Ingestion Of Polydextrose Increase The Iron Absorption In Rats Submitted To Partial Gastrectomy.

To investigate whether polydextrose stimulates iron absorption in rats submitted to partial gastrectomy and sham operated. The rats were submitted to partial gastrectomy (Billroth II) or laparotomy (sham-operated control), in groups of 20 and 20 each respectively. The animals were fed with a control diet (AIN-93M) without polydextrose or a diet containing polydextrose (50g/Kg of diet) for eight weeks. They were divided into four subgroups: sham-operated and Billroth II gastrectomy and with or without polydextrose. Two animals died during the experiment. All rats submitted to gastrectomy received B-12 vitamin (intramuscular) each two weeks. The hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration were measured at the start and on day 30 and 56 after the beginning of the experimental period. At the end of the study, the blood was collected for determination of serum iron concentration. The diet with polydextrose reduced the excretion of iron. Apparent iron absorption was higher in the polydextrose fed groups than in the control group. The haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration were lower after Billroth II gastrectomy rats fed the control diet as compared to the polydextrose diet groups. Polydextrose increase iron absorption and prevents postgastrectomy anemia.25518-2

Análise de curvas epidêmicas da Covid-19 via modelos generalizados de crescimento: Estudo de caso para as cidades de Recife e Teresina

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the biggest public health crises the world has ever faced. In this context, it is important to have effective models to describe the different stages of the epidemic’s evolution in order to guide the authorities in taking appropriate measures to fight the disease. Objective: To present an analysis of epidemic curves of Covid-19 based on phenomenological growth models, with applications to the curves for the cumulative numbers of confirmed cases of infection by the novel coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) and deaths attributed to the disease (Covid-19) caused by the virus, for the Brazilian cities of Recife and Teresina. Methods: The Richards generalized model and the generalized growth model were used to make the numerical fits of the respective empirical curves. Results: The models used described very well the empirical curves against which they were tested. In particular, the generalized Richards model was able to identify the appearance of the inflexion point in the cumulative curves, which in turn represents the peak of the respective daily curves. A brief discussion is also presented on the relationship between the fitting parameters obtained from the model and the mitigation measures adopted in each of the municipalities considered. Conclusions: The generalized Richards model proved to be very effective in describing epidemic curves of Covid-19 and estimating important epidemiological parameters, such as the time of the peak of the curve for daily cases and deaths, thus allowing a practical and efficient monitoring of the epidemic evolution.Introdução: A pandemia da Covid-19 é uma das maiores crises de saúde pública que o mundo já enfrentou. Nesse contexto, é importante ter modelos eficazes para descrever os diferentes estágios da evolução da epidemia, a fim de orientar as autoridades competen- tes na adoção de políticas públicas para o enfrentamento da mesma. Objetivo: Apresentar uma análise de curvas epidêmicas com base em modelos fenomenológicos de crescimento, tomando como exemplo as curvas acumuladas de casos confirmados de infecção pelo novo coronavírus (Sars-Cov-2) e de óbitos atribuídos à doença (Covid-19) causada pelo vírus, para as cidades do Recife e Teresina. Métodos: Foram utilizados o modelo generalizado de Richards e o modelo de crescimento generalizado para fazer o ajuste numérico das respectivas curvas empíricas. Resultados: Verificou-se que os modelos utilizados descrevem muito bem as curvas empíricas em que foram testados. Em particular, o modelo generalizado de Richards é capaz de identificar com razoável confiabilidade o surgimento do ponto de infle- xão nas curvas acumuladas, o qual corresponde ao ponto de máximo das respectivas curvas diárias. Apresenta-se ainda uma breve discussão sobre a relação entre os parâmetros obtidos no ajuste do modelo e as medidas de mitigação adotadas para retardar a propagação da Covid-19 em cada um dos municípios considerados. Conclusões: O modelo generalizado de Richards mostrou-se bastante eficaz para descrever curvas epidêmicas da Covid-19 e es- timar parâmetros epidemiológicos importantes, como o pico das curvas de casos e óbitos diários, permitindo assim realizar de modo prático e eficiente o monitoramento da evolução da epidemia

Situação da Epidemia de Covid-19 no Brasil em Agosto de 2020: Maioria do Estados do Norte-Nordeste em Saturação e Estados do Sul em Aceleração ou Leve Desaceleração

In this Technical Note we analyze the cumulative curves of deaths attributed to Covid-19 in the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District until August 21, 2020. Mathematical growth models implemented by the ModInterv Covid-19 application, which can be accessed via internet browser or via a mobile app available at the Google Play Store, were used to investigate at which stage the epidemic is in each of these entities of the Federation. The analysis revealed that almost all states in the Northern and Northeastern regions are in the saturation phase, when the epidemic is relatively under control, while in all Southern states and in most states in the Midwest the epidemic is still accelerating or shows only a slight deceleration. The Southeastern region presents a great diversity of epidemic stages, with each state at a different stage, ranging from acceleration to saturation.Nesta Nota Técnica nós analisamos as curvas acumuladas de mortes atribuídas à Covid-19 nos 26 estados e Distrito Federal até o dia 21 de agosto de 2020. Foram utilizados modelos matemáticos de crescimento implementados pelo aplicativo ModInterv Covid-19, que pode ser acessado via internet (http://fisica.ufpr.br/modinterv) ou através de aplicativo para celular disponível na Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tanxe.covid_19), para investigar em qual fase da epidemia cada um dessas unidades da federação se encontra. A análise revelou que quase todos os estados das Regiões Norte e Nordeste encontram-se em uma fase de saturação, quando a epidemia está relativamente sob controle, ao passo que em todos os estados do Sul e a maioria dos estados do Centro-Oeste a epidemia ainda está em aceleração ou apresenta apenas uma leve desaceleração. A Região Sudeste apresenta uma grande diversidade de estágios da epidemia, com cada estado em um estágio diferente, indo de acelerado à saturação

PANORAMA DA COVID-19 NO NORDESTE BRASILEIRO: ANÁLISES E PREVISÕES VIA MODELOS DE CRESCIMENTO

The Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), is one of the gravest public health crises the world has ever faced. In this context, it is important to have effective models to describe the different stages of the epidemic, in order to offer guidance to the competent authorities regarding the adoption of public policies to contain and control the pandemic. In this work, we present a novel method to analyze epidemic curves based on growth models, using as examples the cumulative curves of deaths attributed to Covid-19 for the states of the Northeastern Region of Brazil. Depending on the case, the q-exponential model, the Richards model or the generalized Richards model were used to make the numerical fits of the respective empirical curves. The models used here describe very well the empirical curves of all the Northeastern Brazilian States, thus allowing a more precise diagnosis of the stage of the epidemic in each of the States.  Among them, only the state of Paraíba is still in the early growth phase, when the epidemic curve does not yet have an inflexion point, being in this case better described by the q-exponential model.  The other states were better described either by the Richards model or by its generalized version. The Richards model, in particular, was able to identify with reasonable reliability the emergence of the inflexion point for states that only recently have reached this stage of the epidemic, such as Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. This model is also able to predict when the inflection is about to occur, as is the case in Bahia. The generalized Richards model, in turn, has proved more appropriate to describe epidemic curves in states that are in a more developed phase of the epidemic, such as Ceará and Pernambuco, when the epidemic curves already show a more consolidated trend of saturation toward the plateau.A pandemia da Covid-19, causada pelo novo coronavírus (SARS-CoV-2), é uma das maiores crises de saúde pública que o mundo já enfrentou. Nesse contexto, é importante ter modelos eficazes para descrever os diferentes estágios da evolução da epidemia, a fim de orientar as autoridades competentes na adoção de políticas públicas para o enfrentamento e controle da pandemia. No presente trabalho, nós propomos um novo método de análise de curvas epidêmicas com base na seleção criteriosa de modelos de crescimento, tomando como exemplo as curvas acumuladas de óbitos atribuídos à Covid-19 para os estados da região Nordeste do Brasil. A depender do caso, foram utilizados o modelo q-exponencial, o modelo de Richards ou o modelo generalizado de Richards para fazer o ajuste numérico das respectivas curvas empíricas. Verificou-se que os modelos utilizados descrevem muito bem as curvas empíricas de todos os estados do Nordeste, permitindo assim diagnosticar mais precisamente o estágio da epidemia em cada um dos estados. Dentre eles, apenas o estado da Paraíba ainda encontra-se na fase inicial de crescimento, quando a curva epidêmica ainda não apresenta um ponto de inflexão, sendo nesse caso melhor descrita pelo modelo q-exponencial. Os demais estados foram mais bem descritos ou pelo modelo de Richards ou por sua versão generalizada. O modelo de Richards, em particular, foi capaz de identificar com razoável confiabilidade o surgimento do ponto de inflexão para os estados que só recentemente alcançaram esse estágio da epidemia, como foi o caso do Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte e Sergipe. Esse modelo também é capaz de prever quando a inflexão está prestes a acontecer, como é o caso da Bahia. O modelo generalizado de Richards, por sua vez, mostrou-se mais apropriado para descrever curvas epidêmicas de estados que estão em uma fase mais desenvolvida da epidemia, como Ceará e Pernambuco, quando as curvas epidêmicas já apresentam uma tendência mais consolidada de saturação em direção ao platô

Recife e Belém são atualmente as únicas capitais que já estão na fase de saturação da Covid-19 no Brasil

In this technical note we analyze the accumulated fatality curves attributed to Covid-19 in the 27 Brazilian state capitals until July 19, 2020. We employed three mathematical growth models to assess at which stage of the epidemic each of these cities is at. These models were implemented in the Modinterv Covid-19 application, developed by the Federal Universities of Paraná, Pernambuco and Sergipe, which can be accessed through the <http://fisica.ufpr.br/modinterv> page. The analysis reveals that only Recife and Belém appear to have reached the saturation phase of the epidemic, when the accumulated fatality curve begins to approach the plateau. Among the other capitals, eight are still in the initial phase of rapid growth and seventeen are in the intermediate phase, when the epidemic curve has already passed through the inflection point but is still relatively far from the plateau.Nessa nota técnica analisamos as curvas acumuladas de mortes atribuídas à Covid-19 nas 27 capitais brasileiras até o dia 19 de julho de 2020. Empregamos três modelos matemáticos de crescimento para avaliar em que fase da epidemia encontra-se cada uma dessas cidades. Esses modelos  foram implementados  no aplicativo Modinterv Covid-19, desenvolvido pelas Universidades Federais do Paraná, Pernambuco e Sergipe, o qual pode ser acessado através da página http://fisica.ufpr.br/modinterv. A análise revela que apenas Recife e Belém aparentam ter atingido a fase de saturação da epidemia, quando a curva acumulada de morte começa a se aproximar do platô. Entre as demais capitais, oito ainda estão na fase inicial de crescimento rápido e dezessete estão na fase intermediária, quando a curva epidêmica já passou pelo ponto de inflexão mas ainda está relativamente distante do platô

A purine metabolic checkpoint that prevents autoimmunity and autoinflammation.

Still's disease, the paradigm of autoinflammation-cum-autoimmunity, predisposes for a cytokine storm with excessive T lymphocyte activation upon viral infection. Loss of function of the purine nucleoside enzyme FAMIN is the sole known cause for monogenic Still's disease. Here we discovered that a FAMIN-enabled purine metabolon in dendritic cells (DCs) restrains CD4+ and CD8+ T cell priming. DCs with absent FAMIN activity prime for enhanced antigen-specific cytotoxicity, IFNγ secretion, and T cell expansion, resulting in excessive influenza A virus-specific responses. Enhanced priming is already manifest with hypomorphic FAMIN-I254V, for which ∼6% of mankind is homozygous. FAMIN controls membrane trafficking and restrains antigen presentation in an NADH/NAD+-dependent manner by balancing flux through adenine-guanine nucleotide interconversion cycles. FAMIN additionally converts hypoxanthine into inosine, which DCs release to dampen T cell activation. Compromised FAMIN consequently enhances immunosurveillance of syngeneic tumors. FAMIN is a biochemical checkpoint that protects against excessive antiviral T cell responses, autoimmunity, and autoinflammation

FAMIN is a multifunctional purine enzyme enabling the purine nucleotide cycle

Mutations in FAMIN cause arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease in early childhood, and a common genetic variant increases risk for Crohn’s disease and leprosy. We developed an unbiased liquid chromatography mass spectrometry screen for enzymatic activity of this orphan protein. We report that FAMIN phosphorolytically cleaves adenosine into adenine and ribose-1-phosphate. Such activity was considered absent from eukaryotic metabolism. FAMIN and its prokaryotic paralogues additionally have adenosine deaminase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, and S-methyl-5'-thioadenosine phosphorylase activity, hence combine activities of the namesake enzymes of central purine metabolism. FAMIN enables in macrophages a purine nucleotide cycle (PNC) between adenosine and inosine monophosphate and adenylosuccinate, which consumes aspartate and releases fumarate in a manner involving fatty acid oxidation and ATP-citrate lyase activity. This macrophage PNC synchronises mitochondrial activity with glycolysis by balancing electron transfer to mitochondria, thereby supporting glycolytic activity and promoting oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial H+ and phosphate recycling.Includes ERC. Wellcome Trust and MRC

The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected