Resumo Introdução: O artigo avalia a associação entre fatores políticos e institucionais e a capacidade do presidente Lugo aprovar as suas iniciativas legislativas, desagregando a análise por temas de política doméstica e política externa. O objetivo é averiguar, no marco de um presidencialismo multipartidário, a hipótese da maior propensão do Congresso Nacional em aprovar as iniciativas presidenciais em política externa quando comparadas às de política doméstica. Materiais e Métodos: A análise empírica engloba a tramitação de todas as 839 iniciativas presidenciais realizadas entre 2008 e 2012, cujo objeto de investigação é a aprovação ou não da proposta. Resultados: Por meio de um modelo logístico, encontramos um presidente fortemente constrangido pelo Legislativo nos assuntos domésticos e outro presidente com amplas condições de aprovar a agenda de política externa. Ademais, constatamos que fatores políticos e econômicos como a aprovação popular do presidente, o desemprego e a inflação alteram a propensão da proposta legislativa presidencial ser aprovada no Legislativo. Discussão: A comprovação da tese dos dois presidentes em um presidencialismo multipartidário com baixa propensão institucional ao predomínio presidencial no processo legislativo demonstra a especificidade da política externa quando comparada à política doméstica.

Abstract Introduction The article assesses the association between political and institutional factors and the capacity of President Lugo to approve his legislative initiatives, disaggregating the analysis by themes of domestic politics and foreign policy. The objective is to investigate, within the framework of a multiparty presidentialism, the hypothesis of the higher likelihood of the National Congress to approve presidential initiatives in foreign policy when compared to those of domestic politics. Materials and Methods The empirical analysis covers all the 839 presidential initiatives carried out between 2008 and 2012. We analyse the approval or rejection of each bill. Results Through a logistic model, we found a president who is strongly constrained by the Legislative in domestic affairs and another with sufficient conditions to approve the foreign policy agenda. Besides, we find that political and economic factors such as popular approval of the president, unemployment and inflation alter the propensity of the legislative initiative of the president to be approved in the Legislative. Discussion The proof of the thesis of the two presidents in a multiparty presidentialism with a low institutional propensity to the predomination of the president in the legislative process demonstrates the specificity of foreign policy when compared to domestic politics.

Social Networking Sites (SNS) and Instant Messaging (IM) applications have become very popular in the last decade. This article aims to investigate to what extent university students make use of SNS and IM in relation with learning and university-related work. In order to do so, a survey was conducted among 115 university students. Results show that answering surveys posted by other students (for their university work), being part of groups created for doing university work or studying and sharing university-related links are some of the education-related activities that students most perform on Facebook. Alongside Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and LinkedIn are the most popular SNS or IM applications when it comes to studying, doing and organizing university-related work. Some differences among male and female students can be inferred from the data though, although it was not the aim of this study to explore such differences and further research would be needed. The paper concludes that university students make good and ample use of SNS and IM applications for education-related purposes and a recommendation for lecturers to adopt these tools is made.

Sera levels of reactive C protein (PCR), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were analyzed in pediatric critical patients. Nineteen children with different infections between 1 and 36 months of age and assisted by the Unit of Intensive Care were evaluated. Samples of whole blood were collected from fasting patients before the administration of pharmacologic therapy and the nutritional intervention. PCR was measured by single radial immunodiffusion technique; both minerals were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and the ratio Cu/Zn was calculated. Data were compared with international reference values for the same range of age. The results expressed as range are: PCR: 0.2-7.0 mg/dL; Cu: 0.4-2,2 µg/mL; Zn: 0.3-2.7 µg/mL; Cu/Zn: 0.3-2.1. Reference Values: PCR: < 0.8 mg/dL; Cu: 0.8-1.5 µg/mL; Zn: 0.65-1.4 µg/ mL Cu/Zn: < 1. Before the administration of pharmacologic therapy and the nutritional intervention, it was observed that 84% of patients showed PCR > 0.8 mg/dL; on the other hand, 63% of the population presented a Cu/Zn ratio higher than 1.0; it has been accepted that ratios higher than 1.0 are compatible with an increase in mortality. These results and previous observations would indicate an altered nutritional status, and stress the need to apply an adequate immunonutritional support, to optimize these patients' treatment.

Se estudiaron 19 niños entre 1 y 36 meses de vida, internados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos (UCIP) del Hospital "Dr. Pedro de Elizalde". Las muestras de sangre fueron extraídas en ayunas, al ingreso en UCIP. Se determinó la concentración de proteína C reactiva (PCR) -por inmunodifusión radial cuantitativa-, cobre (Cu) y zinc (Zn) -por absorción atómica-, calculándose la relación Cu/Zn. Como valores de referencia (VR) se utilizaron los reportados por la bibliografía para el mismo grupo etario. Los resultados expresados como rangos fueron: PCR: 0,2-7,0 mg/dL; Cu: 0,4-2,2 µg/mL; Zn: 0,3-2,7 µg/mL; Cu/Zn: 0,3-2,1. VR: PCR: < 0,8 mg /dL; Cu: 0,8-1,5 µg/mL; Zn: 0,65-1,4 µg/mL; Cu/Zn < 1. Los hallazgos preliminares muestran que el 63% de la población estudiada presenta una relación Cu/Zn > 1 y el 84% PCR > 0,8 mg/dL. Estos resultados, junto a observaciones previas, indican un alterado estado nutricional y señalan la necesidad de implementar un adecuado apoyo inmunonutricional junto a la terapia farmacológica, para optimizar el tratamiento de estos pacientes y lograr una rápida y favorable evolución.