and inhalation were calculated. Blood samples were collected and used in the analysis of Pb-B, ALA-D% and ALA-D genotyping. The observed neurological risk factor was 549 times higher than reference dose for dust and 554 times higher in the case of ingestion. The carcinogenic risk factor for ingestion was about 4 times. Mean Pb-B was 5.6 microg/dL and 40% of the children presented Pb-B levels above the 6 microg/dL cutoff value. Mean ALA-D% was 40.3% and a correlation between Pb-B and ALA-D% was observed. ALAD1-2 genotype was identified in 10% of the children. The results will allow the understanding of our reality, supporting public health and environment organizations to carry out control actions and all-encompassing environmental surveillance.
O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o desenvolvimento regulatório do Brasil em matéria de investimento estrangeiro. Em comparação com seus pares, o Brasil por anos gozou da reputação de um rebelde na regulação de investimentos estrangeiro direto (IED). Na década de 90, quando o mundo parecia caminhar pacificamente para regulação de investimento via tratados bilaterais de investimento (TBIs), o Brasil colocou toda a sua rebeldia na resistência a este modelo, sob o argumento de que tal tipo de regulação confrontava dispositivos de sua Constituição. Desafiando o argumento de que TBIs seriam necessários para atrair investimentos, a inexistência deste padrão regulatório não ofuscou o interesse de investidores estrangeiros no país, que se manteve como um dos principais destinatários de IED. Entretanto, mudanças na economia doméstica e internacional alavancaram empresas brasileiras para outros países, principalmente ao sul do continente e na África, fazendo com que os formuladores da politica brasileira de investimentos reelaborassem a estratégia nacional. Neste contexto, um novo modelo regulatório emerge novamente de maneira rebelde, agora não pela negação dos modelos em vigor, mas pela singularidade de seus termos. Este novo modelo dialoga com a chamada crise de legitimidade do regime global de investimentos e promove relações de investimento mais equilibradas e cooperativas. As análises apresentadas no artigo partem de documentos primários (regulação nacional e internacional) e secundários (literatura especializada).
The goal of this article is to contextualize the regulation of investment in Angola and Brazil, contrasting their distinctive approaches during the 1990s and the beginning of the years 2000, and analyzing how their divergent approaches were reconciled with the signature of the ACFI, in the beginning of 2015.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.