Depressed cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with chronic kidney disease

Introduction: A dysfunctional autonomic nervous system (ANS) has also been recognized as an important mechanism contributing to the poor outcome in CKD patients, with several studies reporting a reduction in heart rate variability (HRV). Objective: Evaluate the sympathovagal balance in patients with chronic kidney disease on conservative treatment. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, patients with CKD stages 3, 4 and 5 not yet on dialysis (CKD group) and age-matched healthy subjects (CON group) underwent continuous heart rate recording during two twenty-minute periods in the supine position (pre-inclined), followed by passive postural inclination at 70° (inclined period). Power spectral analysis of the heart rate variability was used to assess the normalized low frequency (LFnu), indicative of sympathetic activity, and the normalized high frequency (HFnu), indicative of parasympathetic activity. The LFnu/HFnu ratio represented sympathovagal balance. Results: After tilting, CKD patients had lower sympathetic activity, higher parasympathetic activity, and lower sympathovagal balance than patients in the CON group. Compared to patients in stage 3, patients in stage 5 had a lower LFnu/HFnu ratio, suggesting a more pronounced impairment of sympathovagal balance as the disease progresses. Conclusion: CKD patients not yet on dialysis have reduced HRV, indicating cardiac autonomic dysfunction early in the course of CKD.

A nova disciplina de sistemas econômicos comparados: uma proposta

The new discipline of comparative economic systems: a proposition. This article offers elements for a reorientation of the subject matter of the discipline " Comparative Economic Systems" with the impact of the fall of the Berlin’s wall. Thus, we argue that in the context of the modern democratic society the political choice between society models occurs in a narrower set of options. Thus the study of pure forms of socialism is of historical interest, but he is not relevant to this discipline since it must prioritize the debate around the choice of compatible alternative models within the rule of law. So the article offers a new program for this discipline, able to describe and to understand the diversity of systems between countries that had opted for mixing market economy.

Conservadorismo e rigidez na política monetária: uma estimativa da função de reação do BCB (2000-2007)

This paper aims at evaluating the conduction of monetary policy after the adoption of inflation targeting. Formation of Selic rate is modeled by estimating a reaction function of the BCB. Results show an excessive degree of interest rate smoothing and a high level of equilibrium interest rate. This evidence supports the belief that Selic rate's formation is ruled by a conservative behavior. The conservative conduction of monetary policy is related to two distinct features of BCB's reaction function: i) the great weight of autoregressive components; and, chiefly, ii) a very high level of the equilibrium interest rate. The main conclusion is that, all remaining unchanged, the interest rate would hardly be reduced in a satisfactory way. Massive and chronic deflation would be needed if Selic were to reach a reasonable level, closer to that of rates in the rest of the world. This evidences the need for a debate on the adequacy of current stabilization strategy.

Teoria da justiça de John Jawls: entre o liberalismo e o comunitarismo

O objetivo do presente artigo é realizar uma análise da teoria da justiça como eqüidade de John Rawls em A Theory of Justice e no Political Liberalism, destacando seu modelo de complementaridade entre o deontológico e o procedimental com o teleológico e substancial, buscando responder algumas das críticas levantadas por autores comunitaristas à teoria rawlsiana de justiça e procurando apontar para suas semelhanças. Parto das críticas dos comunitaristas à teoria da justiça como eqüidade; posteriormente, analiso os aspectos teleológicos contidos em seu modelo deontológico; em seguida, destaco a intrínseca relação entre o procedimental e o substancial; por fim, apresento as respostas às críticas comunitaristas à Rawls, destacando a especificidade de sua concepção de justiça.

Posição original e equilíbrio reflexivo em John Rawls: o problema da justificação

O objetivo deste artigo é estabelecer algumas considerações sobre o papel dos procedimentos de posição original e equilíbrio reflexivo na teoria da justiça como equidade de John Rawls, nas obras A Theory of Justice, Political Liberalism e Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Eu pretendo mostrar que Rawls faz uso de um modelo coerentista-pragmático de justificação dos princípios de justiça em um âmbito público, que é não-fundacionalista em razão da interconexão entre estes procedimentos.