Cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19 patients, a new scenario for an old concern. The fragile balance between infections and autoimmunity

On 7 January 2020, researchers isolated and sequenced in China from patients with severe pneumonitis a novel coronavirus, then called SARS-CoV-2, which rapidly spread worldwide, becoming a global health emergency. Typical manifestations consist of flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, and dyspnea. However, in about 20% of patients, the infection progresses to severe interstitial pneumonia and can induce an uncontrolled host-immune response, leading to a life-threatening condition called cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS represents an emergency scenario of a frequent challenge, which is the complex and interwoven link between infections and autoimmunity. Indeed, treatment of CRS involves the use of both antivirals to control the underlying infection and immunosuppressive agents to dampen the aberrant pro-inflammatory response of the host. Several trials, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of immunosuppressants commonly used in rheumatic diseases, are ongoing in patients with COVID-19 and CRS, some of which are achieving promising results. However, such a use should follow a multidisciplinary approach, be accompanied by close monitoring, be tailored to patient’s clinical and serological features, and be initiated at the right time to reach the best results. Autoimmune patients receiving immunosuppressants could be prone to SARS-CoV-2 infections; however, suspension of the ongoing therapy is contraindicated to avoid disease flares and a consequent increase in the infection risk

Superbubble evolution including the star-forming clouds: Is it possible to reconcile LMC observations with model predictions?

Here we present a possible solution to the apparent discrepancy between the observed properties of LMC bubbles and the standard, constant density bubble model. A two-dimensional model of a wind-driven bubble expanding from a flattened giant molecular cloud is examined. We conclude that the expansion velocities derived from spherically symmetric models are not always applicable to elongated young bubbles seen almost face-on due to the LMC orientation. In addition, an observational test to differentiate between spherical and elongated bubbles seen face-on is discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, accepted to ApJ (September, 1999 issue

Effects of physics beyond the standard model on the neutrino charge radius: an effective Lagrangian approach

In this work, we look for possible new physics effects on the electromagnetic charge and anapole form factors, $f_Q(q^2)$ and $f_A(q^2)$, for a massless Dirac neutrino, when these quantities are calculated in the context of an effective electroweak Yang-Mills theory, which induces the most general $SU_L(2)$--invariant Lorentz tensor structure of nonrenormalizable type for the $WW\gamma$ vertex. It is found that in this context, besides the standard model contribution, the additional contribution to $f_{Q}(q^2)$ and $f_{A}(q^2)$ ($f_{Q}^{O_W}(q^2)$ and $f_{A}^{O_W}(q^2)$, respectively) are gauge independent and finite functions of $q^2$ after adopting a renormalization scheme. These form factors, $f_{Q}^{O_W}(q^2)$ and $f_{A}^{O_W}(q^2)$, get contribution at the one loop level only from the proper neutrino electromagnetic vertex. Besides, the relation $f_{Q}^{eff}(q^2)=q^2f_{A}^{eff}(q^2)$ ($f_{Q}^{eff}(q^2)=f_{Q}^{SM}(q^2)+f_{Q}^{O_W}(q^2)$, $f_{A}^{eff}(q^2)=f_{A}^{SM}(q^2)+f_{A}^{O_W}(q^2)$) is still fulfilled and hence the relation $a_{\nu}^{eff} = ^{eff} /6$ ($a_{\nu}^{eff} = a_{\nu}^{SM}+ a_{\nu}^{O_W}$, $^{eff} = ^{SM}+< r^2_{\nu} > ^{O_W}$)is gotten, just as in the SM. Using the experimental constraint on the anomalous $WW\gamma$ vertex, a value for the additional contribution to the charge radius of |^{O_W}| \lsim 10^{-34} cm^2 is obtained, which is one order of magnitude lower than the SM value.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Live Demonstration: Multiplexing AER Asynchronous Channels over LVDS Links with Flow-Control and Clock- Correction for Scalable Neuromorphic Systems

In this live demonstration we exploit the use of a serial link for fast asynchronous communication in massively parallel processing platforms connected to a DVS for realtime implementation of bio-inspired vision processing on spiking neural networks

Avaliação da diversidade genética do banco de germoplasma de pinhão-manso por marcadores moleculares.

bitstream/item/17901/1/BPesq_01.pd

The Adapted Ordering Method for Lie Algebras and Superalgebras and their Generalizations

In 1998 the Adapted Ordering Method was developed for the representation theory of the superconformal algebras in two dimensions. It allows: to determine maximal dimensions for a given type of space of singular vectors, to identify all singular vectors by only a few coefficients, to spot subsingular vectors and to set the basis for constructing embedding diagrams. In this article we present the Adapted Ordering Method for general Lie algebras and superalgebras, and their generalizations, provided they can be triangulated. We also review briefly the results obtained for the Virasoro algebra and for the N=2 and Ramond N=1 superconformal algebras.Comment: Many improvements in the redaction for pedagogical purposes. Latex, 11 page

Cruzamentos dialéticos e capacidade combinatória em pinhão-manso na fase jovem.

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar cruzamentos em esquema dialélicos e estimar a capacidade de combinação para caracteres vegetativos em pinhão-manso na fase jovem

Supernova Remnants in the Magellanic Clouds III: An X-ray Atlas of LMC Supernova Remnants

We have used archival ROSAT data to present X-ray images of thirty-one supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We have classified these remnants according to their X-ray morphologies, into the categories of Shell-Type, Diffuse Face, Centrally Brightened, Point-Source Dominated, and Irregular. We suggest possible causes of the X-ray emission for each category, and for individual features of some of the SNRs.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures (9 figure files). To appear in the Supplement Series of the Astrophysical Journal, August 1999 Vol. 123 #