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This article deals with financial education in Brazil, given its relevance for the society's daily life, and considers five actions to further the involvement of public and private agents in financial education programs. In Brazil, this issue hasn't yet received proper attention, mainly due to the limited knowledge and experience of the players involved in financial education. Thus, it is necessary and urgent that the government, the private sector and the third sector promote activities in this area. The article emphasizes the role of basic, secondary and higher education institutions in developing a savings culture and preparing individuals to deal with the instruments offered by the financial system and to answer their own personal demands.

A 46-year-old woman was admitted due to diplopia because of ophthalmoplegia, which improved with corticosteroid therapy. Eight days later, she was admitted with fulminant myocarditis in cardiogenic shock, with severe left ventricular dysfunction and frequent episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. As there was no clinical improvement, an endomyocardial biopsy was performed that revealed inflammatory infiltrate, vasculitis, and PCR positive for cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus B19 and enterovirus. Left ventricular function recovered with heart failure treatment and corticosteroids. Three months later, after progressive withdrawal of prednisolone, there was recurrence of myocarditis and left ventricular dysfunction, which was successfully treated by restarting corticosteroid therapy. One month later she was readmitted with fulminant myocarditis which again responded to steroids. She intermittently presented cutaneous purpura lesions. At this time the provisional diagnosis was vasculitis and she started monthly cycles of cyclophosphamide. Before the second cycle she was admitted with pneumonia and ventricular dysfunction and died.

A 46-year-old woman was admitted due to diplopia because of ophthalmoplegia, which improved with corticosteroid therapy. Eight days later, she was admitted with fulminant myocarditis in cardiogenic shock, with severe left ventricular dysfunction and frequent episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. As there was no clinical improvement, an endomyocardial biopsy was performed that revealed inflammatory infiltrate, vasculitis, and PCR positive for cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus B19 and enterovirus. Left ventricular function recovered with heart failure treatment and corticosteroids. Three months later, after progressive withdrawal of prednisolone, there was recurrence of myocarditis and left ventricular dysfunction, which was successfully treated by restarting corticosteroid therapy. One month later she was readmitted with fulminant myocarditis which again responded to steroids. She intermittently presented cutaneous purpura lesions. At this time the provisional diagnosis was vasculitis and she started monthly cycles of cyclophosphamide. Before the second cycle she was admitted with pneumonia and ventricular dysfunction and died.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. In ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in particular, the question has been raised whether specific characteristics of women confer a worse prognosis. To evaluate the differences in STEMI patients between the genders in cardiovascular risk profile, clinical presentation, therapeutic approach and in-hospital and 6-month mortality rates. We analyzed 1578 patients admitted consecutively with STEMI during a 7-year period (from January 13, 2002 to December 31, 2008). The patients were divided into two groups according to gender, and compared in terms of baseline clinical and demographic characteristics, pre-hospital and in-hospital delay, clinical presentation on admission, reperfusion therapy, severity of coronary disease and in-hospital and 6-month mortality. Of the 1578 patients, 26% were female. Women were older (by 8 years), and had a higher cardiovascular risk profile. On admission, their clinical presentation wa...

Resumo: A problemática desta pesquisa emergiu de um questionamento recorrente sobre crescimento econômico real per capita nos países da África Subsaariana ricos em recursos naturais, a saber: por que países que têm elevadíssimas reservas de petróleo, minérios, diamantes e demais pedras preciosas tendem a ter um crescimento econômico real per capita baixo? A tendência de crescimento econômico inexpressivo dos países ricos em matéria-prima é denominada na literatura econômica por "maldição de recursos" ou Paradoxo da Abundância. Sendo assim, esta pesquisa testa a Hipótese do Paradoxo da Abundância nos países da África subsaariana e discorre sobre indicadores de desenvolvimento econômico. Os testes empíricos, obtidos por meio da aplicação do modelo de threshold para dados em painel, são referentes ao período de 1970 a 2014 e embasam a maioria dos pressupostos da hipótese do paradoxo; entretanto, alguns pressupostos da pesquisa não tiveram validação estatística. Contatou-se que países em que a abundância de recursos impacta negativamente no crescimento econômico são aqueles que negligenciaram o desenvolvimento humano (educação), o investimento em capital fixo e os que apresentam um saldo negativo de Poupança Líquida Ajustada. Os resultados apontam, outrossim, que o impacto dos recursos naturais no crescimento econômico depende, em parte, dos ciclos econômicos das commodities. Palavras-chave: Recursos Naturais. Paradoxo da Abundância. Modelo de threshold. Poupança. Résumé: La problématique de cette recherche émerge de une question récurrent sur la croissance économique réelle per capita dans les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne riches en ressources naturelles, à savoir : pourquoi les pays qui possèdent de très grandes réserves de pétrole, minerais, diamants et autres pierres précieuses tendent-ils à avoir une faible croissance économique réelle per capita ? La tendance à la croissance économique inexpressive des pays riches en matières premières est appelée dans la littérature économique «malédiction des ressources » ou le Paradoxe de l'Abondance. Ceci étant, cette recherche se propose d'examiner l'Hypothèse du Paradoxe de l'Abondance dans les pays de l'Afrique subsaharienne et discuter des indicateurs de croissance réelle per capita. Les tests empiriques, obtenus de la mise en application du modèle de threshold pour les données de panel, font référence à la période allant de 1970 à 2014, et viennent valider la majorité des suppositions de l'Hypothèse du paradoxe; cependant, certaines suppositions sont invalidées statistiquement parlant. Il a été constaté, en outre, que les pays où l'abondance des ressources impacte négativement sur la croissance économique sont ceux qui ont négligé le développement humain (éducation), l'investissement en capital fixe et ces pays qui présentent un solde négatif d'Épargne Nette Ajustée. Les résultats montrent également que l'impact des ressources naturelles sur la croissance économique dépend en partie des cycles économiques des prix des commodities.